Re: your March 29 editorial, "Come on, let’s hit the stores":

This headline wasn't specific enough. It should have said, "Let’s hit the stores that sell American-made products."

As Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on TV, the stimulus package will only be effective if we buy American-made products. Huh? What? That shows how much shopping he does. Where are the stores that sell American-made products? Answer: There are none. Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Kohl’s — all sell foreign-made products.

Re: Grant Marcus’ March 13 commentary, “Is U.S. headed down the path Germany took?� and Carla Bonney’s March 28 commentary, “Muslims get help from Christians�:

The Saturday Evening Post used to have a regular feature called "The Perfect Squelch," which neatly skewered some previously published literary rudeness or ignoramus opinion with particularly noteworthy finesse.

Perfectly squelched, in my opinion, was Marcus’ commentary by Bonney’s reply. One could almost wish for the publication of even more such misinformed opinions of Marcus' ilk to open the door to more Bonney-type perfect squelches.

Re: Charles E. Voigtsberger’s March 28 letter, “No way to flip a thank you":

I believe there are several universally recognizable hand-signals to do just that. One is an open-handed, palm facing inward touch to the forehead and then extending outward towards the recipient.

Others may be discovered by becoming familiar with those who are conversant in American Sign Language for the hearing-impaired. Many of those signs are also universally recognizable.

— Mark Voland, Ventura

They should all kiss and make up.

My girlfriend, the Republican, when asked the other day who she thought McCain should choose for a running mate, replied without hesitation, "Mitt Romney."

Now, I know there is no love lost between those two. Hard feelings go all the way back to the Olympics in Salt Lake City. But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made.

I recently read that Oxnard is in discussion with real estate developer Casden Properties, LLC, to build 201 single-family homes on the vacant land at the corner of Ventura Road and Vineyard Avenue with an additional 125 townhomes on an adjacent site.

Apparently the Oxnard Planning Commission has not looked at the condition of real estate in Oxnard if they are entertaining discussion for more real estate development.

Re: Justin Akers Chacon’s March 27 commentary, “What’s fueling increase in violence against Latinos?�:

This commentary irked me because it mirrors a similar article in The Star from a week or two ago on essentially the same subject. The thing that irritates me is that both articles posited — somewhat subtly, but not too subtly — that, as Chacon wrote, "immigrant scapegoating … [has fueled} the rise of hate groups setting their sights on Latinos, regardless of citizenship status."

Can someone explain to me why Sen. John McCain has renounced his "agents of intolerance" label of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson and not received criticism, while Sen. Barack Obama has denounced the words of his pastor and is still being attacked?

Falwell and Robertson blamed the terrorist acts of 9/11, in part, on the ACLU, feminists, gays and lesbians, while the Rev. Jeremiah Wright blamed the attacks on U.S. foreign policy. McCain has embraced Falwell, given the commencement address at Falwell's Liberty University and flip-flopped from his "agent of intolerance" label. Falwell and Robertson essentially said that God was damning America for the decisions of the U.S. justice system.

I suppose it's just typical of the roadwork in Ventura County, but I'm quite sure my 7-year-old grandson could have done a much better job of designing the intersection on the south side of the freeway at Wendy Drive. What was a reasonably good intersection is now a mess!

Speaking of traffic, I hope everyone is paying attention to the fact that the city of Thousand Oaks only speaks of the money it will not get if the traffic initiative is passed. No one from the city ever mentions "quality of life," which is the reason this initiative is on the ballot in the first place.

— John Hantke, Newbury Park

Re: Lloyd Levine’s March 26 commentary, “Nuclear power, LNG have no future in California":

The article by Levine, chairman of the state Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee, was politically correct in condemning nuclear power and liquefied natural gas. From a scientific and practical standpoint, it would be a disaster for energy-hungry California if we followed his recommendations and leave California with no future.

Re: John M. Crisp’s March 28 commentary, “Wright continues an outrageous biblical tradition�:

Crisp thinks that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's comments are just black church business as usual and that Wright is a prophet. I say baloney. Let’s call a duck a duck. Wright's speech is hate speech.

Re: your March 28 article, “Accidents reduced on part of Highway 118, report says�:

Did it really take a couple of years for a task force to determine that truckers avoiding the scales on Highway 101 are a major cause of accidents on Highway 118? And they've reduced the number of accidents to 60 along a 4.7-mile stretch? Can they apply this genius to one spot on Highway 118 where accidents can be eliminated completely?

Re: your March 29 Business article, “Airport terminal's debut is a snafu":

I traveled through Heathrow International Airport in June and July 2007. I missed a connecting flight once and would have missed another had I not begged, pleaded and bargained. Additionally, I was subjected to seven levels of security checks, and my luggage missed two flights.

The experience was a nightmare, and I wrote the British Airport Authority to complain, yet all they said was that “the security was necessary."

Re: your March 29 article, “CLU prepares leader�:

Many thanks to The Star for the splendid article featuring Chris Kimball's appointment as the next president of California Lutheran University. I rejoice for the institution and for the community in his selection. Chris is a competent, thoughtful, imaginative and cheerful leader, a true asset for CLU. The university will be in good hands.

One of the most rewarding opportunities I have as a contact for the Vietnam Veterans Against the War is to be able to help students with class assignments. It seems around this time of the year, I receive several requests from high school students to be interviewed about my experiences and thoughts about war. This year, there seemed to be more students requesting interviews than usual. Maybe it’s five long years of war in Iraq that has spurred their interest. This is a war that has now lasted longer than any one of them has attended high school.

Most households in the city of Thousand Oaks have received the “On the City Scene� brochure recently mailed out by the city boasting: “In 2007, Thousand Oaks was rated as the safest city in California with a population of 100, 000; 2nd safest city in the nation in that category; and 7th safest overall in the United States.�

This “safest city� claim is founded on a comparison of only a few types of crime reported annually by cities to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting office. The residents of a city having a low crime rate deserve most credit for that low crime rate, not just the Police Department.

In order to be elected, Thousand Oaks City Council members Andy Fox, Dennis Gillette, Claudia de la-Peña, Jacqui Irwin and Tom Glancy ran with a "slow growth� or “no growth" agenda. Of course, once in office, they all have betrayed the public trust by allowing this proposed "big box" retailer on Hampshire Boulevard. Instead of wasting time and money on an environmental impact survey, paid by the retailer, why not hire local elementary school students and ask them the following questions:

— If you add hundreds, maybe thousands, of cars a day to an already stressed-out freeway intersection, will that have a negative impact on the immediate and surrounding area?

The Star gives Oxnard City Council a “thumbs up� for recycling. Well, I don’t.

When Oxnard went to the split trash can for recycling, they were urged by residents to have separate trash cans for recycle material. They spent taxpayers’ money to buy split cans.

Then the City Council spent taxpayer money to buy new trash trucks that couldn’t handle the split cans, so all the recycling done by residents gets contaminated. Now, once again, they are spending taxpayer money to buy separate trash cans.

Re: your March 20 Time Out article, “Uncommon vision�:

I enjoyed the article about photographer Brian Stethem’s exhibit. As a member of the Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board, it’s heartening to hear how the built environment inspires artists in our community.

I support Denis O’Leary for county supervisor because he has worked with our community and has worked to improve the education of our students.

The fifth district has been on the short end of 4-1 votes for several years now, and little has come from it. We have seen the deadline for El Rio to connect to the sewer system come and go. Residences are looking at $20,000 hookup fees because our current supervisor couldn’t get two votes on the Board of Supervisors to follow the state mandate.

Now that we have had water fluoridation literally rammed down our throats for several months, it might be important to make note of the frequent number of accidents happening during the handling of the hazardous waste material fluorosilicic acid. A list of some of the fluoridation accidents that have resulted in human poisoning, including death, can be found on the Internet at http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/accidents/fluoridation.html.

Another and more complete list of fluoridation chemical spills and leaks can be found at http://www.actionpa.org/fluoride/chemicals/accidents-us.html.

I would like to express my opposition to the proposed plans to locate another Home Depot on Hampshire Boulevard in Westlake Village, the old Kmart site.

I have been living in Westlake Village since 1969 and have always appreciated and enjoyed our beautiful community. I do not want to experience the traffic and change that a big complex like Home Depot will bring to our neighborhood. I express the opinion of all the neighbors and friends that I have spoken to, but I can only talk for myself at this point. The existing Home Depot in Newbury Park is more than sufficient and in the right location for a store of that size.

Re: Richard Larsen’s March 25 essay, “Not just black and white�:

Bravo to Larsen for aptly dissecting the message behind the speech Sen. Barack Obama gave in response to his former pastor's obvious frustration on the topic of race.

As noted in Larsen’s essay, there appear to be two camps with polarized reactions: one in support of him for addressing the issue without attempting to cause further divisiveness, and one clearly outraged at his audacity for bringing to light an issue we are apparently supposed to pretend no longer exists.

It is with both trepidation and regret that I write about Sen. Barack Obama. What I refer to as his obsessive hatred is his willingness to expose his two lovely, underage daughters to the pervasive lies and hatred espoused by his clergyman.

That Obama had neither the courage nor the wits to walk out of hateful sermons speaks volumes about his feelings for his children, his "white" grandmother and, mostly, his fellow Americans.

I think this global warming thing has gotten way out of hand.
I just came from a shopping center with designated parking spaces, right next to the handicapped spaces, that are reserved for hybrid cars only. These are not spaces with electrical outlets where electric cars can plug in for recharging, just special privileges for the anointed. So if you happen to be too poor to trade in your Chevy for a Prius, or, like me, you think that 95 percent of the global warming hysteria is nonsense, you are to be punished by having to walk farther to get to the store. Only the disabled and the enlightened get to park near the building. Why not special spaces for motorcycles? They use far less fuel than hybrids.

Re: Colleen Cason’s March 2 column, “Deathbed wish can’t be granted�:

As a four-year resident at Victoria Care Center, I was disturbed by the news broadcast on Channels 2 and 9 regarding Ben Schwartz’s allegation that this facility is responsible for the mysterious disappearance of his late father’s wedding band. I was further nauseated by Cason’s inflammatory column that enhances these allegations, but adds nothing to support them. Cason’s syrupy tone begs for sympathy but substantiates neither these allegations nor the absurd “ring-theft ring� notion.

Please do not let Brandon McInerney be tried as an adult. I have firsthand experience with the system and know that it would just be wrong to put this boy through this. He is a child, and there is physical evidence to substantiate that a child's brain is not even finished developing before the age of 18 or 20.

Why do we consider a child an adult at 18 when we, as parents, need the system's help and they refuse to help us? Who gets to decide at what age a boy becomes an "adult?" Consider his past behavior. Consider that his father went to the school and tried to get help. Don't just throw him to the wolves at his young age just to satisfy some political whim.

Re: your March 23 article, “Pope baptizes Muslim writer�:

The Star published the Associated Press story and photos of the pope’s baptism of Italy’s most prominent Muslim writer, Magdi Allam. He was not quietly baptized in his own neighborhood church, as is the Catholic custom, but rather at the internationally publicized Vatican Easter service. Indeed, he was in the front row at St. Peter’s.

Re: John L. Thawley’s March 24 letter, “Is America better off?�:

A phrase at the end of the first paragraph caught my attention because it was contrary to what I had learned from history. The phrase was, "the Ku Klux Klan, a so-called Christian organization."

I researched the Internet on the history of the Ku Klux Klan, and the most complete article I found was in Wikipedia.com. It states, in part:

Re: Ron Bottorff and Mary Ann Krause’s March 23 commentary, “Think regionally�:

I have no quarrel with the thesis that each city should do its part toward meeting the housing needs of all, including low-income persons. I support a cooperative, coordinated approach by all cities in the county.

However, it is also essential to permit each city to protect the vital interests of its citizens. The authors overlook this crucial need.

“4,000 dead!!!�

Why was this not the top headline in The Star on March 24 in bold letters so thick they would span the page? Instead, the top headline was about the stinking economy. Even a mundane article about students and SAT scores got bigger coverage than the black milestone in this criminal war.

I missed Barack Obama's speech the first time through. Not until noon the next day did my wife alert me to "some speech that's being talked about on the radio." I went to YouTube knowing Obama was a good orator but not anticipating anything special. I was awestruck.

So many aspects were exemplary: his honesty, the positive message, the apolitical nature of it, the eloquence and most of all the hope he gave me that maybe this great nation could overcome the divisiveness perpetuated by the fear- and hate-mongers crowding the airwaves and infiltrating this very paper. I was truly inspired.

Re: Joe Howry’s March 23 essay, “Misstep on Obama speech�:

I was shocked — shocked! — when I read Howry’s essay in my very liberal local rag. It seems that Editor Howry was apologizing — yes, apologizing! — for an article extolling Barack Obama’s speech on the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a speech that the candidate tried to make into a white liberal guilt speech to change the subject.

Well, the liberal left wing initially swooned over it, but now they're having acute buyer's remorse, realizing that Slick Barack has hornswoggled them once again.

Here we are five years later. Iraq is going well or it's going terribly — depends who you talk to. It depends on your source of news. It depends on your preconceptions.
No one is really happy with the war. The supporters are weary. Few imagined that five years later there would be no end in sight.

Some opposing the war refuse to acknowledge any potential benefit of a democratic Iraq or any justification for the initial action. It's all about "lies,� "weapons of mass destruction,� oil and defense contracts. Have we reached an impasse? It seems we no longer debate facts or theories. Rather, we smear the other side and ask how could anyone be so stupid to believe as they do.

One of the most hideous realities of the futility of war in Iraq, besides the human casualties, both American and Iraqi, is the lack of benefit to us Americans as illustrated by our near $4-a-gallon gasoline despite the vast, almost endless quantity of oil in that country. We've achieved no advantage from the war, no reward.

One would think oil magnates such as President Bush and Vice President Cheney would have found a way to provide us Iraqi oil at reasonable prices, but they haven't. The true beneficiaries are the oil industry, Cheney's Halliburton and civilian contractors who outnumber our military in numbers and salaries that make our soldiers look like welfare recipients.

As Americans, we sit by and give approval to our school boards to lay off our teachers and close our schools because we are in denial that the lack of money is not due to a
depression. Yet we are spending $8 billion — yes, $8 billion — per month on the political whim of our leaders to fight committed fanaticals, whether they be religious, drug cartels or tenacious gangs in their neighborhoods who see us as invaders.

Re: Jerry Turner’s March 20 letter, “Don’t be fooled by Obama�:

Turner claims a Barack Obama presidency would put the U.S. economy in the throes of inflation not seen since the Carter administration. What do you suppose we have now? We have the worst inflation since the administration of Herbert Hoover, President Bush’s idol.

Turner states the people of Iraq will be abandoned, but no president will just pull all of the troops out. He also alludes to Iraq’s oil reserves. I guess he admits that’s what this phony war is all about — oil reserves.

Re: Deroy Murdock’s March 21 commentary, “New study justifies ousting Saddam’s terror state�:

I have believed from the start that President Bush was justified in going into Iraq and ousting Saddam Hussein. The national security of America was and is at stake. It is true that mistakes were made in this war. However, what war hasn’t had its share of mistakes?

Port Hueneme can indeed be "A Friendly City by the Sea," but that friendliness often does not extend to citizens who remind the “powers that be� of their shortcomings. My attempt to share evidence of the city's ongoing neglect and abuse of Bubbling Springs Creek at a recent council meeting certainly did not get a friendly reception. I am anxious to see if the adoption of a new motto might be accompanied by the adoption of a new attitude.

— Ted Waddell,
Port Hueneme

I have used Google as my primary search engine for years and have particularly gotten a kick out of the logo art customized for special days and seasons.

Until today.

When holidays like Alexander Graham Bell’s birthday receive notice and the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ does not, I can only take the glaring absence as a deliberate slap in the face to millions of Christians, myself included. Although Google clearly has no Christian leanings, one-third of the world’s population does, and even a nod to the secular Easter bunny would have been better than nothing.

Re: your March 18 article, “Affordable housing focus of two debates�:

I attended an earlier community workshop this month related to Santa Paula’s housing element update. I was compelled to speak against any further development by Cabrillo Economic Development Corp. in Santa Paula. On the other hand, high-end to moderate-income housing should be promoted.

Although I was given five minutes in which to make my point, I don’t believe the majority of Santa Paula had the benefit of sharing my comments. I would like to re-emphasize my thoughts.

In recent weeks, as I ride around town on a bicycle, I have noticed an increasing number of motorists waiting behind me to make right turns until I have cleared the driveway or street where they want to turn right. In the past, the majority of drivers made their right turn without regard to whether I was cut off or not. I didn't know of a universally accepted hand gesture that says, "Thank you."

I researched hand gestures on the Web. While there are numerous gestures to convey insults, there are no hand signs that I could find that said either "Thank you" or "I'm sorry." I wave whenever the motorist waits, but a wave is very ambiguous and can be interpreted in many ways.

Re: your March 6 article, “Pierpont residents criticize sand plan�:

The presentation of the Sand Management Plan by representatives of the city, state and the Coastal Commission on March 4 is another example of how our musical chairs mayoral form of government does not serve the best interests of the residents of Ventura.

Due to the school closure issue in Thousand Oaks, I have recently been attending Conejo Valley Unified School Board meetings. I think it is not too early for voters in Thousand Oaks to give serious thought about our November election.

Should University Elementary be closed, our family will be affected. Both my husband and myself have written e-mails to all the school board members. The only school board member who responded was Michael Dunn.

Imagine a church, right here in Thousand Oaks, that teaches peace.

Imagine that this church teaches respect for all human beings and encourages people to walk their talk.

Now imagine that you open your Ventura County Star to a story about a day of peace demonstrations and there you recognize two participants standing on "Peace Corner" sharing a hug of support. Now a married couple is quoted as they remark about the difference in the loving way this peace demonstration is received today, as compared to similar peace demonstrations held over five bloody years ago in this same place.

Re: your March 21 editorial, "Reply comes five years late":

The Star’s editorial about the exchange between ABC News reporter Martha Raddatz and Vice President Cheney is completely inaccurate and misleading. In print, the conversation reads just the way you want it to read. I saw and heard that interview, and that is not how it sounded.

Re: Ryta Fofanoff’s March 21 letter, “What would Obama do?�:

Fofanoff states, "But he never defines change." Let me be the one who educates all those people who do not want "change" in the way business is done in Washington, D.C.

Here are the dictionary’s definitions of "change": “To exchange, substitute, or replace something." "To pass or make something pass from one state or stage to another." "A different, clean or fresh set of something."

I am a weekend cyclist in the Conejo Valley and get a sense of peace whenever I ride. Of the many routes I take, I am affected whenever I go up from Thousand Oaks Boulevard to Kanan Road on North Westlake Boulevard. Although I never met Dr. Glenn Garvin, I remember passing the memorial placed on that route shortly after he was killed.

Re: John B. Hollister’s March 23 commentary, “CVUSD blows it�:

Hollister states that Meadows Elementary School was presented an "absolutely unworkable proposition by the board." This is untrue and built on fallacies.

What arrogance coming from Vice President Cheney when told of Americans’ thoughts of the war in Iraq! But it comes as no surprise with the Bush administration in charge.
If the American people do not wake up and see what direction our country is going in, we shall only continue to deteriorate from what was once a great nation. Bush, Cheney and the rest of his cronies have made such a mess of our country with their bumbling errors and mismanagement of a war that has no end in sight, not to mention the recession that Bush refuses to acknowledge and the runaway costs of what it takes to fill up our tanks every day.

Re: your March 21 editorial, "Reply comes five years late":

Although I’m not a fan of the situation Vice President Cheney or President Bush created in Iraq, The Star’s editorial and punch line at the end, "Mr. Lincoln won his," is a gratuitous statement and reflective of a smart aleck. The Star can and should do better and not allow an "attitude" to take center stage.

The whole point of Cheney's remarks was that if Lincoln had listened to the overwhelming public disillusionment with the civil war, he would never have "stayed the course" and won the war.

Critics claim Sen. John McCain’s election would be “more of the same.� That's curious, since both political parties have put this country through a wringer of “the same� that started in 1992 and continues today.

It is not surprising but rather disturbing how those who responded so negatively to Sen. Barack Obama's speech seemed to want to place the entire responsibility of that discussion of race solely on his shoulders.

Since we all have an opinion, we can agree to disagree. But there should be a certain amount of fairness even in disagreement.

Those who found Obama's speech lacking conveniently failed to at least acknowledge that other candidates — or their confidants or surrogates — interjected race into this campaign, specifically, former President Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro.

Re: your Feb. 25 articles, “College applicants turn to Net for help� and “Underage cursing is increasingly common�:

I read the first article with interest. It said students are trying to set themselves apart by submitting additional information with their applications to colleges about why they are unique. Also stated was that colleges are looking past applications to places like Facebook and MySpace for additional information on prospective students.

The Highway 101 overpass at Ash and Front streets is a convenient walkway for pedestrians spending time at the Ventura Pier and beachfront. Many walkers, including the Wednesday night Sierra Club urban hikers, regularly use the cross bridge to access the waterfront.

Unfortunately, the intersection at Thompson Boulevard and Ash Street is dangerous and has no crosswalk, light or stop sign. Living in the neighborhood and observing pedestrians waiting for a break in the traffic flow, I have often thought of that corner as an accident waiting to happen.

Re: Sue Paroski’s March 5 letter, “Much ado about steelhead�:

I'll tell you a story about when I was a kid living in the San Fernando Valley in the 1950s and 1960s before I took off to college, never to return. A couple of times in 1960 and 1961, my friends and I would pack up the car and head for Fillmore to do a little backpacking and fishing. Back then, you drove up the west side of the creek out of Fillmore, paid a homeowner a buck to park and off you'd go.

Re: Chuck Thomas’ March 1 column, “Does Oscar help to glorify violence?�

I may not have seen “There May Be Blood,� but those who paid attention to the previews may have noticed the disclaimer that noted the movie was based on Upton Sinclair’s book “Oil.� Of course, this book probably pales in comparison to Upton’s most gruesome gore-filled work known as “The Jungle.�

On March 3, I had the privilege of celebrating the 20th year of my very successful liver transplant.

Organ transplantation works, saves lives and affords recipients the ability to be productive, contributing members of society.

Re: your March 7 article, “Process starts to avoid monthly 911 fee�:

Where's the outrage? Listen folks, before the phone fee goes up — and it will go up in the near future — one council member should ask to rescind this. I'm opting out.

— Jim Gray, Ventura

Re: your March 9 editorial, “Phone alert needed�:

Phone alerts are an excellent idea, but it will require a good system. The RoboCall robot must start talking immediately. I know I hang up immediately if I get silence when I answer the phone.

There must also be assurance that emergency calls will be for emergencies. Just some "criminal activity in [the] neighborhood" isn't enough; it's got to be an immediate threat of violent crime.

Re: Tony Throop’s March 9 commentary, “Discarded souls�:

I thank The Star for publishing the letter from Throop. His tragic story highlights the importance of allowing juveniles a second chance and investing in them so that they may become upstanding citizens in our community.

Throop’s story is as heartbreaking as the current one, only in Throop’s case there has been no opportunity for healing.

Re: your March 9 article, “Clampdown on unlicensed labor�:

Howard Cummings, a laid-off construction worker, was wrongfully prosecuted because the Statewide Investigative Fraud Team was doing licensed contractors’ work rather than the people’s work, which would be tracking down cases of real fraud.

Re: Norman E. Bauer’s March 13 letter, “Outrageous venture�:

Bauer's letter is an affront to all veterans. To characterize returning soldiers as mindless killers willing to do anything they are told is what is outrageous.

My father and several uncles served in the second world war and were all good, honest and, yes, gentle men.

The suggestion that our veterans need to be "reprogrammed" is offensive.

Re: Grant Marcus’ March 13 commentary, “Is U.S. headed down the path Germany took?�:

I know a way to prove whether or not this country is becoming like Nazi Germany, and it has to do with what happens to people like Marcus when they speak out against their government. If Marcus is not arrested for what he wrote and/or nothing bad happens to him because of it, then maybe, just maybe, this country is not becoming like Nazi Germany, but instead is a halfway decent country where people can express their opinions freely without fear.

While watching recent protests by people illegally inhabiting and sucking the life from this nation, I thought of the U.S. border control agent who was run down and murdered by a group from Mexico driving an expensive Hummer. I guess they prefer to ride in luxury while they're murdering Americans and have no trouble affording the gas, unlike the rest of us.

In remembering this person, I searched the Internet but could not even find the agent’s name. It struck me how the story vanished from the news after only a day or so with no memorial or even a picture or a name.

Re: Tom Teepen’s March 13 commentary, “Prosecutors' cheap thrill should not be federal case�:

Teepen may have a change of mind if his daughter, mother or wife were involved in prostitution or if he found out he was conceived through such an act. His opinion of “willing buyer, willing seller� is part of the acceptable liberal outlook. On its face, it is simple enough, but the facts are what they are.

School, school, school. That’s all my life has been since I was born. Elementary school was fun, junior high was fun, but, man, high school has become a bore! Since day one of high school, all I have been hearing is college, college, college. Do this so you can go to college. Take this class, it looks good for colleges. Every class I have taken so far in my school career is so I can get into a good college so I can become successful and contribute to my country. Well, you know what? College is overrated.

Re: Theodore L. Gatchel’s March 14 commentary, “Balancing cost of protection with accomplishing job�:

Gatchel exposes the closed mind of some in the military. He claims that Noam Chomsky didn't care about the American lives saved by the B-52 bombers at Khe Sahn. Chomsky's comments on the costs of the war did not in any way mean he was opposed to taking actions to save American lives in battle. His point was that if we were not lied into wars, our soldiers’ lives would not be in danger. If we were not lied into wars, we would not be spending so much on the military.

I wonder about the effect of the media, television networks, radio and newspapers emphasizing the former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer sex scandal and its influence on teenage girls. Let's face it: Kids these days regard sex to be as common as Big Macs.

The coverage of Kristen, who prostituted for the New York governor at a rate of several thousands of dollars per hour, and the resulting promotions, publicity and commitments that are already worth more than a million dollars leave the indelible impression that the story is no different than that of the Paris Hiltons and the Lindsay Lohans.

Re: your March 18 article, “Lobo leaves legacy behind after 17 seasons at Oxnard�:

I have had the privilege of knowing Coach Henry Lobo for more than 20 years and playing for him for three years at Oxnard High School. He positively impacted me during my teenage years and helped build me into the man I am today.

Please join me in urging the California Legislature to reject Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed $4.8 billion cut to education funding.

As an assistant principal of a middle school in the Ventura Unified School District and mother of two young children, I believe the governor’s proposal passes the state’s budget problems onto local students and schools and holds them accountable for a problem they did not create. I believe our students deserve better.

Re: your March 19 article, "High court takes on gun law":

I disagree with the article's opening paragraph that states this is the first time in the country's history that the Supreme Court may interpret the Second Amendment as an individual right. I would suggest, as a start, reading a brief review of 19th century Supreme Court cases involving the Second Amendment that appears in this month's issue of "America's 1st Freedom," by Dave Kopel. Yes, this is a National Rifle Association publication (and, yes, I'm a member). However, I've found previous articles on this subject to be concise and informed.

Re: Barbara A. Warkentien's March 19 letter, “Put kids first�:

School districts get so much money per child, plus some from the lottery, plus some from school bonds. What I cannot understand is why schools and the teachers union are always crying poor.

They are a bottomless pit. Parents are furnishing the school supplies that should come out of the money schools get for each child. Where is the money going?

Thousand Oaks schools may teach democracy, but the Conejo Valley Unified School District board does not practice it. Like Soviet-era commissars, the school board ran star-chamber proceedings, ignored the public and swiftly pushed its preplanned decision to close two of the best schools in the district.

Because the board wanted to go home by 10 p.m., 140 parents and local citizens were not allowed to speak. The board cut off comments, violating the Brown Act, closed the schools and went home. At a previous meeting, 170 people weren’t allowed to speak.

Re: your March 19 articles, "Car burglary suspects arrested" and "Instruments stolen from T.O. church":

What are two grown men thinking when they break into cars at 4 a.m.? What can they gain? What can they lose?

What are others thinking when they enter a Christian church — or any church — and steal property used to worship God? Are a few musical instruments and computers worth the risk of jail time?

First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.�

I believe in the Constitution. The first 10 amendments make up the Bill of Rights, not the Bill of Privileges. For those who are unsure of the difference, voting is a right afforded all citizens of the U.S. Driving is a privilege afforded by your parents. You can lose a right and petition the government to have it restored. You beg your parents.

Sen. John McCain has claimed, on multiple occasions now, that Shiite Iran is training Sunni al-Qaida. These are not gaffes or misspeaking or misstating or whatever term his campaign is using. This is exactly how we got into Iraq, by conflating 9/11 with Saddam Hussein. This is as clear and transparent as it can be.

It doesn’t matter that it isn’t true or that the Iranian Shiites hate the Sunnis. McCain and his crowd are counting on the American people to be as uninformed and dumb as they were in 2002 so that they can attack Iran before the November elections and make it impossible for a Democrat to get elected. Both Democratic candidates are promoting an end to this war, and the Republicans will have none of that.

I home-schooled my children starting in 1991, as a private school and at a charter school independent study program. My own children and many of their home-schooled friends never took a standardized test and used no standard curriculum, yet they have excelled in college and at other adult pursuits. They learned from people of all ages and walks of life in their community, as well as from their families, and they participated in volunteer work, scouts, clubs and community classes.

I've also had the privilege of knowing many home-schoolers all over California. These children are now young adults in college or jobs, traveling or doing internships, and are responsible citizens and lovely human beings.

Re: your March 13 article, “Popular route to add more buses�:

I was thrilled to read that an additional bus will be brought into service for the Coastal Express shuttle service.

Re: your March 14 article, “3 districts ordered to fix shortfalls�:

Regarding the suggestions that Oxnard School District and the other districts contract with an outside intervention team at a cost of $250,000, why would we spend the money on that?

As a retiree of the Oxnard School District, I have seen these "outside" groups come in at huge amounts of money — usually out of the general fund — and nothing happen to improve the district's score significantly.

Re: your March 19 article, “Obama speech strikes mostly a positive note�:

I don’t know what speech The Star reporter was listening to, but apparently he heard something completely different than what I heard. I saw absolutely nothing positive about Barack Obama’s speech whatsoever.

I strongly disagree with trying juveniles as adults. They do not think like adults, and science has proven that they cannot. Their brains are not developed to that point.
We should let our juvenile justice system do its job. We should not be sending 14-year-old kids to be with hardened older criminals to get raped or murdered in prison. We can rehabilitate adults — why not kids who are so impressionable and moldable? Why mold them into tough criminals, which as all we are doing in sending them to adult prisons?

Re: Warren Faue’s March 18 letter, “The only explanation�:

Judging from the obviousness of the flaws in Faue’s “statistical� arguments, I’m thinking he actually supports the atheist position. I’d enjoy seeing his application of the same “statistical analysis� to the question of the odds that Zeus exists or the Easter bunny.

To be more convincing, he could then apply his methods to the question, “Do the hundreds of other gods that no one any longer believes in exist?�

I believe that juveniles should not be tried as adults.

— Ruth Cooper, Ojai

Re: Norman E. Bauer’s March 13 letter, “Outrageous venture�:

After reading some of the responses to Bauer’s letter, I had to get online and download his letter and read it for myself.

First of all, returning veterans are not trained killers. However, they are trained to react and survive in dangerous situations while protecting their fellow troops — the type of training that creates a great base to build upon during police academy training.

Re: your March 5 article, “Officials OK boat ban at Casitas�:

I write on behalf of many fishermen who are need help. We spend all week long waiting for the weekend so we can watch the sun rise over the beautiful mountains and reflect off the glistening waters of Ventura County's Lake Casitas.

I understand and respect the decision of the Casitas Municipal Water District Board of Directors to close the lake because of the quagga mussel. I am not asking directors to change their minds.

Re: your March 18 article, “Plan to link open spaces proposed to help animals�:

This was a great article on the plan to link open spaces.

This South Coast Wildlands Project includes Mount Clef Ridge. Thanks goes to Save Our Ring of Green for keeping the Mount Clef Ridge Wildlife Corridor open for another year. Scenic Mount Clef Ridge is located in the steep hilly area above California Lutheran University. Mount Clef Ridge provides the only remaining western wildlife access corridor and serves to replenish the declining wildlife population in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Re: your March 9 article, “Saticoy Little League celebrates its 50th opening day�:

This may upset some people, but they won’t be as upset as I am.

I just want to clear the air as to who started Little League in Saticoy. For many years I’ve heard and read as to who started Little League in Saticoy, and it's to the point that I should set the record straight.

Re: Terry Paulson's March 17 essay, "Selling you the easy peace":

Another “stay the course to success� — the Republican candidate will; the Democrats won't.

The surge has improved the situation in Iraq, but accompanying factors need to be acknowledged, i.e., the cease-fire by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr for his militia and the decision by the some Sunni tribal leaders to quit the insurgency. Without these, the violence would likely not have been reduced.

A Barack Obama presidency and a Democratic Congress will push a policy that would put the U.S. economy in the throes of inflation that has not been seen since the Carter administration. Price caps, living wage, universal healthcare and tax increases will destroy jobs as well as the economy.

They will create another universal healthcare without regard of the $800 billion price tag on top of the current entitlements of Medicare and Social Security.

Re: Terry Paulson’s March 17 essay, “Selling you an easy peace�:

St. Patrick's is an appropriate day to publish the latest right-wing "essay" from Terry Paulson. Filled with the usual unsubstantiated and downright silly and irritating blarney, it shows just how out of touch with a vast majority of his fellow citizens he is and has prompted me to show him what will almost certainly become reality.

Re: Chuck Thomas’ March 15 commentary, “Art vs. 911: Unspoken priorities�:

I am happy to respond in light of this column about public art in the city of Ventura.

Re: Chuck Thomas’ March 15 commentary, “Art vs. 911: Unspoken priorities�:

Yes, art and architecture have experienced many centuries of private support through commissions. In the United States, there have been two documented periods of government-supported arts.

I have just finished reading Barack Obama’s full speech. I’ve not been so moved since the Kennedy era. I got a sense of Franklin Roosevelt as well, though I was a boy when he led our country. Obama is wise and eloquent beyond his years, and he gives me something I haven’t felt for a long time: hope.

Another thing he offers me and millions of others is a language we can understand, as well as a grasp of what our country looks like though the eyes of ordinary people. He mirrors our hopes and dreams back to us.

Fox News quoted a parishioner of Sen. Barack Obama's church as saying that Obama “was not there," in reference to the controversy surrounding Obama's response to and knowledge of the anti-American, inflammatory comments made by his pastor of 20 years, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

However, it is then not clear to me why some, not all, continue to accuse President Bush, who also was not there, of lying to the American people regarding the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, whose existence was "known" by intelligence agencies in Great Britain, France, Israel, Russia, and Saddam Hussein’s top generals, all of whom were duped.

Re: Terry Paulson’s March 17 essay, “Selling you an easy peace�:

In supporting President Bush’s war, Paulson says, “Mistakes have been made in the Iraq war.� I’m not kidding, he really said that. He goes on to say that we should vote for John McCain and continue on in Iraq doing the same thing.

Since the shooting tragedy at E.O. Green School in Oxnard, there have been many expressions of need for more emphasis on helping children and youth learn to accept differences while stressing the similarities in all of us.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is an excellent source of materials for teaching tolerance and reconciling relationships. Go to the Web site www.splcenter.com and click on Teaching Tolerance in the heading at the top of the home page. The Teaching Tolerance program is designed to ensure that every classroom in America is equipped with the tools needed to help children learn to live together in harmony. Newsweek magazine considers it "a winner (among) programs providing moral education."

Re: your March 17 article, "Water watchers think ahead":

The Star once again warned us of what surely is in our immediate future: acute water shortages. My July 7, 2007, letter reminded Ventura that a Star headline of Nov. 10, 1992, announced: "City Council gives OK to desal plant." In short, about 16 years ago, the construction of a seawater desalinization facility, such as Santa Barbara already has, was approved for Ventura.

These are difficult times, and the election of selective candidates may be very important to protect us and assure desired future changes. The national election gets muddied by the dirt the three presidential candidates throw at each other.

However, closer to home, especially in my district, will be the choice of supervisor in our local political scene. One way to choose is to consider what the duties of the office being contested are. A supervisor is responsible to the entire county of Ventura as well as to represent, protect, benefit and plan for the future of those of us who live in his district.

Re: Tom Teepen’s March 12 commentary, “Bush’s chamber of horrors betrays nation’s values�:

Teepen has the word “torture� frequently in mind. It should be noted, contrary to Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s carefully worded statement that he “never heard of� instances of numerous terrorist attacks being prevented (while simultaneously leaking secret information when it furthered his political agenda), hundreds if not thousands of lives have been saved from murder due to anti-terrorist programs.

Re: Bill O'Reilly’s March 15 commentary, “Spitzer’s self-destructive personality did him in�:

Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer is self-destructive, maybe. Selfish, self-involved and destructive to others? Absolutely!

"Selfishness" explains why Spitzer would risk all. His needs and wants are of paramount importance, and no one or nothing else really matters.

Currently the strip of land between Moorpark and Simi Valley on Tierra Rejada Road is set aside as a greenbelt parkway. Admittedly, there were a few businesses that were able to sneak in, but those have been closed.

Recently there has been a lot of rhetoric about Cornerstone Church wanting to grab between 60 and 120 acres for a megafacility that would take up most of the greenbelt. Not only is this a blatant misuse of county and city lands, it is yet another attempt by a church entity to push and cajole cities into giving up valuable assets for the sake of a church.

I looked in vain for any coverage of the remarks President Bush made during a video conference with the U.S. military and civilian personnel in Afghanistan. The story came through Reuters and ran in European papers, but there was not a word here in the U.S. except for one good newsman on television.

To quote Bush: "I must say, I’m a little envious. If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed."

If you live in this community, it goes without saying that you live here for the same reasons in which we all live here: a safe community, a place to raise families, a place to live, play and, for some, to work in.

Whenever I hear of some crime that takes place around town, it's upsetting because we all expect that it should never happen here. However, this particular crime that just happened in the middle of our community is something that hits home. I'm completely outraged. I think our community needs to hear about it because whoever did this more than likely lives among us.

Re: your March 16 article, “State may toss tax cuts of 1990s�:

I keep wondering about the basic wisdom (or is it sanity?) of state government. Why give those who pay the largest tax bills and who can most easily move out of California a great big incentive to pack up and run? Why add any more incentive for business to move away? That's a double whammy.

I am appalled that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and our state legislators have the audacity to consider cutting funds for education and thus from our children's and our state's future.

State government always has money for multiple state commissions, whose members meet once or twice a year at luxurious hotels while commanding annual salaries of $100,000 — all at taxpayers' expense. Our state leaders always find money to raise prison guards' salaries and fund any other pet project that meets their fancies. When times get tough, it's only education that loses funding.

I plan to vote against the Thousand Oaks traffic initiative. Frankly, I am annoyed I even have to vote against this. I vote regularly in City Council elections, and I expect those I elect to make good decisions about city development.

This initiative asks people to make decisions about land use. It sounds very democratic and wonderful, but it is the wrong approach. In America, we have representative government. Those we elect to represent us make decisions.

Re: your March 15 article, “Network of sober stations planned in county":

I want to say to Dan Frederickson and his business colleagues how much they are admired for their caring and audacity in attempting to do a great thing here in our community.

It is extremely disappointing to realize that Oxnard gets to vote on the future of Camarillo’s high school and education. As a parent of a former student who attended Camarillo High School not very long ago, I know firsthand the negatives of that district. What they consider excellence and what I consider excellence are miles apart from each other.

They are more concerned with getting their children through high school than attending a selective university. Without our students, who perform so much better than the rest of Oxnard, they would lose their federal monies because of No Child Left Behind.

Every day we read about recession fears. Schools give layoff notices to 20,000 teachers. Our roads and bridges are in desperate need of repairs, and our state is drowning in $14 billion in red ink.

Has anyone ever connected the dots that maybe the reason is that California school populations represent about 44 percent second-language learners — a code word for children of illegal immigrants? If you do the math, that represents about 2.5 million of the 6 million kids enrolled in public schools.

Ventura’s decision to charge citizens for calling 911 made me recall my one experience with such a call. I was working in a fast-food place in downtown on a late Friday night. We had just closed. Suddenly, there was a loud, frightening crash. A man had just broken one of the three-eighth-inch panes of tempered plate glass with his bare hands. He was standing at the hole he’d made, screaming at us for being closed when he wanted something to eat. It happened I knew him and knew his record of drunken violence. I had no intention of dealing with him.

The practice of waterboarding, a method used to get information from terrorists to prevent their committing more genocide against Americans, has been soundly condemned by some as "cruel and inhuman punishment." These terrorists are in custody because they are considered to be extremely dangerous individuals who are a threat to our national security.

How is it, then, that waterboarding of terrorists/saboteurs is so cruel and inhuman, while the dismembering, salt poisoning or late term-partial birth (sucking out the brains of infants just before birth) is not?

As a Rio Mesa High School student in the Oxnard Union High School District, I feel that the rivalry between Rio Mesa and Camarillo would be destroyed if Camarillo unified into the Pleasant Valley school system. The rivalry would be destroyed because all the teachers/coaches who make about $20,000 more than Pleasant Valley teachers would all be gone. These teachers/coaches are very good at what they do, and if those teachers were removed, all the sports programs would be ruined. I think the coaches chosen to fill in for those positions would, first off, have big shoes to fill and also might not bring the same intensity to their jobs.

Re: Lisa McKinnon’s March 5 Café Society column, “Dietitian’s café comes with a side of advice�:

The article mentions the newly proposed legislation, SB1420, which will re-introduce legislation vetoed last year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

A recent poll sponsored by the California Endowment shows that 69 percent of registered state voters believe the government is not doing enough to combat childhood obesity, which is now considered to be the single most important health issue facing today’s children.

Re: your March 14 article, “Commute eases as new Highway 23 lanes open�:

The next step by the powers that be will be to ruin the commute by making one of the lanes a high-occupancy vehicle — carpool, diamond — lane. It's been proven that they only serve to slow things down by compressing most of the traffic into two lanes, while the HOV lane is barely used. It took all of us taxpayers to pay for the extra concrete; there should be no restrictions on its uses. Please, please please: No HOV lanes!

— Victor Ortiz, Thousand Oaks

Re: Theodore L. Gatchel’s March 14 commentary, "Balancing cost of protection with accomplishing job":

Is it really all about the money and looking “good� to the Iraqi people? Not once did I see Gatchel acknowledge the number of causalities caused to our forces when unarmored Humvees are driven over improvised explosive devices. That number is in the range of 1,600 killed, and using a conservative multiplier of, say, 10 for wounded, that would mean about 16,000 unfortunate soldiers and Marines with missing legs and arms and other traumatic injuries they will live with for the rest of their lives.

With the recent events regarding now-former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, I'll ask once again, "Why is it a crime to do for money that which is legal to do for free?"

None of the arguments against prostitution — immorality, degradation and abuse of women — are valid. Many consider adultery and promiscuity to be immoral, yet these are perfectly legal, if done for free.

As for degradation, many see it as degrading for a Southern Baptist bride to promise submission and obedience to her husband. Yet this too is legal.

Re: Bill O’Reilly’s March 15 commentary, “Spitzer’s self-destructive personality did him in�:

Leon Hoffman, former chairman of the American Psychoanalytic Association, has explained Eliot Spitzer’s case: “People in power sometimes feel they can do things that mere mortals are forbidden to do. There’s a sense, like adolescents, that, ‘I won’t get caught.’�

So, the media tells us our state and country are in an economic crisis. Why are our state and federal politicians overlooking the obvious remedies that they alone are in a position to do something about? They can fix welfare fraud and illegal immigration, and they can eliminate restrictions on offshore and Alaskan oil, which will then significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The cost savings and the oil benefits created would more than offset the effects of the current housing crisis and secure a better future for our economy.

I took my Dalmatian to the dog park on Saturday. She was having fun, but then a Doberman pinscher began picking on her. She had her down on the ground and wasn’t letting her go. The owner did get the dog off, but she kept going after my Dalmatian.

I think if you cannot control your bigger dog, you should not be taking the dog to the park. There should be a park for medium-size dogs so they don’t get picked on by the bigger dogs.

Re: your March 14 article, “Group plans sober stations�:

I thank Dan Frederickson for having the vision to propose an innovative way to address homelessness and addiction in Ventura County. For too long we have tried the same remedies of incarceration, but this just leads to a cycle of recidivism.

Re: Elton Gallegly’s March 16 commentary, “Raising taxes is just a bad idea�:

Gallegly's fictional account of the congressional budget plan is an attempt to blame others for a decision that Gallegly apparently regrets.

Barack Obama is running on a “change� ticket, but he never defines “change.� Is he for making English our official language? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn’t. How about our Pledge of Allegiance? Is he going to do something about our illegal immigration situation in states affected by hundreds of thousands illegals? Is he going to control our borders? What about healthcare and elderly care in this country? The list goes on and on.

Re: your March 13 article, “GOP blocks effort to make oil companies pay additional taxes,� and your March 16 article, “State may toss tax cuts of 1990s�:

In both articles, Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, R-Moorpark, is quoted as “being embarrassed to tell the people of my district that a publicity stunt was the best that we could do.�

Re: your March 15 article, “Obama denounces pastor’s remarks against the U.S.�:

I wonder how many priests and clergy will come forward to defend God's holy name after hearing the Rev. Jeremiah Wright not only blaspheme God's name but damn all Americans when he said, "God damn America" not only once, but three times in a row! I also wonder how many Americans will come forth to defend God.

For shame on this preacher, who ought to quickly and publicly get down on his knees and beg God's forgiveness for such profanity and hate from his mouth, not only against God, but for all of us in America whom he damns. God bless America forever!

— RoseMary Carnicelli, Newbury Park

When we moved here in 1978, Carriage Square was a nice shopping center with plenty of stores for the middle-class population in the area. Now that it's a rundown, blighted area I read that the new owners may convert it into a swap meet area or a used-car area.

As far as I'm concerned, this new plan will just convert it into a brand new blighted area, not any better than what's there now, with appeal to the lower class population. I'm willing to bet that any signs on the property will not be in English. I'd rather just see it stay blighted the way it is.

— William Wolny, Oxnard

I have had hard time writing this letter about the home loan debacle due to my anger regarding it.

I am a registered Republican, and the remarks by the Republicans made me want to change parties. Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., just couldn’t see punishing corporate executives for this problem. If you think for one minute that Angelo Mozilo, chief executive officer of Countrywide Financial Corp., made those loans to help more people have their own homes, then we have more problems than this one.

Re: your March 6 article, “Health officials say vaccines worsened girl’s rare disorder�:

Twelve years ago, my son, Brandon, was diagnosed with autism at age 3. I was shocked because just a year earlier, he was "normal," playing with his two older sisters, interacting with our dog, cat and mostly his parents — then gone.

We asked our doctor, “Could it have been his MMR vaccination?� and the doctor held back from almost laughter as he said, "If you see one autistic child in your entire career, it’s one too many."

“60 Minutes� did a story once about how we are paying today, on our phone bill, a charge that began as a way to help pay the cost of the Spanish-American War. No kidding, folks! Disguised now as something else, that's where it began.

Ambrose Bierce defined air as “a nutritious substance supplied by a bountiful Providence for the fattening of the poor.� I suppose in time some smart college boy will figure how much we breathe each day, and we will be put on a 30-day billing cycle.

On March 3, I received a phone call from the Moorpark Unified District Office letting me know that a woman was trying to get in touch with a family member of my son, Tyrone Camacho. Tyrone died on April 22, 1992.

Years ago, the woman’s father had taken his children to Poindexter Park, where they had found a ring when they were playing. The ring had my son’s name engraved on the inside. The father planned to return the ring, but life happened and the ring remained in the father’s jewelry box.

A group of citizens in the Las Virgenes Unified School District is gravely concerned about the impact of the state's budget problems on our schools. In response, we've formed a grassroots organization called C.O.R.E.: Californians Organized to Rescue Education.

The group's members include the parent and faculty leadership of every school in LVUSD. Our goal is to educate our community about the state's financial crisis and its implications for our schools, and to motivate the community to act against any attempt to further decimate funding for our schools.

I need some enlightenment as to the Barack Obama comparison to President Kennedy.

I have taken note that a lot of people are comparing Obama to Kennedy. Kennedy served heroically in the U.S. Navy in World War II on PT-109 and served in the U.S. Congress from 1947 to 1953 and in the U.S. Senate for two terms before running for president.

Obama never served in the military, was an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004 and became a U.S. senator in 2005, and so is a little over halfway through his first term.

Re: Norman E. Bauer's March 13 letter, "Outrageous venture":

Bauer apparently thinks that soldiers returning from Iraq are somehow unfit to return to society. My brother served two tours of duty in Iraq, and I can assure Bauer that thousands of soldiers like him have served their country both professionally and honorably and are quite capable of returning home to their families and careers without the need to be "reprogrammed."

Bauer is the one who needs reprogramming.

— Tony Sereno, Simi Valley

Over the years I've often looked down at my two hands and known that I'm not doing the work that I was born to do. I'm so grateful to be sitting right now in a New Sanctuary house, learning from this family about what it is to be connected and loving and to declare a stand for something bigger than myself.

Some may argue that New Sanctuary is a political movement to be defended or condemned. Possibly it did begin as a response to a difficult situation for some Hispanics in our communities; for me, it is more fundamentally a choice: love or fear.

Who's been reading the book, "How to Crash the Economy 101 for Dummies?�

Chapter 1: Start a war that will cost $1 trillion in five years, keep it out of the budget and borrow the money to pay for it.

Chapter 2: Cut taxes for the richest of Americans, the oil companies and, why we're at it, the corporations. This puts us more in debt. Then hand out more tax cuts to the taxpayers — we've got to keep them happy. And for good measure, make selling a home tax-free for most homeowners, adding even more debt.

Re: your March 10 article, “Animal rescuer needs help�:

Ronald Reagan once said, “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.� I can't think of a more appropriate phrase to describe the situation involving the dog rescue efforts of Newbury Park Feed owner Josh Pasewaldt.

What kind of government conducts a vote, then ignores the result?

Apparently, Ventura doesn’t care about its citizens’ votes. I’m talking about the “voluntary� “fee� for 911 calls. This “fee� was initially to be a tax, but it was voted down. So, the city decides to change the word “tax� to “fee� and applies it anyway. Now, they say it is a “voluntary� fee.

Re: Yahya Merchant's Feb 11 letter, “Two groups, one state�:

I would agree that "terrorism is inexcusable." However, terrorism has been around for thousands of years, and to state that "Zionists introduced terrorism" to the Middle East is a ludicrous statement that must be corrected.

Please forgive me, but I'm very confused. I am a naturalized U.S. citizen. In order for my parents and me to become citizens in the early 1950s, we had to prove that we could read and write English, in addition to being very familiar with U.S. history.

Even though my parents were highly educated and spoke English when we arrived here in 1947, they enrolled in night-school classes to make sure that there was no language problem. Because I was in high school at the time, my personal test was tougher than most.

Re: Lois Capps’ March 11 commentary, “Getting ready for digital TV switch�:

I can’t believe The Star wasted space by printing Capps’ commentary about switching from analog to digital TV.

Since when does anyone use antennas on the roof to receive TV signals? It's next to impossible to receive TV signals by antenna, especially in the Hope Ranch area of Santa Barbara, where Lois lives. I remember having cable TV when I lived in Santa Barbara in 1969.

Re: Tom Teepen’s March 12 commentary, “Bush's chamber of horrors betrays nation's values�:

Teepen’s hatred is obvious. Intelligent readers are sure to know that citizens enacted laws with consequences like the death penalty for a reason, jurors found individuals guilty for a reason and governors with credibility support the judgment of their constituents. Trying to relate the death sentences carried out in Texas to the treatment of terrorists bent on killing innocent citizens of every country is a stretch.

In response to readers who are afraid of a Democrat who will not go to war as the first option, maybe they should go a little farther back in history. President Kennedy averted a nuclear World War III with Russia through his measured reaction to the Cuban missile crisis. In this day and age, we need someone more like JFK and less like President Bush.

— Tom Magdaleno, Camarillo

Re: your March 11 article, “Oxnard student has eyes on prize�:

Congratulations to Cory Klingsporn for becoming our county’s 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion. He represents many aspects of education, like the joy of learning, working to achieve a goal and a competitive spirit.

Yet Cory also represents how educational choices in our academic experiences can be effective.

Re: your March 9 article, "Clampdown on unlicensed labor":

I believe the real crime that was committed here was government waste! At a time when the state is threatening to cut teachers in our schools, we have this team wasting money.

I am the parent of three Pleasant Valley School District students and have been very involved in local schools, classrooms and PTAs over the past nine years. I have not seen something as ludicrous as the elimination of the half-day kindergarten program. A 3½-hour school day for many 4- to 6-year-old children is necessary, especially for children who:

— Were "home schooled" for preschool and have never attended a school or day-care program.

— Are only 4 years old when beginning kindergarten.

At the E.O. Green School memorial for Larry King, it was noted that Principal Joel Lovstedt and other school staff members said they wanted King's legacy at the school to be one of love and acceptance for others. I wonder if that would include the freedom to continue to sexually harass a classmate without fear of reprisal?

Surely there must have been some adult somewhere in the lives of these two boys who could have stepped in between them and prevented this horrible outcome.

— La Donna Martinez, Ventura

Re: your March 9 article, "Clampdown on unlicensed labor":

Laws that govern residential construction and labor exist to protect homeowners and the people who perform work on their homes.

Licensed contractors are held accountable for the work they do. They are required, by law, to follow guidelines established by the Contractors State License Board when making bids and performing the work. They are required to hold workers’ compensation insurance for those who work under them.

How is a life sentence for one person supposed to deter another born years later? The second person has never heard of the first.

The teen years are so difficult. I cannot see putting someone away for 50-plus years for a crime committed at the age of 14 or 15 or 18. They should at least have a chance at rehabilitation and returning to society.

Re: your Feb. 19 article, “Something new, something blue — Hats off to the women in red, but that's not the thong ladies' color�:

This article comparing the Red Hat Society to the Blue Thong People was an insensitive, demeaning and totally inappropriate publicity stunt to promote one group at the expense of another! What was The Star thinking?

The Star used photos of a Red Hat Society member and me from 2006 to ridicule us and extol the differences between the boozing babes and the wheelchair Pepsi generation — the essence of your comparisons.

Re: your March 5 article, “Challenge to traffic initiative to be costly�:

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Oxnard Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer Nancy Lindholm over the past several years. I’ve held her in the highest esteem. She is a strong business leader who works hard for what’s best for the community, not just business.

I thought Americans voted to give Barack Obama the win in Mississippi. I'm sick of reading newspaper headlines and hearing television pundits report that Obama won only because blacks are supporting him or that Hillary is getting the majority of Hispanic votes. And we wonder why there's racial divide in our country. These are code words for “America is a racist society,� and whites need to fear minorities getting too much power in our society.

— Steve Binder, Oxnard

Re: Clifford D. May’s commentaries on March 4, “Congress should repass the Protect America Act,� and March 7, “Listen up — let’s protect telecoms from being sued�:

May’s misnamed Foundation for the Defense of Democracies has been running television ads and telemarketing campaigns to bully Congress into renewing the Republican version of the "Protect America Act." It's too bad The Star gave him free space. He could easily afford his messages as paid political advertisements.

Re: Alice Scoggan’s March 7 letter, “Wildcat in Newbury Park�:

I read, with sympathy, Scoggan’s letter. To lose a pet in this fashion is hard to get over. Unfortunately, we live in a state that puts a higher value on mountain lions than on pets or human victims. Mountain lions are in a protected status and can’t legally be hunted in California.

I have been following the story about the 14-year-old boy who shot a 15-year-old boy and I wondered why. I talked to my dad about it. He explained to me that it was because the boy was gay and someone taught him hatred of gay people.

After we talked, I thought a lot about hatred. I figured it out. Who cares what the color of our skin is, or what religion we are, or if we’re gay or lesbian? I believe that hatred is wrong because we are all the same people inside and we’ll always be no matter what happens. We should teach kids that hatred is wrong and we should never go out and kill each other because they are gay. We should be able to speak up about our feelings to a person who you love, you trust and will understand you.

Re: Alice Scoggan’s March 7 letter, “Wildcat in Newbury Park�:

I am truly sorry for the loss of Scoggan's beloved 14-year old cat. But I'm equally dismayed that she did not know how important it is to keep pets safely indoors during the nighttime hours. Bobcats, mountain lions and coyotes are primarily nocturnal hunters, and while these animals usually remain in the natural open space, it is not uncommon for them to roam the streets in the dark of night — and even visit backyards in our suburban neighborhoods. Too many small pets have disappeared during the night, never to be seen again.

Re: Clifford May’s March 7 commentary, “Listen up — let’s protect telecoms from being sued�:

In his piece urging immunity for telecom companies from legal liability for telephone information mining, May, president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, makes an inane argument.

He states, "The Supreme Court has held for decades that telephone record information — as opposed to the content of phone calls — triggers no Fourth Amendment privacy interest."

I am writing about the closure of Meadows Elementary. My name is Isabel De los Rios, and I went to Meadows last year. I am now attending Colina Middle School. Meadows was a great learning experience for me, and I am sure everyone who attended Meadows would agree with me.

Most of my very best experiences were at Meadows, such as going on a field trip to Sacramento, learning about Ellis Island, “we the people� and much, much more. All those things were fun and educational. That is one of the reasons not to close Meadows.

The passions of the residents of the Conejo Valley are evident in every neighborhood where there is a school on the dreaded "possible closure" list.

They are evident in the focus of our local papers, the voices of the despondent parents, children, and teachers at the targeted schools and, lamentably, in the destructive actions of some desperate parents. Despite the pleas for public rational discourse with the Conejo Valley Unified School District board and its "facilities" office, and the urgent appeals to Dr. Jeff Baarstad, deputy superintendent of business services, for alternative analyses of fiscally promising methods other than school closure, we, as parents and members of the community, have not gained anything.

I would like to offer a solution that may lead to the answers we need to move forward effectively and within our forecasted budgets and forecasted declining enrollments. As we experienced at the last Conejo Valley Unified School District board meeting, all statistics can be swayed and influenced. We need something more.

Each school has developed a unique personality and environment over time that really does meet the unique needs of its student population. There will be many unable to adjust to their new environments. How many casualties are too many?

Re: Doug Halter’s March 7 letter, “Helping Planned Parenthood,� a response to Mary Margaret Cassidy’s Feb. 29 letter, “$300 million is enough�:

Halter’s rebuttal to Cassidy’s letter was just another exercise in misinformation.
Cassidy’s objection to Ventura County AIDS Partnership's funding of Planned Parenthood was written off by Halter as Planned Parenthood's funded programs fulfilling “a crucial need for Ventura County.�

I been listening to all of Barack Obama's speeches and am curious that he keeps mentioning change, but he never mentions what he would change.

Would he change the course of this nation other than defending its shores or land, giving in to the influx of illegal aliens coming across our borders?

I am curious who is going to stand up for the rights of the citizens of this nation.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is reluctant to make our national language English. Why? The Constitution is written in English, the Bill of Rights is written in English and we pledge allegiance to our flag in English. What’s the problem?

Re: Rodney Sinclair’s March 7 letter, “Tarring all Christians,� a response to Chris Habecker’s March 5 letter, “Skip the gay-bashing�:

Sinclair wrote, "Nowhere in his letter does Habecker attribute these nasty [anti-gay] characterizations to a few Christians, so he must mean all Christians are like this."
I direct his attention to the end of my March 5 letter: "The gay-bashing Christians should learn a lesson from the conscientious Christians: Skip the bashing and go straight to the love."

The need for closing elementary schools if enrollment is declining is understandable.
I am wondering if the Conejo Valley Unified School District has considered the fact that the enrollment projections may need to be revised, based on current conditions. No one likes to hear that their homes have declined in value, but the fact is they have. This decline in value could possibly be a factor to consider in that more young families with elementary-age children might find a way to buy a home in the area.

Regarding the latest invader to wreak havoc among us, the quagga mussel: You cannot stop them. As small as a grain of sand in the early stages, they can be anywhere in or on a boat or trailer and you would not know it. Closing lakes to outside boats is the only answer to maintaining a quagga-free lake. Fine. Then provide myself and others a secure place at the lake where I can leave my boat a week in advance to dry out and quarantine the vessel. The quagga cannot live in a dry environment. If it means allowing me to enjoy a day or two fishing in my own boat, I'll make that effort. I'm certain others will also.

— Brian Hessman, Thousand Oaks

Re: Bill O’Reilly’s March 8 commentary, “Hillary owes her comeback to SNL comedy skit�:

It’s not “truly astounding� that Hillary Clinton gets tougher questions than Barack Obama. She is secretive, prevaricates on issues and makes exaggerated claims about her “experience.� He doesn’t. This questioning doesn’t show that the media “sensed blood in the water and openly tried to knock Clinton out of the race.�

Re: your March 8 article, “Teen presses for foster kid rights to join the military�:

First of all, I want to say to Shawn Sage that I am proud of him. He is an example of what is right with most of the next generation. I pray he reaches his goal of becoming a U.S. Marine and that he keeps their code of honor close to his heart as he moves forward with his service to our country.

We now have another tragedy facing us concerning children: the trial of a child, 14 years old, in adult court and, if found guilty, his sentencing to adult jail. We know through endless research that children at this age are most definitely not adults and not capable of making adult decisions. To charge a 14-year-old in an adult system is an abomination. We need to cherish and protect our children, not sentence them to life-ending jail terms.

As long as there is a “we against them mentality� in our political circumstance, there is no chance of unity, no chance of compromise, no chance of peace. Republican conservatism has placed us in this conundrum. Its policies are leading us to disaster. Sen. John McCain envisions our conflict with Iraq continuing for 100 years. He has no economic plan for recovery and favors more tax breaks for the wealthy. McCain will be a continuation of Bush 43, who is an absolute disaster as president.

Re: Colleen Cason’s March 2 column, “Deathbed wish can’t be granted�:

While reading the recent articles about the "disappearance" of a wedding ring and the subsequent "new" information of now a second "lost" ring by another resident, I was amazed at all the emphasis that is on the rings allegedly being taken by someone in the employ of the Victoria Care Center.

I find it incredible that the president of Iran made a state visit to Iraq. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was greeted as a visiting dignitary and treated warmly by the leaders in Iraq.

Meanwhile, American troops, we are told, are being killed by weapons, bombs and devices made in Iran and terrorists trained in Iran to cause havoc.

The news reported: “Ahmadinejad was warmly received by Iraqi President Jabal Talabani, a Sunni Kurd, and other Iraqi leaders. He said Tehran and Baghdad are ‘brotherly’ nations who share many beliefs and values.�

Re: your Feb. 26 article, "FCC prepared to curb traffic discrimination, chairman says":

The one piece missing from the article on potential Federal Communications Commission regulations of the Internet is how widespread the agreement is that there is a bandwidth crisis today.

Re: your Feb. 29 letters under the heading, “The tragedy of a teen’s killing�:

I whole-heartedly agree that we, as a society, do not value life. I grew up in the 1970s when, if there were any safe places, school was one of the safest places to be. Our society these days lacks morals. God has been replaced by hatred, greed and the “almighty dollar.� God’s still there. He’s never turned his back on us — that’s evident. Listen to the birds chirp or, as my mother used to say, stop and smell the roses, or are you “afraid of the thorns?�

— Natalie Debbie Hernandez, Ventura

Cheap education costs us far more than the best education.

We never waste one penny spent on first-rate public education. Cheap education costs us everything. Our public schools must have as high or higher standards than private schools.

Also, we must have trade training for the brilliant but nonscholastic. If not, we'll have inadequate adults at every level of government, industry and services, let alone increased gang activities.

My wife and I and six of our neighbors had an opt-out party, where each of us went on-line at my house and officially opted out of the city of Ventura's new monthly 911 tax by selecting the fee-per-call option on a form available on the city's Web site.

After we had all completed the form, we celebrated by toasting with a glass of champagne and high fives all around. This was a liberating moment for all of us, as we felt freed of yet another of the city's insidious fees. It was definitely a Boston Tea Party moment.

Did you see it coming? Some of us did!

When you allow borrowers to overstate their income or net assets, allow “no doc� loan programs, zero-down payments, teaser rates and interest-only or pay-only-interest-you-can-afford, it is only a matter of time before the bubble breaks. Then you have homebuyers purchasing homes that had inelastic demand pricing and the misguided belief that such a market would continue unabated.

I am hopeful that Conejo Valley Unified School District Board of Education member Tim Stephens, former principal of Meadows Elementary School, will do the right and ethical thing and recuse himself from the final vote involving Meadows. The letters to the editor sure make it clear that the parents of Meadows students are depending on him to use his vote to prevent Meadows from being the “chosen� school for closure. This clearly is an impropriety — or, at the very least, has the appearance of impropriety — which all public servants should avoid.

Here’s a look at the Democratic presidential candidates from my perspective, that of a conservative Republican.

Sen. Barack Obama admits to "being friendly" with William Ayers, a former member of the Weather Underground, a radical terrorist group. Ayers admits to bombing the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon and the State Department, but most of the charges were dropped in 1981 for prosecutor misconduct. Ayers must be a gem of a person. So why would a politician associate with a known terrorist?

So, both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were running ads in lieu of the Tuesday primaries in Texas and Ohio asking the question of who was best qualified to take those 3 a.m. phone calls from the White House. They were very effective ads, because it made me realize that the one person best qualified to take those 3 a.m. calls is Sen. John McCain.

— Roland Davis, Newbury Park

Re: Lauren Rheaume’s Feb. 25 letter, “Wrong spot for Home Depot�:

Once again, I smell that rotten odor of the Do-It Center opposition. It is totally disgusting that someone has so much influence that is used to prevent stores like Costco, Target, Home Depot, Lowe’s or any other so-called big box store from coming into our area.

Please stop with headlines proclaiming every vicious, unconscionable public act “an act of terrorism� as though every horrible act stems from the Middle East.

Re: your March 4 Sports article, “International blend has VC men's tennis team at No. 1�:

What is one to think of a "community college" tennis team comprised of two Brazilians, two Brits and a Swiss? Is there something wrong with this picture?

Woodside Greens Park is an unofficial dog park, or so it seems. Numerous people allow their dogs to run free through the park, and it has become a regular hangout for people and their pets. It would be acceptable — as it is enjoyable to watch dogs have fun and play — but this is what ruins it: people.

Re: Terry Paulson’s March 3 essay, “Silver screen lacks values�:

In blaming Hollywood for nearly everything except sunspots, Terry Paulson may have discovered why George Bush has done what no other president has. Bush has simply spent too much time watching movies. If he were here, he’d probably tell us that these are the ones that most influenced him:

— “Texas Chainsaw Massacre�: Why I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.

Re: Richard Larsen’s March 4 essay, "Change there and here":

Larsen urges Star readers to read the newspaper first, and then, forewarned by its version of the news, go to the computer and television to sort out what is trustworthy. As usual, Larsen has it backwards.

Using the Internet gives a 12- to 24-hour advance on what some newspaper editor decides is "news." With that knowledge, it makes it easy to pick out the biased misstatements and, more importantly, to know what has been omitted by the liberal news suppliers to The Star.

Re: your March 4 editorial, “No. 1 nation for prisoners�:

Dangerous people should be locked up. However, standards defining a dangerous criminal have been lowered to an absurd point.

What was "mouthing off" when I was a kid is now criminally overcharged as "making a terrorist threat." A shoplifter who steals a $10 object needs merely to push aside the arm of a vendor trying to stop him/her to be found guilty of second-degree robbery and handed a strike, like a McDonald's toy at the courthouse door.

Re: Mary Margaret Cassidy’s Feb. 29 letter, “$300 million is enough�:

In response to the letter questioning Ventura County AIDS Partnership’s funding for Planned Parenthood, our focus has always been about raising funds to provide needed services for people living with HIV/AIDS and prevention education.

At Monday's City Council meeting, Councilman Neal Andrews was proudly wearing his “John McCain for President� button on his lapel. How distasteful it is that an elected city councilman would so blatantly endorse his choice for president while on television and while acting as one of our city councilmen! I'm sure Andrews is a good man who cares about Ventura, but campaigning from the pulpit of councilman was, in my opinion, in very poor taste. But then again, desperate times call for desperate measures.

— Robert Heiderich, Ventura

Re: Tom Stanley’s Feb. 29 letter, “Epitome of democracy�:

Stanley’s characterizations of the Midtown Ventura Community Council’s process for establishing the environmental design checklist are completely wrong.

Re: your March 5 article, “Parents plead for their schools�:

The Conejo Valley Unified School District initially should have been commended on the criteria and common approach in identifying the schools to be closed in the original plan. Once the information was released to the public and the political wind began howling, the district bent to the pressures of the storm. At this point, the district has lost all its credibility, and the only criteria guiding the decision are based on race and the less-affluent of our community.

According to the school closure update posted on the Conejo Valley Unified School District Web site on Feb. 22, the Board of Education “decided to exempt Ladera and Maple elementary schools from further consideration to protect the autistic children and the intact programs for those children from disruption associated with the school closure process.�

It is commendable for the board to act on these concerns. It is exactly the right decision.

This past weekend was very busy for families in the Conejo Valley. Thousand Oaks Little League and Thousand Oak girls softball held opening-day ceremonies. The Conejo YMCA sent dads and their kids to snow camp, and a small group of dedicated parents spent the weekend fighting for their schools.

Everybody realizes the fiscal crisis our schools are facing and the terrible position the Conejo Valley Unified School District board is in. There are no easy choices on which schools to close. Closing down a neighborhood school will leave long-lasting holes in neighborhoods throughout the Conejo Valley.

Re: your March 5 article, “Parents plead for their schools�:

I am a teacher at Glenwood Elementary School and am compelled to speak to the process used in deciding which schools will be closed.

There is change in the air. Barack Obama talks of sweeping change in the Iraq war, in government, in education, in healthcare, in corporate power, in our basic freedoms.
America is begging for and rousing itself for change — change from the terrible night of the Bush years and change from a secret government that lies and obfuscates to its citizens to a government of honesty and well-reasoned, clear goals that allow the light of democracy to shine.

Ask yourself, "Am I better off today than I was when George Bush became president?" I already know the answer.

— Marjorie E. Grate, Camarillo

Re: your Feb. 28 article, “Shopping center in Oxnard is sold for $13 million�:

A principal in the recent purchase of the Carriage Square site is quoted as saying that the future development of the site depends on the outcome of the city's latest traffic initiative. The two options for development listed are demolition and new retail or remodeling as a swap meet or car lot. The quote can be viewed as either an off-the-wall comment or as transparent political hyperbole designed to attain a desired outcome and maximize return on an investment.

Re: Audra Strickland’s March 3 commentary, “Closing loopholes raises taxes on those who can’t afford it�:

Amid all the serious concerns raised by the assemblywoman’s essay, I couldn’t help but chuckle over her statement, “If the politicians don’t have your money, they can’t spend it in the first place.� Based on the current projected state budget deficit, it would appear they already spend it when they don’t have it.

— Art Martin, Camarillo

Re: Steve Greenberg’s March 2 cartoon:

This cartoon depicts what I interpret as George W. Bush’s approval of Elton Gallegly’s running for another term, and the congressman’s “dittos� relate to the president’s initiatives.

I believe that those “dittos� mean Gallegly is in favor of President Bush’s policies toward winning the war on terrorism, continuing our success in Iraq until the job is done, keeping in effect terrorist surveillance and making the tax cuts permanent.