This is National Cover the Uninsured Week.
A study recently published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation showed that the cost of health insurance in California has increased by 33 percent since 2001.
Each year, the number of uninsured grows. Some 35.7 percent of those earning less than $10,000 are without health insurance. With the increase in the cost, it is unlikely they will ever be able to afford it. The majority of health insurance today is paid for by employers. As the cost of providing health insurance rises, we can expect fewer employers will offer this benefit to their employees.
We are told that we have the best healthcare system in the world. The United States spends far more on health insurance than any other country in the world. Most Americans aren't aware that the United States is the only country in the western world that does not have basic health coverage for all citizens. How are all the other western countries able to provide healthcare for every citizen while spending less money?
Every time anyone talks about healthcare reform, we are bombarded with horror stories about poor healthcare and long waits for care in Canada paid for by the insurance companies, drug companies and other parties that make a great deal of money in our dysfunctional healthcare system.
The healthcare system in the United States is broken. The cost of health insurance is increasing faster than salaries. Each year more and more people are uninsured. We as Americans must demand healthcare reform.
-- Linda Loiselle, R.N., Camarillo

Re: Elton Gallegly's April 29 commentary, "Time to drill in ANWR":
At last, a member of Congress who is willing to face up to our gas crisis! Kudos to Elton Gallegly for his commentary.
I have traveled to Alaska several times and never met an Alaskan who disapproves of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Alaskans realize the need to start drilling for the 10.4 billion barrels beneath the frozen tundra in the most remote area of their state. A plethora of jobs is also a great incentive for them.
Environmentalists have held our nation hostage while gas prices creep upward to $10 a gallon. These irrational people oppose any new oil refineries or nuclear power plants, which a liberal country like France utilizes to the utmost.
If you're feeling the crunch of gasoline nearing $4 a gallon presently, be sure to vote to send Gallegly back to Congress to fight for those who oppose obscene gasoline prices.
-- Lois D. Glab, Camarillo

Re: Elton Gallegly's April 29 commentary, "Time to drill in ANWR":
U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly has got it all wrong.
When Bush & Co. came into office, oil was $20 a barrel. Vice President Cheney held secret meetings with oil and gas lobbyists to craft the administration's energy policy while the Republican-held Congress did little to nothing to promote renewable energy programs and/or conservation.
And voila! The oil industry is making out like a bandit while pundits like Gallegly suggest Americans need to make available more of our precious natural resources for their windfall oil profits.
Since we taxpayers foot the bill for his fuel, I doubt the congressman feels any real pain at the pump. But if Gallegly really wants to affect the price of gas for us poor souls, he might consider asking his friends in the White House to release its grip on the topped-off Strategic Petroleum Reserves and prod his buddies in Congress to sign the Investment Tax Credit for Renewable Energy, which is due to expire on December 31.
These immediate answers to the burdens we as constituents face every day have been blocked by this president's veto threats and supported by a Republican minority unwilling to cross party lines.
Someone should advise the congressman we've been over this all before. Opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, cutting taxes in this war-torn economy and hobbling conservation with disabling legislation are not the answers we need.
-- Rick Conrad, Oxnard

John McCain complains that Democrats distort his comment that he would be comfortable with having troops in Iraq for a hundred years. What he really meant, he says, is that we've had troops in Germany, Japan and South Korea for decades, and everything is just fine, so that's what our indefinite occupation of Iraq would be like.
But McCain fails to understand that having a Christian army, as ours is perceived, occupying a Muslim nation for a hundred years would be disastrous beyond belief. It would be nothing at all like having our troops in Germany, Japan and South Korea. Continued occupation of Iraq would mean having a couple of our troops killed daily for a hundred years, and you can do the math. The dollar cost would be unfathomable.
If that's the kind of decision McCain would make as commander in chief, I must really question the claim that his strong suit is foreign policy and national security. Heaven help us if we elect another "war president" like the one we have now.
-- George Blok, Camarillo

America is engaged in an election for the next president of the United States. Whoever gets elected will determine the direction our country takes. As a result, it is imperative that Americans get to know who the candidates are.
One candidate running for president is Barack Obama. Who is Barack Obama? He first appeared to be a charming, smooth-talking candidate who promised to bring "change" and unite America. Things have changed. Indeed, Barack Obama has been brought down to earth. As America gets to know him, there are reasons to be frightened.
It is clear that Obama has associated with angry, dangerous and questionable people. One example is the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, Obama's longtime minister. Wright has blamed America and whites for starting the AIDS virus to kill off blacks, training professional killers, importing drugs and creating a racist society to oppress blacks. He has manipulated blacks into seeing themselves as "victims."
When Obama was asked about Wright's comments, he attempted to make excuses for the minister's hate-America rhetoric. Obama's failure to condemn Wright as a bigot speaks volumes about his own character and fitness to lead our country.
Other dangerous people Obama has associated with are Louis Farrakhan -- anti-Jew, anti-white and anti-America -- and William Ayers, an anti-war terrorist whose bombings have killed people.
Does Barack Obama have the judgment, honesty, character, dependability and open-mindedness to be our next president? I don't think so.
-- Diana Thorn, Carpinteria

When the price of gas hit $2 a gallon, it was the beginning of the current inflation. Every product and service is impacted by the cost of fuel.
I have been told the cost for OPEC countries to extract a barrel of oil from the well is $9 for 250 gallons. They are able to average 88 million barrels per day, but actually can adjust the supply to demand at will at this time.
The price of oil per barrel on the stock market is so volatile it gives "big money" the opportunity to make more "big money" through shrewd speculation.
This will never stop until a moratorium on oil-stock trading is created.
The world economy was doing well until the price exceeded $50 per barrel.
Overpopulation has created many problems for civilization and nature. Nature's solutions are lengthy and painful. It is not accidental that most of the natural disasters occur in highly populated areas.
Disasters like 9/11 and the genocides going on can be attributed to man's inhumanity to man. These can be avoided over time, through education and a sincere adoption of morality along with charity. Of course, the vision of a world society without corruption, greed or racism anytime soon is naive. For the future? Not impossible.
We must deal with the present. The U.S. has chosen to be the world leader, policeman and savior. Even though we have a glass storefront, we continue to throw stones. We are not perfect, but we still look for perfection as we judge our neighbors. Even so, our heart is in the right place.
History proves that politicizing problems deems failure.
Let us hope whatever new administration takes over the difficult task in January will be able to trash the past mistakes and attack the new objectives with majority fervor.
-- Max Van Der Wyk, Ventura

President Bush lies to the American people and we go to war. More than 4,000 Americans are dead because of his lies.
Now Bush picks Gen. David Petraeus to be commander of the Middle East to carry out his war policy long after he leaves the White House. If Petraeus follows the Bush policies and another 4,000 or more are killed, will he be known as Gen. Betray-us?
-- Herold Singer, Ventura

The city fathers want more money to be spent in Ventura than anywhere else. If people are spending more money every day on rent, what do they have left?
Why is rent control not a hot topic in this city? I have lived and rented in this city for the past 12 years. My landlord raises rent to whatever the market will bear, and it is almost inhumane. They are now raising my rent by nearly $190 a month, not including utilities. It was $1,488, including water and trash, and now it is $1,670, not including water and trash. This represents a 15 percent increase, or four times the rate of inflation.
Now I ask the City Council: How do I spend more money in your fine city? Until this issue is resolved, constituents should turn their backs on any of the council's proposed policies, just like they turn their backs on us.
It won't happen. The money is going into the pockets of the landlords. At the end of the day, we need rent control like Los Angeles.
-- Richard Miller, Ventura

The Camarillo school reunification plan is nothing more than an effort to reinstate segregation as it was in our American South. Eventually, it would cause further deterioration in the education of minorities and allow for privileged classrooms equipped for the affluent.
For this reason, the matter of splitting the Oxnard Union High School District should be put to a vote of the entire Oxnard district and not just the areas that would join the Pleasant Valley School District. Undoubtedly, Camarillo would vote for segregation.
-- Miguel Espinosa Jr., Oxnard

Re: David Goldstein's April 27 Eye on the Environment column, "Climate solutions linked to economy":
In his column, Goldstein reports how Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett has an aversion to bottled water. According to the article, Bennett objects to the fact that bottles have to be manufactured and trucked many miles, while water is readily available in the drinking fountains at the Government Center.
While Bennett might enjoy drinking tap water, most of us do not. Even though water in this area meets all federal and state standards and is considered safe to drink, it tastes terrible! When you boil water for a cup of tea, there is a nasty film that forms on the surface of the water. When you drink coffee made from tap water, the terrible taste of tap water comes right through.
The dissolved solids in tap water destroy plumbing fixtures that have to be periodically replaced. People install water softeners to improve the quality of water they use to shower and wash clothes and reverse osmosis systems to have water fit to drink and use for cooking.
Why do restaurants put a slice of lemon in a glass of water? If for no other reason, it masks the terrible taste of tap water. Can you imagine eating a delicious meal and then washing it down with a glass of terrible-tasting tap water? I can't, and neither do a lot of other folk.
I started drinking coffee after coming to this area in the 1970s, not because I was already a coffee drinker, but because tap water tasted so terrible!
Bennett ought to ask himself one question: Why do so many people shell out good money for bottled water if water is so readily available in a faucet near you?
-- Anthony van Leeuwen, Ventura

Re: Peter Bellin's April 23 letter, "Lesser of many evils," a response to my April 18 letter, "Silver lining is a pollutant":
While attempting to be humorous by pointing out that the Law of Unintended Circumstances comes into play with many proposals by environmentalists and global warming alarmists, I must not have communicated effectively. My intent was to make the simple point that many of the solutions advanced by seemingly well-meaning people only make the problem worse.
As Sharon Begley writes in the April 21 issue of Newsweek, "We can't afford to make any more mistakes in how to 'save the planet.' Start by ditching corn ethanol." So who is going to be the gatekeeper? So far, the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission have been ineffective.
Bellin bolstered my premise by pointing out that grocery stores and water bottlers profit from the use of plastic bags and bottles. That reminded me of an important point: If there is money to be made, enterprising people will jump on the bandwagon. To make a buck, they are not going to wait until the full ramifications are understood.
Log on to www.ecologo.org. The Environmental Choice organization tests products against criteria they call the "six sins of green washing" before permitting the use of their EcoLogo. To green wash is "the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service." Very few products get to use the logo.
How ridiculous can all this become? The April 21 edition of The Star reported that a judge in Oakland has ordered the city to review whether single-use paper bags could be more damaging then single-use plastic bags. According to the article, "Opponents of the ban argue that demand for paper bags would soar under a plastic bag prohibition."
Honest. You can't make this stuff up.
-- Dick Schneider, Oak View

It has been four years since we learned of the torture of prisoners by U.S. officials at Abu Ghraib. However, our government still has not acted to restore America's honor by unequivocally banning torture and other forms of cruel treatment.
Several highly ranked officials have publicly confessed to having been directly involved in permitting this to happen, in violation of the U.S. Constitution (Amendment 8, 1791) and in violation of international law.
I therefore call on this newspaper-publishing company and its readers to investigate all aspects of this activity, including government complicity and secrecy. We want a government that is honest with its people and will not stop until we have one.
-- Siddharth Mehrotra, Camarillo

Re: John Funk's April 25 letter, "Conspiracy idea preposterous":
With regard to Funk's attack on David Griffin's books and movies about the Sept. 11 coverup, inconsistencies and outright lies, I would bet that he, like millions of citizens, is totally unaware of World Trade Center Building 7. The 9/11 Commission ignored it in its final report because it couldn't come up with a plausible lie.
WTC7 collapsed into its own footprint, like towers 1 and 2, in a controlled prepositioned explosive demolition.
Nor is Funk aware of these documented issues: A commercial jetliner didn't hit the Pentagon. The jetliner that supposedly crashed in Shanksville, Pa., didn't crash, but debris was scattered over a six-mile area because the plane was shot down.
Yes, the pulverized concrete dust of the Trade Center has long since settled, and all everyone saw was that day, on that day. As an award-winning local producer affiliated with CAPS-TV Channel 6 in Ventura, I have found it my patriotic duty to broadcast weekly a documentary titled, "Connecting the Dots." I challenge Funk to watch it, and then spew his uninformed rhetoric.
The events of 9/11 were used as an excuse to invade and occupy Iraq and further promote the neoconservative agenda and a "never-ending war."
As for Bush doing his best to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States: Dude, get a grip. Bush has done everything he can to undermine it!
-- Alan Decotes, Ventura

Re: your April 22 article, "College coaches put on leave":
Let me get this straight. After someone illegally accessed, copied and divulged confidential records showing some basketball student athletes had inappropriately and incorrectly filed for in-state tuition, a six-month investigation has failed to produce any evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the coaches -- and yet has resulted in the district officials feeling the need to put the coaches on paid adminstrative leave to "protect" the students just prior to the year-ending banquet.
And, of course, the reporter for The Star just happened to be there when it occurred.
Give me a break! It is obvious that someone has vested interest in trying to malign these coaches and their specific programs. Six months should be plenty of time to investigate whether any of the coaches did something wrong. The timing of the paid adminstrative leave and the fact that the newspaper was notified ahead of time clearly shows that the college officials felt they needed to sway public opinion and give the appearance of impropriety. Can anyone say "railroaded?"
What happened to investigating who accessed and released confidential information to the public in violation of state and federal law? Why were just these athletes targeted? I understand that the athletes were determined to be out-of-state students and therefore had their registration canceled and were made ineligible for sports. I have no problem with this action as long as this is the policy of the school that applies to all students.
Is it true that all students who are found to be out-of-state residents after registering for in-state tuition are automatically dismissed, or is it true that they can opt out to correct the registration and pay the difference? Has there been a thorough investigation in checking the status of all the other student athletes in the other sports programs? Has anyone checked the registration of the remainder of the student body to determine if other infractions have occurred? Upon registration, do students have to show some proof of residency like I did when my son registered for T-ball?
It seems to me that if these student athletes could easily register for in-state tuition without any real checking going on, then many others probably did likewise. The real question is how many more students have done the same and what is going to be done about it?
The college officials are awkwardly silent on these issues. The college officials appear to be more interested in finding a scapegoat for this incident than in addressing the real registration problem.
I would like to see a thorough six-month investigation on these issues.
-- Dr. Karl R. Harer, Ventura

The California Coastal Commission has finally regained its senses in recommending construction of Edison's proposed peaker plant. The Oxnard City Council is vehemently against it. But, if the global warming doomsdayers are correct, communities will have to rely solely on local food production and power generation once those fateful days arrive.
Not too long ago, the commission nixed the liquefied natural gas terminal proposal, and all the green activists pushed for alternative energy sources instead. But again, I see no windmills along the Santa Clara Valley nor solar panels on the Oxnard Plain.
Let's not let naivete win out over common sense one more time.
And, as someone who lives less than a mile south of the old, ugly Reliant Energy power plant, I wouldn't mind something modern and clean-looking blocking the view.
-- George Niznik, Oxnard

A broadcaster using the public airwaves to promote violence, either against citizens or property, is violating the spirit and, I assume, the letter of the rules set forth by the Federal Communications Commission governing how licensees should carry out their obligations to the public that grants them those licenses.
The recent activities of Rush Limbaugh, who suggested on air that his listeners should travel to Denver and disrupt the Democratic Convention by staging riots, burning cars and looting, has to represent an unmistakable example of violating the outer limits of free speech, of shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater, further compounded by being broadcast nationwide.
Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos," which began by disrupting primary election voting patterns in Texas and other states in order to confuse and throw doubt on the outcome, was an exceptionally dirty trick, but this one is simply beyond the pale and clearly belongs in the category of domestic terrorism. As far as I know, federal law prohibits advocating a public disturbance involving three or more persons or acts of violence resulting in injury or damage to property, or simply threatening such acts.
Can someone enlighten me as to just what provision of federal law or FCC rules permits Limbaugh to escape responsibility for these incredible statements?
For myself, I am shocked and outraged that this man is allowed to continue broadcasting his seditious drivel, but I am even more alarmed that the FCC is not publicly moving against the Clear Channel Network, the holder of the license granted to this broadcaster. The network is engaging in the most scurrilous propaganda heard on the air since Father Coughlin's Hitlerian rantings in the 1930s.
-- Donald Wallace, Camarillo

Hillary claims to be ready on Day One. She is even willing to wake up at 3 in the morning on Day One. Her stump speech reminds people that she is a fighter. Question is: Does she know when to fight?
Hillary voted to authorize the Iraq war, which she has only recently admitted was a mistake; she showed her willingness to fight.
Hillary voted to back Bush with his aggressive threats to Iran; she showed her readiness to fight.
Most recently, she has threatened to "obliterate" Iran and the entire Middle East if necessary.
Does Hillary intend to fight for America, or will America wind up fighting wars for her? There is not a more confrontational and undiplomatic message to broadcast to the Middle East than by use of the word "obliterate."
McCain can match Hillary's threatening bravado, singing his little jingle with a smile on his face, "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran."
America needs a new direction, not a new fighter who is ready to commit us to more wrong wars on Day One. Hillary wants to prove that she is a fighter; no one doubts that she is. She has not shown that she has the judgment to know how and when to fight.
-- Claude Talan, Port Hueneme

Re: Jonathan Sharkey's April 24 commentary, "New urbanism has no one-size-fits-all plan":
Port Hueneme City Councilman Jonathan Sharkey's lofty dissertation on the need for diversity in urban development belies his long support of a "one size fits all" development policy in Port Hueneme. That policy is simply, "Whatever the developer wants, the developer gets." The only exception to this policy in recent memory was the result of a citizen uprising. This policy has ignored impacts on infrastructure, the consequence of which will become known over time.
Meanwhile, the resulting hodgepodge has had a significant impact on the delivery of emergency services. One example is a street within a development that is not connected to the existing street system. The only way to access that street is from an adjacent parking area.
-- Ted Waddell, Port Hueneme

Re: Bob Rust's April 23 letter, "Creepy letters," and John Mondy's April 20 letter, "Cowardly act on free speech":
It seems that Rust and Mondy, who both reside in Camarillo, have the same "neighbor" that I have here in Santa Paula. I, too, have received several of those hate-filled, unsigned letters to my residence after some of my letters appeared in The Star, basically calling me the same expletives used toward Mr. Mondy -- cowardly Democrat, left-wing commie, etc.
Let's face it: The only true coward is this so-called "neighbor" who mails these hate-filled, right-wing, ranting, unsigned letters to those of us who are lucky enough to have our letters printed in The Star. Maybe he doesn't have the guts or intelligence to contact The Star on his own.
It's also possible this anonymous letter-writer moved here from Crawford, Texas, and hopefully he will return there soon!
-- John L. Thawley, Santa Paula

Re: Jennifer Marshall's April 24 commentary, "Take your daughters to work, but talk about home":
This commentary about pushing motherhood as a career option for "Take Your Daughters to Work Day" is sadly off the mark. Marshall's stance shouldn't be a surprise since she is director of The Heritage Foundation, and this brand of conservative myopia is part of the agenda.
Marshall asks if women aren't interested in marriage and motherhood anymore. Her attitude assumes "Take Your Daughters to Work Day" is designed to exclude motherhood as an option. Lady, the workforce is full of married mothers. Son and daughters are exposed to the mom agenda every day -- a mom who works, since most don't have the luxury of choosing motherhood as a full-time career because the economy doesn't allow it. And most are seeing very little left from a paycheck that is usually less than what males are getting for doing the same work.
Most women need to work and might as well have a realistic idea of what's ahead so they can advance their skills and close the gender gap. Let's work on that, Heritage Foundation.
-- Cris Johnson, Ventura

Re: Nicholas D. Kristof's April 25 essay, "Better roses than cocaine":
Kristof emphatically espouses the installation of "free trade" with the rest of the world, especially Colombia. He states that at this time, Colombia already exports many products to the U.S., primarily flowers, on which they pay no duty fees, allowing for competitively priced flowers.
In his tirade, he notes the problems that were encountered by a citizen of Colombia. Of course, we all feel for the problems that the citizens of Colombia face. However, the installation of "free trade" certainly will not cause the criminals in that country to stop their actions. As a matter of fact, it would only serve to provide another outlet for their criminal activities. Once again, the U.S. cannot afford to be the savior of the entire world.
I would like to ask Kristof to enlighten all of us with information on any country that we do have "free trade" with that actually imports as many U.S. products as they export to the U.S. The one extremely lopsided case that immediately comes to mind is China. I would venture to guess that the "free trade" with China is on a 1,000-to-1 scale -- China exports 1,000 products to the U.S. for every one U.S. product imported into China. Now, of course, they have decided to stop sending rice to the U.S. because the U.S. dollar is valued so low they can't make their usual 1000 percent profit.
Kristof seriously needs to extract himself from the dark regions of the New York Times in which he obviously resides, step out into the sunlight and start sniffing the roses -- American roses. "Free trade" only depletes our economy further than President Bush already has by ensuring the further depletion of American jobs.
-- Rellis Smith, Ventura

My personal belief is that the president's "no child left behind" program is a failure, at least in California. As one involved in education who is seeking work as a tutor, I've seen many companies that are contracted to help students go out of business -- one in particular, Extreme Learning. After-school tutoring helps, as does the Boys & Girls Club. However, is it enough to make an impact?
-- Gary Traxler, Camarillo

The last time we checked, elected officials had the responsibility to govern responsibly and act in the interest of the community they took an oath to serve. Residents rightfully expect Oxnard's mayor and council to provide the necessary representation, leadership and follow-through on issues such as traffic, crime and growth. Their job is to carefully assess community needs, then address them through public policy. Most do exactly that.
Supporters of the Oxnard traffic initiative, including Councilman Tim Flynn, seem to think that the public's needs are best served through a repetitive and expensive "vote for your favorite stoplight" process he and some supporters are attempting to sell voters.
The League of United Latin American Citizens believes the decision-making process for municipal policy rests squarely on Flynn's shoulders and those of Oxnard's mayor and council, not on the residents who elected them to serve.
While city leaders need to ensure that traffic congestion issues are mitigated and brought up to required standards, we believe the best method of achieving this is through the established development approval process. This is a critical aspect of planning best left to professionals with the required education, training and experience.
In attempting to bypass this, LULAC believes that supporters of the Oxnard traffic initiative would unfairly place a financial burden on taxpayers -- mostly homeowners and small business owners who already paid their fair share through traffic mitigation fees when they purchased a home and/or started a business in Oxnard.
In this struggling economy, we are also concerned about the initiative's overall impact on business and jobs. Will businesses considering an investment in Oxnard's downtown be willing to carry out their plans if they have to wait until the next election cycle for approval? Probably not.
Our greatest concern, however, is the initiative's impact on quality affordable housing. Even in a soft real estate market, working families can barely afford to rent, much less purchase suitable housing. The traffic initiative would mire needed affordable housing projects in red tape and delays.
While we commend any group of residents who seek change, we view the traffic initiative as a wasteful spending of taxpayers' money. Sending every development project to voters who don't necessarily have the experience to judge whether a project has followed traffic and development standards is not a realistic or sensible approach.
-- Dave Rodríguez, Camarillo
(The writer is the deputy state director of LULAC California. -- Editor)

Re: Gary J. Proffett's April 18 commentary, "Tone down audits of care homes":
Proffett is right on. During many of my 45 years in practice in the west county, I have had countless patients given compassionate and reasonably good care in skilled nursing facilities. In those days, I sent patients to the Glenwood Convalescent Hospital, Oxnard Manor (now Country Villa, Oxnard Manor), Maywood Manor and others. These facilities deserve community support.
Proffett supports periodic inspections of these facilities but decries the length of time to resolve deficiencies, particularly when they are rather minor, such as administrative problems. Probably The Star will receive letters from some who have had bad or unfortunate experiences while in a skilled nursing facility. For these, we give our concerns, also.
-- Theodore Hostetler, M.D., Oxnard

The right wing is trying to convince everyone that Barack Obama is not a "real" American because he doesn't wear a flag lapel pin. How are we supposed to recognize "real" Christians who do not wear a cross?
-- Carolyn Crandall, Camarillo

I live in Piru. I see we now have a new left-turn light at Highway 126 and Main Street in both directions, which might be a good idea. But for all of us in Piru who want to go to Santa Clarita, we have to go back through town to the east end of Piru near the motocross track to go left or east. As of April 30, you can no longer turn left or east at the signal light. The sign says right turn only.
All the truck traffic from the packinghouse is now going to have to go through town and make tight turns on our narrow streets, then try to get out at the east end of town and not get hit by vehicles coming around a blind corner at 65 mph-plus. Those trucks can't move fast enough to get across the road to go east to Interstate 5. I'm sure there are going to be some crashes out there.
Why not leave the intersection at the Arco station alone? It's the easiest way for the trucks to get out onto Highway 126 to go to Interstate 5.
Another problem is with all the filming going on out here and the roads closed, there's no way those big rigs can get around some of the corners. They will just let their trailers clip cars and corners and they won't even know it, especially at night.
Maybe after a few deaths at the east end of town, the right-turn-only will be removed and put back the way it was, letting trucks and traffic go out at the light and not through town
-- Mike Clark, Piru

Re: Clifford May's April 18 commentary, "Carter's confusion over Hamas and its ideology":
Funny, May claims to be president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, yet he and the president of the United States seem to promote democracies only if the right guys are elected. Hamas won an election. We refused to accept that fact. By rejecting the results, we've divided the Palestinians. Was that the objective?
Now former President Carter takes a positive step, and May, President Bush and all his cabinet members take a stand against talking? Remember the adage, "Talk's cheap?" Talk is much cheaper than armed conflict. Set religions and ideology aside, sit down since you're "all God's children" and talk.
I thank Carter. Let's hope that Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Israeli people are listening and will begin talking! It might even be time for May to lend and ear instead of continued lip service that only perpetuates continued violence.
-- J.R. "Pat" Patterson, Oxnard

Re: the February and April letters from the Freeman family concerning Bill O'Reilly, Sen. John McCain and the Republican Party:
Does anyone else see a pattern and some special treatment? The Freeman family of Thousand Oaks has an agenda, and The Star helps promote it.
The O'Reilly bashing is a moot point now because his high ratings tell the story. The McCain and Republican bashing is understandable -- you can feel the Freemans' desperation and frustration.
What originally caught my attention was Raymond Freeman's March 19 letter to The Star and Alexander Freeman's March 20 letter to a Los Angeles newspaper. The two letters had paragraphs that were nearly verbatim. Raymond's March 4 letter to the L.A. paper and Ian Freeman's March 17 letter in The Star also have some similarities. I realize when the same agenda is being pushed, it's hard to come up with original lines.
I have sent letters in rebuttal to the Freemans' letters, and they were not printed. It seems there is some special treatment going on here. In every issue of The Star on page A2 is printed in bold letters: "What We Stand For," and the five principles of fairness, integrity and accuracy upon which the paper stands are listed. Why don't you print my letter and give other letter writers some space?
-- Bill Buchanan, Thousand Oaks

Re: your April 22 article, "College coaches put on leave" and your April 24 article, "Ex-VC coach telling players to leave":
The rumor mill is full of inaccurate information, and I would like to clarify a few things.
-- To this day, no one from Ventura College or the Ventura County Community College District office has ever talked to me. They have interviewed several current and former players, support staff, other coaches, boosters, and even my neighbors, but there has been not one comment or question to Coach Jon Wyers, Coach Jeff Theiler or myself.
-- I was given a letter April 21 from Patricia Parham, the district's associate chancellor for human resources, that says, "During the time the investigation is being conducted, you are directed not to contact any current or former district officer, employee or student to discuss the matter and to maintain the fact and content of the investigation in confidence, except as it is necessary to protect your legal rights." It was totally unnecessary to cancel our banquet. We had more than 100 people RSVP. All of us (players, coaches, fans) deserved better.
-- I am not dismantling the program. Coach Wyers and I have been working very hard on scheduling, player development and recruiting. We both plan on being supportive to "the new coach." My connection to Saddleback College head coach Andy Ground is through coaching, not church. He is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My faith is a private matter and has no relevance in any of the articles.
Many of you have been very supportive, and my family and I thank you. We will always love VC and the many individuals who have been supportive of the basketball program. You cannot condemn VC or any future coach and players because of the actions of a few who hide in the background. We would all like this to come to an end, but that would require someone to speak to me.
-- Greg Winslow, Ventura College
(The writer is the former Ventura College men's basketball coach. -- Editor)

"Democracy is a very bad form of government, but all the others are so much worse."
So began an old TV show. They were wise words for troubled times.
Our presidential possibilities clamor about, caterwauling caustic comments and nattering nabobs. They propose promises, knowing voters vacillate.
God bless democracy. I may not like the choices, but I have choices to make.
I miss laudable leadership that energizes the electorate. I miss a leader that can't be bought, has morals, values and spiritual thought. I miss Mr. Smith going to Washington.
These days, candidates must be sassy on "Saturday Night Live," jovial with Jay Leno and withstand wailings from the left, right and center. We put them under a magnifier and marvel if they pass through national nosiness. Yet, people still choose to run the race for the White House.
So, I choose to vote this November and urge others to as well -- even though we may end up with "the same old wine in a brand new bottle," as Loggins and Messina sang.
-- James Wortman, Ventura

What has happened to our American society? What we witness is the dissolution of the laws and freedoms documented in the U.S. Constitution. Just like some movies, life has its cause, and most of us blame the world around us.
Our newspapers and television throw out violent shows and video games that our children are subjected to on an everyday basis. The news continues with the shooting of Larry King at E.O. Green School. We can sympathize with the pain Larry's family is feeling, but also Brandon McInerney's family as well. The Ventura County district attorney wants to try young Brandon as an adult and put him in prison for the rest of his life. He's only 14 and has a background involving a dysfunctional childhood. We're talking about a human life, which has tremendous value.
In my life's experiences, I learned my parents played a major role. I lived through respect, and they helped with skills to succeed in life. The compassion we choose toward the Larry Kings and Brandon McInerneys will probably go a long way to spend a few more minutes each day communicating with our children. The end of this letter is not reality, but actuality - like they say on the television show "Cops."
-- Amelia Hadfield, Port Hueneme

I recently attended the Santa Paula City Council meeting along with several other interested citizens, and we witnessed a council taking responsibility. We saw three members with the courage to stand behind their convictions to do what they felt best for the city, with no compromise to their standards or values. They took the road less traveled, not like the sheep we have had in the past.

These three members are changing the course of Santa Paula's future, and I want to thank them. Sometimes you must think outside the box and realize you get what you pay for. I was taught early on the quality of a person is how they honor responsibility.
Thank you Bob Gonzales, Ralph Fernandez and Ray Luna.

-- Judy Rice, Santa Paula

Re: your April 19 article, "Mentally ill seniors have 'Somone to lean on'":
The article states, "But many seniors resist treatment because of the stigma they still associate with mental illness."
I find this sentence unacceptable. As a child, I learned to apply this term, "stigma," to women whom men had raped, and I unlearned it. It is, of course, a catch-all term, having no definition -- innuendo far more than reality.
People have negative perceptions about mental illnesses and clearly negative perceptions about the manner in which society has responded to them. We often enforce our negative perceptions though linguistics, calling something a "stigma," for example, that we mask the specifics.
For most of our history, men ruled, and we masked the specifics of rape. Why continue the practice for some other venue?
-- Harold A. Maio, Fort Myers, Fla.
(The writer is on the advisory board of the American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and is a language consultant with the University of Pennsylvania Collaborative on Community Integration of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities. -- Editor)

Re: your April 16 article, "Santa Paula hires builder for sewer plant on 3-2 vote ":
I want to provide some clarification for this article. I was at several of the Santa Paula meetings, and I believe the council made the correct decision. The council members did their due diligence and even took an extra week to ensure that they understood and evaluated the proposals fairly.
The PERC team complied with the requirements of the proposal that mandated a Design, Build, Operate and Finance component. The other bidder did not comply with these requirements. This made the net present value and rates difficult to compare. That is why some thought that the other proposal was better, but it was not. The numbers were not comparable.
The PERC proposal presented a best value to the city with its superior design, which will save millions in electrical and effluent disposal costs. Their proposal also provided the required secure financing that removed all financial risk for the city, particularly in today's turbulent markets.
The so-called "low bidder" was a financial risk for the city, according to the financial analysis report. As stated on Page 2, "It remains noteworthy that, while the PERC proposal is a defined cost proposal, the (other) proposal is not and introduces financial risk through the limited level of commitment to proposed payments and cost elements."
The PERC plant design and cost was a better deal for the citizens of Santa Paula, and I look forward to seeing the project completed.
-- Gayle Washburn, Fillmore

Re: your April 21 article, "Rice praises al-Maliki for fighting al-Sadr":
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during her recent visit to Iraq, is quoted as saying that Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, "has laid down some ground rules which any functioning democratic state would insist upon, having to do with, you know, arms belonging to the state, not to, not in private hands."
How can she be believed when everyone knows that most Americans possess arms? Is she acknowledging that the U.S. is not a democratic state?
-- Gordon J. Twa, Camarillo

Re: your April 20 article, "Urgent need" and your April 5 article, "CSU Channel Islands gets snazzy $62 million library":
I have to comment on the headline about the shortage of nursing students due to the lack of funding for their program. Although area hospitals helped fund $400,000 in scholarships, only 33 students were granted one. According to the article, each nursing student costs the program $10,000. What happened to the rest of the money?
I am sick of hearing about the shortage of nurses, teachers and the like due to the lack of funds. It's all about money, money, money and more money.
How is it that a CSUCI library 12 times larger than the original one can cost $62 million? Where are the priorities? If CSUCI can't afford the students who would use the library, how is it CSUCI can afford a library that costs $62 million? Is it because the benefactors can now have their names in perpetuity somewhere in concrete? Why not tap into their philanthropy to create and improve the much-needed nursing program that California so "desperately" needs. Why is it that no one can get their priorities straight? Give me a break.
-- April Villiard, Ventura

Re: Ken Raduechel's April 13 commentary, "Science points toward intelligent design":
This is my answer to Raduechel's question about the diversity of the genetic code:
When two members of the species mate, the offspring takes genes randomly from both parents. This is what insures that no two members of any species will be genetically the same. When a nemesis, such as bubonic plague or mad cow disease, comes along, there will be some members of the species that are immune because of their genetic makeup. This is a powerful mechanism for the survival of the species. Thus, the uniqueness of every living form could very well have arisen from natural selection.
For those who take the Bible as the basis for the explanation of creation, I would address this question. There are two different stories of creation. Chapter one of Genesis is one story; the other is mutually exclusive in chapter two. Which of these two stories is the truth that must be taught to children, and which am I to believe?
-- Gracia Marks, Camarillo

Re: your April 21 article, "Pontiff's visit ends at Yankee Stadium":
This article about Pope Benedict's visit to the U.S. captured perfectly the terrible irony of doublespeak. It stated that the Pope "voiced deep shame over the child sexual abuse scandal," then went on to "remind the flock that obedience to the authority of the church" is the foundation of Catholicism.
Only those of us who were so deeply and relentlessly indoctrinated as children with the unquestionable belief in "the authority of the church" could ever understand how mass child sexual abuse could have continued unabated for so long.
To our trusting, naive parents, the difference between a priest and God was so minimal that to ever accuse a priest of wrongdoing would have been blasphemy. As children in Catholic schools, we absorbed this. We knew that priests were invested with the highest authority: that of God himself. When awful things were done behind closed doors, Catholic children knew better than to not submit in obedience to "the authority of the church." Sadly, if a child had negative feelings about being abused, he buried those feelings. The incongruity between what he felt and what he was taught was too great to be reconciled.
Does the Pope truly not understand that "obedience to the authority of the church" is the very doctrine that aided and abetted the continuation of child sexual abuse in his church? I think he does understand -- and therein lies the shame.
-- Carol Johnson, Ojai

Those pundits who are questioning Barack Obama's electability -- and Hillary Clinton's, for that matter -- have forgotten their history.
On the seven occasions since the Civil War when a presidential election was held during a recession, the party of the incumbent president has always lost. What makes the chattering class think it is going to be any different this year?
According to David Rosenbaum's Oct. 9, 1991, New York Times article, "Recession and Re-Election Don't Mix," "Allan J. Lichtman, a history professor at American University, wrote in his book, 'The 13 Keys to the Presidency,' that all seven times since the Civil War when the economy was in recession in the fall of a presidential election year, someone from the opposition party was elected president. The years he listed were 1876, 1884, 1896, 1920, 1932, 1960 and 1980."
George H.W. Bush lost to Bill Clinton in 1992 because pockets of the 1991 recession were still spread all over the country, making the recovery almost imperceptible.
-- Clive Leeman, Ojai

The statewide election on June 3 will pit Propositions 98 and 99 against each other. Proposition 98 would abolish rent control, stop water infrastructure projects, and destroy land-use planning. Wealthy mobile home park owners are spending millions on a campaign to pass Proposition 98 for their financial gain.
Proposition 99, The Homeowners Protection Act, will prohibit the government from using eminent domain to take a home to transfer to a private developer.
It's vital that we do all we can to assure a no vote on Propositon 98 and a yes vote on Proposition 99. Be sure to vote. Obtain the support of California voters within your area of influence -- family, friends, associates. The Golden State Manufactured-Home Owners League has taken a leadership role in publicizing the pros and cons of these two propositions. They can use our support and can be reached at P.O. Box 876, Garden Grove, CA 92842 or by calling 1-800-888-1727 or on the Web at www.gsmol.org/breakingnews.html.
-- Jack O'Grady,
Ventura
(The writer is a member of the Ventura Mobilehome Residents Council. -- Editor)

We are very lucky to live in a beautiful neighborhood in Oxnard known as Mandalay Bay, near Channel Islands Harbor. Seabridge, a large new complex, is nearly completed, and it, too, has turned into a very nice area.
During the construction and development stage, the homeowners in the Channel Islands Waterfront Homeowners Association met at Oxnard City Hall with the developers to discuss our concerns and to hear the details of their development plans. Now they are eliminating a greenbelt or "park" on West Hemlock Street near Greencastle Way. A for-sale sign was placed on the empty lot on West Hemlock, indicating this lot is now going to be sold for residential purposes and they are no longer planning to put in a greenbelt or park. We met with the listing broker, and he told us the property was owned by the city of Oxnard. Is anyone really aware or care what the city is doing to our beautiful neighborhood?
The for-sale sign was recently taken down. Are they trying to sell that property without any of the neighbors knowing about it?
-- Terry Cruz, Oxnard

Re: your April 18 article, "Mildred Thompson was one of county's oldest, at 107":
"Give life the best you've got and the best will come back to you."
These words said to me by Mildred Thompson, the incredible 107-year-old woman who recently passed away, have left a deep imprint on me that will forever impact my life.
I had the privilege of several brief visits with this amazing lady while my grandmother was being cared for at the Venturan off and on over the course of three years. My own children, ages 8 and 5, were often with me when we stopped by Mildred's room for a chat. Each time we saw her, it always struck me, in such a profound way, that this woman, who has lived so long and has experienced so much, could be so positive. Her eyes always lit up when we said hello, and she had this lovely spirit about her that made us want to be around her. She even showed us some of her yoga moves!
After I told my children that Mildred had passed away, I asked them why they liked to go and see her. My oldest daughter said, "Mommy, she was so uplifting and positive. She was always happy to see us."
If there is a lesson to be learned through the wonderful life of this woman, I feel it is that attitude means everything. We choose how we look at life, and Mildred chose to look at it in all its beauty and opportunity. I think she was a true example of her own words. She gave to others the best of herself, and the best came back to her. All of us can learn from that. I certainly have.
-- Donna Togneri, Ventura

Re: your April 21 article, "Zipping through 93001":
I saw the photo of the carousel at Ventura Harbor and just had to laugh. The carousel was not built in the 1950s and it was not installed at the harbor in the 1970s. My father, who owned Ocean Services -- remember them? -- bought the carousel new and had it installed in 1985. He probably bought it on credit, right before Ocean Services filed for bankruptcy. I can only hope the present owners were not truly aware of this.
-- Sarah Flesher, Ventura

Re: your April 20 article, "Defense in boy's killing seeks juvenile justice":
Senior Deputy Public Defender William Quest said cross-dressing isn't a normal thing in adult environments. That says it all.
Some years back, I was the president of a mixed league at a Torrance bowling establishment. We had a male on this league, a vice president of Magnavox Electronics, who came to bowl one night dressed as a lady and presented me legal papers stating all documents with her male name should be changed to show her new name as "Sheila." You could imagine the shock this was to a racial cross of middle-class Americans.
We had the Torrance police called to the bowling alley one night after a man was upset that Sheila went into the women's restroom while his wife was using it. If this can happen with adults, Quest's comment is so true.
I was one of the few people in the league who talked to Sheila and tried to learn and understand her reasons for changing. I do believe Sheila was born in a man's body.
-- Ted Maloney, Oxnard

Re: your April 5 article, "KKZZ to relaunch in May with talk format":
I can't believe Gold Coast Broadcasting wants to put on another talk show. There are more then enough of those radio shows on now.
Ever since Les Nelson left KKZZ, there has not been any decent music like he used to play. We all looked forward to hearing Les in the morning. He would acknowledge birthdays and give away so many things that people enjoyed meeting him at the fair and at the opening of new restaurants. He had a large following, and when he wasn't on one day, everyone would be asking each other, "Where is Les? I hope he's OK."
We are among several others who enjoyed cruising with Les and Vera. We always had such a good time. They really made the cruises fun. We always looked forward to them. There are so many of us seniors who loved to reminisce while listening to the oldies everyday.
Les had given us much listening enjoyment, and Gold Coast took that away from us. No matter what they tried to do with KKZZ, they could not replace him. They have several listeners from Leisure Village and several other areas that really miss him and the "History of Music" every morning from 6 to 10.
Maybe Gold Coast thinks our opinion doesn't matter, but maybe they should take a survey and see what people our age enjoy hearing. Believe me, it isn't more talk shows.
-- Sandy and Bill Foeller, Leisure Village, Camarillo

After watching ABC and the so-called debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, I've come to the conclusion that any post-debate criticism of either candidate is not the fault of either candidate. "It's the press, stupid," or should I say, the stupid press.
What irrelevant questions they asked the candidates! With so many critical issues at stake in this upcoming election, and so many difficult problems facing our country and our representatives we elected to solve them, the mainstream press asked questions that dealt almost exclusively in the category of "Who cares?"
Why are they asking Obama questions about wearing or not wearing the American flag lapel pin or what his minister said in a church sermon to his congregation? It's old news that's been asked and answered by the candidate over and over again.
Most importantly, those aren't real issue questions that need to be asked, such as how is either candidate going to resolve the war in Iraq, or how are they going to deal with the growing loss of decent jobs and wages, or how they would deal with the healthcare crisis, or what are their ideas in solving and enforcing our immigration laws without sacrificing our moral obligations to those less fortunate, or how would they deal with the scores of returning veterans who need serious medical help.
No, the press wants them to answer questions pertaining to the candidates' personal and private lives -- questions that don't even belong on "Entertainment Tonight" or "Access Hollywood." Gossip and innuendo rule the day instead of serious debates that will affect all of our personal lives over the next four to eight years. How can we avoid a world crisis on energy, pollution and oil? Will there even be a planet eight years from now that will be worth saving?
-- Steve Binder, Oxnard

My dad and I attended the recent dedication ceremonies for the Promenade to the Lighthouse at Hueneme Beach. It was a nice affair, and, of course, the promenade is a lovely addition to the beauties and wonders of our fair city.
However, we do have one bone to pick with the construction of the pedestrian pathway. For some substantial portion of the walk, one cannot see over the rocks. A view of the ocean with the waves breaking on the rocks is naturally the high point of the promenade.
We are aware of the tight budgetary constrictions the city faces. To raise the pathway so that the ocean view is unobstructed all the way to the lighthouse would doubtless be at a rather substantial cost. Our suggested solution would be to start a voluntary fund-raising effort that in time would raise sufficient dollars to at least start this vital improvement.
In order to get such a fund started, my dad, Bill True, and I hereby each offer to put $100 into the coffers. We're sure that countless people who enjoy Port Hueneme's beach will join us. Copies of this letter are going to each member of the City Council, and we're hopeful that our suggestion will bear fruit.
-- Dedra True-Scheib, Port Hueneme

Re: your April 6 articles, "Final hearing set on county boating center" and "Foreclosure crisis reaches Central Valley properties":
The American people hardly realize that the financial pickle they are in is basically the result of their own doing.
Just a few weeks ago, the headlines were about 25,000 teachers losing their jobs for lack of money in the budget. Now we hear the Ventura County Board of Supervisors wants to build a boating center in Channel Islands Harbor. Who are these people? They are either nuts or lousy money managers. We need to identify these officials and get them out of office as quickly as possible.
Other financial stories about "unfortunate" people losing their homes is sad, too. But, when you read the fine print, most of these people took Las Vegas risks. Jo and Janice Pimentel had some hard luck, no doubt, but who in the world would take out a 12 percent loan when the ranch is unprofitable and they can't sell the cow milk? It's another great example of what is going on all over the country.
If people in office can't stop the foolish spending, they should be identified, thrown out of office as quickly as possible and replaced with conservative money managers. If the people around America want to gamble on real estate and the stock market, the government should not bail them out.
-- Ray Holm, Thousand Oaks

Re: your April 16 article, "Santa Paula hires builder for sewer plant on 3-2 vote":
What is the mystery behind Bob Gonzales, Ralph Fernandez and Ray Luna giving PERC preferential treatment to design, build, finance and operate the Santa Paula wastewater treatment plant?
Since the start of the selection process, the three council members were only interested in awarding the contract to PERC. They did so for specious reasons, including a risk that does not exist but that will cost Santa Paula residents $22 million or more than Veolia Water, the other contactor that bid on the project.
To get to the bottom of this outrageous act, one has to go back two years when Gonzales was hired by the Pinnacle Group to help promote the most monumental electoral hoax ever perpetrated on Santa Paula residents. Remember the Ojai Valley Inn-type hotel later lowered to a boutique-type hotel that has now disappeared from the scene? Since then, Gonzales, Fernandez and Luna have become strong loyal supporters of the Pinnacle Group.
Who will the key beneficiary be under the contract awarded to PERC? The answer is simple: The Pinnacle Group, without lifting a finger, will benefit. PERC and Pinnacle have a close working relationship. Pinnacle can expect a sweetheart agreement for reclaimed water for its so-called world-class, but private, golf course.
Meanwhile, Santa Paula's working families, residents of the poorest city in the county who are now paying record housing, food and fuel prices, will now bear the cost of the $22 million extra the wastewater treatment plant will cost as a result of the Gonzales, Fernandez and Luna vote for PERC.
-- Robert Borrego, Santa Paula

Re: Richard Larsen's April 22 essay, "Misreading U.S. society," and the April 17 letters by Gracia Marks, George Pohoski and Ryan Swanson on intelligent design:
I thank The Star for publishing Larsen's essay on the erroneous beliefs of Pope Benedict XVI and the letters on "intelligent" design. I believe it was most courageous of The Star to have done so. Few newspapers would have published these documents or their like.
For the record, while not a believer, I strongly support the right of those who do believe to practice their religions -- plural -- so long as no action is taken that significantly affects my life.
In passing, let me comment that in my 20 years of living in Mexico, I noted that most people in that dominantly Catholic country did not let the Catholic Church control the size of their families or dominate their lives in several other ways.
-- William F. Steagall Sr., Oxnard

I know it's hard to hang on in these difficult times. If we did not have a fire hose in Iraq gushing taxpayer dollars, mostly into the pockets of corporations like Halliburton and Blackwater, more money would be going to the United States.
Somehow, the legislators need to stand up for the people of California.
We cannot have a decent quality of life if our libraries and schools are cut, or our mental-health services. In the long run, these things and many others are cheaper to invest in, rather than cut.
If schools and libraries are cut, the next generation will suffer, along with business and our entire society.
If mental-health services are cut, those who can no longer avail themselves of the services would then inadvertently create problems not only for themselves, but for others. Then the police would even more often resort to incarcerating the mentally ill, creating even more overcrowded conditions in our jails, and subjecting the mentally ill to even more trauma and abuse.
Instead of cutting vital services such as these, legislators should take a bold and statesmanlike approach. Release prisoners who are incarcerated in the prison system for nonviolent crimes. Make white-collar criminals actually pay their debt with money and real and long-lasting community service. Put minor drug offenders in treatment, job training and education and make them perform community service. Make despoilers of the environment clean up the environment. Make all pay in real and useful ways, instead of subjecting them to dehumanizing training to be worse criminals by putting them in prison.
Make history. Stand up for yourselves and for all Californians, and set a positive example for the country and the world. Do not implement Draconian budget cuts, whatever you do.
-- Lynne Moore, Ventura

After seeing a child laid out in the street, seemingly hit by a moving vehicle, I am compelled to write.
When I go near the local schools in Ventura, I see cars making illegal U-turns without regard and parents on their precious cell phones disregarding children around their vehicles, let alone disregarding the common courtesy of using signals. Instead, they pay attention to their cell phones and jump into traffic from the curb without notice.
This city could make a fortune by supplying a traffic officer at any campus before and after school. It could use the money to repair streets and throw out the proposed charges for making 911 calls.
Both middle-school and high-school kids need to be taught basic safety instructions. Not a day goes by when I see a child step out into the street to cross without bothering to look for oncoming cars, both at crosswalks and in the middle of the streets. Yes, they have right of way, but you cannot trust that vehicle drivers see them crossing.
I was driving southbound on Victoria Avenue when I saw a child about 15 without a helmet on a bike and totally unaware of traffic. I signaled to turn right. I stopped because I saw the bike rider approaching the cross street. Sure enough, he did not stop and threw himself in the street pedaling without any idea about traffic.
The next day, I saw the child stretched out on the street at that area. It is such an unneeded tragedy.
Perhaps schools can take 10 minutes each day to get children to understand that they cannot trust the people driving cars to see them, that they, in fact, had better be the observant one to ensure safety. There is no need for senseless accidents.
-- John DeCorse, Ventura

Re: your April 18 article, "FCC wrangles over issue of 'Net neutrality'":
This article, about the Federal Communications Commission's hearing on management of peer-to-peer (P2P) technology, overlooked a key point.
For African-Americans in the 21st century, there are few things more paramount than economic empowerment and equal access to skill-building technologies like broadband.
We need industries to work together to address applications like P2P that risk hogging available space on the information superhighway and degrading the experience for the rest of us. That would result in a widening digital divide -- a fact that advocacy groups too often fail to acknowledge.
Let's hope more collaboration and communication of this sort takes place, and that we resist premature calls for investment-chilling regulations.
-- H. Alexander Robinson, Washington, D.C.
(The writer is the chief executive officer of the National Black Justice Coalition and the NBJC Action Fund. -- Editor)

Re: Richard Larsen's April 22 essay, "Misreading U.S. society":
Larsen seems to believe that only nonreligious secularists should influence laws. Any American, for his or her own reasons, can influence the law.
The original Constitution allowed slavery. Some Americans opposed this, and most of them had a religious background. They fought verbally and physically for the abolition of slavery. Through amendments, they changed the Constitution.
Our forefathers didn't allow women the vote. Women gathered enough political power to pass the 19th Amendment, giving them the vote.
Indeed, if the majority passed an amendment stating only big bosomed blonds between the ages of 25 and 35 could be president, then that would be constitutional.
I am for capital punishment. Many liberals are not. If they pass an amendment outlawing capital punishment, that restricts what punishment supporters can do.
Fundamentalist Mormons believe in polygamy. Most Americans disagree. Through law they forbade it, even thought it restricts religious liberty.
The First Amendment does not use the phrase "separation of church and state." Instead, it states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." It says nothing about what reasons citizens use to influence the law.
Larsen might review biological evolution as it could influence the law. Darwin's book, "The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life," implies just that. Natural selection of favored races means whatever is selected is a favored race (or law). This is a brutal but natural and nonreligious law. Despite this naturalness, most believe it must be modified by religions or other ideas.
Larsen can vote for whom he wants, for whatever reason he wants. I shall do the same.
-- Edward J. Krull, Ventura

Re: your April 24 article, "Ex-VC coach telling players to leave":
This article contains a paragraph that startled me: "Winslow is close to the Gauchos' new head coach, Andy Ground. Both are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
I searched the rest of the article to find the significance of Winslow's religion to basketball, but found none.
Why was the reference in the story at all? I had to wonder if there would be a similar reference if both were Catholics or Buddhists or Presbyterians. I'd very much like to know why The Star decided to include this information about Winslow's religion.
-- Michael Walker, Ventura

Re: Jonathan Sharkey's April 24 commentary, "New urbanism has no one-size-fits-all plan":
So Sharkey's been studying local government and land-use planning and has been a longtime member of The Congress for New Urbanism. That might explain why he has failed to notice that in Southern California, two things will always prevail.
-- People don't do anything without their cars.
-- They love to save a buck or two, especially in these trying times.
Taking a 20-minute walk down the street to buy a gallon of milk in Southern California will always, mind you, be trumped by hopping in a car and driving to a major market or big-box chain. It combines the two most important things in our culture: It allows us to drive and save a dollar or two on that gallon of milk, even with the gas prices so high.
Food prices inflated by the convenience factor at the "local markets" have long been out of reach for most. And besides, who walks in Southern California anyway?
Sharkey is simply out of touch. Has he heard of Costco or Sam's Club? For his information, they're located in the commercial districts of the county, usually not within walking distance of most neighborhoods.
New urbanism is nothing more than mass suburbanism, only now the suburbs are moving up into the sky, two or three stories at a time.
-- Tracy Knudsen, Oxnard

Re: Jonathan Sharkey's April 24 commentary, "New urbanism has no one-size-fits-all plan":
Since Sharkey was such a strong proponent for the 45-story tower proposed for Port Hueneme, I believe his statement that new urbanism cannot be "one size fits all."
Ventura Citizens Organized for Responsible Development has no problem with the ideals of new urbanism. Why would we? However, when ideals morph into ideology, moderation can go right out the window.
VCORD's concern is where and how new urbanism fits in with its application and why local citizens' concerns are ignored. Why won't they show us what it looks like in context to our cherished natural setting? A digital modeling that includes the ocean and hillsides is a reasonable request that has been carefully ignored. Why is that?
We saw a beautiful Community Memorial Hospital building presented, where patients could heal with an ocean view. At the same meeting, the new urbanists were touting a plan to place 75-foot buildings in front of the new hospital, substituting views of buildings for the ocean. Why can't the buildings step down enough for us to see the hospital and for the patients to see something other than buildings? Doubling and tripling our building heights should be enough for any new urbanist with a sensibility of what is currently on the ground -- mainly one-story buildings. Moderation, where art thou?
-- Camille Harris, Ventura
(The writer is president of Ventura Citizens Organized for Responsible Development. -- Editor)

Re: Camille Harris' April 18 commentary, "New urbanists trying to wall city in gray," and Jonathan Sharkey's April 24 commentary, "New urbanism has no one-size-fits-all plan":
There is an interesting public controversy taking place on The Star's commentary pages between the Citizens Organized for Responsible Development (Harris) and the Congress for the New Urbanism (Sharkey).
Sharkey's focus seems to be the livability of walkable urban centers. The city of Port Hueneme has been moving in that direction, with a long-range vision of a new Market Street Landing as the heart and soul of a new viable and sustainable downtown. I support that vision.
I interpret Harris' focus to be a major concern that, among other disadvantages, the new urbanism vision does not deal with walkable businesses other than small retail stores that pay minimum wage. I share that concern.
A viable and sustainable economy needs the Amgen and the Procter & Gamble plants that not only pay more than livable wages but exercise a multiplier effect as their employees shop in the community. It does not seem feasible to locate these types of industries within walking distance of employees' homes.
The challenging task is to consider how to integrate solutions to both these issues: walkability of homes and access to good paying jobs. This is a challenge and opportunity for urban planners to contribute to our quality of life.
The March 2008 issue of The Atlantic magazine features a four-page article titled "The Next Slum," dealing with new urbanism. The author is Christopher B. Leinberger of the Brookings Institution. The article deals with fundamental changes as more Americans move to new urban communities from their traditional suburban communities and what could result from that movement. Anyone interested in this would be well-advised to read the article. It's a good read.
-- Murray Rosenbluth, Member, City Council, Port Hueneme

Re: Richard Larsen's April 22 essay, "Misreading U.S. society":
Larsen himself misreads the pope. I am not Catholic, but I am a philosopher. Larsen allows his presuppositions regarding religion to cloud his arguments, and he also makes logical fallacies.
Pope Benedict XVI is quoted as blaming secularism as the cause of a "growing separation of faith from life." Larsen translates this to mean, "Secular society must always take a back seat when a religion decides its moral and social beliefs must take precedence." Larsen misses the point. The pope, from this and other comments, means people should live out their faith. If Americans believe something, they should act upon it. Why criticize that?
Larsen quotes the pope as saying, "Overcoming every separation between faith and life, and countering false gospels of freedom and happiness," is one of the goals of religious belief. Larsen criticizes this as un-American. Is it? Everyone's belief should be consistent with their actions. No one has the right to unbridled freedom and happiness.
Larsen states, "If people are making choices in life that a religion feels go against faith, the fault does not lie with secular society, but with that religion." Here, both the pope and Larsen are incorrect. Secularism may contribute to inconstant living, but it is not the cause. The pope puts too much blame on society and not enough on the individual. However, if an individual is living an inconsistent life, it is also not a religion's fault.
The largest mistake Larsen makes is justifying humanity's propensity to believe one way and act another. It seems as though all of us should seek to grow in consistency between our beliefs and our actions. Most would call this integrity or character.
I suppose, from reading his essay, that Larsen truly believes the pope is wrong.
-- Scott Nandor, Simi Valley

Re: Robert Allen's April 24 letter, "Catholicism's betrayal:
Allen likens support of one's Catholic Church as being complicit in the abuse perpetrated by some clergy upon the children. That argument makes as much sense as saying one shouldn't use energy because of Enron, or investing because of Bear Stearns, or education because of teachers engaged in abuse, or government because of Bill Clinton or Eliot Spitzer or Larry Craig. Who would possibly think that a whole organization should be impugned because of the actions of the few?
-- Claudia Satori, Thousand Oaks

Re: Kathy Dollman's April 24 letter, "Put children, not criminals, first," Charles Weis' April 20 commentary, "V.C. schools face $83 million in budget cuts" and Audra Strickland's April 20 commentary, "Californians can support education without tax increases":
Dollman wrote in praise of both Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Weis and Assemblywoman Strickland, R-Moorpark.
Weis is for maintaining Proposition 98 to prevent further cuts in education, but Strickland is anti-98, which means she supports the cuts. Strickland's comment in the original article was, "We simply waste too much and just need to spend more wisely." The two are on separate pages.
After 49 years of cutting, there's little left to cut. Maybe some government perks could be cut instead?
-- Elinor Gustafson, Thousand Oaks

Re: your April 24 article, "Ex-VC coach telling players to leave":
Even though I have no ties to Ventura College, I read with interest about the college's former basketball coach encouraging one of his former players to transfer his basketball skills to another community college.
The story noted that former coach Greg Winslow "is close" to the coach of the other college highlighted in the article and that "both are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
Stating that two coaches who are "close" are also members of the same religious faith suggests something sinister is at work here. I have to ask: Were the two coaches both Catholic, Methodist, Baptist or any faith other than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, would that common faith have been prominently mentioned in The Star's article? I think not.
And, for the record, I am not "close" to the two coaches, nor have I ever attended a service of the faith of their choice.
-- David M. Smith, Camarillo

I am a resident of the city of Thousand Oaks and the president of Thousand Oaks Little League.
Measure B was drafted and funded by the Do it Center in direct opposition of Home Depot coming into the community. This measure is directed at stamping out competition.
For more than 40 years, Thousand Oaks Little League and Conejo Valley Little League have been crosstown rivals, both world champions that thrive with quality programs and embrace the competition.
Competition is only bad if you are afraid of losing.
The independent analysis shows that if Measure B passes, there will be cutbacks in our recreational programs and reductions in funding for planned parks and playfield projects, directly affecting the outstanding sports organizations in our local community.
Thousand Oaks has had the reputation for providing not only a safe life and work, but also has been proud of the outstanding youth sports programs it has provided over the years for all age groups.
Our children our 50 percent of our population, but they are 100 percent of our future.
We owe it to our children to maintain the quality of our parks and recreational facilities. A yes vote would drastically reduce the resources to fund the youth sports programs we have grown accustomed to having in our community.
Please do not allow for further cutbacks in our park programs. Join me and the Conejo Recreation and Park District and vote no on Measure B.
-- John Short III, Thousand Oaks

Re: your April 22 article, "Four for Earth":
My reaction to this story was one of sadness.
In this article, The Star shares four stories of four people making a positive difference in this world -- making a difference not for their own sake, but for my sake and for your sake.
Rachel Morris rides her bike to help reduce her carbon emissions. What have I done? I procrastinated two months to put compact fluorescent light bulbs in my lamp.
My point is this: We live in a world were we are constantly looking for the next personal, immediate satisfaction. We change our light bulbs or investigate solar electricity not because it will lower pollution, but because it will reduce our electric bill. We turn to biodiesel not because it pollutes less, but because gas prices are soaring out of control. We act because we are finally affected and can't keep going at the pace we were before.
It's funny though because I understand why we act like this. I understand why it took me so long to change my light bulbs, I understand why my neighbor bought a large SUV for a family of two. We don't truly believe that one can make a difference.
After reading this article, my view changed. Rachel Morris, Kent Bullard, Carol Day and many others are the leaders in a movement that can't be done without you and me. We are the movement, and it's not until we act that things will finally change.
We have to put ourselves aside just for a second -- but not too long -- and do something for someone else. Do something for someone you don't know, someone whose reaction of joy you won't be able to see.
-- Joe Mulick, Thousand Oaks

Re: Bill Locey's April 6 commentary, "Theologian stirs 9/11 conspiracy in Ventura":
I was absolutely appalled. I don't know what kind of a "theologian" David Griffin claims to be, but I feel sure that one of his next assertions will prove that the Holocaust was the figment of someone's lurid imagination and/or that the books of the Bible were extensions of "Aesop's Fables."
Regardless of how much one may dislike President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, to even suggest that a man in his position could recite the following oath with his hand on the Bible and follow that with the execution of a plot to commit the mass murder of a few thousand U.S. citizens is utterly preposterous:
"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Not only is there not a shred of substantiation to the fictitious theory presented in the article, but if there had been such a nefarious plot, it would have involved quite a number of people to carry it out -- to say nothing of the group of dedicated Muslims who skyjacked the airplanes and happily committed suicide -- and someone would have leaked the plot a long time ago. Now that the dust has long since settled, it is very easy to Monday-morning quarterback the terrible event and to dream up attention seeking controversial "evidence" such as Griffin's assertions. Shame on him.
I agree with Locey in one of his article's closing remarks: "It doesn't get much worse than that."
-- John C. Funk, Ventura

Re: your April 21 article, "Inspection fee draws fire":
Along with many other homeowners, I was shocked when I received my annual weed-abatement certification and found a $99 "fee" attached.
Where will this money go? With more than 1,200 homes paying this fee, it will generate more than $120,000 each year. This would easily pay for a full-time salary, but that job would only require that the inspector check about five properties per day to inspect all 1,200 properties. Does that sound like a full-time job? Something about the $99 does not compute, and I would like to see some documentation to justify this fee. When the 911 service "fee" was examined, it quickly fell from $50 per call to less than $20.
I also take issue with the Fire Department's claim that they perform extensive inspections. Several of the homeowners in the article claimed that they had not seen such inspections, and I would concur. I live adjacent to a barranca that was out of compliance for years. I waited patiently for the inspectors to bring the neighbors into compliance, but that did not occur until I finally called the Fire Department to report high brush below a pine tree.
I am curious if any of our taxpayer groups are going to litigate this "fee," as there is evidently no way to "opt out." These types of required "fees" have not fared well in court, as they are just taxes in disguise and have not been subject to the appropriate public process that a new tax requires. I would be willing to contribute $99 to such a litigation effort.
-- Linus Raibys, Ventura

Re: your April 22 article, "St. Bonaventure is put up as collateral for abuse cases":
The news that St. Bonaventure High School was among six schools "picked at random" to cover collateral for a $50 million loan was surprising. However, it is outrageous that the school is collateral for a loan from an Irish bank to cover legal claims of sex abuse cases by pedophile Catholic priests. Why should one of our local Catholic high schools be put on the chopping block?
On July 16, 2007, Cardinal Roger Mahony and the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles apologized to victims of sexual abuse by California priests, dating back to 1984. Some 500 victims were awarded more than $600 million in damages. This easily dwarfs the $157 million awarded to sexual abuse victims in Boston churches.
The Los Angeles cardinal has a lot of Los Angeles college and university property at his disposal to put up as collateral for a $50 million loan. This includes Loyola Marymount University and Mt. St. Mary's College. The cardinal could also put up the expensive Los Angeles Cathedral (Our Lady of the Angels) as collateral.
Why is the church in Rome staying out of the child-abuse legal settlements in Boston and Los Angeles? All they need to do is to sell one of the Vatican paintings. Then they wouldn't need a loan from an Irish bank.
-- Tom Novinson, Ventura

Some Democratic critics are scratching the bottom of the barrel to find John McCain's vulnerabilities. They struck out recently with their spurious claim he was not eligible for the presidency because he was born in Panama. Now, they are trying a new low blow by suggesting he is not physically fit enough to meet the rigors of the presidency because he has a 100 percent military disability pension.
These critics haven't bothered to learn how military disability pensions work. As a World War II veteran with a 50 percent disability rating from combat wounds, perhaps I can clarify things.
The disability pension is based on the severity of the original wounds, but it may be awarded after long periods of hospitalization and recovery. My award came in 1951 for wounds received in 1945. The award amounts to a lifetime pension, regardless of how great the recovery has been.
The stated purpose of Veterans Affairs is to return a veteran to as productive a life as possible. But pressure from veterans organizations and cowardly congressional members degenerated the original goal to a lifetime payment. I have never been contacted to see if I recovered or still need the monthly check. This is a waste of taxpayers' funds. The monthly checks are not related to state of health or financial needs.
I challenged Rep. Elton Gallegly on this matter, and he admitted it was a waste of funds, but he was unwilling to face the wrath of the veterans organizations at election time to correct things.
For McCain to hold a 100 percent disability pension rating has absolutely no relationship to his health or physical abilities. Those who raise this issue are not only ignorant of vital facts, but they dig deeply into the political slime bucket.
-- Robert W. Dingman, Newbury Park

Re: Ruben Navarrette's April 24 essay, "Hispanics deserve better":
All Americans, regardless of their ethnicity or race, deserve better.
The debate on how to deal with illegal aliens, the majority of whom just happen to be Hispanic, has been going on for decades. We, legal American citizens of all ethnicities and races, were lied to in 1986 when we were promised that once given our most prized possession of citizenship to millions of illegal aliens, our elected officials would put a stop to this nonsense. They did little or nothing to enforce the new laws, and 20 years later we have approximately 20 million more waiting for another opportunity to be rewarded for their illegal behavior.
It isn't enough that their children are given citizenship by accident of birth. The dramatic effect of millions of people who will take decades to assimilate, if they ever do, is clearly evident in statistical analyses of failing public schools, overburdened social assistance programs, increased crime and the caustic effects of turning once middle-class neighborhoods into nothing more than boarding houses more and more resembling the slums of Mexico in keeping with maintaining "their culture."
We non-Hispanics have just as much right to protect our culture as Hispanics do, and we "weren't born yesterday" either!
-- Judy McLaughlin, Simi Valley

Re: your April 17 article, "Trysts at police substation alleged":
Don't you think it's about time to clean house in the Oxnard City Manager's Office and the Police Department? There are high-priced people there who are an embarrassment to the people who live in Oxnard. The city needs to fire the two or more officers involved, quit paying them, close the seldom-used storefront and fire the police chief and city manager who have allowed this to go on. Use the money saved to fix roads.
Also, what are Oxnard's plans for the blighted former high school that the city has owned for many years? Why not build low-income apartments? The city needs to set stipulations so that people cannot profit from these low-income units. Possibly, the city should retain ownership.
-- Wayne Christlieb, Oxnard

Enough, enough, enough already! If certain "powers that be" want to house those in need, some of whom are illegally in this country, let them do it through nonprofit charities and their church -- and do it where the housing balance is not so "out of whack" as it is in Santa Paula.
We worked hard for what we have. We have paid our taxes. No one gave us housing, food or medical care. We provided for our own, which is the American way and the American dream. They need to do the same.
No more low-income housing in Santa Paula until a sensible balance is achieved!
-- Phil Rice, Santa Paula

Re: Thomas Elias' April 21 commentary, "Revolving doors help victimize Californians":
I drew two entirely different conclusions from the same facts presented by Elias.
First, there are several companies that believe California, in fact the entire West Coast, will need liquefied natural gas, and they are willing to invest billions of dollars to develop the infrastructure to receive it.
Second, when it comes to developing a major project in California, you don't need engineers or MBAs or economists. You need politicians who know how things get done in this environment.
Elias and many others are not aware of the future that is beginning to take shape around us. Here are a few facts:
-- The U.S. Department of Energy forecasts for future natural gas usage mentioned by Elias assume we will be using much more coal to produce electricity in the future. How many of us now believe that will happen?
-- Rocky Mountain area natural gas, a major source for California, has been artificially cheap because of limited options for pipelining it to market. A new line going to the Midwest and Eastern United States will simultaneously reduce the supply of gas available to California and raise its price.
-- Canadian natural gas production and exports, a major source of supply for California, have been dropping.
-- After a cool, lingering winter, natural gas in storage in the western region is 28.5 percent below year-ago levels and 14.6 percent below the five-year average, according to an Energy Information Agency report.
-- There is already a global scramble by countries more forward-looking than we are to lock up LNG supplies.
I believe future electricity in California will come from four sources: natural gas, renewables, willing conservation and less willing conservation, otherwise known as Iraqi-style brownouts and blackouts.
-- Jef Kurfess, Westlake Village

Re: Richard Larsen's April 22 essay, "Misreading U.S. society":
In comparing Pope Benedict XVI's call for believers not to separate their faith from their public lives with the "autocratic rule" the Founding Fathers fought, Larsen shows himself to be wild-eyed.
The response from Americans -- Catholic and non-Catholic alike -- to the pope's visit has been overwhelmingly positive. Larsen is one of the few imagining some sinister plot by the Vatican to create a theocracy on U.S. soil.
-- Kiera McCaffrey, Director of Communications, Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, New York

Re: Richard Larsen's April 22 essay, "Misreading U.S. society":
I have always admired Larsen for his straightforward approach to issues that concern us all, regardless of whom he criticizes, the pope or the president. Once again, he is right on the mark: "People throughout history have challenged any authority who turns dogma into autocratic rule."
This is precisely the point. All religions have the right to proclaim supremacy or superiority. They may as well announce they have the right solution to all problems humans encounter. However, they should not be entrusted with authority to impose their ideas on others.
This is exactly why our Founding Fathers heralded in our Constitution the separation of church and state. The government of any democratic country should not take part in advising or forcing people into strict adherence to the rules and regulations of any particular religion.
History bears testimony to the fact that, whenever religious fundamentalists took control of the government of a country, people vehemently opposed that government, although they belong to the same religion. Having faith in a religion is one thing, and being dictated by fundamentalists is other.
This is why religious fundamentalists should not have political power. If governmental power and authority is necessary to force people to become religious, then where is the power of religion itself? We are not against religion or religious leaders. A religion should be able to attract people, not intimidate them. Asking for authority and governmental power is intimidation.
All major religions have provided us with wonderful ideas that formulated our moral and ethical values.
In a democratic society, a government should be "of the people, by the people and for the people," not "of the religion, by the religion and for the religion."
-- Qazi N. Uddin, Ventura

I watch TV like most people. I have my favorites. Times have changed. There used to be a season for new shows and a season of reruns. I have been trying to watch a show weekly, and I can't find it anywhere. When I do, it is something I saw a week before.
Whatever happened to the weekly show? It seems the saying "same channel, same time" is a thing of the past. It's the death of TV as we know it.
It seems after five minutes of a show comes an advertisement, then five minutes of show and another ad. Don't they pay channels a large sum of money to have their ads shown? Should the public have to pay to watch those ads? We are paying too much to watch ads every five minutes.
If what is happening is the beginning of what the future has in store for us, then we are in sad shape. Think about how many people live on your street and think about how much each house pays to have cable, then multiply that by millions and you can get an idea of what the cable companies are taking in. Is watching TV worth it?
Why don't we have more of a choice of whom we buy our cable from? Whatever happened to freedom of choice?
The next time you make plans to watch something only to find out that is has been replaced by something else, ask why is this happening. Make calls, write the cable company and say you don't want to pay for something that was on the week before. We have to stand up and let the cable companies know we are through with high prices and bad viewing choices.
-- Robert Zingery, Ventura

Re: your April 20 Pulse page letters by Manny Godinez, "Turn state around" and Chris Ungar, "Meat-cleaver budgeting":
Thanks to them for taking the words out of my mouth.
I, too, am appalled at the idea of spending $7 billion for the healthcare of state inmates, a high percentage of whom are illegal immigrants, and cutting nearly $5 billion from our education system. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposals are devastating and ridiculous.
I no longer have children in school. However, this is my son's first year as a junior high school teacher. After years of college and student teaching, his position has been eliminated.
These absurd budget cuts proposed to our education system are not only going to harm our children, but also the careers of so many hard-working, dedicated teachers and other education support professionals.
I would like to thank Ventura County Superintendent of School Charles Weis for doing his homework and opening my eyes even further to this devastating situation ("V.C. schools face $83 million in budget cuts," April 20), as well as Assemblywoman Audra Strickland, R-Moorpark ("Californians can support education without tax increases," April 20) for recognizing this problem and her great ideas to remedy our state government's rampant, low-priority expenditures.
We must put our children first, not criminals.
-- Kathy Dollman, Thousand Oaks

In an interview on ABC's April 22 "Good Morning America," Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton stated that if Iran would consider attacking Israel during the next 10 years, the United States "would be able to totally obliterate them." In other words, we would consider killing the entire population of Iran in retaliation.
This highly dangerous and irresponsible threat is detrimental to our national security as well as that of Israel's, for it only increases hatred and mistrust against both nations in the Islamic world and feeds right into the propaganda machine of al-Qaida.
Sen. Barack Obama denounced this as "saber-rattling," stating that such rhetoric doesn't actually produce good results. This demonstrates that he is the more responsible candidate and better suited to be president and commander in chief from day one.
-- Vitali Mostovoj, Thousand Oaks

With the recent visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the U.S., I had the opportunity to answer a personal question I've had for quite some time. The answer is yes, there still are hundreds of thousands of devout Catholics out there still making excuses for the church's shameful behavior. No, I'm not talking about the actions of the pedophile priests. I'm speaking of church management that worked so hard to cover up the dirty little secret until the bitter end.
And now we're to believe that the pope's "deeply sorry" attitude is a sign the church is working hard to bring on the healing? The pope is deeply sorry over the fact that the Catholic cover-up is still costing the church millions of dollars.
People who continue to support a church that, by means of the cover-up, helped arrange for many more children to be molested than would have been had they done something in the beginning should be ashamed. Their church helped to rape those children. Their religion has betrayed them. They need to wake up and smell the sin.
-- Robert Allen, Simi Valley

If media critics of Ben Stein's newly released documentary "Expelled" want to shut him down really fast, what they should do is offer to host a series of debates between the neo-Darwinists and the believers of intelligent design. That way, they would immediately prove the basic premise of the movie to be false: that there is a conspiracy to totally silence the intelligent design movement. Not only that, if first weekend sales figures are any indication, they would garner a pile of money. I bet masses of people would tune in to such debates.
-- Christina Wilson, Westlake Village

Re: your April 10 article, "Teen killed, 4 others hurt":
Unfortunately, an article like this amounts to kicking the victims of tragedy when they are down, but the only way to salvage something out of the tragedy is to shout the lesson. Parents, how can you allow teenagers to carouse on the highways with alcohol? How can you not comprehend the "Oh, we can get away with it" attitude of teenagers?
We've all been teenagers along life's pathway. Teenagers are universally known to be rebellious against authority they believe to be too strict. The accident ought not to be blamed on impaired driving skills by the driver. It ought to be blamed right back in the home, where the car keys were made available.
Making the responsible parents feel extra remorse is not my purpose. Trying to get others, meaning all others, to take up their complete parental duty is my purpose.
-- Gilbert S. Bahn, Moorpark

Re: Kay C. Holmen's April 13 letter, "Advocates blunted gun lobby":
Holmen's comments concerning the gun lobby in California losing its momentum is right on point. The sad part is that the voters of California have elected politicians who, for the most part, are anti-Second Amendment and have turned a deaf ear to the California Rifle and Pistol Association and the National Rifle Association. Now they have focused on panic-driven organizations such as the one Holmen represents.
Gov. Arnold "The Terminator" Schwarzenegger, who has made millions from the use of firearms in his ultraviolent action movies, signed AB1471 in an effort to gain favor with the far-left legislators of this state. At the same time, he alienated his constituent Republican base.
Holmen's other point, that microstamping will help police identify the gun owner, is a fabrication. Microstamping is an unproven science. The serialization of a firing pin can be eradicated or distorted with a fingernail file. It does not apply to revolvers, only semi-automatic pistols. It does not apply to firearms that are now on the California Department of Justice handgun approval list, or to the millions of handguns currently owned. It will only apply to the handguns that are submitted for approval after the bill has become law. And the firearm industry won't submit new firearms to the State of California. Now you tell me how this bill "will save lives."
So what you have is a successful anti-gun lobby that passed another piece of legislation with no teeth.
By the way, bad guys don't use legally registered firearms. This bill will not save one life, but it will cost the taxpayers money to implement.
-- Chris Biller, Simi Valley
(The writer owns Greta's Guns in Simi Valley. -- Editor)

Re: your April 21 article, "Inspection fee draws fire":
This is just another brainstorm by City Manager Rick Cole to punish Ventura citizens for turning down his sales tax increase. First it was the 911 tax, now this. What is next? A tax (fee) for filling any pothole that happens to be in front of your house or business?
I can't wait to see what else Cole, Mayor Christy Weir and the council have in store for us. Perhaps they should just hit us all with a "privilege fee (tax)" for the privilege of living in Cole's and Weir's kingdom.
By the way, why $99 for the weed tax? Why not $80 or $100? It seems fairly Wal-Martish to me.
Also, I and some of my friends and neighbors would be happy to perform the inspections for less than half the $99. It doesn't sound like rocket science to us to take a look and write up a report.
-- Richard Pillow, Ventura

Re: your April 21 article, "Inspection fee draws fire":
Ventura has again imposed another tax in the disguise of a fee for public safety services. Like the installation of stoplight cameras at almost every major intersection in the city and the soon-to-be-implemented 911 calling fee, the new self inspection weed abatement fee is the latest initiative brought forth by city staff for the stated protection of residents and, by the way, increased city revenues.
I accept that City Manager Rick Cole is trying to squeeze every bit of blood out of turnips like me. That's his job! I expect from my elected city officials, however, to examine and question these revenue initiatives for their legality, validity and fairness. As I recall, every current council member was elected on their promise of a partnership between City Hall and the citizens of the city.
Call me suspicious, but given the multiple attempts by city staff to calculate the new fee for 911 services, one can understand why someone might question the construction of this self inspection fee. By what calculation was the $99 amount decided? Was a fiscal analysis presented to the City Council that considered the amount of revenue already collected in local property tax dollars for this service? Knowing the sensitivity involved when raising taxes or fees, why did the city choose to not give special notice to those impacted and seek public comment or input to avoid any misconceptions or misunderstandings? Is this the City Council's idea of a partnership with citizens? Does the partnership only involve city staff or outside consultants?
I am old enough to remember the frustration and adversarial attitude taxpayers felt with their government in the advent of Proposition 13. My sincere hope is that the City Council has not forgotten either.
-- Kenneth Kipp, Ventura

Re: your April 21 article, "Inspection fee draws fire":
After reading about the new $99 weed abatement fee the city of Ventura has started charging some residents, I think it's time the city change its name from "The City by the Sea" to "The City with a Fee."
-- Matthew Gibbons, Ventura

Re: Dick Schneider's April 18 letter, "Silver lining is a pollutant":
Schneider wrote to counter The Star's editorial calling for the reduction in use of plastic bags. His note had several specious arguments I would like to counter.
Plastic bags were not introduced to reduce the use of paper bags, with the goal of protecting trees. They have become ubiquitous because they are less expensive to supply, a cost savings for grocery stores.
Plastic bottles, used to provide bottled water, were not introduced to protect us from contaminated tap water. Rather, our tap water is perfectly safe, but marketing and public perception has promoted the use of bottled water. Now this is a significant source of profit for soda manufacturers such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs can provide for a reduction in total mercury emissions, if the use of coal in generating electricity is reduced; coal-fired power plants are a significant source of mercury emissions.
Finally, low-flush toilets do result in reduced water use. Even if flushed twice -- not usually needed -- two 1.6-gallon flushes is still lower than one 3.5-gallon flush.
Schneider implies that "environmentalists, the global-warming alarmists and other wacko groups" are a threat to his health and well-being. In the examples he provides, the opposite is true. An expressed concern for potential threats to public health and the environment are not an indication of insanity, but a recognition of potential dangers that can be avoided.
-- Peter Bellin, Oxnard

Re: your April 16 article, "Santa Paula hires builder for sewer plant on 3-2 vote":
I take issue with The Star article. Both bidders, PERC and Veolia, will cost the same if the financing is allowed to be the same.
Both bidders were asked to propose on a DBOF -- Design, Build, Operate and Finance. Veolia failed to comply -- their bid was non-compliant -- but the Santa Paula city staff allowed the review process to continue despite these differences. It is difficult to fairly judge proposals when they are apples and oranges.
The Santa Paula City Council was able to sort out the true differences and fairly make a decision. They should be praised for the intelligent way they conducted this review and the decision they made.
Santa Paula has a guaranteed contract for a superior product -- better construction using less land -- with ratepayers protected through 2012. If Santa Paula then deems to follow the Veolia tax-exempt bond scheme (if they feel it has no risk) they can reap those savings.
-- Clay Westling, Fillmore

Re: Camille Harris' April 18 commentary, "New urbanists trying to wall city in gray":
Exactly whose idea is it to try to emulate those dense disasters to the south, as opposed to our more pleasant neighbors to the north? I certainly am in favor of trying to align and position Ventura as the south end of the Gold/Central Coast, rather than as the north end of the Los Angeles megalopolis. I like State Street in Santa Barbara and Broad and Chorro streets in San Luis Obispo, but not Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley.
I liked and agree with some of Harris' points. I think the million-dollar question and issue is finding high-level, quality and clean employment for residents. Too often, we concern ourselves with, accept and wind up with the low-brow, low-end things because those making money in this environment like it that way and the rest work too hard to fight.
We rip up scenic, classic and historical oranges and lemons, put in strawberries and fumigate with methyl bromide. It seems a lot of city time is taken up addressing apartments and condos. Where is the nicer, less-dense housing to balance things out a little?
The only "industry," besides government, appears to be real-estate speculation and growing strawberries until the land opens up for development. Roads become more crowded each day. There is little effort to push mass transit, such as a commuter train between here and Santa Barbara. We lose the very charm that would attract good business here.
I don't think many would say Thompson Boulevard, one of the major thoroughfares in the city, is great, attractive or charming as it is. Positive change would be a good thing, and there have to be some incentives to attract investment for improvements.
-- Mark Hancock, Ventura

Re: your April 20 article, "Defense in boy's killing seeks juvenile justice":
Brandon McInerney, soon to be tried for the killing of Larry King, is 14 years old. Fourteen-year-olds are juveniles. That's how McInerney should be tried.
What may be mischievous, though, is the McInerney defense's intention "to provide the court and prosecutors information about recent studies into how the (human) brain develops, including research showing that parts of the brain that control reasoning and judgment continue to develop into a person's 20s."
If the human brain, ignoring human diversity (and the limitations of cutting-edge studies), isn't capable of reason and judgment until, say, age 20, it makes no sense to waste money trying to teach courses in schools that require reason and judgment.
If kids are so basically, well, stupid, that they can't reason enough to figure out that murder is a no-no, we can save a lot of money by holding off serious writing and science, literary analysis or real math until the kids are young adults in college.
Talk to some advertisers or political consultants or stockbrokers on just how reasonable human adults are, and stop talking about teens as if they were all that special when it comes to stupid moves, and come up with an age for partial "majority" and another for full "majority" and enforce that age.
Any age will be arbitrary, but perform some sort of "rite of passage" and expect adult behavior, and most kids and young adults will live up to your expectations.
Justice and mercy say a 14-year-old should be tried as a juvenile. Responsible public policy and educational needs say to start demanding adult behavior some time around 16 and teaching courses in school that demand and improve logic, reason and judgment.
-- Richard D. Erlich, Port Hueneme

Re: John Mondy's April 20 letter, "Cowardly act on free speech":
I wasn't sure whether to publicly acknowledge the creepy little anonymous letters to me after letters of mine appeared in The Star, but the apparent volume of hate mail he sends out to anyone even slightly progressive makes me think airing it out is probably best, as Mondy did. This twit is harmless, I hope, but people who get the letters are at least initially quite unsettled.
So let's let people know: If you send a left-of-O'Reilly letter to the editor, expect an anonymous hate letter from this nutcase -- "A neighbor" -- a poorly written, ill-informed letter full of vitriol and venom. Maybe "A neighbor" would like to identify himself? Bet not.
-- Bob Rust, Camarillo

Re: Audra Strickland's April 20 Pulse page commentary, "Californians can support education without tax increases":
Strickland can find ways to save $1.3 on an art project and $1.7 on another project. She points out that some state-owned cars are unaccounted for. She wants fewer restrictions on money currently spent by school districts, as if that will suddenly infuse the system with new money.
I expect more from our representative in Sacramento. We're talking about a shortfall of $16 billion. Her input is equivalent to telling someone facing bankruptcy how he might save $100. We need to get serious and stop pretending we can resolve this crisis without leadership and sacrifice.
I suggest she start by reading Charles Weis' column on the same page.
-- Susan M. Cuttriss, Fillmore

Re: Terry Paulson's April 14 essay, "Wall holds back the truth":
The responses to Paulson's essay have been enlightening. I was reassured by the open-minded attitudes expressed. Two primary themes ran through these letters. One deals with the movie "Expelled," released this weekend, and the other is global warming.
I'm particularly grateful to those who illuminated the contents of the movie "Expelled" because I now will not have to waste money viewing this propaganda. With regard to this movie, however, I do have one question: How are these writers able to make judgments about something they have not yet seen?
I would advise seeing the movie before forming an opinion, but those with predetermined attitudes will likely miss the point. Prejudgment without experience or facts reveals arrogance and suggests intolerance for differing perspectives. The intolerance for differing views extends to the global-warming debate.
Oh wait, I forgot: The Nobel Prize winner told us the debate is over. I'm sorry, but I have to question a movement that basically classifies carbon dioxide as a pollutant. Am I a polluter because I breathe?
Carbon dioxide is an essential component of the food chain. Some studies suggest that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide have resulted in increased crop production. Is it not valid to ask if carbon-dioxide reduction might be detrimental to the ecosystem?
Several studies cite solar activity as the primary factor causing global warming. Could rising carbon dioxide levels be a byproduct of earth warming trends? Sometimes carbon dioxide levels rise after temperature increases, and sometimes they rise before. These studies would suggest a relationship exists that is coincidental rather than causal.
In the "open-minded," politically correct pursuit of the truth, questions become irrelevant when you have all the answers. The generation that once questioned authority now says its authority is unquestionable.
-- Jim O'Brien, Simi Valley

One of the more naive presidential candidates stated that if elected, he would offer a cabinet post to Al Gore. Unless we are going to have a ministry of propaganda, I see no place for Gore in the cabinet. His propaganda skills are far above any seen in generations, but other than that, he has few skills.
His scapegoating of carbon dioxide as the cause of global warming is still believed by many, even though there is overwhelming scientific evidence that proves this is not true. Satellite data have shown the atmosphere has been cooling since 1998. Precise data based on the Earth's rate of rotation show the ice caps have been growing over the same period of time. Record snowfalls have occurred all around the world. These climate changes have matched exactly as predicted the corresponding changes in solar activity. The British courts have ruled Gore's so-called documentary can't be shown without first issuing disclaimers for all its inaccuracies, and, yet, Gore is believed.
The issue all scientists agree on is that historical evidence shows Earth's normal climate is an Ice Age.
For the last 400,000 years, the Earth has repeatedly experienced about 90,000 years of Ice Age followed by about 10,000 years of interglacial warm spells. The Earth's normal climate is an Ice Age. We have been in the present interglacial warm spell for just over 10,000 years. We should be preparing for when the Earth's climate returns to its normal state of an Ice Age rather than listening to a politician's propaganda.
The thought that carbon dioxide -- or anything else man can do -- will prevent the Earth from returning to its normal climate of an Ice Age is just wishful thinking. But we can prepare for it.
-- David J. Ameling, Newbury Park

Re: Audra Strickland's April 20 Pulse page commentary, "Californians can support education without tax increases":
Ah, the old song and dance about money woes in the state budget. If you don't give us more money in taxes, we will have to cut schools or firefighters or police officers -- anything to scare the public into acceptance.
Thank heaven for a few like Assemblywoman Strickland, R-Moorpark, who pinpoint the real method to fund the budget. There are millions of dollars in wasted and duplicative programs, but identifying and deleting them would require real work and commitment. Dollars per student is not an equitable way to judge ranking. Washington, D.C., has one of the highest spending-per-student ratios and probably the worst school system in the United States.
Don't let politicians use the old scare technique. Insist they manage the tax dollars wisely.
-- Joyce Goetz, Thousand Oaks

Aw, gee whiz Americans, you're wimping out. How do you expect to increase hard-working terrorists' hatred level if you practice energy conservation? How do you expect to guarantee that your great-grandchildren -- and especially theirs -- will have to pay $25, $35 or even $50 a gallon for gas? Why are so many of you giving up enjoying wretched excess? How do you expect to bring back smiles to the long, glum faces of RV and SUG (Suck Up Gas) salespersons? How do you expect to make the recession -- induced by this multitrillion-dollar, totally unnecessary war -- go away?
The answer to all the above is remarkably simple: consumption. It's time to buy a SUG. Bigger is better. Better yet, buy an RV. Regardless of your choice, ya gotta drive these things everywhere, all the time.
Hot tip: Vote for any presidential candidate who clamors for continued war in Iraq. It's the best way to jack up gas prices to $5, maybe even $6, for a gallon of gas within a year or two. Bonus: More Americans and others will be maimed or murdered in this senseless war.
Remember, any terrorist worthy of the title knows that in approximately 75 years, he/she will have lost the primary reason to hate the United States. By then, all the black gold we so greedily gulp from deep under his/her soil will be gone.
Special thanks to all those Venturans/Americans who insist on tooling around in their SUG or RV. You're keeping the terrorists happily hate-filled, guaranteeing continued rapid increases in gas prices, setting a fine example of wretched excess, proving to the world that, "Oh yes, we'll take our share (of oil), and yours, and yours, and...," and, of course, making mandatory constant war for control of the world's oil pools.
-- Geoff Godfrey, Ventura

The decision about global warming shouldn't be based on opinions. Or a vote. Or photos of melting glaciers. Or what the Nobel committee thinks. Or the concentrations of atmospheric constituents that cause warming. Or suspected anthropogenic effects. Or the video of the best-prepared briefing anybody's ever seen.
The decision should be based on science -- on measurements and complete climatological models. Currently, the biggest "forcing function" in those predictions is the effect of aerosols, which have a net cooling effect. The models need to know the aerosol species and their concentrations worldwide. This information is currently unknown. So, the biggest part of the puzzle, global cooling, is poorly understood. This lack of data is why, in my opinion, there are some very smart people on both sides of the issue.
For the last three years, I've been part of the Raytheon team to field a payload to make these aerosol measurements from a NASA spacecraft in low Earth orbit. The mission is called Glory. The instrument is called the Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor. You can read about it at http://glory.giss.nasa.gov/aps/ and http://www.giss.nasa.gov/~crmim/publications/2007_BAMS_88_677.pdf.
The payload is being built in El Segundo. The optical sensor, called the PM, is just about done and should be mated to the electronics module very soon. Then there's testing and launch, and we'll be able to have hard science about an issue that potentially affects every living thing on the planet.
I did some top-level systems engineering for APS, designed some of the optics and put some stuff together in clean room No 5. Because of my close involvement with the APS Program and its scientists, folks like to ask my opinion on global warming, and I always tell them: "Do the experiment; fly Glory APS."
If you prefer knowledge to opinion, support the Glory APS program.
-- Nelson Wallace, Ventura

What kind of person can strap a fellow human being to a bed, render him helpless, place a hood over his head and pour water in his mouth and nostrils until he slowly drowns? But before he dies, they bring him back to life then start the same process all over again.
I recently saw this evil act on Amy Goodman's show, "Free Speech TV," on satellite TV. It was a video taken at the Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba. Several men dressed in military fatigues were performing this atrocious act.
These perpetrators have to be sadists, with a complete lack of compassion or concern for another's feelings and human dignity in order to sink so low. Yet, these same monsters say this act, "waterboarding," is not torture.
And they still have the audacity and gall to call themselves Christians.
Based on evidence provided by soldiers now out of the military who witnessed a lot of these atrocious acts, it is common knowledge that these heinous crimes were the direct result of orders dictated by superior officers. So why hasn't there been some kind of effort to place the blame where it belongs and hold the guilty ones accountable?
At this time, only six enlisted soldiers have been held accountable for this abomination -- soldiers who were merely following orders from their superiors. This country has subverted the Constitution, the rule of law and human rights throughout the world, with no accountability. So where are all the civil groups -- our watchdogs -- who should be demanding truth and justice for these atrocities?
It's sad to say, but our country is now an empire, controlled by a military-industrial complex. The status quo sets itself above the law with no fear of accountability. Long live the U.S. republic, and down with the U.S. empire.
-- Patrick Reel, Camarillo

Jimmy Carter is the worst ex-president we've ever had. I just wish he would mind his own business. Why is he going to meet with Hamas? Does he know they are a terrorist group that wants to wipe Israel off the map? This just shows how out of touch he is. Does he know Hamas trains its kids hate in school and shows them cartoons of hate, too?
-- Andy Levine, Newbury Park

Re: Your April 16 article, "Rights groups want teen to be tried as a juvenile":
I feel these groups are media- and publicity-driven, particularly when a high-profile case comes along during a period when the family and extended family members are grieving their loss.
As a former peace officer, I have seen teens commit crimes from purse-snatching to homicide. These youth clearly know the difference between right and wrong, and to imply they lack maturity or that age should exonerate them is truly disturbing.
These groups should spend more time themselves trying to rehabilitate youthful offenders. They have no clue of the gravity of the problem and, more often than not, rehabilitation is unsuccessful.
The District Attorney's Office should prosecute this case not in the name of groups who seek to tell elected officials how to do their job. This case should be decided upon the totality of the facts and circumstances that gave rise to this despicable and senseless crime in concert with the application of the rules of criminal law and procedure.
-- Ramaul Rush, Thousand Oaks

I've seen many neighbors come and go in the house across the street, but none has been quite like the current ones. This family has a false wall midway through the garage. Four men who do not speak English stand outside drinking beer all evening and then go in through the side gate to spend the night in their secret garage apartment. They like to stare at us across the street and laugh loudly.
There are other similar houses on my street. One has two trailers in the back yard, black spray paint over the windows on the garage doors and a faded and tattered American flag outside that doesn't fool anybody. The only thing I was able to do about that house was to have the city tell the occupants to take down the barbed wire installed on the tall wall built all around the property. At one time, I counted 14 vehicles and several bicycles parked on and around this property.
I don't think I need to point out what this is doing to the safety and quality of life in this neighborhood and this city in general. Our hands are tied by bad laws, bad politicians and special-interest groups that play the race card. This is because we are the only people who don't get up and take to the streets. We mind our own private business, go to work, turn a blind eye and simply let it happen.
If we continue in this cycle, it won't be long until we won't be able to safely walk down our own streets. The only way to stop it is to prove to our politicians and everyone else that we won't tolerate it and demand that necessary steps be taken to make it happen. For otherwise, we are lost.
-- Anthony Harper, Simi Valley

A recent flier against Measure B said, "Thousand Oaks needs strong city revenue." The flier should have been more honest. It should have said, "Thousand Oaks is addicted to city revenue."
Like a drug addict who wants increasing amounts of a drug, the Thousand Oaks City Council keeps wanting more income. It is time to cure the city's financial addiction to increasing income by voting for Measure B.
-- Kirkland Gable, Thousand Oaks

Re: your April 16 article, "McCain advocates suspension of gas tax":
Isn't it great that Sen. John McCain is calling for a "gas tax holiday?" Thanks, but no thanks. The petroleum companies will be so quick to directly offset the price at the pump it's likely we'll never see it. The industry enjoys seeing the pump price near $4 a gallon, and changing it lower could be a visual disservice to them. At the end of the "holiday," placing the tax back on the pump would, in effect, create another 18.4-cent-a-gallon increase. Since the fuel industry only seems to operate at nine-tenths of a penny, make that a 0.189-cent increase.
-- Mike McDermott, Thousand Oaks

Re: John Sherffius' April 17 Opinion page cartoon:
I saw the "cartoon" lampooning Pope Benedict, titled "Deeply ashamed."
As a Catholic who has followed the events in our archdiocese, I have been encouraged at what I have seen the church doing to correct this terrible wrong to children and all Catholics. I was gratified to hear the pope and know the issue is being faced at the highest levels.
The Star's cartoon was deeply offensive to me and, I'm sure, to all Catholics who know the shame expressed and the resolve the pope has to rid the church of this problem.
I will find it difficult to read The Star without thinking that there is a bias against Catholics that I cannot accept.
-- Angelo P. Calfo, Thousand Oaks

Re: your April 15 article, "Inmate health plan may cut into budget":
California lawmakers say a request to spend $7 billion to improve medical and mental healthcare for prison inmates could mean deeper budget cuts to other state programs.
After reading that article I became outraged. I cannot believe this. It is a travesty.
What other programs? The schools have already suffered. Also, where is all the lottery money going? In someone's pockets.
My husband doesn't have medical insurance. He's been laid off. Maybe he should break the law so he can get it for free. What's happened to California? We voted for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, believing he was different and that he would help California schools and the people. Instead, he supports $6 billion to build additional medical units and $1 billion to retrofit existing infirmaries.
I say, let the inmates go without, just like the rest of us. The way our economy is today, how can this be justified?
How can these people in power sleep at night?
-- Marilyn Rodriguez, Simi Valley

Re: your April 17 article, "Trysts at police substation alleged":
After The Star reported the vehicular death of Cindy Conolly on June 12, 2006, and the failure of the district attorney to prosecute Officer Frank Brisslinger for vehicular manslaughter, I protested the district attorney's obvious use of a "conflict of interest" to find Brisslinger "not responsible." I was ridiculed and berated by a community that has bought in to the policy of rendering one set of laws to citizens and a special set to law enforcement officers.
Neither the Board of Supervisors nor the Oxnard City Council considered my plea that officers be subject to the same justice as ordinary citizens. Well, their failure, it seems, has come back to haunt us.
The two officers involved in Cindy's death are now deeply embroiled in a shocking case of sexual misconduct. One is accused of raping a 12-year-old girl who went to the officer for help in the privacy of a satellite police office. This tragedy might have been avoided in an atmosphere that was as insistent as I that our laws be equally enforced.
Oxnard Police Chief John Crombach failed to implement ordinary police department procedure of booking, jailing and setting bail for the accused officer, instead placing him on paid administrative leave where, if guilty, he will pose a risk to other little girls in the community while earning a salary of $84,000 per year.
The City Council bears responsibility as well as the chief. Politicians gain from police endorsements in exchange for "looking the other way," impeding normal police procedures when officers are involved. We must be vigilant to scrutinize and reject candidates -- incumbents -- who benefit thusly.
-- Miguel Espinosa Jr., Oxnard

Re: your April 17 article, "Trysts at police substation alleged":
Oxnard Police Chief John Crombach asks that we "not paint the Police Department with a broad brush." Yet these are the same two officers, collecting a combined salary of more than $160,000 -- and not even on duty -- who were involved in a previous matter that cost the city nearly $3 million. Now there is a second $1.5 million suit pending, involving one of the same two officers.
I have to ask City Manager Ed Sotelo and Crombach, as the people in charge: How is the city of Oxnard going to convince its citizens to vote in favor of a sales tax when this type of behavior continues with mounting costs to the city and no action against its employees? Where does the buck stop?
I can draw only two conclusions from this type of story: The city needs to begin a search for a new police chief, and voters need to decide now that a sales tax is not warranted in this city, with this type of continual behavior.
Sorry for using the broad brush, but I have to paint what I see.
-- Arthur Preston, Oxnard

Re: your April 8 article, "Global warming health risks discussed":
Wow! After reading all the disastrous effects that global warming could have on humanity, I wish I could have seen this program on climate change in person. It sounds serious. The article has the word "could" in it so many times, I felt like there was a theory being pushed onto the public.
As one who reads and listens to many forms of media, I recall that we have been having record cold winters in parts of the world this year. For example, there has been snow in Baghdad and Jerusalem and heavy snow in China. Since solar activity varies over time, so does the radiation and temperatures in the solar system.
Readers of the Star can get better information by typing "non-governmental international panel on climate change 2008" into their usual search engine and read what the scientists have to say. You won't likely see the word "could" so many times in the report.
-- Mark Ortega, Ventura

How does the governor expect the children of California to get a good education if the funds are not provided to accomplish it? He talks out of both sides of his mouth, but nothing makes any sense. Our children are our future, it's been said many times in the past and will continue being said, but what is Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger doing about it? A lot of double talk that means absolutely nothing.
No Child Left Behind is doing nothing to help our children. It's just more double talk. Sure, the students can pass a test, but what have they learned? Schwarzenegger is quick to blame teachers for this mess or anyone else he can find, but I say he should put money into education and find somewhere else to cut.
Most of the crimes being committed these days are by uneducated kids who have no future and could care less about ours. This needs to stop, and the way to stop it is to educate!
-- Norma Hickson, Port Hueneme

As the Clintons' dreams of a political dynasty fade, their true colors become apparent -- those of vicious gutter politicians intent on winning at any cost or leaving their opponent so injured as to not be able to recover. Their intent seems to be to protect and enhance their $10 million annual income, some of it from rather dubious sources. I wonder when the media will report the charities to which they donated -- themselves! The Clinton Family Foundation and allied charities have numerous people named Clinton employed.
Hillary's reaction to being caught in so many lies and half truths is a shrug of the shoulders -- similar to Vice President Cheney's "So?"
Sen. Barack Obama, on the other hand, has tried to keep to the issues. That he hasn't is because he has to devote an inordinate amount of time defending himself from the Clintons' "swiftboating." The senator gave a magnificent speech on the problem of race in America. He can do the same on other important issues given the chance. Perhaps he speaks too much truth in unguarded moments, but at least he speaks the truth.
John Kennedy was a young man when he was elected. He brought fresh ideas and an exciting time to politics. What a wonderful change that would be from the last eight years.
Obama should rename his campaign, "The Taming of the Shrew."
-- John Mason, Ojai

Re: Consuelo Yznaga Davis' April 13 letter, "Nothing wrong with mailings":
Davis says there is nothing wrong with Assemblywoman Audra Strickland using the public's dime to send out partisan political mailings because, being a state representative, of course her mailings are political in nature and she has a right to appeal to those who agree with her views.
Evidently Davis does not know or care that such mailings are a violation of the law. This is not simply my opinion. There is a statute on the books clearly addressing this.
There is a distinction between a mailer discussing public policy and one that is blatantly partisan in nature. The former is OK, and the latter is illegal. That's why we have campaign finance committees, political party mailers, public advocacy groups, etc., for such activity.
Simply put, what Strickland has done clearly crosses the line. Even Davis does not deny that they are partisan in nature.
Davis goes on to claim that there are more such mailings from liberal politicians than those on the right, though she offers no evidence in support of this assertion. While I have not personally been the recipient of such, my position would be the same if a liberal did this. The law is the law, and a public official cannot simply disregard it. This would be true even if every single voter in Strickland's district shared her views.
-- Richard Kolber, Camarillo

Regarding the idea of purchasing cloth shopping bags to use instead of paper or plastic bags, with the exception of the $1.99 Trader Joe's bag, the rest are rather pricey. My husband and I have been using cloth shopping bags for years now, long before it became trendy. I have never spent more than 99 cents for a bag at area thrift stores. By purchasing and using previously owned bags, I help benefit a charity while keeping goods out of the landfill.
If you really want to be "greener," remember to reduce, reuse and recycle. Buying pricey new manufactured goods -- likely imports -- doesn't help the environment. We live in a society of so much material excess. Let's reuse what's already here whenever possible.
-- Barbara Wunder Hynes, Ventura

Silly me! I thought Fillmore's Vision 2020 meant something. I remember street fairs around City Hall that proclaimed proudly that the Vision 2020 thing was the way we were going to go.
At a recent City Council meeting, we heard that this document has really no standing. It is just a steering document, and the general plan is really what counts. How did they get to be different?
I bought into the thought that well-planned growth to about 20,000, while retaining our small-town atmosphere, was what we as a community wanted. I understand that the Southern California Association of Governments projects Fillmore's population to be 18,000 by 2020.
What I found out was that a population of 25,000 is the "now" plan for growth, and our City Council is going to approve any project that comes along that will bring that growth. It is obvious that their goal is not well-planned growth, but any growth -- the bigger the better. The question for the citizens is: Why is bigger so good for Fillmore?
The now-approved Reider project, with its three-story buildings, inadequate parking and alleys, is not consistent with the small-town community that Vision 2020 envisioned. John Reider needs to come up with a plan that fits Fillmore's needs, not just the return on his investment.
-- Jean Westling, Fillmore

Re: your April 14 article, "Fishing 1,000 miles away":
I am appalled that The Star not only gave free section-front advertising to this business but also presented a one-sided view of a devastating form of fishing.
Long-line fishing is greatly regulated in U.S. waters because it is a hugely wasteful method of harvesting the ocean's resources. With 2,000 hooks set on 40 miles of line, long-lining has been shown to consistently cause incidental deaths to seals, dolphins, turtles, threatened shark species, albatross and other birds. This is a hugely wasteful form of fishing.
Though Capt. Pete Dupuy has a federal observer on board and uses circle hooks that help minimize deaths to such animals as turtles, the killing of unwanted fish and animals occurs.
What is Dupuy's bycatch rate -- the number of unwanted fish thrown overboard that are dead or dying? Is he sinking his lines to avoid sea turtles? Is he deploying his nets through a chute to discourage bird interactions?
Fishing is an important part of our town, and I ask The Star to present a balanced report by telling the whole story of long-line fishing and other fishing techniques that are decimating our ocean's resources.
-- Tom Weisel, Ventura

Re: Harvey Paskowitz's April 15 letter, "Remember damage":
I could not disagree more with Paskowitz on his views about the boating center.
He states, "The majority of the California Coastal Commission and our Board of Supervisors, who are supposed to safeguard our environment from harm, have ignored their responsibilities regarding the construction of the Channel Islands Harbor boating center."
The key here is "majority," not the minority. There is a minority in the harbor and beach area that do not want the boating center. I am a 22-year resident of the beach area and am in the majority of people who can't wait to participate in the boating center with my children.
The small minority of people in the area have been entertaining everyone with their grand plans to start a new city. They even attempted to include a distressed area of Oxnard to bolster their wild idea.
The entire harbor area has slid down under the watch of Supervisor John Flynn.
It's always funny to hear from people who all of a sudden are concerned about the environment or a bird after building their home to the lot line and driving around in their gas-burning car.
The majority thanks Supervisors Steve Bennett and Kathy Long.
-- Bob Launius, Oxnard

I was very disheartened to read that there is so much interest by our local government officials in raising taxes. Clearly, it's the job of public officials to maintain public services. Since those services are tied to a budget, it isn't surprising that when there's a sagging economy, they look to other resources for additional funding, which, in some cases, includes raising taxes.
However, at this point in time, with gas prices eating a large hole in people's paychecks, with the prices of groceries, goods and services on a steep inflationary rise and quite a few losing their homes due to many factors including those above, it does not seem appropriate to raise taxes.
Since public agencies are put in place for the overall good of the public, it stands to reason that their actions should be for the overall benefit to the public as a whole. At this point in time, it's clearly more beneficial to the public to make the more difficult choice of determining which services to cut back on, rather than take the easy way out and raise taxes to support the existing level of services. Raising taxes now would be completely insensitive to a seriously strapped working class that frankly can't afford it.
Increased utility taxes to fund public safety? I'm still smarting from the attorney fees from the lawsuit our public safety officials brought against the county. In case nobody noticed, the taxpayers paid the fees for both sides. Are our public officials really that out of touch?
-- Blane Penquite, Ventura

Re: your April 16 editorial, "Plastic bags must be cut":
Ah, yes, the ubiquitous plastic bag. But we saved the trees, didn't we?
Then there were plastic bottles. But we were saved from harmful tap water, weren't we?
And don't forget the low-flow (flush twice) toilet. But we saved water, didn't we?
Soon it will be the compact fluorescent light bulbs, but we will save energy without mercury pollution, won't we?
What's next?
Please, tell me what I have to do to survive the environmentalists, the global warming alarmists and other wacko groups that continually come up with ridiculous and costly solutions for their perceived problems.
-- Dick Schneider, Oak View

Re: your April 16 editorial, "Plastic bags must be cut":
I concur with the editorial on the overuse of plastic bags. However, The Star should look at its own contribution to the problem. About 90 percent of the plastic bags I return to be recycled are from the newspapers that we receive every day. Could The Star go back to only bagging them on rainy days, as it did earlier?
-- Jean Schultz, Camarillo

I thought I actually had someone to vote for -- not the lesser of evils. I thought Barack Obama would be different and a step away from the norm. Then I came to realize his brain has not quite solidified yet.
When asked about children, he said his children were a miracle. When asked if later in life his daughter became pregnant, what would he do? He said he would not make them be punished with a baby. He makes miracles, and the rest of us make punishments.
Then he said we get desperate and turn to guns and religion. I have no time for religion, but my creator and redeemer play an important part in my life, and he has done more for me than any politician. And my rifle has put a lot of food on a lot of people's tables.
How many meals has Obama missed? How many girls has he rescued from incredibly cruel pimps? He needs to get his hands dirty and feel what he claims to feel. Watching something on TV is not the same as doing it.
-- Jim Barros, Simi Valley

I remember not too long ago when people couldn't wait to recall Gray Davis for trying to be a responsible adult with the economics of California. Now the economy in California is in much worse shape, so why don't I hear of a movement to recall Arnold Schwarzenegger? He is like an irresponsible person with a new credit card that thinks he can spend and spend and never pay for it.
Since Schwarzenegger has become governor, he has sold long-term bonds to pay for current expenses and drive up interest costs. Now our roads and schools are in terrible shape, and California is in more debt because of his irresponsible policies. When are Schwarzenegger and his supporters going to grow up and become responsible persons?
Dumping debt on future generations to cover current expenses is immoral. Someone needs to start a recall movement and get a responsible adult back in as a governor.
-- Paul Lux, Thousand Oaks

This weekend, the city of Thousand Oaks will be celebrating the exciting heritage of the Nordic settlers who came to this beautiful Conejo Valley many years ago to live and to prosper.
The Scandinavian Festival at California Lutheran University Saturday and Sunday is an event I always look forward to as it relives history and at the same time gives all of us the chance to enjoy and learn about the many cultures that came to this land from Northern Europe.
What an opportunity! Grandparents, moms and dads, uncles and aunts have a chance to bring their children to see and experience the exciting cultures and foods of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, etc.
I'm half Swede, but it doesn't matter what country your ancestors came from. Our family is looking forward again this year to enjoying those notorious Vikings, all the fabulous unheard-of foods and the live music and dancers. I say, "Bring the kids to the Scandinavian Festival Saturday or Sunday." You will be glad you did!
-- Ray Holm, Westlake Village

Re: Terry Paulson's April 14 essay, "Wall holds back the truth":
Paulson worries that right-wing Neanderthals cannot control scientific agendas. There's a Berlin wall stopping them! I dried my eyes from laughing so hard at this loony conspiracy theory.
Has Paulson has ever been inside a greenhouse? There's a greenhouse effect from all that carbon dioxide we produce. Polar ice caps are shrinking, the sea level is rising, permafrost is vanishing, and Mount Kilimanjaro's snow and the glaciers in Glacier National Park have almost gone. The conclusion is ineluctable. Even President Bush has finally accepted global warming as a fact.
But what about the 19,000 scientists who have doubts about global warming? Paulson doesn't mention that they were paid hard money by Exxon to sign some vague statement. It didn't affect their objectivity, of course.
We learn that global warming is questioned by our "pretty impressive" Vice President Dick Cheney. Uh-huh. Didn't he say that Iraq definitely had weapons of mass destruction? And why does BP Oil accept global warming when it is to their advantage to deny it, like Exxon?
We learn that the species homo habilis and homo erectus coexisted. So? Coexistence doesn't disprove evolution. Lots of species coexisted. Neanderthals coexisted with homo sapiens, and some are still around -- they're called Republicans. But why won't those pesky "responsible scientists" debate Paulson's "new Darwins?" Clearly, they're not driven by ideology and corrupted by money. And if Paulson's geniuses produce such brilliant research, they'll get their Nobel Prizes like Al Gore. Don't hold your breath.
Paulson's logical flaw is to believe that all controversialists challenging the orthodox must necessarily get proved right in the end -- like Copernicus, say. Luckily, few people agree. In the total scientific community, worldwide, they are insignificant.
-- Alexander Freeman, Thousand Oaks

Re: Dale Osborn's April 8 letter, "Share, FOOD Share":
"What's really sad is that there are quite a few of these families who are still working hard, working full-time, and they just can't make ends meet," I wrote.
This quote, a preface to Osborn's letter, was addressing the increasing needs of working poor families who, with our current economy, are struggling to get by each and every day.
The mission of FOOD Share, simply stated, is to feed and nourish the hungry of Ventura County. The "share" in FOOD Share does exist and is as strong as it ever was. This is realized through our partnerships with agencies that are dedicated to feeding the hungry and, collectively, we are able to distribute more than 10 million pounds of food.
The gleaning in the fields has affected FOOD Share in a variety of ways. The farmers experiencing recalls and bacteria scares limit our access to their fields. According to The Star and the agriculture expert's report, there is an increasing change from row crops to berries, and berries are not a crop we have historically gleaned. Gleaning the fields is also a seasonally driven operation, and we currently have staff that will contact the farmers to arrange schedules and facilitate us getting back into the fields.
FOOD Share's waste has decreased by 39 percent over the past four years as part of our continual effort to lessen waste and improve the quality and quantity of food we provide.
Volunteers are valued and acknowledged regularly throughout the year in honor of their service and dedication to the mission of the agency.
FOOD Share will continue to manage a healthy and safe operation to ensure that the delivery of our food and service to the community is of the highest quality.
-- Sandy Bishop, Camarillo
(The writer is president and chief executive officer of FOOD Share Inc. in Oxnard. -- Editor)

Re: John Hanson's April 9 letter, "High cost of immigration":
Here we go again, blaming the illegal immigrants and their children for all our despair.
Let's look at where the problem really exists -- in Washington, under President Bush's inept leadership ever since he involved us in the Iraq war. Our tax dollars are being wasted on a war that has not accomplished one thing.
Illegal immigrants have accounted for millions of these tax dollars by filing tax returns. An estimated $600 billion has been spent thus far, with California taxpayers accounting for around $60 billion. Included is money we borrow from China, the worst violator of human rights. Talk about sleeping with the enemy.
So far in April, more than 20 American soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and just recently 1,300 Iraq soldiers were dismissed because they refused to fight in Basra. We don't need to put our children in harm's way for these cowards, just like we did for the South Vietnamese soldiers during the Vietnam War.
President Bush and his puppet general, David Petraeus, say we have to wait until the Iraq army is better trained. They've had five years. What more can we teach them? Our fighting men and women get 16 weeks of training and then are sent to the battlefield.
It's time to bring our troops home to protect our borders. It's time to quit blaming the hard-working illegal immigrants who, by the way, also have children fighting in Iraq. Let's rebuild our economy, repair our schools and roads and create jobs for our citizens.
-- Tony Vasquez Jr., Fillmore

Re: Eileen Harris' April 11 commentary, "Giving teens a place here would help avoid tragic crashes," and Monroe Karl Deutsch's April 15 letter, "Hard lesson to teach":
It is always sad to hear of a young person losing his life unnecessarily. It seems last week was filled with sadness with the deaths of many youngsters. The four who lost their lives on the way to a church activity were among that toll.
Harris seems to think that society should find activities to help these teenagers stay in the area. Is she serious? Obviously, she doesn't have teenagers.
We have activities in this area. Unfortunately, they don't include drinking and drugs. Unless the responsible parent teaches the child, they don't know what else to look for. They go where and when they want unless they have responsible parents who teach them otherwise. But why is it always up to someone else to carry the responsibility?
Deutsch certainly has the right idea. Don't we all, at teenage years, think we know everything? Why is it always someone else's fault when something bad happens? And when something good happens, guess who takes the credit? Parents.
Parents should hold the responsibility for both good and bad. It isn't up to society to make sure children have the right activities for good growth. It is up to the parents to guide and nurture them in the right direction and hope they follow the guidance.
Deutsch, at 90, God love him, is a very wise person.
As I wrote in a letter several years ago, when you want to point a finger, look in the mirror and point.
-- Gerry Kiliszewski, Thousand Oaks

Re: Eileen Harris' April 11 commentary, "Giving teens a place here would help avoid tragic crashes":
Hurray, hurray, hurray to Harris' idea of having a place for teens in the Thousand Oaks area.
Having sons graduating from Newbury Park High School, that is a big question: Where can they go during high school or after graduation? Some of them are not driving yet.
I have heard it many times: "Mom, nothing is in Thousand Oaks."
For the younger ones, there is a teen center, youth soccer and Boy Scouts, but nothing is available after high school.
They would like to practice in bands, just hang out with friends, play some sports, listen to music, watch some shows, etc. Parents would love to have their teenagers around in a safe place!
-- Beatrix M. Vasko, Newbury Park

Re: William Kristol's April 15 commentary, "Obama's mask slips at San Francisco fundraiser":
Kristol does a superb job of attacking Barack Obama and ignoring the real issues. Of course people are bitter. It's the economy, stupid. That includes inflation, stagnant wages, the dwindling dollar, $3 trillion squandered without any benefit in Iraq, a financial crisis, thousands of foreclosures and a recession. Elitists like Kristol are insulated from these problems of the peasants. Let them eat cake.
Our next president will need the energy to mop up President Bush's mess and the wisdom not lead us into any more ruinous wars. That won't be the doddering John McCain, who falls asleep during the day, still doesn't know a Sunni from a Shia, wants us in Iraq for another hundred years and wants to bomb, bomb Iran. You ain't seen nothing yet, folks. Expect gas at $100 a gallon if that happens.
Now it turns out he hasn't got a clue as to who commands what. He said that he wouldn't shift the focus of the military from Iraq to Afghanistan "unless Gen. Petraeus said that he felt that the situation called for that." Gen. David Petraeus is our commander in Iraq and no more. He's not responsible for global commitments. Doesn't McCain know that global strategy is the province of the chairman of the joint chiefs, the secretary of Defense and the CENTCOM commander? He'd be our first Gilbert & Sullivan commander in chief!
Kristol's made me very devout. I'm praying that McCain doesn't end up in the White House.
-- Ian Freeman, Thousand Oaks

According to Snopes.com, it's true that Professor Indrek Wichman of Michigan State University sent an e-mail telling Muslim students to leave the country.
Why do we never read articles like this in the newspapers? Is it a case of the newspapers being afraid to print the truth, afraid that these "peace-loving Muslims" will come in the dark of night with their faces covered and in the name of their Allah burn down buildings? I and a lot of other Americans agree with Wichman and think it is time our media quit supporting these barbarians and any others who don't like America and put them on a slow boat back to their native homelands.
And while we are at it, we should give the Jane Fondas and Rev. Jeremiah Wrights the Benedict Arnold treatment and never let them set eyes on the United States for the rest of their lives.
I know that this is too strong a message for The Star to print, but isn't that sad that I don't have a First Amendment right.
-- Stephen J. Sampson, Simi Valley

Every time I see a Lowe's commercial on TV, I can't help thinking of the store in Simi Valley -- you know, the one just down the street from Home Depot. It is amazing that these two giant stores that we think of as home improvement centers are so close together and yet doing well.
Then I think of Lumber City -- I mean the Do It Center -- on Thousand Oaks Boulevard, right across from the auto mall, and how scared they are because Home Depot wants to improve the old Kmart site. I also think of how they have been able to distract the entire city into a traffic concern to prevent competition.
Competition: What a thought! Why don't they look across the street? That's competition!
Home Depot will be an unquestionable asset to the city -- that is a fact. There are always those who come here and then want to keep others out. Can you imagine what the Conejo would look like if they'd had their way in 1965?
Our city officials are elected to control, design and generally care for the development of Thousand Oaks. So far, they have done a remarkable job. It is too bad that so many of our citizens have been duped by the small thinking Do It Center into believing the issue is traffic, rather than fear of competition.
-- Ronald L. Goldstein, Thousand Oaks

I have given this a lot of thought and spoke with a number of Ventura city residents who are in the same financial position I am in.
I am a senior and live on a very small, fixed income and cannot afford to spend money on anything but absolute necessities. Therefore, I would be equally judicious when it comes to calling 911 for myself or others.
When I reflect on my more than 63 years of life here, I realize that 90 percent of the times I have called 911 was for the benefit of someone else. Only three times have I call 911 for my own personal benefit. Each time the emergency was for medical reasons.
At this stage of my life, I have to consider what will happen if I call in an emergency for a stranger. Will I get reimbursed? How will it affect my finances for the rest of the month? How can I do it without a cost to me?
These are considerations that I really do not wish to make for strangers. However, these decisions are necessary when one lives on a small fixed income.
What a terrible position to be placed in by the city of Ventura -- whether to report an emergency or hope someone else can afford to report it.
I think it is a terrible idea to charge a fee for doing one's civic duty or to have to decide if one can actually afford to do his civic duty. I think it would be very wise to revisit the wisdom in raising funds for the city in that way.
Those of us who are on fixed incomes and most vulnerable will have to make that decision each time a situation arises for either ourselves or others.
-- Chas Boyd, Ventura

Re: Ken Raduechel's April 13 commentary, "Science points toward intelligent design":
I could argue until my fingers are tired from typing about evolution, natural selection and biology. I will assume Raduechel could do the same. But if he believes science points toward intelligent design, nothing will ever change his mind. The same can be said of the opposite position. It is quickly becoming a tired argument.
Raduechel wrote, "Religion is the search for understanding."
I disagree. Religion, in my opinion, is nothing more than organized superstition used by primitive humans as a tool of fear and control. Superstition exists simply because of our fear of death. Any belief in an afterlife provides hope and can fill that void.
Raduechel points out that science once believed the universe was eternal and since then changed its position. That is an example of exactly why my faith (so to speak) lies in science and not religion. Science is willing to change based on the evidence provided, and science is also patient when things are unclear. Raduechel seems to have completely made up his mind on the origin of things.
I believe that to even compare science to religion is an insult to science.
One thing I found frustrating was how Raduechel so quickly jumped from intelligent design to creationism and then to the Bible. Those were some quickly built bridges. Even if there were an intelligent designer, it is still an extremely vague theory with a billion different possibilities.
I believe the origin of life and the universe will continue to remain a great mystery for years and years to come. We may never figure it out. However, I am willing to wait to see where science takes us. Time will tell, as it always has.
-- Ryan Swanson, Port Hueneme

Re: Ken Raduechel's April 13 commentary, "Science points toward intelligent design":
Raduechel makes a statement that evolution does not explain the complexities of the human hand. To him this is evidence of an intelligent design and, therefore, an intelligent designer. This is true only if you accept that this design of the hand is the only outcome of evolution. Therein lies the fallacy.
The particular configuration of the hand is not the only possible outcome. There are limitless directions that the development of the hand could have taken, some minor (the thumb and little finger being reversed) to major differences that we would not even recognize as a hand but which would still function as our hands do. If you consider the hand in terms of its functions, the possible configurations of the whole human body would increase exponentially (the hand can grasp, and so can the tail of many species). Let us not forget the nose of the elephant is a highly sensitive organ that can grasp objects.
A study of other species would show that there are many organs that are far more efficient than those organs in the human body. Examples would be the dog's nose, a cat's hearing and a fly's eyes. Why would not a designer make each organ as efficient as possible and then give all mammals the benefit of this perfectly designed organ?
Lastly, this idea of survival -- a food chain and animals eating other animals to survive -- seems to me extremely cruel. Would not a designer who is supposedly loving find a kinder and gentler way for all mammals to live together without our having to eat other species?
-- Gracia Marks, Camarillo

I have been reading articles in The Star concerning the incompetent overreaction to the quagga mussel threat by the members of the Casitas Municipal Water District board members from day one.
While I agree that this infestation could become a problem with the filtration system at the lake, I have totally disagreed with the way this whole fiasco was handled.
I used to hunt the area that is now known as Lake Casitas with my father before and during the construction of the lake.
I have fished the lake since the day it was first opened to the public, and in the course of time, I have personally witnessed many changes.
I believe the members of the board have done a poor job in not just the handling of the quagga mussel issue, but in other issues concerning the lake, specifically related to revenue these board members think the lake should be generating -- maybe with a little too much enthusiasm.
I believe opening the lake to outside boats after all the hoopla that occurred just a month ago signifies not just the failed handling of this matter by the board members but also a caving-in by the board members to the professional bass associations and their limitless revenues.
If it wasn't for all the money that the associations generate and distribute among event members, and the enormous amount of money that is received from the sponsors of numerous fishing equipment companies, I believe the lake would have remained closed for the whole year until a realistic solution to the problem of the quagga mussel was found.
I believe this whole can of worms concerning Lake Casitas and the quagga mussel infestation possibility has many undertones of unspoken greed and apathy to other issues being glossed over for the sake of money!
-- Joseph Robles, Ventura

Two ballot initiatives now being circulated would change the California Constitution to make it impossible for some to enjoy the same rights that the rest of us take for granted. One would ban marriage of same-sex couples. The other would revoke existing law providing domestic partner benefits, hospital visitation privileges, community property rights and child support.
Those sponsoring these initiatives play upon prejudice and fear.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said he would always be there to fight against such proposals. This made my wife and me proud of our governor. We have been married for more than 50 years, and allowing everyone the same rights that we enjoy poses no threat to us or others.
We are political moderates who favor fairness and equality for all.
One's right to enter into a marriage contract or domestic partner agreement confers undeniable legal and social benefits upon the parties. It is wrong for the state to confer these benefits to some and deny them to others.
This should not become a partisan matter. It is a civil rights issue.
California voters rejected a similar discriminatory measure after then Gov. Ronald Reagan opposed making it illegal for gay persons to teach in California schools.
Let's not lock discrimination into the California Constitution. Please don't sign these hateful petitions.
-- Delton Lee Johnson, Santa Paula

Re: Susan Talmadge's April 13 letter, "Society's big problem":
What a hypocrite Dave Grossman is! He has written a violent science fiction book, "The Two-Space War," while in the same breath decrying violent media.
His stance is uneven. He doesn't mind going after violence in the newer media, but books and the written word are OK in his eyes? What hogwash!
Anyone can simply bring up the Bible and quote some of the most violent scenes ever in that book, and people are giving this piece of violent media to kids for free. And yet, I haven't seen him go after it or want to censor parts of the book so far -- maybe because trying to censor any book would bring up the First Amendment.
Why do people like Grossman attack gamers for doing the same and try to state that the First Amendment doesn't apply?
Study any school killing and the link is there? I'm sorry, but it's not. However, two glaring things that come up instead are easy access to guns and that the killer gave way too many early warnings, but adults often ignored the kids, the kids didn't report it or the problem itself was ignored before it was too late.
It always sounds like people are trying to avoid responsibility for their own actions at all costs and want to blame something so they can get off the hook. Video games have always been easy target to blame.
Also, it's only a matter of time until people of my generation take over Congress and start kicking the hypocritical anti-video game nuts out, like Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who decries violent media and still makes money off his violent movies.
If you want to read up on the politics of video games worldwide, please visit: http://gamepolitics.com/
-- Amanda Johnson, Ventura

Re: your March 25 article, "County Board of Education appoints new trustee":
I was not surprised the Ventura County Board of Education picked the least qualified of five candidates to fill the District 5 seat vacated by Ron Matthews.
Matthews was proud that he tried to push religion and creationism into the classroom. The board said its selected appointee seemed to have the same philosophy as Matthews. Let's hope he will not become a Matthews' clone or one who always agrees with the majority of the VCBOE.
Those who were surprised at the VCBOE meeting were the other candidates for the District 5 seat, each obviously more qualified than the appointee. They seemed sincerely concerned about the future of our children, but they were naive about the agenda of the majority of the VCBOE.
Those who have followed the reckless actions of the VCBOE know they hired two lobby firms with 15-month contracts costing us $292,000. Neither firm has produced results to better education, but each has given political contributions to a local GOP candidate.
A bizarre scheme pursued by one of the lobbying firms was to provide a program for our "at-risk" youth. An Indiana congressman planned to place an earmark on a federal bill for Grace Evangelical College in Indiana to build an $8 million building, where they would provide an eight-week summer program for Ventura County's at-risk youth.
Ramon Flores was unquestionably the best-qualified candidate. I hope he will not be discouraged and will seek the District 5 seat in the November election.
Ventura County voters must pay attention when we select VCBOE members if we want quality education for our children. Begin by attending the next VCBOE meeting on Monday, April 28, at 6 p.m. at 5100 Adolfo Road, Camarillo.
-- Kate McDermott, Camarillo

Re: Roy Jasso's April 13 commentary, "Cities must ensure housing for all people":
The commentary by Jasso, president of the Cabrillo Economic Development Corp.'s board of directors, is both misleading and self-serving.
As an officer of CEDC, Jasso stands to gain substantially by promoting more subsidized, low-end housing, an agenda that has impacted Santa Paula negatively in a financial way for many years. No one should accept at face value his inferences that the Southern California Association of Governments, the regional housing needs assessment, or the state can require any city to build a certain number of low-end houses; there is no such law, only goals promoted by people and organizations with a "housing" agenda.
Santa Paula has bent over backward to work with CEDC, and now CEDC is suing our city for not approving a noncompliant project -- and likely using the $400,000 Santa Paula gave it to fund or collateralize the suit. CEDC appears to have no concern or interest in the fact that Santa Paula is terribly out of balance toward the low end from past practices of greenlighting every low-income housing development that came along.
Saying no to Plaza Amistad was a real wake-up call.
Jasso argues we need to "ensure every citizen has a decent, safe, sanitary and affordable place to call home." That sounds good, but which citizens are the taxpayers of Ventura County supposed to support? Is Jasso saying we should support citizens of Mexico, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, or are his comments directed exclusively toward U.S. citizens?
The burden on our backs is far too heavy already. We have had enough of this socialistic, world-with-no-borders agenda.
Jasso has one point right. Citizens, especially taxpayers, need to get involved with shaping the area's housing element. Otherwise, CEDC will continue to get rich at our expense.
-- Larry S. Sagely, Santa Paula

Re: Terry Paulson's April 14 essay, "Wall holds back the truth":
I found Paulson's essay, in which he condemns the "annoying arrogance of scientific orthodoxy," to be, quite frankly, arrogant. When he dismisses the evidence of the significant climate changes we are clearly experiencing and the overwhelming number of scientists who are calling for action, Paulson does Ventura County residents a grave disservice.
April 7, I attended a conference at the Government Center titled "Climate Change: Our Health in the Balance." It featured a panel with several speakers, one of whom was Robert Levin, M.D., director of the Ventura County Public Health Department.
I found Levin's comments regarding the effects of climate changes to be quite disturbing. He told of the rising incidence of diseases that normally would only occur in southern latitudes beginning to appear in northern latitudes as a result of the warming of the Earth's temperature.
Another panelist, Mike Villegas, executive officer of the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, pointed out that the worldwide rise of temperatures has increased the amount of ozone and caused an increase in asthma attacks and other breathing disorders.
An informative publication produced by APCD, titled "Clean Air Today," is especially relevant.
I would hope Paulson would agree that a scientist many consider the world's foremost theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking, should know what he's talking about. He is quoted in the publication "Clean Air Today" as saying: "Climate change may kill off the Amazon and other rain forests .... The rise in sea temperature may trigger the release of large quantities of methane .... Both these phenomena would increase the greenhouse effect, and so further global warming. We have to reverse global warming urgently, if we still can."
I urge Star readers to listen to the real scientists rather than pseudoscientists.
-- Joyce Carlson, Santa Paula

Re: Terry Paulson's April 14 essay, "Wall holds back the truth":
Paulson's essay was right on quite a few points with respect to close-minded attitudes in the scientific community. Unfortunately for himself, it appears that he doesn't employ the same open-minded, yet critical, attitude to his rejection of Christianity.
For example, he admiringly quotes Susan Anton as saying, "This is a great example of what science does and religion doesn't do."
If you think that Christianity is purely based on dogma, then you'll think that this is true. If, on the other hand, you read the old and new testaments as personal accounts of God's presence and power, and if you listen with an open mind to current accounts of how people have seen God alive in their lives, you'll see that Christianity is not a dogmatic "authoritative statement." Then, instead of rejecting Christianity because "it isn't scientific," you'll see God's power and grace and want that for yourself.
-- Rodney Sinclair, Thousand Oaks
(The writer, who holds a Ph.D., is an applied mathematician. -- Editor)

Re: Terry Paulson's April 14 essay, "Wall holds back the truth":
I do not generally agree with Paulson's essays, and I found his latest effort especially dispiriting. While ridiculing Al Gore's views on global warming, Paulson praises the upcoming documentary, "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," about intelligent design as "eye-opening" and "challenging."
My first point is simply that Paulson is not applying the same filter to each film. He rightly questions Al Gore's assertions about global warming, but he uncritically accepts the premise and conclusions of "Expelled." I suspect he does this because, like so many people on both sides of these issues, Paulson has already reached his own conclusions about them and is only too ready to attack those positions he disagrees with (man-made global warming) and defend those positions he agrees with (intelligent design). In doing so, Paulson's critical faculties are no sharper than those who bought into every aspect of "An Inconvenient Truth."
On the Stein documentary Web site, you will find in the press kit for the film (http://www.expelledthemovie.com/_downloads/expelled_press_kit.doc) what appears to me to be the real reason for the movie's criticism of Darwinism: "How will ideas of morality change, if life is thought to be purposeless and undirected?" In other words, the proponents of creationism and intelligent design are admittedly not concerned with the truth, but with the possible effects of what could happen to society if the truth about evolution should get out.
I find it both ironic and disingenuous that this concern appears to be the true motivation behind a film whose alleged purpose is to demonstrate how "big science" has conspired to build a wall to limit the search for truth.
-- Larry Smith, Thousand Oaks

Re: Terry Paulson's April 14 essay, "Wall holds back the truth":
In his commentary on Ben Stein's propaganda film against global climate change, Terry Paulson fatally -- and quite inadvertently -- undermines the right-wing talking points for which he is usually so reliable a spokesman.
Paulson regurgitates the usual right-wing pablum about a "lack" of "scientific consensus" on global climate change that forms the core of Stein's so-called "documentary." The problem, though, is that Paulson is also one of our area's most reliable Christianist apologists.
Therein lies Paulson's problem. He claims we cannot make policy based upon a presumption of global warming because complete (i.e., 100 percent) scientific consensus on the problem does not exist. Sadly, only 96 percent of scientists agree. Yet there is not complete (100 percent) scientific consensus on the existence of God, either, or on the inherent correctness of the Christian faith, as opposed to all others. Indeed, there is far less consensus on those points than on global climate change.
If we are to take Paulson at his word, then, we must vigorously fight all attempts to twist public policy through religion, since in Paulson's world, the only sound basis for political action is absolute certainty. By definition, if there were absolute certainty on the question of religion it wouldn't be called "faith."
Kudos to Paulson, then, for doing far better a job demolishing the case for "religion in the public square" than any liberal could ever have done.
-- Russell Burgos, Thousand Oaks

Re: Terry Paulson's April 14 essay, "Wall holds back the truth":
What is the total population of scientists who have studied global warming, and are these 19,000 scientists who question global warming a statistically significant sample? If they are, I would gladly see Ben Stein's movie.
However, when they say global warming is "probably" natural, there is an element of indecision. What if they are wrong? That "probably" would be the end of life on Earth. If they were to say global warming is "definitely" natural, I would have no concern, but they are doubting their own conclusion.
I attended a debate on intelligent design and evolution. The participants included a professor of theology and a professor of biology from a prestigious local university who supported the theory of evolution. On the other side of the question was an astrophysicist, who brought a reference book, which happened to be the Bible. The astrophysicist agreed that he could not prove creationism at this time, and held up the Bible and said, "But we are close." I found that no one else would participate in the debate to support the theory of creationism.
I am a retired manager of quality engineering who was involved in the production of the space shuttle main engines. I am not a scientist, I am an engineer, but I understand the difference, and I know the efforts and requirements of being a good scientist. Using the Bible as a reference and basis for the science of creationism does not fit the mold of a scientist.
A scientist can be religious, but religion cannot be considered a branch of science. As was discussed in the debate, there is no conflict between evolution and creationism. You can accept creationism, but you cannot deny the theory of evolution.
-- Donald J. Katz, Newbury Park

It's only fitting that the Camarillo City Council is recommending the section of Highway 101 between Lewis Road to the top of the Conejo Grade be named the Adolfo Camarillo Memorial Highway. The limits put it well clear of the "Camarillo Crawl," the embarrassing traffic mismanagement debacle that usually starts just west of Carmen Drive.

Re: your April 12 Pa Ventura item, “To Camarillo�:

Pa Ventura asked why the proposed naming of a portion of Highway 101 in honor of Adolfo Camarillo did not include the entire stretch of highway through the city of Camarillo.

The answer is simple. The Camarillo Ranch Foundation Board, which is responsible for the preservation, operation and promotion of the Camarillo Ranch House and grounds, proposed this as a way of recognizing the contributions that Adolfo Camarillo made to our community and to the State of California.

What is this brouhaha about Barack Obama being an elitist? He said the gun owners, the religious, the right wing, the left wing and the middle class were embittered. I'm one of those, and I am mighty ticked off. I know many, many more who feel the same way.

What's the problem with the Billarys and McCains? They think that we are happy campers. They have great healthcare coverage. We have little to none. They have good paychecks plus perks by the bucketful. And they tell us the chump change that may or may not come this summer is supposed to make us feel for them?

Re: Ken Raduechel's commentary, "Science points toward intelligent design":

As I understand it, the argument in favor of intelligent design says that life is too complicated to have evolved on its own; therefore, some other intelligent being must have had a hand in creating and developing life on earth.

Re: Paul Wilson’s April 9 letter, “Reasonable doubt�:

Wilson might want to reconsider his conclusion that Barack Obama is not fit to serve as president. He bases that decision on the oft-repeated lambaste of the senator’s relationship with his former minister, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Obama fully addressed the issue in his March 18 speech in Philadelphia.

Re: your April 10 article, “Teen killed, 4 others hurt�:

As the parent of a teen from Newbury Park High School, I write to say how a tragic event such as this touches us all, even those of us who live in Camarillo and don't know any of the students or families directly affected.

Thousand Oaks’ Measure B gives us the power to decide what large development projects are built in our neighborhood. I support this excellent example of government "of the people, by the people and for the people" in action.

— Paul Lukasiewicz, M.D., Westlake Village

I like it when stores compete. I am a shopper who likes to look at a variety of products and services before making a decision. That is why I am voting no on Measure B, the Do It Center initiative. It prevents the kind of competition among businesses that keeps service levels high and prices low.

Think about it. If you are the only game in town you can treat your customers however you want and charge the customer whatever you want. But when a competitor moves in down the street, you need to treat those customers nicely and keep your prices in line with what your competition is charging.

As we have identified numerous issues, concerns and problems of our Conejo, how may we solve same with civility and a spirit of good will? Brevity is a beautiful thing. You need not be an elected or appointed official. We have many bright and educated neighbors. What are your thoughts, ideas and suggestions? Specificity is greatly desired. Thank you all. Look forward to reading your upbeat and positive solutions and suggestions.

— Richard Riggs, Newbury Park

Exxon Mobil Co. announced recently that its profits in 2007 were $40.6 billion. Some will say that high prices are due to issues of supply, the demand and the weak dollar. Some will point to the cost of conversion from winter to summer blends. Today's news heralds the arrival of gas at $4 per gallon. The cupidity of the oil companies is only exceeded by it perfidy.

— Bill Waxman, Simi Valley

Re: Eileen Harris’ April 11 commentary, “Giving teens a place here would help avoid tragic crashes�:

With all due respect for Harris’ heartfelt statement, it wasn't boredom that killed Cody James Murphy. It was booze and youths' disrespect for its connection with driving.
I'm thinking, "There but for the grace of God went I!�

I am voting no on Measure B when it comes up for a vote in June because it will do exactly the opposite of what is says it is intended to do. Passing Measure B will actually make traffic worse in Thousand Oaks. Let me explain why.

An independent consultant for the city studied the differences between building one large store or a group of smaller stores. Their conclusion: “The Institute of Traffic Engineers shows that larger retail centers generate fewer trips per acre than smaller types of retail. People tend to shop for a longer time and go to larger retail centers less frequently.�

We are no longer a capitalistic society. The bailout of Bear Stearns, the builders and the borrowers changes our status. We can now say we privatize profits and socialize losses.

— Robert Pisapia, Westlake Village

The increased coverage of serious music by The Star is an editorial decision that should be recognized and praised. Alicia Doyle, Rita Moran and Joe Howry have increased community awareness of the numerous high-quality youth music programs, educational concert programs, pops series and symphonic concerts available in the county.

The opportunity to see and hear musicians perform in a concert setting is a phenomenon that is important in establishing a sense of community and of culture. It is also expensive, because most organizations can never set ticket prices that would allow break-even finances.

I was one of a group of local cyclists riding north in the bike lane on Pacific Coast Highway between Trancas Canyon and Encinal Canyon in Malibu around 2 p.m. April 12. I was hit hard from behind, and as the vehicle drove past, a young shirtless man was hanging half out of the passenger window, yelling back in triumph at having punched a cyclist. He was a white man, and I think he had blond-highlighted hair.

The car drove off at speed, and we were unable to get a plate number. It was a white or cream pickup of the modern twin-cab "not-quite-a-pickup" style, like a Chevy Avalanche or Honda Ridgeline.

Re: Ken Raduechel's April 13 commentary, "Science points toward intelligent design":

Raduechel bases his argument on "scientifically proven facts that, while there are more than 6 billion people on the planet today, no two human beings have the same fingerprint, the same eye print or the exact same heart beat."

Re: Bill O’Reilly’s April 12 commentary, “Obama needs to come clean about his worldview�:

Re: John Hanson’s April 9 letter, “High cost of immigrants�:

I see someone else is in tune with my views on illegal immigration. We are spending — or, I should say, losing — more money helping these illegals. What are they are doing to help this nation?

Re: your April 10 article, “Coastal panel OKs boating center�:

I have been trying to make sense of the stories pertaining to Ventura County building a boating and instructional center at Channel Islands Harbor using nonexistent California state money.

The California Coastal Commission, which is an almost impossible body of bureaucrats to please, has approved the center twice. However, somebody with an ax to grind, along with Supervisor John Flynn, blocked that approval once and threatens to do so again.

Re: your April 13 Pulse page, “Should juveniles be tried as adults?�:

Here’s the harsh reality regarding young Brandon McInerney being tried as a juvenile: He did not pull a "juvenile" middle-school prank on Larry King. He did not "pants" him. He did not give him a "wedgie." He did not verbally abuse him. He did not suddenly flare in anger, as will happen in a playground confrontation, and commit a crime of passion. He deliberately sought a firearm. He deliberately brought it to school. He deliberately walked up to King, put the firearm to his head and took his life. That’s hardly a "juvenile" prank.

Re: Ken Davis’ April 6 letter, “Rebate from U.S. back to IRS�:

If Davis was "surprised to learn� that his family was eligible to receive a $1,200 rebate from the federal government, he must have had his head in the sand for the last month or so. This rebate has been widely reported in the news, TV, radio and newspapers. Also, it was in the notice sent to everyone by the IRS. It was impossible not to have heard of it.

Re: your March 27 article, “CVS will build at congested intersection�:

I attended the Oxnard City Council meeting concerning the CVS Pharmacy at Five Points.

As was stated by The Star in the article, Mayor Tom Holden said, “I have a concern and that is that this project has not been embraced by the community. It’s not like people are clamoring for another drug store.�

Re: Bill Cooper’s March 18 letter, “Gradual shift,� a response to Rory Cox and Robert Freehling's March 11 commentary, "Instead of fossil fuels, invest dollars in clean-energy supplies":

I find it hard to believe that Cooper actually read the commentary that he lambasted. Nowhere in the Cox-Freehling piece did they put forth, as Cooper decries, a “reckless and irresponsible agenda� for an “overnight� transition to “a strictly renewable-based energy society� that threatens “the poor and elderly.�

Well-intentioned people are saying we should stop the home foreclosures now. We should bail out the homeowners, the banks or both because, after all, people are losing their homes.

But is it really that simple? How can you give a lower interest rate or lower the loan principal to people whose loans are in foreclosure and yet exclude everyone else? Don't the responsible borrowers, the people who make their payments, deserve the same thing? Do we reward people for speculating on the housing market and losing? Do we reward banks for providing loans to people who couldn't afford them?

One of the most encouraging articles I have read recently is titled "Calderon to reform education," by Marion Lloyd of the Houston Chronicle.

Not only was I pleased to see that President Felipe Calderon of Mexico recognizes the problem with the Mexican educational system, but that he also recognizes the dire need of the Mexican children for a first-rate education. Not only is this true for the children of Mexico, but it is also true of children worldwide. One of the reasons the United States has flourished as a country since its inception is because of its ideal educational system; however, since the advent of illegal immigration into our country, our educational system has suffered tremendously.

Re: your March 30 Pulse page articles, Walter P. Coombs’ and Ralph E. Shaffer’s “Jig is up for free-wheeling home schools� and Thomas D. Elias’ “Appeals Court makes a valid point�:

My husband and I found the commentaries to be uninformed and out of touch with real home-school families.

Re: Harold Goldwasser’s March 12 letter, “Where’s Jackson, Sharpton?�:

Wasserman must not watch Fox News, because the day before his letter was printed, I watched and heard the Rev. Al Sharpton as he mixed it up with the two anchors. I also saw and heard the Rev. Jesse Jackson as he spoke on a recent CNN program. Also, the State of the Black Union was recently on C-SPAN and hosted by Tavis Smiley, and both Jackson and Sharpton were prominently involved in the discussions.

If I am not mistaken, both of these gentlemen have their own radio programs.

Re: your April 9 article, “Expert cites problems in county’s land-use processing system�:

Our land-use process needs an overhaul, but Tom Berg's study addresses only a small part of the problem. The extra time and money developers face when they attempt a zone change is the price of drastically changing a neighborhood and placing the costly burden of increased density on property owners. That’s only fair. Too often, though, developers are sucked into a planning process that ensures high fees, long waits and terrible animosity between developer and neighbors. A good example of that is in The Knolls.

Re: John Hanson’s April 9 letter, “High cost of immigrants�:

I agree with this letter. I remember when the economy of our state was in balance and we had a surplus of funds. But with the influx of illegal immigrants and their demands for the taxpayers to continue paying for their free medical care, welfare and schooling and having to educate their children in Spanish instead of them learning the national language of our country, English, is horrific.

“What’s really sad is that there are quite a few of these families who are still working hard, working full-time, and they just can’t make ends meet.� — Sandy Bishop, quoted in the April 2008 FOOD Share newsletter.

Re: Rich Handley’s April 2 commentary, “Safeguard lake before opening it to boaters�:
Does Handley and the rest of the Casitas Municipal Water District board actually think a third-party review committee is needed to tell them that they only need to hire a boat inspector who is trained to identify signs of quagga mussel? How long do they think it will take to inspect my 6-foot kayak?

Re: your April 1 article, “Budget gap widening, Ventura official says�:

City Manager Rick Cole’s cost-savings strategy to cut Ventura’s deficit is a great idea — at least the one to defer $587,000 in improvements to Cemetery Memorial Park.

This action was approved by the City Council several months ago. It would be a huge waste of taxpayer money to make these improvements. This is a cemetery! There are thousands of people buried there who deserve to be honored. This can only be done by restoring the cemetery.

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

Let the truth be told. Wow, Ventura County Star, how unique!

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

Crisp, like most of the apologists for Barack Obama and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, very cleverly shifts the focus of the argument concerning Wright's rants. Wright and anyone else, in or out of a pulpit, can rant, rave or preach hatred, division, unity, love or whatever. Folks, this is America. That is a great reason of why we exist.

Re: Alex Magdaleno’s March 27 letter, “Lying is the real issue�:

I haven’t heard that Magdaleno served in uniform in Vietnam or any other war — or that he volunteered or flew planes like either George Bush.

Magdaleno’s letters to The Star revolve around one piece of foreign policy advice — that totalitarians, in effect, be left alone and unmolested. And then? Seems they loot, impoverish, imprison, kill and oppress anyone inside their borders, with genocide and banditry dancing happily together.

Re: your March 23 article, “City considers downtown crosswalk�:

City resident Jim DeArkland’s frustration in his comments that, “This city talks all the time about how it wants to become more walkable and promote itself as a pedestrian-friendly destination … but when you hear people are getting killed, that’s not good P.R.,� rang true for me.

My experience with the city of Ventura Traffic Engineering Office is that it does not walk the talk in terms of creating a pedestrian-friendly city.

Re: your April 2 article, “Police say woman lost $22,000 in scam; 2 sought�:

Oh, come on! After all this time and all the times this scam has been written about, I can't believe someone is still falling for it.

This scam has been around since the beginning of the lottery. It has been reported in newspapers, the evening TV news and showcased as a plot line on several TV shows. The only reason for someone to fall for that old ploy today is either stupidity, greed or both.

So much for our due process, the environment, land rights or endangered species. The Bush administration has used legal waivers to bypass all of that so they can finish building a security fence.

How many of us really believe the solution is to fence ourselves in?

Isn't it ironic? At the very time Do It Center is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote its so-called Traffic Congestion Initiative, Measure B, on the June ballot, the Highway 23 construction project opens. As drivers return to the freeway that is running at maximum speed, the streets that parallel the freeway are nearly empty, even at peak hours. There is nothing even close to traffic congestion! Well, as they say, timing is everything.

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

As Mark Twain once wrote, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.� I’m always troubled when I see the use of statistics to advance deliberately misleading arguments.