Re: Kay Kirk's Oct. 10 letter, "Intent of Prop. 8 disguised":
Kirk states, "Many people are confused about Proposition 8 because it is mistitled as an elimination of rights for homosexuals. This is not true. In California, registered domestic partners have all the rights, benefits and protections of married spouses."
Kirk herself is clearly confused, as it is a well-established fact that there are significantly fewer rights, benefits and protections for domestic partners as compared to married couples.
Unfortunately, her confusion does not stop there. In fact, Proposition 8 is a matter of both equal rights and tolerance, as its passage would deny many couples in this state the same right to marry that their straight friends possess.
Kirk notes that her limited definition of marriage has been around "since the beginning." Slavery and bigotry were around at "the beginning" too, and yet, now, almost all of us are proud of our society's repudiation of these unequal and intolerant ideas.
Her next charge, that rejection of Proposition 8 will require that children be taught about gay marriage in schools, is pure distraction, as there is nothing in the proposition that addresses this issue.
Finally, when you get right down to it, the right to marry has taken nothing away from anyone. Everyone is still free to believe what they want and to practice as they wish. Marriage equality simply means that more people can enjoy the rights, privileges and responsibilities inherent in the commitment to marry the one they love.
Proposition 8 gives nothing. It only takes away. I hope that the good people of this county -- whatever their political affiliation -- will see through the misinformation and fear and vote no on Proposition 8.
-- Robert Mendoza, Ventura

You have a few more days to decide if you want your life as it is now or to change it.
Tim Flynn listens and enforces the law.
No more:
-- People living in garages.
-- Four months of garbage next to your house from next-door neighbors who do not put garbage cans out on pickup days.
-- Loud bass music with ugly songs.
-- Heavy traffic and speeding of enormous-sized vehicles (Solution? Pass Flynn's traffic initiative).
-- Littering in the parking lots of shopping centers.
-- Blocking the driveways of neighbors who do not know how to park their cars in the garage.
-- Animal abuse of any kind, including strays, dogs left on restraint and unprotected from cold and rain or dogs barking the whole day and the whole night because one person's complaint is not enough to bring these dog owners to justice.
If you don't want these anymore, Flynn will improve your quality of life!
-- Lourdes Yu, Oxnard

I own a small business in the city of Ventura and changed office suites in the same building. Every year, based on my sales, I pay for the privilege of having a city of Ventura business license. This license gives me no services and is just double taxation, since I collect sales tax on all of my sales and pay it to the state, which then gives Ventura its share.
I paid my business license as usual in July and had not received a copy of my license by mail. When I called, I was told my license was "put on hold" because I needed a new certificate of occupancy, which would cost me another $289 and required a Fire Department inspection. Everything is the same; I have just arranged things in a different manner in this new suite. I will get nothing for my $289, and, to add insult to injury, I must come down to City Hall to pay this fee since it must be paid before the inspection.
I can mail it in, but there is no assurance that it will be processed within 15 days, and I have scheduled this Fire Department inspection in 15 days since that is the first available time for the Fire Department.
This is 2008, folks. I should be able to go on line and pay this fee. Perhaps if the systems were brought up to 2008 standards, the fees could be lowered.
As a small-business owner in Ventura, I get to pay for a business license that provides no services, a Fire Department inspection that is really unnecessary, and I have the privilege of driving to City Hall to get this accomplished.
Maybe I want to check out what my options are in Oxnard.
-- Sandi Henderson, Oxnard
(The writer is president of Data 2000, Inc., in Ventura. -- Editor)

One of the silliest arguments being advanced against Proposition 8 is that people of any gender who love each other should be allowed to marry. A logical extension of this is to also allow people to marry their pets because they love them. Why not simultaneously marry several people (or pets) if you love them?
There is no better environment for a child than to have two mature, responsible parents of the opposite sex who are faithful to each other. This is a healthy family. Such a family deserves to be protected and should be a goal for all persons of substance and good character.
No nation will ever be stronger than its families. For more enlightening information, visit www.afa.net and watch the video on this subject.
-- John K. Carter, Camarillo

For all you supporters of Measure U: Where is the $85 million to $100 million going to come from for a brand-new, state-of-the-art high school? I'm not talking about "upgrading" Los Altos Middle School, Frontier High School, or Adolfo Camarillo High School, but a brand-new, state-of-the-art high school. Get the picture?
If it's about the kids -- and it is about the kids -- then were does the $85 million to $100 million come from?
It's a simple question with a simple answer. A new Camarillo Unified School District will have to get us, the voters, to approve a bond measure to raise our taxes. So stop saying taxes will not go up! Our taxes will go up, because our kids deserve a brand-new, state-of-the-art high school.
Vote no on Measure U and let Oxnard Union High School District get on with the business of building the brand-new, state-of-the-art high school Camarillo deserves!
-- Martin C. Nehring, Somis
(The writer is a member of the ACHS Class of 1977. -- Editor)

I am a lifelong resident of Oxnard and am proud to call Dr. Tom Holden my friend. (My father's account number at Pat Holden's Gift Shop was No. 1.)
Tom's leadership in the city of Oxnard has resulted in a safer, more secure Oxnard for all its residents. I spend much of my day driving around Oxnard and see the results of our excellent Graffiti Action Program. Through Tom's leadership, we have implemented two gang injunctions in Oxnard with results beyond our wildest expectations.
I spent eight years on the Planning Commission of Oxnard and am very satisfied with the progress Oxnard has made during Holden's term.
My main source of income is agriculture, and the planning and development of Oxnard has blended well with its ag neighbors. Tom's leadership has brought life back to a downtown that needed help for many years. My friends and I joked that this is the 10th or so revitalization of downtown in our lifetime, but this time they got it right.
I encourage all the citizens of Oxnard to support Holden this Nov. 4.
-- Joseph Burdullis, Oxnard

Law, God and marriage are the conflicting aspects of Proposition 8.
True, there would be no conflict if all couples committed to a lifetime relationship were issued "domestic partner" permits by the state instead of marriage licenses. Should the union dissolve, legal rulings for erstwhile heterosexual "marriages" would apply.
Any partners who wished to have a marriage ceremony would employ their church of choice or whatever other arrangement they prefer.
There always have been three sexes, but for too long the third division has had to hide in the closet. How does a state have the right to discriminate against a sector of its population?
Also, the state has no legal right to issue a license of marriage as described by religions.
No, I'm not anti-religion, and I'm sure God never intended man to abuse one of his creations.
-- Elinor Gustafson, Thousand Oaks

Vote-by-mail users should be made aware that the completed ballot weighs approximately 2 ounces, thus requiring 84 cents of postage to mail to the Registrar of Voters. If mailed without the required postage, the ballots may be returned by the U.S. Postal Service.
The registrar should have informed mail-in voters of the postage required, thus eliminating the possibility of having the ballot returned to the voter for additional postage.
-- Octavio Sifuentes, Ventura

If you're planning to vote no on Proposition 8, understand that this view is extremely radical and to the left of even Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
The Democratic ticket is against permitting marriage to anyone other than a man and a woman. If you consider a no vote on the proposition to be moderate or tolerant, you might want to think again. It only took four San Francisco radical judges to overturn the will of the people from the 2000 Proposition 22. Until this year, when four radical San Francisco judges overturned the will of the people, there was only one state that issued marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. Not surprisingly, this state is Massachusetts. All other 48 states do not issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. Nearly all other states already have traditional marriage as part of the state law or as a constitutional amendment.
I want to make it very clear that those who vote no are supporting an extremely radical leftist view. The repercussion of a no vote is a slippery slope that far-left radicals would love to put the country on. The Opinion section of this newspaper, unfortunately, doesn't allow the space to write about all the repercussions of a no vote. Therefore, everyone should make sure they are thoroughly educated on the issue before they support an extremely radical agenda, unless, of course, you are an extreme radical, in which case, you would agree with the vote-no agenda.
-- Rob Garrett, Thousand Oaks

When I heard some of the ladies at my gym talking about Measure R to repair the Oak Park schools, I decided to do some homework. What I found was that even though the average school is 25 years old, this the very first measure to repair our schools since they were built. I heard talk about how much our taxes would go up if this passed. I found out that even with the new measure, our taxes will go down compared to the past because the old school bonds are almost paid off.
This is like when you buy a house and finally pay off the loans and then take out a smaller refinance to remodel and repair so you can use your house for many more years.
I have taught in Los Angeles Unified School District for 20 years, and my children have been at private school and at Los Angeles, Las Virgenes and Oak Park Unified school districts. I know good schools when I see them, and Oak Park schools are the best anywhere.
I think it is sad that community members whose children have graduated from our schools would even consider not supporting our community and its schools -- especially at even lower tax levels than in the past.
Please support our schools, but only after you have done your own homework and not based on just what the rumors are.
-- Linda Kapitz, Oak Park

A few years ago, a Fillmore grandmother actually wired "bail" money to a complete stranger who posed as a friend of her grandson. I remembered her when I received a phone call this week.
The caller said, "This is your grandson." I answered, "Which one?" and all he said is, "Your favorite, of course." At this point, since I didn't recognize his voice, I said, "Are you Annette's Michael?" He said, "Yes." He said he needed help, that he was in Canada and got arrested and need bail money.
At this point, I remembered the other grandmother and hung up. I have no grandson named Michael. The phone company said it could not trace the call.
I suggest that if this happens to you, get his information -- where to send the money, etc. Maybe we can stop this scam before any other grandmother is hurt.
-- Marjorie R. Aguirre, Fillmore

This mess that has caused the vast majority of Americans to lose trillions of dollars is a direct result of far-left political actions. The push for "affordable housing" subsidized by taxpayers -- via tax credits to lenders -- and the changes in the financial-lending laws allowing for all kinds of subprime loans at all price levels have caused the housing boom and bust. Ripple effects from this collapse have spread and brought our entire economy to a standstill.
Our federal government is spending vast amounts of our money for Band-aids rather than fixing the problem. To fix the problem, all levels of government must stop subsidizing and pushing affordable housing and pass legislation to restore reasonable lending practices.
-- Don Wells, Ventura

I just received my sample ballot. I know that Ventura County is anti-Democratic, so they put John McCain on the top of the ballot, and to disrespect Barack Obama, they placed him second to the bottom -- or fifth from the top -- when he should have been in the No. 2 spot.
So, fellow Democrats, make sure you count down to the fifth place and vote for Obama so he can be in first place on Nov. 5 and lead this great country of ours.
-- Dan Balsano, Simi Valley

Re: Roger Moore's Oct. 4 review, "Right-wing comedy gets it all wrong in 'An American Carol'":
Moore must be completely devoid of any sense of humor. The review convinced me that he took the movie as a serious portrayal rather than as a satire or lampoon. I found the movie hilarious as a genuine spoof of the current "politically correct" culture. Let's have more humor!
-- Donald E. Power, Westlake Village

The presidential campaigns of the two corporate-controlled candidates have become enormously expensive, hypocritical and tiresome. Why don't we save ourselves the trouble and simply appoint ExxonMobil as president?
-- Diana Hirth, Thousand Oaks

In the second presidential debate, Tom Brokaw asked the candidates what the John McCain versus Barack Obama doctrines would entail -- for example: Under what conditions would the U.S. commit troops abroad to intervene in a crisis? My thought was: Why not an American Doctrine?
I think most Americans agree that we are weary of the Republican versus Democrat doctrines -- finger-pointing, attributing blame to one or the other party and so on. Perhaps, no matter what the outcome of this election, no matter what your party, we should support our elected leader. Clearly, we can agree to disagree on some issues, but Washington, D.C., has forgotten phrases such as "we the people," "by the people" and "for the people" -- phrases set out rather wisely by our Founding Fathers. The major disconnect, in my opinion, is that many -- not all, but many -- of our elected leaders now view themselves as being "above the people."
It is time for Main Street to continue to remind those in Washington, be they in the executive, legislative or judicial branch, that they are for, not against, the people and act accordingly, in unison, for an American, rather than partisan, doctrine.
-- Richard W. Hurst, Ph.D., Thousand Oaks

"Drill, drill, drill" keeps ringing in my ears. But the only time that makes sense is when the drilling location has sufficient oil to enable the United States to buy much less foreign oil.
Under that set of circumstances, I can't understand why the oil companies have not done anything with respect to the U.S. Geological Survey dated April 10, 2008.
The headline of this report reads: "3 to 4.3 Billion Barrels of Technically Recoverable Oil Assessed in North Dakota and Montana's Bakken Formation - 25 Times More Than 1995 Estimate." That's enough crude to fully fuel the American economy for 41 years straight.
Technically recoverable oil resources are those that can be produced using currently available technology and industry practices. USGS is the only provider of publicly available estimates of undiscovered technically recoverable oil and gas resources.
The Bakken Formation is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska's Prudhoe Bay and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign oil. And because this is light, sweet oil, those billions of barrels will cost Americans just $16 per barrel.
Google it or follow this link for verification: www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911.
-- Jack D. Prosen, Camarillo

Our current financial mess is a perfect ending to the very troubled administration of President Bush. Along with two wars without end, a debt and interest our great-grandchildren will still be paying, the legacy of incompetence, torture and Katrina and our global reputation in the swamplands of public opinion, one wonders what new rabbits Bush has for us in the remaining three months of his presidency.
As with the experienced Vice President Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the major players who have guided the Bush administration into the quagmires we have today, Sen. John McCain's experience is not necessarily a plus, especially when even his friends refer to him as a "hothead" who sees events in black and white, and who refers to our adversaries in tired old World War II images. Nor is it financially reassuring to think that Phil Gramm, the person who engineered the financial deregulation that brought us to our current crisis, is possibly waiting in the wings to become secretary of the Treasury.
Just a heartbeat away from McCain, we are witnesses to a new reality show, a crash course on "how to be a president," from a person who believes that God sent us to liberate Iraq, who opposes sex education in the schools and who sports a poster child advertising the success of the Republican abstinence-only program. Her recent negative rhetoric in Florida about Barack Obama, which prompted a supporter in the crowd to yell "Kill him," is not a reassuring sign.
If my savings have not as yet been liquidated, perhaps it's time to simply relax, reread "The Adams-Jefferson Letters," and recall a time in this country when quality and rational thinking did count for something.
-- Bruce Allen Hardy, Ventura

Re: your Oct. 4 editorial, "Out-of-sight news":
This editorial about the triumphs of NASA was quite interesting and thought-provoking as well. I also found it somewhat alarming. Those amazing feats you list show what can be done when there is the desire.
As good as NASA is at what they do, I believe they are misdirected. Surely if they can design, deliver, power a remote vehicle that lasts five years, unmanned, in a Martian environment, they could quickly replace the internal combustion engine. If NASA can build, power, support and maintain an orbiting laboratory, then to develop clean, cheap and efficient energy generation on Earth should be a piece of cake.
Of all the things we try to do in America, there is a logical priority: things we must do, things we should do and things that are nice to do. NASA's efforts and power should deal with "must-do" projects. I really don't believe there are many people on Earth today who are potential Mars colonists.
If NASA's efforts were directed toward projects that would immediately benefit the taxpayers who support it, the list would be endless: magnetic levitation trains to transport containers from coast to coast with no pollution, clean water from the oceans, elimination of fossil-fuel use, nuclear power generation like most developed countries, a whole new generation of prosthetics for our wounded, etc., etc., etc.
There are thousands of things that could be done with the billions and billions of dollars now sent into space. While space exploration has value, it should be put on hold while we deal with the most pressing of needs: our environment and our health!
-- Tom Montali, Fillmore
(The writer is a former member of The Star's Community Advisory Board. -- Editor)

The voters in the 19th State Senate District have a very important decision to make this November. The results of this election could very well set the stage for how the state Legislature functions over the next four years given the two-thirds majority required to pass the state budget or impose new taxes. For those of you who, like me, have been dissatisfied for some time with the performance of our state legislators, the choice is clear.
Tony Strickland is committed to keeping taxes low, controlling the size of government, improving our economy and being responsive to the needs and desires of his constituents. Tony has also been in the forefront of developing alternative sources of energy, such as wave energy, to help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and help us to stop sending billions of dollars to Arab nations, many of whom do not like us. Tony is an independent thinker who has a record of developing creative, innovative solutions to the complex problems that California faces today.
His opponent, Hannah-Beth Jackson, on the other hand, has a record of supporting tax increases, expansion of government programs and sponsoring various "nanny bills" during her previous tenure in the state Assembly. Her campaign has been supported financially, and otherwise, by big labor organizations and trial lawyers associations. So, you can imagine where her loyalties will lie if she is elected to the state Senate.
Please join me this November in supporting a candidate who will best represent the interests of the hard-working taxpayers in this district, who will support business growth to help get our economy back on track, and who will continue the pursuit of alternative sources of energy to help free us from the stranglehold of foreign oil. Vote for Tony Strickland on Nov. 4.
-- Mike Gibson, Ventura

Many people are confused about Proposition 8 because it is mistitled as an elimination of rights for homosexuals. This is not true. In California, registered domestic partners have all the rights, benefits and protections of married spouses.
Proposition 8 is not about equal rights. It is not even about tolerance. Proposition 8 merely reaffirms the definition of marriage that has been part of our American society, and most modern societies, since the beginning.
Many people say that giving homosexuals the right to marry will not affect their own marriages. In the short run, that may be true, but considering the long-term consequences, it is false. If homosexual marriage is affirmed as a morally equal alternative to marriage between a man and a woman, it will affect us all, but particularly our children and grandchildren. As soon as homosexual marriage is affirmed, it will become necessary for public schools to teach our children and grandchildren that homosexual marriage -- and therefore homosexuality -- is normal, acceptable and moral behavior. Textbooks and storybooks will be rewritten to indoctrinate children in this new morality.
Many people believe that homosexuality is not normal, but unnatural and unhealthy. (No one is mentioning AIDS.) We are already faced with a constant barrage of gay pride parades, TV shows and movies with homosexual elements and a never-ending list of new laws to protect and enlarge homosexual rights. If Proposition 8 fails, the rights of those who take a moral stand against homosexuality will be completely overridden.
Do not be deceived. The fight against Proposition 8 is not about equal rights but about promoting the homosexual agenda and lifestyle. Vote yes on Proposition 8.
-- Kay Kirk, Ventura

Re: your Oct 7 article, "Oxnard council to weigh loan to 14-screen theater":
I want to thank Councilman Dean Maulhardt for his forward-thinking vision for Oxnard. And to Martin Jones: There is no dollar amount to the value gained from the Monday night foreign film festivals, the young and old congregating on the spacious plaza to eat ice cream, several restaurant choices offering outdoor dining, a sparkling fountain inviting all to linger, movie choices for every taste and age group -- all within a few steps from each other. Priceless!
-- Jackie Mann, Port Hueneme

Most members of Congress have as their primary motivation being the successful candidate in the next election. The result of their inability to understand complex issues and their poor job performance has been to allow our schools, infrastructure, economy, healthcare systems and, most recently, the banking system, to deteriorate. Both the Reds and the Blues split their votes when they voted on the bailout proposal. They did not vote based on philosophical differences or their critical analysis of the issues. They simply did not understand the issues, solutions or how to prevent it from happening again.
I have followed U.S. Reps. Lois Capps and Elton Gallegly in the media, and I have read their newsletters and press releases. I am shocked at how little they understand and how they mindlessly vote the party line, except in the bailout proposal, where clear party lines did not exist.
Call them both. Talk to them. Make up your mind if you really want them to represent your interests. If they will not talk to you, it's because they don't want you to know how little they know.
Fire the incumbents.
-- Harvey Paskowitz, Oxnard

Opponents of the Oxnard traffic initiative argue it will cause a loss of jobs. The same argument was made 10 years ago by the trade unions against the Save Open-space and Agricultural Resources initiative, which still passed by 70 percent, and certainly SOAR never had such an effect.
What SOAR did do was force developers to offer more in the form of public improvements if they wanted to make sure voters would approve their projects, which they do not have to do now as the majority that controls our council recklessly approves any project regardless of its effect on our quality of life. SOAR has improved the quality of development, which is just what the traffic initiative will do.
And remember, like SOAR, that is all the initiative does: It does nothing more than require that, in addition to the usual governmental approvals, we, the residents of this city, also approve major projects that will substantially increase traffic. Why would anyone be against adding this layer of democracy to the development of our city? Why, Mayor Tom Holden, of course, who does not want to give up any power that restricts his ability to hand out projects that line the pockets of his supporters.
-- Dan Lechliter, Oxnard

Re: Colleen Cason's Sept. 28 Cason Point column, "Chew on this: Prison dental care beats funds for seniors":
Cason's column was very revealing about how our state legislators value different groups of our population. "In California," she writes, "the elderly have had their pockets picked by Sacramento in favor of felons." We get a huge program for prison dental care!
So what can we do? For sure, we will not get relief from our California legislators.
Well, I have a solution. We bus groups of our neediest seniors to the local Bank of America and rob the place and remain at the crime scene to be arrested. After conviction, these seniors will get free housing, food and complete medical care!
-- Thomas L. Culbertson, Port Hueneme