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June 26, 2007
Embryos not for research
Re: your June 23 editorial, “Another veto for stem cells”:
I strongly disagree with your editorial comments in favor of embryonic stem-cell research. Just because an embryo is not in its final form of a child doesn't make it less human. All of its genetic material is in place. A unique human being is present. Treatments that do not require destroying life are now available, and true successes and cures are coming from adult stem-cell research.
If science teaches that life begins at conception, we should be pursuing science in defense of life, not at its expense. The direct killing of one innocent being for another is never morally justifiable. We must help those who are suffering, but we cannot use a good end to justify an evil means.
— Jeanne Berry, Newbury Park
Posted by Andrea Howry at 03:19 PM
Taxes aren’t pick-and-choose
Re: Lorin Wainwood’s June 22 letter, “Why make all pay for research?”:
Wainwood wrote that he didn't want his tax dollars used for embryonic stem-cell research and we were free to go to private companies if we wanted to give a living chance to loved ones affected with Parkinson’s, diabetes and other debilitating diseases.
Given the fact that private companies are driven by profit, we can be assured they will recover every dollar invested in research through the price of subsequent medications, therefore pricing most of us out of possible cures. I'd rather have a few dollars taken out of my taxes now than die later because I can't afford the medicine.
On another tax issue: The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that ordinary citizens can't challenge the courts regarding President Bush's faith-based initiative. Without approving the program, by giving us nowhere to go to challenge it, the court is putting its rubber stamp on it. I do give quite a lot to charity, as all Americans do, but how much I give and to whom is my business. As an atheist, I take offense that my tax dollars go to Christian organizations without my consent; I have given to some of them, but I don't like it imposed upon me. It offends my strong belief in the separation of church and state. I also oppose my tax dollars going toward the war in Iraq. Oops, I forgot, we are not paying for that — Bush is borrowing that money from China and Saudi Arabia.
Wainwood needs to understand we don't have an "a la carte" tax system. I often wish we had. We have to accept what the majority wants, and it wants federally funded embryonic stem-cell research.
— Françoise Dubois, Newbury Park
Posted by Andrea Howry at 03:14 PM
Better Baghdad than L.A.
I would like to see The Star — and all other media for that matter — also list the violent death rate in some of our major U.S. cities when reporting the loss of our men and women in Iraq. I think we would see that our warriors are safer in Baghdad than in, say, Detroit, Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta, Los Angeles and yes, our nation’s capital. The loss of our soldiers is never a good thing, but these comparisons may give some perspective to the anti-war harpies.
My son is a U.S. Marine and will deploy to Iraq soon. I will sleep better at night knowing he is on patrol there and not walking the streets of some of our finer American cities.
— Doug Wilton, Oxnard
Posted by Andrea Howry at 03:07 PM
New year, new denied claim
A year ago, I wrote in these pages about my battles with Blue Cross over coverage of periodic positron emission tomography scans to monitor a GIST tumor, a lethal type of cancer, for which there is a very high risk of recurrence. The company ultimately agreed to coverage, acknowledging that the PET scan is the primary way to evaluate such tumors.
Surprise! This year, when my oncologist requested another PET scan, Blue Cross denied it, now claiming it is an experimental procedure. Why would they reverse their own position from a year earlier? Of note is the fact that the Blue Cross medical reviewer is a nephrologist — a kidney specialist — not an oncologist. How is he possibly qualified to review my situation?
Perhaps Blue Cross didn’t like the negative press they received when my article was published June 11, 2006, in The Star. Is this retribution? I’ve had coverage with Blue Cross since the early 1970s. I remember when they were known as a not-for-profit company offering superior health coverage. The current Blue Cross owners have betrayed their members‚ trust and defiled the name of a once-respected company.
My horror story is just one of many such tales across this country. The for-profit health insurance racket is a complete conflict-of-interest because the companies only make money by denying patients the care they need. There is no free market choice for the consumer.
There are encouraging signs the public and at least some state governments, California included, are awakening to the reality of the healthcare crisis. The issue is a top priority already for millions, and, as employer-provided health coverage continues to diminish, more and more Americans will learn firsthand just how expensive sick can be.
— Ursula Britton, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 03:00 PM
Bring back Honor Farm
The May 22 edition of The Star carried a long article regarding the overcrowded Ventura County jails. On April 11, The Star ran an article on the same issue, in which Sheriff Bob Brooks expressed his concerns about the overcrowded jail situation and the legal ramifications that could result from the situation.
In the April article, Brooks indicated an overcrowding of almost 200 inmates; in the May article, Sheriff’s Cmdr. Brent Morris indicated an average of 1,750 inmates are housed in the two county facilities, with the two having a combined capacity of 1,492 — a difference of 258. So both men were close in their estimates.
Both articles indicated the possibility of early release dates for inmates, more referrals to work furlough, and/or more paroling of those inmates considered low-risk.
This didn’t happen overnight. The powers that be had to see this coming. So please, help me understand why the Honor Farm was turned over to a nonprofit organization to dump funds into it and that right now seems to be doing more property management than providing services.
Surely the county could have spent far less money on renovating the Honor Farm to reduce the overcrowding than the $89.5 million proposed to add 656 beds at the Todd Road facility or the $2 billion that Brooks indicated was needed to build enough cells. And then we have to add operating costs on top of that!
According to the May 22 article, the powers that be are reluctant to take state money cause of the strings attached — accepting state inmates. So where is all of this money going to come from? Do you want to take a guess?
It would be more cost effective to compensate HELP of Ojai for money spent to date and take back the Honor Farm. That would solve the immediate need of providing space for between 200 and 300, and HELP of Ojai could get back to the business of providing services.
— Ed Martel, Ojai
Posted by Andrea Howry at 02:48 PM
Band together for parade
Re: your June 25 article, “Traditions fade”:
I can understand why parades are fading.
Several years ago, my sister and husband came for a visit during the Fourth of July and hoped that we had a parade here in Ventura. I called several city offices and finally found one that knew about the parade. Yes, Ventura had a parade. Yes, they had a band. OK, this all sounded great.
We went to the parade area, but there weren’t many people. We finally saw some really cute children all dressed and decorated for the parade being pulled in wagons by their parents. Then one parent played “Yankee Doodle Dandy” on a kazoo. We thought that was a cute preface to the parade. Then everyone started to leave. That was the end of the parade!
In a city this size, why can't the schools that have bands put out a notice to the students who want to participate and form a mixed band for the Fourth of July? Needless to say, a real band would certainly liven up the "parade.” There is nothing like a good rousing band to make you proud to be an American. I look forward to an inspiring parade in the future.
— Martha Lee, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 02:34 PM
No sympathy for Israel
Re: William Sherman's June 19 letter, “Be fair to Israel":
It's difficult to watch our country lose its credibility and reputation for justice behind an imbalanced and failed policy in the Middle East.
It is also difficult to watch as our country builds more fences than friendships and then to listen while defenders of the fence-building attempt to divert attention from this ridiculous behavior by arguing if it is a fence or a wall they are building.
The difficulty in watching the radical fundamentalists on the West Bank manufacture more anti-Semitism worldwide than any wild-eyed mullah in Pakistan is painful.
But to stand by and have someone try to portray Israel as the David to the Palestinian — or even to all Israel's neighbors put together — as Goliath is impossible. An unchallenged untruth seems to become a truth with enough repetition. With just over 5 million people, Israel has one of the most powerful militaries on the planet, and it is financed by the United States. None of its neighbors can even put a plane in the air against the Israeli air force. And to top it off, Israel has nuclear weapons, under the umbrella of which the right wing has expanded it borders for generations in defiance of international law.
Mr. Sherman's comments are like arguing that Paris Hilton is a victim of American society: There may be a shred of truth in it somewhere, but you have to stretch your imagination pretty far to see it.
— Marten Harder, Ojai
Posted by Andrea Howry at 02:26 PM
Eliminating poverty
Re: Michael Josephson’s June 21 commentary, “Character counts: Not all bricks are thrown in hate”:
I generally like paradoxes, but the offerings in this column were very inconsistent. The first line — “A successful man known for his philanthropy was driving his new car through a poor part of town” — struck me as insensitive. I immediately began to think of the invisibility of poverty.
My sense of this increased with the next paragraph: “The man … didn’t want to get involved so he pretended” not to see a young boy flag him down. When the child threw a brick at the new car, the doctor “screamed” at him.
While this story has a sort of simplistic happy ending, it didn’t feel very satisfying. It did make me begin to think about the word “philanthropy,” which comes from the Greek for love of man. We like to think that we can make major positive differences when we help others, and we absolutely do. But issues such as entrenched poverty in this nation of plenty require much more than altruism and private and religious philanthropy.
Only when individual citizens decide to educate themselves and others that the huge and growing gap of economic inequality in this country is immoral, indefensible and must be addressed by the highest levels of federal government — only then will we see a true end to poverty.
We can start here in Ventura County. Check out the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy and Ventura County Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice: http://www.coastalalliance.com/we_are.html. Their joint mission is to improve the standard of living and quality of life of low- and moderate-income working people in the central coast region through the promotion of economic and social justice, utilizing such strategies as policy advocacy, research, organizing, leadership development and community building.
— Theadora Davitt-Cornyn, Oxnard
(The writer is an intern with the Ventura County Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice. — Editor)
Posted by Andrea Howry at 02:15 PM
Fireworks terrify animals
I have lived through so many increasingly noisy Fourth of July holidays that I feel it is rather hopeless to ask people to have some consideration for their neighbors and not use illegal fireworks in neighborhoods. The fireworks terrify pets, many of which flee in terror and are killed on the road.
So this year I hope to remind pet owners to keep their pets inside on the Fourth of July and the few days before and after. Leaving them in the yard is not enough. Terror can give them the ability to crash through or jump a fence that they ordinarily wouldn't. They need to be inside the house or garage, preferably with a radio or TV playing to muffle some of the noise. This is especially important in the neighborhoods around Adolfo Camarillo High School and Ventura College.
This is also the perfect week to check that their ID tags are readable. Many are not after just everyday wear and tear. Many local pet stores have machines that allow you to make your own ID pet tag on the spot. The Humane Society in Ojai also has a machine. If your animal becomes frightened by unfeeling fireworks users, at least you have a better chance or having it returned quickly.
My compliments to the Ventura Fire Department for the very nice banners they have up in the city advising people that it is illegal to use fireworks. I hope some people will take that advice. Terrifying your neighbors’ pets is not what this holiday is about.
— Debby Mooney, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 02:09 PM
Skip a lawn; plant a car
My parents bought a home in Bartolo Square in 1951. Awhile back, my mother wanted to see the old neighborhood. Were we surprised! Cars, cars and more cars. Totally unlike the neighborhood of the early ‘50s when there was one or two cars per household, and the garage was used for those cars.
Now Oxnard is considering allowing Bartolo residents to pave their front yards to ease the parking problem.
Why not enforce the single-family dwelling laws instead?
— Sharon Welty, Oxnard
Posted by Andrea Howry at 02:03 PM
Quit dumping on Oxnard
Why does Southern California Edison really want to put another power-generating plant, a peaker, in Oxnard? Oxnard already has two power plants, at Ormond Beach and Mandalay Beach, owned by Reliant Energy. There are other cogeneration plants in Oxnard owned by private companies.
The Reliant plants will be going away. They are old, inefficient and no longer need to be located on the coast. New power plants no longer need seawater for cooling. When these eyesores are gone, there will be a wonderful opportunity for coastal restoration.
The Reliant plants were owned by Edison prior to deregulation. Now Edison wants to get back into the power generation business in a big way.
Edison says Michael Peevey, California Public Utilities Commission president, is requiring them to build five peaker plants, including one in Oxnard. Peevey just happens to be a former top executive of Edison.
The peaker is basically a gas-fired jet engine generator that does not use seawater and does not need to be on the coast. The peaker would be located in the coastal zone. Oxnard's local coastal plan does not allow noncoastal dependent energy facilities in the zone. Therefore, Edison would have to get a local coastal plan amendment.
It is obvious Edison's true motivation is to get the amendment so it can build a large new power plant when the Mandalay plant is decommissioned.
There is no need to locate any additional power plants on the precious and environmentally rich California coast. Oxnard has been dumped on in the past with Halaco, landfills and power plants. BHP Billiton, with its liquefied natural gas proposal, thought Oxnard was the community of least resistance. It learned otherwise.
Residents must attend the Oxnard Planning Commission meeting and say no. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the City Council Chambers, 305 W. Third St.
— Shirley Godwin, Oxnard
(The writer is chairperson of the Saviers Road Design Team. — Editor)
Posted by Andrea Howry at 01:59 PM
Government’s fourth branch
Help me understand what is going on in Washington.
Is it true that the vice president is no longer part of the Executive Branch or, by implication, any branch of government?
Then why does he still have an office in the Executive Office Building, fly on Air Force Two, claim executive privilege, enjoy Secret Service protection, pull down a quarter-million-dollar salary, maintain lodging in one or more undisclosed locations and travel in fleets of SUVs, all the while anticipating a well-earned retirement package courtesy of Halliburton Corp?
It is a mystery.
When I heard that the president has announced that he has joined the vice president, refusing to follow his own Executive Order calling for regular inspections of how classified documents are being handled by the Executive Branch, I began to detect a trend.
Could it be, I thought, that the Dick Cheney/George Bush team, in response to the unparalleled catastrophe they faced — the 2006 election, the poll numbers — has become an uber-executive, a fourth branch of government as yet unnamed, rising above and beyond that outmoded, quaint Constitution with its pesky checks and balances, rules and regulations, inquiries and investigations, to a place of liberation, free of the restraints heretofore placed on their exercise of power, so necessary to "protect the American people," as Mr. Bush is always careful to point out in his compassionate way?
Still, something about this arrangement bothers me, but I just can't figure it out. Help!
— Sheila Smith, Camarillo
Posted by Andrea Howry at 01:54 PM
Repaving a blessing
Kudos, plaudits and a rousing three cheers for the Ventura Public Works Department and its crew for the completion of the long-awaited resurfacing of Harbor Boulevard from its intersection with Seaward Avenue to Peninsula Street. I know a thousand or so of us really appreciate it and managed to survive the circuitous detours while the work was going on. Now we hope that it won't be found necessary to dig any massive holes in it for at least a month!
— John C. Funk, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:06 AM
Transfer law needed close look
Kudos to County Counsel Don Hurley and the Ventura County Board of Education for taking a good hard look at the law and determining that the Legislature exercised common sense when it established interdistrict transfers laws! Fillmore’s school board misapplied the law, and it is now time for them to “follow the law,” as they have been pleading for others to follow. Continuity of education, established curriculum and established social circles are supported under the education code. Public education should be celebrated, not turned into a competition over dollars.
Again, I thank Ventura County Board of Education and Don Hurley for reexamining the laws on this issue. The county board deserves a standing ovation for its efforts, time, courage, strength and leadership over these issues.
— Kathy Rosten, Fillmore
Posted by Andrea Howry at 08:34 AM
Rant wasn’t angelic
Re: Jim Carlisle’s June 22 TV-Radio column, “Ranting and raving in equal portions”:
Mr. Carlisle is most obviously not an Angel fan, because if he were, he would have some clue about the Angels' announcers. Rex Hudler is goofy and off the wall, but he is in no way worse than the monotone Jose Mota. In fact, when Mota is announcing, we listen to the radio instead!
We are real Angels fans, and we know of Rex's kindness towards others. He sticks up for every player, regardless of which team they are on, when they are having a bad day. We hear his enthusiasm as he tries to relay his love for baseball to those who are watching for the first time. He also uses his enthusiasm and love for baseball to draw attention to important matters such as Down Syndrome, because his son has been afflicted and he didn't just crawl into a shell. Instead, while he is on the air, he makes sure we all know about great causes such as this.
We really enjoy his personality. He is genuine, and usually those who rant, as Mr. Carlisle did, are the bullies who yearn to be like that which they complain about. To call another person, any person, a "dumb dog" is uncalled for, and Mr. Carlisle should be ashamed. Is he in third grade? Wait, my daughter is in third grade, and even she knows not to do that. That kind of undisciplined behavior is what one would expect from a slobbering, untrained dog! Or at the very least, a non-Angel fan.
— Cristy McNay, Newbury Park
Posted by Andrea Howry at 08:26 AM
Bush made right decision
Re: John Blumenthal's June 20 letter, "Stem-cell question":
I would sooner die of any illness than be the recipient of any cure derived from the death of embryos or have our tax dollars going to embryonic stem cell research.
I am not morally opposed to stem cell research of the non-embryonic variety, as there have already been great strides made.
Mr. Blumenthal is free to donate to any privately funded research that he feels will meet his goal of killing babies to cure an illness. I have the right to be happy that President Bush vetoed the use of tax dollars to fund such research.
— Claudia Satori, Newbury Park
Posted by Andrea Howry at 08:13 AM
Clarify stem cell articles
Re: your June 21 article, “Bush vetoes stem cell bill, urges ‘responsible’ research”:
Once again, the media is not differentiating between embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells — as in, no one had to die to get them.
There have been no cures or successful treatments derived from embryonic stem cell research, despite decades of attempts.
There have been more than 40 treatments for diseases such as Parkinson’s and diabetes derived from adult stem cells.
Private money is not being spent on embryonic research for good reason: No results equals no money to be made, hence the great pressure on the part of those wonderful pharmaceutical guys to suck up the money from the good old American taxpayer. California obliges with $3 billion. They live on grant money. They want the grant money. They do not necessarily care if it results in a cure or not, obviously!
Please, taxpayers, candidates, representatives, Democrats and voters: Wake up! If it had any merit at all, they would not have to resort to sneaking it onto another bill.
I was appalled by presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani’s remarks regarding expansion of federal funds for embryonic stem cell research. The article stated, “He supported such an expansion with limits ‘as long as we’re not creating life in order to destroy it,’” which, of course, is exactly what we would be doing. Totally clueless!
Thank God for our president, who does not cave to the ethically deprived surrounding him and stands up for the American values respecting human life.
— Dorothy Hage, Newbury Park
Posted by Andrea Howry at 08:05 AM
June 25, 2007
State of emergency
As a faithful reader of The Star, I would like to see a comprehensive report on emergency rooms. I read that one-eighth of individuals do not have health insurance, and I presume they rely on emergency rooms for healthcare. I have heard of people waiting hours for care, so emergency rooms must be understaffed and underfunded.
With St. John's Regional Medical Center being closed temporarily, will that cause another emergency?
I have been fortunate never to have used an emergency room, nor have my family members.
— Irene Level, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 10:13 AM
Healthcare crisis explained
It is alarming to read that Ventura County’s children are ranked only 46th in the state for health coverage. Even though Health Care for Kids is helping to cover children, it is still a far cry from universal healthcare for all.
It is time for Californians to insist that quality healthcare be affordable for all.
Thousand Oaks residents can learn more about comprehensive healthcare at a free educational forum on Saturday, June 30, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Thousand Oaks Library on Janss Road.
Besides keynote speaker Andrew McGuire, executive director of One Care Now, other participants will include healthcare professionals, politicians and concerned activists. A short film on the healthcare crisis will be shown.
Penny Strowger, Ventura County director for One Care Now, is organizing the event in Thousand Oaks as part of a “365” event in California cities to draw attention to the healthcare crisis and provide grassroots education and public awareness of SB840.
No one should miss this opportunity to compare the different plans being discussed in the state Legislature.
— Sandy Emberland, Thousand Oaks
Posted by Andrea Howry at 10:08 AM
What is open space?
Re: your June 21 article, "Church is attempting to bypass SOAR law":
Cornerstone Community Church’s proposal to build a 60-acre church complex on land protected by Save Open-space and Agricultural Resources has come at a good time. County issues with rising population, threat to agriculture acreage, traffic agonies, affordable housing and quality of life need an idea of this magnitude to help define the road ahead.
What is “open space?” Is it OK to build 10-acre estate mansions? Is it OK to erect a seven-building campus? How would the majority of county residents define open space?
At a recent Ventura County Civic Alliance meeting with the public, groups were given expected population figures and city and SOAR boundaries within the county, and were asked where and how to accommodate the increase. Most, if not all, SOAR-protected land was left untouched, city density was increased and existing areas were scheduled for redevelopment.
In the alliance’s 2007 State of the Region Report, the land eyed by this church is smack in the middle of one of two wildlife corridors connecting the Los Padres and the Santa Monicas. The west county has more than 50 percent of their subregion acreage as parks, recreation and open space; east county has less than 30 percent.
Cornerstone cites the Federal Religious Land Use Act as its argument, but not being able to put their campus in east Ventura County can hardly be considered a “substantial burden of religious exercise of churches.” Their offer to let others in the community use their multipurpose room and athletic fields is nice but not needed.
The project could be built anywhere.
If God had wanted there to be open space, He would have created some.
— Kim Ramseyer, Moorpark
Posted by Andrea Howry at 10:00 AM
Bicyclists ignore postings
I love all these letters from the biking public informing drivers of the "rules of the road" and how important it is to be respectful of bicyclists. Now I have a safety tip for them.
When a road, such as Black Canyon, is posted for no bicyclists, don't ride on it! I travel that road on a daily basis, and not a week goes by when I don't encounter a bicyclist struggling up the grade on a road barely two lanes wide with lots of blind curves and steep drop-offs. Not only are these people endangering themselves, but evasive maneuvers by the selfish automobile drivers to save the lives of those bicyclists just might cost them theirs. Respect goes both ways.
— Judy McLaughlin, Simi Valley
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:53 AM
Day-laborer site useful
Re: Dawn Williams’ June 11 letter, “Day-laborer site wastes money":
Dawn Williams' letter took Thousand Oaks City Councilman Andy Fox to task for supporting the expenditure of $100,000 for a day-laborer site, labeling it "blatant corrosive spending and fiduciary irresponsibility."
When I first read her letter, I attributed it to the typical anti-Andy reactionary hyperbole that arises periodically and decided to ignore it. However, the TV news recently featured dysfunction in South Central Los Angeles, where day laborers near a Home Depot use private front lawns as restrooms while waiting to be picked for work. I also recently visited friends in San Rafael, and while there, I saw many hundreds of day laborers stacked several deep at dozens of intersections in the building trades section of town, making it a very unwelcome condition. These two events prompted me to respond to Ms. Williams’ letter.
The day-laborer problem is widespread throughout the country and is part of a situation that needs attention on a national basis.
While possible solutions to the issues of day laborers, illegal immigration and temporary work permits meander slowly through the national political process, Fox's answer for our community is a reasonable and common-sense compromise to a complicated situation. Ignoring the situation certainly doesn't work in Los Angeles or San Rafael or anywhere else.
I often wonder what Fox's detractors would say if he found a cure for cancer. I'm sure it would be, "Why did it take you so long?"
— Tom Reilly, Thousand Oaks
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:32 AM
June 22, 2007
The Kosovo problem
Re: your June 11 article, “Bush gets a warm welcome in Albania”:
During his visit to Albania, our glorious president — or should we call him King George? — declared that Kosovo, which is part of the independent and sovereign country of Serbia, should get its independence. Kosovo constitutes 14 percent of Serbia and is the birthplace of our Orthodox religion. Why doesn’t Bush support the independence of Palestinians and annexation of Jerusalem to them? Let’s not forget Tibet.
If America is so determined to see 1 million Kosovo Albanians live in an independent country, then it needs to give them part of our land where they can be independent. I recommend Ventura County as the 51st state. We will see how the people the United States would react.
Serbia is angry at American policy relative to finding a solution to Kosovo. America’s bombing of sovereign Serbia without a United Nations resolution in 1999 was a big mistake for the past and current century as well.
America and King George cannot make decisions about territorial independence of other countries. How come King George doesn’t support division of Iraq into Sunni and Shiite countries? I am sure any country in the world, in the same way Serbia is doing, would defend its sovereignty, integrity and its own existence.
King George and American policymakers need to mind their own business and focus more on their own domestic policy and not spend more than $430 billion in taxpayer dollars on Iraq and wasting money in that black hole.
It looks like Albanians are the only people who welcome King George and America with open arms. But let’s not forget the foiled terror attack against Fort Dix, N.J., as four terrorists were Kosovo Albanians.
I would like to know who died and made America the world’s police force and God?
— George Bogunovic, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 01:00 PM
Tax break for farmland
Re: Dan Walters’ June 5 article, "Overhauling a tax break":
Walters picks out a minuscule property tax break to the farmers called the Williamson Act. He calls it an outdated, egregious example of a tax loophole and writes that it should be abolished.
Walters has the situation 180 degrees out of place. Not only shouldn’t the Williamson Act be abolished, but farmers who produce food products for the country should be free of all property tax on the property used exclusively for producing food products. That would take a large chunk of money out of the state’s coffers, but to offset that, the state could begin taxing religious organizations that have been on a free ride for entirely too many years. It seems quite obvious that farmers’ work helps many more folks than the work of churches.
We have all been reading how food prices are rapidly climbing because farmers are selling most of their corn and grain products to companies that produce ethanol to burn in our autos to help eliminate air pollution. By eliminating all property taxes on the property farmers use to produce food, lowering the farmers’ overhead, it stands to reason that food prices would then be reduced. As a matter of fact, that could be written into the tax code: If a farmer fails to reduce the cost of a product, he/she would negate his/her tax break. Also, if the farmer eventually wants to use the land for reasons other than producing food products, the land would then be automatically entered on the full tax rolls.
Instead of working on a plan that would help drive food prices, fuel prices and most other prices upward, it would behoove Walters to think beyond the tip of his nose and try to help reduce all those prices.
— Rellis Smith, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:54 PM
Justice system biased
Re: your June 13 article, “Police search yields 200 prescription pills”:
The referenced article reveals one more clear case of the Ventura County criminal justice system’s favoritism toward white female criminals.
Emily Randles was arrested on suspicion of selling prescription pills to a 16-year-old. Police reported the district attorney’s “intent” to file felony charges in this case. However, Randles — who could be charged with endangering the health and safety, contributing to the delinquency and illegally dispensing prescription without a license to a minor — was released “on her own recognizance.”
A Latino man was jailed with a $500,000 bail for stalking his wife.
The Randles case is only the latest in a long string of anti-Latino bias conducted in the Ventura County justice system.
— Miguel Espinosa, Jr., Oxnard
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:45 PM
Wrong song
On June 15, a number of family members and I attended the Oxnard High School 2007 Commencement Exercise at Houser Field. We were appalled by the opening ceremonies of this program.
According to the printed program and an announcement by James Edwards, principal, after the processional and the presenting of colors, there would be a moment of silence and the National Anthem. The program indicated the audience should stand.
The colors were presented by the Oxnard High School Air Force Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, as stated by the principal. About half of the audience stood; half did not. Then came the unthinkable!
The Oxnard High School Vocal Ensemble, with Bruce Edmiston director, and the Oxnard High School Band, with Fundi Legohn director, proceeded to play "America The Beautiful," not Francis Scott Key's “Star Spangled Banner,” our National Anthem. The program continued from there.
My questions are these: Does the music department and administration not know what the National Anthem means to America or how it sounds? Was this substitution some sort of political statement? How could this happen at an American high school, in an American city, built and supported by American taxpayers, protected by American police officers and American firefighters? If this was an expression of free speech, then the people responsible need to go! If they don't know that our National Anthem is not a Broadway show tune, then they shouldn't be teaching at Oxnard High School or anywhere else. American schools are to educate students, not attempt to make political statements.
— Tom Montali, Fillmore
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:40 PM
Commandments interpreted
Re: your June 20 article, “Thou shalt heed rules of the road, Vatican tells drivers”:
The Vatican has just published the Ten Commandments of driving. This must be as important as the original Ten Commandments, or the Vatican would not have gotten world coverage of this critical document’s release.
Even though I am not a theologian, I will give you my interpretation of the new commandments:
1. Drive carefully.
2. Carpool, and don’t flog the driver for a wrong turn.
3. Road rage is bad.
4. Carry jumper cables and call 911 if you see an accident.
5. Buy a Hyundai and don’t have sex in the back seat.
6. Tell your kids to not drink and drive (duh!).
7. Support insurance companies.
8. Take the idiot that ran into you to court.
9. Only allow your kids to ride in a Volvo, and make sure they are in a car seat.
10. Again, support the insurance companies.
— Mike Bell, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:30 PM
Gasoline beats ethanol
Californians wont like this article: http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/120863/article.html
Gasoline came out on top. It's cheaper than ethanol, plus ethanol usage is harder on a car’s engine. You can count on replacing or rebuilding your car engine every 50,000 miles.
— William Wolny, Oxnard
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:25 PM
River needs help
I would like to ask for the support of the Ventura River Greenway project by The Star, the Ventura City Council and the public at large.
The river has been neglected as a public resource since I bought my condo more than 20 years ago!
This project would accelerate redevelopment along Ventura Avenue. This is a win-win project for everyone! But why do we have to wait 10 years for it? If the public, the paper and the government got behind this project, we could have it done in two years!
Do we really want it, or is it just something nice to talk about? I hope everyone will get behind this project!
— Alan Berk, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:23 PM
Insurance isn’t a solution
Re: your June 17 Business section article, “Without license”:
This article regarding insurance policies for persons in the country illegally who own vehicles is misleading and conveys a false sense of security to those affected.
The statement, "Though driving without a valid license is illegal, it is often not punished if the driver is insured and his registration is current," is completely without foundation and patently false.
The article neglects to mention that having the most comprehensive insurance policy does not preclude unlicensed drivers from losing their vehicle for 30 days if involved in a traffic accident or when stopped for a variety of reasons. The resulting expense of the fines and impound fees will put most of these people in even greater debt.
Insurance policies are varied. Insuring a vehicle for property damage alone does not automatically include coverage for anyone driving that vehicle. Policies are specific of what and whom the coverage is for. A high number of insurance-related citations are the result of the driver not having any coverage for the vehicle driven.
The endorsement of soliciting funds from undocumented persons just to satisfy the profit motive of an insurance business is the wrong approach to the issue.
— Jeff Malgren, Simi Valley
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:15 PM
Real reason for ER crisis
Re: your June 9 article, “ERs in states of emergency”:
I read this front-page article and was most disappointed by The Star’s failure to attribute a major cause of the problem to the illegal alien. The Star’s sub-headline stated, “Fewer doctors, more uninsured patients cited as causes.” Why did The Star not point out how many of the almost 190,000 emergency room visits in 2006 were by uninsured patients? Of that number, how many were illegal?
— Jerry Horwitz, Newbury Park,
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:06 PM
Stem-cell questions
Would opponents of stem-cell research accept a stem-cell cure? I suppose that many would. The dirty deed would have been done!
I have a few questions myself. Why are California taxpayers funding embryonic stem-cell research when private industry doesn’t seem interested in investing their millions in it? Perhaps California tax money is disposable, but stock investors need more evidence that this will be successful research.
Why do we not hear or read about the great success stories that non-embryonic stem-cell is having? Why must we grow embryos in the lab and kill them when there are other ways that may be more promising?
What kind of a society are we when we freely and sometimes proudly accept the killing of unborn children, the most helpless of all? Do many of us not cringe when we hear about euthanizing puppies or kittens? Why do we not cringe when we hear about a woman’s right to kill her unborn child? Ask some woman who has been suckered into this garbage and now suffers the pain of that choice. I wonder if many people assume that abortion must be OK since it is legal. I think these are difficult questions about which we need to think.
— Kathleen McLaughlin, Thousand Oaks
Posted by Andrea Howry at 11:49 AM
Military presence wrong
Re: Amy Montano’s June 20 commentary, “Trucks do more than ‘blast humans’”:
Ms. Montano’s commentary was in response to my June 1 letter regarding the presence of military vehicles at Touch-A-Truck.
I am glad to know that some military vehicles are used for constructive purposes. However, the military, by definition, does in fact refer to war, the weapons (including vehicles) used in war, and the people who use them. Indeed, when one joins the military, one accepts the possibility of being ordered to kill and maim human beings, and even to destroy entire communities.
Touch-A-Truck is an event geared toward young children. It is ridiculous to attempt to associate the military solely with friendly community service at a time when our national policy is so blatantly aggressive. Moreover, military vehicles epitomize the notion that “might makes right.” This is why their presence at Touch-A-Truck is inappropriate.
Ms. Montano concluded her commentary by stating that it is because of the military that I have free speech. Does it make any sense that we must kill hundreds of thousands of Iraqis in order to have free speech? The United States invaded Iraq to take control of its oil, not to preserve free speech.
— Diana Hirth, Thousand Oaks
Posted by Andrea Howry at 11:43 AM
Split immigration bill
I don’t think most Americans would object to giving the 10 to 12 million non-criminal illegals work permits for five years that would then be renewable. We object to flooding the voting rolls and the current policy of chain immigration if they are given amnesty and citizenship.
If Congress would split the pending legislation into two parts — one on closing the border and one on authorizing work permits for those who are not criminals — then maybe some progress could be made.
— Bill Gourlay, Westlake Village
Posted by Andrea Howry at 11:35 AM
June 15, 2007
No pitter-pat for Potter
Re: your June 14 article, “Does your heart go pitter-pat for Harry Potter?":
Absolutely not. I have no desire to read the books and was only mildly amused by the first two movies, in which I could predict almost every plot point. I'm tired of hearing about this boy wizard. Other authors have written books about boy wizards, too.
Instead of overhyping one author, Scholastic and the other major publishers need to put their money and efforts into promoting new writers who are struggling to get their first novels into print.
— Sally Carpenter, Moorpark
Posted by Andrea Howry at 01:55 PM
Law’s intent ignored
Re: your May 27 editiorial, “FUSD puts cap over kids”:
The editorial stated, “County schools superintendent Charles Weis said parents know the school district they are getting when they buy their home or move to a community.”
It is not only circumstances in life that can change, requiring a family to request an interdistrict transfer. The values underlying a district’s decision-making process can change as well.
It seems a lot of people agree, including many on the County Board of Education, that the decision Fillmore Unified School District made regarding the “no exceptions, 3 percent cap on interdistrict transfers” is wrong. Certainly, if Fillmore’s administration wants to interpret the law dogmatically, they have the right to cap at 3 percent without exceptions. But the laws, policies and procedures of school districts are implemented to maintain some semblance of order and to protect the rights of children. They were not intended to be dictatorial or to be read out of context in order to gain average daily attendance money.
If the law was written to protect the interests and welfare of children, then this new school administration has misapplied, misinterpreted and abused the education code to fit their agenda. Perhaps the FUSD administration could try looking at the spirit of the law — what is the law intending to accomplish? Reading the law as it was intended to be read and protecting the values and rights of parents and children is what will benefit FUSD in the long run.
— Edgar & Marie Alviz, Fillmore
Posted by Andrea Howry at 01:51 PM
Rethink power plant opposition
Re: Mickey Meile’s June 14 letter, “Pollution attack”:
This letter was pretty much a copy of the information put out by the Oxnard Shores Neighborhood Council, just in a little more of a foaming-at-the-mouth style.
Nobody really wants a power generating plant in their backyard, but unfortunately, they are necessary for today’s energy demands. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, solar power takes 35 to 45 cents a kilowatt hour to generate, versus 3 to 5 cents burning coal, so alternative sources are going to take some time to develop.
Both the Mandalay and Ormond Beach plants were built in the 1960s to meet future electricity demands projected then, when Ventura County’s population was much less than today. People in Cucamonga need power too, and it makes economic sense to add to existing plants rather than build new ones.
On the other hand, one could ask, “Why build the addition to Mandalay when Ormond is located farther away from the general population?” The neighborhood council has been at the forefront of opposition to any new power generation projects recently. Perhaps they should re-examine their attitudes since they also sponsor an energy-wasting Christmas light contest every year.
— David N. Cook, Oxnard Shores
Posted by Andrea Howry at 01:41 PM
Air horns ruin graduation
I just returned from my son’s high school graduation, a ceremony almost ruined by inconsiderate people and their air horns. After 12 long years of schooling, parents and family members endure a few hours of sitting on cold, hard bleacher seats, so far away they can barely recognize their child, just so they can hear their child’s name spoken over the microphone. They scan the listing of names, counting it down, sit up a little straighter and get their cameras ready.
And then it happens.
A certain name is called and a group of people standing on the top row let loose, using the horns as a substitute for their voices. They aren’t content to do it quickly. They let it bleat and bleat several names, drowning out any sound from the microphones. Fortunately, their hands got tired just before my son’s name was called, so I was able to enjoy the sight and sound of my son becoming a graduate. But I feel sorry for those who might have missed that irreplaceable moment due to the consistently rude behavior of a few people.
— Teri Reid, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 01:31 PM
Exaggerated claims
Re: your June 15 article, “Gallegly against immigration reform”:
How preposterous for a U.S. congressman to make up scary lies just to affirm his racist position.
Take a look at the “comprehensive nonpartisan report” at http://www.nilc.org/immlawpolicy/CIR/cir024.htm if you want to know what the bill really says. I searched for any clue related to “guaranteed amnesty” or the lie that “24 hours after an illegal files an application he will be granted legal status.” Guess what? Nothing!
Also check that report and see what you find about “violent gangs” and what the congressman says about allowing “illegal residents who renounce their gang membership legal status.” You will find nothing. The same goes for “child molesters” and his exaggeration of “imprisoned illegals in federal prisons.” That claim is carefully worded so you will not realize the imprisoned illegals he mentions are 30 percent of imprisoned noncitizens. That means that 70 percent of noncitizens in the slammer are legal immigrants.
If you want to make a point about how bad illegals are, wouldn’t a more informative percentage be of the total prison population? Perhaps that number is so small — like less than 5 percent — he wouldn’t want to use that statistic.
This looks like another case of manipulating data to increase public fear. Remember the weapons of mass destruction scare? That one incited a war.
— Jay Berger, Camarillo
Posted by Andrea Howry at 01:28 PM
Unusual, but cruel?
The ultimate “sentence” for Paris Hilton, which would offend few people: no more publicity — name or photo — in any publication for five years. I personally would vote for “life,” but....
— Ted Phyler, Ojai
Posted by Andrea Howry at 01:10 PM
June 14, 2007
Ventura mall inadequate
Re: Carol Lindsey’s June 11 letter, “Mall needs better shops”:
Target coming to our Pacific View mall is just another nail in the coffin for the mall because, as Ms. Lindsey said, we already have a Target. What we really need is a good department store to fill the space of the now-closed Robinsons-May.
I plan to shop in Thousand Oaks at Christmastime because the Pacific View mall is lacking in so many ways. There are too many shops for the young, and there is no book store. And no other store in the mall can replace Robinsons-May, in my opinion.
History is repeating itself for me because when I first moved to Ventura 15 years ago I shopped at The Oaks due to lack of stores here. Although I'll hate to drive so far to shop, Thousand Oaks, here I come!
— Elaine F. Navarro, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 10:10 AM
Practical tips for cyclists
Re: your June 8 letters, “Cyclists, motorists, safety”:
I have been riding my bike daily on the streets and roads of Ventura for the past 40 years. I have to say that most motorists in Ventura are considerate of bicycle riders. Nearly all of the bicyclists like myself drive cars and try to be considerate of other drivers. The writers of the complaining letters seem to be in a hurry and are frustrated because they have to slow down.
There are many times that I find myself biking in the middle of a two-lane street or road, blocking traffic for short periods of time. I do this when passing cars parked in a bike lane so I can try to avoid crashing into opening car doors or being sideswiped by drivers not willing to slow down to let me get around the obstruction. I am trying to tell the driver to wait for an opening in the oncoming lane or until I get around the obstruction.
We all make mistakes and try to anticipate and accommodate others. When one sees children playing on the side of the road or street, we should slow down. When we see a bus offloading passengers, we should slow down. If there is a slow-moving vehicle, such as a farm tractor, bicycle or a slow construction vehicle ahead of us, we should slow down and pass only when it is safe. We should also try to refrain from leaning on the car horn just because we are frustrated.
My advice to other bicyclists who value their lives is to make sure they are as visible as possible to drivers by wearing bright outer clothing, avoid riding into the sunset or sunrise and use rearview mirrors, preferably on their sunglasses or helmets. Also, use lights for night riding.
— Sy Einstoss, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:57 AM
Exporting jobs promotes slavery
Why are the corporations in my own backyard and others in the United States sending our jobs to China? By these actions, are we or are we not also becoming enslaved?
Corporations are part of my community, and they should be serving the community. Instead they slash and burn: They lay off and then rehire people at lower wages. People without jobs and less buying power also affect other businesses in the area.
Our city fathers and mothers need to step in and question these practices and hold these charters to account. Being a “privately” owned entity doesn’t give one the right to devastate the people’s right to life, liberty and other life-affirming practices. Let us not lose sight that this is a human rights issue. If we lose this ideal, then America ceases to be America, and then what do we become? Ask the people in China.
The object of sending our jobs overseas is to enslave others, with the object being lower or no wages, and it only enriches those at the top. When do the people of this great country stand up and say no? If you are part of a community and if you damage that community, you must be held to the same standards of a civil society as all other residents of that community.
— Barbara Hensley, Camarillo
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:49 AM
Don’t transfer at-risk kids
The proposed closing of Pacific View Community Day School in South Oxnard is a rash decision that will have a significant impact on the students and the community at large.
No fiscal savings can justify displacing more than 100 students who receive both educational and socio-emotional services from Pacific View. The proposed “outsourcing” of their education at a county facility will hamper the progress these students have achieved. These are not “throwaway” children; these are our community children, and they should be treated as such!
Pacific View provides services for at-risk youth who have been referred by their assigned high school to participate in the small learning communities and who are also in need of the highly structured and standards-aligned curriculum offered. These students participate in behavior management classes and smoking cessation classes, and they benefit from participation by other community agencies such as Ventura County Behavioral Health and the Ventura County Probation Office. These students work to recover missing credits, improve attendance and receive academic enrichment by a knowledgeable and caring staff. The collaborative approach to treating the varied needs of the at-risk students helps them feel vested in their school environment and, for many, allows them their first opportunity to be successful in school.
Although on the surface a county facility may appear to be a cost savings for these “disenfranchised” at-risk youth, in reality it will cost the community much more. The students may lose their momentum, be deterred by attending a school too far removed from their own community and may be discouraged from maintaining their improved attendance rate.
It is imperative that the community strongly discourages Oxnard Union High School District from making such an important decision without soliciting input from the very people who are impacted by their decisions: students, families and the community.
— E.D. Ellis, Oxnard
(The writer is a member-at-large of the Blackstock South Neighborhood Council. — Editor)
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:44 AM
Irresponsible cyclists
Re: your June 6 article, "A big push for bicycle safety”:
Your front-page picture shows a group leader riding well out in the traffic lane and well inside the fog stripe. I seem to recall from the last time I boned up to renew a drivers’ license that there is an ordinance requiring bicycle riders to ride as closely as is practical to the curb.
Down here in Oxnard Shores, it is an almost daily occurrence to find riders riding two and three abreast in the street — often with a toddler on training wheels in the middle of the group. On weekends, the streets are unsafe for automobiles. I have tried to beep them over, and they scowl over their shoulders and ride even slower if they can.
True, bicyclists are in danger when they are traveling in a much different manner than the automobile traffic around them. But safety for the riders belongs with the riders as much as with the drivers.
— Bob Scott, Oxnard
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:23 AM
Social Security offsets
Re: your June 8 article, “Retirees sought to teach math, science”:
This Associated Press article on getting retirees to teach as a second career speaks to our emotions but definitely not to our reason.
While it is creative for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to suggest that experienced scientists and engineers nearing retirement should now consider entering the teaching profession, his urgings should come with a serious caveat: Because of two provisions in Social Security law called the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, those who choose public school teaching as a second career will find themselves jeopardizing their retirement funds to a damaging degree. They should be prepared for a 60 percent cut in their Social Security benefits.
While the state is preaching "altruism," I would caution anyone thinking of heading to the classroom to first research how harshly the WEP and GPO will "treat" them in their later years.
By the way, when the members of Congress voted for these provisions, they made sure to exempt themselves from their effects.
— Brenda Tzipori, Ventura
(The writer is a public school teacher who states she would lose 60 percent of her Social Security earnings. — Editor)
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:17 AM
Bicyclist has hope
Re: your June 8 letters, “Cyclists, motorists, safety”:
As a nearly 60-year-old bicyclist who has bicycled since a kid, I was disturbed to read the anger of motorists toward bicyclists in The Star! My riding averages six days a week and consists of periodic long road trips, exercise and running errands to conserve fuel.
I will admit to periodically failing to stop at some stop signs, but if it is any concession, I do stop at all signals! I always ride my bicycle as far to the right-hand edge of the roadway, ride in designated bicycle lanes when provided, use hand signals and do not ride in groups. I recently changed my route when I realized some motorists were having trouble getting around me on a narrow stretch of road, endangering not only me, but them. I wear reflective clothing and a helmet equipped with a mirror, and I utilize a headlamp, flashers on my body and an illuminated flashing rear taillight in the dark or foggy, overcast conditions.
Except when I was hit by a golf ball thrown from a school bus on Highway 395 in Spokane, Wash., I have found most motorists to be alert and courteous when they see a bicyclist. In my experience, this is especially true of truckers! In almost every case when I have approached a stop sign, the approaching motorist will assume I am not going to stop and will wait to see what I am going to do. This does embarrass me because they assume all bicyclists will not obey the traffic laws but will arrogantly ride through the stop sign — and I remember I have been, in the past, guilty also.
There is room for all us on the roadway! It is my hope that bicyclist and motorist can work together to share the road, reduce accidents and promote goodwill towards each other. I know, for my part, I will do better to positively represent those of us who still like to ride bicycles.
— Richard A. Diaz, Fillmore
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:10 AM
Real solution to chaos
It’s time for a compromise on illegal immigration. We are all part of the problem, and there is enough blame to go around.
We, as a nation, have benefited from cheap labor. At this time, however, it has spiraled out of control. Corporate profits are up, and wages are not. Hospital emergency rooms are overwhelmed. Migrant workers pay very little in taxes and require the most in government services, meaning less money for other badly need programs and higher taxes. It’s time to stop this insanity before it’s too late.
The illegal immigrants who have come into the United States have come here of their own free will, and they knew that they were violating our federal laws. However, the federal government did nothing to discourage them from coming. Many have been here for a long time and have put down roots. They have assimilated into our society like the many immigrants from other countries who came before them. They have worked hard to be a part of American life. It would be inhumane to uproot these people now.
It would be no more rational to grant citizenship to everyone who is in the country illegally. It would be a slap in the face of those who were born here or have come here legally.
We must completely secure the border first. Then we can put a limited amount of illegal immigrants, those who have put down roots, on a pathway to citizenship. We should limit it to the first 4 million who qualify, apply and are accepted. They must pass a series of qualifiers to show they have been here for a long period of time and have indeed assimilated into the American society.
Then we set up a true visa program for an additional 4 million, allowing them to work for periods of time but requiring they return to their home countries for periods of time before returning. The government estimates there are 12 million people here illegally. If that is correct, the remaining 4 million will have to return to their country of origin and apply for a limited guest worker program. This program could allow business to access cheaper labor for agricultural and service work. It should be limited by numbers and contain a sunset rule.
I think the United States can and will assimilate 8 million new people into our society and welcome guest workers. I feel that by giving a predetermined number as to the people we will accept will go a long way in easing the concerns of most voters.
I know not everyone will agree with this entire program. It is a compromise. Let’s try and resolve this crisis once and for all.
— Jerry Hicks, Camarillo
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:02 AM
Apartheid in Iraq?
I remember the late 1970s and early ‘80s when Americans deplored the apartheid system in South Africa. The British were condemned for setting up a puppet government, placing black South Africans in squalid bantustans, giving them identification cards and using them for cheap labor. The diamond trade was boycotted as we learned of how native blacks were imprisoned, tortured or killed if they protested their racist treatment. Meanwhile, the British bilked the economy and drained South Africa of its major resource, blood diamonds.
In Iraq, our own government is doing something insidiously similar. While contractors, commanders, and a puppet government live in comfort in a "green zone," the rest of the Iraqi people are in prisons, in nomadic tent-like cities or in the rubble of bombed-out communities. If they want work, they must choose between the job of a soldier killing his own people or a job working in the oil fields for American corporations.
The "carbon law" or "benchmark" congressmen refer to is actually a waiting game for the Iraqi government to give five American corporations 83 percent of the country's oil resources. Meanwhile, 650,000 Iraqis are dead and 50 percent are unemployed. They don't have drinking water, heating or cooling. They don't have petrol for transportation, sewage disposal or sanitation. They are carded through a laser process and restricted to specific areas, while denied visits to relatives in other regions.
My question: How is this so different from the apartheid we deplored in the past? Haven't we just substituted diamonds for oil — I might add, blood oil?
— Grant Marcus, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 08:54 AM
June 13, 2007
Cyclist explains danger
Re: your June 6 article, “A big push for cycling safety”:
This article has generated a great deal of interest, and I appreciate that The Star published an article covering this issue.
Several of the letters to the editor support a desire to keep cyclists off the road. Having been an avid cyclist for a number of years, my experience has been that the more a cyclist acts like a motor vehicle, the better the chance that cars will see the cyclist.
Bike paths on sidewalks present hazards for both pedestrians and cyclists. While riding on a sidewalk bike path recently near Telephone and Kimball roads in Ventura, I was almost hit by a car entering the Shell gas station. Drivers are not looking for a cyclist going 15 to 20 mph on a sidewalk.
Cyclists ride close to the traffic lane or in the traffic lane, despite having a bike path, because the outside areas of most bike paths are littered with dirt, glass, rocks and other debris. Sure, cyclists don’t always ride in a safe and considerate manner, but if that logic is used for deciding who can use our roads, many motorists would be banned as well.
If we are looking at reducing pollution, demand for gasoline, traffic congestion, parking shortages and the high rate of obesity in the United States, creating and maintaining safe bike paths has the potential to create improvement in all these problem areas.
I would like to add that most motorists are considerate of cyclists and are deserving of thanks for their willingness to give cyclists a break.
— Alan Hammerand, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 02:05 PM
Enforce street vendor law
Not too long ago, it seemed the city of Simi Valley was all fired up trying to deal with the problem of unlicensed street vendors selling everything from flowers and strawberries to corncobs on a stick. I recall reading about the process and a few public hearings, but as recently as this past week, I still continue to see evidence of questionable street vendors out and about with what appears to be little or no regard to what the law says.
My concern is this: Either the city of Simi Valley is serious about enforcing its municipal codes, or it’s not. If the city is not serious about code enforcement, or if they are trying to walk the fine line of political correctness, then perhaps the time has come for Simi Valley to think about acquiring more liability insurance to cover its backside when the lawsuits start rolling in. All it will take to hit the city coffers hard is one or two large suits resulting from someone ingesting bad or spoiled goods from an ice-cream pushcart parked in front of a church, or, worse, a child being catastrophically injured while running across the street to buy goodies from an illegal vendor.
I could be wrong, but think an incorporated city has a duty and an obligation to address public health and safety issues, and in this case, that would be keeping its citizens safe from diseased food products as well as curtailing outlandish lawsuits from possible injuries that should have been prevented. As long as street vendors continue to hawk their wares illegally and with impunity, none of our taxes are safe from lawsuit-happy lawyers who salivate at the thought of suing a city for professional neglect and oversight.
— Fred Romero, Simi Valley
Posted by Andrea Howry at 01:59 PM
Bicyclists can share roadway
Re: your June 6 article, “A big push for cycling safety” and the photo accompanying it:
As an avid cyclist who rides thousands of miles on Ventura County roads every year, and having just completed a ride across the country, I agree that the cyclists in the photo should be riding on the shoulder. If we did not see the back two riders on the shoulder, it could have been that something was preventing the front two from riding on the shoulder, but apparently that wasn't the case.
However, the various published letters to the editor the next two days suggest that some clarification is needed. The photo was taken on Highway 150, where there is no designated bike lane. Rather, what it has is what most roads have: the roadway and the shoulder of the road. The writers used terms like "vehicle lane," "traffic lane" and "bike lane," but unless there's a designated bike lane, the roadway is potentially for both, if the bicycle cannot practically ride any further to the right. Many times there are debris, huge holes or other hazards on the shoulder, forcing the bicyclist to ride either on the line or even in the roadway. Many roads in the farm areas don't even have a shoulder, so obviously we must ride in the road, to the right as far as practical.
If drivers think of the roadway as a "vehicle lane," it's no wonder so many drivers think bikes are intruding and are in the wrong even when they're riding legally as far to the right as practical.
Drivers who want to pass a bicycle must remember that bikes have the same rights to the road as vehicles, and they must be passed safely, as you would a slow car or slow tractor, which are on many of the roads I ride.
It may not be obvious to drivers why bicyclists are riding farther to the left than they might think they should be, such as piles of glass that drivers can't see. In some cases, riders are taught that it's best for all concerned to take up the full lane, such as when descending a steep winding hill at 25 to 40 mph. If the bike tries to move to the right in that situation for a car to pass, he risks losing control on the turns, and the car driver feels obligated to pass quickly even if he must cross into the oncoming lane when he can't see far enough ahead for oncoming vehicles. Only when the road straightens out should the bike move to the right.
Of course, if a car is tailgating me honking, the heck with what I should be doing — I'll move over and come to a stop if necessary to get out of harm's way. In this sense, I always ride defensively, such as not assuming a car is going straight just because his turn signal is not on. Please, everyone — including bicyclists: Signal your turns!
I agree that "sharing the road" goes both ways, but we should remember that the shoulder is usually not a formal "bike lane" — a bike lane is usually kept clean — and the roadway is not designated for vehicles only as a "vehicle lane." Sometimes it's the "vehicle lane" — the true roadway — we must share.
Everyone be safe!
— Ken Mercurio, Simi Valley
Posted by Andrea Howry at 01:52 PM
Proof that DARE works
Re: your June 11 article, “Eliminating DARE an unwise decision”:
In that article, you cite that the city of Moorpark has enjoyed the enviable distinction of being the safest city in Ventura County for more than a decade. Preliminary crime statistics were released recently by the FBI, which prompts Morgan Quitno Awards to issue their 13th Annual America’s Safest Cities (and most dangerous cities) report.
I believe there are many things involved in creating a formula to produce safe cities, but while looking at the list, I noticed that in every population category for safest cities, the first or second place city teaches the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. Conversely, none of the most dangerous cities in each population category uses the program.
Although we don’t pretend that DARE is solely responsible for making cities safe, there is no question that DARE is a key component of the comprehensive efforts made by their police departments to achieve these results.
For more than 20 years, DARE has been an important part of community policing by providing positive contacts with the public, creating partnerships between police, parents and teachers and building relationships between the police and kids while teaching them how to avoid drugs and violence. The DARE curriculum is all new, science-based and undergoing the most rigorous research of any drug prevention program in the nation. DARE works.
— Dale Brown, Los Angeles
(The writer is director of regional operations for DARE America. — Editor)
Posted by Andrea Howry at 01:40 PM
June 12, 2007
Spoiled brat syndrome
"Oh my God, that's my baby," screamed the distraught mother of Paris Hilton as the sheriff led her 26-year-old daughter off to spend the next unknown days in jail.
This happened because Mrs. Hilton did not allow her daughter to grow up and learn civility and responsibility, depriving her of tools that parents teach their children.
Paris Hilton is the direct result of overindulgent parents who have failed in their parental responsibilities. When their children get into trouble, it's the fault of law enforcement or the courts, deflecting the blame to others when they themselves have created these little pouting, thumb-sucking, selfish creatures that us ordinary folks have to put up with. Unfortunately there are so many Paris Hiltons amongst us, and parents with the same mentality walk through life believing that giving their child everything is love.
Then there is Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, who has the audacity to make the statement that Paris has become a political football when he is the one who kicked the football to start the game. Baca undoubtedly believes that he himself is above the law. But he has forgotten that the only person who can win a battle with a magistrate is a higher-ranking judge.
Since when is being a spoiled brat a legitimate ailment, a medical disorder? But there is a name for it: the "spoiled brat syndrome."
— Chris Biller, Moorpark
Posted by Andrea Howry at 11:55 AM
New city unnecessary
Re: your June 10 article, “Resident has vision of new city by the sea”:
I had to laugh at Jonathan Ziv’s idea that I should vote to join his new city. Too many people from Los Angeles have moved here and want to create some new trendy name for Oxnard.
The Hollywood Beach area has turned from a cool beach area into boxes built lot line to lot line, and then everyone wants to scream when people visit the area.
The boating center is a prime example. A very small group of sniveling whiners has kept a great boating and education center from being built and want it tossed to the other side of the harbor.
Having lived in the Silver Strand for 16 years before moving to Oxnard Shores, I had attempted to get Ventura County Supervisor John Flynn to fix problems in the beach area. However, unless someone with a camera was going to be there, you won’t see him. Just look at the harbor and see what has happened under his watch.
Now this small group wants everyone in the beach area to buy into their scheme to create some new city.
We in Oxnard Shores have great fire, police and city services. We even get our streets cleaned twice a month.
I can only speak for myself, but the last thing I want is Mr. Ziv’s problems. It’s time John Flynn was replaced, and someone in the county can take over the job and fix what the good dentist wants done.
— Bob Launius, Oxnard
Posted by Andrea Howry at 11:18 AM
Views need protection
Re: Adam Goldstone’s June 11 commentary, “What view is blocked?”
One has to wonder why Mr. Goldstone would be so upset over such a common-sensical approach to view protection. The initiative is similar, though not as restrictive, to what most other California cities have done or are in the process of doing. I understand that when one’s income is tied to development, the suggestion of even the slightest moderation can feel threatening.
In our general plan, however, it states that views to the ocean and hillsides must remain visible. This is a stated and agreed-to goal of our community, though it has not been honored. Ventura’s views are part and parcel of our identity. They attract tourists, new businesses and new residents.
If one wants to see the results of having no protections in place, one need only walk over to the west side of our City Hall and look out the window. Where once our citizens could see the ocean, they are now staring at a building across the street. This constitutes the worst kind of taking from the public. When the city hands over a public view to a private developer for the developer’s personal profit at the public’s loss, it’s a creative version of eminent domain, with the public being the complete loser.
The view protection initiative simply puts the issue on the ballot for Venturans to have a choice as to whether they want view protection. The only folks who seem to object to Venturans having a choice about their views are those who would financially benefit from unhindered development. An economic strategy that relies mainly on commuter construction is short-sighted, not sustainable and it is certainly not green.
We now have a work force in place of more than 30,000 folks who must travel to other cities for work, so the work force is already here. It would be very green to get our Venturans off the freeways and into decent employment here in Ventura, before paving our skies with commuter condos, taking the views from Venturans, to put more people out on the freeways. What’s being built is not even remotely affordable for Venturans, only new commuters. I am sure those new commuter residents would not even be aware that the beautiful views they would have from their third-story condos were taken from the Venturans who already lived here.
View protection is absolutely necessary to preserve our greatest asset prior to paving it over. Look before you build. Have some sensitivity to what already exists. Is that so unreasonable?
— Camille Harris, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 11:08 AM
Emergency room coverup
Re: your June 9 article, “ERs in states of emergency”:
It's amazing that an entire article can be written about overcrowding of emergency rooms and not even once mention the problem of illegal immigration. Here we are in Southern California, and not to think that there's not a link between overcrowded ERs and illegal immigration is intellectually dishonest. Whatever happened to journalistic integrity?
I myself went to an emergency room about five years ago and had an eight-hour wait. Even then it did not occur to me at the time that it had anything to do with illegal immigration. As I look back, I realize that almost everyone in the room was Hispanic.
So, if you're going to write an article about overcrowding ERs, please be honest and exhibit some journalistic integrity and stop pretending that these issues are not related. Whatever your views are on the issue, to pretend that overcrowding of ERs has nothing to do with illegal immigration is dishonest, and The Star owes viewers a much more honest discourse on the subject.
— Mitch Silberman, Thousand Oaks
Posted by Andrea Howry at 10:59 AM
June 11, 2007
Put power plant elsewhere
I was amazed to find out that Oxnard is being targeted again as a dumping ground for pollutants. I was shocked when I heard that there was no environmental impact report for the peaker power plant being proposed just north of Oxnard Shores on Harbor Boulevad in Oxnard.
After years of having the stench of the dump on Victoria Avenue assault Oxnard residents, having the ground contaminated at Fifth Street and Harbor Boulevard by oil companies, having to fight off the proposed polluting and dangerous liquefied natural gas terminal, we are under a pollution attack again by, shockingly, the City of Oxnard. The greed of our city officials is beyond belief. They care nothing about the citizens’ health and well-being, only lining their pockets. Shame on them!
Why should Oxnard have to be polluted again to cover the needs of Cucamonga at peak electricity demands? The plant will not serve Oxnard. Although the city of Oxnard did not require an environmental impact report, Edison's own literature speaks about the emission of nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and ammonia stored in tanks on the site. What if the plant is built and fails to achieve the promised emission reduction? With prevailing winds from ocean to land, any emissions generated are unacceptable.
When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger terminated the experimental floating LNG terminal proposed by BHP Billiton, he said that any LNG facility must meet standards California requires to improve air quality and protect its coast resources. This project does neither!
— Mickey Miele, Oxnard
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:09 PM
Grass is always greener
Re: Carol Lindsey’s June 11 letter, “Mall needs better shops”:
I enjoyed this letter. The writer complained that there were not enough expensive shops at the Pacific View mall, and that Robinson’s-May will be replaced by the second Target in a few blocks. This indicates that the folks who are expected to shop there are not rich and enjoy discounts. And, as she said, if you can afford $3 or more per gallon, you can always drive to Santa Barbara and Simi and Thousand Oaks, which have very expensive shops.
The funny thing is, I talk to folks from Santa Barbara who drive to Oxnard and Ventura to shop, as they prefer Fry’s, Target and other less expensive shops! There is even a wonderful senior craft shop on Main Street near California Street that features handmade items at very reasonable prices. You won't find these buys in Santa Barbara, either!
— Jeri Boeing, Oxnard
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:00 PM
Blast from the past
Re: Alan Rosin’s June 11 letter, “How are commentators chosen?”
I was excited to see that part of my fan club still remembers me. It has been 15 years since I have written for a newspaper, but apparently I have not been forgotten.
Mr. Rosin brings up a point about fairness but, in the case of The Star, I think he is wrong. I have found The Star to be fairly balanced. They seem to try and give most viewpoints equal time.
As for me, my disillusionment came in the mid-1990s. I always felt that if the Republicans could gain control of Congress and some “conservatives” could get a little control of radio and television, things might get better.
Unfortunately, the Republicans had their chance when they gained control of Congress, and nothing got better. It was the same stuff that Democrats did: high spending, big deficits and big government.
Then came Fox News. I am convinced that the two biggest boobs on television are Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity. Couple them with Rush Limbaugh and you have the making of a new “Three Stooges.”
In my opinion, these three have done more to hurt so-called conservative causes than anyone else. They are a mean, nasty bunch of egotists and name-callers. They are not commentators; rather they are advocates who take their talking points from the Republican National Committee.
Maybe someday you will all realize that Jack Kocienski wasn’t all that bad.
— Jack Kocienski, Port Hueneme
Posted by Andrea Howry at 10:58 AM
County worker wants more
Re: your June 6 article, “County, union far apart on salary”:
I work for the Ventura County Public Health Department as a smoking cessation facilitator. We also provide the residents of Ventura County with free nicotine replacement therapy products and provide prevention education throughout the schools in Ventura County, both the private and public sectors alike.
There is nothing that causes more death and disease in the United States than tobacco smoking. More than 430,000 Americans die each year from diseases due to smoking. That's more deaths than are caused by alcohol, cocaine, heroin, car accidents, homicides, suicides, fires and AIDS combined! Prevention is a great way to save our county money.
I'm a retired Navy Reserve veteran with 23 years of duty — 12 years of active duty and 11 years of reserve duty. I'm only earning $11.30 per hour. I wish I could say my wage is due to a lack of college education, but it is not. I hold a bachelor’s degree in sociology. It is an honor to be a public servant and to serve the marginalized and underserved population.
Our county executive officer, Johnny Johnston, has received a 45 percent increase in his salary over the last five years, and that's OK. What isn't OK is his feelings expressed in The Star: “He said that although he sympathizes with the workers' desire for better pay, the budget he has proposed for the coming fiscal year has no room for the sort of raises they're demanding.”
Then why are many managers and directors currently receiving 9 percent to 17 percent wage increases if the CEO is fiscally concerned?
I am asking for community support on this issue. Call your Board of Supervisors and let them know that all Ventura County employees deserve real raises. You can find out who your county supervisor is by logging onto www.ventura.org.
— Carolyn Lucille Consoli, Camarillo
Posted by Andrea Howry at 10:50 AM
June 08, 2007
Don’t eliminate DARE
Re: your June 7 article, “Last Moorpark DARE graduation”:
I would like to express my deep concerns. I am a 20-year resident of Moorpark and have two children who have graduated from the DARE Program under the guidance of Deputy Tim Lohman.
After attending the City Council meeting June 6, I learned our school board had requested the DARE program be eliminated from the elementary schools, in favor of funding a full-time school resource officer at the high school. Since the City Council has been funding the DARE program for the past several years, it voted to accommodate the school board’s wish and redirect the funding, thereby abandoning the needs of the elementary students.
Families like ours have clearly been remiss in not expressing our past appreciation to the city, the school district and the Sheriff's Department for providing this extremely worthwhile service to our children. Maybe if the school board had been aware that so many families in Moorpark found this program to be an invaluable tool, they may have not felt compelled to discontinue it. I believe that fifth grade is the perfect time to introduce the concept of drug and alcohol resistance and healthy lifestyle choices. Waiting until late middle school or high school to try to impart substance abuse information to kids would be completely missing a delicate window of opportunity.
I would like to commend Deputy Lohman for his gentle and nonthreatening approach to teaching the children of Moorpark.
I urge the families of Moorpark to contact the school board to voice their opinions regarding the DARE program. I request the City Council reconsider funding this extremely valuable service to Moorpark children. You can contact Ellen Smith, superintendent of schools, at 378-6300 or e-mail the City Council at moorpark@ci.moorpark.ca.us.
— Barb McFadden, Moorpark
Posted by Andrea Howry at 11:10 AM
More gun laws unnecessary
Re: your June 6 article, “Port Hueneme to consider gun law”:
Does the Port Hueneme City Council really think this will do any good for their city at all? There are already laws against straw purchases, so having another one would seem redundant.
To go even further, I would point out the police would love to have better crime-fighting tools. It is the job of the City Council and the mayor to see that they are kept in check and not allowed to trample the right of the citizens who pay their salaries.
When the council chooses to restrict our rights rather that enhance them, it is our job to tell them otherwise.
The Ventura County supervisors told us when they eliminated the shooting range in Ventura that they would try to find another place for a range. We have heard nothing from them since. Given the liberal slant of most of them, I do not expect them to take it up anytime soon.
Let’s try to educate the public rather than simply passing another law that will do no good. Less government is better than more.
— Joe Haynes, Oxnard
Posted by Andrea Howry at 10:58 AM
Mall needs better shops
I was hoping the rumors of Target going into the Pacific View mall were false, but I guess that's what we're going to get. Where is the imagination? Do we really need two Target stores?
You can make it two, three or four stories and it's going to be the same. Since I moved to Ventura a long time ago, I've waited for the mall to become someplace I want to shop. I don't think Macy's should be our high-end store for shopping. Thank goodness we have the choice of going to Santa Barbara, Simi Valley Town Center, The Oaks or the Promenade at Woodland Hills — now those are what you call good shopping malls.
— Carol Lindsey, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:59 AM
Beauties and the beasts
If anyone is actually surprised that Paris Hilton got out of jail so quickly, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell. I guess it's really true that if you are young, rich and pretty, there are different standards of treatment. Ordinary citizens would have ended up in a medical ward at the jail if they were really “sick.”
— Roberta A. Orvis, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:55 AM
How are commentators chosen?
What are the criteria by which The Star's Opinion section selects local area commentators?
There seems to be some balance in the national commentators and features that The Star provides, and the Opinion section, at least, has Richard Larsen in it. But beginning many years ago with Jack Kozinski (you can see how long I have been reading The Star) and continuing, until recently, with George Sjostrom and now Terry Paulson, The Star provides a feature/editorial page forum — much larger than letters to the editor — only for what seems conservative, even religious, local periodic commentators. Why is this? Where is the local balance? Where are the nonconservative, nonreligious viewpoints from local community members?
Seriously, what are the criteria for selection of these local commentators? What are their unusual and special credentials? Are they merely friends or acquaintances of the Opinion page editor? Surely, someone can enunciate the criteria for me.
— Alan Rosin, Camarillo
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:53 AM
Enforce current laws
Forget immigration reform — been there, done that! Just enforce the laws already on the books. Nothing else is needed. This will save untold millions of dollars and lives!
— Don Schweitzer, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:46 AM
Cut firefighters some slack
Re: your June 7 article, “Details emerge on fire station photo shoot”:
Could you have written and published any more of a “non-story” than this? Our brave firefighters cavorted and had a laugh with some scantily clad ladies from a nearby — and perfectly legal — business, all in the testosterone-enriched environment of a fire station. And they interviewed 17 different people and got more than one version of the story? Anyone who is surprised by any of this must be from a different planet. Also, it must have been a really slow news day.
In the future, please give our courageous and hard-working firefighters, police officers and paramedics a major break and focus instead on some local politicians or some easier targets.
— David N. Cook, Oxnard
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:44 AM
DARE helps kids
Re: Patrick Hunter’s June 6 commentary, “Eliminating DARE an unwise decision”:
I found myself agreeing with all Mr. Hunter stated. I am a fifth-grade teacher at Glenwood Elementary School in Thousand Oaks, and my students have completed the 10-week Drug Abuse and Resistance Education program taught by a Ventura County deputy this past year.
This is a wonderful program that has been offered to fifth- and/or sixth-grade students for many years. I was disheartened to hear that the program is at risk of being cut.
I am writing to ask for community support, or, at the very least, that the decision-makers take a second look at what this program does before any decision is made to end it. This program teaches about drugs and their side effects, and the students also discuss peer pressure and how to, with confidence, turn away from the negative peer pressure they will surely be confronted with in the future.
With that said, I have to say that the most important thing that happens throughout this program is that the students begin to build a trusting relationship with a community leader in working with a deputy. Often times, this may be the only positive connection students will have with a police officer.
As Mr. Hunter stated in his article, “Those who made the decision to cancel the DARE program should have first attended a DARE graduation to see for themselves the sense of pride and accomplishment displayed on the face of a child after he/she pledged to live a life free from drugs and violence.”
For my students, I would be very sorry to see this program end. To those making this decision, please reconsider.
— Rose McManama, Thousand Oaks
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:41 AM
Justice, Los Angeles style
Re: your June 8 article, “Hilton ordered back to court after release”:
I wonder why our children don't respect the justice system. I wonder why they openly flaunt authority. Could it be that they know we have different tiers of justice, depending on who the person is? A poor girl from East Los Angeles who violated probation like Paris Hilton did would have served 45 days in jail. So now we have her “locked up" in a penthouse suite, and I am willing to bet that she will get caught violating that sentence.
I can understand how the Los Angeles County sheriff involved in this would do what he did. Who wouldn't want his name on a billionaire’s lips?
The real loser, besides those of us who actually obey the law, is poor Judge Michael T. Sauer, who was publicly castrated. Those "you are no different from anybody else" admonitions from the bench must seem pretty foolish right now.
The only thing that I can draw comfort from in this mess is the knowledge that justice is still for sale in Los Angeles. Yes, some things never change.
— Ron Hawley, Simi Valley
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:32 AM
Arts Plaza has costs, too
Re: your June 7 article, “Civic Arts Plaza fuels economic engine”:
This article on the money Thousand Oaks gets from the events held at the Civic Arts Plaza didn't mention the millions of dollars that went to architects, designers, contractors and attorneys for all the repairs necessary to fix all the roof leaks and traffic flow problems. It is clear the parties involved with the decision-making while planning and building what I think is a very unattractive complex were unqualified at best. While the teenage baby-sitters may be cashing in, as the article points out, the people of Thousand Oaks are paying the price.
— Tim Daugherty, Newbury Park
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:28 AM
Day laborer site wastes money
During the budget study session for the city of Thousand Oaks’ next two fiscal years beginning July 1, it was determined that the city is spending more than it is taking in, resulting in a recommendation to use $40 million in reserve funds. Mayor Andy Fox is quoted as saying, "Revenues and expenditures have come to a collision point." Fox has recommended community study sessions to help the city keep pace and stay ahead of the problem and bringing in financial experts to participate in the sessions.
I find it absolutely unbelievable that Mayor Fox and the City Council have the audacity to "sound the alarm" about the city spending more than it's taking in. This, coming from a City Council that fully champions the misspending of almost $100,000 per year of our tax monies to maintain a day laborer site off Hampshire Road — a day laborer site that is unwanted by the vast majority of the taxpaying citizens of Thousand Oaks.
We, the public, will have a chance to speak on this topic during a public hearing session of the City Council meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. This is the perfect opportunity for all of us who are opposed to having almost $100,000 of our tax dollars misspent like this each year to speak up! I encourage everyone opposed to this type of blatant corrosive spending and fiduciary irresponsibility by our City Council to attend the meeting and share their thoughts directly with our City Council members on this topic!
— Dawn Williams, Thousand Oaks
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:24 AM
Thousand Oaks not safe
As long as Planned Parenthood is performing abortions here in Thousand Oaks, we no longer can consider ourselves to be one of America's safest cities. If the smallest among us, the unborn, are being killed at Planned Parenthood — or any other abortion facility, for that matter — then how can we truly say that Thousand Oaks is a safe city? If it is not safe for some, then it is not safe for all.
— Noel D'Angelo, Thousand Oaks
Posted by Andrea Howry at 09:02 AM
June 07, 2007
U.S. needs Muslim agents
I was at first pleased that the billions spent on homeland security by this administration paid off in that loyal American Muslims were actively engaged as informants in protecting our country. It later developed that, were it not for a convicted addict seeking a reduced sentence, all those billions would go for naught, and we are more vulnerable than ever.
A note to our intelligence community: Openly solicit loyal American Muslims to act as agents to prevent terror originating in their own communities. This will have a threefold benefit:
— We might actually get some of them to perform this vital task.
— It will emphasize to the world and to the Muslims that their faith is in conflict with democratic values.
— It will cause chaos within their ranks in that they will become suspicious of each other, impeding their ability to formulate and implement terrorist attacks.
— Bernard Lehrer, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:52 PM
Bring in Dr. Death
Since the state of California cannot seem to come up with a “humane” way to end the life of death row inmates, I suggest we hire Dr. Jack Kevorkian to do what doctors and psychiatrists have been unable to do for more than a year now. “Dr. Death” to the rescue, and we taxpayers stop providing room and board for those due to die long ago.
— Sharon Welty, Oxnard
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:44 PM
Libby’s crimes not victimless
Re: Dan K. Thomasson's June 2 commentary, "Does prosecutor have vendetta against Libby?"
Mr. Thomasson is having trouble understanding what Scooter Libby has done to special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald to make him so angry. It may be easier to understand if some facts that were accidentally left out of the commentary are included in the discussion.
The administration reported that Iraq needed to be brought under control because Saddam Hussein was a madman in possession of weapons of mass destruction. This information was the fuel that propelled us into an illegal occupation in Iraq. The CIA was involved, but it is not known to what extent. It is now known that the WMD pitch was a lie, but concocted by whom? Fitzgerald attempted to find out, but couldn’t because Libby was “obstructing justice and lying” while under oath.
Thomasson states, “There are crimes and there are crimes.” We are talking about crimes at possibly the highest levels of the executive branch. Doesn’t every American want to get to the bottom of this?
Libby may feel “wrongly prosecuted,” but who was manipulating his mouth when he was lying to Congress? The majority of Americans do not feel that he was.
To a number of families, this was not a “victimless noncrime” — to more than 3,000 families, for a matter of fact.
— Al Knestaut, Ventura
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:38 PM
Is another Cold War coming?
When we look at history, we can see that the personalities involved in disputes were one of the deciding factors as to the outcome of the disputes. In our current situation, we have a president who is belligerent and arrogant, which creates much resentment worldwide.
Now, President Bush wants to install a missile shield defense system in Eastern Europe, and Russian President Vladimir Putin objects. President Bush declares, "The Cold War is over," just as he is prepared to start it anew.
The distrust between the United States and Russia is deep-seated and has its own history. President Bush's missile defense system is untried and is designed to deal with a problem that does not exist. The Europeans are not clamoring for this "protection." An accurate reading of relations between the United States and Russia could easily predict Putin's response.
It is interesting that President Bush brings this proposal to the table just before the Group of Eight summit. Here, he was going to face determined opposition to his new plan to reduce global warming, which was a transparent attempt to undermine the European initiatives in this area. With his emphasis on the missile defense system, he is changing the focus of the G8 summit and trying to focus the attention on Putin for overreacting.
To the people on the left who think George Bush is unintelligent, I say: Reassess your views. Here is a president who has known what he wanted to do every step of the way. It is my sincere hope that he is not allowed to do any more damage to our nation's standing in the world prior to his leaving office.
— Dennis Daneau, Ojai
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:30 PM
God didn’t do it
In the third "debate" among Republican candidates, Rudy Giuliani exposed a stunning misunderstanding of history and the theology of his own religion. He said, "We have great gifts in this country that come to us from God. We have a country in which we have freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom for the individual, the right to elect our own officials."
Freedom of religion a gift from God? The god of Christianity promises the most horrible punishment for all eternity if you don't worship him. Giuliani's own church burned thousands of people at the stake to prevent freedom of religion. Freedom of religion is not a gift from God, it is the fruit of a hard-learned lesson from James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and the other Founding Fathers who looked back on centuries of religious warfare in Europe. To judge from the pandering avowals of faith and breast-beating piety from the political podium, we're in danger of forgetting that lesson.
— Brent Meeker, Camarillo
Posted by Andrea Howry at 12:13 PM
Student transfers under review
Re: your May 27 editorial, "Fillmore puts caps over kids”:
I am writing to applaud the Ventura County Board of Education for its willingness to reconsider interdistrict transfer appeals filed by Fillmore parents.
After hours of arduous study of the State Education Code, two local attorneys have clarified the issues surro