Letters
02/23/2012
LNG Companies undermine American economy
After decades of being under the thumb of OPEC, America is now poised to be able to call some of its own shots on energy policy. This is due to recent discoveries of domestic natural gas reserves that could give us a 100-year supply. This supply could allow us to move away from imported petroleum products and more-polluting coal-fired electrical power plants.These discoveries have resulted in a big decrease in current prices of natural gas. The savings have helped many individual consumers, manufacturers, power supply companies and our national balance of payments.
But wait. Before we can start to run with this incredible stroke of good luck, we must deal with a plan to reverse our potential gains. LNG companies have a plan to undermine the American economy by exporting liquefied natural gas to foreign nations. Indeed, some of the same companies who once claimed that by importing LNG they were in effect importing jobs now seek to export our jobs.
Exportation of domestic supplies of natural gas seems to be in direct conflict with every interest of our country. Unfortunately, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has already acted to allow one plant and has several more in the pipeline.
These plans have an immediate impact upon Californians, as newly constructed pipelines designed to bring natural gas from Wyoming to us will instead divert supplies to Coos Bay, Ore., to be exported as LNG.
Ventura County should be forewarned that it may once again be targeted as a site for massive LNG facilities, but this time aimed at exportation of LNG.
FERC has completed a study that shows a 54 percent increase in natural gas prices. It could be worse. Meanwhile, all of the environmental impacts of drilling for natural gas and constructing thousands of miles of high-pressure pipelines benefit foreign economies.
Many of the proposed areas for natural-gas drilling are some of America’s most beautiful places, like the Wind River Range in Wyoming, Valle Vidal and Otero Mesa in New Mexico. Impacts to these areas hardly seem justifiable when tied to domestic uses of the gas produced. But the sacrifice made becomes outrageous when all benefits go to LNG purveyors and foreign nations.
Obviously, there is a need for revision of state and national energy policies. Just as important is a requirement for local jurisdictions to construct planning documents that do not allow construction of LNG projects for exportation.
Earlier projects have already taught us that current loopholes in local planning documents are large enough to sail a supertanker through. Coastal communities like Oxnard and Ventura and the county must revise general plans and local coastal plans to prevent reconsideration of Ventura County for LNG projects.
In the end, all of the economic evidence presented by the LNG companies in support of importation of LNG proved to be untrue. There is no reason to expect anything better as they try to persuade us that it is in our interest to export our finite domestic supplies of natural gas.
President, Ormond Beach Observers
Oxnard
It’s simple, really
All the Republican candidates want to cut taxes on the rich, even beyond what Bush did. They want to deregulate industries, protect greedy corporations and predatory banks, and repeal the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau). Republicans not only want to protect and increase defense spending, they’re searching for the next reason to go to war. Their answer to government is to privatize it.
They want to soak the poor and seniors. They’ve sabotaged the economy and engaged in unprecedented union busting.
They believe outsourcing American jobs is a good thing and neglecting America’s infrastructure will help the country’s long-term economic health.
They not only deny climate change, but advocate policies that would destroy the environment, which includes gutting the EPA.
They attack women, gays, undocumented immigrants and Muslims and create straw men to knock down.
They want to repeal health care reform and destroy Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.
They scapegoat the unemployed and search for reasons to deny Americans the right to vote.
They believe buying elections is the American way.
Republicans are the party of destruction and greed. Period.
Democrats believe in the common good, government and science.
There’s no comparison. Vote for Democrats. It’s that easy.
Ventura
Keep the cuts fair
At a time when budgets are tight, and programs and services in our community are being cut back, the Pentagon budget keeps getting bigger.
The secretary of defense announced on Jan. 6 that he plans to slow the rate of growth for the Pentagon budget; but even under this proposal, in 10 years the Pentagon budget would still be bigger than it is today.
I hope that our members of Congress will stick with the current law, which requires the Pentagon to cut its budget by nearly $1 trillion over the next decade — twice what the secretary is proposing.
Over the last decade, the Pentagon budget has grown by 100 percent. Some of that growth was to pay for the wars, but a lot of it went right into the Pentagon budget. Right now, we are all having to cut back. The Pentagon should have to as well.
Camarillo
New rule just for Mitt Romney
Since Mitt Romney enjoys offshore accounts in the Caymans, evades taxes through Swiss banking, finds pleasure in outsourcing jobs and firing people, believes that the only way African Americans can get into heaven is if they are “sealed to a white as a slave,” and thinks corporations are people, while he doesn’t care about the poor — I have a new rule, ESPECIALLY for the privileged Mitt Romney:
He must, as a requirement, change his name to “McMoney” before he can begin treating us as his subjects and accept the nomination by his Royal Republican Party for the office of president (or, in his words, “the next CEO”) of the United States.
(This letter to the editor has been paid for by no one but the thoughts of a nurse, sick and tired of the privileged 1 percent at the expense of the rest of us.)
Ventura
From the web
Ode to Ormond
RE: Ormond Beach, the beautiful problem (Cover feature, 1/26)
There are riches that cannot be counted.
There is the dune-dusted estuary of the dream-giving Santa Clara River.
There is the tectonic grandeur of the sunset-hued striations of the Topa Topa Ridge.
There are the emerald oceans of green which separate and bind us with our sister communities.
There is the urban wilderness of the Santa Monica Mountains where the cougar and coyote and hawk hold sway.
There are the memories of the Blue Dolphin People traversing the wind-swept Channel in their painted, hand-hewn tomols to the pristine magnificence of Anacapa where we might also stand where they stood and imagine.
And resting uneasy at the apex of this crown of jewels is the most splendid treasure of all, Ormond Beach and her wetlands, where we can witness nature restored and, in turn, be ourselves restored. Our vision, made real, will be given to our children and their children.
And they will know that there are, indeed, riches that cannot be counted.
Re: New law changes checkpoint impound standards
A blatant dismissal of facts
So many things, so little space. (News feature, 2/2)
First, Jose, you are automatically charged with a DUI if you have a BAC of .08 or above. That means you were already guilty when you gave the first breath sample. You can still be charged even if you are below 0.08 if you fail the field sobriety test badly enough. I have absolutely no sympathy for you, a drunk driver, regardless of immigration status.
Second, Mr. Gabriel, you know that illegal immigrants were not being targeted. The evidence for the police placing checkpoints only in areas of high concentration of DUI crashes and arrests has been out there for years. They show up in Hispanic neighborhoods, business districts, industrial areas and everywhere else DUI is concentrated. You are refusing to acknowledge a hard, factual truth.
No license, no car
RE: News feature, 2/2
It all boils down to “If I’m an illegal immigrant I don’t have to obey the laws!” That is what Todo Poder is saying. This law doesn’t apply to the poor “illegal” immigrant. BS, there is no gray area; don’t drive if you’re not licensed and insured. I don’t really care what your immigration status is, I don’t care what race or religion you are or anything else you have going for you; if you drive without a license, you should lose your car until you get one. If you can’t get one, then don’t drive.
There is really not much more to say.
Break the law, but no justice
“Now I will be more comfortable to go through a checkpoint, and if they try to take my car just because I don’t have a license, I will say, ‘Sorry, you can’t take my car, sir!’ ” he said with enthusiasm.
“Just because”?
Sorry, but if anyone is unlicensed, they shouldn’t be driving.
What is the point of everyone else following the law and getting licensed, when there is no penalty for those who don’t?
And Jose’s enthusiasm at being able to thumb his nose at the law is just wrong.
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