Problem is government waste
03/12/2009
History is set to repeat itself, again. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009 that is being debated in Washington has all the hallmarks of a classic déjà vu. Last year the federal government sent out rebate checks in an attempt to stimulate the economy. It also dumped huge sums of money into failing Wall Street banks and insurance firms.
Both had no effect. It’s long past time that central planners learned that throwing good money after bad will not stimulate the economy. We must instead cut taxes, reform burdensome regulation and eliminate government waste. It is not until we pay attention to our past history of stimulus failures that we can begin to move toward the future.
Mike Cosentino, Simi Valley
Wright for the environment
In this age of seeking to become green, one aspect of the Wright Library has been overlooked, and that is that it is quite green. With its close proximity to various schools, it is possible to walk or bike to the Wright Library, thus eliminating numerous car trips.
For those parents who drive their children to the various schools in the area, it is possible to combine the trip to the library on the same trip to pick the children up from school, eliminating an extra car trip. The same is true for trips to the Pacific View Mall from a great many home areas in the east end of Ventura.
The Wright Library is easily a trip on the way to the mall or a visit to many of the doctors’ and dentists’ offices on Loma Vista Road. Even a library located farther east of the Wright facility won’t have the same green effect that the Wright Library serendipitously has by its location.
Charles Voigtsberger, Ventura
Grateful for Runkle Canyon crusader
I sincerely want to thank you for featuring the articles of Michael Collins, who has been of tremendous importance to all of the concerned citizens who have been trying for years to get the poisonous Santa Susana Field Laboratory cleaned up.
Collins has become amazingly expert in this complex field, far beyond that of a typical reporter. Over the years, he has also been of unceasing and invaluable support to all of the environmental experts, who have been up against a wealthy corporation and, often, very manipulative testing companies.
We thank you most gratefully for featuring Collins’ articles and hope that you will continue to do so. You are very lucky to have his expertise and award-winning talent to present to your readers.
Margery Brown, Chatsworth
Propaganda building for Iran
Once again, the Hawks of War are at it again, imposing on our fear and declaring that Iran has enough nuclear material to make a bomb. How many more cry-wolf stories will this nation swallow?
First, Bush turned a criminal act by a small group of people into a war on terror. This was followed by needless invasions of two sovereign nations. He declared that Iraq would come to our nation “in the form of a mushroom cloud,” implying an imminent threat that never existed.
Obama doesn’t know how to reverse these ‘wolfian’ tendencies. He hires Richard Holbrooke, the Darth Vader of foreign policy (Vietnam, East Timor, Balkans) to raise troop levels for a prolonged war, which will only waste and drain more money from our economy.
So does Iran have a nuclear weapon? We know it doesn’t have enough centrifuges to make one. We know it is even 10 years away from nuclear power development. It has not aggressively attacked any nation in over 1,000 years and isn’t interested in changing that policy. And this year, the Iranian council has voted to allow inspection of all nuclear sites by the I.A.E.A. (Please google: i.a.e.a. United Nations, report on Iran, 2008, or ctva, Iran, nuclear weapons).
Yet it is our country that is aggressively in everybody’s business and spreading weapons around the world, and acting as bullies. Wake up, folks, the pot is calling the kettle black.
And so, the hawks are at the door once again crying wolf. Will the lemmings, trembling inside, again believe them? Grantpeacenurse726@gmail.com”
Grant Marcus, Ventura
The facts about the Petit homes
Before you wrote your story you should have checked your facts.
The city did not buy the land from the county, the county turned over the land to the city.
The buildings being destroyed were rebuilt/restored by a drug rehab center for women, Rainbow House, in the 1980s.
After the county turned over the property, the city charged the ladies at Rainbow House $2,000 in rent for buildings that did not cost the city anything.
The city wanted the Farm Heritage Museum to occupy that portion of the park. Due in part to public outcry, the people at the Farm Heritage Museum backed out.
The city did not maintain the buildings. The roof had numerous leaks while being occupied by the ladies.
The ladies were forced out of business when the city did not build the replacement facilities in a timely fashion. It took the city four years and the taxpayers $2 million to provide similar facilities.
Larry Stein, Oxnard
Editor’s note: Timeline facts were taken from a story done by the Reporter, Endangered Heritage, 6/12/08
Shock of euthanasia stats
Thank you so much for writing this powerful touching article (News, 2/24).
I was completely taken aback by the number of euthanasia cases on pets (especially horses) and that we have come to this level to try to resolve our financial hardships. I’m sure for these pet owners this must be an incredibly difficult decision to make. However, taking your animal’s life shouldn’t be the extreme measure we should ever consider as Murphree suggested.
Kana Miyata, Santa Barbara
[Regarding the horse rescue: To make a donation or to volunteer, go to calcoastalhorserescue.com]
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