Traitors of America

As a six-year veteran of the armed forces I wish to offer my opinion on the fundraising and side show that was being presented a few weeks ago for traitors of America.

In my opinion, anyone giving money to see Susan Rosenberg (“Combating torture,” News, 4/7) should have their head examined.

Susan Rosenberg was arrested with more than 700 pounds of explosives. Was she just going to blow up flowers or was she going to maim and kill innocent Americans? Any money given to support Bradley Manning should be consider a crime; his actions cost American and foreign lives.

He as well as the other clowns in this show are traitors to America.

Thadius T. Jefferies
Oxnard

A much needed wake up call
Concerning this whole business of Wikileaks and Bradley Manning being tortured in a U.S. prison. (“Combating torture,” News, 4/7) This is such a classic case of “blame the victim,” which seems to be something the corporate oligarchy has an easy time convincing some Americans, especially tea partiers, to do.  

First, a soldier is lied to by his government and sent off to fight a war on false pretenses; then, when he has the courage to speak out with the truth, he is victimized again. Instead of the perpetrators of the lies (the Bush White House) being punished, the soldier is again punished. Only now he’s even tortured, the very thing that the U.S. Government is so against in the “enemy’s” country.

Where is the sanity or justice in that? Some people get upset because they claim that some troops might get hurt because of this airing of the truth. But in this case, that has not proven to be so. However, when the Bush White House, with Scooter Libby as the fall guy, exposed undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame because her husband exposed the Bush bunch’s lies about Iraq having nuclear weapons fuel, people were hurt. This was an act of pure revenge and evil, with no good intentions.

It is a far cry from an act of trying to wake people up to the deceit they are being fed daily. As our country increasingly becomes dominated by a corporate oligarchy that easily manipulates the “tea partiers” to vote against their own best interests in favor of the super wealthy, one can’t help but wonder what it will take to wake people up.

And how many people will have to be tortured before people start to speak out against it?

Susan Williamson
Ojai

Water rate increase imminent?
The $2 million pipe break: July 12, 2009, California American Water Company had a water pipe break in Las Posas Estates. The mismanaged supervision of the water-line repair became lengthy, very costly and a completely uncalled-for boondoggle.

The pipe break took months to repair, water pressure was out of control for weeks, and now, almost two years later has not been restored to normal operation and continues to cause problems. The high water pressure caused much damage: broken pipes, blown water heaters, damaged clothes washers and water damage. This damage caused to customers was paid for by California American Water Company’s insurance provider.

Public utilities are allowed to operate on a cost-plus system permitting them to charge a percentage above their cost as a profit. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved California American Water Company charging over $1.9 million as the expense for this repair. Not included are the thousands of dollars its insurance provider paid to those who had damage.

In addition to the $1.9 million, its insurance rates are sure to increase, which will be included with its other inflated cost to increases its profit. Starting May 10, the CPUC will begin hearing California American Water Company’s request for a large rate increase, in some cases as high as 46 percent. California American Water’s parent company reported a $267.8 million net profit for 2010 and is forecasting a much higher return for 2011.

Unless people object to this high rate increase, it will probably be approved by the CPUC. Be sure to reference CPUC Rate Case No. 10-07-007 in any correspondence. The California American Water Company only serves a small section of the Las Posas Estates but is a major supplier to the Thousand Oaks area, and this rate increase will have a huge effect on Ventura County.

Donald Hollingsworth
Camarillo

A unique perspective
While employed, last fall I decided to start living in my SUV. I became a sort of homeless homo.

Not having a college education, during my first 10 years of my adulthood, I’ve been employed in dead-end, low-paying jobs. Last year, I was making more than I ever had made previously – quite a bit more than minimum wage. Having health coverage for the first time in years, I spent a lot of money catching up on dental work and attending to health issues that had been neglected. Because of my medical expenses and despite living frugally, I could never save up any money.

I wanted to buy a vehicle, but I was reluctant to start financing in this economy. If I got laid off or fired, I’d likely face repossession. I then decided to buy a cheap vehicle and live out of it for a while. I was going to save up a good down payment for a better vehicle and live out of the new vehicle until I finished paying it off.

I then bought a used SUV. After giving my 30-day notice, two days before I was to begin living in my vehicle, I fracture my elbows after running and tripping. More medical expenses!

I stayed with family while recovering for a month and a half. After that, the doctors let me return to work and I began living in the SUV. About a month and a half later, I got laid off. Thank goodness I did not finance a new vehicle.

Additionally, I spent much of those first 10 years of my adulthood as an activist working for equal rights and to better the LGBT community in my hometown. I started the first visible LGBT group in the very anti-gay Yuba-Sutter area (north of Sacramento) and was employed as a volunteer recruiter and trainer with NO on 8.

Though I am certainly not entitled to anything for my efforts, as the It Gets Better campaign was in full force while I was planning to move into my vehicle, I couldn’t help but wonder when exactly it gets better. Where are the gay mentors to help someone like me – an always sober/drug-free activist who’s demonstrated a passion for helping the LGBT community? Where’s our LGBT community safety net of looking out for each other? I began to wish I had the body to be a stripper or porn star. Then perhaps I wouldn’t be so disposable to my LGBT community.

In the meantime, at jeff4justice.com, I began vlogging and making skit videos about my experience as a homeless homo living in my SUV. I’ve come to realize that my survival instinct and love for humanity drive me to preserve as both an activist and as a person struggling to make it in this world. No matter how bumpy the ride, I keep on.

Jeff Girard
Sleeping in his car in Ventura

Big, really big family
Imagine you had a really large family. And imagine that every time you turned around, there was another family need, responsibility or occasion that you felt drawn to respond to. Grampa needs a ride to his chiropractic appointment. Your niece is getting married —shop for gift — pick up tux, rehearsal, bachelorette party, wedding and reception. Aunt Tori is dealing with cancer; send a card, make a call, discuss possibility of a visit, reflect on her life and the meaning of life. … And tomorrow is Liel’s birthday …

Not recognizing and responding to these family needs has consequences. A simple lack of planning ahead also has consequences.

In this world, there is no need for anyone to simply imagine. We all do ... have a really large family: humankind. We are members of communities, states, nations and are citizens of the world. Not recognizing and responding to these family members has consequences. A simple lack of planning ahead also has consequences.

My Mom and Dad raised us to know that others in the world were important, but their actions showed me that their real focus and attention was on the well-being of our nuclear family. As I grew, raised a family, and got older, I cared about others, but put almost all of my effort into the well-being of my nuclear family.

I am drawn today to think and write about families, the boundaries that we imagine and live, and the allocation of our efforts during our lives because of a recent, even literal, watershed event. A couple of weeks ago, the Ventura City Council voted 6-0 not to annex the North Ventura Avenue area, nor Cañada Larga area, that had been proposed, if not pushed, for development, i.e., building and expansion. In the minds of a number of residents of Ventura and Ventura County, the annexation of North Ventura Avenue or Canada Larga would have been unsustainable, unecological; a clear step on the road to mirroring the sprawl and unlivability of Los Angeles, here in Ventura County.

But it was not the minds of the residents that helped to guide the Ventura City Council to this 6-0 vote; it was the actions of these same people who organized, planned, communicated and came to City Council meetings. These people came out, stood up and spoke up because they don’t need to read this essay. They already know their large family, know the consequences of not responding, and chose to plan ahead.

If you have appetite for a little more, I would highly recommend the following essay by Steve Sprinkel, Ojai organic farmer, really big family man, and visionary planner-activist for our future. http://tinyurl.com/3awc629

Kristofer Young, D.C.
Ventura