Letters to the Editor
February 03, 2012
Opinion
Journalistic contempt?
To the Editor:
Re: Re-election of Barack Obama
It appears that the majority of the American media has a problem reporting the political news responsibly and factually. All the aspiring GOP presidential candidates are portrayed as inept, scandalous, corrupt, uncaring, disingenuous, greedy and undeserving. Yet, the present occupant in the White House has enjoyed the favor of most network television coverage; Barack Obama can do no wrong! The unemployment picture and the American economy are bleak but you’d think everything was rosy in the eyes of the Associated Press. Is there that much contempt for the general public or are we perceived as stupid just as the GOP candidates?
Andrew F. Castaneda
Santa Paula
“Big government”
To the Editor:
Re: N. Remensperger & W. Allee Opinion S.P. Times 1/20/2012
The public utility companies such as SCE are installing expensive “contraptions” such as the ones described in Remensperger’s letter due to energy conservation concerns. Ms. Remensperger is rightfully complaining about these meters as many more people may arise to the occasion; however the damage has been done. The utility companies have been pressured by over-reaching government mandates, regulations, rules and policy and this is a perfect example of “big government”. Remensperger’s letter gave many examples of her alleged health concerns but the content of her letter also illustrates how individuals and organizations band together and lobby elected government officials to implement rules and regulations that eventually tamper with the everyday tranquility of our lives. Individuals who believe the government regulations are the key to our happiness only invite the unintended consequences that certainly come out of government involvement. Remensperger goes onto mentioning the beehives that were affected by the PG & E smart meters, now this is a good example of how environmental zealots bring out the “pitchforks” and demand government intrusion into our lives. The energy savings coming from the meter as well as the health concerns are debatable and certainly out of my area of expertise but there is no doubt that our country faces a self-inflicted energy crisis. With the abundance of coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear energy and the world class engineering ability to safely extract the God-given natural energy and refining capabilities, we must go on begging to the Middle East cartels and our own environmental wackos. Rather than enjoying an abundance of cheap energy for our country we have the present White House “occupier” foolishly gambling on corrupt “green “ energy companies such as Solyndra and other 11 other failed “green” energy companies mentioned in Wayne Allee’s article.
Andrew F. Castaneda
Santa Paula
Make friends with your congressman!
To the Editor:
I used to wonder why people spent so much money to get elected when the salary was much less than the cost to run for office. THE TRUTH IS OUT! WHY? We get the bill and they get full lifetime retirement after only one term in office! Over many years our congressmen have been feathering their nest at your expense. No one was watching! Now, our congressmen can legally be an insider trader. Anyone else doing insider trading can be sent to jail!!
What is insider trading? Congress is mandated to overseeing spending authorizations. When congress approves the big purchase from a company, the company prospers and the stock price goes up. Congress is the first to know and sometimes they know this before they vote! Congressmen can use this information for personal financial advantage and may let his supporters know what stocks to buy in order that all benefit.
Wealthy people sometimes donate to both parties to insure that they will be on insider list for both candidates! Obama is knowledgeable at buying and selling votes, the Chicago way. Unions buy influence by donating a big slice of dues collected to the Democratic Party. Obama loves unions and hates ‘right to work’ states. Why? Because there is no union dues sharing for him or the democrat party. Today the unions in Indiana are fighting Indiana’s effort to make it a ‘right to work’ state so employees cannot be mandated to pay union dues.
Every year a congressman is in office his net worth goes up. That is why they fight so hard to be re-elected.
Your fat contribution to his election fund could put you on an insiders list!!
David Kaiser
Santa Paula
More on bees!
To the Editor:
When we stop and really think about it, we know the “bee’s health” is very much connected with “our own health.” And we know the world would be a very different place without bees. It’s not even certain that life on earth, as we know it, could even continue without bees, without any natural means of pollination! So I believe we should all be concerned about “anything” we might be doing that affects the health of our bees! We do know that around 80% of all fruits and berries depend on insects for their pollination. We certainly owe the larger part of our daily nutrition to “bees.”
For several years a massive disappearance of bees has been observed worldwide. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, for example, about 30% of the bees died in the winter of 2009/2010. In some places in America losses of up to 80% have been recorded within the last few years. Science calls this phenomenon “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD). But none of the “illness factors” that are known, such as insecticides, fungicides, varroa mites, etc., can provide a satisfactory explanation as to the main cause for the unusually high decline of the honeybee population. For that reason many independent studies have, thankfully, been done. And the majority of these studies clearly show that the actual reason for the “sudden disappearance” of the bees is due to the extreme damage done their immune systems and delicate navigation systems through the worldwide proliferation of “dirty electricity” through the increased use of cell phones, WiFi’s, the continual erection of more cell towers and “yes” – the mandatory use of so-called Smart Meters! To me, the results of these studies make a lot of “sense”! And I would further wager, all these factors (pesticides, etc.) possibly harm our bees, but “dirty electricity” is really “the last straw” or “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” To me, this all just makes common sense!
I think we have all “reached the limit” of blindly supporting the profits of big corporations, at any cost to ourselves or to life on this planet, haven’t we? So now, what is needed is to “keep our eyes open” and carefully look into all of the “available information about this precarious situation” and then, when possible, “speak out”!
And I would close this letter by simply saying: “Our love, gratitude and appreciation for the bees as well as our respective care for these precious beings can never be enough.”
Nina Remensperger
Santa Paula
Encourage Keystone pipeline
To the Editor:
Obama has decided, for political reasons, to put off the building of the Canadian pipeline until after this falls election. He must be concerned that the environmental left may not vote for him if he approves it before election day. Obama is now in election mode and more fearful of losing this election than disappointing the thousands of unemployed workers that need these jobs. Obama knows America needs these jobs, the union wants these jobs, the Republicans want this pipeline and many unemployed workers really need those good paying jobs. If Obama procrastinates too long, the jobs and the benefits of Canadians source of energy will go to China.
All Americana knows we need this pipeline to reduce our dependency on foreign oil suppliers that do not like us! Our great grandchildren will have to pay this debt off to China and he continues borrowing big time just to cover his entitlement spending. Obama is between a rock and a hard place, what do you think he should do? Which is more important for Americans, Obama’s re-election, or America’s economic energy future?
David Kaiser
Santa Paula
Re: Barack Obama’s State of the Union
To the Editor:
So this was “Hope & Change”, 3.0 performed by our President in last night’s State of the Union address to our country; this was shameful! After 3 years in office, a failed $787 billion stimulus, the bank bailouts, the auto giant bailouts, money thrown away at phony “green energy” projects, an added $5 trillion in additional debt this man has the audacity of grandstanding in front of the American people and inspire, wow! He failed to mention the vast number of unemployed (8.5%), the huge number part time workers that were formerly full time workers, not to mention the people that have given up looking for work. If the unemployment numbers are overstated then there wouldn’t be a need for a 99-week unemployment benefit and so many extensions. The President’s speech was full of contradictions and untruthfulness. For example the President attempts to convince the audience that we are closer to energy independence and yet failed to mention his rejection of the Keystone XP pipeline that would have created huge numbers of union jobs, yes good paying “shovel ready” union jobs! He talked about the wisdom of bailing out General Motors and Chrysler Motors but then a few minutes later he rants about the corruption of bailing out the banks, yet he had a hand in both decisions, amazing! I sit in disbelief when he shouts his support for the middle class, for the past year these have been the consequences for the middle class; healthcare costs have risen, the cost of groceries and fuel have gone up during his last three years in office, the pathetic unemployment condition continues unabated and with his additional $5 trillion in added national debt there is the inevitable tax increase and this is where I as a middle income taxpayer fear the most because we certainly always get stuck with it!
Andrew F. Castaneda
Santa Paula
Jerry Burns
To the Editor:
I was reading the sports section of the Times and Jerry Burns is sponsoring four youth basketball teams. What an admirable thing to do.
Thank you Mr. Burns, you are the greatest.
Georgia Jett
Santa Paula
Go for it
To the Editor:
About two weeks ago I read in the Friday, January 13th edition of the Times where the city of Santa Paula City Council is considering moving its City Council meetings from the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month to the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month. Well, I think it’s a very good idea, because I feel that you should also because for two very good reasons: one, you would get more attendance and attract more widespread focus attention on what you are going to bring up any item for the agenda; as well as more people speaking out on what topic they want and have to say about what they feel on what the City Council has to give in terms of what is going on in our city.
I think you should go for it and see what the city of Santa Paula has to say and feel about this possible change of moving the City Council meetings from Mondays to Tuesdays, meaning from the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month to the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month to see if it will also work. However, there is only one discrepancy, and that is don’t forget that two of the major holidays will fall on the 1st Tuesdays of January and July, and that is January 1st and the 4th of July, so you will have to either move those meetings to either the next night or the following Tuesday, as well as to benefit and accommodate everyone and to also not have the holidays create a conflict of interest when push comes to shove.
To do something like this will be a great idea, too, in my own thoughts and opinion like this. I say let’s go for it, because I think that it’s a very good idea, too. And I also think that you should go for it so we can see what kind of change will make an impact on the change of meeting nights will be for as long as we try it out, and so let’s wait and see what it will bring, too. Thank you.
John Bravo
Santa Paula
