Letters To The Editor

Memo to Republicans: The 2008 presidential election is over. You and your phony ideals have been soundly rejected. Your hypocritical and unsubstantiated rhetoric has been overwhelmingly defeated by concepts that have apparently escaped your vocabulary. The concepts I refer to are common sense and morality. Allow me to explain. Your flag bearer, Ronald Reagan, invented […]

Many thanks to the American voters, for creating a historical event in American politics, by electing its first black American president, Sen. Barack Obama. He was elected by the content of his character, and not the color of his skin. In spite of the nay-sayers, skeptics, and the so-called “undecided” voters, who mostly didn’t vote […]

If we didn’t know how people lived a hundred years ago, Bill Denneen has just described it (“We need to change,” Nov. 6). A hundred years ago, they didn’t have photo cells for lights, hoses to heat their water, or pneumatic tires. Large corporations were not around to supply half the population with jobs while […]

Despite opposing redefinition of marriage, Californians have already conceded civil unions to same-sex couples. But gays have rejected anything short of full use of the same word that applies to traditional couples. Therefore, I propose a solution: Marriage obviously means different things to different people, and carries many religious implications. Hence, like separation of church […]

The California electorate has approved Proposition 8, deeming marriage to be legal only for couples of one man and one woman. However, a significant legal and procedural problem not addressed in the wording of Proposition 8 remains unresolved. Unless the secretary of state acts immediately to deal with this heretofore-unrecognized threat, the legal veracity of […]

The news item “What’s behind those ads?” by Colin Rigley (Nov. 6) discussing the reaction to TV ads linking immigration to global warming was probably not intentionally biased, but it certainly misrepresented the opinions of many people concerned about unlimited population growth, and certainly didn’t capture the intent of the people who ran the ads. […]

It has been an honor for me to run for U.S. Congress in the November general election to represent the people in the 23rd District in California. When I immigrated to America at 16 by myself, little did I imagine that one day I would be able to do this. I thank the tens of […]

Shame on you! I cannot believe you actually printed that vulgar response in your question of the week about your favorite drink (“Streetwise” Oct. 2). A local paper, about local events, and local people. That is a poor representation of an “All America City.” I am too proud of our town to read that garbage. […]

During the last 10 years, I have had the privilege of working closely with Lompoc Mayor Dick DeWees. In my position as 4th District Supervisor, I serve on numerous committees with Mayor DeWees. He brings a great sense of presence to any table or boardroom. He uses his considerable leadership skills to generate support and […]

There seems to be a lot of misinformation, half-truths, and negativity floating around in this election season. I’ve lived in the Lompoc Valley for the last 30 years, and it seems to me that we have fared pretty well over the last 10 years. We have much-needed new recreation facilities for our young people, such […]

After reading some of the recent letters to the editor in support of John MacKinnon, I’ve realized some people are under the misconception that since he is a D.A., he will extend his prosecuting of cases, if elected, by “making people accountable from the bench.” You could not be further from the truth. The positions […]

I have been a court stenographer (court reporter) for the past 32 years, 14 of them as an employee of the County of Santa Barbara. I was the official court reporter on the Michael Jackson criminal trial presided over by the Honorable Rodney S. Melville in Santa Maria in 2005. I say that not to […]