Letters to the Editor
By the Numbers
Congress declining to deal with border issues has permitted an “estimated” 11 million illegal immigrants into California.
Trying to solve California’s shortages for funding for housing, education, road and bridges repairs and medical care will be like trying to fill a bottomless pit unless, and until, the ultimate number of people using the services, and those paying for them, is determined.
Counting the number of users will be tricky due to California politicians supporting open borders and sanctuary everything. The lack of counting makes everything an estimate, and here are a few: currently California has 11 million and is thought to be home for one in three entries from the southern border. Based on the theme of the movie Field of Dreams of “Build it and they will come,” the addition of free medical benefits to the existing bundle of attractions will increase the existing percentages. Estimates for increases should be based on percentages of the following populations: Mexico 132 million, Guatemala 18 m, Nicaragua 6.5 m, Panama 3.7 m, Venezuela 33. Estimates of 10-20% would bring 13-25 million more to the U.S., and California’s share would be a third of that.
While this type of modeling is being used to contest the citizen question on the census, it is not complete, since it omits the influx from Asia and the Middle East (where the estimated number of refugees is 60 million, or about the size of France). If Columbia’s 50 million people, Equator’s 17 m, Brazil’s 212 m, and Argentina’s 45, contribute only 5% of their populations, it is another 15 million, or for California, five million.
Determining the number available to finance the services will be tricky unless the census counts the number of citizens. Without this, the census will only be some advocates’ calculation of demand but not of the population available for funding.
Brent Zepke
Santa Barbara
(Editor’s note: You make a good point about the funding, but for many – especially those educated in California public schools – the idea of not having enough resources never enters the equation, as they actually have no idea where money comes from. They’ve only been taught that it is the U.S.’s responsibility to take care of everyone everywhere, despite the cost. Besides, it won’t be coming out of their empty pockets. At this point in time, it comes out of no one’s pocket; we are simply printing “money” to pay for it all. – J.B.)
No Cooking Allowed
Connecticut lawmakers may allow students to apply sunscreen prior to engaging in outdoor activities. SB #922, sponsored by John Kissel (R-07) is intended to protect children from the ravages of UV rays.
Kissel, and four other lawmakers, argue that any environmental damage done to aquatic-marine life by oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate or octinoxate, is secondary to the medical expenses and tragedy of adolescent skin cancer.
If this legislation saves one child’s life, isn’t it worth it?
Unfortunately, Kissel’s “common sense” proposal also begs the question, “Should parents who fail to apply skin protection be subject to felony child abuse?“
Do responsible parents let their children cook?
As proposed by our organization (notsafe.org) in 1981: felony sunburn laws are necessary to protect children from parents who don’t oil their babies.
Cautiously fighting ultra-violet monsters.
Dale Lowdermilk
Santa Barbara
(Editor’s note: You, as founder of notsafe.org, are and have often been three, four, and five steps, and years ahead of proposed legislation! – J.B.)
The Rebirth of America
Without history, sovereignty, tradition and pride, you are just one of the crowd. To many Americans, Independence Day is Picnic and Fireworks Day without a clue as to why. If the youth of today had been educated in the Little Red Schoolhouse – seven or eight grades in one room and taught by a devoted teacher – America would not have allowed this degradation to occur. We often refer to the signers of the Declaration of Independence with respect for what they achieved and the clarity of their thinking.
How many of us are aware of the fate of those men and their families? Perhaps we have a warm but hazy notion that they lived comfortable lives thereafter.
Most all of them suffered incredible hardship, ruination and death.
They knew that their actions could destroy them, and for most, it did. They put the country ahead of their own needs. That is what patriots do. That is what we must do now.
I survived WWII in England. Left school at fourteen years of age on a Friday and started my seven-year apprenticeship on the following Monday in an aircraft factory. Six days a week in the factory and three nights a week mandatory study of Math, Science and Engineering drawing. Classes missed due to the bombing had to be made up with extra hours. We manufactured hundreds of Seafires (the naval version of the Spitfire) and many women of all ages worked the excessive hours alongside the men. Nobody, despite the lack of decent food or heat in the homes had a negative attitude about the country or its mission.
I came to America as a legal immigrant in 1951 because of the wonderful things your troops told us about America. They were true friends and comrades in arms. I formed a belief in meritocracy at a young age because we worked incredibly hard under extremely difficult conditions and I was promoted in my third year over some senior workers, which shocked me, but I was told that I earned it.
What convinced me to come to America was my understanding that everyone had the opportunity to succeed if one made the effort. It was the best decision I ever made…except for when “she” said yes 67 years ago. America has served me well…and I have served America well. I’ll soon be departing this mortal coil, but I will leave a progeny of productive and patriotic assets.
“United” States No Longer
There is no one to blame but us for this disunity. We patriotic, loyal, law-abiding citizens are entirely to blame. We believed in our government, our political appointees, and our rule of law to correct any attack on the Constitution. What we failed to understand was that over the years, evil forces, foreign and domestic, were hard at work plotting to destroy liberty wherever it exists and to control the people and the wealth of this planet.
Today we witness daily the breakdown of the judiciary, the evil within our government, the servants we elected to represent us who have now become our masters, the political parties that make laws not for the good of the country but to protect themselves from prosecution for their own misdeeds and to profit from their underhanded dealings. The rules and regulations that we defer to are designed as strangleholds on our ability to take corrective action. We are always waiting for the system to take care of our worsening problems…but the system is the problem.
We must drain the swamp, clean out the sewer, and sanitize this nation. Political correctness and patience must be replaced with sternness and absolute obedience to the law as intended. How can we do this? MJ published a letter of mine in 2012 on this same subject and it could be republished verbatim today. It contained specific suggestions for restoring sanity and morality to this nation. The only thing that changed since then is that the situation is far worse.
Since when does free speech allow for acts of sedition and treason? The law punishes sedition and treason by fine and imprisonment. That is a fact, so why are we not applying the law for the acts we witness every day? Can it be that many in high places in this country are implicit in these actions?
Of course they are.
Every elected official in this country swore an oath of allegiance to protect the Constitution. Political parties may disagree on solutions to problems, but they swore to put the country first in every matter. Both parties have abrogated their sworn purpose and have consistently ignored their responsibilities. There exists laws to cover every exigency but no action is ever taken. Promises made, but no resolution. Free speech is now manipulated to be a tool to preach anti-Americanism and divisiveness. Laws of libel and slander are now ignored, and it is beyond belief that Socialism and Communism are currently offered as alternates to Constitutional principles. Nancy Pelosi is third in line to assume the office of the presidency, yet she openly defies the laws of the land every day, espousing criminality in the matter of illegal immigrants.
As each election cycle approaches, we are subjected to promises by candidates who have no intention of keeping those promises. A losing candidate is not heard from until the next election cycle occurs. A candidate fervent in his/her belief should be working diligently and publically during the current term to prove readiness to serve. Actions speak louder than words. We have allowed ourselves to be browbeaten by persons seeking elected office, to listen to them and to accept their lies.
Once in office, it is impossible to speak to a representative unless the gatekeepers think it will be useful to the godlike creature we elected to serve our interests. Candidates must be legally contracted to their backers’ conditions and requirements and failure to abide by that contract should mean being booted from office with forfeiture of benefits and pensions and, where applicable, criminal prosecution.
Ross Perot died recently, and if you recall he won 19% of the national vote in 1992. He flummoxed the politicians and won debates because he was not a politician. He spoke a different language, a language of fact and common sense. The citizenry was tired of politicians and government even then and they believe they have found a legitimate crusader in Donald Trump.
President Trump is to be admired for his message, his efforts, and his tenacity in the face of overwhelming opposition from the deranged elements in this country. The facts stare us in the face. His accomplishments are proof that sane government can work. Just imagine what would be done if he had patriotic support from both parties. America, you are too young to die!
Harry Wilmott
Goleta
Politics and Sports
I am a sports fan. I follow the Lakers and was looking forward to watching and supporting the U.S. women’s soccer team. But all that changed when Megan Rapinoe decided to become political and vent her extreme hatred toward President Trump. She made the team’s victory all about her, and disrespected the National Anthem and America.
As a patriotic American who loves my country and has a lesbian niece, I was offended, embarrassed and angered by her actions. Egotistical, agenda-driven athletes should keep politics out of sports. If not, I am done with sports.
Diana Thorn
Carpinteria
California Dreaming
When it becomes necessary for one group of people to dissolve the political bonds that have held them together and go their separate ways, it’s fair and just for that group to publish a list of the grievances that led to such an event.
Some very wise men wrote 243 years ago today in a similar document, that we are endowed with unalienable Rights – Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – and governments are instituted to secure those rights…
Our current government seems to have forgotten its purpose. It has subjected its people to “a long train [pun intended] of abuses and usurpations” which reveals “a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism.” As such, it is our right and our duty to peaceably throw off such Government and institute a new government that will provide for our safety and happiness.
We have patiently suffered these injustices and complete lack of care for our safety, happiness, and prosperity. The history of Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, Xavier Becerra, the leaders of both the Assembly and Senate, and the mayors they count as allies, is a history of “repeated injuries and usurpations” designed to achieve absolute tyranny in the state.
Newsom, et. al., have:
Jeopardized our safety by returning dangerous criminals to the streets with barely a slap on the wrist;
Failed to provide basic services in many cities, leading to those cities being overrun with refuse, rodents, and to the return of medieval diseases among the population, government workers, and peace officers;
Implemented costly regulations on our businesses, leading to the loss of jobs and an increased cost of living;
Made it difficult or impossible for our mentally ill residents to receive the help they need, leaving them to suffer and die on the streets;
Perpetuated policies that have led to a homelessness epidemic;
Allowed drug addicts and bums to flout public nudity, illegal dumping, and drug laws, putting our families in children in danger;
Failed to provide for secure elections by passing legislation decimating safeguards for vote-by-mail ballot security;
Allowed our infrastructure (roads, highways, bridges, dams) to crumble and become unsafe, even while continually increasing taxes for the same;
Failed to prosecute and hold accountable corrupt government officials;
Continually raised taxes and fees without our consent and by use of false/misleading ballot initiatives;
Weaponized government offices to target and harass political enemies;
Failed to address drought and wildfire emergencies, leaving us all vulnerable, while constructing an insanely expensive bullet train to nowhere;
Attempted to divide us in every way, between the haves and have-nots, men and women, young and old, immigrant and native, to achieve tyrannical goals.
Your actions have made it impossible for us to enjoy our unalienable rights. The evils are no longer sufferable. Instead of giving up and moving to another state – and rewarding your corruption and stupidity in the process –we’re staying here and fighting to save our homes, our lives, our liberty, and our ability to pursue happiness.
We will vote you out of office. We will reveal your corruption. We will seek and implement real solutions to the problems we face that will benefit all Californians, not just those who pay to play.
We will Save the California Dream.
Save California
PAC
(Editor’s note: Well, it may be a while before your dreams come true. Those in power have nearly perfected a system that neatly avoids any real competition. – J.B.)
