Letters to the Editor

Comic Relief

For the funniest line ever to appear in the Journal, the Oscar goes to: 

“As of press time, Jesus Christ was unavailable for comment due to commitments elsewhere.”

LOL, LOL, LOL!

Thanks Nick, I needed that.

LeeAnn Morgan
Montecito

Identifying Dangerous Mask Deniers

How will public health officials, ambulance drivers, and the TSA distinguish between those who have received the COVID-19 (37-24-36) vaccine and those who are “faking it”?

Wouldn’t a nice, multi-colored 666 or prison-grade 3-D “face mask” tattoo (or embedded microchip) solve this problem? Mike Tyson could chair a Warp-Speed Identification Committee to establish fashionable “ink” standards. The implementation of a common-sense nationwide (mandatory) “HEALTH TAT” would enable officials to quickly identify airline, bus, and Uber passengers who believe in the Fauchi-Theorum. 

Face mask deniers would be provided free medical advice from IRS auditors, including strenuous “…offers they can’t refuse…”

Just saying “No” would not be a wise choice.

Are parents who refuse to get their little munchkins vaccinated guilty of child endangerment?

Which is more important; religious beliefs, parental rights “to choose,” potential long-term side effects, or protecting everyone, from everything… at any cost?

Cautiously searching for waterproof, non-GMO, UV-resistant, 15-day, N95’s and famous ink slingers.

Dale Lowdermilk

Join the Common Cause

Kudos to Rinaldo Brutoco for your piece on the Electoral College in the December 14-21 issue. It went a long way in describing the problem we have in trying to elect a president.

An additional problem not fully explored is the complexity of the process which undermines the concept of an informed electorate if we do fully understand how it works.

Fortunately there is an effort underway described in your last paragraph about the fact that a number of states holding 196 electoral votes have declared their intention to cast their electoral votes with the presidential candidate with the most total votes nationwide.

I want to add that there exists a vehicle for ordinary citizens to do something in support of this movement.

Common Cause based in Washington, D.C. is leading the charge in this effort which is titled ‘National Popular Vote Compact.’

It is a lobbying organization and is working to convince the remaining states that hold additional electoral votes so that a total of at least 270 can be reached.

I am a contributor to this effort. Common Cause can be checked out on Charity Navigator by anyone.

Evan Aptaker

Good Looking Out

Leslie A. Westbrook’s refreshing, inspirational article (Vol. 26/Issue 52) ends, “Change can happen!” Bravo, bravo to the dedicated, caring individuals, Suzy ‘Squeaky Wheels’ Cawthon, “founding mother” Fran Davis, and landscape architect Susan Van Atta for investing years working with public officials who listened, in order to enhance and redesign Lookout Park! 

Thank you!

Peg Quinn

Do the Right Thing

I have been a father at Cold Spring School since 2013. Both my kids have had excellent experiences and were taught by exceptional and passionate teachers. My concerns are with the School Board and alleged misuse of funds.

In 2017, I was one many parents demanding an independent audit because of a sudden disappearance of hundreds of thousands of dollars from district reserves. We also stopped the construction of a new administration building and now we know the Board voted to illegally use Measure C funds for it.

An independent audit would have exposed the misuse of Measure C and cleared up other questions. Instead more money has been wasted and the reputation of our school has been damaged.

No one at the school can show where over $2 million of Measure C went. That’s unacceptable. We will be paying off that bond until 2039.

Cold Spring School Board Members need to make this their top priority. The easiest and most effective move is to request a free audit of all the books from the state Fiscal Crisis Assessment and Management Team (FCMAT).

Put it on the agenda for discussion and call a public vote!

The School Board should eliminate the combined position of CBO/General Counsel! No other District has a combined CBO/General Counsel position because it is a conflict of interest.

Our school community has been torn apart long enough because of the incompetence and inaction of the School Board. I hope the incoming school board president will immediately address these concerns. The amazing teachers, parents, and kids all deserve better. And so do the taxpayers. This isn’t right!

Sincerely,
Eduardo Pena

Thank you Doctor

Kudos to Dr. Mizuho Morrison for achieving such success! What a wonderful story. We lived next door to MUS for many years during that time. [Her father] Scottie kept our kids, dogs, and horses on line as well as us. He did a great job for the school. We now have third generation students at MUS. Dr. Morrison’s story is one for all young people to emulate.

Dana Kent

A Waste of Public Trust

On December 9, a judge in L.A. County presiding over a lawsuit brought by a restaurant association expressed surprise “that no study has been done at any government level since the outbreak began about the alleged effects of outdoor dining on the spread of the coronavirus.”

The only somewhat pertinent data provided by L.A. County defending against the lawsuit was a single study from NYC that claimed three percent or less of COVID transmissions were traced back to indoor dining restaurants in NYC, and thus could not differentiate between indoor and outdoor dining with precautions in place.

Our governor and the mayors of our largest cities have repeatedly told us their decisions on outdoor dining have been driven by science and data, so when I heard about this lawsuit, I expected our leaders to bring on the specifics and am disappointed to find that the public employees who never missed a paycheck, shut down restaurants, and left people unemployed do not have data or science specific to some of the industries they’ve cancelled.

The hypocrisy of our leaders wastes public trust. Again, people who either don’t need a paycheck, or those that get paid regardless, are making rules for people who have no work, and get a pittance in public assistance. Adding insult to injury, our leaders act like elitists. Mayors send out “no travel” directives – from their condos in Cabo – or from their parents’ home out of state. Even Dr. Anthony Fauci was seen without his mask on during the worst of the July spike, no social distancing, with friends on either side at a baseball game no one else gets to go to and we were given the insulting spokesperson spin that no mask was needed because Dr. Fauci was enjoying a beverage… he’s a brilliant guy, and since it’s a life or death matter, assume he can figure out how to use a straw under a mask? What ever happened to leadership by example and consistency? Compromising livelihoods and families gives people the impression that the intelligentsia sees them as expendable peons. The old crude saying: “Don’t urinate on me and then tell me it is raining” comes to mind.

I think our leadership has lost the trust of a large portion of the public. That portion of the public seems to have decided that the actions and data should match the words or they won’t comply with the words. If the elites talk about “science, and data, in real time, at the granular level…” then can’t produce evidence clothed in either data or science, then they are modern day emperors with no clothes, and their words will be treated with scorn.

I propose the restaurant workers get the vaccine immediately after first responders and COVID-related medical personnel, and before politicians. The restaurant people have suffered at the whims of those types of fools for too long already.

Steve Gowler