Letters to the editor: county elections; county seal, Measures A & B

Vote for an outsider

Having survived 33 years as a police officer in Los Angeles I know “coincidences” do not occur often, and even less so when related to crimes.

County Clerk-Recorder Mark Lunn and Treasurer-Tax Collector Steven Hintz decided not to seek their fourth terms in the June primary, joining Assessor Dan Goodwin who chose not to run for his seventh.

“All three men have endorsed their top assistants for the posts with which average residents regularly deal. Included in their responsibilities are managing elections, collecting property taxes, and assessing the value of real estate,” according to Ventura County Star article on March 7.

Lunn’s top aide, Assistant Clerk-Recorder Michelle Ascencion, Chief Deputy Assessor Keith Taylor, and Assistant Treasurer-Tax Collector Sue Hogan all filed to replace their bosses. (It seems these three knew in advance of the unexpected announcements by Lunn, Hintz, and Goodwin.) How convenient with only three days left to file. The officials’ decision not to seek re-election triggered a five-day extension to file for their positions.

Thank goodness the “trigger” clause allowed Ventura County citizens to “apply” for these jobs. But don’t be fooled, the five-day extension gave outsiders only three extra days since the County Clerk Office was closed on the weekend.

I would think people in these elected, leadership positions who care about fairness and service to the Ventura Community would have had more respect for voters and prospective candidates.

So, before you vote, remember the people leaving anointed successors by endorsing their second in command, are part of the county government that imposed Sacramento’s mandates closing schools, churches, and businesses and suing those who did not comply.

Now they want you to vote for those they trained to provide the same distasteful service we experienced.

Vote for an outsider.

Mark J. Savalla, Port Hueneme

Keep original design for seal

Re: your April 28 story, “Public invited to choose design for county seal”:

Thank you for informing the people of Ventura as to what “our” Board of Supervisors are up to regarding the county seal. Without being informed of the opportunity, very few would be heard. That’s pretty much the same as the decision to remove the statue of Junipero Serra, when a very few, very noisy voices were heard and obeyed. What percent of the population do you think they constituted? Probably less than 1%, if that much.

I sincerely hope that the reasonable majority of the county will vote to keep the original design, including Serra, even though it seems they have made it difficult for that to happen. Selective memory and the hazards of judging another time has led to a very skewed vision of our past, omitting the negative aspects of the others involved. Father Serra is responsible for the foundation of the state at great risk and labor on his part.

Are the Native Americans ready to give up their casinos to live in a mud hut or return to the past lifestyle as it really was?

Without him who knows what the Spanish Army would have done. I, for one, will vote to maintain the seal that honors the true past upon which a state that is good for us all was built. The new designs of fields of crops and the coast highway would not even be here.

Dorothy Hage, Newbury Park

A & B is bad for workers, economy

As a small business owner and Simi Valley resident, I will be voting no on Measures A and B. If A and B pass, it will shut down Ventura County’s oil and gas industry. The shutdown will jeopardize more than 2,000 jobs, raise energy prices, and increase our dependance on costly, unstable foreign oil. Measures A and B would strip strict oversight of local oil and gas production from experts and give it directly to partisan politicians who can shut down oil projects for any reason, including political reasons.

The potential cuts to public safety budgets if A and B pass are the most concerning to me. Our local law enforcement and fire fighters can’t afford more budget cuts. Measures A and B are bad for workers, our economy, and our community. Please join me in voting no.

Rocky Rhodes, Simi Valley

Protect our water, vote for A & B

Re: The Associated Press’ April 28 story, “State: Millions must cut water use”:

Southern California’s Metropolitan Water District has declared a water shortage emergency. MWD requires Ventura County residents to cut water use, because “we don’t have enough water supplies right now to meet normal demand. The water is not there.”

Our underground water sources, many already overdrafted, supply drinking, cooking and bathing water for 400,000 people and 85% of the irrigation water for VC crops.

Ventura is the fastest-heating county in the continental United States; clean water is the lifeblood that sustains our population — and the 25,000 agricultural jobs that power our $2,000,000,000 farm economy, which grows the food we eat.

But Aera Energy, owned by Exxon and Shell, and one of California’s largest fossil fuel extractors, is deploying its amassed wealth to fund disinformation and manipulate our upcoming election. Aera has so far spent nearly $6,500,000 trying to make permanent a loophole that lets holders of pre-1966 permits drill unlimited new oil wells through county groundwater basins and aquifers — with no evaluation of health and safety risks from potential petroleum contamination.

As our climate heats up and rain falls less often, all clean water supplies become less certain. We can’t risk letting corporations poison finite local water sources.

Together we can ensure Ventura County remains a desirable place to raise our families — by enforcing rules that protect our health. A community that rallies together to defend what we value is the place I want to call home. On June 7, I’m voting with a grassroots alliance of neighbors FOR our most essential resource — safe, clean water, for healthy food, for all of us. Please join us and vote yeas on Measures A and B.

Rose Ann Witt, Thousand Oaks

Vote yes on A & B for our kids

Show Big Oil they cannot spend millions to buy elections in Ventura County.

In 2020, in the interest of public health and safety, our duly elected Board of Supervisors voted to require antiquated oil leaseholders to review the environmental impacts new drilling or fracking could cause to surrounding communities and our resources.

Not taking “no” for an answer, Big Oil has spent millions on fancy signature collectors, fancy mailers, and fancy yard signs to convince VC voters that oil companies need not consider the damage that new drilling or fracking on these old leases (3,000 in the county) would cause.

Let’s show Big Oil what their obscene profits cannot buy here. Let’s show them some VC grassroots determination. Grab your kids or grandkids, grab some poster board and crayons, and let’s show them some not-so-fancy “Yes on A & B — For Our Kids” car window and yard signs.

You can’t drink oil. Protect our water, protect our environment, and protect our kids.

Big Oil might not know it, but yes, we can defeat them. On June 7, vote yes on Measures A & B — for our kids.

Diane Underhill, Ventura

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Letters: county elections; county seal, Measures A & B