Letters to the editor: Measures A & B; abortion; Supreme Court
Glad Measures A & B rejected
A Wall Street Journal editorial on June 17 is subtitled: “Voters in Ventura County, of all unlikely places, reject limits on oil and gas production.” The defeat of Measures A and B on the June ballot is a timely message to Sacramento politicians that many residents are fed up with California energy prices. Gasoline price increases reflect shortages that are driving up inflation, raising the cost of living and threatening household viability. And even in “unlikely” Ventura County, voters were willing to act.
Passage of Measures A and B would have shut down oil and gas projects planned to increase declining production in existing legacy fields. The measures would have added permit costs and delays from new punishing regulations. The lack of drilling, re-drilling and servicing wells in Ventura County would cause layoffs of industry and service sector workers and further increase foreign exports into California.
The war in Ukraine has highlighted the danger of reliance on imported foreign oil, as Europe is now experiencing. California produces only 29% of the oil that it consumes. The balance is imported from Alaska (15%) and then Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Colombia. In 2021 California imported 6% from Russia. The imported oil crosses the world oceans and is delivered to West Coast ports.
In a story in the Ventura County Star on June 16, Jeff Kuyper, executive director of Los Padres Forest Watch, was quoted saying, “I think everyone was hopeful measures A and B would pass.” Well, not the majority of voters. With the U.S. Federal Reserve predicting a recession, reducing local oil and gas production and increasing unemployment would only intensify an impending recession in California. I am proud of our voters who ultimately defeated A & B.
Lynn Gray Jensen, Camarillo
Outlawing abortions doesn’t work
I’m old enough to remember “back-alley abortions,” those illegal, unsafe, and often-botched procedures done by amateurs that often caused harm or death to the mother. Those clandestine trips to Tijuana, or in my late wife’s case, to Japan to have it done. I’m saddened that those who think outlawing abortions will stop them. It will only drive them underground. That’s what happened with alcohol and marijuana.
Finally, in both cases, they were legalized. I will pray for all the young women, maybe your daughter, who may feel it necessary to resort to these desperate measures.
Ed Blumenstock, Camarillo
Justices shouldn’t be operatives
Re: Ross K. Goldberg’s June 30 guest column, “Hillary, RBG deserve some blame”:
Mr. Goldberg laments that a Supreme Court justice didn’t behave like a political operative. I find it somewhat disturbing that he expects it.
Donald Tork, Thousand Oaks
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Letters: Measures A & B; abortion; Supreme Court
