Letters to the editor: A whole lot of takes on Measures A & B; support for Abele
Think logically about A & B
When looking at initiatives and measures, voters should consider history and the money trail. Measures A and B are concerned with the oil industry, but historically I see similarities between big tobacco, big pharma and big oil.
For years and years, big tobacco was fully aware of the dangers of smoking, but publicly denied knowledge of those dangers and continued to lie and promote a product that had lethal health consequences for its users. On the opioid crisis, big pharma was fully aware of the addictive nature of these drugs but lied to doctors who then then passed on the lie to patients about the danger of addiction and overdosing. Why? To continue to make a buck. For big oil, I first point readers to the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico, not for a coverup but for the inadequacies of recovery from a spill that endangered wildlife, the environment, and tourism in the Gulf.
In Ventura County, think of the 20-year drought and growing reliance on the underground aquifer system. As importantly, I point readers to TV Weekly’s recent recommendation of a documentary, “Black Gold,” which is “about the coverup of the century, a decades-long conspiracy by the oil industry and others to alter the public perception of climate change in order to keep making money as the world burned.”
As for the money trail, researchers tell us big oil (mostly Aera and Chevron) will spend between $5 million and $7 million to defeat measures A & B. Have no delusions about why. These are not altruists; they are hardcore businessmen who expect a return on investment somewhere between three-fold and 10-fold. You owe it to yourself, to your fellow citizens and future generations to do some research and think logically in drawing conclusions.
Bob Gruber, Camarillo
A & B are bad for community
Eliminating local energy production through Measures A and B will be bad for Ventura County. These measures will raise energy prices, increase our dependence on foreign oil, risk more than 2,000 local jobs, and cut tens of millions of tax revenues for vital public services.
What is most concerning to me is that Measures A and B give more power to politicians. These politicians, beholden to nothing but their own political agendas, will absolutely abuse the new powers in Measures A and B to shut down the oil and gas industry. It’s clear to me that A and B are bad for our community, so I will be voting no.
Jacob Foster, Ventura
Arguments for A & B misleading
After doing my research, I will be voting no on Measures A and B. I found the arguments in favor of A and B about water to be misleading. We have so many regulations here in California and Ventura County. If there was a problem, we would’ve heard about it by now.
It is clear though that Measures A and B would give the Board of Supervisors the power to shut down local oil and gas production. The shutdown could cost us thousands of jobs, and millions of dollars of tax revenues, and could raise energy costs even higher than they are now.
I hope Ventura County voters join me in voting no on A and B.
Braeden Vudmaska, Thousand Oaks
A & B are common-sense steps
Measures A and B represent an incremental, common-sense step toward protecting our environment, and the health of our families. Much as we might want to see it happen, these measures don’t “shut down” the petroleum industry in Ventura County; they merely close a bureaucratic permitting loophole allowing new wells (including fracking wells) to be drilled based on permits issued long before modern drilling techniques and environmental protections existed.
We’re bombarded constantly by “No on A & B” advertising, funded by the oil industry and featuring bootlicking statements from politicians dependent on that industry for campaign donations. They lie about the effects of the measures and about their own importance to our community (they employ fewer than a thousand people in a county of more than 800,000.) This is a blatant attempt at regulatory capture, when powerful interests use their hoarded resources to exert control over the systems intended to oversee them. The possibility that Chevron and Exxon might succeed in literally buying the policy outcome they prefer illustrates perfectly what we believe as democratic socialists: capitalism and democracy are inherently incompatible.
If we want to achieve the transformative action necessary for our children to inherit a livable planet, we cannot allow unchecked power to accumulate in the hands of a few wealthy plutocrats and corporations. Should we vote yes on A and B? Absolutely, they represent a modest step in the right direction. But we can’t stop there. Hold the elected accountable for their inaction on the climate crisis; don’t support candidates who take oil money. Take direct action against those who’d sell us out for their own profit; their impunity is contingent and can be punctured. Seek counsel from the indigenous people who tended this land for millennia before the arrival of the settler state. A better world is possible.
Steve Pinsky, The Democratic Socialists of America, Ventura County
Government overreach with A & B
I will be voting no on Measure A and Measure B. I have always been concerned about government overreach and A and B are a classic case of this. If passed, A and B would give new unprecedented powers to the Board of Supervisors to shut down local oil and gas production in the county. This means just three politicians can ignore the recommendations of qualified experts and instead shut down oil and gas operations for any reason, at any time. This turns legitimate, regulated business activities into a political circus, with the fate of local workers and business hanging in the balance.
I encourage other Conejo Valley and Ventura County residents to stop the political power grab by voting no on A and B.
Tamara Howard, Newbury Park
A & B are costly and deceptive
As a Ventura County energy worker, I know firsthand that Ventura County oil and gas production abides by strict regulations enforced at all levels of government. Regulatory agencies have the ability to shut down production and revoke permits if we don’t meet those strict standards.
The idea that oil and gas production isn’t regulated is a bold-faced lie by the proponents of the Measures A and B. All A and B will accomplish is giving new powers to politicians who will attempt to override existing regulatory systems and push their political agenda to shut down our oil and gas industry. The shutdown will have negative impacts that go far beyond the oil industry. The bottom line is that these measures are costly and deceptive. Vote no.
Brian Lane, Ventura
Abele will be an able supervisor
Simi Valley and Moorpark can significantly help prevent Ventura County from becoming another Los Angeles County. We have an opportunity to place on the Ventura Board of Supervisors a man who exemplifies the character of our cities, Ed Abele, in District 4. A fighting prosecutor in the courtroom and, if we make it possible, a fighter in the Supervisor’s boardroom, Ed will be a game changer for us and all of the citizens of Ventura County.
I have witnessed Ed Abele relentlessly give of himself to the residents of our district for many years. I write to ask my fellow voters to give Ed the only gift that he asks in return and that is the position which will enable him to continue giving.
Ed retired from being a county prosecuting attorney where he sought justice and restitution for the victims of crime and remedial, compassionate justice for the perpetrators of it. Ed then served on the Simi Valley Parks board as a leader to fight for the continued good health and enjoyment of our parks and trails during the pandemic shutdowns when so many similar venues for health were arbitrarily closed.
Ed Abele is a passionate defender of the liberties guaranteed to each of of us by our forefathers. His personal story is one of the classic striver, pulling himself up by his boot straps as a first-generation American and succeeding with his intelligence and good wit. A devoted father and husband, Ed will continue to fight for all of us to enjoy the same happiness and fulfillment that he has found through his fighting spirit. Ed will continue to fight for the values that we all share against those who would have Ventura County become another Los Angeles County.
Kris Mauldin, Simi Valley
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Letters: A whole lot of takes on Measures A & B; support for Abele
