Panetta Well Met

I had the privilege of dealing with Leon Panetta during his tenure as U.S. congressman representing part of San Luis Obispo County during the late 1970s (“Leon Panetta’s Burden,” by Paul Richter, Jan 8). At that time the battle lines concerned the safety of and approval to operate the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.

Panetta and his staff were always cooperative with both proponents and opponents of the plant. His office played a major role in ensuring that the plant would go on line only if proven safe and in accordance with all applicable laws and guidelines. During the lengthy debate on offshore oil exploration along the Central California coast, he was a leadership figure in the conflict between environmentalists and the oil concerns.

Panetta’s abilities and expertise are much needed in Washington.

Steven Richard See

San Diego