The Open Space Issue Is Critical for O.C.

Re “Inroads Into Open Space,” Sept. 2:

This excellent editorial very closely reflects my ideas and feelings and those of many of my colleagues who are interested in protecting open space in Orange County.

The transportation problem for those living in Riverside County and working in Orange County should not be solved by constructing highways through our mountains but by long-term solutions, such as putting more industry and business in Riverside County, buying out the private owner of the Riverside Freeway toll road, expanding that freeway and adding more buses and trains between the counties.

The continuation of the Foothill toll road in South County should be abandoned, more bus and train service added from San Diego to Los Angeles, and more local arterial roads should be built.

The preservation of this area is critical to maintaining open space and protecting endangered species. Orange County officials need to put this procedure back on track so that the environmentally critical areas are saved as open space.

Paul Carlton

San Clemente

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There are many people in Riverside and Orange counties who thank you for staying on top of this subject and for keeping the public informed about the battle that is going on here. Keep up the good work. Your readers and the people of these counties look forward to more coverage on this topic.

Kristen Sutton

Corona

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I would like to thank you for supporting our last region of true, wild, open space in Orange County. The media have a great deal of power to influence public opinion and rally support for or against an issue. All the people in Orange County benefit from wilderness areas. This is a very important last stand.

Nancy McIntyre

San Clemente

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The best-informed persons on our planet concluded when atomic bomb testing became known that disastrous steps had been initiated by ambitious and power-hungry scientists, politicians, industrialists and scores of representatives of the military and intelligence services.

Since the 1940s and 1950s, another ominous development has been taking place: the excessive population of our planet by humans and their household pets (dogs, cats, birds) and livestock (cattle, sheep, etc.). Overpopulation, the great curse of our time, is finally recognized by every thinking person.

Thank you again for beginning to deal with overpopulation’s endless products, such as inroads into open space.

A calm, reasoned and compassionate look at the planetary scene seems to indicate that a safe and sound future for all has already been lost. What a tragedy.

Tassilo von Koch

San Clemente