Advertising on California’s beaches; keeping track of high-speed rail; climate change in the classroom

Ads, sand don’t mix

Re “Beach cities look for cash in the sand,” Jan. 16

I object to Los Angeles County officials trying to sell advertising on our coastline to the highest bidders.

The beaches of California are for the hardworking people of the state to enjoy; they are not a blank canvas for excessive, in-your-face advertising on every conceivable surface. This reminds me of the billboard companies that have, with the blessings of our public officials, made our landscape, roads and skylines one huge video advertisement

What a sick situation.

Mindy Taylor-Ross

Venice

As this article indicates, California plans to close at least 70 state parks this summer, including one of my favorites, Russian Gulch State Park in

Mendocino County. This wonderful park has everything for the day visitor or the overnight camper, including great hiking through the redwoods and along coastal cliffs with amazing ocean views.

Roy Stearns, a state parks spokesman, says that the public would “be up in arms” if naming rights were sold to keep a park open. I disagree. When given the choice between no access to a phenomenal state park versus access to a renamed but essentially unchanged state park, it’s not even close.

Google Gulch State Park, anyone?

Felice Sussman

Los Alamitos

High-speed rail, low-speed results

Re “Brown enlarges his bullet train role,” Jan. 14

No one can argue against the notion that the California High-Speed Rail Authority is struggling. But to suggest, as The Times has, that the agency is “foundering” — that is, utterly failing — is somewhat extreme and not necessarily the case.

The authority needs to quickly assess where and how it has gotten sidetracked. Its draft business plan is much improved over earlier versions, providing much greater detail as to where the high-speed line and its stations would be located and what the building and operating costs would be.

Yet, the plan fails to achieve what the 2008 ballot measure called for — a credible plan showing how the 800-mile system would be paid for. Developing a sound funding plan is not easy, but it is doable.

Albert Perdon

Cerritos

What are our politicians thinking? Lately, nothing has occupied my attention like California’s proposed bullet train. This has been a train wreck from the start, and there doesn’t seem to be a worthwhile politician willing to stop it.

Where is the breaking point for those supporting the project? The “projected” cost (something that’s never accurate) has tripled to almost $100 billion. The project’s feasibility is in question, projected ridership figures are in doubt, and only a minuscule percentage of the cost has been secured. The price tag comes to $2,700 per Californian.

I can only see this project ending as an expensive failure. Luckily, the momentum seems to moving toward the project never breaking ground. I only wish it would hurry up so we can stop the bleeding.

James Beck

Dana Point

Trying to teach climate change

Re “Classrooms feel climate skepticism,” Jan. 16

This intrusion into science education is much more dangerous than the evolution versus creation controversy.

That issue arose over a difference between scientific views and religious beliefs. With climate change, the opposition to the accepted science is being driven by political and economic interests, and the consequences due to postponed government action will probably be severe.

Climate-change denial is not a valid scientific position. Climate science is a very complex and challenging field of study, and it requires significant understanding of science to rebut the skeptics.

However, unlike the evolution versus creation debate, this debate will end in this century as it becomes obvious (even to the deniers) that the climate is changing. The delayed response to this crisis will result in conditions on our planet that cannot be reversed for hundreds of years.

Stan Johnson

Fullerton

As students take advanced science courses in college or graduate school, they discover that much of what they learned earlier was overly simplified. However, younger students still need to learn the most basic facts about science.

As for climate change, the most basic facts are, first, that humans emit carbon dioxide; second, that carbon dioxide causes warming; and third, our planet is warming. These basic facts are as certain as the theory of gravity and need to be taught. The complexities can wait until later.

Lauren Rafelski

La Jolla

War’s casualties

Re “Iraq veteran suspected in O.C. killings,” Jan. 15

I invite readers to visit a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. Just walk around outside first for a bit with your eyes peeled. Then walk in and look around in the main lobby. Then make your way to the four or five or six primary care waiting rooms. Just look around at the patients. And see what war does.

The VA health system is the largest healthcare provider in the U.S. It also runs the largest psychiatric treatment system in the world. The VA prescribes more psychiatric medications than any other healthcare network; it has to.

Go to one of those hospitals. Look around. See for yourself. See what war does.

Rodger Garrett

Grover Beach, Calif.

Religious views

Re “Courting Episcopalians,” Editorial, Jan. 15

When I was in seminary in the 1980s, the door between Canterbury and Rome was already busily swinging both ways. We — Episcopalians and Roman Catholics — called this ecclesiastical traffic “swimming the Thames” or “swimming the Tiber.”

At Grace Episcopal Church, where I am vicar, fully half our members are former Roman Catholics.

As part of the Episcopal baptismal promises, we affirm that we will “seek and serve Christ in all persons … and respect the dignity of every human being.” Most of those leaving the Episcopal church for Rome oppose the full inclusion of women and homosexuals in the church.

In the Episcopal church, we italicize “all” and “every.” We don’t put asterisks beside them.

Tim Vivian

Bakersfield

Romney rebuttal

Re “Red meat for the tea party,” Opinion, Jan. 15

Doyle McManus pans Mitt Romney’s “content-free” stump speeches. It worked for President Obama; why not Romney?

McManus also takes issue with Romney’s claim that Obama is modeling Europe in his policies by citing, as evidence, Europe’s current “austerity” movement while Obama strives for more “stimulus” and entitlement programs. Did McManus miss the European entitlement boom? European austerity is what we will require as a result of our spending beyond our means.

McManus closes by suggesting the typical progressive false choice argument between a free-enterprise system “with regulations or without.” No one, not even Ron Paul, has suggested a system without regulations.

Scott Perley

Irvine

PAC targets

Re “Hunted by the ‘super PACs,’ ” Editorial, Jan. 14

The real problem with the “super PACs” is not that the Republicans have been stung by a Supreme Court decision that was expected to benefit rich corporations. The super PACs have damaged only Republicans so far because the Democratic candidate has already been selected.

Wait until the general election and watch what this obscene, unlimited amount of cash will do to Obama. Then we’ll see what’s really wrong with the Citizens United decision.

Ralph Mitchell

Monterey Park