Mailbag: Are we alone in a galaxy of a 100 billion planets?

Re: Extraterrestrial aliens would like Orange County, but they’d find global issues. Dec. 7
I got a kick out of Patrice Apodaca’s column regarding extraterrestrials and how they might feel about Orange County should they ever make their way down to our neck of the woods.

Apodaca gives a plethora of reasons as to why they would probably find our little area of the universe fascinating. However, she needs to brush up on her facts! She says, “There are trillions of planets in the Milky Way alone.” Our galaxy is estimated to have around 100 billion planets,” not trillions. Also, there could be as many as 100 sextillion planets in the universe — 1 followed by 23 zeros! Perhaps she meant to provide the number of planets everywhere in the universe and not just in our own galaxy. She say she thinks these visitors would find our little earth inviting, but that they might also be confused as to why humans can be so infuriatingly dumb, as evidenced by their constant wars and the killing of their own kind.

Apodaca then reasons that aliens might take a good hard look at our earth, decide to pass, and then seek out more favorable locations.

Given the fact no extraterrestrial visit has been documented, nor has any reliable evidence been found, we will continue to wonder if there are others out there in the universe.

Not being a science guy, just a retired real estate appraiser, I don’t have the background or the education to predict if we will ever be contacted, or be able to contact beings not from our world. I do, however, like to gamble now and then with occasional trips to Vegas and a steady stream of lottery scratchers. So with my limited gambling prowess and the possibility of 100 sextillion planets in the universe, I would venture to guess that the odds are pretty good that somewhere there is at least one planet that could have similar life to ours. And perhaps some day, when spaceships achieve light speed travel, we may get our chance to say hello to Mr. or Mrs. ET.

Bill Spitalnick
Newport Beach

A mixed bag from new leadership

For those Huntington Beach residents who were looking forward to any kind of regime change with the ascension of Casey McKeon as mayor, the opening City Council meeting of Dec. 16 provided a mixed bag. Yes, there was civility and stability restored to public comments, but some others were relegated to the bottom of the agenda by the new mayor. This forced residents to wait a couple of hours to exercise their 1st Amendment rights to address their leaders without restrictions. This was unacceptable to many.

McKeon clearly was tone deaf to the will of the community, and even some of his supporters claimed he had a tin ear. This format must definitely be adjusted, and soon.

However, the most significant development came out of closed session, when the all-MAGA council voted unanimously to appeal being slapped down by both the state and the courts in decisions rendered against the city involving housing, charter city rights and other tilting-at-windmill local government issues. Not only is this defiance costing the city by risking fines, penalties, restrictions and other punishments, it is making Surf City (uncharitably renamed “Sue City”) the laughing stock of the county.

This council has shown its hard right decision-making to be both dangerous and inept. Only a change in leadership in next year’s election will save the city and its reputation. Fortunately, there are community-backed candidates like Taryn Palumbo and Ben Davis who, if elected, could help reduce extremism.

Our new mayor needs to not only listen to residents in public comments at the beginning of meetings, but heed their dissatisfaction about the way we are being governed. Oh, and by the way, he is up for reelection next year.

Tim Geddes
Huntington Beach

Public speakers need more time

What is the Huntington Beach City Council so afraid of that the public is held to such a tight, 30-second time limit at the beginning of their weekly meetings?

What can a speaker say when there’s only enough time for an introduction?

Are they afraid that a public speaker would disagree with them? Are they aware that the MAGA world is disintegrating as a result of scandal and rising costs of living caused by tariffs?

It’s time the City Council members recognize they should no longer identify with the Trump legacy and establish their own identity, perhaps by dealing with the interests of the community.

By keeping the locals silent, resentment will continue to build all the way to the next election where the results may be extremely meaningful.

Richard C. Armendariz
Huntington Beach