Letters
Letters
01/31/2013
All over the map
State Sen. Carol Liu, D-La Cañada Flintridge, should be complimented for bringing Metro and Caltrans together. Perhaps there will be less of “hiding the ball” in the future. With respect to the actual purpose and need being discussed, Mayor Bogaard brought up the germane point of the day: Is the 710 for commuters only or for goods movement as well?
This project’s purpose and need has been all over the map since it has been on the map. First of all, it is a transportation project. Does it contribute efficiencies to commuter traffic? If the answer is no, then one does not need to go further and spend $37 million on an EIR and who knows how much in constructing it. And the answer is no!
If the need is commuter efficiencies, one has to answer the following question: What city traffic is currently being served by the on/off ramp on Valley Boulevard? The answer is Alhambra, San Gabriel, South Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia, Pasadena and perhaps a few cities farther east. What cities mentioned above would use the toll tunnel to access the 710? The answer is: Very few if any, perhaps the northern regions of Pasadena and Altadena, but that’s about it. Most of the traffic going on or coming off at Valley is the traffic from these cities. Who in their right mind would pay a toll going either north or south and have to deal with a 210/710 interchange and then still thread their way on the same arterials to get to and from these cities? The answer, of course, is the same. Conclusion: It is not for commuter efficiencies, but primarily for goods movement (port traffic).
Second observation: If the tunnel is for commuters (cars), why does the proposed design consist of two 60-foot diameter tunnels when plus or minus 35 feet would do for cars and SUVs?
Conclusion: It is for trucks!
~ HARRY A. KNAPP, SOUTH PASADENA
Force-fed cruelty
Contrary to the claims of the restaurant caught selling foie gras in violation of California’s ban, foie gras production is as cruel as factory farming gets.
Birds raised for foie gras are force-fed several pounds of food every day via a pneumatic tube that is rammed down their throats, a process that former state Sen. John Burton describes as “doing the equivalent of water boarding.”
Force-feeding causes birds’ livers to expand as much as 10 times their normal size, resulting in a painful disease called hepatic steatosis. The enlarged livers are about the size of a small football and put pressure on the birds’ other internal organs, including the lungs, impairing the birds’ ability to breathe. The massive livers also displace the birds’ legs, making it difficult for them to walk.
Force-feeding birds has been denounced by poultry experts worldwide, which is why foie gras production has been banned in more than a dozen countries, including Israel, the UK, Germany, Poland and Sweden. California was right to follow suit. Banning force-feeding was the decent thing to do, the only logical extension of efforts to ban battery cages, gestation and veal crates, shark-finning and other forms of egregious cruelty to animals.
~ SALISA MULLINS
PETA FOUNDATION
NORFOLK, VA.
Where does it end?
The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution states:
“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Obviously, the need for a state militia has been replaced by the National Guard and Coast Guard, whereby trained military personnel are entrusted with the defense of this country against domestic enemies. Their weapons are tightly controlled and safeguarded.
The only two reasons for a citizen to own a firearm are for hunting or defense of the household from intruders. In either case, ownership of a single-shot rifle is more than adequate to satisfy these purposes.
There is absolutely no need for any US civilian to own any weapon more powerful or sophisticated than this.
Accordingly, all single-shot rifles must be licensed and registered to the degree necessary to match weapon to owner at the click of a computer key.
Furthermore, if we had prevented the purchase of more sophisticated weapons, several innocent victims would not have died or been harmed at shopping malls, college campuses, congressional meetings, a movie theater and now an elementary school.
The question before the American people is what are you prepared to do to prevent people who want to kill from obtaining rapid-fire weapons, such as those used at the Newtown school?
It goes without saying that people kill people, whether it is with a gun, automobile or some other means. This incident involving Adam Lanza appears to be the planned act of someone who was so full of rage that murdering innocent children and adults was his only way of expressing such evil behavior. Now that he is dead, we can only speculate about his motives, but now we are also left to grieve the results of such a heinous act.
~ JOE BIALEK
CLEVELAND, OHIO
FROM THE WEB:
Re: “Telling tales,” Dec. 13
This duo (Stephanie Behman and Luke Halpin) has been playing around the Southland for many years, and one of their homes has been the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena. Since it is only a 50-seat venue, if they play there it is a great intimate show. They just did a matinee there earlier this month, and sometimes when they come back from Colorado they still grace this small venue with their presence. They may be getting too large for this venue, but if you check out coffeegallery.com, you will see what great live shows are in your backyard. And I expect they are likely to show up there now and again. And yes, they are fabulous. Every time I saw them, I thought they couldn’t get any better — and the next time they would be even better. And not just a little bit better, a lot better. Don’t know how they do it. Stephanie jokes about some of their stuff being about spending six years in a Honda Accord touring.
~ BARNESROBERTS
Re: Roadblock to dissent,”
Dec. 27
(Barbara) Messina and (John) Fasana’s unethical behavior does not make Ara Najarian a crybaby. Far from it. In this democracy, all views are supposed to be tolerated. As a resident of Pasadena I want Mr. Najarian to represent me. I think that Messina and Fasana should be condemned for their unconscionable behavior.
~ JEPICONE
(Knapp is a former south pasadena city councilman)
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