Ideas of Today Will Shape the County of Tomorrow

Good morning. The date at the top of this page says 1997, but imagine for a moment it said 2097. What sort of Ventura County would you like to find outside your door?

As The Times Ventura County Edition today launches its weekly editorial and opinion pages, we intend to ask that question about every issue we examine.

Which actions, which policies, which projects, which leaders will take us confidently toward the kind of future most of us agree we would like to enjoy--and to leave to our children’s children?

And which, for all their short-term appeal, are steps down roads that we will surely regret?

The people who call this county home come in an infinity of backgrounds, colors, faiths, occupations, income levels and political persuasions. Often we see things differently. Sometimes we get on one another’s nerves. And our frustration isn’t helped by the nagging sense that our governments have veered out of our control.

On future Sundays we will join in the debates about the issues shaping Ventura County. Among the most important are:

* Whipping all of our government bodies into robust fiscal fitness--and getting them detoxified from their addiction to deficit spending and self-destructive sales tax wars.

* Working together, despite past animosities, toward common goals. The recent agreement on library funding and ongoing team efforts on the Calleguas Creek watershed and greenbelt preservation show that cooperation pays off, even for independent-minded Venturans.

* Preserving the farmlands that are so fundamental to the character of Ventura County, while encouraging new development in locations and designs that make sense for the long haul.

* Learning from past mistakes to prevent building in predictable disaster zones such as flood plains and riverbeds.

* Moving boldly forward with plans for Cal State University Channel Islands.

* Enhancing our arts facilities to bring the world’s finest cultural offerings to Ventura County residents, and to help them make the most of their own creativity.

* Keeping crime rates among the state’s lowest by continuing vigorous enforcement, while supporting our schools and economy so no one ever believes a life of crime is his or her only option.

* Vowing that air and water quality are to be improved year by year, not diminished.

* Challenging our youth to dream big, and giving them the tools to achieve those dreams.