The Gulf of Mexico oil spill; combating global hunger; politicians Chuck DeVore and Rand Paul

Oil questions

Re “ ‘A confluence of unfortunate events,’ ” May 23

“A single flaw in [the cement] seal, perhaps a crack the size of a human hair, can be enough to unleash a volcano of petroleum”?

And how many offshore wells do we have?

And how many deepwater wells, which may “involve risks that no technology can anticipate”?

And now we want to drill in the Arctic?

Are we nuts?

Crista Worthy

Los Angeles

Why doesn’t the United States government have the capacity to stop an oil leak?

BP’s response to the current crisis is clear evidence that we should have a backup plan to protect our environment.

It could be the Navy, the Coast Guard or the Environmental Protection Agency — someone has to have this clear mandate and responsibility so we do not have to rely solely on the business sector.

Nicole Renke

Trabuco Canyon

Since it is apparent that neither the oil companies nor the government have a way of safely drilling deep wells, dealing with problems if they occur or even determining the extent of the oil spill, why is drilling being allowed at all?

Tom Burton

Van Nuys

Re “Great minds, no time,” Column One, May 22

The Times compares the BP oil leak to Apollo 13.

It is true that both disasters occurred in hostile environments and were time-critical. However, NASA successfully resolved the mechanical problems on Apollo 13 and brought the astronauts home safely.

With a problem closer to home, BP has not yet been successful, resulting in great harm to the ocean and coastline.

Why do so many people think private businesses are more successful and efficient than government?

Barbara Motz

Valley Village

The city and CIM Group

Re “Developer seeks 2nd city loan for project,” May 20

At the same time CIM Group is wheedling our bankruptcy-adjacent city for a bailout loan on its Midtown Crossing project, it’s bidding millions to take over the city’s parking lots, and it seems well-heeled enough to buy properties across the country. This is the same outfit that just months ago snaked the city out of a deal on land for a wind farm.

And it’s pretty fabulous that CIM is paying the loans off with tax money — in other words, paying the city back with its own money. Wish I could get a loan like that.

L.A. Community Development Department economic development director Ninoos Benjamin promises that “CIM Group would use its own money to repay its two loans if tax revenues from the project fall below projections.”

How does that saying go? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice and … I’ll be happy to throw more money at you?

Now why is our city going broke?

David Ewing

Venice

Too many hungry mouths

Re “The starving can’t wait,” Editorial, May 20

Thank you for mentioning population growth as one of the factors driving increased hunger.

As of today, the world is gaining about 80million people a year, with most of the growth coming in the poorest countries — those with the least infrastructure for education and health and where women’s status is low.

Efforts to feed the hungry — the best of which help them grow and raise their own food — must be coupled with efforts to push for girls’ and women’s education and for their access to reproductive healthcare and family planning.

Jane Roberts

Redlands

The Times has pinpointed both the need to combat global hunger and potential remedies.

We have long acted on the premise that supporting local efforts to grow and sell foodstuffs is more effective in the long term than sending food from the United States. One of MAZON’s grantees in Haiti uses our funds to support a sustainable agriculture program. That program is designed to increase the food and economic security of peasant farmers by providing funds, seeds, tools and training and to increase the skills and knowledge of project leaders, especially women.

The result of these efforts has been improvement in economic conditions, increased availability of food, reduction in soil erosion and increased gender equity. Public and private efforts to replicate these programs have the potential to reduce world poverty and increase national and international security.

Barbara H. Bergen

Los Angeles

The writer is acting president, MAZON: A Jewish Response To Hunger.

Just silly

Re “DeVore pushes outsider status,” May 21

Chuck DeVore’s conflation of hearing gunshots while in Lebanon as a student in the 1980s into combat-tested readiness to lead in the Senate is downright comical.

Years ago, in Iran during the revolution, I saw armed people and heard gunshots. But I wouldn’t use that random event as a bullet point (pun intended) for any job application, let alone for the job DeVore wants.

If the political reporting community offers “Razzies” for foundationless chutzpah in campaigning, DeVore makes the short list of this year’s nominees.

Andrew Sussman

Rancho Santa Margarita

Church must prove itself

Re “A penitent church?,” Editorial, May 19

The pope’s admission that “the greatest persecution of the church doesn’t come from enemies on the outside but is born from the sins within the church” is a profound statement. Now the Roman Catholic Church must prove its sincerity through acts such as giving victims their just due in settlements. In addition, the church must put the safety of children and victims above the “seal of confession” that protects pedophile priests who confess criminal behavior to other priests in the confessional.

Reporting instances of sexual abuse to the police must include pedophiles’ admissions in confession, or the church’s promise to report instances of sexual abuse to the police is only a facade.

It remains to be seen if the actions of the church indeed demonstrate a “firm purpose of amendment.”

Barbara Lorenz

La Jolla

Rand Paul doesn’t get it

Re “ GOP ‘tea party’ nominee lands in controversy,” May 21

Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul’s comment that he didn’t think the federal government should force private businesses to desegregate is disgraceful. This is a classic case where “big” government needed to step in.

How does Paul feel about government inspection of meat? And we now know the government does not need to monitor offshore oil rigs — or Wall Street, for that matter.

What is also interesting is how he is now trying to tone down his statements: “I will not support any efforts to repeal the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

How comforting. It looks like the Republican establishment has already gotten to him.

I think we need “big” government; we don’t need Rand Paul.

Jim Conway

Woodland Hills

Like all starry-eyed advocates of a utopian society — be it communism, pure capitalism or libertarianism — when you go beyond the simplistic theoretical arguments, they all fall apart as naive and unworkable.

Wait until Paul is questioned about Social Security, Medicare and government guarantees for individual bank accounts through the FDIC.

Steven R. Odell

Huntington Beach