Worse things than smoke on the beach...

Worse things than smoke on the beach

Being near a smoker at the beach is less hazardous than sitting

downwind from a bonfire. Plus nobody needs to sit by either. Even the

Earth Resource Foundation and other do-gooders should recognize that.

Litter is the problem. I would not know if I stepped on a filter, but

bottle caps and pop-tops hurt and oozing ketchup and mustard packs

are messy. There is no reason a smoker couldn’t take a sandwich bag

for disposal of butts. But I find food and wrappers more disgusting

as they attract ants and flies. So if smoking is banned, to be fair,

so should eating and drinking.

I would really like to see our city council quit worrying about

petty things and direct its attention to what is important for the

city both structurally and financially. Do we really want a 16%

decrease in beach parking fees and concessions? Imposing fines on

littering, which is already against the law, would do more to help

the city coffer.

ELINOR MATTSON

Huntington Beach

The correct perspective

for the holidays

The Huntington Beach Independent “Natural Perspectives” column of

Dec. 25 is one of the best Christmas messages I’ve ever received.

Vic Leipzig and Lou Murray gently hit the nail on the head with

their insight on mankind’s God given “dominion” over the earth. How

mankind took that charge to mean somehow that it’s OK to spoil, over

consume and desecrate our planet is the result of human greed not

piety. Their reminder of the fundamental importance of caring for our

planet applies to us all.

PHIL SMITH

Huntington Beach