MAILBAG:

Well, the new Bolsa Chica tidal inlet is already filling in, and now what will apparently be an annual ritual of dredging it out — at a cost of $4 million — is required. Many of us expected this, and even the designers of the inlet now claim to have expected it. Oddly, they even seem pleased that the shoaling has occurred “on schedule.”

An obvious question: If they expected the Bolsa Chica inlet to fill in each year, why didn’t they just do a better job of designing it? This is the best that project engineers could do?

I also remember — years before the inlet was approved — reading proponents of the Bolsa Chica inlet claiming that the occasional flooding of Pacific Coast Highway was actually Mother Nature sending in the Pacific Ocean to reclaim the old oil fields as wetlands.

Well, it now seems to this observer of Mother Nature that she is actually trying to close that tidal inlet, and very quickly at that! So let us side with Mother Nature, and against the meddling of our local self-interested bird-watching groups. Just let it close.

Tom Polkow

Huntington Beach

Helicopters disrupt sleep and aren’t necessary

I am 100% in agreement with Chub Domotor’s comments (“Noise complaint hovers,” Jan. 8) on the helicopters flying over our heads all times of day and night in Huntington Beach operated by the police. I live downtown and it is horrible, particularly at night. You just get to sleep and then here come the helicopters right over our house, pass after pass! Huntington Beach is just not that crime-ridden that we need this type of air surveillance. It also has to cost a fortune to the taxpayers as well to have these choppers up and down all day and all night.

Terry Rylski

Huntington Beach

Helicopters a waste of taxpayer money

Thank you, Dolly Burgress, for the “Helocopters should be used with discretion” letter (Jan. 15). Simply put, those helicopter pilots would be much more help in a black and white Crown Victoria that works fine regardless of the weather.  

Dennis Berklet

Huntington Beach

No-smoking law is for protection of the people

John Reger commented in his review of Luu Luyen on Jan. 15 that the restaurant turned their head on the no-smoking law. He stated that he is an “opponent to that silly law.” Is Reger ignorant of silly diseases called cancer and emphysema caused by secondhand smoke? I hope that Fountain Valley officials will take action to protect the public at Luu Luyen, which evidently blatantly ignores this law.

Ronald Pavesic

Huntington Beach

So-called ‘Obamatrons’ don’t really exist

Your editorial “Keep current on Obama’s solutions” had me in stitches. I know dozens of people who voted for Barack Obama and not one of them thinks he is “America’s messiah.” I’m extremely curious to find out where you get this idea that we Obama voters have put our “political brains on autopilot” and think he can do no wrong. Really, how many “Obamatrons” are we talking about here?

Anyone? Bueller?

Frankly, we Obama voters are much more aware of the realities of the office of president than typical Bush and McCain voters, who take everything their candidates say at face value, without question. WMDs? Sure. “Mission Accomplished”? Of course.

The fundamentals of the economy are sound? Why not, even though Americans are losing jobs and homes by the hundreds of thousands, lack medical care, and can’t afford to send their kids to college. Brownie, you’re doing a heckuva job? No response.

“Obamatrons” are a creation of the conservative propaganda mind, invented to try to make liberals look confused.

We’re not confused, and we’re not blind followers waiting helplessly for a father figure to protect us from the bad people. We know full well that Obama is a politician, like all presidents who have come before him.

We understand that compromises must be made to achieve the higher purpose. And we are extremely aware that several Republican congressmen have already declared it is their job to disrupt Obama’s agenda any way they can, regardless of the harm they do to the country.

We Obama voters are, in a word, “aware,” and we’re actively doing our part to clean up the planet for future generations.

Sharon Graham

Huntington Beach

Caroline shouldn’t replace Clinton

Caroline Kennedy has failed in her one and only public service job. She did not vet the candidates for President Obama. So many of them had credibility issues. Why should she be trusted to enter the Senate?

Rod Kunishige