Vol. 16, No. 16 – May 3 – May 16, 2023 – Mailbox

editor:

I grew up the daughter of generations of hunters. I was a pretty good shot in my day, deemed best marksman at my summer camp. I named all my dolls “Annie” for Annie Oakley.

Decades later, I join those dismayed by the lack of initiative by responsible leadership in addressing the American epidemic of needless deaths by gun violence. What price are we paying for this distorted concept of “freedom”?

Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. I understand the logic. Let’s counter with a slight variation — same notion, different weapon. Cars don’t kill people, people driving cars do. We require driver ed, testing, licensing and implementation of the best and latest technology in efforts to successfully save lives. My own 19-year-old life was saved by my car’s roll cage and seat belts.

How many precious lives have we failed to save in pandering to gun-rights groups’ irrational insistence that gun ownership, concealed carry privileges and more guns make a safer America? Facts convey increases in gun ownership closely match the rise in gun deaths, along with unprecedented profit to gun and ammunition manufacturers and the paid lobbyists who fund “leaders.”

We’ve come to expect oversight and safety in our water supplies, our food sources, our building codes. Let’s delete that intentionally triggering phrase gun “control”. Let’s call it what it is, responsible weapon-safety oversight. The lives we save may be our own and countless lives of our precious children.

Berry Manter


Sheldon,

I may have missed this subject in a previous paper. Has our City ever considered helping “the elderly” in these Mobil Home Parks by stopping the insane 10% Rental Space increase every year? Most are on fixed SS income and are slowly being pushed out of their homes?

Greg Gardner

We asked the city to respond. 

Greetings from Community Development. I’m the Mobile Home Rent Administrator for the City. As an FYI there are 12 Mobile Home Parks in the City that are covered by our Mobile Home Rental Stabilization Ordinance which caps rent at CPI or 5%.  They can be found on our site here:  https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/713/Mobile-Home-Rent-Review-Board 

While it doesn’t cover every park in town, the majority of our senior manufactured home residents are covered by this ordinance. 

Let me know if you have further questions, 

Regards, 

Lee Sherman
Management Analyst II
Community Development
City of Ventura

Sheldon,

Thank you so much!
But I live in the Magnolia Home Park on the Avenue and considered outside the City.
Yearly rent continues to go up
10% every year – even with inflation.
No one seems to care. Especially the city.

Thank you!
Greg


“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
~ Eleanor Roosevelt