Reader: I am totally outraged that this
despicable paper saw it fit to print the picture
of Eight Belles broken down and
standing in Monday’s edition. What a travesty
that you had to include this picture
along such a sad but very informative article.
Other major publications, who report
on horse racing showed some class and ran
the article or other articles on the same
subject, without that ghastly picture.
I have been in the horse racing industry
in many capacities over the last 25 years.
Accidents in racing do happen. This type of
accident, after the finish line, is very, very,
very rare.
Eight Belles should have been shown as
the champion she was, not as an accident
victim.
Shame on the entire paper for letting
this happen. Try reporting on the fact that
we may well have the next Triple “Brown”
Winner in Big Brown.
Disgusted,
— Andrew Young

Jenner: Despicable? A travesty? Shame?
It’s a tragedy that Eight Belles broke
both her front ankles after finishing the
Kentucky Derby.
Trainers euthanized her after determining
the extent of her injuries.
The picture, about the size of a dollar
bill, ran on the last page of Monday’s
Sports section.
Anyone reading the story or viewing the
picture had to be saddened by the injury
and death of a beautiful animal, but I saw
nothing wrong with the picture.
I’m sorry you were offended.

Reader: It is a sad day when a candidate
for public office with an extensive criminal
record is given a pass by the local newspaper.
The Bakersfield Californian has a duty to
the public to tell the facts and the fact is
that Cliff Thompson, who is running for 4th
District supervisor, broke the law. Not
once or twice but around a dozen times.
Though some were “expunged” he was
still found guilty, served probation and
paid restitution. He may have paid his debt
to society but it shouldn’t buy him a ticket
to public office.
— Paula Najar

Jenner: A profile of Thompson by
reporter James Burger, published on
Tuesday’s Local cover, discusses Thompson’s
criminal past.
That story contains a box directing readers
to James Burger’s blog, where readers
can download a file that contains a list of
all Thompson’s arrests and their disposition.
That file may be found at
http://people.bakersfield.c...
jburger/25822
Thompson prepared and submitted this
document in response to an editorial board
request about his criminal history by The
Californian.

Reader: I am a strong advocate FOR
Prop. 98. My reason is that it is to protect
you, me and the little guy who has property.
Property means roots in a community.
It is either our home or our business.
The Californian has taken the stance to
say “no” on Prop. 98 and from reading the
editorial it seems the writers are only or
mainly interested in the redevelopment
projects downtown. No one can fault anyone
for wanting the redevelopment projects
to be done but at what cost and to
whom?
Right now we have so many environmental
laws it is hard to see how air and
water resources would be affected by
“yes” on Prop. 98.
I would ask this question: Why is it more
important to support the redevelopment
projects downtown than Gordon Downs, a
private citizen with a desire to develop his
property?
Why are developers who do city projects
good and developers who work for the private
sector bad?
If we as citizens are not protected from
the government, then we as citizens are
held hostage by the government.
— Irene Edmonds

Dianne Hardisty writes: The
Californian’s editorial board met with proponents
and opponents of Proposition 98
and 99 — both proposing to set limits on
government’s use of eminent domain. All
sides attended the same meeting. The discussion
was vigorous. It was apparent
there’s great disagreement over the
intended and unintended consequences of
Prop. 98, the more restrictive measure.
For that reason, former Gov. Pete Wilson
and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
oppose Prop. 98. They believe much-needed
projects intended to resolve the state’s
critical water supply problems will be
blocked by the restrictions in Proposition
98.
This initiative was drafted by a coalition
of special interests and is heavily funded
by landlord groups, including mobile home
park owners, who seek to remove the ability
of communities to establish rent controls.
Editorial board members concluded
Proposition 99, a modest reform effort, is a
better choice for voters. But real reform
should be achieved through the Legislature.
The Californian supports private development,
which allows the community and its
economy to grow.
This development must enhance Bakersfield’s
quality of life and protect taxpayers
and future homebuyers. It must comply
with state and local laws.

Reader: Gee, I hate to disappoint, but
I’m not a “property rights activist” in the
sense that Robert Price implies.
I am a guy who understands the Fifth
Amendment to the Constitution, as well as
the First. For example, the rights of property
include intellectual as well as physical
concepts. It’s always amazed me that a lot
of media people and politicians don’t get
the connection. Keep taking away the
guarantees to hold and use property and
soon the right of free expression goes, too.
I have lent my name to the Kern Property
Rights group and I do get some material
from it. But that no more makes me a
“property rights activist” than Price’s connection
with The Californian makes him a
“socialist.”
I have the most casual acquaintance with
Ken Weir. We’ve never exceeded an
exchange of a couple dozen words in the
few times we’ve encountered each other.
But the attacks on him by The Californian
prompt me to rise to his defense. What
twists me off about The Californian are the
biases, the misinformation, the omissions of
relevant facts obviously known, the manipulations
of data, the favoritism and its contra,
the bullying, the illogical conclusions following
from unsupportable premises (for
example, that I’m a “property rights
activist”), the aura of arrogance emanating
from Eye Street where the fugue of ignorance
is more the reality — all that and
more.
Put me down as an anti-Californian
activist.
— Hank Londean

Jenner: I disagree with your position on
The Californian, but I appreciate your articulate
slam. I wish you were a fan instead of
a critic, but I’d rather have you as a critic
than a non-reader. Thanks for reading.
I’ll let Bob Price respond to your specific
complaint about calling you a “property
rights activist:”
“It seemed relevant that Londean is on
the leadership committee of the Kern Citizens
for Property Rights (along with Gordon
Downs, among others), so I included it.
The central issue in the Weir debate is the
Planning Commission, which is all about
land use, and obviously that’s the sole reason
for the KCPR’s existence.
“If I hadn’t mentioned it, people would’ve
been left to wonder whether Londean had
some sort of connection to Weir (ideological
or otherwise) or just happened to be the
one guy out there who could decipher his
statements.
“I realize the connection to a particular
group does not define a person, but if you
allow your name to be associated with a
group, and then you willingly put your
name out there, you shouldn’t be surprised
to see the connection mentioned.”
Reader: You should be quite annoyed
with someone in your organization due to
the unreliability of your e-mail service. I
sent an email to “editor@bakersfield.com”
and your mail server says that there’s no
such person. For shame!
— Everett Greene

Jenner: There’s that “shame” word
again!
We try to set up mailboxes in our system
that make sense. For example, readers can
submit letters to the editor at
opinion@bakersfield.com or can send story
tips to local news editors at
local@bakersfield.com.
It didn’t occur to me that we needed a
mailbox for “editor@bakersfield.com” —
or that our lack of one would be so disappointing.