Thank you, Acorn, and your writer for opening our eyes
      We want to congratulate the T.O. Acorn and staff writer Nancy Needham for the excellent article on T.O. resident Larry Mack and his dog, Scubbers, in the Feb. 14 edition of the Thousand Oaks Acorn . This article is a shining example of the power and impact of local journalism.
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On immigration, the congressman speaks from both sides of his mouth
      U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly professes in the Jan. 31 Acorn to be concerned about illegal immigra tion. But if he is, why doesn't he work for repeal of the North America Free Trade Agreement? It's economic policy which drives migration, and if economic conditions were better in Mexico, fa...
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Disagrees with superintendent on state budget woes
      I disagree with the thrust of Superintendent Mario Contini's opinions in the Feb. 7 Thousand Oaks Acorn complaining that there will be draconian cuts to education in light of the state budget crisis. He infers, but never directly states, that he favors tax increases; he says ...
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The school district could have made more budget cuts
      With all of the ongoing turmoil regarding potential school closings, it's important to closely examine the numbers. Here's the data over a four-year period, covering 2003 to 2007:
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Still hopes the district won't close any schools
      I applaud the recent developments in the schoolclosing debate where the Conejo Valley Unified School District board has modified its criteria for school closings to include consideration of certain needy segments of the school population.
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The most vile remarks were made by someone without a child in any Conejo school
      Ms. Hotchkiss, in her recent letter to the Acorn , refers to Maple parents as "bashing" the children of Manzanita. I was present at the meeting on Jan. 17, which was open and attended by representatives from every school in the Newbury Park cluster.
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Our freeway greenbelts need native plants
      I can't tell you how many times I've almost written a letter to the editor because of getting worked up over the ugliness of the sound walls along the 23 Freeway. How could Thousand Oaks allow such a monstrosity to be built in our lovely town?
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Government creates problems, not solutions
      Regarding Ms. Aschenbrenners' Feb. 7 ("Likes Hillary") letter, the trouble with Clinton is policies, principles and lack of character.
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Frustrated with real estate ads
      It's always confused me as to why real estate ads don't always include the city the property is located in and whether it's a house or condo or townhome.
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