Parking board reps had no voting power
After reading Councilman Scott Peters’ editorial “Looking back on a great year for La Jolla” (Council Corner, Village News, Jan. 4, page 8), I was impressed at Mr. Peters’ diligence in working to find solutions to his district’s parking problems.
I can’t help but wonder how much more could have been accomplished in 2005 if the representatives for the City of San Diego Mayor’s Parking Advisory Board from both La Jolla and Pacific Beach had been officially seated by the mayor so that the citizens of La Jolla and Pacific Beach would have had voting members on that board.
The two representatives from La Jolla and Pacific Beach attended the monthly board meetings during 2005 but were not allowed to participate in voting on any of the parking issues for their respective districts.
Linda S. Stanley, Clairemont

Insult to Californians
I am writing to express my frustration and outrage over Congressman Brian Bilbray’s vote to continue arresting seriously ill patients for using medical marijuana in states that allow them to do so. The congressman recently voted against the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment, which would prevent the federal government from using taxpayer dollars to arrest medical marijuana patients following the laws of their state. Rep. Bilbray is out of step with the 78 percent of Americans who support medical marijuana. Patients should not have to suffer due to politician’s misguided “morality.” I mean what kind of morality insists that cancer patients should go to jail for working with their doctor to relieve their own pain and suffering.
I think that is an insult to the citizens of California that Rep. Bilbray does not stand up for Californians right to decide this issue. The voters of California have voted in favor of patient’s rights to relieve their suffering under the supervision of their doctor. Whether or not he agrees with his constituents, Rep. Bilbray should not vote to send federal police into our state to arrest our critically ill citizens at taxpayer’s expense. Our national budget is spinning out of control. Is arresting cancer and AIDS patients really how we want to spend our limited financial resources?
The American Academy of Family Physicians, American Nurses Association and the New England Journal of Medicine all support safe and legal access to medical marijuana for patients whose doctors recommend it. The United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church and the Episcopal Church have also spoken out in support of medical marijuana. I respectfully ask you to take a few minutes and send a letter or make a phone call to Congressman Bilbray and tell him you support protecting patients who use medical marijuana and ask him how he justifies wasting millions of our dollars to continue arresting seriously ill American citizens.
Tony Klabunde, Encinitas