Decade better goal than never
Regarding “Use existing gas leases first” by Cherry DeLorenzo (Letter to the editor, Village News, July 17, page 8):
Oil companies have “use-it-or-lose-it” leases on 68 million acres of federal land and they are allowing the leases to expire because there isn’t any oil there. Since the leases are already “use-it-or-lose it” leases, what do you think passing a “use-it-or-lose-it” law will accomplish?
The president lifted his ban on drilling and asked Congress to lift its ban. The Democrats complained that lifting the ban would not result in new oil for a decade and said that unless the oil companies drill on 68 million acres where there is no oil, they will not lift the ban to allow drilling on federal land where there is oil. Sounds to me like a plan which will never yield a drop of oil. Isn’t a decade a better goal than never?
Also, the time it takes for new leases to produce oil depends on how much governmental red tape the oil companies have to go through before they can start drilling. The companies who do the actual drilling say that, should they get permission to start drilling tomorrow, the areas where infrastructure is in place would start producing in 12 to 18 months, and even those that are the greatest distance from shore and in the deepest water would produce oil in five to six years.
The petition asking Congress to lift the ban is at www.americansolutions.com.
Don French , Point Loma

Cops now have more time to get butts
As a grandmother, mother, wife, travel agent and homeowner of a house in Mission Beach for more than 20 years, I want to commend those who finally decided it was time to clean up our beach and boardwalk.
We just spent a few weeks at our place and the difference in the entire area is remarkable! We could walk the boardwalk without being accosted by drunks hurling their insults and stomach contents at us. We could sit on the beach and hear the ocean and the birds, not the belching and disgusting noises emitting from the orifices of those who had too much alcohol in their systems.
All of the girls kept their swimsuits on. My grandchildren played up and down the beach without fear. It was truly wonderful. The beach was so clean and it didn’t smell like a brewery.
As a travel agent, I have found that over the years, my clients have chosen to avoid Mission Beach and Pacific Beach because it had become one big drunken brawl, and many parents with teenage girls refused to even consider booking a hotel or condo in the area. So they have been spending their considerable dollars at Coronado and other areas that already banned alcohol.
Yes, I did see some beachgoers hiding their drinks under their towels and using water bottles to hold their liquor, but there will always be those who have to break the rules, no matter what.
I spoke with some police officers and they were glad that they could now spend more time attempting to get the cigarette butts off the beach. They felt the ban was successful.
It is my hope that this ban on alcohol on the beach will become a permanent ban, and that as tourists learn that it is a better place to visit, they will return. As a matter of fact, I just spoke with clients who are going to give the area a try since I told them how pleasant it was.
Thank you to all who listened and to all who care about this beautiful spot on the beach.
Nancy Jo Miller, Phoenix