President Obama and the media are working overtime to make it appear that successful people are out of touch, selfish and evil. A recent major network newscast ran a montage of Mitt Romney statements, including his quip, "I like to fire people," despite the quotation being taken out of context.

I'm losing my patience with Occupy Oakland. I fully support the Occupy movement's goal of curbing the corrupting influence that money has in our government.

I think it is only fair that the federal government keeps its word, and cleans the water that the farmers need for irrigation. If the Westlands Water District needs the government to keep their part that they were supposed to have been doing for years, they should push the fact that this needs to be changed, in court. But it is also important that the damages are fixed.

I agree with Michael Der Manouel Sr. (letter Feb. 3). We want both vengeance and justice when it comes to the death penalty.

According to Scripture, everything that is happening now has happened before. The same goes for recycling, with recorded advocates as far back as Plato in 400 BC.

As a middle school teacher, I am concerned about the dropout rate. Shockingly, about 20% of my students have serious social/emotional issues. When students have significant problems in their lives, having to write a persuasive essay simply is not important.

Proposition 98 has served spectacularly the group that created it. According to the latest Estimates and Rankings published by the National Education Association, the average salaries of K-12 instructional staff in California's public schools are the fourth highest in the U.S., trailing only New York, Massachusetts and Alaska.

George B. Kauffman believes the U.S. "... has become the laughingstock of the civilized world" because Republican presidential candidates don't tend to believe that life came into existence spontaneously.

Our neighborhood's streetlights have not been working since June 2011. It's been eight months and the city still has not fixed them. I know it's a citywide problem, but eight months?

Thank you for Saturday's editorial, "Let's focus on the real enemy -- breast cancer." As events unfolded last week at Susan G. Komen's headquarters, the Central Valley affiliate of Susan G. Komen joined the six other Komen California affiliates to reassure supporters, stakeholders and volunteers that our position was to maintain control over granting decisions to ensure programs serve the needs of our local community.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure gives more than $500,000 each year to Planned Parenthood for breast screenings, though Planned Parenthood was forced to admit that it was licensed to do no more than the screenings women are advised to do for self-check. They refer out for mammograms, which are often paid for by government health programs rather than by Komen funds. For ethical options in charitable giving to provide mammograms see http://www.bdfund.org/breastcancerorgs.

Thank you for the Feb. 2 editorial, "BIA needs to get involved in Chukchansi tribal dispute." As a member of the Chukchansi tribe, I am asking the Bureau of Indian Affairs to intervene. We held our election on Dec. 3, and the people voted for new leadership. It's a travesty that our votes on that night have no meaning today.

In answer to Gregory L. Bacchetti's Feb. 3 letter wanting to know who would vote for President Obama: Well, I am one.

In response to the Feb. 3 letter, "Who are Obama voters?": People who vote for President Obama are those who like the fact that Osama bin Laden is dead, the Iraq war is over and GM is the No. 1 car company in the world, not to mention the job engine is picking up steam.

In response to the Jan. 28 story, "SF archbishop speaks against immigration program": Immigration, especially illegal immigration, is a gray area. Illegal aliens come to our country for various reasons, including work and family; but illegal immigration puts a burden on U.S. citizens. Illegal immigrants benefit from our rights as citizens through welfare, health insurance, and the school system. These rights should be strictly for American citizens.

In Paul Volker's Feb. 3 letter supporting high-speed rail, he cited the time it would take to fly to San Diego. He said it would be about seven hours, assuming a TSA-recommended arrival at Fresno Yosemite International of two hours before the flight, and the $266 cost for his wife reaching San Diego from Fresno by air.

Pat Reinhold's Feb. 4 letter asks who would notice or benefit from the landscaping on Freeway 41 that Caltrans is planning. I will certainly notice and enjoy it. I love seeing the trees on the freeways and am grateful that Caltrans is committed to improving our community -- even at a time of limited resources.

Bravo! Your Feb. 4 article in the Life section was a sight for sore eyes. As the choir director at Hope Lutheran Church these past 30 years, I couldn't agree more with the feelings expressed in your article.

In response to the California high-speed rail project, I find that rail officials need to stop spending taxpayers' money on lobbying and start thinking about getting the project started.

I wouldn't normally be writing on someone's passing, but I couldn't help but comment on the remarkable life of Anna Maxell Levin-Ware. I was touched by her family member who wrote about her, and giving us a peek into her life through the obituary.

Changes in our lives can be significant and mentally challenging. Some see change and fear things may get worse. Some see change and hope things may get better. Some see change and are inspired by the challenge to make things better.

The love of the Democratic Party and leftists for more taxes seems to have irrational roots. Something in the leftist psyche that longs to tax and be taxed remains mysterious. To them, it is always desirable that the lion's share of taxation fall on the rich. In the opinion of the party, they have "enough" wealth.

My union, the California Faculty Association, has decided to lend its support to an Occupy Education National Day of Action on March 1, as well as a March 5 rally at the state Capitol. I sent my local representative the following statement:

A recent letter writer asks the rhetorical question, "Who's voting for (President) Obama?" The writer then goes on to respond to his own question with answers exposing prejudice and ignorance.

High-speed rail followers please take note. On Monday at 10 a.m., the Fresno County Council of Governments will host a well-staffed public workshop on the project.

After listening to the State of the Union address, I see one of President Obama's promises is to reduce military spending. I assume that's a nice gesture to appease his base.

Thank you to all Fresno County workers whose tax dollars subsidize small businesses. As a small business owner, Michael Der Manouel Jr. owes these workers a big thanks for all the luxuries he is legally able to write off as business expenses.

California became a state in 1850, but since then every elected and non-elected official has ignored the fact that this state does not have a train from the capital to the southern end of the state -- not even a "snail train." Now they want a bullet train.

Gary Walker's diatribe against anyone who seems to target Muslims was an obvious attempt to distort the truth (Valley Voices Jan. 28). Mr. Walker tells of a local Muslim who practices Islam as being unfairly targeted by TSA agents.

We should not wait until Veterans Day or Memorial Day to thank our veterans for our freedom.

With California's economy the way it is, I'm against building a high-speed rail system because, after awhile, the car thieves just might think it'll be more exciting to steal a train. They know that the punishment would be minimum.

Jeffrey W. Eisinger's Feb. 2 letter complains about Michael Der Manouel Jr.'s recent commentary concerning Fresno County employees. Mr. Eisinger says, "Dividing the working classes is an age old trick of the capitalist class."

Whenever the issue of income inequality is raised, Republicans are likely to accuse one of class warfare. But what do the facts tell us? According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, during the 30-year period from 1976 to 2007, average income for the bottom 90% grew by only about 10%, while average income for the top 1% grew by about 275%!

In the Feb. 2 Bee, Kathleen Parker wrote a provocative column unknowingly refuting the philosophy of Ayn Rand. In Rand's supernovel, her heroes approach perfection, although what or who is perfect is debatable to some extent. Ms. Parker suggests that Mitt Romney needs a visible defect in the form of a limp so that the "everyday American," with his or her addictions, broken marriages, near poverty, etc., can "connect" with him.

On Jan. 28, I spent a beautiful day with my family at an open house tour of Critter Creek Wildlife Station.

I am writing in response to the Jan. 28 article addressing a federal program that checks the immigration status of people booked into local jails. I am not, in any way, against immigrants coming to our country in hopes of having greater opportunities, but I strongly feel it needs to be done legally.

In The Bee's Jan. 18 Senior Living section, I enjoyed reading Kathy Garabed's story of dedication to ease the suffering of displaced people with respect and understanding.

I voted for Mayor Ashley Swearengin and I think she is smart, but I do not agree with her concerning the revitalization of the Fulton Mall. There have been other very qualified mayors that have tackled that task and failed. I very strongly feel that her trying it again will be like flushing taxpayer money down the toilet.

I look forward to this year's elections. I hope that we all take our duty to vote seriously and that we research the proposed policies and the candidates who seek to represent us.

A recent news story suggests that The Fresno Bee misunderstands how California is reducing prison overcrowding. Under realignment, nonviolent offenders who used to go to state prison are now sent to county jail. Gov. Jerry Brown has backed up realignment with hundreds of millions of dollars to counties to add staff and jail space. More money will follow, and the governor is committed to seeking constitutional protection for those funds.

So PG&E wants to raise rates again. The rates already are among the highest in the country. But, even worse, they want to charge you $10 a month (plus a $75 fee) if you wish to opt out of the SmartMeter program.

On Dec. 16, The Bee printed an op-ed about the city's plans for the old Gottschalks' downtown location. It discussed a new tenant that leased the space as part of a swap mall business, but didn't mention that the Fresno small business owners who occupy the space are all minorities.

When listening to some candidates for political office, we must all wonder: Why does that person want my vote? What does that person want to achieve if elected? I recall Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina -- millionaires and accomplished people. Why were they running? For their résumé or because they want to improve the condition of the citizens whose votes they seek?

As the United States celebrates Abraham Lincoln's birthday, the entire world celebrates the birthday of another emancipator, Charles Darwin, who ranks alongside our greatest scientists -- Galileo, Copernicus, Newton and Einstein.

The Jan. 29 headline, "Is California death penalty worth the cost," was misleading. It costs almost nothing for a length of stout rope.

For many years, I served Fresno County on election day as a precinct worker. I was later selected to work as a member of a team developed to help recruit and train election day workers and to serve as a precinct troubleshooter on election day.

At the State of Downtown Breakfast on Tuesday, where Mayor Ashley Swearengin was the featured speaker, I was reminded of a letter that 18 past presidents of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce wrote in support of her mayoral candidacy. We wrote: "Ashley is the candidate who has the vision, and more importantly, proven leadership skills to continue to move Fresno and the region forward."

You have published several stories concerning the meth problem in the Valley, but I haven't seen any mention of the children of meth. We adopted four children through Child Protective Services who are all meth babies.

In most of your reporting of the strike by Fresno County workers, you have downplayed or simply not mentioned that the county workers have had mandatory furloughs for three years now. Also, they have been asked to take voluntary furloughs for more than 10 years.