Dear Editor:

I have lived in Downey for 37 years. The social composition of Downey has changed from 1980 up to now.

The Downey Patriot should recognized that by choosing articles that fit the majority of the people in Downey who pay taxes and contributes to development of our city. Inserting an op-ed from a controversial and polarizing figure as Rush Limbaugh, who supported Trump's most outrageous birther claim about President Obama, makes me think and doubt of the direction of the local newspaper.

Our local newspaper should get with the program and represent the majority of people who live in our beautiful City of Downey

Guillermo Tejada
Downey

Dear Editor: 

I would guess that the Downey Patriot decided to published Rush Limbaugh’s op-ed (Opinion on March 23, 2017), as a way to begin the discussion about how we can move this country forward.

Attacking liberals and blaming them for what the country is today, as Limbaugh does, is the wrong way to start the discussion.

To begin with, this country is not a mess. One only needs to visit other countries to realize that our country is already the greatest country on earth.

When Limbaugh criticizes our country the way he did, he is doing the job that the Russians have been doing: to demoralize and divide us.

Next he tries to connect the problem of the high housing prices in California with liberalism.
He has no idea that the housing problem evolved as result of so many people moving in to live here.

People keep coming and therefore there is a shortage of housing for the simple reason that space is limited. The rule of supply and demand says that when the demand rises, the price goes up and when the demand diminishes the price goes down. People want to live in California but there is no more room to build so definitely the price will go up. It has nothing to do with regulations. It is economics.

He says that there are too many regulations. Okay, let’s have no regulations. Let people start building houses on the freeways or on the streets and see what Limbaugh will have to say:
Let’s bring regulations.

Regulations are here for a reason: to protect people; sometimes we need to change them to adapt to new situations, but if we are going to live in an organized society, regulations are needed.

Guido Rivero
Downey

Dear Editor: 

I was dismayed to read the mean and divisive words of Rush Limbaugh in the Opinion section of the Downey Patriot on March 23, 2017. 

Most of his article is about the unaffordable housing problem in California, which he knows nothing about. He blames it all on liberals passing government regulations and fees which stifle construction. In reality, our housing prices are high because many people want to live here in California, but with limited vacant land on which to build in already built-up cities surrounded by mountains on one side and water on the other.

And he talks about getting rid of building regulations. Really? With the San Andreas and other major earthquake faults running right underneath us? Yes, let’s let people build without any regulations, like in Tijuana. Let them build multi-story buildings without government oversight.

There are plenty of examples of multi-story buildings collapsing like a stack of pancakes, crushing people to death inside, even without an earthquake, in countries without adequate government oversight. Government regulations, laws, policies, and mandates are necessary to protect us in a modern, civilized society.

Limbaugh is a saboteur who profits off of dividing us. He will say anything to attract attention and increase his ratings. It is disgusting!

Anita Rivero
Downey