Dear Editor:I've read some articles of Lars Clutterham, contributor, Downey Patriot and others regarding doing away with plastic bags and other environmental issues and sense the passion they feel to rid the planet from pollution. But I'm far more concerned by the pollution and sleaze of so many leaders of our federal and state elected officials. Trillions of dollars have been spent on "green" energy with little to show for our borrowed or printed money, except debt, only to find out how much of it was payback to companies that contributed to President Obama, then went bankrupt, leaving the taxpayer to pay for it. I just learned that $14.3 million more goes to Solyndra's laid-off employees who get $13,000 each - severance pay. But still worse is the EPA wants to take over and regulate our economy with a $10 billion a year budget. No growth, no nuclear energy, no coal mining, cut backs on gas, and of course, no drilling for oil. Should we just dismiss Congress and let Obama appoint czars and their minions take over? We've only lost 2 1/2 million jobs since Obama took office. President Obama wants a job bill passed. Maybe all the stupid projects weren't covered in the first stimulus package. Yet Obama won't pass the Keystone Pipeline which would create tens of thousands of jobs. Guess he's buying into Nancy Pelosi's statement that "unemployment insurance will create more jobs than the pipeline would." The theme of this administration seems to be "get on some government giveaway program and cleanse the planet," even if people can't afford to live on it. Note that Canada had the good sense to opt out of the Kyoto Agreement, as many nations have done. Do we all realize if the U.S. doesn't take this oil, China will get it, along with the foreign aid we borrow from them, pay interest on and then send it back to them? Guess what? Our military is required to use only bio-fuel at $14 a gallon. We use fossil fuel at under $4 a gallon. Wind energy takes as much fuel to produce as it produces. We need solar energy to pay Solyndra, Beacon Power, Sun Power and Nancy Pelosi's brother-in-law in Oregon and others, so Obama will pay back his contributors. Don't forget the $100,000 Al Gore made from public and private "investments" on global warming. Have you heard over 500 emails were found by scientists, stating that the reports of global warming were "doctored" by other scientists' reports and much what the public was fed was false? Then we have congressmen who can do insider trading but Martha Stewart served time for doing it. The DEA has put more stringent requirement on mining coal. Look for higher electric bills. Remember Obama said "of necessity we will have higher electric bills." Now Lars Clutterham seems happy that water rates have gone up, in order to prevent people from using so much. Wake up America! --Elsa Van Leuven, Downey

********** Published: January 5, 2012 - Volume 10 - Issue 38