Mailbag:

This is the second consecutive week that Judge James Gray has proposed more government intervention in the economy, this time pushing for government laws to force restaurant owners to publish the number of calories on each food item [“It’s a Gray Area: Getting accurate information to the market,” Sept. 20]. Ridiculous.

Jim, half the people in this country today are not either obese or overweight because they don’t know the specific caloric contents of restaurant food. Gray masquerades as a libertarian, but he has worked for the government as a judge his whole life and is now espousing seemingly every week more government laws and regulations.

At least columnist Joseph Bell admits he’s a liberal. It’s time for Gray to come out of the closet and admit the same.

DAVID PEARSE

Costa Mesa

Health care prices hurt with bankruptcy

Jamshed Datsur’s article [“Time to honor what we fought for,” Sept. 23] was right on! Some people don’t want any change.

They feel it is OK for health care to go down the tubes and take this administration with it. Is it OK for the insurance companies to make exorbitant profits while those in need of care go bankrupt?

Health care should be a right, not a privilege, in our society.

ARDY HURST

Costa Mesa

Memories of better times with John Wayne’s Goose

Mike Whitehead’s write-up [“John Wayne’s Wild Goose visits expo,” Friday] brought back memories of when I used to work for a company that would treat its employees to outside social activities to maintain good work relations and reward their hard work.

One activity I vividly recall was when the company rented the Wild Goose for a few hours to traverse Newport Bay while providing ample food and drinks for the employees. While on board, we had virtually free reign of the boat including the room where the Duke and his pals played poker.

While sitting at his famous poker table, I couldn’t help but think of all the famous people, including the famed Rat Pack, that he had played cards with. They, along with the Duke, are long gone now, but I could probably faintly hear the Duke’s voice telling Frank and Dean, “OK pilgrims, I’m calling you and raising you an extra 25 grand, so let’s see what you got.”

BILL SPITALNICK

Newport Beach

Pilot over-stepped bounds with ‘member’ article

The Daily Pilot is a “neighborhood” newspaper that has been serving Newport-Mesa since 1907, and I have been reading and defending it on many occasions since 1971.

Tuesday’s front-page article “Resident’s member is saved from ring” by Joseph Serna was not only bad journalism, but bad for our community.

The story is bad enough, but to be the lead story on the first page is shocking. What were you thinking?

It was good to praise the work of the Newport Beach Fire Department, but to make an example of an obviously sick man sends a very bad message to your readership.

Surely there is better news to report from our area, or you could have made it a teaching lesson with a disclaimer — “DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME NO MATTER WHAT.” In the future I hope the Pilot will show much better taste and respect for its readers. You owe your readers a big apology. This kind of journalism is uncalled for and not appreciated.

LESLEA MILLER

Newport Beach