R San Dimas

WASHINGTON -- As a member of Congress, the ever polite House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-San Dimas) helped promote the idea of  a bipartisan retreat to teach lawmakers how to be more civil to one another.      Though congressional civility retreats are a thing of the past, Dreier, who retired from the House in January, is once again promoting the idea of retreats. In his new role, he will lead a commission to organize gatherings at Sunnylands, the Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage, and other places to contemplate big issues, beginning with seeking ways to promote trade in the Pacific Rim.      The former congressman joined the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands on Wednesday in announcing the creation of the Annenberg-Dreier Commission to organize events at Walter and Leonore Annenberg's former estate.

WASHINGTON -- As a member of Congress, the ever polite House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-San Dimas) helped promote the idea of  a bipartisan retreat to teach lawmakers how to be more civil to one another.      Though congressional civility retreats are a thing of the past, Dreier, who retired from the House in January, is once again promoting the idea of retreats. In his new role, he will lead a commission to organize gatherings at Sunnylands, the Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage, and other places to contemplate big issues, beginning with seeking ways to promote trade in the Pacific Rim.      The former congressman joined the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands on Wednesday in announcing the creation of the Annenberg-Dreier Commission to organize events at Walter and Leonore Annenberg's former estate.

I want to add another comment to your Jan. 30 article ("Young GOP Stalwart Emerges as Hot Property in Gingrich Era") about Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas). Like most Americans, I was fed up with a Congress that abused the public trust and flouted those abuses in our faces. Dreier said he would go to Washington and shake up the establishment, stand up to the special interest groups, and make government more responsive and accountable. And he succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. For 14 years Dreier has been voting against pay raises, voting against tax increases, voting against irresponsible deficit spending and voting to end perks and abuses.

Re "JPL's lucky star?" Opinion, May 25 The stunningly successful landing Sunday of the Phoenix on Mars means it is time to erase the question mark regarding Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director Charles Elachi. As we celebrate the achievements of the amazing team of talented men and women at JPL who make the most difficult and complex tasks appear easy, we should be inspired by their enthusiasm and can-do spirit. Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) I am disheartened to learn what it means to be JPL director.

Re "Dreier shifts gears in a hurry," Jan. 6 Good for Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) for holding the House Democrats accountable for not keeping their campaign promises. It's not about what the Republicans did; it's about what the Democrats promised they were going to do. Why are Democrats so afraid of open debate? The American people want Republicans and Democrats to work together for the good of the country. The so-called first 100 hours have been shameful. No sunshine, no debate, no openness, no Democrat Congress come 2008.

Re "GOP Puts Lobbying Scandal in Bull's-Eye," Jan. 9 Putting Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) in charge of the House's lobbying reform is like putting Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) in charge of a seminar on ethics in the House. Let's reframe the term by calling it "elected officials breaking gift rules." The lobbyists are going to do their jobs in getting our representatives to vote in their clients' interests. If a lobbyist offers more than the $50 gift allowed to a member of Congress, then it is up to the elected official to know the law and turn the gift back.

Re "JPL's lucky star?" Opinion, May 25 The stunningly successful landing Sunday of the Phoenix on Mars means it is time to erase the question mark regarding Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director Charles Elachi. As we celebrate the achievements of the amazing team of talented men and women at JPL who make the most difficult and complex tasks appear easy, we should be inspired by their enthusiasm and can-do spirit. Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) I am disheartened to learn what it means to be JPL director.

I don't usually write letters, but David Dreier's "The Injustice System Skews Value of a Life" (Commentary, April 26) demands a response. Rep. Dreier (R-San Dimas) should know better. The jury system is the cornerstone of participatory democracy. Dreier's statement that compensatory damage awards are designed to compensate a victim for a portion of his injuries shows a lack of understanding of the law. Compensatory damages are intended to fully compensate the victim for injuries suffered as a result of the negligent or intentional acts of others.

Prime Minister Tony Blair's eldest son will intern for a U.S. congressional committee, Blair's office said. Euan Blair, 21, will take a short, unpaid internship with the House Rules Committee, a spokesman said. He did not specify when the internship would start. The Rules Committee is chaired by Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas). The Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported that Dreier would mentor Euan Blair, whose father leads Britain's Labor Party.

Faye Fiore's piece on civility in Congress (Washington Connection, May 25) made me chuckle. Her description of the congressional civility retreat sounded like members of the Hells Angels going to charm school. Joking aside, I do take my hat off to Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas), who actually made an attempt to end the food fight and bring some civility and dignity back to the institution of Congress. If members of Congress cannot be examples of how we are to treat one another with respect, what can we expect from our children?

Re "Dreier shifts gears in a hurry," Jan. 6 Good for Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) for holding the House Democrats accountable for not keeping their campaign promises. It's not about what the Republicans did; it's about what the Democrats promised they were going to do. Why are Democrats so afraid of open debate? The American people want Republicans and Democrats to work together for the good of the country. The so-called first 100 hours have been shameful. No sunshine, no debate, no openness, no Democrat Congress come 2008.

Re "GOP Puts Lobbying Scandal in Bull's-Eye," Jan. 9 Putting Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) in charge of the House's lobbying reform is like putting Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) in charge of a seminar on ethics in the House. Let's reframe the term by calling it "elected officials breaking gift rules." The lobbyists are going to do their jobs in getting our representatives to vote in their clients' interests. If a lobbyist offers more than the $50 gift allowed to a member of Congress, then it is up to the elected official to know the law and turn the gift back.

I want to add another comment to your Jan. 30 article ("Young GOP Stalwart Emerges as Hot Property in Gingrich Era") about Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas). Like most Americans, I was fed up with a Congress that abused the public trust and flouted those abuses in our faces. Dreier said he would go to Washington and shake up the establishment, stand up to the special interest groups, and make government more responsive and accountable. And he succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. For 14 years Dreier has been voting against pay raises, voting against tax increases, voting against irresponsible deficit spending and voting to end perks and abuses.

I don't usually write letters, but David Dreier's "The Injustice System Skews Value of a Life" (Commentary, April 26) demands a response. Rep. Dreier (R-San Dimas) should know better. The jury system is the cornerstone of participatory democracy. Dreier's statement that compensatory damage awards are designed to compensate a victim for a portion of his injuries shows a lack of understanding of the law. Compensatory damages are intended to fully compensate the victim for injuries suffered as a result of the negligent or intentional acts of others.

Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) wrote (Commentary, Dec. 12) regarding the Mars Polar Lander failure: "The same was true in the 1960s when the United States first tried to land robotic spacecraft on the moon. There were a series of failed missions before we learned how to land safely." Not true. The first robotic spacecraft to attempt a landing on the moon, Surveyor, designed and built by Hughes Aircraft Co. and JPL, was a success. There were some subsequent failures in later Surveyor launches, but the first was a resounding success.

Sheriff Lee Baca said Thursday that he supported legislation that would make it a federal offense for anyone to flee the country after killing a peace officer in the United States. The matter is significant to Baca because the man accused of killing Sheriff's Deputy David March in 2002 managed to avoid prosecution for more than four years by fleeing to Mexico. Legislation introduced recently by Rep.