Re: Jess Ruf's May 4 commentary, "Do It Center owner responds to critics":

My apologies to the Do It Center owner, Jess Ruf, and his friends at Lumber City USA, the group that is financing the entire Yes on Measure B campaign. Perhaps I shouldn't have told the truth when I wrote about the bogus nature of Measure B. Perhaps I shouldn't have warned that Measure B will damage our hospital, our parks and school districts, the city and county. Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned the untruths used by paid petition circulators to get signatures.

Measure B is bogus. It creates — not solves — traffic problems. It is interesting that the Do It Center's concerns with traffic materialized after Home Depot decided to build a store close by. If traffic was really what concerned the Do It Center, it could have made a significant contribution to the city to help solve traffic problems rather than spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to pass this bogus measure. Look at the fine print of its campaign. Lumber City USA and Jess Ruf are paying the canvassers who are knocking on your door in support of Measure B, paying for the ads in your mailbox and on your television.

The bottom line is that Ruf seems more concerned about his bottom line than he is about our schools, parks, libraries and hospital services. Measure B is a blatant anti-competition measure. I believe Thousand Oaks residents will suffer if Measure B passes.

However, if you like reduced community services and the abandoned Kmart building, then you probably should vote for the Do It Center's anti-competition initiative.

To paraphrase Marshall's law, Measure B is a carefully thought out bad decision. Measure B sponsors believe the axiom: "Never let the facts get in the way of a carefully thought out bad decision." Measure B is just that — a carefully orchestrated, bogus ballot measure that will increase traffic problems while protecting the Do It Center from competition.

For the record, I have zero financial interest in this matter. I am, however, against bad public policy. And, in my view, Measure B is bad public policy. It will hurt the community that I love and want to continue being a marvelous place to live, learn, work, shop and play. Measure B will hurt — not help. It truly is bogus.

— Grant R. Brimhall retired as Thousand Oaks city manager in 1998 after serving in that position for 20 years.