Now that the California Contractors State License Board and the Santa Clara District Attorney's Economic Crimes Unit have made their daring sting of those nefarious, rogue unlicensed contractors, can we all rest assured that our streets are safer, fewer men will be murdered or robbed, fewer women will be raped, and fewer children will be abused?

Actually, I have a bigger fear: that our country is fast becoming the police state that our government has supposedly fought against throughout the world. It's a scary thought that those unlicensed "thugs" may spend up to six months in jail and be fined up to $15,000 each.

Meanwhile, this country has the highest per-capita prison population by a long shot, most prisoners are not true criminals but political prisoners—those who dared defy authority while harming no one.

In the case of the unlicensed ones, the only true crime that has occurred is if any one of them has defrauded any of his clients.

In a truly free republic, as America was founded to be, all people have a right to do business without a license, and we the people have the right to decide whether to do business with them.

Wake up, folks. The Gestapo could be coming after you or your children next.

A book I highly recommend is Whatever happened to Justice? by Richard J. Maybury, Bluestocking Press.

Rich Angell

Sunnyvale

What keeps council honest is threat of voting booth

Ms. Dietrich (Courier letter Feb. 4)—Right on. But always remember that if you do not go to the voting booth to vote, you are voting for a dictatorship.

The only thing that keeps [council members] even remotely honest is the threat of the voting booth.

Dave West

Sunnyvale

The Feb. 4 article "City rewards developers who build green" mistakenly stated that the proposal to offer builders incentives for so-called "green constructions" is policy. In fact, the proposal has only been approved by the planning commission and has yet to be approved by the city council. Council will review the proposal at its Feb. 24 meeting.