Letters to the editor

By: Readers of the North County Times and The Californian | Friday, August 5, 2005 6:17 PM PDT ∞

Explore the Miramar airport option

The July 19 letter to the editor by Terry Alan Francoise of Carlsbad is right on. When I wrote the Community Forum article I wanted to include the possibility of trading Lindbergh Field and MCAS Miramar but was restricted by word limitations imposed by North County Times.

The MCAS Miramar has been downgraded to basically being a heliport. The present Lindbergh Field would be more than adequate for use as a heliport - and Miramar could be a stand-alone commercial airport.

To my knowledge, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority has not seen fit to explore either one of those options.

DONALD E. MILLER

Oceanside

Grateful for the kindness of strangers

On a recent trip to Carlsbad (July 23) our family was playing down on the beach when we discovered our 4-year-old son was missing.

A very kind woman called 911 for us and people around us started to look for him immediately.

The police came, as did the Coast Guard and lifeguards. My husband and I and our family were beside ourselves. It was by far the scariest thing in our lives! My 4-year-old had wandered off and found a nice lady and asked for help. We were reunited with our son, but not before a couple of hours of sheer terror.

We want to thank the kind people of Carlsbad. We were amazed and grateful that the people on the beach would stop what they were doing to help in the search.

To the Carlsbad police, who responded so quickly, Coast Guard and lifeguards, thank you. To the "nice lady" whom my son felt he could ask for help, God bless you. To the neighbor woman who comforted my two daughters when I could not. Thank you and God bless.

DOUG and CARRIE GRAVES and family

Merced

Superintendent doesn't deserve kudos

So the North County Times gives kudos to Vista school Superintendent Dave Cowles for giving his portion of the money from the teachers early retirement program (which he should not be entitled to) to some educational group. What rot. It was under Cowles' watch that the deficits in this program began reaching monumental proportions, folks. Counting benefits, Cowles is costing us close to a quarter of a million dollars a year and yet he is not accountable for anything, and now that he will get almost $200,000 per year in retirement (along with the premiums for his health insurance paid by the district) we are supposed to be impressed with him forgoing that $7,200 per year.

Now we come to Mike Vail. It wasn't that long ago that Vail supposedly had a better job and Cowles told the board how invaluable Vail was and he got a $10,000-a-year raise. Now it comes out that Vail already had plans to retire and that raise means he will get a bigger pension. Wonderful.

And finally, I find it ironic that the district is spending a quarter of a billion dollars on schools it doesn't have the money to operate.

CHRIS A. PULSE

Vista

NCT's petty vindictiveness toward Wood

The North County Times is getting more vindictive, more petty and more nasty every edition. The July 25 raspberry to Mayor Jim Wood over his meeting with the sister city Japanese mayor was unwarranted and shows the extreme bias of your paper.

Mayor Wood, as the head of our city, was expected to graciously welcome his Japanese counterpart. Mayor Wood did not know in advance what the Japanese mayor would discuss with him.

Jim's father, Doc Wood, was a Navy medic embedded with the Marines for years and the Marines are important to Jim.

Jim respects each and every Marine at Camp Pendleton. He told the Japanese mayor that his complaint was outside his purview but he would relay his concerns to the proper people at Camp Pendleton.

I deeply resent your constant bad-mouthing of Jim Wood. Thousands of Oceanside residents despise what the North County Times is doing to our elected mayor, Jim Wood.

DIXIE BALES

Oceanside

Why the big fuss over flagpole?

I do not understand why all of the negative comments are being generated over the American flag and flagpole being erected by the Escondido Auto Park Association. The Escondido Auto Park Dealer Association has taken from their funds $80,000 to erect this flagpole and flag. What a beautiful gift to give to the city of Escondido, her residents and visitors. I will let each of the auto dealers know how thankful I am for their gift, and how proud it will make me feel when I drive on the freeway or surrounding streets.

Knowing Gladys Young, the president of the Escondido Auto Park Dealers Association, personally and her character and beliefs, I am sure that the thought of using flagpole and flag for advertising purposes never came into their minds.

I, for one, would really like to see all the negative comments, editorial and so-called cartoons stopped. I think your energies could be used more efficiently on matters of greater importance.

As we drive by the flagpole and flag daily before or after work, it will help us remember the real sacrifices made for us and for this country by so many.

JENNI TANKSLEY

Escondido

Never forget attack of the Liberty

Speaking on the Pentagon TV station, retiring Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark, referring to the attack of the USS Cole on Oct. 12, 2000, said there has never been a U.S. Navy ship attacked like that since Pearl Harbor. Has the admiral forgotten about the USS Liberty, or has he been ordered not to mention it?

On June 8, 1967, long after Pearl Harbor, Israeli aircraft and gunboats attacked the Liberty, killing 34 American sailors and wounding 172.

Because of the admiral's omission many questions need to be answered. The following are a few of the obvious.

Why did the U.S. government accept the Israeli explanation (that it was unintentional) over the objection of every crewmember from the captain on down? Why was the crew ordered under threat of court-martial not to discuss the attack with anyone? Why was it the only major maritime disaster in U.S. history not investigated by Congress? Why didn't the captain of the ship receive his Medal of Honor for his actions during the attack from President Johnson at the White House, rather than from the secretary of the Navy at the Navy Yard in Washington?

More information on this disaster is available on the Web at http://ussliberty.com.

MEL CRAWFORD

Vista

Bill and Hillary still fair game

How wrong can one man be? The July 12 letter by Bob Frazier didn't have anything right. He wrote that I was getting back on my 10-year obsession with Bill and Hillary. Wrong. I was never off. I have despised these two since their crimes were first being exposed.

Bob must think Americans should all build our own little spider holes and crawl in. Let the barbaric Muslim fanatics have their way to pursue "death to America" and "kill the infidels."

Hillary did not live through the Hoover years and I doubt Bob Frazier did either. I did and, believe me, there is no comparison between the Hoover administration and our present administration (even though Hillary said so). As long as Bill and Hillary are in the news, they are fair game for my letters to the editor.

JUNIOUS D. MONTGOMERY

Carlsbad

A dark and dangerous path

In response to Tom Hersant's July 30 letter ("You've got to give them credit for tenacity"), the liberal media don't exist. Most of the media, be it television, radio or in print, are right-wing owned and operated. As for the exposure given Joe Wilson, when a presidential lie leads to war, it is news.

Noise should be made when a covert agent's career is endangered by a former news reporter who was transferred to opinion writer to protect his paper from lawsuits because of his inaccurate stories.

No matter how Karl Rove's story may differ, the fact he outed an agent and jeopardized national security remains. This regime has shown us it is not above lying.

As for fair and balanced reporting from "Faux" News, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage and their (lovin' this word) ilk, I prefer brutal, honest news. I don't need fair and balanced news. All that does is put a spin on the truth.

This regime that is leading us down a dark, dangerous path has put a covert agent's family in peril, risked national security and united every ticked-off Arab male to join terrorist groups.

Hersant should rethink his stand before joining the likes of Fidel and Junious. Open your mind.

THOMAS S. COWAN Jr.

Escondido

Kudos to SDG&E

The first thought most of us have when there is a power failure is one of dismay. Our thoughts lead to "When is it coming back on?," "Better call it in to SDG&E," etc. And rightfully so, because our lives are so dependent on a reliable source of electrical power. When the power does eventually come back on we are relieved and quite content to get on with our normal lives. But did we ever think what happens at SDG&E? Probably not.

Well, I must admit I never did either ññ until the other night. When that rain and electrical storm hit the Bonsall area we lost usable power for several hours. Inconvenienced? Yes. But we got through it. For some reason, this time my thoughts went to those folks in the crews that worked so hard to restore the power in a timely fashion.

I, like the masses, usually never gave them a thought. Not until this time. I take this opportunity to extend my thanks to those who were instrumental in getting our lives back to some degree of normalcy, at least as far as power is concerned. To the dispatchers and repair crews at SDG&E, I give you the kudos you so richly deserve. Thanks and keep up the good work.

RICH GOLDEN

Bonsall

Immigration out of control

The illegal immigration/terrorist/colonization invasion from Mexico is so dangerously out of control that the safety and viability of our nation hang in the balance. Anyone who believes that large numbers of terrorists and their weapons of mass destruction have not already easily breached our nation's wide-open borders is not realistic.

Many very credible sources both inside and outside the government recently confirmed that al-Qaida has already smuggled into the United States an undetermined number of nuclear weapons (estimates range from 12 to 40 nukes), which it plans to simultaneously detonate nationwide in their plan called the American Hiroshima. Agendas aside, nuclear detonations would be cataclysmic on every conceivable level.

Recently the U.S. Senate tragically voted not to fund the 9-11 Commission's recommended 2,000 new border agents ññ a wholesale breach of sanity and responsibility! The gross lack of border screening, security and control will be this nation's worst nightmare. Watch.

Go to www.minutemanhq.com; www.ccir.net; www.numbersusa.com and www.teamamericapac.org to help your endangered country.

GARY WALKER

Escondido

Don't buy into Iraq media blitz

Maybe it's time that the rest of the U.S. population start waking up to Iraq and not buy into the White House propaganda blitz. A war started under false pretenses has cost taxpayers almost $200 billion and incurred 1,800 lost lives and another 12,000 casualties. For what?

We know that the Bush administration was bent on occupying Iraq back in early 2002, not in retaliation for 9-11, not for weapons of mass destruction, but clearly for the financial gain of a handful of lucky contractors who are now the targets of a fierce insurgency.

Poorly planned and poorly executed, this mess is not something "staying 12 years," as Rumsfeld recently put, will clean up.

Trust that the media will feed the Kool-Aid to the masses after Bush's rah-rah speech, the same rah-rah he gave in his slick, bad-boy Texan ññ you've got 48 hours to leave or we're coming in after you - BS.

Real Americans should demand the removal of Bush and Co. and not trust an already deceptive and misguided White House.

DOUG S. SOOLEY

Ramona

Dancing a good way to meet ladies

Calling upon all good men who are single, widowed or divorced to take a course in ballroom dancing. Too often the lovely ladies barely get any dancing in. The ratio is close to twice as many women as men. I'm a widower who started dancing a year ago. You would not believe how much happiness it has brought me. I'm healthier, have more spark and, best of all, get nice dates. I'm not the best dancer in the world, but the ladies still enjoy dancing with me.

Guys, you won't believe how well-taken-care-of these ladies are. They work out a couple of times a week. Dress to the hilt. Most have a wonderful sense of humor and are fun to be with. I've dated several and found them very independent, willing often to pay their way.

If you are a little out of touch with dancing, you can attend classes a few times to build up your confidence; it will cost you around 40 to 50 bucks. Come on out and start having the time of your life at ballroom dances, which would include senior centers, Neimans and Quails Inn restaurants, Widows & Widowers Club, North County Singles Club and many more.

WILLIAM HART

Carlsbad

Terror attack probability

Recently, Caleb Cox proposed (Wall Street Journal, July 19) that terrorists target submissive people who have "the smell of fear." Ergo, we have been immune from terrorist attacks because we are strong and fearless. This conclusion is smug, wrongheaded and dangerous. Significantly, its author is a writer of military fiction.

In our own country, for example, it takes very little to start a panic. An unattended lunch bag can shut down an airport for many hours. Holiday celebrations are tempered by colorful alert warnings. The smallest unrelated incident results in a stock market plunge. The "smell of fear" emanating from our citizenry would surely have resulted by now in attacks on a Wal-Mart or a Home Depot. By the same reasoning, there would have been no terrorist attacks on Israel, whose citizens can hardly be described as submissive.

Here is a more scientific explanation. Ignoring isolated events, the probability of a terror attack is related to the concentration of terrorists within a given striking range of the target. We are insulated from the majority of terrorists by 3,000 miles of water and reasonably friendly borders. This is not true for Europe with its proximity to North Africa and the Middle East.

SORAB K. GHANDHI

Escondido

Gay marriage opponents miss point

Opponents of gay marriage who predict the collapse of civilization if it's allowed show an unawareness of the situation.

They could have been born 100 miles south of here and had to cross our southern border to get some sort of a job, or maybe born black in a ghetto and fighting for a decent life. Or they could have been born male in a female body or female in a male body. Homosexuals did not choose to be born that way as we didn't choose to be born white, brown, black, yellow or even red. It's all in the genes and as of now medical science can do nothing to alter this situation.

It took women a long time to gain equal rights, took blacks longer and now the gay society has to fight people like Attorney General Bill Lockyer.

I personally know a family with four children. All grew up in the same environment. Two of them are now gay. The other two married in our "approved" way. The straight woman had a boy who was gay and as a teenager died of AIDS.

When will society wake up? When will or local, state and federal politicians or clergy face the facts. President Bush, Pope Benedict and our attorney general are all showing unawareness or a bias in their thinking. Let's deal with it fairly, please.

PHIL PAVLOVSKY

Aguanga

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