Letters to the Editor - 1/10/2008
By: Readers of the North County Times and The Californian | ∞
For bureaucrats, it's let 'em flood now
Naturally, as the season's biggest storm approaches, the bureaucrats at Fish and Game and Oceanside city refuse to allow the unclogging of the San Luis Rey River. So, as you people in Fallbrook watch your town and homes flood, remember who is in charge ññ government bureaucrats, and not the people they swore to serve.
Once CalFire decided to let your homes burn instead of allowing nonunion military helicopters into the fight, they've all decided to let us know who the real boss is, haven't they?
Charles Bondy
Encinitas
No resting easy with these pilots in control
Cliff (Republican talking points) Sumrall concludes that to be president of the U.S., you must be an experienced "pilot" ("Guiliani tested, ready for presidential role," Perspective, Jan. 6). Otherwise, we'll all crash! Ooga booga! Scare tactics from the very people who were the "pilots" of New York City on 9/11.
Oh yeah, Giuliani's co-pilot was Bernie Kerik, his police commissioner/bodyguard. Scare tactics and cross-dressing. Yep, those are pilots' license qualifications. Rest easy.
Charles Wilder
Vista
Charisma not the answer to our problems
There is only one problem facing this country. It is not taxes, health insurance, education or any other issue that all governments face at any given time. The one problem we face can actually wipe out all these mentioned if it is not handled in the proper manner. The problem is radical Islam. It may seem it is under control, but it's not.
Connie Welsh's article on Jan. 6 in the Perspective section of this paper is a lesson in naivete ("Obama will move the country forward"). To place a person such as Barack Obama in a position of calling the shots in a war this complex would be a suicidal move. I cannot imagine a man this vain and ambitious sitting down with generals and executing a plan to fight and maintain some modicum of control over the countless factions of this complicated war. Obama has offered nothing but a cut-and-run policy. Charisma and a pretty smile are not the answer to our most dire need.
Ray Erler
San Marcos
Alternatives make good sense
Concerned citizens who care about San Diego County's environment can take heart, at least temporarily, in the environmental impact report just issued by the state Public Utilities Commission and federal Bureau of Land Management ("Report: Alternatives would harm environment less than power line," Jan. 4).
It makes good sense to plan for the future power needs of San Diego County. But the report points out there are better ways to accomplish this goal than a 150-mile high-voltage line across the county's pristine Anza-Borrego State Park and many urban areas.
The report's recommendation of more local gas-fired plants and solar power would provide the clean energy we need. The report cites risks of fire danger from such a long high-voltage line. How reliable would Sunrise Powerlink have been in recent wildfires? If the CPUC denies the project and SDG&E appeals to the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission, it will be one more illustration of the feds trumping California decisions.
Brian Bowden
Vista
Fond memories of Daley Double saloon
More than 30 years ago, when I lived in Encinitas with my kids, I used to take a week's family laundry to the Laundromat next door to the Daley Double, fill 10 washers and stop in at the Double for a glass of beer with tomato juice. I met some wonderful folks, ordinary people and celebrities, among them Ted (the retired bathing suit manufacturer), Motorcycle George (shocked everyone by moving back to North Dakota when retiring from the North County Times), Cadillac Jeanie (always had a white Cadillac, but never worked ññ like a lady Kramer), Lil (a wonderful little lady with a celeb showbiz son), Joan (owned a worldwide chain of hamburger emporia) and, of course, Nancy, Ruby and bartenders Pat and Randy.
The saloon was really a very spiritual place ññ everybody was equal, and one could really communicate with people without a buzz of egos and falsehoods circulating.
If the new owner doesn't maintain the Daley Double as is, it'll be a crime against a very worthwhile portion of humanity ("Surviving Daley selling the 'Double' saloon," Nov. 25)!
May the Tao guide him properly, lest he succumb to the meaningless lure of the almighty greenback!
Millard (Marc) Wohl
Montgomery Village, Md.
Assumptions about letter writer are wrong
In response to Mr. Don Peck's letter regarding my ticket and little compassion for other disabled drivers (Letters, Dec. 30): He is way off base. First of all, he doesn't even know me, yet he has formed an opinion of me that is most unflattering. I would never ever think I was above the law and become so inconsiderate of others, especially the disabled. I know the challenges that are faced on a daily basis and to make it more difficult for others is not who I am.
He doesn't have his facts correct in this matter and I don't feel I owe him any further explanation of the incident other than to say I did not encroach on the parking area of the other vehicle in question as that vehicle was able to fully open its car door for entering and exiting.
Possibly because the city manager took the time and reviewed the pictures (I also took pictures) the decision to dismiss the ticket was made fairly. His reference to me "running" around to get the ticket fixed is laughable. I haven't been able to "run" since I was 6 years old when I contracted polio. Shame on him.
Doreen Daniels
Escondido
Sprinter is a bad investment for taxpayers
The cost of installing this rail line is about $440 million. We can't tell now what the operational costs might be, i.e., salaries, diesel fuel and other operational amounts. What we do know is that if every seat was paid for on all the round trips scheduled, we would never be able to recover the amounts spent. Here is a good case of the government spending our money and a useless pork project.
We have to face facts: We don't have the population and the amount of travelers as the New York/Chicago metro areas have. The only ones who will ride these trains are the seniors and maybe some students, all traveling on cheap discount fares. The existing buses that serve these areas are heavily subsidized, since very few people use them. Highway 78 will always be the main connecting link between the two cities.
Richard Kahl
Oceanside
Bone up on your constructive knowledge
Following Mr. Richard Riehl's Opinion column bashing the Minutemen ("New year, new scapegoats," Jan. 4), he responded to a reader reply with the following: "I'm amazed that you can tell a person's immigration status just by looking at them." My response to this nonsense by Mr. Riehl is as follows: In order to be a writer, one should also be a reader of facts and figures and history and records and statistics. Constructive knowledge would let Mr. Riehl, as a supposedly educated and well-read writer, know that over 80 percent of the people loitering on corners and in parking lots are illegal aliens who are illegally soliciting employment from potential employers who are illegally hiring them ("Most day laborers are illegal immigrants with little formal education, report says," July 26).
You will also find the constructive knowledge will let you know that over 80 percent of the canyon dwellers in our communities are illegal aliens living there illegally, in contravention of federal and state and local laws!
Now please go do your homework and look up the meaning of "constructive knowledge" and then you might be able to write a constructive dissertation on illegal immigration and its effect on our crumbling infrastructure. Hopefully, the editors of the North County Times will do their homework also.
Neil Turner
Carlsbad
Make 2008 the year you soften your hearts
Wow! Murel Fisk has sure entered this season of goodwill and peace on Earth with a vengeance (Letters, Dec. 30). He has labeled me a preacher of the ignorant. If that is so, let me see if I can help him understand my message ññ demonizing the defenseless shows a person's true character. ...
Yes, Mr. Fisk, it is our greed for cheap labor that has caused illegal immigration. That being so, rather than continue victimizing the illegals, let's work in a humane way to fix the situation.
I don't intend to continue debating Mr. Fisk, so I'll end it here by wishing him and all his friends, Marie Waldron and her puppets, Gary Walker, et al., a Happy New Year with the hope that this year softens their hearts and causes them to realize that intolerance is a deadly cancer that consumes the perpetrator as well. I try to remember that we're only on Earth for a very short time. What we do while we're here may have a profound effect on what happens to us after we leave. Something Mr. Fisk may want to ponder.
Andy Pino
Escondido
A biblical right to Israel
Mel Crawford assailed Israel with the same tired claim that they're trespassing on Palestinian land (Letters, Dec. 24). He was later joined by Daniel Lynch (Letters, Jan. 2) in support of the same fallacy. This, despite the warning letter written by David Salyer on Dec. 31.
The fact is that it's the other way around. It's the Palestinians who trespass on land belonging to the people of Israel, so, once again, I repeat the following: "Before Christianity, before Islam, the Jewish people built the land of Israel. King David, a Jew, built this city, his Jewish son, Soloman, built the temple long before Muhammad was born, long before the Mosque of Al Aksa was built over its ruins." We survived the Greeks, the Romans, the Christian Crusades, the Muslims, Turks and, finally, the British.
We are not imperialists. We are the native people of this land by international law, by moral right, by biblical promise. Our claim to this land goes deeper, further back and is on more solid ground than the Americans have to America or the British have to Britain.
I suggest that Mr. Crawford and Mr. Lynch visit the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, which supports the above.
Dolores Wiener
Oceanside
Ron Paul is America's hope for the future
Ron Paul is truly the hope for America. Most of the major media pundits usually only support insiders who will toe the line. Most presidential candidates need the Council on Foreign Relations imprimatur in order to get coverage by the major media outlets. CFR is an anti-United States organization and puts out its journal called "Foreign Affairs." Here is a list of aspiring presidential candidates who have written essays in Foreign Affairs in order to get the CFR#,s approval: Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Barack Obama, John Edwards, John McCain and now Mike Huckabee (no longer an outsider).
Here are some comments from Ron Paul that the major media are trying to silence: "I am working hard for our ideas, as I know you are. The attacks and even smears will increase as we do better. But they will not defeat our ideas. They cannot defeat out ideas. At this moment of urgency for America, with spending, taxes, spying, inflation and wars out of control and threatening all we love, let us rededicate ourselves to freedom, prosperity and peace." Wherever I go around this country I see Ron Paul supporters on the streets, no other candidate's supporters.
Mark Corcoran
Fallbrook
Letter named wrong war, right plan
On Dec. 29, I wrote a statement I believed to be correct concerning a plan by J. Edgar Hoover. I hereby correct my mix-up. Mr. Hoover's plan to apprehend and detain persons who were potentially a danger to the internal security of our country was submitted to President Truman during the first 12 days of the Korean War, not WWII as I believed. However, my point did not concern the war but the actions that President Truman could have taken if Hoover's plan was enacted.
Also, since the NCT editors seem not to have an eye for misprints, here is a mistake I caught on the last sentence of the first paragraph of my letter, which should have read "The blame-America-first ilk in San Fran(sicko) is looking for an anti-military type dean for their institutions of higher(archy) learning."
Fidel (Jay) Jiron
U.S. Marine Corps
(retired)
Oceanside
Brother Benno's truly grateful for volunteers
Christmas Day at Brother Benno's was overwhelmingly happy. We wish to thank the multitude of people who helped us provide a beautiful Christmas Day for hundreds of needy families in our community.
We distributed gifts to 1,753 people on Christmas Day, 1,145 children and 608 adults. We also served a delicious ham dinner to 630 guests. Donations of food, clothing, blankets, toiletries and toys came in abundance. The gifts came from everywhere: Toys for Tots, firefighters at the San Onofre facility, Southern California Edison, Brother Benno Auxiliary, Vista Women's Group, North County Times, churches, schools, philanthropic groups and private donations.
We also wish to thank the hundreds of volunteers who came to help us prepare for Christmas and those who came on Christmas Day. Our volunteers love participating in this joyous occasion. We are in the 25th year of our ministry and, because of the kindness and caring of our supporters, we are able to continue our mission of feeding, clothing, sheltering, educating and loving the poor and homeless in our community. We are truly grateful!
Kay and Harold Kutler
co-founders of
Brother Benno's
Oceanside
Values voters may be dogma voters
It's election time and we're again engaged in the usual game ññ making selections and justifying them to ourselves and others, possibly with the hope of influencing others. When we hear someone who claims to be a values voter, most of the time they are talking about sexual issues, particularly homosexuality and gay marriage. And, in this context, they are not really value voters but dogma voters. Dogma is a fixed belief, generally founded in religion, that tends to close itself off from other information sources. No argument against it is welcome.
Dogma voters may like Mike Huckabee, who has stated that homosexual behavior is a sinful choice and that allowing same-sex marriages may eventually destroy traditional marriage. He also seems to deny evolution. These really look like dogmatic positions.
I guess my point is that dogma is fine except when it hurts people or denies them human rights or stifles science. Personally, I like candidates who seem open to developing knowledge and have the flexibility to adapt.
Rocky Velgos
Vista
Down the drain
Water wasted: I wonder just how much water was wasted when that pipe burst. It must take a great deal of water to do that much damage! And we are in a drought to boot!
Just more evidence we're ruled by fear
John Lynn ("Local man caught in passenger-watch list web," Jan. 5) discovered what increasing numbers of Americans have become alarmed at, namely, the consequences of dealing with terrorism by considering everyone potentially suspect.
Other countries have suffered terrorist attacks, notably Britain and Spain, and did not see the need to surrender habeas corpus, due process and other guarantors of freedom to the arbitrary decisions of one man as we did in the Patriot Act and the Military Commissions Act. Nor did they see the need call out the Army, Navy and Marines. What happened on 9/11 was a crime, not a war. It was a major crime by an organized group not unlike the mafia, although perhaps with different motives. As a crime one goes to crime fighters such as Interpol and seeks the cooperation of others in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Despite calling ourselves the home of the brave, we have let fear run rampant over us. Our fear has engendered this surrender of our Constitutional protections from the arbitrary use of power and until we get a grip on our collective selves we are at increasing risk of losing all that we hold dear.
Fear has its price and that price is dictatorship. As FDR so aptly reminded Americans when they saw their economic well-being vanishing in the Great Depression "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
Robert Newhard
Murrieta
It's time to fix the roads now
I'm not writing about an article that I've read in one of your current issues, but on a matter that I think deserves some extra attention, especially after the hard rain. I'm not sure about anyone else, but when I drive to school from home and back, it seems like the roads are breaking apart. Hopefully this is a matter that has been looked into by the city, but lately, it doesn't seem like there has been anything done about it.
I drive from the Bella Vista community onto Nicholas Road, where I see most of the problem. The roads are thin and cracked and they turn into big pieces of gravel, bigger than baseballs that can cause serious accidents, especially for motorists on the narrow, single-lane two-way street. The rain is a major factor in the way the road has turned out. Why wait until someone gets hurt or until something gets damaged? There are many more issues that are more important than this, but hopefully this can come to the attention of others in the community as a reminder to always be safe when they drive, wherever they're traveling to.
Trixia Gail Decena Lagrimas
Murrieta
Vote your values in the primary
Plan to vote in the primary next month? Undecided? It's easy to vote for the candidate you think can defeat the other party, but that's just second guessing everyone else and settling for someone who might not be good for anyone. No matter what your party affiliation, please vote for the candidate who best reflects your hopes, values and goals for our nation.
And don't just consider the ones that the national media dubs the "top tier." Over the last decade, lax federal regulation -- or backroom deal making -- has allowed our media to fall into the hands of a few massive international corporations. They lavish attention on candidates who will best serve them, and ignore, or destroy, those who won't. Remember the "Dean Scream" in 2004? Is it a coincidence that this out-of-context video footage got huge air play two days after Dean declared that as president "we will break up the giant media enterprises?"
But you can help change the media's focus. They've tried to ignore Ron Paul because he says he'll cut the flow of tax dollars to corporations that do useless things such as building weapons our government buys and then gives away as "foreign aid" to all the nations of the Middle East. It's getting hard for Big Media to ignore him because his supporters have raised record amounts in small contributions. OK, he won't win, but his views could change the political dialogue in years to come. His supporters are voting their values. You should too.
Wayne Blizzard
Murrieta
Fresh from the Web:
Search called off for woman who reportedly shot husband
Readers respond to our Jan. 9 story about authorities saying a search of the Harrah's Rincon hotel was called off early Wednesday morning for a woman who claimed to have shot her husband, and was threatening to kill herself, prompting a seven-hour hunt that began Tuesday afternoon.
Place blame correctly
GREG: Crazy people will do crazy things wherever they happen to be. I mean, there was a day when kids could actually go to school and feel safe! Is this an indictment against Indian Casinos? Not really! Is this an indication of how far people have fallen in today's society? Yep!
Don't be fooled
Magnet: Why is it that these Indian casinos always seem to attract [this type]? Too bad the tribal councils never address the issue when they're pushing their voter initiatives with their deceptive positive public image TV commercials.
Not casino's fault
Whackos Everywhere: Nothing to do with casinos, every large public place attracts all kinds of people -- are you going to start being afraid to go out in public?
What did I miss?
Observations: Hmm ... losing large sums of money to gambling. Nothing to do with casinos. I must be missing something.
Update
To Observations: Catch up. The whole thing looks like it was a hoax. Had nothing to do with losing large sums of money. Sheesh.
Scotty's team rallies outside of Palomar hospital
Readers respond to our Jan. 9 story about nearly 50 friends, family members and neighbors of injured Mission Hills High School linebacker Scott "Scotty" Eveland marching in front of the Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, rallying against insurer Blue Cross of California's attempt to move the recovering 18-year-old senior to a less-costly skilled nursing home.
Speak up
Do not move Scott: Don't move Scott. The people from Blue Cross must hear a public outcry on his behalf. He is making progress daily and without the intensive therapy he is getting, he may not recover. Palomar Hospital is known for its medical prowess and it is now time for it to be known for speaking out in behalf of one of its patients.
You work for us
John: Best argument yet for taking health care out of the insurance middlemen's pockets and putting it into the people's hands. Get a clue, local republican politicians. Your base is not Blue Cross! Sometimes you have to protect your constituents from the free market.
Doctors know best
Greenly: Why is the insurance company making this decision? Shouldn't it be up to the physicians on what is best for their patient? If money is making decisions like these for people, it is a sad state of affairs. Health care should be a right not a privilege.
One of many
Just think: Luckily Scott has people rallying around him. But think about all the others that didn't have that kind of support, those with no family, the elderly, who were subject to being moved just when their health is precarious. So as you are rallying around Scott, see who else you can help.
Lower prices
Still curious: Why no one is upset with the hospital? They set the rates, not the insurance companies. Why doesn't the doctor offer to go to the nursing home daily on his own time? Why doesn't Scotty's team pony up some bucks to offset the costs? Everyone is on the insurance companies. Would you like them to be gone? They are the only ones who try to hold the hospital and doctors prices down.
Burst pipe causes 70-foot-deep sink hole in Carlsbad
Readers respond to our Jan. 9 story about Carlsbad city water crews working to repair a 70-foot-deep sink hole caused by a broken water pipe buried under the driveway of a Carlsbad motor home storage lot just north of Tamarack Avenue and next to abandoned city property.
So much?
Uh, why abandoned: OK, so the city of Carlsbad has so much property that they can abandon it? If they don't want it I will gladly find some use for it. Wonder how many cities abandon property?
Double bogey
fore!: Who cares about this cities failing infrastructure? I just want go golfing!
There it goes
Bill: Now we can SEE where our money is going!
Council backs away from press policy - Readers responded to an article Wednesday on the Temecula City Council's decision against requiring written exchanges between city officials and an area newspaper:
Olive branch offered
Tim V.: This is a good decision. They did the right thing, but the paper should now clean up its act. We know that papers leave stuff out... to spin a story. They should quit doing that and be fair now that the olive branch has been offered by Temecula.
Audacity
Here's My Take: This issue is another fine example of the council attempting to publicly spank an organization, in this case, the Press-Enterprise, using their favored media source, i.e., The Californian. ... There is certainly more to this chess game than meets the eye, but no checkmate yet. ...
Media bandwagon
Old School: The media should be taken to task for what it prints. They too often jump on the bandwagon of whatever floats by their proverbial news window. Global Warming! Storm of the Century! Developer Sues City! Foreclosure Rates -- Recession, Depression, Repression, Racism -- and the beat goes on.
Free press over control
The Council Blinked: It was an idiotic proposal to regulate news Temecula deems fit to print. The city spanked itself. It is the job of the Fourth Estate to ask questions and inform the public. I'll side with a free press over government control.
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2mxi3 wrote on Jan 9, 2008 8:19 PM:A biblical right to Israel: Read the bible. You will find that Israel displaced several tribes or peoples from the.'land of milk and honey." Therefore, the autor's assertion that the Jews were their first is incorrect. Lastly, the bible does not confer the right to anything to anybody. It will not be a credible source to solve the conflict in the Middle East.
rp5fr wrote on Jan 9, 2008 8:29 PM:Letter named wrong war, right plan
Korean War? Then the alleged Hoover plan to lock Americans up in concintration camps would have been illegal and unconstitutional. It was not a declared war but as Truman called it, "police action." It was really a war. The ultimate authority,however, was the United Nations. The real reason though that Hoover could not and did not implement a concintration plan is that the public is armed. His agents would have been shot dead..
Ron wrote on Jan 9, 2008 8:48 PM:Well, what can I say..? The Democrats have again retreated on their promises to reduce global warming, climate change, or whatever their calling it today. The Democrat energy bill, which was "supposed" to turn around the Cheney's "Big Oil" give-aways, but also fund bigger and more alternatives.. hasn't. In fact, they cut it. So, they surrendered on surrender, retreated on wire tap's, re-patrioted the Patriot Act, and cooled on global warming. Had enough Democrat yet? LOL
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/01/10/business/news/8_03_251_8_08.txt
Ron wrote on Jan 9, 2008 9:15 PM:Just so I'm clear here... a min. wage guy get's $1450 a year increase, and Nancy gets $5300? Which came first? The War funding, the min. wage, or the pay raise? Doesn't her hubby & her have mega-bucks? What does this buy her? A new SUV? Oh, no.. that's right, she has a federally funded jet, and a car service, taxpayer provided, of course. The min. wage guy, he's lucky, he got an extra slice of baloney.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/01/10/news/politics/13_29_611_9_08.txt
LAWSON......DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER... wrote on Jan 9, 2008 9:23 PM:DD WIZ.....Has paid his dues....to his
party and his country....and is a good
writer.....
DD Wiz wrote on Jan 9, 2008 9:25 PM:The post from "Ron" (8:48pm) is ... 100% right on. No exceptions. The new energy bill recently passed by the Democratic congress (compromising, I mean, caving in) to Republican demands and veto-threats, did pass an energy bill that included some mileage standards and a few other good things, but the Federal portion of the solar incentive credit will be reduced by 2/3 after December 31, 2008 unless an extension is passed. Oh well, I got mine. Anyone wanting to go solar and get the full credits needs to do it before the end of this new year. In the meantime, I am not one to just stand by and cheerlead, even when it is my own party showing spinelessness. I am outraged at the numerous levels on which they have retreated and caved in to irrational, immoral Republican demands.
3D wrote on Jan 9, 2008 9:34 PM:The letter from Dolores Wiener is wrong. "2mxi3" at 8:19 p.m. is right. When the Israelites got to the promised "land of milk and honey" it wasn't vacant. People - human beings - were living there. Funny thing, when the Hebrews told them to leave, they took exception. War ensued. Read in Number chapter 31 how god supposedly commanded Moses to invade, kill all the male adults, all the non-virgin women, and all the male youths, but as to the virgin female youths, to keep them "for yourselves." Sounds an awful lot to me like Moses wrote that god was commanding them to rape and pillage! And, yes, rape. In fact, the King James Version and Revised Standard Version (Numbers 31:32-35) refers to the virgin girls as "booty"; the more modern New International Version translates the term as "plunder" to describe these traumatized girls. That's your loving god of the Bible for you! That is your Biblical "right" to the land!
3D wrote on Jan 9, 2008 10:50 PM:I see that DDWiz mentioned that I could vouch for his character.
Since Lawson came forward, then I better vouch for him too. OK, he's a character.
Actually, the list of his activities professionally and in the community that he posted yesterday at 5:52 p.m. is "highlights only." There is a lot more he left out, but then I know how he hates to write posts that are too long. For myself, I try to focus on just a few narrow topics where I might develop a touch of depth. The "Wiz" has an incredible command of a wide range of topics and seems to go for both breadth and depth. He also forgot to mention he has written a couple of books.
Chuck wrote on Jan 10, 2008 4:38 AM:>>The Democrats have again retreated on their promises to reduce global warming>> It's pretty arrogant on the part of liberals to think they can effect natures weather cycles. The public schools and government grants can replace the words "weather cycles" with "global warming" but people with a half a brain can see it's a liberal money grab
Ron wrote on Jan 10, 2008 4:39 AM:The Supreme Court appears ready uphold the requirement that voters show photo identification before casting a ballot.
And it's about time! They are looking at an Indiana to make all voters show valid photo ID at the polls, as Indiana
is amoung the nation's worst in terms of retaining the names "of the dead" and those who have moved. Indianans are not required to show photo ID to register. "Is it the policy to have it tougher to vote than to register?" Justice Stevens said, "That doesn't make sense to me." Now your beginning to get the picture Justice Stephens... too many dead on the roles, and no ID required. http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/01/10/news/politics/13_24_731_9_08.txt
Hilarious! wrote on Jan 10, 2008 6:20 AM:Did everyone catch that "Fidel (Jay) Jiron, U.S. Marine Corps (retired)" (like we didn't know) is blaming the North County Times for not catching his mistakes? ("since the NCT editors seem not to have an eye for misprints") Earth to Jay: Your "misprints" would require adding fact-checkers and editors!
Zionism wrote on Jan 10, 2008 6:34 AM:3D @9:34pm is right, and might also mention the terrorist war which re-took the land in the 20th Century, and the terrorism being used to maintain power. But I guess it's not terrorism if the thugs are wearing uniforms and the U.S. approves.
Brian wrote on Jan 10, 2008 6:48 AM:"He also forgot to mention he has written a couple of books."
He's written a few in here as well.....
New Gimmick wrote on Jan 10, 2008 7:02 AM:Neil Turner has a new gimmick for the Minutemen. Instead of trying to rebut the facts and arguments in Richard Riehl's Jan 4 column, he simply says that Mr. Riehl needs "constructive knowledge". With a little dose of "constructive knowledge", Mr. Riehl would know what the Minutemen know and presumably agree with them. He ends by chiding the NCTimes for not doing their homework. Yeah, don't they know about "constructive knowledge"?
theWolf wrote on Jan 10, 2008 7:26 AM:As long as we are in fanatsy land regarding energy, why not mandate 75 or 100 miles per gallon? Then, we can all drive electric cars re-charged by nuclear power plants-a triple win for the enviros
To Neil Turner needs to do his homework!!! wrote on Jan 10, 2008 7:32 AM:In his letter Neil Turner is staunchly defending the Minutemen vigilante gang. He should do his homework because the Minutemen have left the immigration issue long ago by the racist tactics they have taken on over the last year. Their agenda and apparently Mr. Turner's is now a direct attack on those he describes in his letter; "know that over 80 percent of the people loitering on corners and in parking lots are illegal aliens who are illegally soliciting employment from potential employers who are illegally hiring them ("Most day laborers are illegal immigrants with little formal education, " so this makes it okay to attack all of the men who solicit work, how? I am sure Mr. Turner will know this story in the bible about Sodom and Gommorrah when Abraham asked God if their was at least one righteous person there would he withold his punishment and God said yes. Now, Mr. Turner I think you should withold your punishment of these men as you admitted yourself 20% could be righteous. Do your homework Mr. Turner as you sound like a ...
theWolf wrote on Jan 10, 2008 7:34 AM:Say Alf, you have not mentioned the Jose Padilla case of terriorism-he was convicted-a US citizen no less tried in a civilian court. Now, he is trying to sue the former deputy assitant attorney general who laid out the legal reasoning for his prosecution. Are you in favor of his winning this case?
Jake wrote on Jan 10, 2008 7:45 AM:Regarding land occupation... the right of nations to exist and people to live in a place depends entirely on their ability to keep and defend it. The concept of automatic geographical boundaries based on centuries past is somewhat unrealistic. It would depend on what time period is chosen. Anybody care to return to Mongolia all the land that Genghis Kahn ruled?
Alf wrote on Jan 10, 2008 8:02 AM:Well, "Chuck" at 4:38AM, arrogance is the very definition of many humans and, specifically, GWB. It's sad that some people refuse to acknowledge the impact that we humans have perpetrated upon this planet. We are now well over 150% of the ability of Earth to sustain us. The only thing keeping us from our own extinction is our ability to manipulate nature. Hormones to increase growth of that upon which we feed are just one of the ways that we cheat Mama Nature. But that comes at a price; increased rates of cancer, increased numbers of diseases, increased numbers of drug-resistant viruses. Those are just a few of the prices we pay for screwing Mama Nature. Another height of arrogance is "our" "Decider" who decides that the resources of someone else are "ours" for the taking, ala Iraq. We can keep on STEALING WHAT WE WANT BY MAKING WAR or we can find another way, a civilized way that won't anger other people. I forgot, the U.S.A. can do no wrong in the eyes of the truly delusional such as GWB. Regards, Alf.
Alf wrote on Jan 10, 2008 8:16 AM:Well, "theWolf" at 7:34AM, challenger me tomorrow, by which time I'll have had time to research the case in question. Thank you for challenging me to think. An informed populace is a dangerous populace. Be afraid, be very afraid. Regards, Alf.
Alf wrote on Jan 10, 2008 8:25 AM:Well, "Jake" at 7:45AM, in this world, in this "civilized" world and in the United States, having land is is not contingent upon being able to defend it, it is a matter of law. Are you suggesting that if I have a bigger gun than you, that I have a right to your land, your property, your possessions and your life anytime I so choose? If that is the case, be prepared to hand it over to whoever wants it that has more fire-power. Regards, Alf.
GFN wrote on Jan 10, 2008 8:45 AM:Ray Erler is right!!! He states, "To place a person such as Barack Obama in a position of calling the shots in a war this complex would be a suicidal move." What we need is a constituional amendment to allow GWB, the intellectual, another four years as Commander-in-Chief to continue as our leader! Because of GWB's lack of Charisma, the United States has only had 25,000 soldiers killed and maimed, and only 151,000 Iraqis KILLED over the last three years...see page A-3, today's NCTimes!
DD Wiz wrote on Jan 10, 2008 8:57 AM:The posts from "LAWSON......DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER..." (9:23pm) and "3D" (10:50pm) are appreciated. It was not my intent (yesterday 5:52pm) to solicit "testimonials" -- only to make a note that there are at least a few people here who actually have known me long enough to know that, unlike conservatives, I'm not just making stuff up.
To LAWSON: thank you for volunteering your comment. Several years ago, there were differences among North County Democrats as to the directions the party should go and, despite years of friendship and working together, we ended up on different sides of opinions on how to balance working with the Republican majority and being more assertive. I appreciate your acknowledgement and also recognize the extensive political and community achievements of both you and your brilliant wife.
To 3D: as to "omissions" in my record, I did not mean to provide a complete "resume." A participant had boasted of sitting on a single "voluntery" (sic) board and challenged me to get a life. I just listed a few community activities more or less equivalent to sitting on a board or commission. The kind words are appreciated. As I've mentioned before, I suspect that "3D" has memorized about 12 different versions of the Bible along with the sacred texts of several other faiths (OK, maybe a metaphorical exaggerations, but not by much).
Thanks to both of you.
DD Wiz wrote on Jan 10, 2008 9:08 AM:The post from "theWolf" (7:26am) dismisses as "fantasy" about energy mandates. Actually, cars today can easily produced that get over 100 miles per gallon using current plug-in hybrid technology, and also can be produced to use flex-fuels so that actual gasoline is not necessary. However, I favor bumping up the incentives before instituting hard mandates, and only using mandates to the extent that there is transitional assistance. I liked the old California mandate (on manufacturers, not individual consumers) which mandated a certain percentage of zero-emission cars by a certain date, with partial credit allowed for ultra-low emission intermediary vehicles. This left it up to the manufacturers to arrange pricing as necessary, even if some models had to be sold at a loss, with the difference made up in higher prices for non-conforming models to subsidize public-interest objectives, thus using market forces to attract those most interested in compliance, and requiring those who generate pollution and climate hazards to pay more of the real consequential costs for the damage they cause, which are now being shifted to others.
On a related but tangential note, in yesterday's mail I received my first bill from SDG&E since installing the solar. For the first time in decades of being a utility consumer, I received an invoice from my electricity provider with NO CHARGE for the electric portion :-)
And that is with the sun low in the sky for limited hours (being near the winter solstice) and with a number of those days being cloudy or rainy :-)
Ron wrote on Jan 10, 2008 9:11 AM:Man, I just do not know what to tell you. If you still believe the Democrats were fooled, yet again... Man! Do they have you bamboozled. I keep trying to tell you, it's slick marketing & packaging.
Alf wrote on Jan 10, 2008 9:19 AM:Well, "GFN" at 8:45AM, you had me going for as long as it took to get to your last sentence! That was beautiful! Regards, Alf.
DD Wiz wrote on Jan 10, 2008 9:24 AM:The post from "Vista Granny" (1/9 - 8:10pm) should have been included with my recent post (not yet appearing) responding to "LAWSON" and "3D" but I just now checked yesterday's late posts and saw it. Hmmm. I'm trying to figure out who "Vista Granny" is. I'm sure there are other liberals here, too, who I know but don't recognize their screen names. "SOLON..." seems very bright and like the kind of involved person whose path would have crossed, but haven't figured out who that is, either, IF I even know the person.
As to your specific question about "Letters Awards" -- I did attend the first few years, when it was supposed to be for "Liberal" letters. Later, the North County Forum moved further to the extreme left, favoring more the Greens, Socialists (yes, there really are actual Socialists in North County, which is why it is always so incredulous that some people can't tell the difference between regulated market economies and state owned/controlled economies), etc., to the exclusions of Democrats. At many of the breakfast or restaurant discussion meetings, I remember being in heated discussions with those who opposed going into Afghanistan (where the real terrorists who invaded us were being sheltered), though we were more on the same page after the criminal invasion of Iraq. To me, the leftists who could not tell the difference between Afghanistan and Iraq are the flip side of conservatives who also can't tell the difference. I met long-time friend Dick Eiden, whose friendship I treasure and who I greatly respect, for coffee one morning during the 2004 Kerry campaign when he was openly supporting Nader and the NCF was going strongly Green, and he indicated that this trend was not likely to change, so I reduced my involvement with NCF. Especially after the loss in Florida, I was not at all happy with the Greens (I do not blame them in the same ethical or criminal sense as the Bush criminals who actually broke laws and obstructed voting and vote counting to steal the election, and respect their right to dissent, but I was upset in the sense of political strategy in that they have done so much to obstruct real liberals from achieving real legislative achievements). So I stopped going for a few years. I did go last year for the first time in several years, and am still on the fence about this year. I am already scheduled to work a conference that afternoon, so if I do go I will get there about the time the actual meeting is starting.
Alf wrote on Jan 10, 2008 9:25 AM:Neil Turner is a prime example of someone who can string together words without having the slightest clue as to what he is talking about. Sad. Regards, Alf.
DD Wiz wrote on Jan 10, 2008 9:34 AM:The post from "theWolf" (7:34am) inquires of "Alf" regarding the Jose Padilla case, but the assumption inherent in his question is not valid. He states of Padilla: "he is trying to sue the former deputy assitant attorney general who laid out the legal reasoning for his prosecution." and asks: "Are you in favor of his winning this case?" The current issue with Padilla is not about whether or not he should be prosecuted, but how. This was a U.S. citizen, arrested within the United States (pulled off a commercial jet flight in Chicago), nowhere remotely near a battlefield. The question is not whether he should be prosecuted, but whether or not he is entitled to the rights of a full trial with all the Constitutional safeguards afforded to U.S. citizens. The idea that a U.S. citizen can be nabbed inside this country and detained as an "enemy combatant" indefinitely, without counsel or trial (which is what the Bush dictatorship first sought; they have already lost every court battle they have faced), should strike more terror into the hearts of freedom-loving people than anything Al Qaeda could throw our way.
And here is a question: Jose Padilla (a U.S. citizen of Latino descent) was nabbed inside the U.S. John Walker Lindh was actually pulled off a battlefield in Afghanistan. But Lindh, who is white, was never denied his rights to counsel or a trial. Can anyone understand why some people wonder if racial considerations come into play here?
Karl wrote on Jan 10, 2008 10:56 AM:DD Wiz wrote on Jan 10, 2008 9:34 AM. Excellent question Whiz. My gut feel (without facts) is that there's something more than racial considerations in play here. I'm looking forward to responses, I might get educated.
Marie H. wrote on Jan 10, 2008 10:59 AM:Pull your head out of the san Neil!!!! The minute men are all washed up. they are the political joke of the Century. The have been exposed by many news organizations and main stream media outlets as maladjusted misfits, and bullies in the playground. I supported the minute men when they were reasonable folks doing good things now they are out of control and certainly are not doing a damn thing to control immigration. I believe they are responsible for all the increased crime because they are hindering these guys from getting jobs. What happens when a person can't get work well unfortunately they turn to a life of crime. The minutemen are singlehandedly responsible for any increase crime from that entity of our communities.
Ron wrote on Jan 10, 2008 11:13 AM:Another great editorial by the Times again today! "Despite his many flaws, it must be stated that this marks the third time the governor has tried to reform the budget process. His two previous attempts were thwarted by a Democratic-controlled Legislature and an electorate influenced by union scare tactics."
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/01/10/opinion/editorials/18_16_241_9_08.txt
Cara wrote on Jan 10, 2008 11:16 AM:I read Numbers 31. God told Moses to "take vengeance on the Midianites ..." The Midianites were nomadic people who had their own land but roamed into the land God was giving to Israel. They influenced Israel into the worship of Baal. You have to read the Bible in context. God didn't tell Israel to save some of the women for themselves. When Moses found out Israel didn't destroy "all" the Midianites as commanded by God, he was angry. God certainly did not command Israel to "rape" the Midianite women. By reading on (and in context) you will learn that Israel had a habit for disobeying God. Again, God didn't command rape. There is no way you can interpret it that way unless you have a problem with God ... and that's a whole other issue.
DD Wiz wrote on Jan 10, 2008 11:22 AM:The post from "Karl" (10:56am) showed an approach I really like to see. He acknowledged a "gut feeling" not based on conclusive facts, and sought additional information. Whether we end up in agreement or not (as to the racial thing, I also posed it as a question at 9:34am, not an answer), I do find it refreshing to acknowledge when we don't know and are seeking, instead of being compelled by our insecurities to make up answers that we don't really have, which we have seen too much of here. Good outlook, "Karl"!
Ron wrote on Jan 10, 2008 11:24 AM:Some more from the Times Editorial:
"Although legislators would decide in advance which programs to cut, Democrats argue this spending-cap mechanism would take budget authority away from the Legislature. They'd rather raise taxes.
Of course, the governor contributed to the state's budget problems by not doing more to curb spending in previous budgets, including the one approved in the fall of last year for this fiscal year. Barely six months in, there's already a $3 billion hole.
To make matters worse, he hasn't given up on a plan that will require the state to take on even more of the burden of providing health care. If enacted, billions will be added to the state's already bloated budget."
The key phrases here are: Already Bloated Budget, They'd rather raise Taxes, and To make matters worse. I just love it when they write the truth.
jv6xc wrote on Jan 10, 2008 11:26 AM:Cara wrote on Jan 10, 2008 11:16 AM: God did not command as He did not say or write or direct anything. That was just Moses or an alleged prophet telling them what God told him. Sorta like George Bush and God's communication relationship.
3D wrote on Jan 10, 2008 11:33 AM:Cara at 11:16 a.m. claims to have read Numbers 31 but it seems she didn't read it very carefully. She says "God didn't tell Israel to save some of the women for themselves. ... God certainly did not command Israel to "rape" the Midianite women." I thought my citation of the chapter and a few specific verses within it were specific enough, but I guess not, so I apologize and will provide more specific verses.
Verse 1-2: The command to invade the Midianites is a command from God to Moses.
Verse 7: God commands the killing of every adult male, and this was done.
Verse 17: When the Israelites return with the male children and females, God is angry (as Cara notes) and GOD COMMANDS them to kill all the male children and all the females, they are COMMANDED BY GOD to kill all the male children and all the females who "have known man intimately," which is Bible language for not being virgins.
Verse 18: God tells this bunch of horny warriors, as part of their spoils of war, to keep alive the virgin girls "for yourselves" For what? To baby sit them? Why just the girls and not the boys? Why only virgins? Why is their sexual history relevant? Putting it into historical CONTEXT, and given what we know of the culture of that time, and the tradition of rape and pillage allowed by conquering warriors, and that this is given as a litany of military spoils, in that context it clearly appears that, according to the Bible in this passage, God (through Moses) is COMMANDING RAPE!!
Verses 30-35 showing the command was carried out.
Some have claimed that the Midianite virgins that the soldiers were instructed to "keep for themselves" means the soldiers were to marry them. However, the Bible has no record of wholesale marriage between the Israeliet soldiers and Midianites. And verses 32-35 of this chapter refer to the captured virgins as "booty" in the King James Version and Revised Standard Version; the New International Version uses the term "plunder." It does not refer to them as "brides." In any case, why would they need only brides; after all the men lost in battle, seems they would be more in need of young men if marriage was the object. And after the soldiers have just killed their fathers, mothers, brothers and any sisters who weren't virgins, I’m sure they can really look forward to loving marital bliss (at least the Israelites won't have to worry about "in-law" problems, but one would think a compassionate God would have more consideration for these poor girls).
Cara complains that I did not use CONTEXT. What part of the CONTEXT shows "booty" or "plunder" to be brides? What part of historical CONTEXT distinguishes rape and plunder from the spoils of war. I think the only CONTEXT Cara is concerned about is trying to explain why the Bible doesn't really mean what it so clearly and explicitly states, because it doesn't conform to the convoluted modern misinterpretations necessary to justify her preconceived conclusions.
Appalling wrote on Jan 10, 2008 11:38 AM:Human rights groups have condemned Iran for executing criminals...I think it was 23 of them. Appalling. Barbaric.
Ron and Chuck need to talk again wrote on Jan 10, 2008 11:41 AM:According to Ron, the Congressional Democrats have lied and/or caved on many important issues surrounding Iraq. Approving the war, funding the war, approving wiretaps, approving energy policies, etc. In other words, they've gone back on everything they said they were for. Now Chuck, on the other hand, says that the Democrats have obstructed Bush at every turn in his battle against terror. You guys need to work this out. You're saying the exact opposite thing from one another. Can't both be right. Get back to us when you decide. Thanks.
ORACLE ... wrote on Jan 10, 2008 11:51 AM:... Ron Paul is the only candidate addressing some of the most critical issues America is facing: the destruction of our currency and wealth, and its underlying cause, which is the unbridled deficits of the last 60 years, now greatly accelerated by the W. Bush administration to conduct wars. Paul is, however, naïve, as is letter writer Mark Corcoran. If elected, Paul will be run over by the Crony-capitalist freight train. Crony capitalism’s days are, of course, numbered: it will self-destruct, possibly leading to anarchy. What is going on in our country with unbridled crony capitalism cannot go on forever, and what cannot go on forever will not.
Capitalism can only work in an environment which provides infinite resources and has an infinite capacity to absorb the waste created by the refining and consumption of those resources; our planet is a closed, finite system and meets neither criteria. Capitalism, in the contemporary sense of the word, cannot sustain itself regardless of whether it is plutocratic corporate domination, state controlled capitalism (U.S.S.R) or 'little guy' capitalist libertarian fantasies (Ron Paul, Ayn Rand).
1tvnm wrote on Jan 10, 2008 11:53 AM:Cara: Did you forget the following:
I promise I will take you away from your misery in Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey."'All these tribes there before the Israelites-right?
SOLON ... wrote on Jan 10, 2008 12:03 PM:... The Indiana voter ID act, the most restrictive in the nation, is an onerous solution to a non-problem. There have no incidents of individual voter fraud in Indiana. This is a typical Republican attempt to complicate the affairs of the people with onerous government intervention. Too many such laws lashed against the backs of the people. The purpose of such laws is to disenfranchise American citizens of the constitutional rights. THAT is the real fraud.
Mike America wrote on Jan 10, 2008 12:05 PM:Marie H. wrote on Jan 10, 2008 10:59 AM:I believe they are responsible for all the increased crime because they are hindering these guys from getting jobs. What happens when a person can't get work well unfortunately they turn to a life of crime. The minutemen are singlehandedly responsible for any increase crime from that entity of our communities. WOW!!Now that's profound...tell us Marie, what else do you believe?
Marky Marx to SOLON wrote on Jan 10, 2008 12:21 PM:Right on doode; it's also very racist!! Power to the peeps
Author! Author! wrote on Jan 10, 2008 12:23 PM:3D wrote at 10:50 p.m.: DDWiz "has written a couple of books." Of course this should not surprise anyone. He does that several times a week, just in this forum alone.
GFN wrote on Jan 10, 2008 12:50 PM:Alf...sardonic???!!!??? Thanks.
Do I hear an echo? wrote on Jan 10, 2008 12:51 PM:Author! Author! wrote on Jan 10, 2008 12:23 PM:3D wrote at 10:50 p.m.: DDWiz "has written a couple of books." Of course this should not surprise anyone. He does that several times a week, just in this forum alone.
See post at 6:48 AM. Write your own jokes, pal.
theWolf wrote on Jan 10, 2008 1:02 PM:Hey Alf where do you get the 150% figure for population? The Green revolution has not caused any of the things you cite. 2nd, cancer is heavily skewed as a disease of old age > 50, as your wife will tell you, so it is a result of our ability to create healthy people who live longer and are therefore sussectible to the disease. Paul Erlich made the same predictions in the early 70's and has been completely repudiated by facts. Mankind will always find a way to survive and thrive
Small thinking wrote on Jan 10, 2008 1:08 PM:To "Sprinter is a bad investment for taxpayers" Before you dismiss mass transportation, I suggest you leave your cocoon of Southern California and travel a bit. Trains are a wonderful mode of transportation, but only if, and only if, the entire infrastructure is built to cover the entire region. This includes bus service too. In Japan most everyone uses mass transit because it is safe, fast, and cheaper than private motoring. You can go anywhere while relaxing, reading, or eating. If we had the same system in California, I wouldn't even own a car. Imagine riding a bullet- train from San Diego to Las Vegas while surfing the internet or watching a movie. It would have to be a short one because you'd be there in about 100 minutes. And on your arrival, a bus would be waiting to take you to your hotel or "the strip." So please don't make judgments about mass transit after riding the Sprinter or the Coaster. They are not world-class, and I'm sure they’re the butt of many jokes by foreigners who visit San Diego. I haven't rode on the Sprinter, but if it's anything like the Coaster it is too slow and has too many stops because the proper bus service hasn't been developed. I suggest our political leaders take a trip to Japan, France or Germany so they will have an understanding and appreciation of what REAL mass transit can be like, before making any further decisions concerning the future needs of public transportation.
Alf wrote on Jan 10, 2008 1:10 PM:"GFN" at 12:50PM, your welcome.
Alf wrote on Jan 10, 2008 1:10 PM:"GFN" at 12:50PM, your welcome. Regards, Alf.
Alf wrote on Jan 10, 2008 1:22 PM:Well, "theWolf" at 1:02PM, my source for the 150 percent is something my mother-in-law said or read over 20 years ago, a "factoid" that I can not verify. I can be wrong and will admit so. It was stated that the Earth can sustain 4 billion people, we are rapidly approaching 6 billion. As to the diseases, yes, humans are living longer, so the number, type and severity of diseasses will increase. We may be reaching a point of nature asserting a "self-limitation" scenario (as population increases, fertility decreases, etc). Such are my opinions. Regards, Alf.
SOLON? wrote on Jan 10, 2008 1:36 PM:HOW do you figure that? Did you not hear Francine Busby, in the '06 elections tell an entire group of illegals that "they didn't need papers for voting"? That fraudulent remark, believed and practiced by Dems who oppose ONLY legal, documented citizens voting, cost her the election. The Reps, on the other hand, DO want only citizens voting. How does proving your ID, like you must when buying cigarettes and alcohol, going to a casino or an R rated movie, disenfranchise ANYONE?
ORACLE = wrote on Jan 10, 2008 2:34 PM: = “Free traders” will assert that the benefit is in low Wal-Mart prices. But the prices are low only because China keeps its currency pegged to the dollar. Thus, the Chinese currency value falls with the dollar. The peg will not continue forever. The dollar has lost 60% of its value against the Euro during the years of the Bush regime. Already China is having to adjust the peg. When the peg goes, Wal-Mart shoppers will think they are in Neiman Marcus.
ORACLE = wrote on Jan 10, 2008 3:13 PM: = I repeat: The dollar has lost 60% of its value against the Euro during the years of the Bush regime. No president has levied such a heavy tax on the people in our history. He took away 60% of our wealth.
to Alf and the Wolf wrote on Jan 10, 2008 3:17 PM:If either of you has traveled much, I think you might take back your claims about how the current population of earth is being sustained. Some groups of humans are living longer. Many are dying younger, living with hunger and desperation and no prospects for anything changing. I don't know if it's "nature" or "the way humans have chosen to behave on the earth", but we probably have passed that self-limiting number quite a while ago. It's just that we in the West have personally felt little of it. In Africa, for example, most tribal groups lived without a whole lot of contact with other tribal groups. The traditional lands have gone over to colonial powers and industry, the tribes have had to move, and are now packed into mostly coastal areas already occupied by other tribal groups. Hence we have unprecedented crowding and "ethnic warfare". Similar scenario in the Amazon. No, the earth is already not sustaining us. We who live in places that have benefitted from the conditions that created this luckily get not to witness it...we just scratch our heads and wonder why so many people in the world simultaneously hate us and want to come here. Not very mysterious.
to small thinking wrote on Jan 10, 2008 3:36 PM:The model you talk about is appropriate for a city. I'm from NY and have lived in SF and DC and in all three, it was hardly necessary to own a car. Unfortunately, LA and areas south were built up with a car in mind. I totally agree with you, though. The only sensible way to live is via mass transit. Here, unlike NY, this entails an enormous reworking of the whole shebang. Once we realize this, we can stop objecting to things like the Sprinter. Everything that we do towards mass transit has to be in the long view. We should not expect them to be efficient, make money, or be highly used for a while. Gradually, if we are smart and moral, we'll add bus lines and the rest and in time, if we're smart and moral, the mass transit systems will work as they do in most civilized cities in the world. But it will require the current population to realize it's about the future. Those who support it must keep in the public eye the picture of what it will be in 20-50 years, not tomorrow. I don't know if our instant-gratification population is willing. It passes on debt with ease, but not care, to future generations.
Alf wrote on Jan 10, 2008 3:39 PM:"ORACLE = " at 3:13PM, I doubt that any other president has ever endebted our great-grand-children's great-grandchildren with TRILLIONS of debt, the interest alone is staggering and in the HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OR BILLIONS PER YER. That deserves to be shouted. Regards, Alf.
SOLON ... wrote on Jan 10, 2008 3:40 PM:... Alf addresses a troubling subject: Maximum sustainable human population. It took perhaps 100,000 years for the population of homo sapiens to reach its first billion people, about the year 1810. It took us only 110 years to reach the 2 billion figure. Then it took us only 30 years before we reach 3 billion, in 1930. The growth is exponential, so that by the year 2065 we will have 60 billion people on the Earth. This almost six times our current world population. Do you believe that will happen? It is possible, unless some catastrophic extinction event occurs, as it did approximately 65 million years ago. Know this: Even during major wars and famines, global population has steadily increased outside the areas immediately affected; only during the period of the Black Death during the middle ages, (when more than a third of the population died) did world population actually decrease, and even then it had fully recovered fifty years after the epidemic. The question is not what is the maximum sustainable population of homo sapiens, but “What is the best balance for all species for the healthiest planet?”
Good news? Time will tell wrote on Jan 10, 2008 3:41 PM:I see that W is confident that Israel and Palestine will come to a peace accord before he leaves office. That would be fantastic. I can't say that I have faith in his optimism, which doesn't exactly have a great track record. Neither can I have faith in his knowledge of the workings of other nations or cultures, which also doesn't exactly have a great track record. But who knows? Maybe this is the one time he'll help get something right! I hope so.
ORACLE = wrote on Jan 10, 2008 3:44 PM:The market exchanges just closed. Gold reached a new level of $895. That bespeaks how lowly the US dollars has sunk. Also, the Euro reached a new level, closing above 1.47 for the first time, meaning it now takes $1.47 to buy one Euro. During Bush’s first year in office, it took only $.85 cents to buy one Euro. And the drop is just beginning. Ron Paul has been warning of this precipitous drop in the dollar for several years.
This is what Paul Craig Roberts had to day: QUOTE “Free traders” will assert that the benefit is in low Wal-Mart prices. But the prices are low only because China keeps its currency pegged to the dollar. Thus, the Chinese currency value falls with the dollar. The peg will not continue forever. The dollar has lost 60% of its value against the Euro during the years of the Bush regime. Already China is having to adjust the peg. When the peg goes, Wal-Mart shoppers will think they are in Neiman Marcus.” It will be worse for people on fixed income. That $1,000 a month Soc. Sec. check is being robbed of its purchasing power by the insidious destruction of the dollar by this administration.
Orig. submitted at 2:35PM
ORACLE ... wrote on Jan 10, 2008 3:58 PM: = OK, so perhaps we cannot measure the destruction of the dollar by the rise of the Euro. How about against gold? The gold standard is a traditional value, much older than the Euro. When Bush entered the White House, gold was $280 an ounce. Today it hit $890. That means the dollar you are getting from your Social Security check, as measured by the gold standard, is now worth only 31 percent what is did when Bush entered the White House. No wonder gasoline, housing and medical care have gone up. Again, I repeat: No president has destroyed your personal wealth like this White House wrecker. It’s going to get worse. No president has levied such a heavy tax burden on the American people - and all to pay for his war and reward his corporate cronies. On this Ron Paul is correct.