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Letters to the Editor - 2/26/2008
By: Readers of the North County Times and The Californian - | ∞
Another depression?
Born in 1931, I grew up in the Great Depression, an era of family and neighborhood cohesiveness. Money was spent on just basic necessities. Our spending money came from jobs we found after school and summer jobs. And we walked to school. We had two radios -- our parents' and one for my sister and me -- one phonograph, one phone and one car. Divorce was rare. Try all that today!
Parents, regardless of ethnic background, taught their children proper senses of values, morals and respect. Everyone paid their own medical and dental expenses. I earned money for my first car and part of my college expenses. No one today could fathom this.
So, let's fast-forward to today's spoiled-brat juveniles and self-serving parents who think nothing of maxing out a myriad of credit cards, declaring bankruptcy and walking away from mortgages and who have the gall to blame everyone else but themselves! They are sowing the seeds of another depression but, this time, their stupidity and panic will cause them to rob, loot and burglarize to sustain themselves, since government tax revenues would plummet and aid would dry up. It's possible.
Merrill Brown
Oceanside
Practices point to our moral decay
Some comments on why I see a moral decline in the U.S.A.: Firstly, I know of no other country that allows the blatant advertising by legal firms (ambulance chasers, we used to call them). For example, they cajole us to join in this lawsuit if we've ever been treated for such-and-such a malady, or if we have ever used such-and-such a prescription drug.
Oh, sure, I've heard before all the old canards from the legal profession -- how else can the poor man hope to get justice if we don't have these pay-only-if-you-win lawsuits? Baloney! Twenty-four million people winning a $50 million settlement means that the lawyers get about half of that amount for fees and expenses, leaving the litigants with a dollar apiece in promissory vouchers of some kind. What a racket!
Then there are the legal firms offering to help you basically put one over on the IRS by letting someone who is willing to skate on the thin edge of propriety to let you get away by paying pennies on the dollar, settle your legal tax debt. Ergo, only dummies pay full and fair taxes -- the smart taxpayer gets help to finesse his taxes.
These are just two of the many practices that point to our moral decay. Am I the only one to see it?
Robert Green
Fallbrook
The real reason for extending the 241 tollway
If, on appeal, the ruling is overturned, the new Highway 241 extension through the state park will do little, if anything, to relieve traffic congestion ("Toll road appeal to take a year," Feb. 15). The Transportation Corridor Agency needs the toll road to allow access to the 175,000 acres of undeveloped land, east of Interstate 5, in south Orange County. That land, slated in the general plan for some 25,000 to 35,000 new homes ... has been in the pipeline for the same 20 years that the 241 has been anticipated. Developers needed a way to access that land. Thus, in the long run, the new homes will create enough new traffic to gridlock the I-5/241 interchange both north and southbound within a few years after the road is built.
This is already occurring with the Interstate 15/I-215 corridor through the Temecula/Murrieta area. If the proponents had committed to the right of way back then, some 20 years ago, they could have routed this tollway through Capistrano or San Clemente, before houses were built, and out of the Coastal Commission's jurisdiction.
Still, big money will talk, the federal government will listen and eventually the 241 will be built through the state park. Watch and see what happens next.
Dennis Schwander
Oceanside
Those voting for immunity should be voted out
If the telecoms did nothing illegal, why do they need immunity? Are the laws in our justice system only for certain people to abide by, and not for others, because of their stature? Does anyone really believe that these companies do not have some of the best attorneys who absolutely knew they would be breaking the law by going along with the administration on this warrantless surveillance? ...
The FISA court gives the surveillance issue a great deal of leeway and there's no reason not to obey the law. These companies went against their own privacy statements, guaranteeing confidentiality to their customers.
Those House and Senate members who go along with this immunity do not represent their own constituents -- they represent the big special interests. How I wish John Edwards would have made it in the race to the White House. Maybe then we really would have change in Washington. He would have taken them on. All we have now is more of the same, which is totally detrimental to our country. Those voting for immunity should all be voted out.
Joanne Goodwin
Oceanside
Thank you to a good Samaritan
My husband fell down on the sidewalk on East Vista Way around the corner from Arcadia while walking the dog on Jan. 9. A lady driving by saw him, stopped to help, called 911 and myself and held onto the dog until I got there. I didn't get her name or where she lived, but we do want to thank her very much for her kindness and help.
Moira McLaren
Vista
An exceptional Opinion page
The Opinion page of the Feb. 21 North County Times is exceptional. That page is usually good, sometimes better; today, the best. Four major issues are addressed with urgency: the editorial in regard to the state's fiscal con game ("State's fiscal facade"); Debra Saunders in regard to the anarchic, criminal conspiracy that calls itself "North American Animal Liberation Front"; Oceanside City Councilman Jerry Kern's important message on TOD (transportation oriented development); and Harry Rosenfeld on the giant hoax of biofuel as the solution to pollution. Mostly these issues get scant attention in your news columns or elsewhere in the media. They are mentioned too infrequently and far too briefly to be effective.
It is impossible for me to overstress the importance of subjects that impact our lives so profoundly. Today's Opinion page should be required reading in every civics class in every high school in San Diego County.
Pat McDonald
Oceanside
Where is the accountability?
"Increasing fares doesn't necessarily generate additional revenue," as stated in your paper today("Credit crunch stings North County Transit District," Feb. 22).
How do the taxpayers who subsidize the North County Transit District's public transportation get to see a financial report that reveals the passenger revenue in relation to the total cost of maintenance and operating the Coaster, Breeze buses, not even counting the forthcoming Sprinter's shortfall? This might give the public greater concern for the tremendous cost to provide this service to such a relatively few. How has this mitigated the traffic congestion and gridlock?
Where is the accountability for a system completely out of control ($34 million in debt), like we don't even seem to care?
Henry Sanford
San Marcos
None so blind as those who cannot see
I surrender. If all the print media and television news stations cannot convince certain people how abysmal this president is, what more can I do? Only one unreliable station touts this pathetic man. Even the conservatives on other programs say he is a total failure.
The European media are following our election with bated breath because they cannot believe people voted him in twice. Mr. Beck says watch out for the liberals who are out to ruin our Constitution (Letters, Feb. 18)! What? A professor at George Washington University, a scholar in constitutional law, says that Dubya has done more damage to our Constitution than any president in history.
Junious says he cannot abide one more minute of the Clintons (Letters, Feb. 17). Is he serious? We have had to watch Dubya, who has English as his second language, struggle to put a sentence together. Seven years ago we laughed until our sides split watching him sputter. Unfortunately, I haven't laughed in many years. The horrible things he has done to our country just aren't funny.
Fidel doesn't want me to say fake war because of all the wounded men and women (Letters, Feb. 17). Does he ever say to himself, for what? I say Barack Obama.
Peggy Sloan
Escondido
Power plant upgrade will increase toxins
Escondido exposing millions of residents to more toxic chemicals is criminal, as the current plant emits thousands of pounds daily over Escondido. San Diego Gas & Electric is asking for more from this plant ("Escondido 'peaker' plant upgrade put on fast track," Jan. 23). Officials ignored the start-up of two turbines that emit terrible amounts of industrial pollution at cold start. ...
A Jan. 17 article in the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that, in California in the year 2004, 200,000 workers were sickened with chronic diseases linked to industrial chemicals, with an additional 4,400 dying from cancer, emphysema and Parkinson's disease, costing $2.6 billion. In a typical California year, more than 440,000 get sick, 4,400 die, at a cost of $3.8 billion; nationally, 24 million get sick, 222,000 die, costing $250 billion.
Can we afford another power plant exposing millions to this toxic waste within the city of Escondido? Our elected officials allow this, then complain about the men and women protecting us in Iraq. To me, this far exceeds any military who do not make it back home, and I pray for them and their families. They are protecting my family.
Buddie Gran
Escondido
Global warming hysteria about money
Mary Oren's Feb. 19 letter to the editor states boldly that global warming is occurring and is caused by man and, therefore, let's start the litany of bills and legislation that will stop this dreaded catastrophe that will destroy this Earth.
I suppose Mary Oren is one of these scientists ...who proclaim they are political science majors, thus they have the knowledge to determine if global warming is real or not. CO2 is not a pollutant. Mary should get educated on real science and quit quoting ... movie stars to prove her point. Al Gore's hockey stick has been conveniently thrown out as proof, so where does she go now?
Most of us know what this hysteria is all about, it is about money and greed, It always is. Billions of dollars are being received by so-called scientists to study this issue and now, per Mary Oren, we need to set trade and tax standards to fix our planet. Somehow, the left always brings in the word "tax," doesn't it? ...
I am just waiting for the day when the sun begins its quiet stage and the Earth begins cooling again and all of these proponents who have arguments on the Internet will be easily accessible by future critics to gaze upon the nonsense that occurred by the so-called scientists of this day.
Jeff Lassle
Fallbrook
Mexico ignores its own people's pain
While Mexican President Felipe Calderon ("Mexico President Calderon meets with L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa," Feb. 15) chatted with U.S. politicians, a U.S. district judge ("Judge places SoCal migrant camp under temporary receiver," Feb. 12) has examined garbage and jerry-rigged electrical systems in a Riverside illegal immigrant camp. And while Calderon discussed "geothermal energy in Baja," a San Diego sheriff's detective testified that two illegal immigrants repeatedly stabbed and raped a Bonsall woman ("Bonsall rape suspects ordered to stand trial," Feb. 14).
Meanwhile, an "extremely drunk man," Luis Umberto Perez ("Sheriff's official: Alleged hit-and-run San Marcos driver had baby with him," Feb. 13) has plowed through Vista without a license or identification. ...
Still more, a "Latino man with a shaved head" pulled a gun on a construction worker ("Man pulls gun in attempted Escondido robbery," Feb. 14) . ...
Quite the news in only three days. Have another tequila, Calderon. Tell us again how illegal immigrants aren't a threat to Americans. Or why Americans should provide poor Mexicans the jobs your government won't provide. And how you manage to ignore the pain and suffering of your own people.
Kim Oakley
Valley Center
U.S. priorities out of whack
As of today, we've spent over $495 billion in Iraq. With the economy in the tank, one is forced to think about what that money could do here at home, like cover millions of kids who don't have insurance, or help folks who are losing their jobs and homes. Instead, it's supporting a failed occupation in Iraq.
And we continue to borrow $343 million every day to finance this foolish and totally illegal war/occupation. Pretty soon we will truly "owe our soul to the company store" (primarily China), and that is something I don't think any of us want.
More and more Americans are making the connection between the billions we've spent over there and the crumbling economy here at home. In fact, a new AP poll shows that most Americans think ending the war is the best way to help the economy. But pundits on and in the media continue to talk about the war and the economy as two unrelated things.
When is your newspaper going to listen to the majority of Americans and bring some enlightened information to your so-called newspaper? Come on, Editor, show some gumption and originality and catch up with the rest of us.
Martha Davis
Vista
Let Marine's wife stay
I agree with Joan O'Connor's letter on Feb. 16 about the Marine's wife. Fighting deportation as an illegal immigrant is a sad affair. She arrived in this country as a child with her family. Her husband is fighting in Iraq for this country, and this is not the way we treat him and his wife.
The government should be very concerned about the illegals who do not belong in this country and are committing crimes and other criminal activities instead of harassing her. Deport some of the millions who are a disgrace to our country.
Charles Maenza
Oceanside
A message for Mexico's president
How arrogant of Felipe Calderon, the president of Mexico, to come to the United States and try to insult us. He must really think that his so-called government really represents something that is both honest and respectable.
Americans treasure and respect the hard-working Mexican people, but have a disdain for their corrupt country and government. Felipe, always remember: When you point the finger at someone, there are three pointing back at you!
Ed Dominguez
Temecula
Reverse 911 system good for Temecula
I feel that it should be mandatory for all residents of Temecula to be a part of the reverse 911 system. I am put at ease to know that any resident of Temecula can register for the reverse 911 emergency protection system. I would have to disagree with the aspect that lets only Verizon cell phone users register. Someday, our city should think about changing that to open the service to all cell phone networks.
I am also mildly concerned with the fact that it took the wildfires to ignite this emergency system in our town, it should have been done sooner. I read that residents wanting to tap into this safety system must register online at the city's Web site. When I visited the siter, I found it considerably difficult to register. This new safety system will save lives and help keep the city of Temecula safe and secure. I am 100 percent for it.
Matt Johnson
Temecula
Restaurant's time may have come
While I sympathize with Ms. Mary Patricia Leon's affection for the Rainbow Cafe ("Cafe served a real niche in the area," Feb 21), she might consider that it simply wasn't a very good restaurant. One time we stopped there they seemed to be out of every menu item I tried to order. The last time we stopped there, last summer, they had a posted "C" rating from the San Diego County Health Department. How filthy was the kitchen to be relegated to a "C" rating? We turned around and never returned.
Curtis Croulet
Temecula
City attorney's recommendation shameful
I am a resident in the neighborhood where the van Haaster day care center is proposed. The city attorney's office should be ashamed of the railroad job that they did in pushing the council to cut and run from their vote last April to deny the litigation stay. The city attorney was not prepared to explain the case law referenced by Judge Gloria Connor Trask or to offer any legal options to the council other than to grant the stay. Further, the city attorney recommended the resolution without specifying the period of the stay or its start date, which gives the van Haaster family the opportunity to further litigate the outcome in their favor.
Shame on the city attorney's office for rushing the City Council to vote less than 30 days after the judge's ruling without adequate preparation, talking to both party's attorneys, complete understanding of the case law and timelines and other legal options for the council to consider.
With 90 days to cast the vote, it seems that the city attorney was only concerned with getting the project off their docket and not in defending the residents of the Douglas Avenue neighborhood.
Kevin Greer
Murrieta
There are bigger problems than Israel lobby
Saba A. Saba (Letters, Feb. 12) whines that the Israel lobby is all powerful in Washington, falsely claiming that hundreds of billions of dollars go to Israel. He lies! Israel gets much less.
Egypt gets $3 billion a year, and the Turks get $2 billion a year. More goes to Jordan, Lebanon and others. Here at home, Arab lobbyists dispense billions of petrodollars to bribe American officials.
The American people continue supporting Israel; the only true democracy in the Middle East because it's the right, decent thing to do. The alternative being allowing Nazi-loving Islamists to unleash another Holocaust.
The Arabs put their own people into Gaza and turned it into a ghetto full of beggars demanding sustenance from Israel. The Gazans trashed everything nice that the Israelis left behind when they pulled out a short while ago.
Real peace can only come when the corrupt fascist social system of Islam accepts equal rights of all, with equal justice for all -- not Islamic Shari'a justice for the chosen; reject notions of Muslim supremacy over non-Muslims, liberation of women and slaves -- the Department of State documented 800,000 cases of human trafficking in 2007, mostly in Muslim countries --, renounce and reject Islamist goals of Jewish genocide and world dominance, and the primitive barbarity of the Islamic Ahaditha standards in favor of civilized rules, laws, and behavior.
Jim Horn
Sun City
Fresh from the Web:
Movie fans roll out red carpet for Oscars telecast
Readers respond to our Feb. 25 story about people throughout North County celebrating the 80th annual Academy Awards.
Forgo the egos
Nelson: Sorry. I cannot get excited about a bunch of egotistical fools in Hollywood who are as phony as three dollar bills primping for each other. Their time would be better spent going to a children's hospital and distributing stuffed animals and best wishes.
Overrated
Lisa: Nelson, I couldn't agree with you more. A bunch of overpaid actors making crappy movies, not my cup of tea.
Recognition deserved
Rumblfish to Nelson: Lighten up. The Oscars happen one night out of 365 a year. Many celebrities do charity work as well. The actors, directors and others deserve those awards for their work. Every industry has their own awards ceremonies, so what's the problem?
The 'eroding' gas tax
Readers respond to staff writer Dave Downey's Feb. 25 Commuter column about how Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill last week brought up the notion to raise the state gas tax in effort to help balance the state budget.
Taxed in the poorhouse
RobertM: What's eroding is my spending power. Every new tax and rise in the cost of living erodes my ability to feed my family. Don't tell me the government needs more of my money than I do.
Maintenance costs money
An ounce of prevention[-] wrote on Feb 25, 2008 6:13 AM:But consider it in terms of your house. If your house needs $1,000 of maintenance and upkeep every year to stay in good condition, but as it gets older you spend less and less (they call it deferred maintenance in schools where it's one of the chief reasons we have to keep passing bonds, but that's another story) in maintenance, your house is going to deteriorate, and eventually the roof might cave in or termites eat holes in the wall. Our infrastructure is the same but on a mush larger scale of course. Our population has doubled in 25 years or so and miles traveled has tripled (or something like that), but the number of highway miles has risen by 5 or 6%. That means we're beating the crap out of these roads (and bridges!) and not even coming close to spending what we need to maintain them. I don't want higher taxes any more than you do, but the option is to continue to let roads and bridges deteriorate to where they need to be replaced completely, which is 10 times as expensive. It's a false economy.
Money wasted
John: Back in the 50s and 60s, when gas tax was 5 cents, we built 2,000 miles of new freeways. Now with 10 times more cars driving twice the miles per year and more than three times the tax, we don't have enough revenue to fix the potholes in existing freeways let alone build new ones. In those days, the California freeways system was the envy of world.
Where does all the money go? Fat cat bureaucats. We now have a web of internet traffic cameras (mostly "out of order") and electronic signs that could show what we already know -- TRAFFIC JAM AHEAD!!
No new taxes
NO more $ for Boondoggles: 1. The sales tax is indexed for inflation, since it is a percentage.
2: The government has wasted the massive effective tax increase it got through skyrocketing property values and the attendant windfall in property tax revenues.
3: The money we already give through the gas tax gets squandered on projects like the sprinter that do nothing to help the people who pay the tax. Why shoudl we give more $ to get wasted on $printers?
I'm sick of bureaucrats constantly coming back to the well. The % of the economy that is government expenditures keeps increasing, yet the quality of government services keeps decreasing. Start cutting bureaucracy and excessive regulation if you need more money. NO MORE TAXES!!!
Carlsbad, contemplates a land swap with Oceanside
Readers respond to our Feb. 24 story about a proposed land exchange between Oceanside and Carlsbad.
Not a deal for Oceanside
Be Vigilent: Look out Oceanside. The swap would give you no property owned by Oceanside to develop and a huge number of problems. For our citizen's sake lets not give away Oceanside for a big downer so a developer can sell homes for more money and Carlsbad can sell or develop a valuable 2.39 acres.
And Oceanside gets problems, problems and no land deeded to the city. BAD DEAL
Merge ahead
Duane: How about a merger between the two cities into "Carlside" or "Oceanbad"?
Don't give it away
Lane: This property is too key to give to Carlsbad. They just want it so they can approve tearing down the mall and building low income housing at the site. They need Oceanside's property at 78 in order to add an access and build the slum.
Money talked in Wildomar election
Readers responded to an article on fundraising among Wildomar City Council candidates for the cityhood election that occurred earlier this month:
The beginning
AH!: Let the games begin!
Infighting
Elections 101: Wildomar cityhood and campaign fundraising is here to stay. So, let the cheap shots and discrimination begin! Attack, attack. Bring 'em down. Guilt by association. The infighting is just getting started.
Arrogance divisive
WCC Attitude: Gina Castanon and the (Wildomar Community Council) is the reason that some people opposed the election. The arrogance that is shown will divide the community. ...
New definition
I love the City of Wildomar: Well, it looks like the new city of Wildomar has already got their own caustic and venomous activist. ...
Rove manual
Toker: Taxpayers for Responsible Government: Sounds like this group pulled a page from the Karl Rove-call-it-what-it-ain't book.
Best for Wildomar
Sore Loser: ... Sorry to tell you, Gina, I voted for the candidates that would do the best for Wildomar -- and that was Marsha Swanson and Scott Farnam, people who did not have ties to WCC.
Interpretation
resident: I am interested in Castanon's and Ade's statements that people voted for signs. Where did they get their data? It seems they are saying that locals don't know how to read campaign literature or the articles in this paper on each candidate or how to listen to interviews or attend forums. ...
First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, email addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.
Old Timer wrote on Feb 26, 2008 12:10 AM:Years ago an elected official, in regards to this property to be swapped, warned us that "Oceanside will get the shaft and Carlsbad the gold mine." Well, now it is happening
sdraoul wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:08 AM:Kim Oakley, I'll tell you and back it up with a new study from the Public Policy Institute of San Francisco. I'll tell you that the study reports that an illegal from Mexico is ten times less likely to commit serious crime than native-born Americans.
Remember! I didn't make that up. A comprehensive study was conducted by native-born American Phds and they discovered that immigrants, including illegals, commit ten times less crime than native born Americans.
Do you understand that, Kim?
It is not so much that you publish four instances when the SD County illegal population might be 100-150,000 but that even one of your anecdotes states a "Latino" looking man pulled a gun. That article didn’t mention legality. But your inclusion of that incident means that you equate all "Latinos" as illegals, and that’s bigotry or better, racism to do so. Only 12 percent, maybe, of American Hispanics are illegals, one in 8 but they all look alike to you, don't they?
Kim, I suggest that you go to traffic court any day of the week and see how many native-born Americans are convicted of drunk driving.
I suggest you look up the violent crash on Highway 78 last month in which 4 Latinos died at the hands of a non-Hispanic drunk driver. The only Mexicans there died. I suggest you look over at Arizona today while a native-born American Border Patrol agent is tried for a murder of a Mexican illegal that appears to have been video taped.
Then I suggest you look at the 30,000 plus Mexicans who serve in the Army and Marines fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mexican citizens, Kim. Then there’s the thousands and thousands of Mexican Americans in the combat arms of the army and Marines.
Why don’t you write laudatory notes about them to balance off your four individual crimes.
El Guero wrote on Feb 26, 2008 4:39 AM: I hope that sdraoul can join us today because I'd like to get his take on Kim Oakley's "published" letter recalling more "anecdotes' about illegal immigrants who only want to feed their families and put food on our tables. These "anecdotes" are like energizer bunnies: they just keep coming and coming. I wonder why that is. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say sdraoul would instruct us to ignore them, since illegal immigrants in the state's prisons account for only -0.3% of the inmate population. How ridiculous. These illegal immigrants are in our communities committing these crimes every day. They comprise a large cohort of the population that sdraoul and others like him serve throught their hateful war of words against gringos who object.
Ron wrote on Feb 26, 2008 4:46 AM:Great point, Merrill Brown. Which is exactly why I posted only a few of the 1716 different and specific Federal Goverment programs, which supposedly are to help people live better and more fulfilling lives. Yet, with all of this spending, people still are not happy. Why? They say it's not enough. Each and every year our Government grows, and spends money to help this group, or that group, and runs up the Nation's credit card. Yesterday, I had several people tell me, that they need the Government to spend money on their parents, cause things are so tight in their households, they couldn't possibly bear to part with anything to help their own parents.
That kind of thinking goes to exactly what Merrill Brown is saying: "... today's spoiled-brat juveniles and self-serving parents who think nothing of maxing out a myriad of credit cards, declaring bankruptcy and walking away from mortgages and who have the gall to blame everyone else but themselves!"
At a time when the Federal Goverment, the State Goverment, and our local Governments spend more money to provide help & benefit to every single American, we are still running up our own debts. Still not saving, for the short or the long term. And still not helping our own parents.
Ron wrote on Feb 26, 2008 4:53 AM:One of the Special Interests groups in Washington D.C. are lawyers. They love the tax codes, it gives them work.
Wouldn't it be great if you and I could actually do our own taxes without having to pay someone else to figuire them out for us? That's why I like the Fair Tax.
One of the biggest groups fighting any kind of tax simplification are attorneys. It puts them out of work. Yeah, that would be ashame. Maybe then they could concentrate on more death penalty cases. But those don't pay as well.
Billary or Hillary wrote on Feb 26, 2008 7:12 AM:As the campaign of HerViciousness sinks into the abyss, it seems BJ makes a "tongue slip" in all of his stump speeches. And it's always "..and if you'll just vote for me". LOL, tongue slip?? year right. It is so calculated to make liberals think that their precious BJ will be running the show. How desperate can one get?
THX Kim Oakley... wrote on Feb 26, 2008 7:23 AM:We need more patriotic people like Kim telling the awful TRUTH about the Mexican Invasion and less spin/lies from the advocates of illegals. Oakley points out the fact there we have a very serious problem w/illegal alien crime against American citizens and if you don't think so, then check out ..., one of the MANY websites devoted to chronicling the tsunami waves of atrocities by illegals. Thank you, Oakley, and keep up the good reporting. Hopefully the NCT's will print this because they've censured some of my other truth telling blogs yet they let sdraoul and his ilk blather on and slander Americans, including the patriotic Minutemen, who as it turns out, have no record of assaulting, attacking, murdering, raping any illegals yet if you go to the above website, you will see many documented cases of illegals murdering, robbing, assaulting, raping, etc., Americans. Such HYPOCRICY!
To sdraoul wrote on Feb 26, 2008 7:37 AM:Speaking of horrific crashes. How about the one in Minnesota, this week where the suspect is an Illegal Alien who had three previous citations for unlicensed driving. Four American children were killed when their school bus was broadsided. Looking at the damage to the vehicles and based on info so far, it seems the illegal hit the railroad tracks and went airborne, that is how she was able to knock the bus over by hitting it higher up instead of at ground level.
Now all the illegal apologists will say Americans crash into school busses also. Yes, but they don't drive 55 mph and launch off a railroad track into the side of school busses!! I have never heard of an American doing anything like that, have you? By the way, seat belts and higher seat backs would not have saved those kids, she slammed her van directly into them.
Pluto wrote on Feb 26, 2008 7:49 AM: I'm not surprised that Kim Oakley joins the chorus of people who don't understand that anecdotes don't prove anything. Just like some cold weather doesn't disprove the theory of global warming, a few crimes by "illegals" doesn't prove a thing. The study reported on A-3, on the other hand, proves that they are generally honest, hard-working people who try to behave themselves and fly under the radar. Another myth exploded.
Democracy at work wrote on Feb 26, 2008 8:19 AM:From the AP, QUOTE: BAGHDAD - The Iraqi government demanded for the first time that Turkey immediately withdraw from northern Iraq, warning Tuesday it feared the ongoing incursion could lead to clashes with the official forces of the semiautonomous Kurdish region. ENDQUOTE Gee, I wonder how the black-and-white world of Bush and his yahoos will deal with this one. Purple-thumbed Iraqi leadership, our great allies, threatening our great allies, Turkey, with conflict. All Turkey did was invade a sovereign nation. We know that's no biggie. But to make matters worse, the talk is about a conflict with the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq. What? I thought Iraq was in high gear towards unification! You know, because the surge is so successful? So the leadership of Iraq admits that the Kurds are virtually non-Iraqi at this point. This is complicated. Who's the good guys? Who are the terrorists? A few Kurds? The Turkish invaders? All of Kurdistan? I'm sure glad we have someone with the brains and subtle mind of George W Bush in charge with this kind of complexity going on. You know, a master negotiator?
DD Wiz wrote on Feb 26, 2008 8:19 AM: The published letter from Jeff Lassle is another out-of-control extremist hurling charges he can't back up. Once again, another casualty in the CONSERVATIVE WAR AGAINST SCIENCE makes up his own ridiculous half-baked theories, which he thinks trump all the PEER-REVIEWED science in legitimate academic and scientific journals, whom he dismisses as "so-called scientists" without citing his extensive scientific credentials or why he is more qualified than serious, credentialed experts.
He says, "CO2 is not a pollutant." What an absurd statement! Of course, CO2 is a natural part of the atmosphere and necessary for the cycle of life. Who ever said different? But Lassle seems to be one of those out-of-balance wackos who thinks that if a little is good, more is better. Sodium (salt) is necessary for life, but if you consume too much it can kill you. There are many nutrients that are life-saving in the right dosage, but fatal if taken in excessive quantities. Has Lassle never heard the word "overdose"? He sounds like the kind of guy who, if his doctor prescribes a medicine thinks that, hey, if a little will save my life, more will turn me into Superman, and ends up dying of, oh, what was that word, "OVERDOSE."
He then goes on to sucker for the Republican slime machine's favorite tactic, using their opponents' strengths against them, accusing environmentalists of being motivated by greed. Hello! Please show me the billionaire researchers (not employed by or taking kickbacks from Big Oil)? Show me the billionaire birdwatchers and backpackers. SHOW ME THE MONEY! On the flip side, it is very easy to start a very lengthy list of BILLIONS in corporate profits as well as the individual BILLIONNAIRES who are profiteering from the pushers of our addiction to non-renewable FINITE FILTHY FOSSIL FUELS purchased from dependence on terrorists and dictators, and who do not want this gravy train to stop.
So again, Jeff Lassle, back up your claims:
1. Show where there is any legitimate scientific support for your bizarre pseudo science and why your half-baked concoctions trump PEER-REVIEWED science.
2. Show where independent academic and scientific researches have received the "billions of dollars" you accused them of receiving.
Thanks, Ron wrote on Feb 26, 2008 8:21 AM:Your self-indulgences yesterday (and I really thought you were going to post the whole 76 pages) of posting the names of governmental programs was really informative and enlightening. I had no idea (and I'm sure other bloggers agree with me) that there were, you know, MANY government programs. I thought six, eight at the very most. But, WOW, it's really much more than that. Great public service Ron. You can post today: "I told ya! There are a LOT of government programs!" LOL
Chuck wrote on Feb 26, 2008 8:45 AM:>>>Wouldn't it be great if you and I could actually do our own taxes without having to pay someone else>>
No, now what time do you want to come over for your tax appointment?
DD Wiz wrote on Feb 26, 2008 8:56 AM: The post from "Ron" (4:46am) takes an excellent point by Merrill Brown about the foolishness of living in debt, and warning of the need for living within one's means and avoiding DEBT (which is the perfect metaphor for the fiscal irresponsibility and deficits of "Ron's" Republican allies and their BORROW AND SPEND deficits to finance corporate welfare, no-bid contracts and sweetheart deals for those who profiteer of the death, devastation and mayhem of an unnecessary war to steal the oil from Iraq while diverting precious military resources from going after the real terrorists who attacked us) and tries to tie it to the bizarre lists of agencies and funded organization that he listed yesterday, all while evading and avoiding the points raised in my responses yesterday!
All of "Ron's" lists from yesterday merely demonstrate the real conservative approach to "fiscal responsibility" and why it will never work; why only liberals will (and have) actually balanced budgets.
The conservative Republican approach is to just go after services with a meat cleaver. No thought. No cost-benefit analysis, just slash everything except corporate welfare and no bid contracts for military profiteers who make their livings off the death and mayhem of brave young American men and women.
"Ron" showcases the foolishness of conservatives trying to cut programs that actually SAVE money because they are PROACTIVE and prevent social problems (have conservatives ever heard of "stitch in time saves nine?") instead of the conservative approach which is REACTIVE and tries to clean up disaster and devastation when it is hugely expensive, but which could have been prevented when they were still small. This, folks, is why conservatives create deficits and fiscal mayhem while humans suffer, and why liberals not only solve problems, but accomplish more while paying less and end up with BALANCED BUDGETS.
A COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS should examine at individual programs. What are the costs of the programs? (Many are quite small.)
This can be verified by going to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ".GOV" website at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2008/hist.html
and clicking on tables 3.1 and 3.2 to get the expense detail, and you can see that the total of all programs listed by "Ron" combined are less than what is being wasted on killing Americans in Iraq, and even less than just the interest on the deficits created by Reagan-Bush-Bush!
What is the benefit, not only in reducing human suffering, but also in just hard cold dollars and sense (the only thing conservatives relate to, if not understand)? How much less expensive is it to spend money on "Abandoned Infants" or "Alcohol" programs rather than on letting abandoned and neglected children grow up into gang members and criminals or letting untreated alcoholics commit domestic abuse, murder and all kinds of crimes way beyond just DUI. I'm sure there are some needless or wasteful projects and earmarks. The cost-benefit approach will help to identify those that are wasteful or, worse, counter-productive (LIKE THE WAR), so that where problems exist they can be specifically addressed.
And while you're at it, do the cost-benefit analysis for the INTEREST on the Reagan-Bush-Bush DEFICITS.
Oh, and, "Ron," how you comin' with the documentation for those claims about the extent of specific errors in Gore's book and movie?
And those government tax/income/asset statistics that should be available on ".GOV" websites?
And we're still waiting answer the questions in the posts from "SUPERHIGHWAY" (2/24 - 11:18am and 12:45pm) -- does Eisenhower get any credit for "creating" the interstate highway system?
WE'RE STILL WAITING. AND WAITING.
DD Wiz wrote on Feb 26, 2008 8:57 AM: The post from "Ron" (4:53am) offer some points of agreement but, alas, remindes us that "Ron" is unable to linger too long in the real world before drifting back into the fantasy of trying to make it conform to his own pre-conceived conclusions.
"Ron" notes the problems of overly complicated tax codes, and seems to support tax simplification. We agree completely! But it is critically important to recognize that most of the complicated loopholes and multi-layered forumulas for computation are the result of "Ron's" conservative buddies trying to concoct tax giveaways for their corporate bribers (I mean, donors).
And the worst is the way they cobble out a special LOWER RATE for the richest Americans, giving favoratism to UNEARNED investment, dividend and interest income over hard-earned labor earned by the sweat of one's brow. And one of the most deceptive strategies of "Ron's" conservative buddies is how they try to link the much-needed and very valid issue of tax simplification to a "flat tax" to give even more tax breaks to the richest Americans who benefit the most from the current system and have the highest levels of income and, especially, accumulated assets being protected by that system.
"Ron" repeatedly notes that the rich pay a higher percentage of taxes than the poor (duh! that is what a progressive system is designed to do!) without also noting the disproportionate share of income and, especially, accumulated assets since they are able to save, invest, and acquire durable assets such as real property, using marginal income not available to the poor who live hand-to-mouth, and spend their meager resources on survival needs. He also fails to note that a truly progressive system (unlike the largely regressive system we have now that actually favors the rich) is completely fair! It only taxes the portion of income in higher brackets at the higher rates; every single person pays EXACTLY THE SAME RATES on the portions of income in equivalent layers!
esteban wrote on Feb 26, 2008 9:09 AM:Hey Peggy...Dubya sure ain't perfect. He's horribe on immigration and border security. In Iraq, he's got the right idea, but going about it all wrong. Should be less ground troops and more air support. Also, take Iraqi oil and use it to pay for the war. He's being too nice to that gov't. But without GWB (meaning with one of your lousy democrats in office) we are toast. With Dems, we get infiltrated, bombbed, and even worse (dirty bombs). I fully support GWB's restrictions on certain freedoms until these terrorists are dead. Remember, while the Repubs aren't perfect, a vote for the Dems is a fhrgvvote for Al Queda. You know I am right, if you don't, then you are not intelligent.
repeating the question for raoul wrote on Feb 26, 2008 9:17 AM:People have tried this before, but raoul runs away. Let's try once more. Raoul, if people who are here illegally commit any violent crime at all, even if the crime rate among them is the lowest of any group in the US, aren't those crimes avoidable via enforced immigration laws? Does it matter at all if their crime rate is low as long as it's not zero? ...
Randy wrote on Feb 26, 2008 9:21 AM:Thanks to John McCain's quagmire in Iraq, we are laying off teachers in North County. We can't even build our own nation. Who are we fooling when we claim to be nation building in the Middle East?
Nick wrote on Feb 26, 2008 9:40 AM:Here are some numbers on the cost of Illegals in Minnesota taken from Page#5 of a study prepared by The Office of Strategic Planning & Results Management
Minnesota Department of Administration:
Minnesota’s illegal immigrant population is increasing. According to recent estimates, there are 80,000 to 85,000 illegal immigrants in Minnesota. The number of illegal immigrants skyrocketed throughout the 1990s and continues to increase. Minnesota’s illegal immigrant population is greater than at least 20 other states. This population poses a substantial challenge to Minnesota. The illegal immigration challenge includes: (1) a financial strain on state resources, and (2) societal impacts, such as crime and economic loss.
In Minnesota, illegal immigration has the greatest cost impact on the K-12 education system, where over 14,000 children of illegal immigrants are educated. In addition, despite the Minnesota legislature’s reforms in 2003 that significantly limited the benefits for illegal immigrants, they continue to utilize publicly-provided social services.
Another fiscal consideration is the costs associated with crimes illegal immigrants commit. The costs resulting from apprehension, prosecution and incarceration are considerable. In addition, there are other costs to society associated with these criminal acts. Here are the figures:
Program Area
Illegal Immigrants’ Cost Impact to Minnesota
(1)K-12 Public Education
$118-$158 million (for FY 2004)
(2)Public Assistance Health Care Programs
$17 million (for FY 2005)
(3)Incarceration
$13 million (for FY 2005)6
Total
$148-188 million.
Now when you figure how small Minnesota is and the fact that they only have around 80,000 ILLEGALS residing there, imagine the drain in California, Texas and Arizona where the numbers of Illegals is far greater. 180 Million dollars is a lot of money for any state, let alone Minnesota. The financial burden placed on American taxpayers by Illegals is on a grander scale than "SD Raoul" would like any of us to know.
Nick wrote on Feb 26, 2008 9:48 AM:The costs of Sanctuary Cities from the ca.gov website:
While there is a great deal of debate but little action on the problem of illegal immigration, there should be no debate about illegal immigrants who commit crimes in this country. When caught, they should be prosecuted and deported immediately, anything less is unsafe and unwise. Yet it has been the policy of the Los Angeles Police Department not to do so for nearly the last 30 years. A directive from the city administration known as Special Order 40 prohibits police officers from inquiring about the immigration status of suspects.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Police Chief William Bratton are vocal supporters of this “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, claiming a policy of enforcement would prevent officers from effectively investigating crimes because it would deter illegal immigrant witnesses from coming forward. However, opponents of Special Order 40 are simply asking for the deportation of illegal immigrant criminals, not witnesses.
Villaraigosa and Bratton’s sanctuary policy allows recidivism among illegal immigrant criminals to go unchecked, putting citizens in danger and making police officers’ jobs more dangerous. A 2005 study conducted by the Government Accountability Office surveyed over 55,000 illegal immigrants incarcerated in federal, state, and local facilities. The study found that the inmates had been arrested an average of eight times each, 49% had been previously convicted of a felony, and 20% had been arrested for a drug offense. In Tennessee, a couple was recently killed by an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk and running from police. After the accident, authorities revealed that the suspect had been arrested at least 14 times before, including four times for driving drunk. Removal would have prevented this tragedy.
In addition to creating a dangerous environment for citizens, sanctuary policies put an unnecessary financial burden on taxpayers. A recent census found that 20% of inmates in Los Angeles County and 10% of inmates in Orange County jails were illegal immigrants. A 2004 immigration study estimated that public spending on the incarceration of illegal immigrants in prisons and jails in California could be as high as $1.4 billion.
The state is supposed to be reimbursed by the federal government for such costs. Yet California is still waiting for the reimbursement money promised from the federal government last year. And even the money promised is insufficient. California was promised $85.9 million last year, yet Los Angeles County alone spent $80 million in 2005 to keep illegal immigrants in jail. Even at its highest rate of reimbursement, it is estimated that federal payments cover about one-third of total costs.
TO SDRAOUL wrote on Feb 26, 2008 10:00 AM:And your point in attacking Kim's letter is????
IF a PERSON is ILLEGALLY in this country - s/he is A LAW BREAKER and therefore guilty of ILLEGAL behavior by his/her very presence on American soil. Therefore, these folks don't need to commit ANOTHER crime to be law breakers. Don't quote meaningless statistics.
Karl wrote on Feb 26, 2008 11:18 AM:Raoul,
Simply put we have enough criminals in this here United States without adding fuel to the fire.
Comprende?
Oh, Ron (@ 4:53) wrote on Feb 26, 2008 11:25 AM:One of the Special Interests groups in Washington D.C. are companies that make things for military purposes. They love the huge American military, it gives them work.
Wouldn't it be great if you and I could actually realize that the vast majority of our military and our military spending is unnecessary?
One of the biggest groups fighting any kind of reduction in the military are people who make things the military buys and uses. It puts them out of work. Yeah, that would be a shame. Maybe then they could concentrate on more useful jobs and machinery. But those don't pay as well. LOL
Reardon wrote on Feb 26, 2008 11:32 AM:Dialog with DD: PROVE IT!
Writer: O.K., the source is xxxxx.com/science
DD: NO! (Idiot!) That site is scientific but not PEER REVIE#WED! Further, blah, blah, blah…
Writer: Yes, it is!
DD: Even if it is, the authors have been completely discredited in a letter to the editor in Science magazine, August..
Writer: Then how about yyyy,edu/nobelprize…
DD: You LIE! I asked in ALL CAPS! Your answer is in lower case, and that site is supported by electricity produced by FINITE FILTHY FOSSILE FUEL, and yada, yada,yada (here follows 600 words, some capitalized…)
Writer: Then…
DD: YOU ARE CONTINUING THE CONSERVATIVE WAR ON SCIENCE…(450 words follow,..)
Writer: But…
DD: LIAR! Further your answer is REACTIVE, not PROACTIVE! We must be PROACTIVE! To be PROACTIVE we must end all POVERTY in Mexico, and around the WORLD, PLACE SOLAR PANELS on EVERY Roof, harness the OCEAN WAVES, build WIND POWER in MEXICO to develop their economy and provide us CLEAN ENERGY, place balloons on all toilets to capture GAS for CLEAN ENERGY…(here follows 800 words…some of them intelligible, but not readable…)
Real life wrote on Feb 26, 2008 11:52 AM:A woman in a hot air balloon realizes she is lost and spots a man below fishing in a boat. She shouts to him, "Can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."
The man looks at his GPS and replies, "You're about 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2346 feet above sea level at 31 degrees north latitude and 100 degrees west longitude."
She rolls her eyes and says, "You must be a republican."
"Yes, how did you know?"
"Because while everything you said is technically correct, I don't know what to do with your information. I'm still lost and frankly, you aren't much help at all."
He says, "And you must be a democrat."
"Yes, how did you know?"
"Well, you don't know where you are or where you're going and you've only gotten this far because of a lot of hot air. You've made a promise you don't know how to keep and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were before we met, but, somehow, now it's my fault."
James wrote on Feb 26, 2008 12:00 PM:SD Raoul: Regardless of how many crimes are committed by US Citizens, we should not have to deal at all with crimes committed by illegal aliens. We have to deal with our own people, but the illegals DON'T BELONG HERE! If your kids have friends over and all your kids and the neighbors are both causing trouble you punish your own and send the others home. If they weren't invited in the first place they don't belong there. We'd be better able to handle our own problems if we didn't have to deal with Mexico's as well.
Chris to Ron wrote on Feb 26, 2008 12:07 PM:"'wouldn't it be great if you and I could do our own taxes. Why Ron I though you were smart enough to do a simple thing like doing your own taxes. I do mine and have no problem. The fact is that people don't want to be bothered and then they come out here and talk about something they know nothing about. Well, isn't that what this blog is about.
Chris wrote on Feb 26, 2008 12:15 PM:I see that taxi to the dark side won the best documenatry. This film is about how our great military arrested an Afghan taxi driver and five days later he was dead thanks to our tourture. Oh, of course these Bush supporters try to tell us that all we do is humilitate them. As it turns out this taxi driver was completely innocent. But who cares. He was an afganistai so it doesn't matter, does it.
sdraoul wrote on Feb 26, 2008 12:22 PM:El Guero -- the white guy -- continues his hysterics about anecdotes but never cites legitimate studies by legitimate groups. Now he is joined by another hysterical critics named ThxKim Oakley who also believes in emotional anecdotes and individual instances that do not relate in any way to the lives of millions of illegals among us.
Here are words from Dan Walters, another Guero, who writes the truth by quoting a legitimate study that is not refuted by anyone, including El Guero -- the white guy -- and ThxKim Oakley or Kim Oakley, herself:
"PPIC (Public Policy Institute of California) found that immigrants, including illegal immigrants, are "far less likely than the average U.S. native to commit crime in California." Among PPIC's points:
• People born outside the United States are 35 percent of the state's adult population but only about 17 percent of the state's prison population.
• U.S.-born men are incarcerated at rates up to 3.3 times higher than those born outside the country, and the rate is 10 times higher among men 18-40 years old.
• Noncitizen males in the 18-40 age bracket from Mexico, most of whom are illegal immigrants, are more than eight times less likely to be behind bars than U.S.-born men in the same age bracket.
"The findings are striking," PPIC said, "because immigrants in California are more likely to be young and male and to have low levels of education – all characteristics associated with higher rates of crime and incarceration."
Finally, the PPIC study found that cities with higher shares of recent immigrants have lower property and violent crime rates than cities with low immigrant populations."
OK, Kim Oakley, ThxKim Oakley and El Guero -- the white guy -- can you point us to any legitimate studies by any legitimate non-profit that refutes these words and observations? I’ll bet you can’t. You only have deceitful bigoted anti-Mexican sites that deal in anecdotes but never scientifically conducted studies by people with a lot of initials after their names with legitimate degrees from legitimate universities.
You who agree with Kim Oakley are also infected with what afflicts Kim, all “Latinos” look alike thus all Latinos are illegals because, I, Kim Oakley or Valley center, thinks its so, thus it must be so.
hardtack wrote on Feb 26, 2008 12:32 PM:It’s the last thing we need, but I seem to have discovered a new form of bigotry. I call those who practice it “literary bigots.”
It works something like this. One posts the quote: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” To which the literary bigot will respond that the author was a slave owner and summarily reject the thought expressed in the quote – perhaps, even going so far as to accuse the one who posted the quote of being a racist, conspiring to shred the Constitution and restore the practice of slavery. Don’t think it can’t happen here.
No-Spin Doctor wrote on Feb 26, 2008 12:38 PM:sdraoul wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:08 AM:Kim Oakley,( I'll tell you and back it up with a new study from the Public Policy Institute of San Francisco. I'll tell you that the study reports that an illegal from Mexico is ten times less likely to commit serious crime than native-born Americans.) WELL,if you knew whom financed the Public Policy Institute of San Francisco, you'd be ill advised to believe a word. It's NOT a HUGE problem with fresh in the country illegals. It's their children that pollute our state and jails and prisons and neighborhoods. Something that the Public Policy Institute of San Francisco won't tell you. Go to the California Department of Corrections website and look at the numbers. 42% of all new felony committments are Hispanic. That's 42% Sdraoul, do your own homework and let the press continue to report half truths.
Ron wrote on Feb 26, 2008 12:39 PM:"Where is the accountability?", asks Henry Sanford. Well, quite frankly...
there isn't any. The choo-choo was proposed at $60 million, final cost: $488 million. Or in other words...
8.1 times the estimated cost, and about $13.94 million bucks a mile. That must be some "golden railroad." Given the amount of cost over runs, and since we are stuck with this thing, NCTD should give the first 488 millions rides on it for free. That would be a great start. And, in that same article ("Credit crunch stings North County Transit District," Feb. 22), How many of you caught the fact, that, 70% of the revenue to run all of NCTD comes from sales taxes, and not ridership?
I was actually hoping to see at least.. 50% of revenues covered by fares. But, sadly... even that appears to be too much to ask for. Now, everytime I buy something, I think of all the subsidized riders I'm helping.
OBSERVATION wrote on Feb 26, 2008 12:42 PM:Randy wrote on Feb 26, 2008 9:21 AM: GWB is the current President. John McCain is running for President. Iraq is not his quagmire yet.
DD Wiz wrote on Feb 26, 2008 12:46 PM: The post from "Ron" (4:53am) offer some points of agreement but, alas, reminds us that "Ron" is unable to linger too long in the real world before drifting back into the fantasy of trying to make it conform to his own pre-conceived conclusions regarding his economic ideas that have been proven failures in the past..
"Ron" notes the problems of overly complicated tax codes, and seems to support tax simplification. We agree completely! But it is critically important to recognize that most of the complicated loopholes and multi-layered forumulas for computation are the result of "Ron's" conservative buddies trying to concoct tax giveaways for their corporate bribers (I mean, donors).
And the worst is the way they cobble out a special LOWER RATE for the richest Americans, giving favoratism to UNEARNED investment, dividend and interest income over hard-earned labor earned by the sweat of one's brow. And one of the most deceptive strategies of "Ron's" conservative buddies is how they try to link the much-needed and very valid issue of tax simplification to a "flat tax" to give even more tax breaks to the richest Americans who benefit the most from the current system and have the highest levels of income and, especially, accumulated assets being protected by that system.
"Ron" repeatedly notes that the rich pay a higher percentage of taxes than the poor (duh! that is what a progressive system is designed to do!) without also noting the disproportionate share of income and, especially, accumulated assets since they are able to save, invest, and acquire durable assets such as real property, using marginal income not available to the poor who live hand-to-mouth, and spend their meager resources on survival needs. He also fails to note that a truly progressive system (unlike the largely regressive system we have now that actually favors the rich) is completely fair! It only taxes the portion of income in higher brackets at the higher rates; every single person pays EXACTLY THE SAME RATES on the portions of income in equivalent layers!
esteban wrote on Feb 26, 2008 12:57 PM:Chris..no it does not matter. As long as no US troops were hurt. Thanks.
Concerned-1 wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:04 PM:Illegal immigration appears to be, once again, the topic of the day. And well it should. You won't see much about it in the media, but we are on the brink of a huge crime wave originating south of the border. Mexican narcos no longer fear Mexican government, and they are becoming more brazen here. Border security must become our number one priority. Secondly, we must (individuals, small business owners and corporations) all stop hiring illegal aliens (you can insert undocumented workers here if it makes you feel better). Let's face it, we will never cut them off of the freebies because we are too kind and politically correct. I just hope we can make it through the next 10 years in California. If not, it will be interesting to see how people such as sdraoul, Flores, Jillings and the bunch make it through. If I had to guess, I'd bet they'll be on the run just like the rest of us.
chuck wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:12 PM:>>>8.1 times the estimated cost, and about $13.94 million bucks a mile. That must be some "golden railroad>>> And not one single bureaucrat has lost his job or pension over it. They jam their pathetic agenda down our throat and now were stuck paying for it
Color Blind Not wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:15 PM:"Yes, but they don't drive 55 mph and launch off a railroad track into the side of school busses!! I have never heard of an American doing anything like that, have you?" Of course they do. I recall one woman driving her car off a bridge with her two children in it and then leaving them to drown. I remember a guy who stole a tank and drove it down the freeway the wrong way. Both were white Americans. The real issue here is treating human beings like human beings. The rest is paperwork.
DD Wiz wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:16 PM: The post from "Reardon" (11:32am) generated a sincere belly laugh! Definitely in the running for a humor award! The nice thing about satire is that it doesn't actually have to conform to what it parodies.
In this excellent instance, "Reardon" generates huge laughter by parodying my long-winded style but, while I actually do point out scientific literature, and cite specific instances where others' sources are neither valid science nor from accredited PEER-REVIEWED sources, or else have simply misrepresented the conclusions they purport to cite, "Reardon's" humorous parody does no such thing.
And yes, when others have clearly misstated facts in ways that show they have made up their own statistics, misstated what they claim to have read, and even misquoted what is in this very record, I do have to conclude that when it happens that many times, there has to be some degree of INTENT, especially since there are a few people who clearly do have a strong vested financial interest in pushing our addiction to non-renewable FINITE FILTHY FOSSIL FUELS purchased from dependence on terrorists and dictators.
Sad to say, but especially since "Reardon" has described himself has being a college instructor and engineer (as part of a long and varied mix of careers), it seems that he should definitely understand the difference between original sources (PEER-REVIEWED) and SECONDARY sources which may be "scientific" but do not carry much weight when challenging the almost universal scientific CONSENSUS. Even thought I have ample "science" commentary available from SECONDARY sources such as the Audubon Society, Al Gore's excellent materials, and even mainstream media such as National Geographic and documentaries on ALL leading network and cable news sources (CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN and MSNBC), and even though they are in concert with the PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS, I have never cited them because they are SECONDARY "science journalism" sources.
"Reardon's" satirical parody, though humorous, shows that, sadly, he is just another casualty in the CONSERVATIVE WAR AGAINST SCIENCE.
(There, I think I got 'em all in there -- I know the fans of "Reardon's" award-nominated satire would be disappointed if I didn't.)
Pinky wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:18 PM:I salute your subtle tongue-in-cheek, sir. "I had no idea (and I'm sure other bloggers agree with me) that there were, you know, MANY government programs. I thought six, eight at the very most."
Chuck wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:20 PM:What is this I hear, that Hussein Obama wants to totally remove the Social Security cap of the first $102,000 and make you pay SS tax on all of your earned income..LOL. If Gates had to pay SS tax on all of his earned income, when he's 65, his monthly SS checks would be $300,000. But likely, Hussein would try to re-distribute SS like they do to the lazy with the income tax, like the good little communist he is
A Toast for esteban wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:21 PM:"esteban writes: But without GWB (meaning with one of your lousy democrats in office) we are toast." Here's to President Barack Obama. Cheers!
World's Greatest wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:24 PM:"You know I am right, if you don't, then you are not intelligent." Witness the World's Greatest Debator, I give you esteban!
Chuck wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:25 PM:I cant wait until McCain corners Hussein Obama and forces real answers and policy out of him, instead of this mysticism that has people fainting at his very appearance
At least estaban is honest wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:26 PM:"esteban wrote on Feb 26, 2008 9:09 AM:Hey Peggy...Dubya sure ain't perfect. He's horribe on immigration and border security. In Iraq, he's got the right idea, but going about it all wrong. Should be less ground troops and more air support. Also, take Iraqi oil and use it to pay for the war. He's being too nice to that gov't." Why pretend we are bringing democracy to the Middle East? We already know we are better than they are so they should just hand over all their assets and be done with it. Thanks esteban, for your truthiness.
Chuck wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:30 PM:All the liberals are gum flapping that the Social Security system is broke, yet they want the same bureaucrats that run Social Security to run medical delivery in this country. LOL
Floyd The Scientist wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:36 PM:A 10% flat tax is extremely progressive when you subtract the first $40,000 of income from the calculation. If you make $30,000/year you pay zero tax, or 0%. A person making $100,000/year pays $6,000 in taxes which works out to 6% of total income. Another person making $1,000,000/year pays $96,000 in taxes, which is 9.6%. As income goes up, the percentage of income lost to taxes goes up linearly. You can have it all with a flat tax, simplicity AND progressivity. This presentation is needed because of the ongoing LIBERAL FUSILLADE OF BLATHER that is causing a CHANGE IN THE CLIMATE of this blog.
James wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:39 PM:To SD Raoul: People born outside the US make up only 17 per cent of our prison population? The if they weren't here our prison poplation would be reduced by 17 per cent. That's quite a lot of money to be saved.
Marky Marx to Pluto wrote on Feb 26, 2008 1:40 PM:Right on doode, you and Chris are my favorite bloggers here and personal heroes. Thanks for debunking Kim Oakley, she?s always posting her ... junk here in the LTE. In most of the examples she gave the Hispanics had been framed, the rest were total fabrications. Maybe she should spend a little time researching the deaths our US Marines cause. She needs to read