New shelter needs spay/neuter clinic

Re: "New animal shelter finally ready to roll," Jan. 1: I urge the Southwest Communities Financing Authority to include the direly needed low-cost spay/neuter clinic that was originally promised to our community and its long-suffering animals! Ravaged with uncontrolled breeding, a life-saving spay/neuter clinic must be a part of this state-of-the-art shelter.

Vouchers are helpful, but many people are still unable to afford to pay to have their animals altered. A Jan. 9, 2008, article in The Californian mentioned the clinic was shelved because of parking concerns.

Changes should be made to accommodate shelter/clinic parking. Communities spend millions of taxpayer dollars coping with surplus pets. Public costs include animal control, investigating animal cruelty, capturing stray animals, sheltering lost/homeless, etc.

Animal Friends of the Valleys drives animals to Moreno Valley's low-cost spay/neuter clinic. Isn't this telling us something?

I strongly support a new shelter, but let's do it right. This new shelter should be a vehicle to reduce pet overpopulation. Without the aid of a spay/neuter clinic, animals will still be destroyed, but in a beautiful multimillion-dollar facility!

If you feel the new shelter needs a spay/neuter clinic, please contact Deputy County Executive Officer Dean Deines at: ddeines@rceo.org or (951) 955-1110 or write: Dean Deines, 4080 Lemon St. 4th Floor, Riverside, CA 92501. He's the coordinator for the shelter plan on behalf of Southwest Communities Financing Authority.

Tammie Sandon

Temecula

Another case of cronyism

I read the Roland S. Martin opinion ("Pay Rod gives Dems fits with pick," Jan. 5) about the rejection of the African-American nominee from Illinois by the Democrats, including the Illinois Senate, the U.S. Senate and President-elect Barack Obama. After reading the qualifications of this person, a former attorney general, all I can see is an attitude of "If you don't nominate who I want, then it doesn't matter what qualification the nominee has."

It looks like cronyism is still well and alive in our country. I look it as a lynching of an African-American by his own party. He should take this to the Supreme Court.

Sandor Muller

Temecula

The terrorists get what they deserve

After enduring thousands of rocket attacks originating from the Gaza Strip during the last several years, Israel finally has decided to respond appropriately. Those critical of Israel should ask themselves how long Americans would abide rockets attacks from Quebec or Tijuana. Of course, regardless of what Israel does, Hamas and other terrorist organizations bent on destroying Israel will ensure the cycle of violence continues, but at least now the terrorists are getting what they deserve.

Where can I purchase Israeli war bonds?

Jerry Pomeroy

Sun City

New persuasion tactics needed

A radio talk show host has joked that the state's financial situation is so bad, only the mafia would loan it any money. I would love to see every Democratic legislator be visited by "Vito the Legbreaker," telling them to cut spending -- or else.

Kenneth Ebmeier

Pala

Paper is way too far right

I see that The Californian is having financial problems. Too bad. You have a choice. Start presenting the news and seeing your readership increase or continue as a card-carrying propaganda arm of the Republican Party and watch your readership continue to decline.

People have realized that they cannot trust newspapers that refuse to print news and analysis rather than propaganda. The results of the election show that Southwest Riverside County is finally growing up and is no longer blindly drinking the right-wing Kool-Aid.

The Californian's editorial page is a right-wing nut-site with Michelle Malkin, Oliver North and other right-wingers with a long history of being wrong and xenophobic. The paper doesn't even pretend to present the liberal view anymore. The Californian's bias flows through to its news reporting. The paper has totally ignored so many of the newsworthy issues dealing with the incompetence or criminality of the Bush administration in print elsewhere, and now, before he even takes office, it is already criticizing President-elect Barack Obama and his administration.

One of these days a good local Web site will pop up to give me the local news and sports. At that point, The Californian will be history to me. The question is -- will The Californian even be around to care? Not if it continues on its current course.

David Kolk

Murrieta

Folding paper makes some cross

I have been getting the North County Times and The Californian for 30 years. I used to live in Carlsbad and moved to Murrieta in 2003. This is no life-changing request or anything like that, but it is annoying. I'm talking about the placement of crosswords. Why can't they be placed on a corner of the sheet instead of the middle? Folding the paper to the corners to do the crossword makes for a nice smooth work sheet and life would be good. Placing them in the middle, folds are required on the top/bottom and then in the center. The fold rarely stays and old men get cranky about small things.

Tom Tietz

Murrieta