Keep quiet
In response to the letter titled "Make our health care better," Sept. 18, by the infamous Mr. and Mrs. Lynch of the "Vista 6:" They must be kidding. Are they seriously insinuating that people who don't want the new health care plan simply don't want it because they are racist against Osama, I mean, Obama?
They and the other members of the Vista 6 are the biggest anti-Semites I have ever had the misfortune of reading in this paper! How can someone so ignorant in regard to that be so "enlightened" about this? People just don't want health care being controlled by the same government that has destroyed everything else. Members of the right (like me) who tell Obama he lies are telling the truth.
While he said illegal aliens would not receive this care, he neglected to mention that citizenship would not be verified. So what would stop that from happening? Only after the "outburst" did the loony left say they actually would check citizenship.
People of their caliber should keep quiet -- people who talk out of both sides of their mouth, that is! The Lynches' previous letters show them for the back-sided fools they are.
Brandon Webb
Carlsbad
Reagan policies caused prosperity
The ignorance of economics of many people is vividly demonstrated by the comment: "Obama believes he can cure the cancer initiated by President Ronald Reagan ... " in the letter by Mr. San Miguel (Sept. 24). This illustrates why many of the world's great philosophers were against democracy (prime example -- Socrates, 2,400 years ago).
The reality is that Reagan put the country back on track by curing the inflation initiated by President Carter and establishing business-friendly policies that resulted in a vibrant economy.
Reagan believed in free markets and empowering the individual, while Obama believes in government control and a welfare state (why not call it socialism?). The evidence is overwhelming (for those with open eyes and an understanding of economics) that Reagan's policies created greater prosperity for all than what is achieved with government controlled economies. The latest evidence is South Korea right now, with strong economic recovery through implementation of Reagan-style policies.
Another subject: All thinking Americans should be concerned by the plaudits Obama is receiving from the world's despots. The latest example is Libya's President Moammar Gadhafi in his speech at the U.N. on Sept. 23. Does Obama aspire to join their "club"?
Glen Holzhausen
Fallbrook
Column should be required reading
Concerning Agnes Herman's Shades of Gray column of Sept. 30: This should be required reading every day for 31 consecutive days for all those -- politicians and otherwise -- who spread the "tall tales" of death panels throughout the month of August.
Perhaps after this deep immersion in the subject, they will come to realize just how important these plans and conversations are to everyone involved.
Thank you, Agnes, for an excellent column. I hope it was not only thought-provoking but action-provoking.
Donald Moote
Carlsbad
Hoping to find lost camera
On Sept. 20, I left my silver Sony DSC-W80 Cyber-shot camera on a bench at Moonlight Beach. The picture card that's in it holds pictures taken at my husband's WWII reunion of shipmates who served with him during the war.
This was their last reunion. There's a sticker on the front of the camera with my name and address, and phone number. Please return it, or at least, send me the blue picture card that's in the battery case.
Helen Wallace
Del Mar
Tri-City Hospital needs to learn its lesson
The article "Tri-City fined for not preventing patient's fall," Sept. 25, brought back painful memories.
I lost my beloved mother from a fall at Tri-City Hospital three years ago. She had been admitted for pneumonia and was days away from being released.
One morning, we were told that she had been found on the floor. She broke her hip. She had surgery, the pneumonia came back with a vengeance and she died.
We never found out exactly what happened. A wall of silence suddenly went up. The night nurse was transferred off that floor; administrators told us nothing.
She, too, was "high risk" for falls. We found out that no bed alarms had been set. No other precautions taken that night, either.
We still believe the events that led to our mother's premature and painful last days could have been prevented if Tri-City had adhered to its own fall-prevention programs ...
Obviously, Tri-City hasn't learned its lesson. They need to be held more accountable and take all precautions to avoid these preventable tragedies. They need to remember that every patient is loved by someone.
Guadalupe Rosales
Oceanside
City won't clear fire hazard
My mother owns a home in Oceanside bordering Highway 78. The hillside from 78 to her fence is dense with dried brush, and she has called the city many times regarding it as a fire hazard.
The response is that she can clear the brush herself.
It is on city property! She has called the Fire Department and every city department that relates, but only one or two have even bothered to return her call.
If that hillside catches fire, an entire senior community will lose its homes! And if lives are lost, it will be on the city officials' heads.
Pamela White
Vista
Why fight the people?
Rather than helping solve the American people's health care needs, it seems that the Republicans, led by Mr. Boehner, are simply standing in the way of sorely needed reform. Mr. Boehner has access to good health insurance. Why does he stand in the way of the average American citizen's access to the same?
Health care reform will not result in the government's takeover of health care, nor will there be death panels, nor will there be harm done to Medicare. So, why is Mr. Boehner fighting for the insurance companies and against the people?
Ira Siegel
Carlsbad
Writers may change minds about Beck
The recent letters from Ms. Shary and Ms. Mooberry (Sept. 27) suggest they may change their opinion of Mr. Glenn Beck by actually listening to his program. Mr. Beck's purpose is to pull all us Americans together with the objective of promoting sound public policy by eliminating the corruption in government.
Whatever our personal persuasion, we owe it to ourselves and our country to get off our couches and demand honest representation in Washington. The comments of Ms. Shary and Ms. Mooberry seem to reinforce the observation that "liberals and progressives" just aren't as happy as those of us who define ourselves as "traditionalists."
Perhaps they'll be a little more at peace by listening to his program, analyzing his "message," then drawing a conclusion that may be quite different than that shared in their recent letters.
Bill Clark
Carlsbad
Ineffective efforts to stop smuggling
How very ineffective our efforts are to stop human smuggling operations at our borders when we arrest the offenders, but we do not punish them. "Guzman Torres ... has been arrested 11 times for violating immigration law ... " and "Jaramillo Mendez has been arrested 28 times for violating immigration laws and has previously been deported ... " ("Prosecutors say smuggling suspect was navigator," San Diego Union-Tribune, Sept. 26, http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/sep/26/prosecutors-say-smuggling-suspect-was-navigator/?uniontrib).
They had just smuggled illegal immigrants into the United States. They have been detained, and probably will be deported again. But they will not be punished! They can be back in operation as soon as they are released in Mexico. What a farce. What a great political travesty this is!
Louis Bajkai
Carlsbad
The nine-minute visit to your doctor
If you are using or plan to use Medicare, you may soon find something in your U.S. postal mailbox similar to what I got yesterday from my long-time physician. It was a personal letter of apology in which he states that starting Jan. l, due to the planned changes in Medicare, he will no longer be a Medicare provider for the following reasons: a proposed nine-minute time allotment for a revisit by an established patient; and an additional 21 percent reduction in physician reimbursement that is likely to take place on the first of next year.
Note: Physicians must notify Medicare by October regarding their Medicare status for 2010.
If you are comfortable with the idea that you can get decent medical attention in nine minutes, you need do nothing further. But if you, like me, think this is a travesty, contact your elected officials and tell them unless they throw out these provisions, you will vote them out on the next election. Then spread the word.
Also, be aware that the better doctors will be driven out by this kind of legislation, and seniors will be left with those who think a nine-minute appointment is just dandy.
Lois Winsen
Rancho Bernardo
Give my ambulance back
I live in Oceanside. Twice in the last two years, I have had to call 911 for an ambulance. Twice, insurance has been billed for the cost of that service. So why in the name of cutting the budget would Kern, Feller and Chavez vote at a budget workshop to mothball an ambulance in the name of saving money when the cost for the service is covered through insurance? Are the three who agreed to cut the ambulance willing to let one of us die if no ambulance is available just because the firemen/paramedics don't support them? Ambulance service is not free. What other reason can there be?
I have had it with Kern, Feller and Chavez. All they care about is their rich developer buddies who give them campaign money. They cover up the multimillions of our money handed to their developer friends by demonizing the fire department. Firemen get small change compared with the multimillions handed to developers, but they won't tell you that. Now they have taken away my ambulance. My white hair is standing up in anger. Seniors, vote to recall Kern. Vote for someone who likes us.
Lizbeth Altman
Oceanside
Facts speak for themselves
Once again, John Terrell (Letters, Sept. 21) tries to rationalize and misrepresent facts as known. Factually, sexual orientation has not been proven to be biological; rather, an opinion that has been presented as fact.
Sexual orientation does not drive anyone to do anything. A baby born to a mother who has used drugs during her pregnancy has a more "born with" condition than a homosexual, yet that condition (drugs) does not seal that baby's fate.
Note: Just because the baby may have been "born with" a chemical dependency does not make its dependency any more acceptable. Humans have something called reason/"free will" that separates them from the animal kingdom. All behavior stems, directly, from that reason/"free will" (choice).
Terrell states that homosexuals make up 3 to 6 percent of the total population. What Terrell doesn't state is (according to a 2005 Centers for Disease Control study), that 76 percent of all AIDS cases, and 45 percent of all new HIV infections, in MSM (men who have sex with men) adult males and adolescents, stem from this small 3 to 6 percent group (homosexuals) -- interesting (http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/msm/index.htm).
Further, I stated previously, many homosexuals have come out of homosexuality, meaning, their "choosing" of the heterosexual lifestyle, not celibacy.
Frank Lancelotti
Oceanside
What about dental?
There seems to be one part of the medical program that is being forgotten. After the person goes to the medical doctor and is told to eat the right food to keep him healthy, he tells the doctor he is not able to eat those foods, as he has just had several teeth extracted, a bridge installed, several crowns the next time he sees the dentist and then there is a gum problem.
There is talk, talk, talk about the medical programs, but I don't remember seeing or hearing anything about a government dental program. I don't really want the government in my mouth, but I do think it can be an important area for many people.
Lack of good dental hygiene can be the cause of many physical problems.
Paul Smith
Carlsbad
