Some month names are misnamed

Four months of our calendar â€"â€" September, October, November and December â€"â€" are misnamed, all masquerading under false pretenses, a circumstance of which very few people seem aware.

September is the name of the ninth month, but the name means "seventh month." The 10th month is October, though its name means "eighth month." November, the 11th month, has a name meaning "ninth month," and December, the 12th month, has a name meaning "10th month." How could such a perplexing set of errors have occurred?

The explanation is quite simple. Our calendar has undergone various changes over the centuries, one of which, some centuries ago, involved adding January and February to the beginning of the calendar, whose first month prior to the change had been March. With March (Martius to the Romans) as the first month on the calendar, September was, of course, correctly the seventh. But when the change was effected, the names of the last four months were inexplicably not altered to correspond to their new status of ninth through 12th. … March, incidentally, was particularly appropriate as the month beginning the calendar year because of its association with spring, a time of beginnings, of renewal in nature.

Clay Northcote

Carlsbad

Heritage Park great place for celebrations

I wish to thank Friends of Heritage Park for making my 90th birthday a memorable one. I just want to remind Oceanside residents of their beautiful park near the San Luis Rey Mission, a perfect setting for a special occasion.

I wish to thank Edith Swaim, who worked so closely with my family, for her kindness and help in preparing for this event. If you have never visited this unique historical park, I suggest you do so. It is truly a treasure.

Vivian Bricker

Oceanside

Alternative rail transportation needed

The current alternative transportations in San Diego County are unavailable to North County residents. The majority of business parks lie south of Rancho Bernardo, thus the current alternative transportations, which include rail systems such as the trolley and the Sprinter, are ineffective. The trolley runs around areas such as Santee, San Diego and San Ysidro, and the Sprinter runs east to west from Oceanside to Escondido, ultimately being of no use to a substantial number of commuters commuting from north to San Diego.

A rail system useful to North County residents should be built running south to the San Diego area. The rail system should make daily stops at popular areas. … There are a countless number of positive results in implementing an efficient rail system. Implementing a rail system from north to south would result in fewer automobiles on the freeways. In addition, there will be less pollution in the air, as well as a tremendous reduction in traffic/congestion, and lower possibility of a fatal automobile accident.

Furthermore, with the high prices of gas, an effective rail system for North County commuters would save commuters lots of money at the pump.

Aimee Bui

Escondido

High-speed rail is transportation for future

In response to "Governor to sign amended rail bill," Aug. 26. Bravo to Gov. Schwarzenegger for helping move high-speed rail along by signing AB 3034. This will give California voters the strongest and up-to-date high-speed rail bond ballot measure.

In the face of our growing population, soaring oil prices and the threat of global warming, high-speed rail is critical to California's transportation future. The rail is especially important for Southern California. After all, with stops at Murrieta/Temecula and into downtown San Diego, San Diegans will be able to ride up to San Francisco in under four hours.

The train is expected to generate over $1 billion in annual revenue surplus, and add 450,000 permanent jobs to the state. And all of this for less than the costs of the highway and airport expansions we'll need to build without it. Now California voters just need to vote "yes" on Proposition 1A in November.

Erin Steva

transportation associate

California Public Interest Research Group

Los Angeles

Grass-roots democracy at work at KOCT

We would like to thank all the Oceanside residents who e-mailed questions for local candidates to KOCT. We received 76 written questions from people who care about our city and its future.

KOCT camera crews also recorded 39 "Man on the Street" video clips of visitors to the Oceanside farmers and sunset markets, the Chamber of Commerce Health Fair and the Oceanside Public Library's Mission Branch. This Tuesday evening, the KOCT Advisory Committee â€"â€" a group of 11 dedicated volunteers â€"â€" vetted all of the text and video questions using the criteria of fairness, relevance, civility and the public interest. Many of these questions will appear in KOCT's Election 2008 programming during the fall and up to Election Day, Nov. 4.

We invite voters to become informed before casting your vote by watching KOCT, Oceanside cable channels 18/19 or going to www.KOCT.org. You'll see the League of Women Voters pros and cons on the ballot propositions, candidate statements, interviews on "Journalist Roundtable" and the "Voice of Oceanside" and forums sponsored by the Oceanside Chamber and KOCT. Go to www.KOCT.org and click on "schedule" for air dates and times. Thanks for participating in grassroots democracy on KOCT.

Tom Reeser and Sandy Thurlow

KOCT

Oceanside

Let's work on solutions now

Being a full-time student is an extremely disparaging job as far as money is concerned. I work as much as I can and receive some financial aid, but with the cost of living where it is today, I am always close to broke.

The single biggest expense I incur is fuel, i.e., astronomical gas prices. My friends and I carpool as much as possible, and I use the bus and Sprinter whenever I can, but they only take me so far. The brutal fact is that our county is set up around and for the automobile. But with so many people and so many cars, huge problems are beginning to introduce themselves (pollution, parking and traffic being the most prevalent).

Fortunately, all of these problems I have listed in the above paragraph can be solved with a common solution â€"â€" more public transportation. The bottom line is that with better transportation options, citizens of San Diego County could make a decision. Right now there is no decision: For a lot of common destinations, it is either drive your car or don't go. I know we are a far cry from having these options. I only ask that the path to these solutions begins soon.

Timothy Kaufmann

San Marcos

Failed Republican economic policies

In response to your article, "As costs rise, incomes fail to keep pace," Aug. 27: This is the direct result of Republican economic policies. There is even worse evidence when the value of the dollar is studied. The federal deficit draws down the value of the American dollar. That is fact; everyone knows its decline versus other currencies around the world. The results are that Americans pay more for imported goods. Bush devalued the dollar with his policies, causing the commodities markets to rise. If you were in a position to know this, you have enjoyed the past eight years. The rest of Americans are losers.

John McCain admits he doesn't understand economics. But the Republican advisers surrounding him do. Barack Obama has already surrounded himself with a council that will strive to eliminate the federal deficit and bring fiscal responsibility back to the federal government. He intends to bring the value of the dollar back to the consumer, away from the investor who has insider trading knowledge.

Frank Crowley

Oceanside

Lies on Iraq continue

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki insisted Monday that all foreign troops leave Iraq by a specific date in 2011, rejecting legal immunity for Americans. Al-Maliki, along with 85 percent of Iraqis, is angry about the invasion and eager for an end to the foreign troop presence.

Meanwhile, McCain-Bush play to the gullible U.S. hawkish audiences that the surge worked, but fail to tell you they want the troops there to protect the U.S. oil companies, the sole reason for the deaths of 4,200 U.S. boys. Bush-McCain spokesman Tony Fratto said, "U.S. position is that the withdrawal must be linked to conditions in Iraq" â€"â€" a clear difference with al-Maliki's interpretation of what had been agreed.

Simply put, Bush and his oil company handlers know very well that if troops are pulled out, the oil wealth becomes inaccessible. There is no way Bush-McCain will end the war. Ground conditions must worsen, even if covertly inflamed, to secure long-term protection for the oil companies and link it to "conditions on the ground."

The Bush-McCain falsified insistence on U.S. coastal drilling is nothing but a political point neutralized by Obama's agreement and to distract you from the oil war.

Edgar Towers

Oceanside

Trust the politicians

On Aug. 22 at about 4:15 a.m., CNN released a report from top officials, no doubt our most honorable and venerated politicians, stating that 9/11 was not a conspiracy nor an inside job [and that the collapse of Building 7] was caused by fire ("Feds: Fire took down building next to twin towers").

I agree completely with their conclusions. Please ignore the initial 9/11 reports from CNN and MSNBC that WTC Buildings 1, 2 and 7 were controlled demolitions. Please disregard the NYFD stating they need to get people out before the next bomb goes off. Please overlook Dan Rather's commentary: "For the third time today, it's reminiscent of those pictures we've seen too much on television before when a building was deliberately destroyed by well-placed dynamite to knock it down." They are unreliable sources. Raising questions over these unreliable sources only wastes taxpayers' dollars. No investigation is necessary. Trust the politicians, and be happy!

David Johnson

Oceanside

Obama stage looked like temple

Sen. Obama tried to upstage JFK's 1960 acceptance speech given at the L.A. Coliseum by giving his acceptance speech on the 50-yard line in the Denver Stadium in a Greek temple prop with columns that resembled the U.S. Capitol or the White House.

Or did he want to look like a God from the rising podium that he spoke from?

Bob Ference

Carlsbad

Politicians are storytellers

I was just wondering how people can vote for certain people. About two months ago, Bill Clinton said Obama wasn't good enough to run and everyone should vote for his wife. Now he is all for him. That is the way most politicians talk.

I hope when people go to the polls, they really think who they are voting for, because they all tell stories.

Linda Setter

Vista

Desalination is costly to taxpayers

The North County Times on Aug. 27 came out strongly in favor of desalination plants in a strongly biased view while not addressing the governor's water plan ("Desalination plant should be first of many," Editorial). Certainly water availability is a statewide concern, and a multitude of independent actions certainly will cost us taxpayers millions of dollars; desalination is costly, and the NCT avoids that aspect. It stands to reason that water is needed statewide and splinter actions are costly and unnecessary.

The NCT's approach would cost taxpayers doubly â€"â€" state water and desal water! What is the sense in our governor pursuing a water plan if cities such as Carlsbad act independently?

Bob Sheard

Oceanside

Some things have to be done to protect our country

Regarding, "Friend, love and detention at the border," Perspective, Aug. 24: Again, Mr. Christian Ramirez made my heart bleed for him. Boo hoo! If he wanted to visit his family in Tijuana with his family from San Diego (legal, I hope), why not cross the border, have a nice dinner and visit, instead of sticking his fingers through the fence? Nice story, though.

Yes, I care about the environment. But some things have to be done to protect our country and what has to be done will be done. In Mr. Ramirez's own words: "The increased presence of private guards and Border Patrol agents does little to lessen the already troubled U.S. and Mexican border." I would say we need more agents and guards, right? As for harassment, forget it! That word has been used so much it has lost its punch.

Julia Godinez

Escondido

School board forgets its job

A North County Times article, "Gang activity plummets since injunction was updated," dated July 21 stated that, "In recent years … middle school students reported heavy pressure from gangs to join, and harassment and beatings of students walking home from San Marcos Middle School." We have a gang problem and a student safety problem. What is San Marcos Unified School District doing about student safety?

Well, instead of having some of them walk home, they now can all walk home because the school board has eliminated home-to-school transportation ("San Marcos trustees vote to end busing"). Why? Because they say transportation "costs too much money," "it's a big-ticket item" and "It's an encroachment on the budget." … A budget of $147 billion and approximate cost of transportation is $1.2 million … that's far less than 1 percent of the budget. … And what is this extra nearly $5.5 million for consultation fees? Consultation fees for what? … For the longest time, I've had the utmost respect and appreciation for the school board of SMUSD, but these last couple of years, they've lost their way. They have forgotten their priorities. Their job is the safety and education of our children, not consultants over kids.

Brad Pederson

San Marcos

Diaz will keep Escondido competitive

How can you go wrong voting for Olga Diaz for Escondido City Council? Will she stand in the way of modernizing our public library? Will she discourage small businesses from starting up? Will she oppose updating and repair of the collapsing sewer system? Will she rebuff homeless persons from using the local shelter? On the contrary!

She will work tirelessly to keep Escondido economically competitive with other North County communities, help restore our reputation as family-friendly and improve planning and budgeting for civic growth. And most crucially for citizens concerned about how our neighbors see us, Olga's very presence on the council will put to rest once and for all any argument that Escondidans historically exclude qualified office-seekers bearing Hispanic names. You cannot go wrong in casting your ballot for Olga Diaz.

M. Greg Dean

Escondido