Bond is squeezing blood from a turnip

You don't squeeze blood from a turnip, unless you are Tri-City Medical Center. It is ill-advised to float bonds during the worst recession since the Great Depression. North County struggles with high unemployment and underemployment, escalating mortgage payments and skyrocketing food and fuel expenses.

The well-off should not add insult to injury by inflicting a tax increase upon those already struggling financially. Regardless of this election's outcome, the hospital welcomes all tax-deductible contributions!

Randy Horton

Oceanside

Market solution to plastic-bag problem

Your editors claim we don't need a law requiring a payment of 25 cents per plastic bag to wean us of their use ("Marketplace works faster than legislators," June 4). They reassure us that "a free market does work and is working" and will cure us of the plastic scourge without government meddling.

They forgot to mention that a free market needs the price information to react properly. Where is that information on plastic bags? They're made from petroleum or natural gas, both subsidized by the 2005 Energy Bill and our taxes. Are markets accounting for trash cleanup along the L.A. River? Forty percent plastic bags.

There are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of ocean. Off the coast of California, a swirling mass of plastic trash blights an area twice the size of Texas. Who pays for the million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles that die every year from eating or getting entangled in plastic?

By the way, this newspaper comes in a plastic bag. Guess NCT's purchasing needs a free market lesson. So my question to your editors is: How much longer do we wait for the market forces to kick in before we collectively do something?

Dadla Ponizil

Encinitas

Stop obstructing SDG&E easements

I was woken up by the commotion outside. So, inquisitively, I went out to investigate. There were four SDG&E construction trucks just outside my driveway. One of the workers approached me and said that they had a problem. They needed to get to a transformer on top of a telephone pole. One neighbor had blocked the easement with a motor home and the other put up a fixed fence that blocked all access to the easement. They had asked if they could come through my yard this one time to get to the location. I said yes, this one time. Why are some people forced to obey the law while others aren't?

Selective enforcement of the law is as old as the law itself. I propose that all San Diego County utility companies have a campaign to inspect all easements and clear any easement that is in violation of the law. That would put people back to work, show equality to all neighbors and enforce the law! When all of us close escrow there is a document we must sign that states that we will not put up any buildings, fences, plants, etc., to obstruct the easements.

Wayne Tortorella

Fallbrook

Where will it all stop?

There appears to be a new expert in the field of homosexuality currently gracing the pages of the North County Times. After reading his letter of May 28, I have just a few questions for Eric Parish. Is it possible to believe that homosexuality is wrong without hating homosexuals? Or, does he just assume that being anti-gay equates to hatred?

Eric wrote that he was "not advocating polygamy, pedophilia or bestiality. Same-sex love is no different from 'normal' heterosexual love. Truth." This is where I need a little clarification regarding his self-imposed "truth." Is it all right for consenting same-sex adult siblings to have sex with each other? Obviously, the love is there, but does that alone make it acceptable for them to have sex? I think most folks understand why the answer is no.

If people like Eric keep emphasizing only the love aspect, while trying to ignore the sex, then where does it all stop? If it's only about the love, then why would he advocate homosexuality, but not polygamy? Seems a bit hypocritical to limit his view of love to just two partners, even in his world.

Bill Lane

Escondido

American Legion fighting illegal immigration

The cavalry has arrived in the fight to secure America's borders and end illegal immigration. The American Legion, a veterans organization of 2.7 million members, recently made a public announcement that it is joining the fight against illegal immigration in a very big way. On their Web site, www.Legion.org, you can read about their new campaign and also request their free, informative booklet that lays out their no-nonsense plan to secure America.

The American Legion is demanding that Congress and our federal government take immediate action to secure our borders and enforce America's laws on behalf of millions of veterans, past, present and future. With all the lobbying of our government and media by the Mexican La Raza activists the past few years, it's good to see the veterans groups stepping up and fighting back on behalf of all Americans. American security and sovereignty are nonpartisan issues and will keep our country free for future generations. Having border security honors our men and women fighting abroad for our freedoms and liberties.

Peter Angelo

U.S. Marine Corps,

retired

San Diego

Disputing falsehoods

Howard Crews is writing more hogwash about McCain by equating elitism with wealth (Letters, May 23). Elitism is considering oneself socially, culturally and intellectually superior to most people (e.g. some liberal letter writers), something that McCain most certainty is not. While Warren Buffet is extremely wealthy, he is not an elitist. Obama's affiliations, education and statements hint of his elitism.

Garth Hansen continues to distort McCain (Letters, May 11). Only a delusional ideologue would conclude that McCain's regional stability statement meant a 100-year war.

Contrary to Eric Parish's claims (Letters, May 12), Israel stole nothing by defending its U.N.-mandated nationhood from constant attacks, and has never advocated the destruction of another nation as has Iran and Hezebollah. Afghanistan has nothing to do with oil. …

Chris Pulse knows full well that most of Israel's wars were started by her Arab neighbors (Letters, May 20). In 1948, a fledgling Israel, with no standing military capable of going on the offensive to attack anyone, was attacked by its neighbors. A strong desire to survive prevented the Arabs from succeeding in wiping out the Israelis. The Egyptians still celebrate their surprise attack on the Israelis during Yom Kippur.

Michael Campbell

Rancho Penasquitos

Health care without conscience?

I am absolutely disgusted by lesbians Clark and Benitez, who have sued Dr. Brody and Dr. Fenton because these physicians held to their religious convictions ("State's high court to hear local case of civil rights clash," May 28). If vindictive people like Clark and Benitez have their way, we're going to have a society in which intelligent men and women with moral consciences avoid careers in medicine and other health-related fields. Who would blame them? Why should anyone want to study medicine for 12 years, incur tremendous debt, become a doctor and work tirelessly to provide health, healing and dignity to the citizens of a nation that won't protect the physician himself?

Benitez's surgery was elective, but what happens when we have a shortage of physicians to treat life-threatening illnesses and injuries? Or do we seriously expect doctors to take the Hippocratic Oath and then be forced to violate their own consciences? It is the strength and integrity of their consciences in the first place that causes men and women to become doctors!

Be careful, America. The day you strip physicians of their right to their religious beliefs in the actual practice of the care they deliver is the day you embrace health care without conscience.

Karen West,

RN

Oceanside

A potential powder keg in high office

Back when Oprah Winfrey revealed her intention to endorse Barack Obama, I wrote a rather humorous letter expressing certain suspicions and/or misgivings about high-profile blacks being given open access to our sacred political abode, the White House (Letters, Dec. 22, 2007). Would dubious characters such as Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and other like types be taking up office privileges in the place where greatness prevails?

Well, it seems my comedic inquiries may not be so funny after all. Just when we think we are fully apprised of Obama's past indiscreet connections, another pops up like a jack-in-the-box. One Michael Pfleger has put on quite a show that makes one wonder about Obama's past activities.

I myself take the position that the governing of this country, especially in current times, is a very serious business. We don't need people with out-of-control emotions and hate-filled, racist attitudes to be in places of power when the entire world is a potential powder keg.

Ray Erler

San Marcos

Trying to discredit a sensible proposal

A recent editorial in another newspaper implied that proposed legislation requiring new development to pay for the water it requires was an unfunded mandate -- meaning government makes you do something without providing the revenue. This is a masterful twist of a catchy phrase to discredit a sensible proposal that new development buy its own water instead of having us subsidize growth with water derived from our conservation efforts.

Facing serious cutbacks in water supplies, authorities spend $1.8 million promoting conservation yet, behind the scenes, they continue approving new development in spite of state law saying sufficient water must be available before approving large projects. This proposed legislation may need a few adjustments, but it's unfair to say it will "stop projects that create jobs." Plenty of jobs would be created by implementing the water-saving technology involved.

Our water authority does not have to wait for Sacramento to solve the problem of our subsidizing growth. It can on its own require new development to buy their own water through funding the conservation measure required. This has already proven to be successful in other areas.

Glenn Carroll

Fallbrook

No hardship in bringing cloth bags

I disagree that a plastic bag recycling law, whereby shoppers would be charged for plastic bags for their groceries, would create a financial hardship for families as suggested by State Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines ("Plastic-bag recycling law clears Assembly, heads for Senate," June 1).

I have been using cloth bags for my groceries for many years, and have enjoyed the nickel-per-bag refund from Henry's. When I shop at Trader Joe's, the cashiers always thank me for bringing in my own bags. Granted, at first it took me awhile to remember to bring the bags into the store with me. I keep them in my trunk, and now it's second nature for me to take them out before going into a store.

A lot of organizations give away free cloth and recycled bags at different public events that can easily be used for groceries. Shoppers could start stockpiling the bags they are currently bringing home from stores, or they could use cardboard boxes like Costco does. Be creative! …

I believe the hardship would not be so much a financial one, but more of having to exert a little bit of effort, which some people, unfortunately, aren't willing to do.

Lucienne McCauley

Cardiff-by-the-Sea

Regulations strangle our economy

Environmentalism today is responsible for our struggling economy, water shortages, high gas and energy prices. Common sense tells us that we need to roll back government regulations that are strangling our American way of life. Instead our politicians, leaders, and some established government agencies continue to add more and more regulations on what I consider to be basic necessities.

If the environmentalists truly cared about the environment, they would have wised up and backed off. Our American manufacturers and other industries once clothed and fed our own citizens. The goods we bought were American-made and quality- and safety-oriented. But the environmentalists drove out our manufacturing base, along with our good-paying jobs with benefits.

Their next target is agriculture. It takes too much water. Now most of our hard-earned money flows offshore into other countries from whom we are forced to buy once-made-in-America products. Do you really want to buy all your food from foreigners too? How green is that? Time to drill here and now.

Beth Winchel

San Marcos

Think twice, jurors!

I cringe every time I read of a jury awarding an exorbitant amount of money to some plaintiff who, if they sued 50 years ago, would have had their case thrown out of court. (Remember the hot coffee case against McDonald's?) Jurors today work on the premise that government agencies, businesses and the medical profession have deep pockets and deserve to be punished, even if it wasn't their fault.

Actually, it is their own pockets they are picking (as well as yours and mine). How? Where do the jurors (and you) think the money that the government agencies and businesses accrue comes from? It's from taxes and the prices businesses and services charge you (aka, juror). So to pay these outlandish judgments, taxes are raised and the cost of products and services go up.

Defense attorneys do not want people like me (with a college degree and some knowledge of the law) on the jury. I'm always challenged peremptorily (no reason needed). They want people whom they can manipulate emotionally, regardless of evidence to the contrary. Jurors -- can you be manipulated? Then accept higher taxes and prices of goods/services.

Merrill Brown

Oceanside

Magnetic field explains it all

June 1 was the 28th anniversary of the CNN News cable network. Thousands of stories of exceptional progress in computers, spacecraft, wireless communications, etc., were reported on CNN during this time.

By contrast, the research scientists took a giant leap backward when they reported in 1980 that many of their once tidy and most cherished theories have been shot to hell by the Voyager l spacecraft. The scientists have examined thousands of photos of the rings of Saturn for the same 28 years. Still, the NASA lead imaging scientist, Dr. Carolyn Porco, said it is extremely complex and it will take us a long time to figure it all out. [They may never] be able to figure all of it out.

The wrong premise of thermodynamics and gravity has been used while nature uses the unique characteristics of magnetic field current to ionize and stimulate atoms of invisible gases to a glowing state of excitement to create the illusion of solid particles reflecting sunlight. I can demonstrate precisely how these bizarre visual anomalies can be created via a magnetic field current surrounding static electricity stimulating normally invisible atoms of gases to a glowing, visible state of excitement.

Edsel Chromie

Escondido

Charter school must face responsibility

I would like to say that, as a parent from River Springs, I am tired of Eagles Peak constantly blaming our school for their problems ("District threatens to revoke Eagles Peak charter," May 29). River Springs split from Eagles Peak in 2006. Eagles Peak fired … upper management in November 2006. It has fired … middle management as well. The Notice of Cure stems from an audit report dated Dec. 7, 2007.

It is time for Eagles Peak to grow up and start taking responsibility for its actions. The problems that Eagles Peak is experiencing can only be laid at the feet of Eagles Peak administration and its board of directors. After firing … upper and middle management, the Eagles Peak board … has the gall to place the blame on River Springs? Ms. Hooper stated that she thought this a mere "formality." When are they going to be responsible and admit that they have failed the students, the real victims?

Mary Laney

Oceanside

Where will it all stop?

There appears to be a new expert in the field of homosexuality currently gracing the pages of the North County Times. After reading his letter of May 28, I have just a few questions for Eric Parish. Is it possible to believe that homosexuality is wrong without hating homosexuals? Or, does he just assume that being anti-gay equates to hatred?

Eric wrote that he was "not advocating polygamy, pedophilia or bestiality. Same-sex love is no different from 'normal' heterosexual love. Truth." This is where I need a little clarification regarding his self-imposed "truth." Is it all right for consenting same-sex adult siblings to have sex with each other? Obviously, the love is there, but does that alone make it acceptable for them to have sex? I think most folks understand why the answer is no.

If people like Eric keep emphasizing only the love aspect, while trying to ignore the sex, then where does it all stop? If it's only about the love, then why would he advocate homosexuality, but not polygamy? Seems a bit hypocritical to limit his view of love to just two partners, even in his world.

Bill Lane

Escondido

More gaffes on the way

Regarding Joe Leggett Jr.'s recent "White House gaffe machine" letter (June 1): Where are the facts to back up these allegations? He couldn't come up with eight in eight years? Yet Michelle Malkin, in her column ("Obama is a 'gaffe machine,'" May 22), produced eight within eight weeks, or was it eight days?ˇ

The North County Times should not print letters from people who make allegations without facts to back them up. And there's more where those came from. No sooner had his letter appeared than there were two more Obama gaffes: 1. He wasn't aware of the Hanford Nuclear Waste plant in Washington State when queried about it in Oregon, and 2. There was a contrived story about his uncle and the Holocaust, which he apparently pulled out of thin air to impress Jewish voters. And this from a man who wants to be president and thinks there are 57 states?

Obama has a dubious background. Where is his pride in his white roots and the white mother and white grandparents who raised him? And where did his moneyed education come from? Too many blanks and unanswered questions for a man with a thin resume who wants to lead the free world. Wake up, America!

Irene Edwards

Fallbrook