Stadium was a close call

Regarding "Oceanside halts talks with Chargers," Oct. 4 : Watch out for the next snake oil salesperson. Oceanside city loves to be fooled and act foolish. We barely escaped this time. Better leadership is needed for Oceanside.

Mark Deakins

Oceanside

Health care not a right

Where in the Constitution does it say that the federal government needs to supply health care to anyone: young, old; rich, poor; citizen, noncitizen? I can't find it. Responses are welcomed.

Jerry Mills

Vista

Dem politicians attack troops

When it comes to today's crop of anti-military Democrats we must never forget draft-dodger Clinton, who emasculated the military after becoming commander in chief, or John Kerry, who testified against fellow soldiers (without evidence) for allegedly committing war crimes in Vietnam and who now accuses them (without evidence) of terrorizing civilians in the dark of night.

Recently, Sen. Durbin compared our military to Nazis, and Obama, who … said the military was air-raiding villages and killing civilians. Likewise, Rep. Murtha indicted them (without evidence) for killing civilians "in cold blood."

Next, Sen. Reid officially declared the war lost and his defeatism was supported by Rep. Kucinich, who, while speaking on enemy soil, accused our president of conducting an illegal war.

Then Sen. Schumer insulted our troops by belittling their mission and Rep. Lantos, along with other Democrats including Hillary, called Gen. Petraeus a liar even before the four-star general could testify. …

Obviously Democrat leadership is AWOL on national security. Clearly they are not rooting for America.

Darrell Beck

Ramona

Great summer for America

What a long, hot summer it was for the open borders/pro-amnesty activists!

In June, Americans rose up like never before with phone calls and faxes to Congress to defeat the horrible amnesty bill that would have legalized 20 million to 30 million illegal aliens who have violated our borders and our laws. The American people have made it crystal clear that we want our borders and our homeland secured before any talk of amnesty for illegals.

We also targeted St. Peter's church in Fallbrook for running a formal hiring center for 30 to 50 [day laborers, who we believe are] mostly illegal aliens, on church property next to their preschool.

In August, San Diego honored a great local leader, Pete Wilson, with a statue at Horton Plaza. Despite Enrique Morones' threats to tear down the statue, the ceremony was held and the statue stands proudly for all to see.

Recently local citizens again helped identify and clear out dozens of migrant workers and their squatter shacks from McGonigle and Poway migrant camps after the rape of a 13-year-old Poway boy. An alien migrant camper, Jesus Nava, was arrested for the crime.

Slowly but surely we are taking San Diego County back from the La Raza and socialist activists. Deportations of criminal aliens in the county are way up in the past year. More victories for the citizens lie ahead!

Jeff Schwilk

founder

www.SanDiegoMinutemen.com

Vista

War dead are the real issue

To Whom It May Concern: Petraeus? Who cares about him?

Staff Sgt. Terry D. Wagoner, 28, of Piedmont, S.C. Spc. Todd A. Motley, 23, of Clare, Mich. Spc. Jonathan Rivadeneira, 22, of Jackson Heights, N.Y. Pvt. Christopher M. McCloud, 24, of Malakoff, Texas. Sgt. John Mele, 25, of Bunnell, Fla. Pfc. Brandon T. Thorsen, 22, of Trenton, Fla. Cpl. Terrence P. Allen, 21, of Pennsauken, N.J. Staff Sgt. Michael L. Townes, 29, of Las Vegas. Spc. Joseph N. Landry III, 23, of Pensacola, Fla. Spc. Nicholas P. Olson, 22, of Novato, Calif. Spc. Donald E. Valentine III, 21, of Orange Park, Fla. Spc. Aaron J. Walker, 23, of Harker Heights, Texas. Sgt. Edmund J. Jeffers, 23, of Daleville, Ala. Pfc. Christian M. Neff, 19, of Lima, Ohio. Cpl. Graham M. McMahon, 22, of Corvallis, Ore. Pfc. Luigi Marciante Jr., 25, of Elizabeth, N.J. Capt. (Dr.) Roselle M. Hoffmaster, 32, of Cleveland, Ohio. Spc. John J. Young, 24, of Savannah, Ga. …

Garth Gregory Hansen

Escondido

Saudi Arabia is the real threat

Bombing Iran would threaten to turn the entire Middle East into a war and refugee zone. Bomb them over what? They are reacting as any country would if their neighbor is invaded.

If we are truly concerned about worldwide Islamic terror, we need to focus instead on Saudi Arabia, the number one contributor to al-Qaida. Remember, most of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudis. Trouble is … Bush and the Saudis are best friends.

We need to pay attention to this, not Iran.

Michael Hetz

Solana Beach

Most can't honestly qualify for home loans

This letter is in reference to Janis Sherwood's letter "Real estate market not as bad as reported" (Sept. 3). Janis overlooks the main problem in regards to home purchasing: home prices.

Most banks will only allow a purchaser to have a debt ratio of 50 percent. This makes qualifying for a purchase very difficult. If we use her figures of a $500,000 home purchase at 6 percent, (assuming your FICO score is a 680; preferably 720), we get a 30 year payment of $3,000 a month.

Then, if we generously estimate total household debt per month to be $5,500 a month, a single person or a family must make 11K a month to qualify for that loan. Also, that 11K a month has to be fully documented because loan companies no longer accept stated income, or liar loans, as a qualifier.

So, the big question is, how many folks in SoCal can actually qualify for a payment of 3K a month? The sad answer is, very few. Inflated values have created a market of the haves and never-will-haves. Without stated income loans, home sales will struggle in SoCal because most regular folks, when they actually have to tell the truth, don't qualify.

Rob Thompson

Carlsbad

Don't follow Mr. Thirty Percent

President Bush vetoed the renewal of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), without ceremony and behind closed doors, claiming that it is too costly and could lead to government control of health care.

The program was already helping millions of children, some of whom will now have to go without, and the entire yearly cost of the program is about what we spend in Iraq in a single day. In a word, Bush's veto rationale is horsehockey.

We all knew that Bush would choose insurance industry profits over children's health. The question now is whether Congressmen Issa and Bilbray, who voted against the bill, will see the light and support the Democratic majority in overriding the veto, or will they blindly follow Bush over the cliff?

Next November, they may find that following Mister Thirty-Percent-Approval wasn't such a good idea.

Douglas Crews

Oceanside

Double-decking freeways the answer

Southern California's solution to traffic gridlock does not lie in building new surface toll roads. It is now too late and too expensive to try to build new highway routes in Southern California.

The solution is to add a second deck over existing freeways as has been accomplished. For example, most of Bangkok's high-speed roads are toll roads. … The result of double-decking existing highways was a doubling of usable highway space while needing only minimum new land for access and supports.

I have seen this miracle for myself when I returned to Bangkok in 2007. I had worked in Thailand in 1985 when the double-deck program began in Bangkok. The city has even added a new overhead rail rapid transit system in many areas by triple-decking.

I am sure that many a naysayer will cry about the earthquake hazard in SoCal while ignoring engineering advances with concrete double-deck highways. Many of these have already been implemented at multi-deck highway interchanges in California. …

This method does not require a huge new land acquisition program and would result in a lower cost, as well as more environmentally friendly, solution.

Thomas Rees

Carlsbad

Time for a change of Dem leadership

Maybe I'm a male chauvinistic pig, but every time I watch Nancy Pelosi waltzing up to the speaker's podium like a has-been movie star receiving an Emmy for a movie they made 40 years ago, I cringe.

She's in control of a group of Democrats who were elected to stop this insane war and they're not doing it, which is why I believe it's time for a change of leadership.

And while we're at it, replace good old Harry Reid as majority leader. Nice guy, yes; leader, no. He can't even control Senate Dems.

I'm not interested in all the good they've done. All I can think of is what they haven't done. I can't think of a time when the nation so clearly stated its wishes. Sure, I know the Dems haven't enough votes to stop a filibuster, but they do have enough votes to keep sending the same bill back to the Senate time and time again until they make every Republican's life so miserable they'll wish they never heard of Iraq.

If Pelosi hadn't taken impeachment off the table, Bush and Cheney wouldn't have time to sit around and plan ridiculous strikes into Iran. Instead, they'd be busy keeping themselves out of jail.

Joe Martin

Oceanside

SCHIP means more debt

On Wednesday, Oct. 3 ("Bush to veto expanded children's health care program Wednesday, expected to win override vote") President Bush vetoed the children's health care bill known as SCHIP. The bill wanted to raise the per-pack cigarette tax by 61 cents to fund this bill (most of it would come from poor people and this tax increase would not be enough to fund this bill).

The added legislation to the SCHIP would increase coverage for families with annual incomes up to $80,000 (multiple times the poverty level), would cover people up to the age of 25 (after the age of 18 you are no longer a "child") and add 3 million more people to the taxpayer-paid program that provides children's health insurance to 6.6 million people currently.

The United States is already so deeply in debt we do not need to increase the debt by billions. I do not want my grandchildren to pay for this increased SCHIP expense. Anyone in favor of this bill is against the future generations of American children. When are we going to stop this insanity of unbridled spending? You and I have to pay for this.

Mark Corcoran

Fallbrook

Unlike animals, humans have free choice

In his letter of Oct. 3, Jack Davis used the idea of homosexual animals to support homosexual behavior in humans.

Mr. Davis, do you know male spider monkeys mate with as many females as they possibly can? Female mantises kill the males after mating. Male guppies eat their young. Are these the sorts of things humans should do? There are thousands of examples of behavior in animals that would not or should not be acceptable in humans.

Animals act on instinct and have no moral code at all. They are animals. Why is it desirable to behave like animals? Shouldn't we as humans aspire to be something more than animals?

You also asked why did God create homosexuals. Well, God did not create homosexuals any more than he created murderers and child molesters. God created people and gave them free will. People, being more than animals, can choose their behaviors. Whatever your instincts, you can choose your behavior. That's what makes you different from an animal.

Robert Matthews

Oceanside

Gen. Petraeus a hero; detractors are zeroes

There have been quite a number of hateful first-time letter writers lately attacking Gen. Petraeus, who risks his life daily for America. These letter writers should be embarrassed because I doubt any of them know the content of his report. And I doubt any of them knows what the big picture is for America's presence in the Middle East.

Dubya may be wrong on some social policies and immigration, but he is right on foreign policies. "You're either with us or against us" is true. Americans are sick of Third World leaders who talk hate America but still have their hands out for our dollars. Illegals are still flooding in from all over the world. They hate us but still want to live here! Huh?

Gen. Petraeus does more in one day for America than all the hateful letter writers combined in their lifetime. God bless America and our military!

Junious Montgomery

Carlsbad

Web comments Secure mailbox standards go into effect to fight identity theft

Readers respond to our Oct. 5 story about how new homes must be built with more-secure mailboxes under a regulation that took effect Oct. 1, but current homeowners may also want to consider an upgrade to prevent identity theft.

Not practical

Idiotic: "So that's the answer? Make 8 to 16 people share a mailbox? Come on, what about the thousands of neighborhoods that have one box per house in rambling suburban neighborhoods? Or maybe identity thieves only target new yuppie neighborhoods with these monster mailbox units for multiple houses. Yeah, I'll bet that's it."

Not so strong

Carter: "I have lived on the same corner for over 30 years and have never had my mail tampered with. Knock on wood. That is not to say that it will not be tampered with and that I will not suffer identity theft. However, this strong box with a string cutter does not sound like it will reduce the likelihood of stolen mail by very much. Sounds as if another salesman has got the ear of one of our civil servants."

Credit? Shred it

Abigail "One thing that needs to be mentioned is that if you do receive those credit card applications/cards that you usually throw out, please cut/shred them up before throwing in them in the trash especially if you live in an apartment and use a Dumpster. My identity was stolen by a scumbag who was Dumpster diving in the area. Took me five years and an attorney to straighten things out."

Bonsall educators dispute report's findings

Readers respond to our Oct. 5 story about Bonsall Union School District officials disputing several primary findings of a report on the idea of unifying the district in a letter sent to the San Diego County superintendent of schools and the consulting firm that prepared the report.

Shape up

Mom in Bonsall: "I am one of those parents that do not have my high schooler enrolled in Fallbrook High. I have sent them out of the district to another school. I intend on sending all my children out of the district for middle school as well. Bonsall needs to get a clue about not only providing a good high school, but also improving the middle school that already exists. If not, more residents of Bonsall will be pulling their children out of the district!That means money lost!"

Listen to us

another Bonsall mom: "The bull-headed board doesn't listen to anyone who doesn't agree with them. They want a high school - it doesn't matter what the rest of us want. The middle school is just as much of a mess as the high school, a lot of the same issues. Not a place for my kids, either."

Our money

Bonsall Bob "Does the thirty-page report list how much this venture is going to cost the Bonsall taxpayer? I assume not. Will the Bonsall school board give out the figures? I assume not. Most of this is rhetoric unless we can see dollar figures. When can we see a copy of the report? The voters will turn down this costly attempt to create a 'private school' with taxpayer funds."

Poway pool builder in trouble

Readers respond to our Oct. 5 story about Hallmark Pools & Spas' recent financial implosion leaving dozens of North County homeowners with partly built pools and its subcontractors with millions in unpaid bills.

What a deal

Good!: "Business for me, filing liens and collecting!"

No promise

Steve: "A 'licensed' or any contractor should not be able to collect a penny till the job is done and inspected. In the bigger jobs the money should be held in an escrow account. Being licensed is no guarantee of professionalism or quality in any trade. Like location in real estate. References, references, references is extremely important."

Drowning in debt

To: Good: "Did you give a thought for one second to the people who have been taken? And just how many of the subs that are claiming to be unpaid actually worked on the particular jobs that you will be placing a lien. This looks like a chance for free money and people to come out of the woodwork. To those of you who were victimized, at least some of us are sorry ! Look into the felony possibilities of this case. Also, I believe that pool contractors are required to file very large bonds with the Contractors License Board."

How sad

What a nightmare!: "I feel sorry for all the people who are stuck in limbo with half-built pools. I hope Hallmark can resolve this."

Murrieta city manager field narrowed to two

Readers wrote this about an article Friday on Murrieta preparing to name a new top administrator.

Worth millions

VOR: What's best for Murrieta? A city manager that is worth his or her weight in gold or conservative ideologues trying to limit what we are allowed to pay a public servant? An exceptional, experienced city manager can save millions over his or her tenure, bring in business, streamline good government. You pay for what you get and I'd rather have the best than settle for anything less …

The leaders we deserve

Jake: It's often said that a city gets the politicians it deserves. If Murrieta seems to think they can hire by payscale as a merit, they're in for a world of hurt. We all know that much more qualified candidates have turned away from this job because of this nonsense about pay limits -- so what are we going to end up with? …

Pay cuts all around

The Duke: If Murrieta, or any other city of 95,000+ population, limits the salary of city manager to $144,000, then he/she will have to work for less than the top department heads are getting or, all staff (including police and fire) will have to have pay cuts in order to adjust the pay equity from the top down. There will be a giant vacuum as the employees leave for other adequate compensation. Great idea, huh?

Outrageous

Euphoric Reality: It is outrageous that a city manager for a podunk town of 90,000+ should make from $250K-$300K per year. Go look up military pay scales and you will discover that a 4-star general or admiral has a base pay of about $170K per year. Military leaders make life and death decisions and risk their lives in combat zones. City managers hired from insider networks just milk the taxpayers. Ask yourselves these questions Murrieta: Have the salaries of the city managers of Murrieta in the past few years improved Murrieta? …

Keep out

How smart: The Republican party, after the way they have screwed up our nation, needs to keep its nose out of our city's politics. We are a growing city and they want to stifle the growth, so they can force a child upon us.

Bar is higher

Reality Check: If Euphoric Reality lives in Murrieta and thinks it is a "podunk" town, then he/she will be happy (euphoric) with a less than mediocre city manager and staff at city hall. The rest of Murrieta, who want the bar set higher, need to express themselves at council meetings and polling places. Otherwise "podunk" is all that will ever be able to exist here.

Americans are losing our freedoms

By:Why is it that we U.S. citizens are getting fewer freedoms? - Now Temecula is limiting the noise in this town. Now to go to see the Chargers you can't smoke inside the stadium; can't smoke outside around Beverly Hills. I don't smoke, but this is a free country -- at least I thought it was! They buy their ticket for the game, pay for parking and can't smoke inside while seeing the game.

But people can wear heavy cologne/perfume so strong you feel as though you swallowed it! Then you get a terrible headache. Or people driving around with a cell phone in their hand and not really know what they are doing. But hey, it is a free country; just don't smoke around me or make too much noise. It is almost that a person can drink himself dumb and get away with it easier than someone smoking. Or people coming across the border have more rights than a person who is a natural citizen.

The sad thing is, we have English and Spanish on almost everything we buy now. Really, how fair is that when we have Koreans, Japanese, people from Guam, Philippines, Vietnam, etc. Where are their signs, labels, etc.? I mean let's be fair and not so one-sided for the Spanish-speaking who have lived here for years without getting citizenship applications.

I know from a friend who came from Korea many years ago they have to take an oath not to take aid from the U.S.A. Makes you wonder -- all the talk about removing the cross from Mount Soledad, and look, the land moved.

Some people can't leave things be.

Kathy J. Moss

Temecula

Murrieta's bridge to nowhere

So the city is going to build its version of the bridge to nowhere ("Council moves ahead on bridge," Oct. 3).

After looking at this area, I have to wonder, is this a way for the interested to go out and sniff the source of the great manure debate, or is it a shortcut for those fine dwellers of the tracts and condos to get to their favorite dumping ground with their no-longer-in-favor furniture, appliances and landscape debris?

I think this could be a great opportunity to set up a toll gate, just like at the county landfills, and let these fine folks pay for the bridge to nowhere, SoCal style.

Aaron James Nelson

Murrieta

Are supervisors listening when it comes to quarry?

I am more and more concerned about the possible threats posed by the proposed Liberty Quarry. The grassroots organizing against the quarry is encouraging, but I'm afraid that the real decision makers -- our county Board of Supervisors -- aren't hearing the message, and if they are hearing it, that they won't listen.

The quarry represents an astonishing amount of tax revenue for the county, something like $3 million a year. That's going to be very tempting for this board. And, given how most of the board members behaved like spoiled children when presented with mounting evidence that their beloved -- and expensive -- electronic voting machines might be vulnerable to tampering, well, I don't have much confidence that they're going to listen to residents' concerns about the quarry.

After all, the last time we voted for supervisors, two out of three of them ran unopposed. These folks aren't afraid of the residents. No, they'll tell us that the quarry is good for the county, will provide all sorts of service and so on, but will any of those tax dollars get to the kids downwind at area schools if they start developing potentially deadly respiratory problems?

I doubt it.

Wayne Blizzard

Murrieta

Water ruling could ruin us

With the recent court ruling that we must lose part of our water supply to preserve a tiny and economically unimportant smelt, environmentalists are a step closer to destroying modern civilization, which has always been their goal ("Judge's ruling could cut water supplies by 30 percent," Sept. 1). We have been stunningly betrayed by our legislators and "public servants." Why wasn't there an immediate appeal of this ridiculous decision?

Civilizations die without energy and water. Environmental damage here will far exceed any benefits to the Delta. People and jobs will leave the state because they can no longer operate here. A dramatically rising need for welfare assistance could threaten government solvency, lead to tax increases and make everything worse.

Resources are best allocated by letting individuals choose to use them or not at full cost. Environmentalists want to deny us these choices. They stall energy development, power distribution facilities, new dams and reservoirs, and even try to stop desalination. How much longer are we going to quietly watch our living standards be ruined by environmentalists, bureaucratic thugs and spineless legislators?

Barry McElmurry

Vista