NCT advocates socialism

This morning's newspaper had a cartoon advocating Socialism for America. I have already canceled my subscription and I hope every person who subscribes does the same.

This is America. Not communist or socialist. This is a republic, and for our news media to advocate socialism on the editorial page should be tainted as a traitor to the American way.

There were good people in Germany and they did nothing. Hitler ran the world for six years. Are you one of those people?

Mickey McKenna

Oceanside

California can't afford Prop. 1C

Proposition 1C is a bad idea for California. It reflects unsound financial planning. It will perpetuate an unwise financial and budgetary policy, and will place another obstacle between lottery players and economic security. It will eliminate resources from cities and counties, even as the state budget may require more local services, which will place local governments in a difficult, if not impossible, situation. It will result in a greater number of problem and pathological gamblers, with consequences that are costly both in economic and social terms.

Since the state will become more dependent upon lottery revenues, the government will no longer have the general welfare of the citizens as its sole or even primary responsibility. Instead, it will be placed in the political position of encouraging citizens to engage in the irresponsible act of betting on the lottery in order to finance state needs.

Prop. 1C will establish a socially untenable position and will have disastrous political and economic implications. It is a bad idea that California cannot afford.

David Walker

San Marcos

History courses not necessary

In regards to Charles Hanlen's "Palomar should keep history requirement" letter in Community Voices, May 11: In spite of Mr. Hanlen's opinions, it is my experience that the American History and Institutions degree requirements imposed on the students should be removed. Didn't students, upon graduation from high school, have to have this course requirement as a part of their high school curriculum?

My daughter, some years ago, went to Palomar College as a freshman. They required that she take the AH&I courses. My daughter was seeking training toward getting a job and her opinion was, she had that in high school. My wife and I agreed and she left the college and enrolled at the Maric College of Medical Careers in courses leading to a diploma for a medical administration specialist, a 10-month series in billing, insurance and hospital clerical work.

After several positions in the ensuing years, she is now doing patient receiving #( During her patient receiving activities, she frequently deals with "Code 3/Code Blue" patients being brought in by the paramedics â€"â€" all without the AH&I courses behind her! Concluding, what I think is young people need training that will lead them to a professional opportunity.

Harold Paddon

Poway

Vista: Baby stroller capital of the world

I think that every city should be noted for something.

Therefore, I would like Mayor Morris Vance to declare Vista the baby stroller capital of the world. By the looks of North Santa Fe Avenue on weekends, we could make the Guinness Book of World Records.

Robert Ortega

Vista

Idea to honor Prejean preposterous

I find it preposterous that Vista School Board Trustee Gibson wants to proclaim a day to honor Carrie Prejean ("School board trustee wants to honor Miss USA runner-up," April 29). School boards should be in the business of recognizing student achievement, not winners of beauty pageants.

Of course, there is no secret that Mr. Gibson admires Ms. Prejean's views on "opposite marriage" and her "high moral standards." Again, I submit to you that it is not the place for a trustee of a public school board to honor someone because his/her agenda agrees with his own. The school board's job is to promote the education of its students, not to take sides on political issues that are divisive in the community.

If the Vista school board must set aside a day to honor its alumni, how about recognizing those who have served in the military or the Peace Corps? Or those who have graduated from college or have given back to the community through time and service?

This would be a true measure of what the VUSD is achieving when it sends its young people into the world.

Diane Tucker

Carlsbad

What about city's take-home cars?

In response to the North County Times' article, ("More positions may be cut," May 13: We should applaud City Manager Peter Weiss's efforts to close the budget gap. But something I haven't seen yet is any mention of the take home cars Oceanside has. Maybe I'm just blind and didn't see it if there was.

Just how many vehicles does the city own that are used by various department heads (or others) to drive to and from their home each day? What's the cost to the city taxpayers for these vehicles? Who gets these vehicles and why? If these vehicles were restricted to actual city business and not used for driving home, what cost savings could the city expect to see?

I've seen city-owned vehicles being used to drop kids off at local schools and being used at local grocery stores where beer was purchased. Most recently, a city/government-owned vehicle was outside a Wells Fargo Bank, the driver apparently going into the bank to conduct personal business. Maybe I'm wrong in what I saw. Then again, he was in very casual clothing. What sort of legal issues might arise if they were involved in an accident?

Rick Buchanan

Oceanside

Maher is short-sighted, liberal

I read the May 12 article in North County Times (front page, no less) about the Escondido chief of police lobbying for the passage of a law to allow driver's licenses for illegal aliens in this country with great dismay, anger and disbelief ("Maher supports licenses for illegal immigrants"). How could a police chief whose job it is to enforce the laws of the state be so short-sighted and liberal?

Just because some agency grants driver's licenses to illegal aliens doesn't mean that said person is capable of driving properly, or bought insurance, or knows the laws and traffic signs, especially since the tests are written in Spanish. …This is just one more step in opening the borders to the masses, diminishing the rights of our citizens over the concern for the rights (?) of illegal aliens, who have no right to be here in the first place.

In my opinion, this is the chief's way of pandering to the illegals' lobby because he took some heat recently for doing what he's paid and entrusted to do! If he can't take the heat, he should get out of the kitchen and should stay out of the political arena.

Bob Coleman

Escondido

King Kern's 'hunt'

Oceanside Councilman Kern is having a fundraiser with so-called game bird hunting sponsored by Senator Hollingsworth and Assemblyman Garrick. He is getting uptight about the recall, I guess.

It's simply unsporting if the shooting club plants/releases the birds the day of the so-called hunt. Such birds have never acclimated to the real outdoors, have not picked up foraging skills and certainly haven't developed flight patterns to avoid predators. Did you know many of these birds will just die from lack of survival skills, even if any of these amateur hunters don't kill them? The basic survival rate for these birds is very low.

This shows how far Jerry Kern is out of touch with his constituents. He is going to raise "blood" money by shooting tame birds. What does he plan next? Bringing a gun to council to "protect" himself from the bloodthirsty seniors who are behind the recall? Some things are just beyond bad taste, Jerry; shooting pen-raised birds is one of them. You may as well buy chickens at the market.

I come from a long line of hunters, and we would never consider shooting pen-raised birds on a farm as a wild hunt.

Nadine Scott

Oceanside

You cannot separate Israel, Jewish people

Re: Mr. Crawford's letter (May 13) in answering my letter (May 3) aboutˇ financial aid given to Israel by the U.S. and others: The U.S. has also donated to the coffers of Palestine and other Arab countries. What have they done with that aid?

Have they developed farms to feed their citizens? Have they developed factories to produce worthwhile goods for the betterment of mankind? Have they educated their children to contribute to the future of their country? I think not. Instead, their youth is schooled in the mindset of one thing â€"â€" to destroy Israel.

Crawford says he berates Israel, but not the Jewish people. You cannot separate Israel from the Jewish people, just as you cannot separate the Vatican from world Catholicism. Ninety-nine percent of Jews worldwide support Israel, whether it be financially or emotionally. With that in mind, Israel is there to make sure that another Holocaust will not happen.

Mr. Crawford also states that stopping support for Israel by the U.S. may bring about peace in the Middle East. C'mon, Palestinians and other Muslim nations will never be satisfied until, in their words, "We will eradicate Israel from the face of the earth."

Jack Strumpf

Escondido

A quick driving refresher

Taken out of the California Department of Motor Vehicles Handbook: Traffic Lanes section: "If you can choose among three lanes, pick the middle lane for the smoothest driving. To drive faster, pass, or turn left, use the left lane. When you choose to drive slowly or enter or turn off the road, use the right lane."

Key words: Drive faster â€"â€" left lane. Drive slower â€"â€" right lane. Any questions? Seems clear to me.

Denise Rogers

Vista

When will he come for you?

First, he came to tax the rich (producers and entrepreneurs) and the rest just laughed.

Next, he came for the middle class (the workers) and the rest just laughed.

Finally, he then came for the rest of the folks (who blindly voted for him) and no one cared.

Or could all of this be racial?

Marv Gartenbaum

San Diego

Who gets the credit for In-N-Out?

So after an 18-year hiatus, the In-N-Out burger company decides to take another look at Escondido as a place to locate one of its fast-food locations ("In-N-Out scouting potential locations 18 years after sign dispute with city," May 9). All at once, you have city (councilmembers) and city staffers clamoring for credit.

Funny, I guess none of them is familiar with the credo, "It is amazing what can be accomplished when you do not care who gets the credit."

Hold your Double-Double high â€"â€" let's thank the consumer for making this opportunity possible.

Cameron Curry

Escondido

Social Security 'trust fund' laughable

The headline "Social Security, Medicare dwindling in recession," May 13, on the Associated Press story is utterly laughable to anyone who understands how the system works. But the joke was given away when the story revealed that the Social Security "trust funds … exist in paper form in a filing cabinet in Parkersburg, W. Va."

For those who still don't get the joke, here it is: The extra money collected over the years has been spent and the government left an IOU to itself in the filing cabinet. To speak solemnly of a "trust fund" is absurd. There are no assets there. Think about this every time a reporter or politician says "trust fund." You'll die laughing.

Maybe you still think that because the bonds in the filing cabinet are backed by the "full faith and credit" of the government, they have value. To realize that value, the government must sell the bonds; in other words, borrow. They might as well just issue new bonds. The "trust fund" charade, a Ponzi scheme, has always been for the gullible. Apparently, that's most of us.

Scott Olmsted

Encinitas

Carrie Prejean is no role model

It astounds me that anyone would want to recognize Carrie Prejean with a day in her honor.

As a teen, she voluntarily posed semi-nude; would you want your young daughter/sister/grandchild to do that just to sell underwear? Where's the honor in that? She's openly homophobic and proud of her prejudice at a time when more and more states are moving towards equal rights for all Americans. Where's the honor in that?

As far as I can tell, her main claim to fame is that her surgically-enhanced body was selected in a beauty pageant.

What kind of message does this send to young girls â€"â€" that fame comes to those who are willing to sell their bodies, and that only "perfect" bodies are acceptable? Eating disorders among young women are on the rise because of people like her and those that support this absurd notion of beauty. Where's the honor in that?

Susi Torre-Bueno

Vista