Some history on war and deaths

The saying goes, "Those who don't know history are condemned to repeat it." First, an interesting fact. There were 39 combat killings in Iraq in January. In the city of Detroit, there were 35 murders in that same month. How many murders would there be in all of the U.S. in that same period?

It seems like President Bush is blamed for the war in Iraq. Here, then, is some history. President Roosevelt declared war on Germany. That cost 450,000 lives, 112,500 per year, and it had to be done.

President Truman was president during the Korean war. A three-year war with a cost of 55,000 lives. Average 18,334 per year. John Kennedy was president when the Vietnam conflict began. President Johnson, also a Democrat, took it over. Cost 58,000 lives, over 10 years, is 5,800 per year.

Bush started the war when most of the world suspected Saddam Hussein of planning mass destruction. Since then, we have liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, neutralized Libya and captured a terrorist (Saddam) who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people. Now there is a sentiment that we should leave the area of conflict. Do we really want to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory? Please, folks, stay the course!

Pete de Jong

San Marcos

Most of us do 'get it'

So Escondido Union High School District Trustees Board President Tina Pope thinks it's "enlightening and exciting …" and "… people are starting to get it …" that a greater percent of the voters appear to be in favor of a $98 million bond measure for school improvement and the construction of a new high school ("Survey says voters likely to support $98M bond," March 26).

What I think would be "enlightening and exciting" would be to see an accurate report revealing just how many billions of dollars (not millions) are spent in this country each year educating illegal immigrant children. Sorry, Ms. Pope, but most of us do "get it."

William Bing

San Marcos

Get your location correct

Columnist John Van Doorn needs to check a local map. In his March 27 column "Wild creatures of Rancho Guejito, fear not," he twice states that Valley Center is in the city of Escondido. That would be news to the 25,000 residents who live in the unincorporated rural community.

If Van Doorn is at a loss as to where to place the 23,000-acre Guejito ranch, it lies in the historical district known as Bear Valley, the original name of Valley Center (1866). Further, the one and only ingress to the Guejito property is in Valley Center. This historical site, which has been the subject of many news stories in recent months, is featured in a permanent exhibition at the Valley Center History Museum.

Robert Lerner

historian,

Valley Center Historical Society

Stop high-rises on North Vulcan in Leucadia

Get ready for three-story condo structures on Vulcan Avenue unless citizens express their concerns to the Encinitas Planning Commission. Views will be compromised, breezes blocked and a significant part of the character along North Vulcan will be changed. No longer will our greenbelt of vegetation, disguising the established homes in the neighborhood, be visible as one enters the front door to Leucadia.

The existing billboard on Highway 101 approximates the proposed height of these structures. A provision of the 101 Corridor Specific Plan allows "high-rise" third stories over ground-story parking. Profit-minded developers see this as a means to capture a glimpse of the ocean at our expense.

I believe many Leucadia residents will be extremely upset with the results of this "build to the max" mentality. Citizens need to voice their concerns now about this pro-developer provision before these projects are approved for the 1800-1900 blocks. Restrict new developments to 26-feet maximum heights. Call, e-mail and attend the April 3 and April 17 Planning Commission meetings, which are held at 6 p.m. … Contact the Planning Department at (760) 633-2710. …

James Kverno

Leucadia

The cost of war to the 50th

Although the staggering $500 billion to $600 billion figure the U.S. has spent on the war in Iraq is enough to make anyone take notice, think about this: The residents of the 50th District themselves have paid out $1.5 billion in tax dollars to fund this senseless war. Statistics demonstrate that with these tax dollars, we could have given 634,390 people health care or built 154 new elementary schools or hired 19,467 port container inspectors, and the list goes on (National Priorities Project).

But residents of the 50th, your representative, Brian Bilbray, is right on board with your commander in chief, who started this war and wants to see it continue indefinitely. Bilbray wants to keep spending your money to sustain combat that has now cost us the lives of over 4,000 valiant soldiers and diverted your money away from what is needed most. Do you really want to keep enabling these despicable decisions by keeping Bilbray in office?

Vickie Petrus

Rancho Santa Fe

Surge is a buy-off for protection

The progress or "surge" that Bush has been reporting is the fact the Bush administration has paid, through Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malik, millions of dollars as protection to the Shia and Sunni local leaders. The buying of protection can only be temporarily successful. The political paying-off includes newspaper publishers, local tribe political leaders, warlords and radio/television, a common CIA practice. …

However, the millions of dollars cannot buy off the historically religious political leadership, nor the nationalistic pride and protection of their homeland from foreign troops. No victory is feasible in Iraq as in Vietnam. You cannot win wars of liberation, unification, mixed with religious political extremes.

The American people are historically and politically gullible, and easily sold with slogans. Thus, they believe the surge was winning when, in reality, it is a U.S. political election issue. It has been the millions of dollars of protection money that has kept the fragile peace. Another thing is that Iraq has a Shia majority like Iran, but the religious part plays a much greater role than any "Christian unification" concept in the Western world. Thus, attacks on Iran are perceived as attacks on all Shia. …

Edgar Towers

Oceanside

Send a message to incumbents

If you are concerned about the escalating costs of all energy sources, then you should be aware of what organization is responsible for the current mess.

In 1974, I was a member of a countrywide study team under contract from the federal government to determine whether the U.S. could be energy self-sufficient. The conclusion of this study was a recommendation for the federal government to fund the construction of seven sample plants that would produce 1 million barrels of oil-equivalent energy per day. The source for the production of this synthetic fuel and natural gas would be oil shale, coal and rubbish. Remember, these were test plants, and I am sure, over time, they would have been improved to produce even more energy. In time … we could have substantially reduced our importation of energy.

In addition, the technology we would have developed, had we built these plants, could have formed an entire new industry that could have been sold to other countries. As usual, the members of Congress at that time considered such a program to be unnecessary.

Therefore, I personally recommend that in the upcoming November election, everyone should vote out every senior member of Congress in both the House and Senate, independent of their party affiliation. Send a message!

Richard Staszak

Oceanside

What kind of a nation are we?

On the morning of March 26, on the Coaster train to San Diego, I read an article in The New York Times about a Bush administration report describing the serious fiscal problems involving Social Security and Medicare. One of the proposed remedies consists of $180 billion in savings to Medicare, previously rejected by Congress, that includes substantial cuts in payments to doctors.

From Old Town, I walked west to Pacific Beach, then northeast along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard to the western edge of Sea World. Because the bikeway skirting the south side of Sea World was closed for repair, I walked east back toward Old Town through the theme park's vast parking lot. At noon, it was nearly at capacity and cars were still streaming in.

Walking along, I thought, doing well are theme parks, cruise lines, Indian gaming casinos and military spending, but we cannot properly fund our health care. What kind of a nation are we?

Harold Weber

Oceanside