Readers of the North County Times

WWII veteran gunner deserves his medal

Hooray for Paul Bonilla. He deserves the upcoming Navy and Marine Corps Medal and more, and we're happy for him, as reported in the May 10 paper by John Raifsnider ("WWII vet to receive Navy medal").

But the piece doesn't tell us what the ultimate outcome was for pilot William McCarthy, who was rescued by crewman Bonilla after they crashed in the water during a bombing mission over Wake Island in WWll. He survived thanks to gunner Bonilla, but then what? Is he still living? How old? And how old is Bonilla (article doesn't say)?

As an old (88) Air Force B-25 bomber pilot with 47 missions over South Pacific waters and having watched several of my buddies from above as they ditched their shot-up and disabled twin-engine B-25s in the water, I give great credit to Mr. Bonilla's pilot for having brought their powerless aircraft down well enough to avoid instant death and have a chance for survival.

Congratulations to Paul Bonilla for his persistence in pursuing the recognition he so richly deserves.

Howard Langhans

Oceanside

TEA parties with grass roots

Margaret Liles' (Letters, May 4) opinion of the TEA party protests on April 15 is laughable, as it is apparent that she could not have been in attendance at any of the gatherings. Liles chose to watch "tortuous" videos with a liberal focus that is so intolerant of a "grass-roots" gathering of concerned citizens.

Thousands of us were there at the TEA parties to protest the arrogance and incompetence of Congress using the "credit card" approach in crafting the "stimulus" bill in a rush that did not even allow time to read the bill before voting! There was not even any consideration of the Republican request to focus on financial responsibility by only spending funds that will create jobs now!

As responsible parents, we certainly do not teach our children that they can use a "credit card" approach to spend money now on all the things they want, to accumulate a massive debt that their grandchildren will have a difficult time paying for.

Our hope is that our children and grandchildren will become self-respecting citizens with morals, values and a work ethic based on the example provided to us by the founders of our incredible country. …

Dick Cummings

Escondido

Water-dispensers not using water wisely

Upon approaching (a local) store, I noticed a water-dispensing machine with a pipe coming from it … pouring out water into the drain. A man walked up as I was watching this and I made the comment it looked as if the machine had a malfunction.

His comment was that the machine was a reverse osmosis system and that it used a lot of water to back-flush the membranes that filtered the drinking water. When at home, I looked up reverse osmosis systems on the computer and was shocked at what I found.

Reverse osmosis units use a lot of water. They recover only 5 to 15 percent of the water entering the system. The remaining water is discharged as waste water. Because waste water carries with it the rejected contaminants, the water is usually connected to the drain going to the sewer. A reverse osmosis unit delivering five gallons of treated water per day may discharge 40 to 90 gallons of waste water per day.

… (Given) the fact that we are in a water crisis, I am shocked these reverse osmosis systems are allowed.

Mark Edmonds

Escondido

City Council must make tough decisions

Several years ago, Ed Green ran for Escondido City Council. He was not elected, but he did predict the city was headed for bankruptcy, and that prediction was accurate.

Early retirement benefits and high salaries for policemen, firemen and city employees are primarily responsible. We respect and honor these public servants for their devotion and hazardous duty, but society cannot continue to pay those financial benefits. Our City Council must make some difficult decisions to correct this situation.

Neal Hook

Escondido

Transparency and stimulus

I would like to see a large sign posted at all stimulus projects so the American people can see how ridiculous this Democratic pork package is and how the private sector will stimulate the economy, not the Obama government. The signs would be a wake-up call.

Roger Post

Cardiff-by-the-Sea

A keen grasp of the obvious

Does Roland Martin ("Court pick may reveal Obama's real ideology," May 10) understand that an approximately 1,000-word newspaper column, 500 words of which are quotes from Barack Obama, doesn't exactly come across as serious and balanced analysis?

Oh well. I'm glad he did it. No reasonable person reading those lengthy Obama quotes could possibly miss his point: The personal political values of the president's nominee will prevail over anything in the U.S. Constitution.

Dale Delmege

Escondido

Grassley is laughing at us

Sen. Chuck Grassley laughs at we, the people! Sen. Chuck Grassley laughs at the people who put him in office! Lobbyists do not represent we, the people!

It is time for the representatives give up their meal tickets and listen to we, the people!

Linda Browne

Vista

Living on the edge

I'm one of "those on the edge" who risk everything they've worked for by not being able to afford health care coverage. I am an average middle-class (for now) hard-working, college-educated American whose career was sent offshore. I am underemployed … and still trying to pursue the American dream.

If our health care system doesn't cover all by the end of this term, and Congress is off to a very poor start in this pursuit with the choice of Mr. Baucus, my ranks will be increasing and the payback at the ballots will be across the board.

Michael Bertrand

Carlsbad

U.S. should be paid back for protection

In these difficult times of maintaining our military manpower and its cost, why do we still have about 30,000 members of our armed forces in South Korea? It's about time (50-some years) for South Korea to increase its own military to protect the country. Our armed forces are serving there while their citizens are avoiding military service and enjoying civilian life. Under these conditions, our military has become a mercenary force; shouldn't Korea reimburse us for our expenses for protecting their country? The same conditions should also apply for Japan, Germany, the Philippines and now Iraq.

If we could be reimbursed by foreign governments for the costs of our armed forces, our deficit would be much improved, and hopefully thousands of our armed forces could return home.

Walter Stendahl

Oceanside

Mideast 'conquests' and issue of fairness

Re: Gary Miller, Letters, March 23: Mr. Miller scoffs at historical facts, preferring to live in fiction. Based on archaeological and Biblical data, the land now known as Israel was once called Canaan and was the original home of the Jews. Throughout the ages, it was conquered by various invaders and has been reconquered (not stolen) by the original occupants, the Jews.

In order to undermine the Jewish people, Mr. Miller stooped to an all-time low, denying historical and current realities. He's no better than Muslims who refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist. There was no greed or lust for land involved; it was survival and their right of sovereignty over their lives.

If American Indians can wage and win a war, reclaiming their land, it would become theirs through conquest, period! That's reality, Mr. Miller.

He favors a world without religion. A world without conscience sounds yummy, but he'd better not hold his breath waiting.

Re: Mr. Crews, Letters, March 23: It's unfair to classify "most" Jews as liberal today. Many have swung over to Independent and Republican parties. He claims that the Palestinians turned down a "95 percent" offer because it was unfair. Sounds more than fair to me!

Dolores Wiener

Oceanside

Retiree's different outlook on taxes

Mike Gibbons, an individual privileged to be "triple-dipping" on the American taxpayer, (Letters, April 22) has the audacity to chastise those who protest higher taxes.

I remind him that he lived off the American taxpayer as a military member (as I once did) and then civil service employment. Now he enjoys retirement from both publicly funded jobs, and Social Security as well. His comfortable triple-dipping lifestyle is what many of us beleaguered taxpayers are protesting.

I think if he (should) start a business with his own money, collect and pay taxes … met weekly payrolls, have civil service employees tell him how much he needed to pay in licensing fees, city and state permits, (deal with) ridiculous Environmental Protection Agency requirements … and have Occupational Safety and Health Administration (officials) breathing down his neck in an effort to extract unwarranted fines and force sometimes rather stupid expenditures … he might have a different outlook on taxes.

I have an idea: Why don't we simply tax every entrepreneur out of business and send all of their production to someone overseas who can do the job without all of the taxes and ridiculous requirements required of American businessmen?

Ernest Sparks

Vista

More TEA party lies

Re: the letter from Escondido resident Margaret Liles (Letters, May 4) â€"â€" which displays the lack of intelligence and originality that is plaguing the voting public of this country: Ms. Liles has quoted another North County Times letter writer who last week attacked TEA parties. Ms. Liles presents no facts. For the record, Ms. Liles, our founders â€"â€" without exception â€"â€" declared that without God, this nation could not stand!

… TEA party attendants were all colors, all political parties and all ethnicities. Not organized by Minutemen, as Ms. Liles implied! (The events) were attended by we, the people, who do not want to lose their freedoms!

Too bad Ms. Liles does not know her American duty! Symptom of the greater ill!

Carol Derbis

Oceanside

Israeli success comes at America's expense

Jack Strumpf's letter (May 3) condemns me for complaining about U.S. aid to Israel. He then proceeds to brag about the number of Jewish Nobel winners and how wise Israel has been in spending the hundreds of billions of dollars we have sent them over the years. Is it really wise to ignore a U.N. resolution (242) and occupy another country, thus ensuring a state of war for more than 40 years?

Jack, just what do 170 Jewish (not Israeli) Nobel laureates have to do with this discussion of U.S. aid to Israel? If he thinks it proves Israel's superiority, he should remember that any Israeli success is achieved by standing on the back of the American taxpayer.

He asks, "Why does Mr. Crawford and others continually berate Israel and the Jewish people?"

I have never berated the Jewish people. Israel yes, but the Jewish people, no. There is a difference, and unfortunately, too many people â€"â€" and evidently Jack is one of them â€"â€" cannot make that distinction.

It seems that now would be a good time to stop aid to Israel and spend the money on our undereducated children, and then maybe Americans can brag. It might even bring peace to the Middle East.

Mel Crawford

Vista

See 'An Inconvenient Truth,' then comment

It's good to know that Jack Davis (Letters, May 4) believes that man is capable of affecting the climate. But he misses the point of my April 29 letter. I would much rather know what Mr. Davis thinks of "An Inconvenient Truth" than the three people he mentioned.

One more time, folks: Whether you agree with Al Gore or not, commenting on and describing a movie you have not seen is foolish and hurts your credibility. We all have our different opinions on the subject, but please refrain from bashing the film until you have seen it yourself!

I can also cite countless experts, the way a lot of folks have on this page â€"â€" but how many of us have the time to read all the books and visit all the Web sites suggested here? The movie is about an hour and a half, to the point, factual, entertaining and nonpartisan. Once you have seen it, you will no longer wonder how it received an Academy Award and why Gore was awarded the Nobel Prize.

Michael McNulty

Escondido