Cheney just no good

Vice President Cheney has committed more violations of his oath of office and his oath to preserve the Constitution than any previous sitting VP of this country. It is long past time for the Congress to impeach him, and it is long past the hour that he should be prosecuted for his crimes.

Jack Love

Escondido

Easy fix to Chargers parking

If parking is the only problem at the proposed site in Oceanside for the Chargers stadium, it can be easily solved on a small amount of land: Put all parking in a structure that goes both deep underground and many stories aboveground. Immense numbers of vehicles can be accommodated with today's new designs for such parking structures.

Clay Northcote

Carlsbad

Dump Bush and Cheney!

Comprehensive solution! I would like to see the Senate, Congress and the people get together and pass a comprehensive impeachment for Bush and Cheney.

Joe Salarzano

Escondido

Sheehan's son chose to serve

Regarding Mr. Van Doorn's column on Madam Sheehan ("Cindy Sheehan steps away," June 5): If memory serves, Casey Sheehan was over 21 and on his second enlistment in the U.S. Army. If this is correct, then Casey Sheehan was a professional soldier by his own choice and subject to all the benefits (and risks) therein.

Was the war in Iraq necessary? I don't have a clue, but must leave such decisions to the powers that be in Washington.

I do know that having gone to war, said war must be pursued with great vigor and brutality, the object being to destroy the enemy, contrary to the philosophy of "let's have a war but don't hurt anybody" nonsense. An old political philosopher wrote that wars can only be deferred but not avoided, and the longer they are deferred, then the longer and bloodier they are.

I feel sorry for Madam Sheehan because she allowed herself to be used by amoral, heartless politicians for their own political agendas, but my sympathy is tempered by her cavorting with the likes of Mr. Hugo Chavez. She should have known better than that. As for Mr. Van Doorn and the North County Times editors, I gave up on them a long time ago.

George Bolton

Carlsbad

Billary is a threat to America

Thelma Dunn's (Letters, June 2) denial of Clinton's socialist agenda reveals unawareness of socialism and Clinton objectives. The Democrats lost both houses of Congress two years after Clinton took office because of his socialist leap efforts. Bill accomplished payroll tax increase, 4 cents a gallon gas tax increase, more welfare benefits, and was pushing for more until Congress slowed his march. Even Democrats wouldn't swallow Hillary's health care proposal. Universal health care is on her presidential agenda ññ that's expensive socialism. Government spending is one of four reasons that we are destroying the country from within. Economists believe Clinton had no economic policy. He coasted on the Reagan economy. The economy was so strong (cell phone, computer and other related industries) that Clinton's tax-and-spend couldn't destroy the economy. Hillary's platforms would "return us to peace and prosperity." Pandering to dictators has no long-term benefits. Prosperity under Hillary! Democrats are

addicted to taxes, which isn't an economic stimulator. Thelma failed to be specific about bedroom intrusion, but I assume she refers to abortion. This isn't a bedroom issue. It's a matter of killing over a million helpless, unborn every year.

Murel Fisk

Escondido

Not the best government money can buy

All the apologists for the Democratic Party are coming out of the woodwork to defend their party's action of handing the man who would be king another blank check. The Democratic Party, however, has failed to be the opposition party that they were elected to be.

The apologists say the Democrats don't have enough votes to override a veto. So what? The problem is not the veto. The problem is the Democrats don't have enough votes among their members to send a responsible bill to the president's desk. The president can veto all day and night, but if he's not handed money for his waste-of-the-public-treasury program, he'll eventually have to buckle. The Democrats didn't see it that way for two reasons: The majority of Democrats, like their Republican colleagues, have no spine, and the reason for that is because they both get their funding from the same corporate sponsors, including the ones profiting most from war ññ oil companies and military industrialists. Remember, "This senator has been brought to you by ExxonMobil, working to improve the bottom line, and by Lockheed/Martin, where bombing is our business." In Washington, it's still the old Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum effect.

Peter Benson

Escondido

Role model or hero?

Ron Newman, role model or hero? ("Former Escondido Councilman Ron Newman dies at 65; Mayor calls death 'loss of a true gentleman,'" June 6)

Rick Paul

Escondido

The Sprinter, part III

In recent weeks we have seen the Sprinter being tested on the completed tracks in Escondido and San Marcos, and it is exciting to watch. However, there are some concerns that have been raised regarding the street crossings, specifically at Escondido Avenue in Vista, and the sound barriers that some are saying need to be built.

It is obvious that there is some noise that will be associated with the Sprinter, especially at or near the street crossings, and that was known since the beginning of the project. I question why the company building the Sprinter, or the transit district, has to pay an additional sum of money to Vista to build sound barriers.

If the city of Vista cannot see that the Sprinter will improve mass transit in North County and make it easier for the population of North County to commute to and from their jobs and other destinations, then maybe the city of Vista is not interested in progress after all. If they are, then maybe they should help pay the costs of building a sound barrier that they want in the first place.

Len and Matthew Ross

Escondido

Transit system would benefit many

I'm a student at Palomar College. I live in Poway and commute to campus every couple of days. Being a college student, my finances aren't as flexible as I would like. As such, it would be useful if there was a transit system running alongside the Interstate 15 from such areas as downtown La Mesa to San Marcos. If there was such a system, I would take that transit from my home in Poway to school and save money from gasoline usage.

Since my money would be saved from gas, I could spend more of it on my education and be able to concentrate more on my studies. Other students are behind me in this idea. Many of the students who live down the I-15 also commute and carpool with others to save money. But if there was a light-rail transit system, these students would save even more and ride the train to school with everyone else.

A transit system running alongside the I-15 would benefit most of the college students currently attending Palomar College and Cal State San Marcos. It would save money on gasoline, as well as car repairs that are sure to be needed from so much driving, as most students go to school every day through traffic.

Andy Weber

Poway

Who benefits from stadium?

To the voters and council members [of Oceanside]: Before you vote for the stadium, think about who pays for it. You, the taxpayers. Who makes the money from it? The owners. There are very few jobs from there ññ food sales, ticket takers and cleanup crews.

If you can get a copy of the August 2005 Reader's Digest, it has the facts.

Elizabeth Wood

Oceanside

Will water park really be good?

There has been a pressing issue mentioned time and time again in the newspaper that I feel is being overlooked. We are apparently getting a water park here in Temecula. Some might think, "It will give the children here in Temecula and surrounding suburbs something to do over summer."

Others may say, "It will keep kids out of trouble." Some may even think, "It's great because it will be bringing money into our town." But is it really? What about the bad crowds of children that may come to the park from surrounding suburbs? What about the amount of tourists that it will bring in? As if Temecula streets aren't crowded enough as it is. Just imagine the thousands of people who will just be added to the ever-so-busy Winchester Road freeway offramp and street.

So maybe we should ask ourselves: Is it really worth it?

Brittany Sloan

Temecula Valley High School

Say no to the quarry

The port trucks that will be traveling through Southern California are not the only things that are going to add to our forthcoming problems. In addition to making traffic 20 times worse, this is going to pollute our air, harming residents and our environment.

I have no idea why someone would pick a location such as here for a quarry. If the quarry is built in a more rural, empty area, I think spending a little more money to have the trucks travel farther is worth it. The air is already becoming polluted enough around Temecula; let's not make it worse.

We need to take the initiative and protest! We can stop this.

Ashley Kelly

Temecula Valley High School

Schools should focus on education, not sports

Temecula Valley High School has recently spent upward of $10 million on a brand new gym. It's near completion now and the structure is massive. It is by far the largest edifice on our 20-year-old campus.

Our performing arts and library are unacceptably small, our classrooms are deteriorating and our labs underfunded, and even though other upgrades are coming, I still find it hard to ignore the monstrous gym that's near completion.

It made me consider the value of having school-funded sports. Sports are great for building character, developing friendships and teaching the value of working together, however I don't think it should be the school's job to fund them.

Consider the amount of space, time and money dedicated to high school athletics and what could be done with that money to better education. Temecula Valley High, like most high schools, sits on about 50 acres of property and half the acreage is dedicated to the fields and venues of high school sports.

If high school sports have one major folly, it's that the majority of athletes participate in club athletics off campus for the majority of the year.

Why should the school and the state provide money for sports that already take place elsewhere?

I say, let's push organized sports away from schools and focus on what really matters, education.

Thomas Schaper

Temecula Valley High School

Web Comments

Workshop produces no beach plan

Readers respond to our June 9 story about how the 21-member San Diego Association of Governments board has not yet solved the difficult problem of figuring out how to finance their campaign to beef up thinning beaches that is estimated to cost about $25 million.

Backward

kit: "More Sanchez grandstanding. When she was delegate to SANDAG she hardly showed - now she shows when we already have a delegate."

No sand

Mike the Marine: "With Sanchez attending SANDAG we are doomed. SANDAG will cut off any chance of Oceanside getting any sand!"

Paid for it

Congressmen?: "Why does Florida and New Jersey get money regularly for beach restoration and California gets nothing? Where are our Senators and Congressmen? Since Californians already pay more in federal taxes per person than the rest of the nation I think we should get priority for federal funds for beach restoration!"

Let it go

jack: "Tell them to stop doing everything humanly possible to prevent sand from getting to our beaches! They approve small bridges and train tracks that block sand that gets to sea level from getting to the ocean beaches and this destroys the lagoons. They build dams on all the streams that capture sand as well as water. They build jetties that deflect littoral drift of sand into deep water. And they armor old beaches (cliffs) from making new beaches."

Civilian nurses at Pendleton get hefty pay raise

Readers respond to our June 9 story about 164 civilian nurses at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton getting a $24,000-a-year pay raise when federal officials adjusted their pay to match what nurses at Naval Hospital San Diego were making.

Where do I sign?

TCMC RN: "Congrats to nurses. I would like to know where to apply. Even your starting rate is higher than what I earn having working years at TCMC in a specialty area including our newly negotiated union pay raise. I am glad that it all worked out. For years I have questioned what is the 65th percentile - show me the figures. I am an educated women, let me see. I just want to go to work and focus on patient care and not have to worry so much about other stuff."

Hooray!

Yeah: "Nurses should. They have a hard job."

The best care

Great!: "Nurses deserve the pay raise as they are the primary caregivers to those in need! And our troops returning from Iraq need a lot of care as they have so many mental and physical problems from this stupid war."

Whose pocket?

Where is the $$$: "OK, fine, so they got a raise. But where is this extra $3,936,000 coming from, taxes of Oceanside residents?"

Worthy nurses

Laura: "That is wonderful news and well deserved by the nurses."

L.A. judge in Paris Hilton case praised as unflappable, fair

Readers respond to a June 9 story about how Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer, who sent Paris Hilton to jail, is known for his even-keeled demeanor and fairness as he handles more than 100 cases a day, mostly drunken driving cases involving non-celebrities.

Too hard

fairness?: "Everyone who thinks that the judge was fair and Hilton got what she deserved should see the Sheriff's news conference. She did get special treatment, harsher that anyone else and THAT is not fair. P.S. I'm no Paris fan either."

Real issue

The question: " … now is not whether or not poor Paris deserves to be in jail, but whether or not it is OK for a sheriff to overturn a judge's ruling. In my opinion, it is not. The sheriff, and the chief of police in San Diego, are required to follow judge's rulings just like everyone else. Or maybe we should just skip the whole trial thing and let the sheriff arrest, decide guilt and then pronounce sentence."

Not above law

Andrew G.: "Thanks so much, your honor, for doing the right and lawful thing concerning the Paris Hilton case! I appreciate that you are acting like she is just a normal citizen and not some celebrity! The forefathers made laws for citizens, not different laws for celebrities. She did the crime, she needs to do the time in a prison like any normal person would!"

Bit extreme

steve: "I have never heard of anyone driving with a suspended license and getting 45 days. Maybe if she hurt somebody or caused a major accident or something, but all she did was drive on a suspended license. 45 days? Judge is trying to get himself some publicity."

Good one

Nina: "Judge Sauer is to be congratulated. If she had served a reasonable amount of time, nobody would have batted an eyelid. But three days and with no cell mate? Come on!"