Failed policies easily charted

Trajectory events is a business theory I developed wherein all events lead to forecasted consequences of good or bad. The worst case is primarily considered, thus preventing unwanted consequential disasters.

In brief, it is nothing more than a relational real-time expert software project management system measuring all trends, facts, inactions, history, actions, resulting in crucial milestones, generally ignored or unforeseen, and quantified grouped events. …

If applied to the Bush administration, all milestones and events are consequential disasters and continue to be. The absence of altering directional events, by him, his party members, his policies, implies a continued negative slide forward that gains momentum. Only major events such as another 9/11 can alter the course, whereby the buyers or audience's perception may be artificially altered, but only briefly.

If nothing changes, the current trajectory translates into major political losses for Republicans in 2008. All the ingredients are clear. There is no corrective course. Sounds simple but so easily ignored by those who follow the corporate chiefs off the cliff. Completely unavoidable in this case.

Edgar Towers

Oceanside

Lobby law has its defenders

The letter by Paul and Barbara Weeks (Letters, April 14) spoke volumes about the necessity to maintain the current regulations governing lobbyists.

Mr. and Mrs. Weeks sent a forceful message to the citizenry about the need to control those lobbyists, who may be working right up to the edge of the law. If Councilman Jerry Kern continues his effort to castrate current regulations, maybe it is time to mount a recall movement against Councilman Kern. It would be interesting to know who is lobbying Mr. Kern for such an asinine change. Care to tell the people about it, Mr. Kern?

LaVerne Forster

Oceanside

Where's our tax money going?

We as Vistans pay a very high rate of sewer tax, as well as a very high water tax, but they call it a service fee! Nevertheless, we have to pay it.

Yet we read about pipes breaking all the time, both water and sewer pipes. Where is all the money going? Surely not on maintenance, yet they always want more money from us taxpayers. Who gets the $6 million? If that $6 million had been used on maintenance, then there would be no fine. But they still need the money. It's the same old story. Get it from the taxpayers.

Joe Toomey

Vista

Pendleton's landfill repair

The worst engineering failure of its kind in San Diego County history has reached a point where Pendleton can no longer ignore the Las Pulgas landfill ("Pendleton gets landfill repair funding," April 14).

Using the government philosophy of "ignore everything until you can't ignore it anymore, then blame something else," Marine Corps officials now expect the American people to believe that they are genuinely concerned about the environment. …

After years of environmental abuses on the base, which includes toxic dumping, water contamination and sewage spills, I no longer have any trust in Pendleton leadership to protect, let alone respect the environment. If Col. Seaton, Camp Pendleton's commanding officer, is genuinely concerned about keeping the public trust, then he should devote his efforts into stopping the incompetence on base instead of making hollow promises and worthless excuses for what's happening on Pendleton.

Even the San Diego Regional Water Control Board finds any positive action by Pendleton leadership to address serious environmental issues on base as a surprise. "Yeah, it looks like they're gearing up to actually take care of the problem," said John Odermatt, engineering geologist.

Daniel Thompson

Oceanside

Thornhill gives unique point of view

Thanks for our fine editorial cartoonist Mark Thornhill. He gives our paper a unique point of view with local flavor. The anti-Thornhill jihad gets too much letters space for boring, repetitive whining.

I'm sorry Mr. Thornhill or any other North County Times opinion writer says nothing about the fine crisis counselors who are on the payroll for after-the-fact help in celebrations of death in our Oceanside schools, as they were at Virginia Tech. Where were these wonderful and expensive comforters when the VT English teacher needed help before the massacre? Could we hope to hear about the role our marvelous lawyers play in ensuring the helplessness of the entire government against ambitious killers, such as the gangs and drug houses in Oceanside?

Vincent Morrison

Oceanside

'Good kids' good to read

I just wanted to say thank you for your ongoing articles titled, "Good kids." It is always such a pleasure to read about these wonderful young adults and of their goals, aspirations and contributions to our community.

Thank you also for giving it such a prominent place in your paper, on the front page. Thanks!

Delores Loedel

Leucadia

Stop repeating the slur

I don't condone what radio personality Don Imus said on his program two weeks ago, but I can't understand why the North County Times had to repeat his racial slur … in the articles about it. If it was such a bad thing for him to say, then why keep putting it in print on a daily basis?

I think the problem with these types of situations [is that they] are so greatly exaggerated and repeated by the press. He should just be given whatever punishment is warranted and then drop it.

Please stop using the same slur that he is being punished for. He said it once and the North County Times has said it numerous times. Those women on the basketball team read the papers too.

Bob Taylor

San Marcos

A troubling movement to curb free speech

Peggy Hart#'s letter (Letters, April 18) is a troubling sign of the movement to curb free speech. Hart says she agrees with Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson for "defending their race," which led to the firing of radio host Don Imus.

Hart proposes that the homosexual community should take other radio hosts off the air as well because they have made comments that offend Hart. No surprise that she only names conservative radio hosts.

Hart#'s letter has nothing to do with restricting offensive speech. Hart#'s real message is that ideology should trump free speech. In other words, if you don#'t think like Hart, then keep your views off the airwaves! The troubling aspect of this is that tens of thousands of liberalcrats probably agree with Hart.

The movement to crush free speech should be more alarming to all of us than any other liberal movement, such as banning guns and taxing freedom of choice. Why? Because the liberals have the means to control speech through the media outlets they dominate, primarily television and newspapers. This makes your AM radio (and radio waves) the next target. Thank God that Al Gore invented the Internet!

Mike Kania

Carlsbad

Cedros Crossing in Solana Beach

I want to share my thoughts on Cedros Crossing and encourage the Solana Beach City Council to approve the EIR and move this project forward.

I like the mixed-use design of this property; more specifically, I like the low-income housing, the permanent home for North Coast Repertory Theater and sand for the beach if the quality is acceptable. …

There are some people who will always be opposed to change and will consider every new development a threat. The City Council needs to be careful not to allow a small, vocal minority to assume a majority voice. After more than three years of leading NCRT along, it would be dealing in bad faith to allow them to go down in the process of letting this project fall by the wayside. The theater is a great asset, and I want to keep it in Solana Beach. …

If the income from this development is essential to our city, then the council must avoid a no-growth attitude. Supporting community character also includes having adequate resources and strategically oriented financial management. If parking and traffic are a problem, then the council needs to be prepared to negotiate a satisfactory solution. Again, I urge the council to approve this project and move it to completion.

Mary Jane Boyd

Solana Beach

Web Comments

Two Marines honored for helping stop crime spree

Readers respond to our April 21 story about Lance Cpls. Ryan Fleming and Matthew Cannard received a police commendation from Oceanside police for helping to halt a crime spree in North County.

Good news

Great story: "That is awesome that muggers and thieves of senior citizens were arrested. Great job, Marines for getting involved and giving the extra effort to see that the thieves were apprehended."

Be proud

Veteran: "Great job to both Marines. Now will some of you pencil necks give credit that the marines live up to their mottos of "the few, the proud"? Maybe the Marines can get all of these punk gang bangers off of the streets."

No names?

Ron: "I'm surprised no one is calling them racists."

Appreciate the good

Karl: "To bring up racism about this report is stupid! It doesn't matter what race the criminals, nor the victim, nor the Marines who did as they did are. Two men beat up on a 86-year-old woman and two citizen Marines took proper action that resulted in the criminals being caught. End of story."

Teachers, administrators say Carlsbad school labor unrest increasing

Readers respond to our April 21 story about veteran teachers saying labor relations with the Carlsbad Unified School District are the rockiest they've been in decades with picketing before classes and public accusations of fiscal mismanagement and dishonesty.

Fair offers

San Marcos Taxpayer: "I hope the board stands strong on this issue. These teachers use one districts pay as leverage against the next and it becomes a vicious cycle of constantly feeding the unions greed. If no one has noticed, we are not in a inflationary period which can justify these large percentage raises. The districts offer is fair."

Education pays

Chuck:"When was the last time a 6% raise was a large raise? What was your raise this year? These are people with college degrees and post-graduate degrees, not someone making hamburgers, selling shoes or selling newspapers on the corner."

Get someone else

JH: "If they don't want 6 percent then fire them and hire others that would actually like their job as a teacher. I don't think working six hours a day, eight months a year is that tough of a job. Wake up, greedy!"

Work together

To JH: "For good teachers, six hours a day is only the start - and only what the public sees. For good teachers, another 20-plus hours a week researching and planning. Good teaching comes from good planning. That planning happens over the months of breaks, too. Teachers spend long hours preparing lessons so that they have maximum effect on students. That said, the district must control the bottom line. It's a balance."

Water board appointment sparks controversy in Oceanside

Readers respond to our April 21 story about Mayor Jim Wood saying that Barry Martin will continue to serve for the next three years as Oceanside's representative on the San Diego County Water Authority, leading to a heated debate between Wood and Councilman Jerry Kern.

Wrong wood

Wood is wrong again: "Why does he continue to play politics with important committee appointments? He played politics with the SANDAG appointment and that just bit us the first time this past week! Now he's playing again. We need someone on these committees that is accountable to the voters. 'Wood stormed out of City Hall' - how childish! I hope we can somehow elect an adult mayor that can put politics aside long enough to run this city. It ain't Jim!"

Our money, our voice

Bill: "Kern is absolutely right, the public should be allowed to weigh in on this. After all, we are the ones who have to pay the bills!"

Just a pass

You folks are naive: "The Water Authority will raise the rates because Metropolitan Water raises their rates. All the city does is pass on those increases to the Oceanside rate payers. It doesn't take a genius to figure out where this all leads. Barry will be fine, but Tait would have been better."

Behind Barry

Jake: "The last thing anyone needs ever is to have politicians deciding on money expenditures. Where ever possible, we need to tap the knowledge of business people. As an example, no business leaders would have ever succumbed to the ridiculous demands of the police and fire unions."

Check your ego

kit: "Please! Stop this political bickering. The idea of discrediting a fine person like Barry Martin is ridiculous. He is a good man and very well qualified. Stop attacking Barry. Good choice, mayor. Now please move on to work on the big issues and put the ego away."

Bye, Barry

peter: "Get someone new in there - 30 years is way too long!"