Suggestions for Oceanside senior center

It is reported that construction for the long-awaited senior center for central Oceanside has been pushed back to early 2009 ("Senior center put on hold even longer," Union-Tribune, Aug. 15). What else is new? Seniors have been waiting for this center for over 10 years. A whole new generation of seniors will come and go before it becomes a reality.

In the meantime, why doesn't the Senior Commission consider this? Soon the congregation of St. Margaret's on Oceanside Boulevard will move from their present building into a new church facility. The former building with a large auditorium, meeting rooms, offices, a complete kitchen, parking, etc., could be available for possible rental. Why don't they sit down with St. Margaret's and talk over such an idea?

BERNARD FLORACK

Oceanside

Writer got it all wrong

After reading Dane Joseph's alarmingly misogynistic Community Forum Aug. 18 (("Boys will be boys, unless castrating feminists win")), I was left wondering about the writer's intent. I mean, other than making outrageously inflammatory statements equating castration with encouraging boys to be less aggressive, could it be that Mr. Joseph was attempting to persuade readers that it is preferable for schools to promote violence rather than kindness and consideration? For real? Aggressiveness that is not tempered is often a contributing factor in incidences of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault and murder.

Prisons are filled to capacity with guys who commit crimes fueled by "male aggressiveness." All kids benefit from learning to be cooperative, considerate and kind.

Sorry. Mr. Joseph, you've got it all wrong.

LAURIE ORR

Encinitas

Sound of train is romantic and enchanting

I have been sorry to see all of the talk about stopping the train whistles. I have grown up in Encinitas, since I was 3 years old in 1960, and the train whistles are a wonderful, nostalgic sound. The train brings back memories of falling asleep to the sound of the waves and the train when we lived on Neptune Avenue in Leucadia, and great childhood memories in Encinitas.

The train whistle is also so important for safety purposes. With the number of fatal accidents with people and cars versus the train, I don't know how silencing the train can even be considered. Also, people do continue to cross the tracks, and I believe that they will continue to do so until we have more pedestrian crossings.

If the coastal cities did not allow people to build their homes 10 feet from the railroad tracks, I don't believe that we would have this issue. People build their homes there, then they want to make the city change its policy for them.

The sound of the train is romantic and enchanting. It has been associated with Encinitas for many years. Children love the sound of the train. I remember picking up my cousins at the old train station, the building that is now the Pannikin in Leucadia. Please don't deprive us of a part of our history.

MONICA KIEFFER

Leucadia

Cuba health care a model for other nations

A letter in Friday's paper, Aug.18, by one Charles Roper (("'Sicko' popular in Cuba?")) attempts to denigrate Cuban health care by quoting the magazine Revista de Asignaturas Cubanas.

Mr. Roper warns us to be careful not to believe everything we see and hear.

This is good advice, and he should take it. Revista de Asignaturas Cubanas is published in Europe by opponents of the Cuban Revolution and of Fidel Castro. Their information is not firsthand, and their motives are even more biased than those of Michael Moore.

I recently returned from my fourth trip to Cuba, where I have had the opportunity to visit hospitals and clinics, to witness certain elementary care and to learn about the organization of Cuba's state-provided health care, its successes and needs, and believe it or not, Cuban health care is successful. Their life expectancy equals or exceeds that of the U.S. They are a model for other nations.

Sorry I can't tell you more, but I've exceeded my word limit.

DOLORES WELTY

Encinitas

Rats leaving the ship

It is evident that the current presidential administration is a foundering ship, but when the rats start leaving the ship you know it is sinking.

TIMOTHY TAYLOR

Oceanside

Vista's building a Taj Mahal?

Ahhh, can you smell it, citizens of Oceanside? The city of Vista is waiving its own height building limitations. Why? Well, the Taj Mahal (that would be Oceanside City Hall) has got an ocean view! We could too, if we could get high enough.

Stay tuned. Before it's over, the new Vista City Hall will be gold-plated; that is, until your last tax dollar is spent. Tax and spend has a certain ring to it, don't you think?

CHARLES WILDER

Vista

More half-truths on guns

"No Guns" Joe Grant (, Letters Aug. 18, ) is back with more letter writing and half-truths.

No Joe, the NRA didn't block anti-gun Mayor Bloomberg. The state of Virginia told Bloomberg they did not appreciate him sending private investigators to Virginia in an attempt to violate their gun purchase laws. He was told if it happens again, his private investigators would end up in prison.

Please don't compare driving a car with owning a weapon. That's apples and oranges. Last time I checked, the Constitution does not mention driving as a right. But just to point it out, believe it or not there are people who drive without a license or insurance, and even go so far as to steal current registration stickers off other vehicles.

As for listing the most-recent news stories about shootings, why doesn't he just list those occasions when owning a firearm prevented a crime?

DAN SHAPIRO

Oceanside

That is what Bush promises

The underlying (secret) agenda [of the Bush administration] is the formation of the North American Union, facilitated by the Security and Prosperity Partnership. The NAU will integrate Mexico, Canada and the U.S.A. as one regional entity for the sake of commerce.

Have we not had enough lies from this administration to understand that they are more interested in further reaping the benefits of illegal alien low-wage (slave labor) workers for the benefit of industry? Why, you may say? Follow the power and money!

The industries will increase political contributions to those politicians who pass laws, or ignore laws, for the benefit of those industries who want to pay slave wages. Then we, the people, have to pay for the benefits of illegal aliens' free hospitalization, free schools, free welfare, while few taxes will be paid by the illegal aliens. … Instead of our citizens and our children receiving the benefits of our taxes, our taxes are subsidizing businesses using illegal alien workers. There is no free lunch, except for the illegal aliens and the businesses using them!

It is time for us to take control of our out-of-control government. They are ignoring our Constitution and doing business at the cost of the legal taxpayers. … To learn more about SPP/NAU, you can find information at www.StopSPP.org.

THOMAS TAYLOR

Vista

Take the emotion out of gun debate

Why does Mr. Grant (Letters, Aug 18. ) always use examples of deranged, mentally ill and criminals as examples as to why we need to further restrict guns?

What about the elderly man in California who used a gun to successfully defend his life and property, or the lady in Louisiana who, using a gun, stopped an ex-boyfriend from killing her, or the citizen who used his legal, concealed-carry gun to stop a bank robbery? Their guns all came from their personal decision to defend themselves.

Mayor Bloomberg, a known anti-gun advocate, wants to further his anti-gun crusade with his requests for information on all gun purchases in the entire U.S. not just New York City.

Studies have shown that crime has dropped in states (Florida) that allow concealed carry, if Mr. Grant would just look and not be so emotional about guns.

GERALD REASTER

Escondido

Meth epidemic a result of crackdown on pot

Re: the Aug. 17 story, "Identity theft fueled by meth." It's obvious that tweakers are the main source of this type of crime.

Let us not forget where tweakers came from in the first place. When the government sprayed the Mexican pot fields with paraquat in the 1980s this near-harmless substance all but vanished in San Diego County. The near-harmless smokers turned to meth, since coke was too expensive.

Years later, many of them are still on it! Computer ID theft fits their profiles perfectly. Meth use is a knee-jerk reaction to taking the "child's toy" away. He picks up another one. If he has to learn to pick the lock on the toy box, that's what he'll do.

It's not right, but thank the government for taking his harmless toy away in the first place.

DON SHIVELY

Vista

Universal health care is coming

To the young man who wrote regarding the movie "Sicko" on Aug. 11(Letters) I would tell him not to lose heart. A universal health care plan for all citizens in this country is absolutely needed, and don't let anybody tell you different.

I lived for 13 years under a universal health care system in the U.K., and I have lived under the "do it yourself system" here in the U.S. for 50 years.

Naturally there are things that could be better in a universal system, but there are things that could be a whole lot better under the system that we have here in the U.S.

When we have a new Democratic president, we will probably see the beginnings of something better, but you can bet your boots that you will hear the doomsday tellers telling us how bad it will be. If they do, just ask them who pays for the health care of Congress, and how do they know all these things they say.

To have the experience is more valuable than to listen to hearsay.

DON SWIFT

Temecula

This kind of news is desperately needed

Thank you for today's (Aug. 17) article on Victory Outreach's work in North County ("Victory Outreach hits the streets to help gang members, addicts"). I was impressed by seeing this type of community effort being treated as regular news. What a concept.

Unfortunately, most of this type of work and message goes ignored, when not attacked, by the mainstream media. This is so sadly ironic given that such work is so desperately needed by our communities, and we are all beneficiaries of it in some way.

MILTON LOPEZ

San Diego

'Socialist' isn't name-calling, it's government

Douglas Dunn reacted to the word "socialist" (Letters, Aug. 1) This isn't name-calling, it's a form of government. Those who don't know, and those who don't want others to know that they support socialism, are the only people who would be offended. As for name-calling, one writer wrote "Faux Noise." It said nothing about Fox News, but revealed much about the character of the writer.

Thanks, Mr. Dunn, for the Ann Coulter (a loyal American) comment. That was supposed to offend, but I would be offended by a Bill Clinton, Al Gore, or John Kerry connection.

State and local public funding of schools served us well until the 1960s, when federal government violated the Constitution and started funding. The National Education Association became a political power in the 1970s and President Carter established the Education Department. Public school education, from elementary through university level, has spiraled downward since.

Congressional Democrats are pushing for more taxes and more fraud-filled waste programs. For the next 15 months you will hear Hillary promise more welfare, and threaten taxpayers. Who will be Hillary's strongest supporters? Our enemies.

MUREL FISK

Escondido

Is it global warming or ice age?

Now that we are in the depths of the normal August hot spell, people tend to forget the previous winter. During the winter of 2006/2007 we had record blizzards throughout the Midwest and Northeast. We had snow flurries in May in the Midwest. Several major-league baseball games were postponed because of snow.

In California we had a record week-long freeze that destroyed half of the citrus and avocado crops. … Chile has experienced its coldest winter in 30 years since early June of this year. Antarctica is experiencing one of its colder winters with temperatures of 93 degrees below zero on the Fahrenheit scale.

If we don't do something about global warming we'll bring on another ice age.

Bernard Elbinger

Oceanside

We don't need more quagmires

Recently Barack Obama said that he would reserve the right to invade Pakistan if he thought that President Musharraf was failing to do enough to stop terrorists. That sounds fine, but feelings are not enough to start another war. - The same kind of talk led to our quagmire in Iraq; a trillion dollars later we have not confronted and defeated the actual terrorists.

What we least need now is a Bush light to waste another trillion.

Emil Hurtik

Temecula

Trio will push for unification

My wife and I have been working toward unification for some time now. We urge you to vote for Randall Williams and Michael Perez, along with Joan Cooley. Williams, Perez and Cooley will make unification happen.

We will not be voting for Eric Kroencke or Barry Busch; they have proven by their lack of action that they do not support unification.

Fred Twyman

Menifee

Two reasons to object to evolution letters

There are only two possibilities I can see for those objecting to the evolution/anti-evolution discussions in the letters: Either you do not understand the implications and consequences, or you understand them all too well.

If you don't believe in evolution, because you can see that it doesn't match with observation, testing and replication, you are smarter than many. If you don't believe because you perceive "eternal" implications then you also have an edge up on many.

On the other hand, if you understand the implications all too well, then you are the ones most apt to object to the letters, because you cannot stand being accountable to anyone, much less an eternal God, and you have a dislike for anyone who calls into question the only other option of evolution and "doing your own thing."

You do have a choice: Either change your belief system or don't read the letters to which you might object.

Choices certainly are important in every area of life.

Irvin H. Forbing

Escondido

Life isn't fair, nor meant to be

The Fairness Doctrine. Did I wake up and find myself in some Communist country? Can you imagine the nerve of people such as U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich who think that the way you make things fair in America is to silence those who don't think like you?

Earth to Dennis: Wake up. This is America. Land of the free. Home of the brave. One of these days liberal hacks will wake up and realize that life isn't fair. It's not supposed to be fair. Contrary to liberal beliefs, most people work (hard) to succeed in life. They don't just wake up one day and they are wealthy.

Jon Deganerro

Temecula

Bridge not built to handle wider freeway

The widened Los Alamos bridge over Interstate 215 is great. But why didn't they make it wide enough underneath to accommodate a wider 215 freeway? I thought that was part of the plan.

There is hardly enough room for one extra lane in each direction. Are they going to build another bridge when they widen the freeway, or are the civil engineers in this area a bunch of idiots? I think maybe the latter, because I could go on and on about the layout of the streets in this area, not to mention the fact that I hit every red light on my way to work on Business Park Drive in Temecula. I don't get it.

Brian Solomich

Menifee

Cure would put people out of work

Re: "Biotechnology firm details advance in stem cell studies," Aug. 20.

For what my opinion is worth, as a 71-year-old male with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, I am totally disgusted with the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association. I believe they do not want to find a cure, as it would put them and all the hangers-on out of work.

Regarding ethics, to save a life is the Hippocratic oath taken by physicians.

I just hope the stem cell researchers can find a cure for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease along with the other devastating diseases.

Rothers Langley

Lake Elsinore

Fresh from the Web:

Endangered fish threaten water supply

Readers respond to our Aug. 20 article on a lawsuit asking the courts to shut down pumps that send water to Southern Californians because the pumping kills a fish called the delta smelt.

Who wrote the headline?

Hilarious!: "Over development, not a fish, is endangering the water supply - that and our green, green lawns and golf courses. C'mon, Gig. I know you didn't write that headline!"

We can do it

Paul: "Replant those green lawns with low-water maintenance plants, learn to take Navy showers and flush the toilet fewer times. The farmers will have to cut back on their produce production, resulting in price increases."

Green, but not stupid: "It's time to let them die, just as the dinosaurs, the mammoths and the saber tooth tiger, it's all part of evolution."

Brown: "We are the only animal that lives, or has ever lived, that threatens the continued inhabitability of the planet; we are the only animal whose extinction would be a boon to every other species of plant or animal.

Automated roads and driving on autopilot

Readers respond to Dave Downey's Aug. 20 column on the possibility of creating automated roads.

Studying while driving

autopilot: "My favorite was watching a driver with a physics textbook balanced against the steering wheel doing homework while driving 65 mph in the middle of winter on the East Coast. I wish my car had the autopilot feature like hers did!"

A safer way to drive

Safe Way: "Finally a safe way to drive and still be on your cell phone, put on lipstick etc. - California living at its best. Presently, we still do all those wonderful things while driving, it is just up to everybody else to get out of our way when our vehicle goes out of control."

Idea is a joke

Period: "This is a joke, right? Someone, please, please tell me this is an attempt at humor. Someone obviously watched too many sci-fi movies! This project would be a disaster, not to mention, how long will this take to build? Probably 25 years, at a minimum. Have these people ever heard of a train? Look them up on the Web. You spell it T-R-A-I-N, please do a search on them. Maybe call some government officials from Chicago, NY or San Francisco, I am sure they can fill you in. I always love a good laugh first thing in the morning!"

This has been tested

KDB: "This has been tested and proven. The carpool lane on I-15 is already set-up to do this. It was tested for about 2 years with cars and buses. It worked great."

Wal-Mart seeking green light for expansions

Readers respond to our Aug. 19 report on Wal-Mart's plans to turn two stores in Oceanside and Vista into massive grocery-retail destinations known as supercenters.

More minimum wage jobs

Short Sighted: "Ooops, guess O'side and Vista are going to pay the reaper for short-sighted decisions in the 1990s. Sweet, even more min-wage jobs!"

A former Wal-Mart shopper

Vistan: "I've stopped shopping at Wal-Mart due to their greed-driven need to expand, and their large import of cheap, unsafe goods made in China. I have instead been supporting local mom-n-pop type stores, and the farmer's market."

A store on every corner

Bob: "Once again, how many more these stores do we need, there is practically one on every corner as it is. It makes me sick. These idiot city officials think nothing about quality of life only tax revenue. Not an original idea ever comes out of their heads. How about leaving a little open space as opposed to another big box eyesore."

Wal-Mart great for poor

Cheap is good: "Wal-Mart is the best thing that ever happened to inflation-battered, underpaid middle' and lower-class Americans."

Business is business

Leaky Boat: "The business of America is business, and San Diego has no business banning supercenters. Maybe the SD City Council should get on a leaky boat and set sail for Ho Chi Minh City.

Feathers ruffled over farmer's market

Numerous readers commented on an article Sunday about how some Old Town Temecula merchants oppose the plan to expand a farmer's market held on Saturdays:

Make it bigger

Big Spender: I don't like to go there only because it's too small, You walk down two aisles and you saw everything there. It takes me longer to drive there than it does to walk through it and I live in Temecula. I would definitely go there more if it was bigger. I would also like to see it open on Sundays.

Like TJ?

They ( the city leaders): should have a regular swap meet on Sundays once or twice a month and leave the farmers market what it was meant to be. Since when do farmers grow and sell bracelets, sunglasses, purses etc? They are turning Main Street into little Tijuana.

Pro status quo

Ridiculous: The merchants are being ridiculous. The farmers market brings people down there every Saturday. I'm certain without the market, business would be slower. They should rename it a flea market, but keep it the way it is.

Work with merchants

Together: The city of Temecula needs to work with the merchants (the ones who vote for them) and stop pushing them away. All the locals that have not been to Old Town in a few years, come on down and see for yourself.

Move it

new location: Seems like a viable solution - just move it. I don't think many people who go to it care where it will be. I like it in Old Town because I like to walk around the shops afterwards, but if the merchants don't like it I don't see why (it should stay) there. …

Not just City Hall

CIVIC CENTER: Put the farmers market on the green of the new civic center. It's a giant park and (will have) two parking garages for 900 cars, not just a city hall. Temecula Rocks!