Westfield, not Carlsbad, is suing Oceanside

This is in response to Mr. Anthony Forlenza's letter on Jan. 1 about Oceanside being sued by Westfield for the shopping center they want built along Highway 76.

He is correct about the fiasco at the new golf course, and Car Country is hurting. The mall is outdated, rundown and has been noted to have a crime problem.

One slight correction (correct me if I'm wrong). In all the reports of Oceanside being sued for the shopping center, I've always noticed it was Westfield doing the suing, not Carlsbad. It seems to me that Westfield owns the Carlsbad mall, not the city of Carlsbad.

Tom Barclay

Carlsbad

I will proudly fly the flag every day

Mr. Dave Patterson (Letters, Jan. 4): I will proudly fly the flag Jan. 20, 2009, just as I did on Jan. 20, 2001 and on Jan 20, 2005, because I am always proud of this great nation and great people. I truly hope Barack Obama doesn't disappoint you and frees you from your oppressed life.

Jean Fisher

San Marcos

Keep an eye out for orange 2008 stickers

The California State Legislature would be well served to have our law enforcement organizations, both state and local, follow up on the numerous drivers who have neglected to pay for their licensing of their vehicles. Look at all of the orange 2008 stickers on the cars as you drive to wherever you are headed. I've seen as far back as May 2008 on a couple and many more in the later months. Now that we're in blue-only times, at least for California, it should be easy to spot.

Hey, out there, the state is broke. Pay your bills for the privilege of driving, among other things. Happy New Year out there!

Robert Boles

Rancho Bernardo

Boycott the supporters of Prop. 8

With a new year, I hope supporters of gay marriage will remember to boycott the supporters of Proposition 8. Some of the biggest contributions in San Diego County came from the Caster family, which owns A-1 Self Storage ($693,000), and Doug Manchester ($125,000), whose holdings include the Manchester Grand Hyatt and the Grand del Mar Hotel. Also, Robert Hoehn ($25,000), who owns Hoehn Motors in Carlsbad.

My source for these figures is www.californiansagainsthate.com, which provides information on contributions that supported Prop. 8. Please think about where you spend your money, because it could be used to take away civil rights.

Curtis Fitzgerald

Escondido

Quick recovery for the economy

The money being doled out for this country's economic recovery is being wasted by being passed out to failed companies that can't help the recovery effort.

Want to help everybody? Give each family unit $100,000 to spend as they wish.

That will give the economy a real jolt by giving cash to those who spend money and don't just charter jets and bank huge bonuses. And it's cheaper than all the trillions proposed by Congress and the White House.

Michael Kapnas

La Costa

Procreation, world hunger and hypocrisy

In a Dec. 31 letter, Iola King says: "God had said to man to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth." Please, someone tell our spiritual Commanders-in-Chief to proclaim "Mission accomplished!"

Current world population is about 6.8 billion. Of this population, about 25,000 people die from hunger-related causes every day! The Bread for the World Institute says of this number, about 16,000 are children (www.bread.org/learn/hunger-basics/hunger-facts-international.html).

The rate of hunger-related deaths can only grow worse as world population increases by 35 percent, reaching the 9.2 billion projected for 2050. Promoting procreation while ignoring the associated consequences of hunger-related suffering and death, now that is wicked!

King also says God is angry with the wicked every day â€"â€" the wicked being gays and lesbians. Wrong call! The truly wicked are the hypocrites who lay claim to a piety they do not possess. In Jesus' time, it was the scribes and Pharisees. Today, it is the religious leaders who misrepresent Jesus' teachings and lead others astray.

Regarding gays and lesbians: I see nothing sinful in two adults wanting to make a formal commitment to a monogamous relationship.

John Terrell

Fallbrook

Lessons learned from 'Fiddler on the Roof'

In the play "Fiddler on the Roof," Tevye, the father, struggled with his traditional views on marriage, views which were very dear to him, his culture, his faith and his God.

He learned to bend with his first two daughters, but the third daughter challenged his beliefs to the point where, if he bent any further, he thought he would "break." When his daughter chose her husband, Tevye ended up stubbornly choosing tradition, thereby breaking his relationship with his daughter. How tragic!

Can we learn anything from this regarding gay marriage? Were not Tevye's beliefs about marriage just as "sacred" to him as they are to many "traditionalists" today?

A colleague of mine was just fired from his church position because he got married to his partner. By its rigid stance on traditional marriage, has not the church alienated and excluded many gays from being a part of the community of believers? Isn't that exactly the opposite of what Jesus' ministry was all about? Were not the scribes and Pharisees all about keeping tradition without regard to the person?

What is more loving, breaking a tradition or breaking a relationship?

Larry Gerling

Oceanside

Bush's definition of 'defense' questioned

I find it hard to believe that Bush and our administration think Israel is "defending" itself by slaughtering Gazans with bombs, tanks and artillery. Wait, I get it. It is like we "defended" ourselves by bombing and killing Iraqi and Afghani civilians on the other side of the world.

Funny how this slaughter of Gazans, who, incidentally, are locked and blockaded inside a giant concentration camp,is happening right before Israeli elections. It is also curious that the Israeli murderers are doing this during Bush's last two weeks as "Decider-in-Chief."

Poor Obama is going to go into office with enough problems as it is. All he needs is an ongoing Israeli war against the descendants of the original citizens of southern Israel.

What is truly sick is the American support of this kind of warfare against a population with no weapons to defend itself. Oh, right, they have homemade rockets. Let's kill them all.

Eric Parish

Vista

Fuel taxes: The bait

A Jan. 2 article began, "A 50 percent increase in … fuel taxes is being urged by a federal commission to finance highway … until government devises another way … to pay … for using public roads" ("Panel wants fuel taxes hiked to fund highways").

"The commission will also recommend that states raise their fuel taxes." "We can either let the roads go to hell, or we can pay more." What about another option, privatization? The switch: what it's really about.

They need "a new system that taxes motorists according to how much they use the roads." Isn't this inherent in the current system, regional and local fuel use?

"The long-term solution is a mileage-based … equipping every car and truck with a device that uses GPS and a transponder to record … miles … roads and time of day." … They've been assured that such a system could be designed to prevent vehicles from being "tracked in some big-brotherish way."

Could, not would! We have a federal agency telling us that they would track us, time us, tax us based upon that, but that Big Brother would not exist. Doublespeak. More bureaucracy to fix the bureaucratic problems. Doublespeak. Where are the warrants, or do we sign over our rights to be allowed to drive?

Fred Terriere

Fallbrook

Don't make Escondido a new fast-food capital

A front page article, "Officials say In-N-Out has no 'grudge' against Escondido," in the Jan. 3 issue of the North County Times states that there are "constant complaints about Escondido's lack of an In-N-Out Burger in our area." This is puzzling, since the offerings at this establishment are similar to those at Burger King or McDonald's, and of no better quality.

The additional observation that "it would draw people to the area who wouldn't have been there otherwise" is ridiculous. No one is going to come here for this reason, when they have already 14 branches in the surrounding areas. There are similar complaints about the need for more 99 Cent Stores, EZ-Pay Money Lenders and tattoo parlors in Escondido. Probably, some would like more F Street operations as well.

I disagree with many of the decisions of our council members, but must say they are wise to apply uniform standards in determining the character of our city.

We have friends in Temecula who often come to Escondido for a meal at a decent restaurant. They refer to their home town as "The Fast Foods Capital of North County." Is this what we wish to emulate in Escondido?

Sorab Ghandhi

Escondido

Respect for all who served in White House

After reading Sunday's Perspective article titled, "Blacks and the White House: Slavery and service," Jan. 5, I felt a sense of pride and respect for those who serve our country that I haven't felt in quite a while.

No, I'm not referring to any of the mentioned presidents. I'm talking about White House butler William Bowen Jr. and his father. "You don't talk about things that happened on the job," he said when questioned about private information on past presidents that could have been used as cannon fodder for someone with not so honorable intentions.

Maybe all elected officials and journalists should be required to serve an apprenticeship in the White House service corps?

Scott Meredith

Escondido

Who is wearing blinders?

Darrell Beck (Letters, Jan. 5) says that those who criticize his amateurish denigration of real scientists are wearing blinders. Those blinders, Mr. Beck, are called "science."

Beck continues to assert, without ever providing evidence, that climate science is "just politics." But the issue originated from real peer-reviewed science, not politicians, though such scientific information, as with tornado or hurricane warnings, may lead to legitimate public policy considerations.

Beck complains that warnings from real scientists about climate change are efforts to manipulate people. Please tell us, Mr. Beck, where are all the rich, powerful scientists working in research labs?

The blinders Beck is wearing are hand-sewn by oil company propagandists, and I can show you exactly the record profits they have made, and their powerful lobbyist ties going straight to the White House. These greedy manipulators depend on gullible amateurs like Beck to pass along the anti-science superstitions to manipulate consumers and expand their power.

The good news is that a new administration takes over in two weeks that will base public policy on science, not ideology; no one will be listening to the flat-earth science deniers.

Douglas Dunn

Escondido

Raise awareness of human trafficking

Every day, in small towns and big cities around the world, women and girls are being trafficked into a horrible life of slavery. It is estimated that 80 percent of trafficking victims are women and children trafficked for sexual exploitation. Often tricked into traveling for work, or promised marriage or education opportunities, these women face unendurable pain and humiliation. They are stripped of their human rights. They are bought and sold like objects. They are trapped in a life of degradation and abuse.

Fear keeps these victims dependent on their traffickers. Victims are often kept in captivity, where they are obligated to pay back large transportation fees before being released. If you suspect a woman or child is a victim, please notify your local police department right away.

The United States has designated Jan. 11 as the National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness, as an opportunity to raise awareness about sexual trafficking and to advocate for its victims. Soroptimist International, an international volunteer organization of business and professional women, has joined the fight to end the widespread scourge of sexual slavery. Soroptimists all over the world will be participating in various awareness activities on Jan. 11.

Louann Gigante

president

Soroptimist International of Oceanside-Carlsbad

Real Americans fly the flag every day

What a statement, "I will fly the flag on Jan. 20" (Letters, Jan. 4). What happens with the remaining 364 days in the year? In case you didn't know, the flag represents all Americans and our country's freedom and values.

Question: You must have made your flag and is that why you will only fly it on that day? You tell others to do the same.

I've got some news: Most of us real Americans fly our country's flag every day of the year and are proud to do so and stand beside her as well, during both good and bad times. Just because we are getting a new president should not matter.

I hope you understand, and if you need an American flag for the remaining days of the year, I will buy you one.

Richard Rivero

Escondido

Thanks to all who helped with campaign

To everyone who worked on my campaign when I ran as a Vista school board candidate in 2008, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's such a great feeling to know that even when people were having difficulties, including severe medical challenges in some cases, they still rose up in determination for a cause they believed was worthy.

I am very humbled by volunteers who went out of their way to contribute time and other valuable resources. Much deserved credit goes to Dr. Stephen Guffanti and Patty Anderson, my co-candidates, for not giving up in the face of adversity that at times was extreme in their own lives â€"â€" or when funds were limited, or when volunteers were scarce because their personal challenges became too daunting.

I am very proud of those of you who kept forging ahead with us; each of you deserves recognition for outstanding ethics, fortitude, diligence and patience. I am sincerely and forever grateful. Also, I would like to offer my appreciation to all who cast their vote for me.

Eileen Fernandez

candidate, 2008 Vista school board