Land of the free, to many politicians

Land of the free, home of the brave. I think this just means free to many politicians today. Just possibly, it's time to re-evaluate my political stance on issues and realize that I will be entitled, if a certain party prevails, to receive free health care, food, college education and immigration, home loans, transportation, nationalization of energy and many more subsidies that I can't mention in 200 words.

So, as I get on in age, I guess I should just sit back and let the government take care of all my needs! I'm not submitting this to try and change anyone's views; that has to be an individual process based on their personal likes, dislikes, prejudices and needs.

I would like to share three actions that will stop global warming, war and hunger: 1. Clean your own closet emotionally, physically, financially and spiritually. 2. Never vote for an incumbent; it's not a vocation. 3. Never vote for a tax increase. If you want the government to provide for you at every stage of your life, or you want to take charge of your own personal responsibilities, that, my friends, is up to you! I know how I will vote, the old RCCR (Roman Catholic Conservative Republican).

John Gilley

Oceanside

Dastardly attack upon the USS Liberty

June 8, 1967, was when Israel was responsible for the attack [on] the USS Liberty, which was the most sophisticated eavesdropping ship in the world. It was in neutral waters away from the '67 war that Israel was fighting.

In the middle of a sunny afternoon, with American flag flying at the stern, the air and naval forces of the state of Israel conducted a brutal attack on a barely armed U.S. intelligence vessel. Unmarked Israeli jets strafed the ship; torpedo boats launched their torpedoes at the stricken ship. It was fire-bombed, and the life rafts were machine-gunned. …

When the attack was over, 34 U.S. sailors and marines were dead and 171 gravely wounded. This story is fact, not fiction. Very few Americans know of this atrocity because it was cleverly covered up during the Johnson administration. If this has piqued your interest, there is more. Go to www.ussliberty.com. It will make your blood boil.

Mario Minervini

Vista

Chief Jim Maher: Doing the right thing

This is in answer to the Community Forum by Bill Flores in the paper on July 6 ("Have politics of divisiveness entered EPD?"): In my opinion, Chief Maher is doing the right thing and maybe should have three or four checks a week until all the illegals realize they do not belong here or anywhere else in the United States.

I don't know Mr. Flores, but his article leads one to believe he knows how to compile figures. I would strongly suggest he looks in the dictionary under "illegal" and preach what that says to his El Grupo people. If Chief Maher's road checks work, and we only send one illegal out of this country, then it works! Maybe we could set up a sting operation like they do for other criminals. Can we rent Sheriff Joe (Arpaio) for a month or so to clean up this problem?

If the federal government doesn't have the guts to do the right thing, then the states or cities should handle the problem themselves. Can you imagine our city with 35,000 (his number, not mine) fewer people? Wow. I think we could survive.

Reg George

Escondido

Stimulating regurgitation

Rachel Rott (Letters, July 5) took a shot at Rep. Issa. Issa has a voting record of representing working taxpayers, not liberal predators. Liberals are generous with other people's earnings. What will those heavily dependent on government do when China no longer finances our debt and living beyond our means?

John Musser (Letters, July 5) released Oliver North anger. Why? Is it because prosecutor Welch got zero convictions, or is he unhappy that patriot North influenced the removal of Communist Sandinistas in Central America? Musser reveals his unawareness of well-documented New York Times reporting, and Dan Rather before being canned for dishonest reporting. Then he goes into the oft-repeated lying accusation. Enough of [those] accusing President Bush of lying.

Curiosity questions: 1. Where would we be if Clinton had the courage to take bin Laden when he was offered? 2. What success would the country have experienced if the enemy within had supported President Bush instead of encouraging the enemy? The internal enemy is loyal â€"â€" to the part of defeat and national self-destruction. These (adjective of your choice) stimulate regurgitation.

Murel Fisk

Escondido

On the 'Horn' of a dilemma

Certain land use and development issues have concerned us during our 19 years as Valley Center residents, but never one as preposterous and so inherently flawed as the proposed Special Planning Area 3A project and accompanying road 3A. This project, if successful, would build 3,000 homes (9,000 to 10,000 new residents) plus commercial facilities between Highway 395 and West Lilac Road under the guise of providing an essential escape route for residents along Cole Grade Road. We need an escape route, and our Valley Center Planning Group has already identified an appropriate route to the county, and it does not include 3A, which would service only the new Special Planning Area.

Our planning group and residents don't want it. So who wants it? A developer with very deep pockets and Supervisor Bill Horn. At the June 23 Valley Center Planning Group meeting, over 200 Valley Center residents said no to the scheme and the word is getting out. If the community is against the project, why is Supervisor Horn pursuing it? Mr. Horn's dilemma is to expeditiously extricate himself and mitigate the damage he has brought upon his reputation. …

Christine Lewis

Valley Center

Mobile-home PAC lists many accomplishments

Councilman Sam Abed states in interviews that we are desperate losers who back failed issues and candidates. Mr. Abed overlooks some of the important issues that we have tackled and won!

We defeated Proposition 98 (with help from our friends), a measure that was designed to do away with rent control. Mobile-home park owners provided 52 percent of the funding for Prop. 98.

We have defeated other attempts at abolishing rent control in previous years. We elected Ron Newman to the council (again, with help from our friends).

We elected council members Jerry Harmon, Chris Murphy and Carla de Dominicis to the council. We had frozen rents for a short time.

We assisted with rent control being taken before the United States Supreme Court and declared valid. …We were established in 1986, so we have been around for a while. We print and deliver over 2,765 newsletters every month! …

Most important, we established rent control in Escondido. Yes, we have supported causes and candidates that have lost; however, we are only a grass-roots group. We do not have access to the vast amounts of money that park owners have and use to fight us.

Donna Martin

Mobile/Manufactured HomeOwners PAC

Escondido

This Supreme Court judgment stinks

I am disappointed, disgusted and disgruntled about our Supreme Court's decision to not give the death penalty to child rapists. Our prisons are overcrowded, and we continue to feed and clothe monsters who have proven not to be rehabilitated to become normal human beings.

I thought the Supreme Court judges were supposed to be God-fearing men and women. Matthew 18:6 in the Bible says one harming a child might as well have a millstone hung around his neck and be drowned in the depth of the sea. Perhaps Supreme Court judges should have higher requirements if their judgments are sleazy and stink!

Norma Kaliher

Vista

What's the real story behind the rescue?

Recent headlines praised the Colombian government's recent daring rescue of FARC guerrilla-held hostages. The political result of this rescue has bolstered Colombia's image on the global stage â€"â€" particularly President Alvaro Uribe's.

However, now Swiss radio is reporting that the rescue was a hoax. It reports that the FARC were paid a $20 million ransom for the hostages, and the rescue was nothing but a public relations stunt. If, in fact, the hoax is true, did the $20 million ransom come out of U.S.-funded Plan Colombia? And, if so, why am I, as a U.S. taxpayer, paying to bolster President Uribe's image?

Tomas Lucero

Vista

An obsolete solution

Regarding the Sunrise Powerlink: This proposed "solution" is nothing but more of a problem. At completion, it will be obsolete. We all know we must move in a better direction for power, for our sake, the sake of our children and our planet. Let us move into the era of clean power and smart energy.

Stacey Landfield

Warner Springs

Reward for caring is a tough decision

Tough decisions have to be made in hard times. Animal shelters are overflowing with the pets of people who have lost their homes to foreclosure. Last night, my 12-year-old cat got sick once again. I had already spent $3,500 for her care.

Now she required surgery costing another $2,000-$3,000 for the same affliction. I explained to my daughter that with high vet bills and paying for food and gas, my credit cards were past their limit. I couldn't pay for the surgery. She understood.

I told the vet the same thing. I knew I'd have to put my cat down and to ease my conscience, I said that the cat really hadn't acted in the same, friendly way since she first got sick in 2003. The vet replied that the cat was very nice and in the back purring. This visual made my stomach churn as I signed my cat's life away.

Sometimes, in trying to help a pet, animal lovers will hurt a person. If you've had to make a tough decision recently, don't despair. Your reward for caring will be togetherness again one day.

Melinda Santa Cruz

Escondido