NCTD loses a good employee

Recently, it was reported that Peter Aadland, longtime employee of the North County Transit District, was laid off ("Transit district lays off three top managers," May 15). He was the wrong employee to suffer this fate. Aadland was talented and contributed much to NCTD. Karen King profited from Aadland's presence. Like Eisenhower (who was not a great general, but surrounded himself with gifted generals), King surrounded herself with competent people.ˇ

Aadland will be missed more than any other of the departed from NCTD. The Coaster and Sprinter were not the brainchild of King or Aadland, but were voted on by the voters in the North County Transit District. However, Aadland played a major role in the implementation of what the voters wanted. Through his efforts, both the Sprinter and Coaster are packed. Some people may not support these trains, but Aadland should be. He diligently carried out the voters' wishes and should not be faulted. With $4-per-gallon gas, we all should be thankful and appreciative of Peter Aadland and his efforts at NCTD.

Lawson Chadwick

Oceanside

Suffocating in a world of unanswered questions

I've asked … doctors to investigate possible underlying disorders triggering my autistic son's self-injurious behavior. But they won't order abdominal, brain and other scans. Apparently, "movement can distort the image." Hence, we suffocate in a world of unanswered questions. Unexplored ailments. Wondering. Waiting for improved technology for persons who can't stand still for conventional tests.

Meanwhile, doctors push psychotropic meds, as if pills are the cure for curious mothers. Without knowing the function of vital organs or pharmacology of the brain, why prescribe drugs? I'll tell you why: Because managed care treats disabled like third-class patients. Only when used for research that generates funding are they of supreme interest. After that, they're lost in a computer file. What a commodity.

It's time to improve managed care for the severely disabled. Meanwhile, [health plans], though they do some good, should create special units for treating the severely disabled. Hire proper professionals. Support and prescribe herbs, massage, vitamins and other alternatives. Until then, don't insult us with commercials saying you want people to thrive, as your doctors increasingly suggest I give my son a chemical lobotomy.

Kim Oakley

Valley Center

NCTD's lack of public interest

I could hear this disaster coming from miles (and months) away. I may not be a math whiz, but even I know that if you do not have the funds, you do not buy the product that you want.

The North County Transit District had the cash on hand to either keep the bus service going with minimal cuts, or to bring the Sprinter on line. The prudent thing was to keep the buses going, and bring the Sprinter on line at another time. To quote John Belushi, however: "But, noooooo!" NCTD had to have its train, and now we, the riding public, are feeling the pain!

It is rather clear that NCTD has stopped acting in the public's interest in favor of the latest whiz-bang item that would bring their budget back in black. As for the riding public? To quote Commodore Vanderbilt: "The public be damned." And so we are. For it will be either buy a car, walk, or use taxi services for what will be the former NCTD ridership!

Robert Johnston

Vista

Global warming is all about money, power

Gerold Firl's letter, "Flat-earthers taking on water," May 15, contained some misconceptions that cannot remain uncorrected. His "facts" are so erroneous that they discredit his conclusions that global warming is a brewing threat.

He states that, "The causal relationship between greenhouse gases and global warming is based on science." Not so! The geological record shows that increased greenhouse gases (CO2) follow warming. Therefore, they do not cause it. Perhaps increased temperatures cause increased CO2.

Additionally, the runaway greenhouse effect theory has recently been disproved. Scientists have discovered that the 1920s-era theory is flawed when applied to Earth's complex atmosphere. The runaway effect is disrupted and an equilibrium of CO2 is maintained. The Earth's atmosphere has not warmed since 1998 â€"â€" 10 years ago. Check the satellite monitoring system, the one global warmers used to consult before it ceased to show the answer they wanted to see.

I recommend all read Chris Horner's "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming." You'll find the truth about global warming and why it is being promoted by such diverse groups. Hint: It's all about money and power.

Ed Davidson

Oceanside

Oceanside needs a mayor with backbone

I was reading a letter to the editor on Mayor Jim Wood's performance ("Wood has performed well as mayor," May 15) and right next to it was a column, "Will N. County join Vallejo in bankruptcy?" While the location of the two may be a coincidence, the oncoming recession is predicted to be long, expensive and painful.

To prepare for this difficult period, Oceanside will need someone stronger in the mayor's position. While hiding behind developer skirts will do well for Wood, it will not do well for Oceanside. We will need someone with more backbone to make the hard decisions that will need to be made and not blame the state or federal government for Oceanside's lack of conservative planning and poor financial shape.

Jack Key

Oceanside

Rumors on the letters page

Perhaps the opinion editors should check snopes.com before running letters that promote false urban legends (Mary Schatz, May 16). Go to: www.snopes.com/politics/obama/stance.asp. Read the entire page. Check the facts for yourself. We would all be wise to question everything, especially that which we read, hear and want to believe.

Why would someone write a letter restating false rumor? Why did a restatement of false rumor appear in the Letters to the Editor? Does our North County Times run these false statements so we will believe them if we read them enough times? I hope not. Just because it's in print doesn't mean it's accurate. Let's read between the lines, learn to recognize spin and become informed voters.

Great book to sharpen our skills: "Un-Spun," by Jackson and Hall, has been called the secret decoder ring for the 21 century world of disinformation. Unbiased, balanced and fair. I've enjoyed the wider spectrum of editorial columnists featured of late and hope that trend continues.

Arleen

Hammerschmidt

Oceanside

Their rights end where his begin

Regarding Friday's editorial about Carlsbad's anti-smoking laws symbolic of failures ("Smoking bans are result of failures," May 16), I agree with Reagan's thoughts that government should not run our lives. However, one man's rights end where another's begin.

There are exceptions, but the majority of smokers, even within several feet of a trash receptacle, will not make the effort to properly dispose of their waste. With the attitude of many smokers, and the overwhelming amount of their litter, there is no surprise of the failures mentioned in the editorial to correct this problem. I agree with the laws outlawing smoking in public places.

Bob Whalen

Vista

Government policies lead to faltering economy

Leah Gerten has renewed my faith in people seeing the facts in her letter Saturday ("Bush: We're broke," May 17). We have gone away from the gold standard, and we are in a global economy with nothing to provide besides Google and Apple and a service-driven industry with poor customer service and a faltering education system being watered down by illegal immigrants.

The fact remains, to control inflation is to cut government. Think about this: Government is supposed to be protecting us, representing us, and when this fails, there is no use for government and its corruption that starts at the top.

Ron Paul said, "It is not the price of gas that is going up, it is the dollar going down." Remember when being a millionaire was special? Now you have to be a billionaire to be rich. If it were not for the Chinese packing their vaults with American dollars, we would in worse shape than we are.

John Smith

Encinitas

Everyone welcome at today's ball

Don't stop the eighth-grade civil war balls ("Value of school's Confederate-Union Ball questioned," May 16)! We all know that the Union and Confederate supporters and the slaves would not have been at the same party. That's the important lesson taught by the schools now. It's 2008, and the descendants of our ancestors' enemies are all Americans and now, everyone is welcome at the ball.

Dolores

Christensen

Escondido

Bush, the real appeaser

President Bush failed recently to win the help he sought from Saudi Arabia to relieve skyrocketing American gas prices. Talk about appeasement! Here is a former Texas oilman who took office promising he would jawbone oil-producing nations to help the U.S. What did we get? Gas prices topped $2 a gallon in May 2004, a development that most analysts attribute at least in part to the deteriorating situation in Iraq. Now, four years later, we have gasoline prices nearing $4 a gallon, and Bush still has no solutions for the quagmire in Iraq.

Iraq has the third-largest oil reserves in the world. Before the war, Bush endorsed claims that Iraq's oil would pay for reconstruction. What did we get? Some estimates have American taxpayers paying almost a trillion dollars for the total war effort.

Gas prices continue to go up with no end in sight. What did we get? Higher food prices and home foreclosures at Depression-era rates. Bush, and those Republicans who continue to support him, have raised incompetent management of the Iraq war and the U.S. economy to a new gold standard. It is time for a change in Washington, D.C. â€"â€" November can't come soon enough!

Robert Tormey

Escondido

Vista should refund NCTD

The city of Vista needs to give back the money not being used for the crossing upgrades . Not their money â€"â€" it is from one taxing agency to another.

Bob Shuster

Escondido

Israel's fair-weather supporters

Letter reader Arnold Forman (May 1) and collectively others, believe my letters show rejection of Israel's right to exist. In rebuttal, my letters are distorted to solicit sympathy for Israel and simultaneously demagogue Americans into silence. Accordingly, the light is not to shine on Israel's misdeeds. Consequentially, they may be defined as rejection of Israel's right to exist. You all may be right, Mr. Forman, et al. …

Uninformed Americans look at maps. To them Israelis live here, Palestinians live there. In the West Bank Americans don't see 500 miles of fences that cut off Palestinian communities, even Palestinian families from each other. They don't see uprooted olive trees, stolen land and demolished buildings depriving Palestinians. They don't see 500,000 Jewish West Bank squatters, 24-7 Israeli checkpoints and separate "Jews only" roads imposed to make life miserable for Palestinians. Would Americans live happily under these conditions?

Yes, some Jewish-Americans are ashamed of what is happening, but remain silent. Other Jewish-Americans cheer mass punishment, starvation and man's inhumanity to man. Instead of peace, some Jewish-Americans will fight a thousand years' war until every drop of American blood is spilled. As long as Jewish-Americans don't want peace, not on my watch.

William Dreu

Vista

AFS seeks host families

AFS (formerly the American Field Service) has been a leader in the field of student exchange for more than 55 years. Each year, more than 2,700 exchange students arrive in the U.S. to be welcomed into families, high schools and communities. San Diego County usually hosts some 15 AFS students from Europe, Asia and Central and South America for one school year.

We are now receiving applications for students who will be arriving in August for the 2008-2009 school year, returning home in June. These high school-age students are interested in learning about our culture, improving their English skills and expanding their life experiences. Hosting families also gain new experiences and make new friends.

My family has hosted several students and found it enriching and enjoyable. This year, I am serving as volunteer hosting coordinator for the San Diego Area. If you would like to learn more about the program, please call me (760-728-5682) or visit our local Web site, www.afsssandiego.org.

Jim Dooley

Fallbrook

Doctors ignore patient suffering

There was a time when the physicians' creed was "Above all, do no harm." By most patient accounts today, this creed has reverted to "Above all, take their money and do nothing at all."

These are sad days for people seeking diagnosis and treatment from doctors, reluctant to diagnose or treat those who have been previously misdiagnosed or mistreated by other doctor's. Those unlucky individuals who find themselves in this predicament have their health and lives at stake because their symptoms, pain and suffering are ignored by today's reluctant physicians.

A doctor's reluctance to evaluate and care for patients due to fear of malpractice is a game obviously rigged against the least-able opponent, the person needing treatment.

There will come a time when a physician realizes the new creed is immoral and decides to do what's right. By focusing on patient care, the physician will realize the basis for the original creed and really discover they can "do no harm."

Gordy Burin

Fallbrook

55 mph limit does save gas

I remember the national speed limit imposed on America under President Nixon did in fact save on consumer gas use around the country. The other benefit was that traffic accidents across the nation dropped sharply (both results hurt U.S. corporations' profit gains). Therefore, just drive slower, don't drive anywhere unnecessarily and plan driving trips for maximum gas savings! It's easy to do, and instead of saying, "What can I do?" do that!

So why isn't the government doing this now? Could it be that President Bush, Dick Cheney, Halliburton Corp., the Bush family oil ties, the Wall Street stock market, U.S. oil industry and many others would lose millions (if not billions), if any corrective action was taken?

The hydrogen car, the car that runs on just plain water, solar cars, electric cars are just some of the presently known ways of transportation that can be switched over to in a very, very short time (like less than 30 days). However, under this corporate and special-interest-control government, you will never see this happen unless these corporations can control the cost of solar, hydrogen and electric cars completely. So drive at 55 miles per hour and drive smart.

Gary Myers

Oceanside