Health care, cap-trade bills are hoaxes

Regarding health care (The Abominable Obamacare) and cap and trade …, the latter of which the lemmings in the House of Representatives passed without even reading, and the former which they won't have time to read before they try to jam it down our throats, what in the name of Our Father in Heaven are they trying to do to us?

Since the "stimulus package" is proving to be such a joke, and more and more jobs are being lost every day, how can we believe that any of these bills will do anyone any good?

The day that all of the members of the House and Senate sign on to "Obamacare" for themselves may, just may, mind you, lend an air of credibility to what they would force on the rest of us. And if you believe that will happen, think again.When those members who have voted for these bills get home in August, I hope their constituents tar and feather them. Forty lashes with a wet noodle won't get their attention.

Eugenia Whaley

Carlsbad

Tears for Escondido

In my opinion, the Escondido City Council made a colossal mistake when it failed to put a resort hotel where the movie theater is. Escondido would have been a "destination." I cry for Escondido.

Eileen Menees

Escondido

Arnie, this isn't a movie!

I think it's time for Arnie to be issued an IOU instead of his usual paycheck. Maybe then he will stop being an actor, and then he just might start being our governor from the state of California again.

All in favor, say yea!

Chuck Peek

Escondido

The election is over

Now let us all become Americans and stop shortchanging our president. I am ashamed and disappointed over the Republican Party and its members praying that our elected president fail in his efforts to get us out of the deep ditch that eight years of President George W. Bush put us in.

Now we have an opportunity to show the world that our political system is worth the effort to emulate. I believe it's time for us all to take the mirror test and hopefully see a reflection of truth and integrity for our children to emulate.

John Colia

San Marcos

Who's led the more 'sheltered existence'?

In his letter of June 14, Mr. Timothy Geiser of Escondido finds fault with my letter on gun control. Mr. Geiser, however, oversteps the bounds of decency when he suggests that my position on gun control is due to "a very sheltered existence." His words.

I should point out that Mr. Geiser doesn't know me â€"â€" nor I him! I can, however, tell him something of my "sheltered existence": A rifle-toting infantry soldier during World War II (Africa, Sicily, Italy and Austria). Later, a participant for the U.S.A. in the battles for South Korea. Then, during the 1960s and '70s, earning decorations from the U.S.A. against our enemies in that troubled land. Following honorable retirement, I worked in Saudi Arabia for three years as an employee of the Lockheed Corp.

All these exploits are well-documented and are available. My question for Mr. Geiser: Have your experiences been so much "on the edge" that my poor record pales into insignificance? Mr. Geiser â€"â€" I'm waiting.

Robert Green

Fallbrook

Responses to letter writers about Israel

Ron Hardin, Letters, May 11, stated, "the 'original' inhabitants are … lost in time." Half the world's major terror groups are either his "sorely oppressed" Palestinians or have a Palestinian agenda.

After the Palestine Liberation Organization got authority over 95 percent of the Palestinians, more than 1 million Palestinians chose to continue living under Israeli sovereignty where they worship freely, vote their choice, are entitled to a full education and are members of Parliament. Who would Mr. Hardin like his "Yankee Imperialists" to support, if not its ally Israel?

Mel Crawford, Letters, May 3: Anti-Israel is anti-Jewish. Without Israel, Jews have no defense against some nut hoping to finish the job Hitler started.

A word of advice for Chris Pulse (Letters, May 16 and June 1): Check http://middle-east-info.org/ to get some real facts! …

I owe Stanley Peterson an apology for my letter of June 13.

Mel Crawford, Letters, June 22: As for the 1967 USS Liberty accident (fourth day of the Six Day War) â€"â€" Liberty failed to receive orders to stay clear of the combat zone and sailed into the middle of the war. The U.S. has accepted it as a "friendly fire" incident, so why can't he?

Dolores Wiener

Oceanside

Delightful Sprinter ride after all

I prepared for my first Sprinter ride by checking the Web site. A senior day pass for me was only $2.25. A day pass for my 13-year-old granddaughter was $5. What a bargain!

Nice smooth ride to the end of the line in Oceanside, then a bit of a walk for lunch on the pier. Afterwards, granddaughter and I settled in for ride home. A couple of teen boys joined us.

Another stop and the boys recognized an older friend. The older friend spoke loudly with a limited vocabulary. I thought, "Am I the only one who doesn't want to hear this stuff?" Finally, I asked the fellow to please watch his language as there were kids on the train. After a particular string of profanities, I heard a woman's voice asking to please refrain from the language. This only agitated him more.

I grabbed my granddaughter's hand and we found seats in another car. What a joy to sit with a delightful older woman! I would have never met her if it hadn't have been for the rowdy guy. What a great day!

Paulette Oberle

Escondido

Don't vote for incumbents

For many years I have thought it wrong to have "incumbent" beside a name on the ballot. Too many people just vote for all incumbents. It didn't seem fair.

Because of the terrible way our politicians are acting in Sacramento, I have changed my mind. The next time we vote, do not vote for any incumbent. Maybe we can elect some people who put the good of the state in front of politics.

Ted Jacox

Vista

Been laid off, need health care?

Have you, or someone you know, been laid off work involuntarily since Sept. 1? You may be eligible to have 65 percent of former employer health premiums paid for (until Dec. 31) under President Obama's economic recovery plan. Complete details are available at U.S. Department of Labor: www.dol.gov/ebsa/COBRA.html.This benefit was possible because of a Democratic Congress and President Obama. All U.S. House Republicans, including out-of-touch radicals Brian Bilbray and Darrell Issa, voted "no" on the stimulus plan.

Now Republicans, when not running around with their mistresses, are running around with their hair on fire opposing health care reform. Just ask yourself: Who benefits when Republicans try to kill health care reform? The answer: health insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies that earn enormous profits.

Then take a moment to follow the money. According to opensecrets.org, for his 2008 reelection campaign Bilbray received $47,650 from the pharmaceuticals/health products sector and another $43,808 from health professionals; while Issa's top contributor was the pharmaceutical/health sector to the tune of $65,250. Health professionals chipped in another $27,710. Looks like Bilbray and Issa also benefit from the status quo, and have no incentive to reform our health care mess.

Robert Tormey

Escondido

Cap, trade gripes come as surprise

I am quite surprised by Eugenia Whaley's scathing criticism of the new cap-and-trade bill passed by the House in a recent letter ("Economic condition on verge of total collapse," July 7). Did Congress members really have to be "deaf, dumb and blind" to pass a bill that will ultimately lessen greenhouse emissions?

She then suggests that "what the government has run so far" are failures, citing Medicare and Social Security as examples. Wait a second. Medicare? Social Security? Aren't these some of the greatest achievements of our government? It's already a shame Social Security's near its end.

To Ms. Whaley and those who agree with her: The economy's in a rut, no doubt. But bills like the recent cap-and-trade force energy companies to develop more efficient grids, saving us all money in the process.

Kevin Hsu

Carmel Valley

Voting against firefighters

On July 8, I turned on Channel 19 to see what direction the City Council majority (KFC: Kern, Feller, Chavez) would go on the three firefighter positions needed in our city. Councilmember Jerry Kern first claimed he was "seconding" a motion by his partner Councilmember Jack Feller to "table" the agenda item.

Kern said he hadn't received it until the Fourth of July and wanted more time to understand it. Councilmember Esther Sanchez told Kern he had received the item in early June, and that his vote would effectively kill the positions automatically because of no funding in the city budget that was passed by the majority at the last meeting. Councilmember Rocky Chavez made an amended motion to allow the positions to be placed in "status quo" until the next meeting. Feller and Kern rejected Chavez's amendment, and for a moment, I thought Chavez would stand tall and break with "KFC" for the good of Oceanside citizens (didn't happen).

Mayor Jim Wood and Sanchez fought to keep the positions on the agenda, but it fell on KFC's deaf ears. … "KFC" will most likely now go after the police department next (after all, they also supported Kern's recall).

Gary Myers

Oceanside

Criticizing the 'Gloved One'

To the writer who took issue with my criticism of Michael Jackson, ("Lot of nerve criticizing Jackson," July 16), let me assure her that it did not take a lot of nerve, only a critical ear.

She goes on to mention Jackson's work with Paul McCartney, which produced a trio of lyrically vapid, forgettable tunes, "Say, Say, Say," "The Man" and "The Girl Is Mine," all of which received mixed reviews from critics at the time, and have not aged well. But who are we, "complete unknowns," to criticize the Gloved One?

I'm sure that there are, as the writer states, millions of people around the world who disagree with me. But I'm equally certain that there are millions who don't.

John Musser

Vista

Reform Prop. 13

The budget mess in the state of California is going to keep playing itself out, year after year, until we fix what is wrong with the process. California is one of only three states that requires a two-thirds majority to get a budget passed. Sounds like a great way to encourage bipartisanship, but in reality, it allows the minority Republicans to shut down the budget process. They don't care if they drive the state over the cliff, as long as they send the Democrats over with it â€"â€" never mind the disabled, the elderly and our kids who are hitched to the same wagon.

The most fragile among us will lose advocates, social workers and lifelines as the Republicans slash and burn. This is strictly about gaining political power. We must reform Proposition 13 and demand a simple majority vote to pass the budget. This state ought not be ruled by a tyranny of the minority and its vacuous, self-centered ideology, which is literally putting lives at risk.

Rachel Rott

Vista

Education shouldn't be whipping post

The July 22 editorial made me curious ("Deal shows two-thirds rule's value"). Why do you call the state of California's spending plans for education at all levels "overly ambitious?" It appears to me that those plans are shortchanging the students.

When I went to California schools in the 1930s and '40s, I received a good education. This extended from the first few grades held in a former school cafeteria because the school building had been damaged in the Long Beach earthquake, to UC Berkeley. Our sons got a good education in Escondido.

Their higher education in Caifornia was excellent and nowhere near as costly as now. I shudder to think of how hard it is for most families to manage college for their kids. Our state should be doing more for education, not less.

The many reasons we are in the fiscal mess of today are complicated and don't belong here, nor do the solutions. But don't make education one of your whipping boys.

Barbara Bell

Escondido

Exclusive report?

It's a sad commentary when a North County Times exclusive report worries more about animals harmed while training Navy corpsmen and medics how to save the lives of service members in combat in service to our country, than about the Marines, sailors, airmen, soldiers and Coast Guardsmen serving our country ("Live pigs wounded, euthanized in troop trauma training," July 23). There are men and women service members alive today thanks to the effective life-saving skills of corpsmen and medics. Interview them for their take on this issue.

On Aug. 8, 1968, Green Beret Tom Cunningham had his leg blown off during combat in Laos. A medic saved his life. He's alive in New Hampshire today thanks to the medic and the skills he acquired during Special Forces medic training in Texas.

Ask retired Navy Corpsman Charles Adams of Oceanside how important such training is.

Sadly, this exclusive report failed to talk to service members saved by Navy corpsmen or medics.

John Meyer

Oceanside