Driver's license checkpoints very effective

I was able to observe Oceanside Police Department's driver's license checkpoint on Dec. 10. I wanted to see for myself how these worked and whether any of the accusations from El Grupo and other illegal alien activists were remotely true.

I observed about 20 OPD officers and volunteers running a highly professional and organized checkpoint. They randomly pulled five vehicles at a time from the flow of traffic and simply asked the drivers to show their driver's licenses. Most drivers complied and were on their way in 30 seconds or less. But I was shocked at the number of people who could not produce their required licenses.

They were then sent to a secondary holding area where their names were run through handheld computers to see if they were licensed. Twenty-nine unlicensed drivers were cited and their cars impounded in just over three hours. OPD says there are two to three hit-and-run accidents each day in Oceanside and that most are committed by unlicensed drivers. These checkpoints are needed to remove these dangerous drivers from our roads. No, the Border Patrol was not present.

Jeff Schwilk

founder, San Diego

Minutemen

Vista

Slow down and obey stop signs

On my street, people don't stop at the stop signs where kids are playing. One day, a kid almost got hit by a drunk driver who didn't stop at the stop signs. My mom called the police. This is not safe. We can only play in front of our house because the park is too dangerous.

Can the people slow down and stop running the stop signs so kids can play outside, and please stop drinking and driving? I suggest we put signs saying "Kids are playing" so the drivers know to slow down.

Ascension

Gutierrez

student, Cesar Chavez Middle School

Oceanside

Conservatives are economic 'fifth column'

It is clear that conservative commentators â€"â€" both of the George Will/National Review variety and their shrill talk-radio counterparts â€"â€" are terrified that the current economic crisis will cut off the corporate feeding trough and bring at least some wealth back to the people to whom it belongs, the producers. What is even more obvious is that these faux analysts are not the patriots they claim to be. Quite the opposite; in their world view, as long as the labor unions are held in check and wages are kept low, the United States and our culture can be damned. These charlatans believe in corporatism and nothing else.

Whilst talking of freedom and democracy, they consider the brutal Chinese and Saudi Arabian dictatorships close allies in their jihad against the American middle class and domestic industry. More despicable yet are Southern and border-state legislators who salivate over the demise of U.S. auto manufacturers, whilst their home states provide huge subsidies for Japanese and German car companies.

Hopefully, an alternate vision of America, one in which the country builds machines and skyscrapers and pays workers what they are worth, will also get some play. Let China and the Saudis have Wal-Mart and McDonald's.

Jeff Brownlee

Oceanside

Red-light camera cover-up in Escondido

In January 2008, I sent the Escondido City Attorney (copied to the mayor and Police Chief) a cease-and-desist letter after reviewing their contract with red-light camera operator Redflex and determining through City Council minutes and interviews with "officials" in charge of the program at the police station (who are not police officers, by the way) that the program and its operation were a clear violation of state law.

Now the City Council is changing the contract to eliminate the illegal aspects ("Red-light camera deal would shift risk to city," Dec. 17), but in the meantime, has continued to operate and enforce a program they were certainly aware (at least subsequent to my cease-and-desist letter) was seriously flawed. The city clearly was not "grandfathered" into an otherwise illegal contract, since the contract was amended after it was signed on Dec. 29, 2003 (two days before the state law banning such contracts went into effect!).

I certainly do not defend red-light runners, but the city attorney, mayor and police chief have some explaining to do as to why they feel they are above the law.

Craig Rothermel

Escondido

Disappointed in parking decision

I was very disappointed to read about Encinitas council members' opposition to reverse-angle parking. Although the concept is unfamiliar to many, it offers tremendous safety advantages over the conventional head-in angle parking we have on Coast Highway 101. Admittedly, some people do not back up very well, but I would far rather have them struggle slowly into a parking space than back into oncoming bicycle or motor vehicle traffic on the street. Try backing out of a conventional angle parking spot with a big SUV or other truck to your right.

Reverse-angle parking is simple, as the maneuver required is simply the easier first half of parallel parking, which every driver should have mastered in order to obtain a license.

John Eldon

Encinitas

Writer's rant doesn't sit well

Ted Smit's Dec. 18 letter echoes my own conservative view of the distasteful letter that Ray Erler had published on Dec. 16. Mr. Erler may describe himself as a non-supporter of our soon-to-be president; he certainly does not represent anyone that I know who does not admire Barack for taking on the job of righting our economy.

It's Ted's ranting on about the "stench from the White House, soon to be removed" that angers me. He must have missed the quiet resignation of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Democrat) of California from the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee, who may have had influence on an award of $600 million to a defense contractor owned by a company that is 23.7 percent owned by Sen. Feinstein's husband, Richard Blum. Or perhaps Ted missed the item that a Democrat owned a refrigerator that grew thousands of dollars in the freezer compartment overnight. Ted also might have forgotten that for almost eight years, Bush kept our population safe from terrorist action.

We all hope that this great country of ours returns to fiscal sanity, no matter how we voted in November; except for those who simply hate everyone and every traditional value that we hold dear.

John Schueler

Oceanside

$850 billion jolt to the economy?

Re: "Obama looking at $850 billion jolt to the economy," Dec. 18. Where is the $850 billion going to come from, or the $750 billion financial bailout, or the multi-billion stimulus from earlier this year? There is only one answer: It's you and me, taxpayers. Well then, rather than take the money via taxation and then rebate it to stimulate the economy, why not cut taxes and not take our money in the first place? Why not let taxpayers keep their hard-earned income and spend it as they please?

Unfortunately, the answer is simple. The politicians from both parties in Washington, D.C., are convinced that they are more qualified to spend our money than we are. They may be right. People who would vote for that bunch â€"â€" never mind.

Larry Klassen

San Marcos

San Marcos graffiti removal program works

I don't usually respond to letters written by others because I firmly believe that everybody has a right to their opinion. However, to the person who complained that San Marcos graffiti removal was less than adequate (Letters, Dec. 14), I beg to differ. San Marcos has an excellent graffiti removal program. Unfortunately, the corner of Rock Springs and Nordahl is in the county, and their graffiti removal efforts are dismal.

Now to answer Scrooge Cristarella (Letters, Dec. 17), who wrote to chastise the Rincon Band of Indians for their generous donation so thousands could enjoy the Escondido parade because he had to wait in traffic, I say, bah, humbug. When the ghost of Christmas Present visits you on Christmas Eve and pulls open his robe to expose the children of Poor Planning and Selfishness, please reflect. It is not too late for you to think of someone else besides yourself and be thankful for those who give so graciously so others may experience joy. God bless us, every one!

Don Peck

San Marcos

Obama's choosing Hillary smells of a payoff

To Robert Tormey (Letters, Dec. 9): It isn't so much my fixation on the Clintons as it is our country's!

Of all the qualified, intelligent respectable choices, Obama chooses a congenital liar! How can I not write critical letters about these two scoundrels, Bill and Hillary? America deserves better.

Hillary being picked for secretary of state smells of a payoff such as is common and ordinary in Chicago politics. I believe Obama is well-schooled in just how these things happen.

As for "Clinton drivel" (Tormey's descriptive term), what would you call his letter? Once-in-a-lifetime letter to the editor, positive, informative, uplifting, educational? Thanks, Robert, but no thanks!

Junious

Montgomery

Carlsbad

Reflections on parenting

As a great-grandparent, I reflect on my life to evaluate how I screwed up as a parent raising four kids born in the '60s. Before having kids, I had a few degrees from UCLA, great employment in the race to space and war, and owned a fancy house. Unlike my kids, I was a poor minority and raised in a different, segregated America. My once "illegal" immigrant, loving parents taught me to physically work like a dog, study like an owl and learn to overcome adversity with my wits.

Everything in my segregated America began changing after World War II â€"â€" the hippies, the civil rights movement and the continuous losing on unending cold and hot wars. Unfortunately, my kids were raised just like your kids. The public school got rid of teaching trades, gym and arts. Grades were inflated, and every dumb kid was forced to take college-entry courses. We parents encouraged our kids to become practically useless by employing cheap "illegals." Industries and government shunned both unions with apprentice programs and unskilled non-high school graduates. Right-wing conservative ideologies (Reagan) replaced left-wing socialistic trends (FDR).

Have I learned anything? Yeah, there ain't no God!

Tony San Miguel

Vista

Bushes did not insult Obamas

In response to Ms. Maralyn Johnson of Rancho Bernardo (Letters, Dec. 17): Blair House in Washington, D.C. … was booked until the 15th of January. …

The Obama daughters are going to go to a private school and do not have a residence controlling where they attend school. They will be driven to school and picked up from school by drivers, and so there is no disruption caused by their housing.

Yes, at their age the girls will have many distractions, but I am sure with the help of their parents and the others in their surroundings, they can do very well. They have very intelligent parents who will look out for their every need. … Your statement of an insult to the Obamas is off base.

Nancy Dickeson

Oceanside

Bush's latest blow to America

Just when I thought it was safe to come out of the water, Bush struck again.

He has imposed a rule that would make it possible for any employee (from receptionist to administrator) of any heath provider to refuse service based upon their conceit of morality. So if you're a married woman who's had as many children as you want, the cashier at your local drug store can refuse to allow you to buy your birth control. If you're a gay who's "out," your phlebotomist can refuse to draw your blood for testing.

So I have a suggestion for all health workers who understand that overpopulation is the root of all environmental problems: Stop providing assistance in any way to anyone who is environmentally irresponsible enough to have more than two children. If a woman with two children or more comes to you to for help inˇdelivering a third child, refuse to help her. Or, if you really want to bring home the point, refuse to help any couple who've had more than two children. This would be, of course, ridiculous, but no more so than impeding a woman from having an abortion because you believe a multi-cellular organism, unaware of its own existence, a human fetus, should have the same legal right as you or me.

Margaret Liles

Escondido

Time for Carlsbad to stop whining

Currently, Carlsbad's power plant has one tall smoke stack that pumps water vapor or steam. There#'s no pollution and the visual pollution is, like art, "in the eye of the beholder."

Let's face it, without the eyesore, Carlsbad would develop an enormous traffic, beach-hogging, hotel-retail-mega-mall, similar to every other previous farmland or vacant lot within city limits.

Stop the NIMBY complaining and rest assured that with a new energy plant, all of the whiners can turn on their lights, power their computers and watch Oprah on the huge TV screens, and enjoy less traffic on the Coast Highway and find a parking space at the beach in the height of summer.

Long-term, the power plant actually equates into more tax dollars for the city than a hotel-retail center. Just look at all the vacant retail centers during your holiday shopping and say, "Thank you, SDG&E."

And no, Carlsbad is not even close to looking like Long Beach. Get real.

Dale Weston

Vista

Bushes make smooth transition for all

In response to the Dec. 17 publication of Maralyn Johnson's expressed opinion of the Bush family regarding occupancy of the Blair House: The administration has stated that Blair House is occupied until the official January date. The Bushes have, with their usual courtesy, gone out of their way to make this a smooth transition for all.

Her anger is painfully obvious and unjustified. Get over it! Liberals will soon enough have their turn at the White House and all its amenities. Obama can well afford to rent accommodations for 10 days and have his daughters limo'd to their school.

Obviously, Johnson is the "cruel and mean-spirited one."

Lu Proctor

Rancho Bernardo

Obey traffic laws to prevent accidents

On my street, there have been many accidents. Children are crossing the street when the cars are passing through. One solution is that there should be more stop signs or signs saying to slow down.

Also, people are speeding through yellow lights instead of slowing down near my school. Lots of kids walk through there when they come out of school and they can get hurt. One solution is to slow down when the light is yellow. It's the law.

Wendy Acosta

student, Cesar Chavez Middle School

Oceanside