Can Vista afford new city hall?

I'm sure you've heard of wasteful government spending. Example in Vista: The city spent about $325,000 on Prop. C. There are 31,752 registered voters in Vista; 6,818 voted - 2,225 no, 4,593 yes. Figure that one out. …

The proposed civic center will cost $40 million with $10 million set aside for contingencies. … We do need a new city hall, not a civic center. The city does not have that kind of money. I suppose they will sell more bonds to finance the project at 4 to 6 percent interest.

Talk about wasteful government spending of public funds. Yup, money talks - public funds just say goodbye. I hope at least the city gives the job to our local work force.

Robert Martinez

Vista

New nukes would imperil child health

Passing the initiative sponsored by Assemblyman Chuck DeVore to lift the 30-year ban on building new nuclear reactors in California may mean a new reactor at the San Onofre plant.

But supporters like DeVore don't address the health problems that a new reactor would raise (&#8220New bill would open San Onofre for another reactor," Sept. 28). …

Risks of radioactivity are greatest for infants and children. The three San Onofre reactors (one closed in 1992) are flanked by Orange and San Diego counties. Most residents of the two counties, known for their affluence, live within 50 miles of the plant. …

New nukes shouldn't be built unless health hazards are well understood - while safe wind and solar power are developed.

Joseph Mangano

executive director

Radiation and Public Health Project

Ocean City, N.J.

Rules of engagement favor Iraqis

Congressman Bilbray has no idea what is going on in his own district.

We have been protesting the current rules of engagement and the trials of our troops (the Pendleton 8) at the front gate of Camp Pendleton every Saturday for well over a year. The current rules of engagement are responsible for the murder of our troops. Now we have an inept congressman who just voted to put Blackwater Security personnel under the same rules of engagement that are obsolete and responsible for the murder of our troops.

These rules favor Iraqi terrorists over our warriors. The rules of engagement [seem to be]: 1) The enemy must fire their weapons upon our troops first. 2) Our troops must then contact their command center to obtain permission to fire back. 3) Then, if our troops are still alive, they can fire their weapons back. …

We Republicans deserve a better congressman than Bilbray. Please, let's get a new Republican congressman that cares about Americans who put their lives on the line in Iraq. We deserve better than Bilbray.

Patricia Walker

Fallbrook

San Diego responsible for landslides

Regarding the landslide in La Jolla: Please let me understand this. After starting a building project in the early 1960s, fully approved by the city of San Diego, the hill failed substantially, causing the loss of several homes in the middle of construction.

Instead of immediately declaring this area a danger to the homes and future residents by declaring it a naturally unstable area, the area was regraded and building resumed. Homes were sold and the inevitable happened again … a couple of days ago.

We've been told on the news by our resident geologist that this area is a naturally unstable area and slides would have occurred regardless. Exactly! And the powers that be didn't know this in the early '60s? I'm sure they did. But the construction continued anyway! And this is exactly why the city should be held accountable.

Had the city stepped up to the plate when the first slide occurred and stopped construction, the natural slide events that have occurred since would not have involved homes. Thank God they didn't involve the loss of life.

Elizabeth Johnson

Poway

MoveOn ad misleading

The MoveOn.org ad deliberately lied to smear Gen. Petraeus. It became clear that the whole point of their ad wasn't to provide the truth, which they so clearly accused Gen. Petraeus of not doing, when the articles they referenced in the ad totally disputed what they said in the ad.

Their claim that death by car bombs don't count was totally disputed in the very publication they cited as the source. In fact, a New York Times article (Sept. 7) clearly stated, &#8220But victims of all car bomb attacks and Shiite and Sunni infighting are included in the overall civilian casualty count."

This just further proves how MoveOn.org is so hell-bent on hatred for President Bush that they would deliberately lie in their ad to smear Gen. Petraeus since they knew his report wasn't going to make President Bush look bad. Anyone that defends this ad is, in effect, defending a blatant lie.

Bill Reynolds

Oceanside

Remains resolute on gay issue

Funny, it didn't take too long for a pro-gay advocate to come to the assistance of San Diego's mayor (Letters, Sept. 27). Me, need to have a better insight? I think not.

Obviously, I am old school. Trouble is, pro-gays tend to despise old school. I remain resolute in my opposition to pro-gay issues.

Sorry if the mayor has a gay child. Not my problem. He should have thought about that before he was anti-gay some time back. Still better to not live in San Diego and have the gay rights issues stuffed down my throat.

William Elder

Oceanside

Democrats also betray us

The Republicans are considered the experts in the war against the middle class and have had many victories in the past. However, the Democrats have now joined the war against the middle class on the issue of illegal immigration. Not only do they want to provide a path to citizenship for the 12 million to 20 million illegal immigrants, but they also have proposed to increase visas for foreign workers and oppose the building of fences on the Mexican border, making the entry of more illegal immigrants easier.

Democrats never discuss how much this massive illegal immigration will cost the middle class and the poor in jobs, lower wages and a huge tax burden. Whatever the cost, they believe it is worth their achieving the Latino and religious votes plus the continuing support of campaign contributions from big businesses that now thrive on cheap foreign labor so they can compete in a global economy.

It looks like the Democrats have reached a consensus that the Latino and religious votes are needed at any cost to ensure success in the 2008 elections. There are those of us who believe that the devastation of the middle class and the poor in this country is too high of a price to pay for a more secure election victory.

Herbert Pairitz

Carlsbad

Who pays for the war?

This war is about oil. The Imperial Elite want economic control of oil - in Iraq and elsewhere! They and their corporations show no allegiance to any country or nation-state. They go where they want to extract wealth, and then leave, burdening local communities with social and environmental costs.

Are U.S. taxpayers - and their children and great-great-grandchildren - expected to pay for this war as our national debt? Where and to whom is the [estimated] $720 million [in immediate and ongoing costs] per day going? It's not going into soldiers' pay or medical care.

Why is the U.S. military at the beck and call of the Imperial Elite?

Deborah Davis

Oceanside

Web Comments

Initiatives limiting casino growth closer to ballot

Readers respond to our Oct. 6 story about how a campaign to stop four tribal gambling agreements with the state, including one with the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians in Temecula, may be a step closer to going before voters in February.

Need limits

Roy: "Good get these on the ballot and vote no on casino expansion that benefits the few rich fat cat Indian tribes and barely addresses the needs of the majority of poor Indians in our State. Vote down the expansion of the greedy and unregulated casinos in California."

Not worth gamble

Vote NO: "Shut these greedy casinos down. This is not Vegas! Casinos bring traffic, crime and crooks. They will never pay their 'fair' share. It's a very select few cashing out on your losses!"

Negotiate

GFN: "The Indians are trumpeting the fact that California will get $9 million in the next 20 years if the agreements go through. If we are to have Las Vegas gambling in our state, give the Indians 15 more years exclusively and then legalize gambling under state control. The Indians will have had the opportunity to make lots of money and the citizens of our state will get $140 billion over the two decades after that. Win-win. .. "

Follow the money

Casino Greed?: "When the Indian casinos give millions of dollars to the state of California, does it go to the people? Or does it just benefit the select few?"

Oceanside leaders say stadium still a slim possibility

Readers respond to our Oct. 6 story about Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood saying that although it appears that Oceanside will not be the next home of the Chargers, the pro football team could still loft a Hail Mary pass and end up with a stadium here.

Step back

tlp: "All the city is doing is acknowledging what the Charger's report stated: the plan to finance construction with office building wouldn't work. It seems reasonable to step away and let the Chargers decide if they want to pursue an alternate path, since they were apparently the ones to propose the plan in the first place."

Forfeit

Ken: "I would advise Charger fans to give up on the idea of having the Chargers in Oceanside. Not because I wouldn't want it to happen, but because I don't think the NIMBYs are sophisticated enough to know a good deal when they see it. The city fathers and mothers cannot seem to comprehend the national exposure and tourism that such a facility would bring, especially if the team were successful. The tourism would be year-round thanks to all of the free advertising."

Game over

GFN: "So the city's strategy is … the mayor summed up Oceanside's strategy in one sentence: 'If they're playing games with us, let's just tell them no and see if they come back.' So, it's 'Let's play games to see if they are playing games.' Wow, junior high all over this one. How about this for a strategy: Be honest! Oops … I guess that's too simplistic in this complex world of politics, eh? Geez … "

Get going

Jeff: "The mayor's ideas, as usual, are quite muddled. Councilmen Rocky and Jerry have it right - move on to something from which all of Oceanside can benefit. We need class-'A' office space, we need El Corazon completed for every one and we don't need an old under-used golf course. Let the plans begin!"

Former drug maker: 'I always knew I would get busted'

Readers respond to our Oct. 6 story about former Valley Center resident Bill Meyer, a former methamphetamine producer and heroin user who says he always knew he'd eventually be arrested

Rehabilitate

Roberto1: "Just about everyone that is locked up eventually gets out. We need to rehabilitate those we can, assisted living for the mentally ill & and quit wasting resources locking up drug addicts. We need the space for violent offenders and white collar criminals … "

Revolving door

There is: " … still big money to be made in drugs. The Government will never stop it. Quit locking them up. It's a waste of time, space and money. Get them into treatment."

Just wrong

here lies the problem: "How many lives did this guy ruin? Hundreds, thousands? That's just those directly affected. Then there are the families he ruined. And he got two years and had a large stash of cash. Mr. Meyer, you and your 'kind' are what is wrong with America today."