Now is the time for Atlas to shrug
On March 30, Barack Hussein Obama announced that the CEO of General Motors had been forced to resign. He further explained that the men running that company and others like it belonged to him. He demanded that other men not named immediately make a plan that would reverse decades of socialist failure to make the companies successful and to pay off retirees no longer able to contribute.
I would advise all men capable of thinking to open their hands and stop sanctioning their own harm at the hands of the socialists. Let Obama's new-age socialists have their way. Now is the time for Atlas to shrug.
Vincent Morrison
Oceanside
What liberals do, don't like
Re: "Shoe-thrower deserves monument," by Patrick Frawley, Letters, March 22: The writer reveals much about his character and internal enemies. President Bush failed to enforce laws and veto bad congressional spending bills, but he is loyal to the United States. Patrick presents himself as an angry, irrational, repulsive hater.
President Clinton and Secretary of State Albright kissed Iranian leaders. Their reward? "Ali Khamenei reminded everyone that Iran is at war with the U.S." (from a speech given by Michael Ledeen, author of "The Iranian Time Bomb"). Muslims have been at war with us since 1979, while the Frawleys of the country continue denial.
Margaret McCown Liles ("Liberals don't hate America," Letters March 22) wants more government oversight. Is it because Chris Dodd and Barney Frank were so successful with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae? True, liberals don't hate America when others are paying the bills.
For Joseph Kraatz ("Writer must have a different Constitution," Letters, March 24), Puritans came to colonies to purify the church, not to kill the unborn, or deteriorate human conduct to lower animal level. The Constitution doesn't authorize killing the unborn, but it does protect freedom of religion, which liberal Democrats oppose.
Murel Fisk
Escondido
Earth Hour was waste of time
I was driving home Saturday evening, thinking about all the goofy people sitting in the dark that night ("Environmentalists hail Earth Hour as a big success," March 30).
During Earth Hour on Encinitas Boulevard, I passed by a vacant, former supermarket that will be remodeled into another grocery store. Every overhead florescent light in the building was on. There were no workers, no construction equipment and no sign of activity (the lights have been on every night since, and still no activity).
I realized that even if all of my 328 neighbors in our development shut off their lights for one hour, it would not equal the amount of wasted electricity of one storefront burning lights unnecessarily.
Stopping the waste of electricity will not happen by sitting around on the sofa, in the dark and thinking one has helped a global problem. But now those people feel really good about themselves. So much so they could go out and buy a big screen TV, without feeling guilty.
Ken Harrison
Cardiff-by-the-Sea
Simple solution for anti-Obama crowd
To all the angry anti-Obama people out there, I have a few simple points (if you're merely unhappy, I'm not really talking about you).
First: Barack Obama won the election. Fairly, squarely and honestly. He's not your president, but he is the president.
Second: We've had it your way for eight years. It's only fair to let the other side be happy for a while.
Third: Don't like him? Wait four or eight years. You'll have another chance eventually.
Fourth, without irony or sarcasm: Have a nice day. Seems like you need it.
Henrik Harbin
San Marcos
What Rush really wants to fail
Of all the North County "hate Bush" letter writers, please tell me who amongst them ever, ever, in the past eight years, wanted Dubya to succeed? How many times does Rush have to explain, over and over, to the deaf blockheads Obama's Marxist-socialist policies he is putting forward is what Rush wants to fail? Is that hard to understand?
Name-calling such as bloated, pill-popping blowhard only strengthens his support, and 20 million fans isn't bad! Little people like those described above are like flakes of dandruff on Rush's shoulders.
I hope all you Marxist lovers enjoy the next tax increases the (state and federal) Democrat (lawmakers) have put forward. Some of these funds are going to determine why pig's poop stinks! Now that is really important!
Tax increases are like pay cuts for the Average Joe while the elite politicos wallow in their secure pay and perks.
Junious
Montgomery
Carlsbad
Obama should honor promise to Darfur
During the election, both McCain and Obama said that the genocide in Darfur required action. Both candidates promised to help if they were elected.
But since Obama's election, I've heard nothing from the president or Hillary Clinton regarding their plans on tackling the crisis.
I understand that the economy has gotten much worse than during the election, and it requires attention. But does the global recession make the lives of Sudanese people any less important?
The president must do something now before the Sudanese government completes their ethnic cleansing.
Jacob Lange
Oceanside
Give Obama's plans a chance to succeed
I am not a Democrat, but I did vote for Obama. For the naysayers of change who preferred an administration who gave you two illegal wars, spied on you, tortured at Guantanamo and elsewhere, who gave tax cuts and subsidized companies that shipped your jobs overseas and hid the absurd profits, tax-free, in the Caymans, who systematically deregulated governmental oversight of the financial institutions that you are bailing out, then you are part of the problem.
Mr. Bush took office with a budget surplus and left President Obama the largest deficit in the nation's history. And that doesn't include the nearly trillion dollars in supplementals for the wars. Mr. Bush's way was the wrong way. Change needs to happen, and it will happen. Be part of the solution.
Stop the divisive rhetoric we see every day in these pages and come together to support an administration that has plans to help all of us, not just the people at the top of the food chain. Give President Obama's plans for the future a chance to succeed. Health care for all sounds pretty good to me. Do not be afraid of change. Peace.
Bill Thomas
Cardiff
Deferred compensation not noted
Recent commentaries on San Diego County employee retirement structure have been uninformative in failing to indicate that pension benefits are, in part, deferred compensation withheld from biweekly payment vouchers during working years.
As a senior social worker retiree, my highest pay grade hourly amount was less than San Diego city transit drivers. In fact, the 1969 civil service senior social worker open exam listed beginning salary as $713 monthly and $866 after 30 months of employment. And, requiring entrants to have a bachelor's degree in part qualifying (Exam no. 6529 (series)). This position and most having Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance and County Employee Retirement System coverage.
Kenneth Edwards
Escondido
Not a $1.1 million lie
San Diego Gas and Electric was fined for misstating Sunrise Powerlink information to the California Public Utilities Commission by deceiving leading to wrongdoing. This is not a $1.1 million lie and is decriminalizing the law by allowing SDG&E to say they did nothing wrong. Prior to this, Michael Shames from Utility Consumers Action Network's investigation forced SDG&E to revise the Sunrise report after many times … .
Now SDG&E wants to shut off electricity to San Diego North County residents when the wind comes up. It is strange that on my electric bill, I am charged a transmission fee of $6.60 and distribution fee of $35.66, a total of $42.66. Is this not part of maintaining power poles and electric lines? If so, are we paying a lot of money for nothing?
I believe we need a huge credit for work SDG&E has not completed, and shutting off power due to SDG&E's inability to maintain infrastructures is criminal.
Does $42.66 just evaporate every month or go to Sempra shareholders?
Buddie Gran
Escondido
Charge people for trips to jail
Seems to me that if people have to pay for a trip in an Escondido city ambulance, criminals should have to pay for a trip to the police station when in the back of a police car. Why is it that innocent people who need emergency care have to pay for an ambulance? I'm not talking about private ambulance transportation. I'm talking about city, fire department, ambulance. Shouldn't that be paid for through tax dollars?
Do people have to pay to have a fire put out? Do people have to pay when the police come? Not as far as I know.ˇSo it seems only right that people who have done a wrong thing should have to pay to be transported to the police station. Seems like a good way to make money for the city to me.
Holly Martin
Escondido
Can Obama be president and CEO?
Reading the news lately, I often find myself sick. Is this really happening? Rush Limbaugh hit the nail on the head at the Conservative Political Action Conference when he stated that the Democratic Party is all about controlling the people. We're seeing it right now firsthand.
By Obama effectively firing General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner, he is assuming control over the company. Just to put this in terms that everyone can understand, a lawyer (with no experience in the business world) is taking the reins of a $15 billion corporation. I certainly wouldn't want a businessman representing me in court. Why would I want a lawyer running a struggling company?
Appointing lawyers to run GM won't keep the company afloat. No amount of money or talent can keep GM out of bankruptcy at this point. They messed up and should face the consequences.
We live in a merit-based society. If we keep a failure on its feet, we are taking away from the very merit that helped found this country. If Obama wants to be a real patriot, he should let GM fail just like its predecessors that didn't make the cut.
Thomas Grimes
Encinitas
Praise again for NCT's photojournalists
Having read Bill Puett's acknowledgement (Letters, March 30) of his "favorite photojournalist for the North County Times," I cannot resist but put in my two cents worth for my favorite. That talented person would be Jamie Scott Lytle.
Invariably, I can glance at a photo that catches my eye immediately and call out to anyone within earshot: "That's got to be a Jamie Scott Lytle." And almost always, I'm right. I've even gone so far as to write him a note from a "No. 1 fan" and urge that he have a book of his work published. Maybe one day that will happen and I'll be first in line.
With today's news being rather drastic on all fronts, these talented photojournalists can usually set a more positive mood with one glance at their unique works. All newspapers should be so fortunate.
Karin Stanton
Encinitas
Be positive influence on children
I'd like to thank the North County Times for publishing the column, "Living With Children," by Dr. John Rosemond in each Sunday's edition.
I believe he is a traditional, common-sense psychologist with plenty of good information to share. I recommend everyone, old and young alike, to read his column, because no matter where we are in age or experience, we each one have an influence on young children. Let's try to make it a positive one.
Roger Hufferd
Oceanside
With Obama in charge, GM is doomed
The idea of President Obama, who has never even run a lemonade stand, telling General Motors how to restructure its business is beyond absurd. And look at his "team." They are a bunch of academics who have never run a company either.
Maybe GM ought to do what the U.S. government is doing: Spend trillions of dollars they don't have. Oh, that won't work. GM doesn't have the power to tax or the power to print money. They have to earn what they get.
With Obama running their business, GM is doomed, and it doesn't look any better for the country.
Larry Klassen
San Marcos
San Marcos doesn't need a 'signature' event
The mayor of San Marcos has suggested the city stage a "signature" event, using Escondido's Grape Day festival as an example ("Council thinks city needs 'signature' regional event," March 31). Why? We moved to San Marcos when it was a nice quiet town in 1973. Today it is a bustling city with heavy traffic and congestion. Seems like enough people are getting the word and filling the place up fast enough.
Or maybe, like the Sprinter, which is a feature rather than a need, a "signature" event could provide needless prestige to compete with other cities?
Henry Sanford
San Marcos
Thank you for making dog event a success
On behalf of everyone at the Escondido Humane Society â"â" including the four-legged ones â"â" I wanted to say a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who helped make our Paws in the Park dog walk a resounding success on Sunday ("Dogs strut their stuff for a cause," March 30). We had our biggest turnout in recent history, with about 1,200 people and their canine companions coming out to Kit Carson Park to raise funds and awareness for animals in need.
Through the community's support, we raised more than $90,000 for animals at the Humane Society, as well as those who will come to us this year in need of safe shelter, loving care and, most important, a new home.
Everyone who participated in the walk stood by the animals when others have abandoned them. The animals at our shelter â"â" 373 right at this moment â"â" can sleep well tonight knowing that our community will always be there when they need it the most. Your support has truly made a difference in their lives.
To everyone who helped at Paws in the Park â"â" including volunteers, vendors, sponsors, walkers (and their dogs) and all who donated â"â" thank you!
Katie Woolsey
public relations coordinator
Escondido Humane Society
