Stop the water outages

You probably didn't hear about the fact that the seniors at Green Valley Mobile Home Park in Vista did not have water for two days. I feel that this is a serious problem. My mom and dad are in their 70s, and it is a serious health hazard for them to have that happen. They were forced to lug water over from my apartment. And not being able to do the dishes was really bad.

I don't think the city took this problem very seriously. The water just now stopped again. When is this problem going to be fixed? Will they wait until someone dies before they fix it?

MICHAEL KNUTSON

Vista

Let's go back to rationing gas

Is it time to ration gasoline? It worked in WWII. We need independence from the oil cartels. We are in a war on terrorism. We need oil/gasoline. We debate our energy policy while the price of oil/gasoline continues to go up. It's time for ordinary citizens to make some sacrifice on the homefront.

Let's feel some pain in our war on terrorism. I do not feel any pain when I receive a tax break in the middle of this war. Let's do something now at the pump. Institute gas rationing on all of us until our energy needs are solved. We have a model for this program. Let's revive the WWII gasoline rationing program.

DAVID RIDENOUR

BAKER

Oceanside

We already share the burden

In response to the Aug. 5 letter titled, "Traffic burden must be shared," Santa Fe Hills does share in the burden of regional traffic. Commuters divert from Twin Oaks Valley Road down Borden to Las Posas.

As for the wish that we "sleep well at night," many of our residents currently don't. Some don't even sleep in their master bedrooms backing up to Las Posas. There is no golf course to buffer our homes from traffic noise. We should not expand our roadways (Deer Springs and Las Posas) to accommodate more regional traffic. The freeway system is where this traffic belongs, not racing through any of our residential neighborhoods or past any of our elementary schools.

The information that our Mello-Roos obligations have been rescinded is incorrect. The fact is that Santa Fe Hills pays Mello-Roos, along with property taxes twice yearly. Our Mello-Roos funded many amenities that are shared with the community as a whole, such as Las Posas Park and its pool, tennis courts and soccer fields.

I hope that San Marcos can focus on quality of life for all its residents rather than just accommodating an unending stream of regional traffic.

PAM BANCELLS

San Marcos

A gripe with Cox

My gripe is with Cox cable. I have had them since they opened here in Oceanside. They offered various package deals as time went on, with an increase in price, which is OK. My problem is, I don't have digital cable, which is my choice.

What angers me is they are moving channels that I had in my package deal over to digital cable and are not reducing my bill. They say to switch to cable and you will have many more channels. Well, I was satisfied with what I had. Give me that choice. Don't take my channels away and force me to go digital. If you are going to take away channels that I paid for, then reduce my bill. We should get some congressional people involved in this.

ANTONIO ANTONIZIO

Oceanside

Who will pick up the rebuilding tab?

National and local television newscasts are graphically displaying rockets and guided missiles destroying countless structures in both Lebanon and Israel, causing death, injury and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of citizens of both nations.

Hopefully, this carnage will end soon. Whenever this happens the rebuilding will begin, bringing up the question of who will absorb the majority of the cost for this massive undertaking? The House of Representatives recently sent a $21 billion foreign aid measure to the Senate for review and passage. Included in this bill is $2.3 billion to Israel for military aid and $120 million for economic aid. This is free U.S. taxpayer money that has been sent each year in the form of grants for decades.

Locally, a congressman is requesting a U.S. pledge of $10 million to $100 million per month to stabilize and rebuild the region. If enacted, this massive cost would also be a grant that could last for years and is in addition to the foreign aid money.

When watching buildings being destroyed on television and wondering who will absorb the majority of the cost for the certain rebuilding program when truce is finally called, just look in a mirror.

LEON SMITH

Oceanside

Three musketeers are destroying O'side

For the three musketeers in Oceanside City Hall that are bent on destroying Oceanside's future, I want to refer you to the article on the right side of the front page in the July 29 Today's Local News (a freebie) all about Carlsbad's super-great expansion and improvement to their airport.

What a terrific moneymaker that will be, along with the mall, Car Country, five-star luxury hotels, etc., etc. But have no fear, Queen Esther will guarantee the final death blow to the Oceanside airport and plunge that prime land into low-income slum housing come hell or high water. As if our traffic isn't a total disaster now, let's put more unlicensed drivers in uninsured junkers to clog the roads worse.

By all means, you three absolutely must exert all your effort and pull out all stops to squash the trash pilfering. Don't even look at the stolen shopping carts scattered all over town. Do we have our priorities backward?

My admiration is for Mr. Leon J. Page. He puts the dart in the bull's eye every time.

G. CHARLES EVANS

Oceanside

Tough love for Rep. Issa

Our erstwhile Rep. Issa was on the national news last month saying that we needed to give Israel some "tough love." Maybe over 200 Hezbollah rockets a day are not enough to suit him.

As a retired lifelong Republican who is tired of his unsolicited, automatic phone calls, I plan to give him some tough love this November and help bring him home from his perch in D.C.

Darrell Issa needs a reality check.

JESSE FRANK FORD

Fallbrook

Jaka warns of an ugly campaign

Highly effective Vista Unified School District board member Jim Gibson is up for re-election, but he hasn't pulled papers. He has simply said he'll make an announcement soon.

In the Aug. 1 North County Times election article, the potential loss to our community of Gibson's not running becomes clear.

In that article, Gibson talks about accountability, basic education and commitment to parents, while candidate Elizabeth Jaka's only platform is her support for another hugely overbudget school (a school beyond board action).

Jaka, who obviously feels she has the union backing, said, "It's probably going to be one of the ugliest elections we've ever seen." This will be an ugly campaign only if Jaka and the union bosses make it one, as they've done before.

Jaka offers to do nothing except bring divisiveness to the Vista school board.

I'll soon be starting a committee asking the union bosses to stop the brutal tactics they've used for years.

The union bosses' legacy includes the former superintendent, who earns twice as much in retirement as his average pay during his entire term as superintendent.

For the sake of the teachers, students and community, it's time to ask the union to stop interfering.

ROBB SCHEELE

Vista

Criminal defense attorneys serve the system

Doris Lalka's July 30 letter verbally attacked Mary Ellen Attridge's defense of murderer Tito Lopez, as well as one of the young men in the Stephanie Crowe case. She takes issue with some of Ms. Attridge's comments in defending Lopez and, at the same time, defends Richard Tuite as paying for the crime she feels Ms. Attridge's client committed.

Had it not been for Ms. Attridge's tenacity and hard work, the lives of three innocent young men would have been ruined because of sloppy police work and interrogation tactics that were borderline unconstitutional.

Most people hate criminal defense attorneys, but many are dedicated to serving the system and their clients and, let's face it, somebody's got to do it. Ms. Attridge is one of the county's best, and Ms. Lalka should aim her anger at Tito Lopez instead of a woman who could make 10 times more in the private sector than remaining a public servant.

FRANK BODDEN

Carlsbad

Cox monopoly is unacceptable

Cox cable subscribers are forced to pay for channels they do not want in the packages they pay for. I do not understand foreign languages. There are many Spanish-language channels I do not want in my package. I called Cox to see if I could receive alternative channels in my package and I was told this is the way it is and there is no alternative except to cancel my account.

I am going to work to make changes in this issue. The city of Oceanside Telecommunication Advisory Committee meets in September at 8:30 a.m. on the second or third Friday. Call (760) 435-5018, to voice opinion about your Cox service, or to confirm the date to attend the committee meeting to insist you get what you pay for. This monopoly is unacceptable.

DONNA McGINTY

Oceanside

Liberals have high standards

Instead of defending every criticism of Bush, Victor Chabala should interview someone who knows something and write about that (Letters, Aug. 6). Back when Congress was trying to impeach Clinton he could have interviewed a lawyer.

Lawyers on TV at that time said perjury is lying about an item pertinent to the case of law before the court. When sex acts are not pertinent, lies about them aren't prosecuted as perjury.

What has offended many is that Bush does not sound educated: Clinton showed an intellect, which people worldwide respected. Sexual affairs by men of power are not shocking abroad. It's a matter of values. Clinton's "frat party" can be considered a way to develop solutions. Bush's use of a swear word shows his lack of polish, so there was comment.

Clinton had a fiscal surplus. He worked with Israel and Palestine for peace. His press conferences were informative. No war to get a pipeline built.

Clinton's legal avoidance of the draft is irrelevant: At no risk to themselves Bush/Cheney rushed to war and sent middle-class troops to fight. Will the twins volunteer for this fiasco? Liberals have high standards, they just aren't your standards, Mr. Chabala.

ELAINE BARTON

Oceanside

You can't take it

In Aug. 6 letters, Victor Chabala spews about double standards of liberals.

Seems that Victor and many of his party can dish it out still about Clinton some 14 years after he gained office, but can't take any criticism of their Republican president. Having said that, I respect true conservatives who have questioned Bush's judgment, the war, reckless spending and the compromising of our freedoms. If Clinton had yielded these same results we've seen from the Bush administration, I believe he would have been forced out of office from both sides. Clinton never sought an unprovoked war or uttered chicken-hawk lingo like "bring 'em on." Remember again that no one died when Clinton lied. Can you honestly say the same for Bush? How is that for a standard?

ROBERT WATSON

Carlsbad

Radical Islam is a threat to the entire planet

It is strange how a mistake in bombing has led to worldwide condemnation of Israel, yet no such condemnation erupted over the decades of Muslim terrorists using human bombs. As time marches on, Israel is being backed into a corner and the world loses its moral compass. There is no religion on earth that is viable if it believes that self-sacrifice through the use of bombs strapped to the body and the destruction of innocent humans is the way to justify its existence. The United Nations and the U.S. may end up condemning Israel, and the results will be catastrophic, for Israel will unleash its power of survival in the form of nuclear weapons and the Mideast will become a towering nuclear cloud.

If the secular world cannot recognize that radical Islam is a threat to all the planet, then Israel will be the final arbiter in this debate. The result will be worse than any human can comprehend and all will suffer in its stupid decisions. The results will make global warming and gas prices look like non-issues, for there will be no turning back and civilization as we know it will cease to exist.

JOSEPH KRAATZ

Oceanside

Selfish people cause much sadness

There are two kinds of people. One kind lives thoughtlessly, selfishly and carelessly. They throw lit cigarettes from their car window during a heat wave; they dart in and out of traffic on the freeway at 100 mph; they run from the police through a red light, hit a traffic pole and kill themselves. If we're lucky, the selfishness of these people will only hurt themselves, but it rarely ever does. Having witnessed the recent police chase (Highway 76 and Frazee Road on Aug. 2), and having seen the young man kill himself, I can attest to the trauma that he produced in all those who witnessed the tragedy.

I can testify about the sadness of those who mourned around that light pole for several days. I can imagine the sense of loss suffered by his parents. The thoughtless and careless life hurts so many others who just so happen to live in their path.

The other kind of people are thoughtful and caring. These are the people who suffer most at the hands of the selfish because they care enough to pray that the selfish person will find salvation and change. Honestly, it takes a miracle for people to change.

CHRISTOPHER INGRAM

Vista

Israel has used up its free pass

I was only 10 when WWII came to an end and our nation discovered the true barbarism of the Nazis. There was no TV then, and we got our visual news at the movies. You can imagine the feelings U.S. citizens had seeing bulldozers pushing bodies of slaughtered Jews into an open grave ññ one of the reasons the Jews have had a free pass for their actions in the upcoming years.

In 1946 the Jews brought terrorism to the Mideast by blowing up the King David Hotel, killing close to 100; however, the British didn't bomb the Jews and kill civilians. Israel was still allowed to become a nation. In fact, a couple of the planners of that bombing went on to become prime ministers.

With the latest Israel attacks on Palestine and Lebanon I believe the Jews have used up their free pass. I'm totally sick of the Israel lobby having free run of our new organizations using the same BS Bush used in selling the Iraq invasion.

The time has come for Israel to be held responsible for its atrocities like any other nation.

JOE MARTIN

Oceanside

People know what symbols stand for

After reading the "Supremacists appear to be anything but" letter by Gerardo Hernandez (July 28) I soon became angry and appalled. Sure there are people who support the German flags, confederate flags and swastikas to just feel "tough" and "cool" toward their peers, but no one can go around accusing them of not knowing what they stand for.

And assuming that these people didn't pass the high school exit exam is ignorant. Passing the exit exam has nothing to do with knowing what these symbols stand for. The exit exam is based upon eighth-grade math and standard ways of English.

I have my own views and beliefs and I know very well what the symbols stand for and here I have just graduated high school passing the exam. Not passing the exit exam does not automatically make you a white supremacist. I guarantee if any adult of any race were given this test, they would probably fail due to the change in the education system.

Whatever happened to the First Amendment: freedom of speech, expression, religion, press? Why is it such a crime to believe in something these days without people thinking we are bad people who can't pass a simple test? If fathers and sons wear things against terrorism, let them. It's their choice, their freedom of expression. If you want people to make an effort at whites being "supreme," wouldn't you get offended by that, too?

JESSICA MCLEOD

Temecula

Build hospital in Triangle

Let me put it quite simply: The Murrieta (Golden) Triangle should be the home of the new hospital. Forget about building a hospital on Highway 79 South. There's already too much traffic on that side of town. A hospital should be in a location that is central to the entire community, easily accessible, and in a place that won't be bothersome to nearby residents. Build a great big, beautiful, state-of-the-art hospital, with a helipad at the Murrieta Triangle. It's the most logical choice.

WINDY JOHNSON

Temecula

Questions for BP

Tell me, British Petroleum. Tell me why you allowed the Alaska pipeline to accumulate so much sludge that it corroded your pipeline. Tell me, how long will our petroleum supply will be shut down? Tell me, BP, where can I buy reasonably priced fuel to pull my travel trailer on vacation this year? Tell me.

DON PRICE

Temecula

A loophole in support system

We need to implement a change to be able to collect child support from a non-custodial parent who is self-employed. It seems to me that this is a loophole in the system. We need to implement that the child support is ordered to be paid out before any other financial obligations are paid out of the business account. Too often a child is left without because of this loophole. Also, many non-custodial parents are becoming self-employed to avoid their child-support obligations. Just a little letter to the editor to open this discussion.

DORI LOUISE YOUNG

Wildomar

Let us decide what's 'local'

Bravo to Tina Barton (Letters, Aug. 8). I moved here 2 1/2 years ago and subscribed to DirecTV so I could receive "local stations." Little did I know that the FCC has decided to leave the choice of what our local stations are to Nielsen, a private company.

Despite phone calls to everyone involved it seems that even though Temecula is two miles from San Diego County, we are considered part of Los Angeles. There must be lots of big advertising money behind this decision. Why not give us the choice?

STEVEN SCHWARTZ

Temecula

What is the 'right' profit for Big Oil?

John Van Doorn in his recent piece "Gas prices will go up," Aug. 9, displays his acute business acumen in surmising that when diminishing supply of a given product meets increased demand, the price goes up. He also points out that "profits at Big Oil are the obscenity of the age."

Maybe he can just tell us what the "right" profits are for Big Oil or what the "right" price for gas is rather than let the forces of a free market determine that. Profits are large for these companies because they are giant worldwide corporations. The profit margin, as compared with the investment in order to generate that profit, is fairly reasonable and in line with other similar industries. At any rate, Mr. Van Doorn is free to partake of these profits by simply buying stock in Big Oil.

The facts are that a sizable portion of the world oil supply comes from the Middle East and the Middle East is in turmoil; and that growing economies in countries such as India and China are demanding far more resources, such as oil, than previously.

Mr. Van Doorn can now turn his attention to the prices of pharmaceuticals and coffee.

HAL SCHILLINGER

Murrieta

Web Comments

Home sales plunge 31 percent in July

Readers respond to our Aug. 10 story about how sales of single-family houses last month plunged 31 percent from July 2005 and sales of condominiums fell 28 percent during the same time period, continuing a slowdown that has persisted throughout the year.

Pop!

Zen Question: "Quiet! Is this the sound of the bubble popping?"

Sooner or later

About Time: "Of course it was quiet. How long can people be conned into paying for real estate which is considered 70% overvalued according to reliable sources? How long can a market last when less than 10% of the people can afford an average priced home? People have to wake up some time. P.S. To Zen Question, that's hilarious!"

Live to borrow

Tess: "Blame the 'lines of credit' and the easy 'home equity loans' that have gotten people in debt way over the price of their homes. It is extremely expensive to live in San Diego - never mind housing. Cost of life insurance, cost of health insurance, utilities, etc. You borrow to live. Then the feds up the interest rates. Is anyone making a profit on selling a house?"

Moving on

Pittsburgh: "Pay no attention! There is nothing to see here! Keep on moving, nothing to see here. There is no bubble popping. Rest assured that your one bedroom apartment that you call a condo is still worth $400k."

Don't buy it

ANTHONY: "The falsehood of the real estate market is finally being unmasked and reality is taking it's place. Easy money and low interest rates have created an artificial real restate market, not real economic fundamentals. Real estate agents/brokers are liars!"

Motorcyclists still plague Palomar Mountain residents

Readers respond to our Aug. 10 story about Palomar Mountain residents saying that some Ninja-style motorcycle riders are roaring up and down Palomar Mountain despite a heavy law enforcement effort last year to deter racing.

Few represent all?

RWC: "These Bozos are giving motorcyclists a bad name. Most are everyday good citizens just out to save money and/or have fun. Hopefully, CHP will be able to put a stop to this nonsense."

Don't ruin it for all

Woman: "This is an unfortunate situation and I'd be angry if I lived there and had to endure the disturbances. It's one thing for these people to put their own lives at risk, but they don't seem to recognize the danger they pose to others. However, I doubt there's adequate tax revenue generated in the area to substantiate the purposed extra enforcement measures."

Lame laws

Dave: "If the speed limit isn't set to the 85th percentile, cops can't ticket on it. If they set it to 35 mph, they can't enforce it. Enjoy the state laws."

Step up the penalties

JD: "Speed bumps, stop signs and stiffer penalties (similar to penalties for speeding in construction zones). Force these people out of the mountains by making the roads impassable for their high tech equipment! They do not care about anyone but themselves so make their lives as miserable as possible!"

Oceanside council approves homes on office site

Readers respond to our Aug. 10 story about the City Council deciding to change the use of a 28-acre property in central Oceanside so a developer can build 340 homes on the site originally planned for office buildings.

Five-star job

Randy: "What is the point in having a Planning Commission anyway? To be able to 'up the ante' from the developers appealing the Planning Commission decisions to the City Council? Well, in that case, the Planning Commission is doing a stellar job!"

Makes cents

local resident: "Why don't they just put a park on that land? Oh, sorry, I forgot - it wouldn't make any money."

Slick hands

Brian: "Planning commission is against it. Staff is against it. Council votes for it? Who's palms were greased?"

You work for us

why did I move here?: "It is so obvious that Ms. Mackin and Mr. Wood are not thinking of the people in our city. Voting to put more houses in an area clearly speaks against what the residents want. Have they forgotten who they are working for? That's US, your constituents, who will not be voting for either of you again. Mackin needs to go back to Oceanside School District, if they will have her back. Wood is just "dead" wood - he is not an effective leader whatsoever."