Where's the water shortage?

Once again, SoCal water officials are asking us to conserve ("Drought, pump shutdowns have water officials worried about 2008 and beyond," June 18). May I please see a show of hands from all the local city councils that plan to temporarily stop issuing new building permits due to the water shortage? Oceanside? Vista? San Diego? Seeing none, how about a tally from all the local water districts? Which districts are putting a hold on future letters of water availability given out to the development industry? Fallbrook Public Utility? Carlsbad Municipal? Rincon del Diablo? No hands? I guess we don't really have a water shortage then, do we?

Surely the taxpayer-owned water districts would never think about asking existing ratepayers to conserve water just so they can support massive future housing developments? The same ratepayers who pay their salaries and built the water infrastructure? Naw, they would never do that. Would they? I'm now going to go flush my toilet for no reason. Because I can, and I pay for every drop.

Ken Harrison

Cardiff-by-the-Sea

Was help appropriate?

So, Bilbray helps a Rancho Santa Fe millionaire friend investigate workers, asking for their entitled (by law) wages ("Bilbray calls on feds to investigate hotel employees," June 24). Does this hotel-chain contributor friend feel entitled? This Mr. Hardage (Woodfin hotels) didn't investigate his workers until a city ordinance required him to. Is Bilbray's inappropriate help payback? Does it resemble help given to other friends by some of our Republican legislators?

Remember his dishonest claim of Carlsbad residency (he used his mother's address) to run for his office. Are you sorry that Francine Busby lost? You should be. Sorry and outraged.

Linda Kelly

Encinitas

Support the grocery union

After working for Albertsons for almost 27 years, this is the end result? It used to be that, for our families' health insurance, the employees would forgo any monetary raises. Yes, we went for many years without having to pay for those benefits out of our pockets. For this time around, our beloved grocery industry wants to give all employees a 30 cents an hour raise for the next three years and change our benefits so that we pay even more.

Let's use gasoline as an example: Three years ago gas was $1.49 per gallon, now it is between $3.09 to $3.89; $1.60 more than three years ago. Gas got a raise of approximately 53 cents per year.

Jumbo pack of toilet paper at Costco got a raise too. Three years ago it only cost $9.99, now it's $13.49. Toilet paper got a raise of $1.16 per year in the last three years. Grocery workers, none! I guess we could always use the paper they write our checks on to line the bird's cage. I forgot, we have electronic deposit, to save them money.

Support your local grocery clerk. Grow your own food. Or shop at Stater Bros. They gave their employees a raise, benefits and no two tier. Thanks, union. United we stand now!

Myra Moran

Oceanside

Troop surge means more troop deaths

Bush's third U.S. troop surge into Baghdad, as of the month of May, [has resulted in] 122 reported U.S. troops KIA. This number, 122, times seven months left in 2007, will equal a projection of 854 U.S. troops KIA in just Iraq.

This number 122, times 12 months for the year of 2008, will equal a projection of 1,464 U.S. troops KIA just in Iraq alone. Combined, 854 plus 1,464 equals 2,318 U.S. troops KIA by Jan. 1, 2009.

The sad part is that Baghdad (like Saigon) will fall because the Bush puppet government in Baghdad is corrupt and has no control of the country, and this is just like the Saigon puppet government of President Johnson in Vietnam.

It should never be forgotten that there were no active cells of al-Qaida in Iraq until the Bush administration created an opening for them with his administration's total incompetence of handling of the Iraqi war after the U.S. toppled Saddam Hussein.

The Bush government opened the door for al-Qaida to create a base of operations. Bush and Cheney's greed for the Iraqi oil fields has opened Pandora's box for anti-American feelings around the world.

Gary Myers

Oceanside

Moral baloney from Bush

I am bewildered as to the meaning of the photo-op of President Bush hugging a spina bifida victim with that trademark smirk on his face after he vetoed the stem cell bill. Did he whisper to her "Gotcha" or "Na na na na na?" Wouldn't it have been better having a picture of him, Dick and a few other moral line believers doing wheelies in wheelchairs or throwing diabetes syringes into a dartboard?

The absolute blatant insensitivity of this so-called compassionate conservative just leaves me befuddled.

Don Peck

San Marcos

We must bring Cheney to justice

How can we not bring Mr. Cheney to justice for the crimes he has been shown to have committed (lying to the public and to Congress, misappropriating funds among others) and still claim to have a justice system? Are we hesitant to make Mr. Cheney accountable because the scale of the crimes is so large, because Mr. Cheney occupies the office of vice president, or because he has powerful backers? If we decide to abandon our justice system now, how will we explain to our children that we let the country's principles slip away?

Joe Prizzi

Vista

Let's trade Feinstein for McClintock

After reading the guest column written by state Sen. Tom McClintock ("Just enforce the existing laws," June 23), I believe the time may be right for California voters to consider making a change in their representation. Sending Tom McClintock to Washington in place of Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the United States Senate would be an excellent place to start.

Whether Sen. Feinstein is ready to fill Sen. McClintock's shoes in the California Legislature can be determined by voters in the 19th District.

Barry Micklewright

Oceanside

Bush has emasculated America

George Will's June 10 column, "Democrats ignore economy," [about] the "didactic Putin" of the Republican Party and his statistics on eight years of Geo Bush, the worst president in U.S. history, was so full of obfuscationary holes, a kids' team could have let the water boy play and wipe it out in a football game!

Most of Will's statistics were caused by King Geo making it easy, and important, for the rich and American businesses to contribute campaign funds to King Bush, while Bush emasculated the EPA and allowed American businesses and Mexican trucks to pollute U.S. air and water, allowed Halliburton to get government contracts without competitive bidding and steal U.S. billions, and allowed the U.S. military to open small bases all over the world (Page 113, Esquire, July 2007), etc., etc.

And to Diane Bond (Letters, June 10 same issue. There is so much secrecy and under-the-tableness about Republicans, I wouldn't be surprised if King Bush will try a … dictatorship in 2008.

Keith Manigold

Encinitas

Taxpayers deserve more from MiraCosta

Have you been to MiraCosta College campus lately? Wow! The campus is impressive. A new performing arts building, a horticulture building, new library and many more beautiful buildings on a wonderful campus. To walk the campus is a feeling of enlightened academic. The campus would rival most private colleges. And we taxpayers paid for it.

But in the last two years, an arrogant, abrasive leadership has received, duly so, much negative press. Now we hear that President Richart settles a buyout of her contract of $1 million ("Embattled college president to leave post: Richart agrees to buyout deal of at least $1M," June 21), Julie Hatoff is on paid leave in the midst of the illegal sale of palm trees grown by the horticulture center. Board President Charles Adams has lashed out with racial accusations at fellow trustees. … All the trustees should resign.

It is time for the college to get back to what the students are there for. Learning, training for well-paying jobs and a bright future. The taxpayers deserve more!

Larry Barry

Oceanside

What have senators done for California?

I have written several times about all the Bush bashing and indicated I supported the president even though he may not always be right. He has tons of courage to stand fast, which is something most of his bashers would not do.

How about our miserable two senators, Feinstein and Boxer? Somebody tell me just what they have done for California. Seems I read Feinstein was on a committee [that approved] big contracts to her husband; then she quietly resigned from the committee and not another word was heard. No investigation? Something's not right here!

Bernie Schroer

Escondido

Global warming is the royal scam

After reading Mr. McPhee's (Letters, June 16) and Mr. Schultz's (Letters, June 22) letters regarding global warming, I'm compelled to respond. Regarding climate change, the necessary disciplines of meteorology, climatology, atmospheric chemistry and physics, geology, palaeoceanography, quaternary science, mathematics-statistics and modeling are required. Of the aforementioned letter writers, apparently only Mr. McPhee is versed only in chemistry. Both cite CO2 as the basis of their argument for global warming, but neither of them acknowledges that CO2 production lags behind temperature, not leads it.

In other words, when the temperature rises, an increase in CO2 follows. Also, when temperatures rise, so does the concentration of atmospheric water vapor, which accounts for at least 90 percent of greenhouse gases.

Global warming has seemingly become an incontrovertible faith-based dogma and God help anyone who introduces data into the debate that global warming is natural, normal, unpreventable and, most importantly, cyclical. However, because it doesn't fit the sociopolitical/quasi-religious profile of the believers, it must not be true. Looking at this another way, the current atmospheric CO2 concentration is .0383 percent (383ppm). The current maximum safe threshold for CO2 inhalation is around .5 percent (5,000ppm), and whenever we exhale (breathe), the concentration is 4.5 percent (45,000ppm). Maybe we're wasting too much breath on this subject.

Robert Salvi

Rancho Bernardo

Government won't enforce its laws

What does border security have to do with immigration? As Mark Twain said, "That's like comparing a lightning bug to lightning." I hear all this rhetoric about immigration and 12 million people here illegally, what are we going to do with them, oh me, oh my! You can't tear people away from the family unit. Get the employers; they are the problem.

All this woe-is-me stuff is just a smoke screen to hide the fact that the government can't or won't secure our borders. If they had a clue, they would put a plan into action and it would be basic and simple. Secure the border, curtail illegal entry into the U.S.A. by a specific date and a specific percentage, and give the people some confidence that we can do it! The people who are here now are a whole different situation. We are big enough and rich enough to handle just about anything except unregulated entry into the U.S.A.

The government has enough laws and regulations and plans in place and financing to solve most of this issue right now. They just need to enforce them. A fence will not solve all problems, of course, but I am required by law to have a fence around my property for the protection of my neighbors (we have a pool), but show me anyone who doesn't have a fence. It's there to show a demarcation. Locks don't keep crooks honest; they just keep honest people honest.

John Gilley

Oceanside

Show same concern for troops in Iraq

Bush vetoed the stem-cell bill because it supports the destruction of human embryos. On the other hand, he does not show that concern about the daily destruction of human lives in Iraq. He should end this war now. Besides more then 200,000 wounded Iraqis, 2.2 million Iraqishave fled their homeland.

To those who argue we must finish what we started, I have two questions. During the Korean War, 1.85 million people died. Please tell me what we accomplished. During the Vietnam war 1.25 million people died. Please tell me what we accomplished. As to the current war, we squandered the world's goodwill after 9/11 and alienated many nations.

Gary Gallert

Murrieta

'Progressives' making our society ill

I think our Founding Fathers would be surprised at the systematic approach the judicial branch of government has taken to destroy America's foundations.

Those who wrote our Constitution would be amazed to see that the world of today's "progressive" America is much closer to the world of the regressive or oppressive "Old World" Europe that they had escaped from.

To make America more "progressive," the judicial branch embraces the ACLU as its political arm to control the masses and, by doing so, they have made us socially ill.

The Murrieta/Temecula Republican Assembly (www.MT-RA.com) is promoting the cure. The MTRA is hosting a former ACLU lawyer whom Cesar Chavez called "the guerrilla lawyer." This former ACLU lawyer, Rees Lloyd, now calls the ACLU "the Taliban of American secularism" and he fights the ACLU with a passion.

Lloyd authored American Legion Resolution 326, which led to the Public Expression of Religion Act (PERA), HR 725 and S.415, pending before the 110th Congress. These laws would end judges' authority to award attorneys' fees in cases brought to remove or destroy religious symbols.

Join us on July 6 at Temecula's Pat & Oscars Restaurant. Check-in runs from 6 to 6:30 p.m. The cost of $15 for members, $20 for nonmembers, includes dinner. Iraq veteran and state Assembly candidate Nathan Fletcher will also speak. His topic will be "Stories from the Front Line: Iraq, Africa, and the Global War on Terror."

Please RSVP by leaving a message at 304-2757 or e-mail me at president@MT-RA.com.

Bob Kowell

Murrieta

Reporting was accurate

We would like to commend staff writer Brian Eckhouse for the accurate representation of the Temecula June 20 South Coast Air Quality Management District meeting ("Residents voice quarry concerns," June 21).

It is enlightening to see professional journalism ethics on the Liberty Quarry issue. Mr. Eckhouse captured and reported what he heard: no more, no less.

Richard and Nita Delnay

Rainbow

Where is the news judgment?

Where are your priorities? On June 9, the space shuttle Atlantis was launched after a number of problems were solved. Your newspaper on June 10 features a story about Paris Hilton that you put on the front page. You put the story about the space shuttle launch on the Back Page. What a shame! I have been a subscriber to your newspaper for at least 17 years and was your weatherman in La Cresta for at least 10 years. I am quite disgusted with your choice of what is important and what is not.

The Los Angeles Times on the same day had the shuttle launch on the front page in color. The person who did this placement has an utter disregard for our national pride. Yes, some of us still have a lot of national pride. I will give serious thought to changing my local newspaper as some of my friends have. Print this letter if you have the courage.

Robert Kimes

Murrieta

Fresh from the Web

Suit challenging Vista day-labor law ends

Readers respond to our June 27 story about Vista city officials announcing the end of a lawsuit that had challenged the city's controversial day-laborer hiring law as unconstitutional.

Going bananas

Skip: "Once the current amnesty bill passes, then all of these day laborers can come out of the shadows and legally get jobs at the Grocery Stores. Then the tables will be turned and American citizens will be standing on the street corners. Remember, you do not have to speak English to scan the bananas."

My yard, my rules

Hooray!: "I live in Vista but I work in Los Angeles and I have not had a chance to get down there and register. This is good news for me that I do not have to fear getting a fine for hiring anyone to work in MY yard. That is a good compromise - thank you to our city council for that much at least, although I still think the labor ordinance is waste of taxpayer money."

'Day-labor'

Greg in Oceanside: "You build it, they will come. In this case, you allow it, they will come. In other words, Vista allows so-called 'day laborers' to solicit work, which encourages potential 'employers' to come and hire this cheap labor. Well, this is exactly why Mexicans are sneaking into our country. It's time we prohibit 'day-labor' hiring. And it's time we require citizenship for jobs these day-laborers are doing. It's time we have programs in place to help employers find American citizens who will do the jobs they're currently using illegal aliens to do."

What work?

Concerned-1: "If there's so much 'work that Americans won't do,' why are there unemployed, illegal aliens hanging out on street corners?"

MiraCosta trustees urge public to challenge president's $1M buy-out deal

Readers respond to our June 27 story about three MiraCosta trustees calling on the public to challenge the legality of the $1 million buy-out of college president Victoria Munoz Richart signed by all seven trustees early last week.

Beyond help

Public Interest Lawyer: "This is really unbelievable. All seven of the trustees signed the settlement agreement. There is no allegation that anyone put a gun to their heads. Now - for damage control and public relations purposes - the anti-Richart minority want some member of the public to file what would be a frivolous lawsuit to undo the damage done by their own signatures on the settlement agreement. Talk about dysfunctional!"

Clean sweep

Contracts Have Consequences!: "What makes these three believe that it will be that easy to wiggle out of the settlement agreement that each of them signed? Contracts have consequences! These three are now exhibiting the same degree of legal naivete that led them to sign that outrageous settlement agreement in the first place. They ALL need to resign."

Dear Grand Jury …

Thank you: "To the three trustees who have the courage to stand for what is right and in the public's interest. Only they know what went on behind closed doors and if they think something was wrong, what is the public left to think? While no one wants Richart back, if this deal is illegal as it seems to be, then we, the public, need to do something. I, for one, will write to the Grand Jury as soon as I can. Anyone care to help?"

What a deal

Bucky: "Can I please get fired and get a million dollars too? Please?"

Coaster riders want to buy tickets 10 at a time

Readers respond to our June 27 story about new ticket machines installed at each of the Coaster's eight stations causing confusion and frustration for riders who can no longer buy pre-validated tickets in discounted 10-packs as the machines are changed over to a "Smart Card" system.

Money train

Hang on for the Ride: "If you think you lost something in those ticket books, gear up for the paying of the cost overruns on the Sprinter! The bus riders already have been abandoned so why not expect the Coaster riders to take their share of hits? When the word 'significantly' appears in their consideration of rate changes, get out your check book!"

Get on 'trak'

John E: "My big objection to the new system is that one can no longer purchase tickets in advance. This is going to be a huge problem on high-volume special days. It forces riders to show up very early to purchase tickets and still risk missing their train. NCTD should consider selling tickets on the train, perhaps at a modest premium, as AMTRAK does."

Cool cards

Coaster Guy: "The article failed to mention that the tickets purchased un-validated are the main tool for fare evaders. They buy the tickets and never validate, then when asked they plead ignorance. I am glad this is being eliminated. The Smart Card will allow pre-purchase to return. In the interim, the new machines are faster so be patient and grateful you are not on I-5."

Deputy arrested after shots fired outside bar

An article Wednesday about the arrest of an off-duty sheriff's deputy for allegedly firing shots outside of a bar in Murrieta elicited some remarks:

Needs help

Oh boy: … This isn't a blackeye to the Sheriff's Department, it's a knee to the groin. Obviously, this deputy needs help.

Let him go

Gary in Winchester: He didn't hurt anybody, so let him go. We need him on the front lines.

Intriguing

bArrisTer: A probation violation normally means instant jail time for most offenders. It shall be interesting to see if this (allegedly) drunken deputy receives the Paris Hilton treatment.

What's for breakfast?

Gary in Corner Pocket: Sounds like you've had a liquid breakfast there, Gary.

Reckless disregard

Bob: I don't care if this guy had a Purple Heart for saving the Pope. This kind of reckless disregard for safety by anyone, let alone a sworn officer of the law, is completely unacceptable. We're all very fortunate no one was hit by the gunfire. This whole incident sounds like something a punk gang-banger would be behind. Simply unbelievable!

Public outrage

cop: As a law enforcement officer, I am extremely embarrassed by this deputy's (alleged) actions. This is a case where I completely understand public outrage. Please don't equate this with the deputies who have fired their weapons in self-defense. … An officer may have only a split second to decide to fire or not, all the while afraid for his life.