Gas prices are outrageous

These prices are outrageous! I may be just a simple middle-school student, but I'm also learning how to drive. When I went to the Arco gas station down the street to get a fill-up, the gas prices were $3.30. In my opinion, that's just flat-out ridiculous. By the time I'm 18 and get a car, it will be in the $4 range. That I will not stand for because I, and the people in general, won't be able to afford anything at that price.

Now I know that oil and other resources are being used up, thus going down, so the prices are going to have to go up, but this is going to cost people their life, meaning homes, cars and families. America won't be worth fighting for anymore. Why, you ask? Because there won't be anything left.

There are other solutions, like boycotting the gas stations or even trying to help people invent better cars like hydropowered cars or even electric cars that can work. So, America, I leave it to you to either help me and ban yourself from the silence or stay with the high prices for the rest of your lives.

Kyle Costanza

student,

Rincon Middle School

Escondido

Bring war memorial to Oceanside

To the City Council of Oceanside: I feel we should build a war memorial to honor all servicemen from Camp Pendleton who have died fighting for our country. This memorial should be built at one of our existing parks. We should ask Camp Pendleton to help with the planning and also the expense of the project.

It is amazing to me that, with our close proximity to Camp Pendleton, a war memorial in our city has not been built years ago. The time is now.

Carolyn Wilt

Oceanside

Is Wood pro-development or pro-life?

Isn't it amazing that the city of Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood found $100,000 in city money to pay a consultant to tell us a losing, financially broke team would like to perch its field goals on eminent domain property in Oceanside.

But what is troubling, in the same newspaper, in the same week, [the city] pleads for donations to erect a Marine/Navy memorial in honor of the dead Marines/Navy military force ("A military town without a war memorial," May 28). Where are our priorities? Mayor Wood, are you pro-development or pro-life?

Frances Pratt

Oceanside

Liberals and talk radio

Every day we see the American free enterprise system at work. For example, liberal talk radio (Air America) went bankrupt because they offered a rotten product. Today the mainstream print and television media are dying because it's been trying to sell left-wing propaganda as news. As a result of these bad business practices, people are finding truth and substance on Fox News and conservative talk radio.

This reality is not good for Democrats, who, in order to retain power, need to maintain a flock of misinformed followers. To accomplish this they must suppress criticism and silence truth, so they are planning to reinstate a law wrongfully called the Fairness Doctrine. This law may allow the left to enlist an airwaves Gestapo to monitor conservative talk radio, listening for any hostile statements that liberals determine unfriendly to liberals. The airwaves police may then be granted authority to report the alleged infractions to Big Brother, who will then demand equal time for liberal response.

Thanks to the socialists now in control of Congress, liberals will get free time to filibuster and clog up conservative radio, continuing to drive away listeners with their liberal nonsense, resulting in a de facto censorship of free speech.

Darrell Beck

Ramona

Send troops to the border

In Mr. Bush's "It's not amnesty" amnesty bill, he stresses that a most important part of it is that we secure the border. He is the commander in chief of the armed forces, so why not implement that part of the "It's not amnesty" amnesty bill and send troops to the border now? At least we the people will see some progress in his favor, which, at this time, he needs very badly.

I think that I will age a bunch before it happens. Oh well, I tried.

Phil Epstein

Carlsbad

Who's in charge at Tri-City?

Tri-City nurses were recently informed by administration that they are eliminating the charge nurse position ("Tri-City expands role of top nurses," June 10). This will impact patient safety because the charge nurse is vital in running the units: directing staff members, assessing patients at risk, communicating to interdisciplinary teams and family members, expediting patient discharges and admissions, doing compliance and fall risk rounds, restraint checks, fixing equipment and computers, noting and following up on doctors' orders, quality report reviews, as well as covering nurses on their breaks and lunches.

Many experienced charge nurses have been facilitating this role for many years. In 2001, the charge nurse position was eliminated but was restored in 2002 due to dismal failure, lack of leadership and communication and unsafe patient conditions. CNA RNs addressed the hospital district board on May 31 to protest this and presented several hundred RN signatures in support of the charge nurses.

So, when you come to Tri-City and can't find an RN or charge nurse, ask them why they are taking away a bedside RN position for another layer of administration. Patients should come first.

Brenda Ham

RNC 845

Oceanside

Stop degrading students and services

Once again I am embarrassed by (and for) my school board representative, Jim Gibson, and concerned with the comments of my superintendent, Joyce Bales ("'We are a no-excuses, no-nonsense school district,'" Perspective, June 10).

To Mr. Gibson I say: Please get your facts straight before you talk to the media regarding our schools. To Dr. Bales I say: There is no label on any of our students unless you decide to put one there.

I stand beside my fellow teachers in support of any service that will provide them the extra help they need to be successful in school. There's no shame on anyone but you for degrading them and the services they receive.

Carol Tomeo

Oceanside

Politicians not serious about fixing problem

I feel the immigration bill is fatally flawed. If it were really comprehensive we would be addressing the damage that recent trade agreements have done to small farmers in Mexico. They have had to quit their farms because of free trade agreements and are flooding into this country to find work to feed their families.

Another flaw, and it's a flaw in current immigration policy, is that, though the laws are in place, there is no real comprehensive enforcement of the laws preventing employers from hiring illegal aliens. I know part of the problem is proving someone is an illegal alien because there is a healthy industry in providing fraudulent IDs for illegal aliens.

I just don't believe that our legislators are really serious about fixing the problem because they are not addressing the roots of the problem, which are: 1. Working with Mexico to develop jobs in their country for their citizens. 2. Enforcing our laws in this country against hiring illegal aliens.

I, therefore, resent the push to pass this bill when I know it will not do a darn thing to really address the problem.

Julie Anders

Oceanside

Memorial Day a depressing time

Memorial Day depressed me. I made the mistake of watching TV interviews of both soldiers back from Iraq and the families of men who were killed in Iraq. Almost without exception, in order to accept the loss of buddies/sons, the folks mouthed Bush's lies and exhortations regarding his justification for the Iraq war and its continuation. Their dead did not die defending freedom and our country; they died creating and training thousands of terrorists, and for the greater glory of Bush.

I am glad I don't have voting for Bush in '04 on my conscience; there was adequate data available to foresee what was coming.

A timely bit of beautiful irony appeared on the front page of the Union-Tribune on Memorial Day. The article stated that officials of several Western countries, including the U.S., believed that Iraq was oversaturated with terrorists and that trained terrorists (created by us) were mixing with Iraqi refugees worldwide. 'Nuff said.

Robert Jones

Encinitas

Secondhand smoke is a real risk

I attended a recent City Council meeting where the proposal to ban smoking outside residents' homes was discussed. Arguments for both sides were presented before the council, and a letter was published in favor of the smokers' rights soon after.

In response to that letter, I have the following to say: Smoking marijuana is illegal. Shooting up heroin is illegal. Taking certain pills are illegal. The government does not control these items due to their unhealthy nature, because frankly, they do not care if you want to kill yourself, but rather they restrict them because of the effects they have on you temporarily and how you act while under the influence of these drugs is harmful to other people.

Being drunk in public is also illegal, because you are a potential danger to other citizens, but when it comes to smoking, it does not put others at risk indirectly by the possibility of your actions. It instead puts others at risk directly by secondhand smoke.

Stefan Georges

Chaparral High School

Officers should just stick to the program

I am all for the "Click It or Ticket" program that the Police Department has started here in Temecula. It's a great way to help people realize how such a small action can prevent serious injuries. I just wish the officers would stick to the seat-belt violations.

I was on my way to school one recent morning when I was pulled over by a motorcycle police officer. He was pulling me over because he passed my vehicle and thought I was not wearing my seat belt. I had never been pulled over before, so of course I was up in nerves with all kinds of questions.

My seat belt was on, but my attitude was not. My questions upset the police officer and resulted in him raising his voice to me. After the exchange of my driver's license and registration, he returned to his bike for some time. He comes back to hand me a fix-it ticket for not having a front license plate.

I do not understand how the officer goes from pulling me over for not wearing my seat belt to giving me a ticket for my front license plate. I felt that because the officer was proven wrong under the seat belt violation, he felt compelled to find something else to ticket me for. So I say stick with the "Click Or Ticket" program and the police officers might actually start making an impact.

Kayleigh Bingham

Chaparral High School

Tardy sweeps teach students wrong lesson

Recently at Chaparral High, we have been having more and more tardy sweeps. A tardy sweep is in the desperate effort to get students to get to class on time. What happens in a tardy sweep is at the exact moment of the tardy bell ringing, all teachers must lock their doors and every student outside of the door is swept up by the administrators, and or campus supervisor.

The student is then taken to a big room, where there is many other students and everyone has to stay there all class period. Thus, missing their entire class lesson instead of the first few seconds of the class, which is usually spent taking roll or quieting the students down.

I for one, do not think that tardy sweeps are setting a good example for the students. Instead it's teaching them that if you are 30 seconds late to something, just forget about going entirely. Instead, administrators and campus supervisors should think of a way to positively influence students to be in class on time, instead of forcing them to be on time.

More positive influences will help the society in a positive way. All this must start where teenagers gather almost every day, spend most of their time, and where they are most vulnerable to learn something -- schools.

Janae Falzon

Chaparral High School

Web Comments

Feds offer reward for info on North County dolphin shootings

Readers respond to our June 16 story about the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information about who shot to death four dolphins that washed ashore in North County.

Killed beauty

Coastal Girl: "This is just terrible. I hope you catch him/her/them and throw the book at them. These are some of nature's most beautiful creatures. The people who did this are a danger to society."

How could they?

We need "Crime stoppers" or the media for this: "This is sick ! Who would even think of taking a gun and shooting dolphins? Was this just a forewarning of more brutal acts by the person? Who will he shoot next? Someone out there must know. Probably the person who did the shootings was not alone. There needs to be more publicity like 'crime stoppers' so someone will call to report the shooter."

Monsters at sea

SCSBcamper: "We were camping at SoCarl SB that week and we saw 500+ dolphins half a mile off shore. I think it had to be one of the boats from O'side harbor who did it. Somebody else was there with the monster who shot these animals. It will probably take more the $2,500 to get that person to give up the coward."

Turn them in

American woman: "What a hideous act of cruelty! Such individuals are probably less intelligent than the dolphins who died at their hands. I sure hope they are found. Someone knows who did this. Turn them in, for goodness' sake."

Hearing officer challenges Haditha prosecution

Readers respond to our June 16 story about Lt. Col. Paul Ware, the officer in charge of a military hearing, expressing serious doubts about the government's prosecution of Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, one of three Marines charged in the November 2005 shooting deaths of Iraqi civilians in the city of Haditha.

In their shoes

Bucky: "It is impossible for anyone sitting in a room in San Diego to have any idea of what life is like in a battle zone, unless you've been there. These Marines are in danger of being killed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Killed by people who look like civilians and purposely mingle with civilians. All charges should be dropped against these fine Marines. In war, unfortunate things happen, it is wrong for brave Marines who are in harm's way every moment of every day to be judged in this way. Drop the charges and return these Marines to duty with the thanks of a grateful nation."

Hypocritical

Peter: "As a parent, why would you support a government that would send your child into battle to kill those that would kill them, only to charge them with murder for doing what was expected of them all because some liberal news writer spoke with a few people that said it was murder who most likely were involved in the killing of our Marines?"

Take a stand

Mike: "Funny how the unknowing seem to know so much. A combat zone and war are not imaginable without having spent time under such conditions. Service members fight to preserve the freedoms we embrace. Finally someone is speaking up to these speculative travesties that have damaged fighting service members and military institutions. I am proud to have served to help preserve the United States of America."

VUSD officials respond to emotional meeting

Readers respond to our June 16 story about how emotions were still raw after a chaotic and emotional Vista Unified school board meeting during which teachers demanded changes to the district's hiring process and board members stood firmly behind the program.

Poor leadership

Analisa: "I find Gibson's comments absurd. He set the tone for the entire meeting with his disrespectful, condescending admonitions before the comments began. "

Deja vu

Not Again: "What a shame! This sounds like a duplication of the three-ring circus going on with the MiraCosta board and their power trip, too. I find it extremely embarrassing that our elected officials are now using their own agendas instead of working with the employees in their districts! What kind of leadership are we showing the students of both MiraCosta and VUSD?"

Where it counts

performance in classroom or on computer: "I ask, Vista residents - do you want a teacher who has classroom experience, can manage, engage and motivate children or someone who can 'pass' a 32-question, 30-second timed computer test? What say you, Vista residents - do you care?"