Fair Elections Act

Could it be that instead of continuing to moan and groan about how the government is in the hands of crooks and their obedient servants in the Legislature, Californians are finally ready to take matters into their own hands and do something about it?

Public financing of election campaigns is a necessary step in getting the government to put the public interest first. Those rich lobbies that wield all the power now are not going to give it up without a fight.

We need to cut through the hype and fear-mongering and return power to the people, starting with passing the Fair Elections Act.

Lynn Davidson

Berkeley

Winning?

I am unsure if the term "win" is apt when speaking of Afghanistan.

When politicians speak of "winning" the war, they focus on defeating those who commit supposed terrorist acts there.

After many decades of war and government chaos, the presence of so-called liberators has not helped the situation, as they come from nations with different cultural and religious beliefs.

This has contributed to a sense that nothing is being done on their behalf of the people of Afghanistan, but for peoples from far away lands, with which they have nothing in common.

Every military force throughout history has been unable to "conquer" Afghanistan, only contribute to its instability.

We have tried eradicating those who oppose or have different views than the liberating forces have, to no avail. Neighboring countries have not been allowed to participate, or have participated in very limited fashions.

We should be concerned with helping the native inhabitants prosper, and to have a secure government, society, and future.

Brandon Loveland

El Cerrito

Naive editorial

Your Nov. 3 editorial, "County sell out deal," confounds me with its naivete.

Anyone who doesn't believe that palms were greased and pockets lined to achieve the sudden change of heart — I've got a pre-owned, just repaired, bridge that might interest you.

As for the editorial "Richmond crossroads," why is it "unfair" to characterize Richmond as a violent, urban wasteland? As unfair as calling, say, Tiburon, upscale and expensive?

Furthermore, I'm curious as to what solutions to the violence were found by people living in tents. "Dramatic action" is one thing, reality another.

Jeffrey L. Suits

Kensington

Bad way to prosper

It's a simple concept, ladies and gentlemen. You cannot pile up debt to get yourself into prosperity. You cannot achieve prosperity or true wealth by constantly borrowing money to cover excessive spending.

Now, most people understand this concept at the personal level. Many even understand it at the business level. Very few, though, seem to understand that this applies to government as well.

Deficit spending never has been and never will be a viable means of attaining prosperity, no matter who's doing the spending.

Despite this, we the people keep voting for politicians who promise us the sky, the moon and the stars, with no way to pay for their promises except by taking our states or our nation further into debt.

A phrase popularly attributed to Einstein defines insanity as 'performing the same actions multiple times while expecting a different result'. By that definition, the voters of this nation are insane.

It's time to return to sanity. It's time to demand of our politicians that they save our money, that they stop spending us into debt. We need to hold them accountable and stop voting them in automatically because of their party affiliations.

Stuart Sanders

Martinez

All or none

This is in response to a letter stating that no longer can there be invocations at public meetings. Please note we have a separation of church and state.

Many of our Founding Fathers came to America to escape religious persecution. Thus they made sure no one religion could dominate.

What happened to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"? Would you feel the same if the prayer was a Muslim prayer?

Be fair, we are a very diverse country, all religions should be heard or none.

Nick Gonzalez

Antioch

Less government

I am saddened by what I read in this opinion section. People have lost sight of what makes this country great.

People seem willing to trade our freedoms for government control. More government is not the answer; the people are the answer. Free enterprise is what keeps costs low, from clothes to cars to health care.

Anything government run has an insatiable appetite for more money and causes costs to rise, not fall.

This sense of entitlement is ruining our country. People immigrated to this country to escape the lack of opportunity in their countries because America is the last great hope for mankind, where one still has their God-given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

As a small-business owner I can already feel the government encroachment in the form of more regulations, more laws and increased taxes.

We cannot create jobs under these conditions. Wealth needs to be created before it can be shared. This can only be done through free enterprise and limited government. It's what made our country the envy of the world to begin with.

Study America's history and its constitution. Don't kill the American dream by submitting to government control.

Jennifer Santa Maria

Pleasant Hill

Perverted justice

A 28-year-old lady entered a water-drinking contest on her own free will and died of "water intoxication." The plaintiff's lawyers asked for economic and noneconomic damages in a range of $34 million to $43 million.

The case was filed purportedly because the defendants were negligent in holding the contest as no criminal charges were filed.

A Sacramento Superior Court jury in its infinite wisdom awarded the survivors $16.6 million. The survivors included the lady's husband and their two kids and her older 13-year-old child.

Who really pays? The stockholders of the company? An insurance company?

Or could it be the whole economic system through higher insurance and increased judicial expenses?

People need to be held accountable for actions and not unduly rewarded by questionable lawsuits.

How much of the punitive damages went to the ambulance-chasing attorney? What is the ultimate cost to taxpayers in the form of the judge, jury and other judicial costs?

Paul W. Van Etten

Walnut Creek

Water 'reform'

I can hardly believe the kind of things written about the "reform" of the Delta water situation. Does anyone ever get to the real problem that not enough water flows through the Delta for the fish who live there and for all those who have claims on it?

Does anyone think that just so long as you are adequately represented at the bargaining table, your water rights will be met? Does anyone believe that canals, aqueducts, channels or dams will increase the amount of water so that all needs are met?

What kind of ignorance is this? Crass, I think. Everyone needs to focus on how it might be possible to get more water either by closely monitoring the proper, parsimonious use of water (with huge fines for misuse), or by greater production of water.

The increased production could be from desalinization or a water line from the Arctic region. If these possibilities are not the main topic of discussion at "reform" meetings, everyone present is fooling themselves.

Frank Nieman

Pleasant Hill

Missing parents

In reference to Stephanie Mann's letter to the Times on Oct. 31 about the gang rape in Richmond, she is right on the money.

I've heard very little national chatter about these kids' parents. Do they even have parents? Can you even call them parents when they raise a teenager as coldhearted as these kids? Something is wrong there.

Rick Treat

Pittsburg

Replace pills

If you keep pills in your car(s) for emergencies, now is the time to replace them.

As a person who has had eight college chemistry courses and eight college chemical engineering courses, I can definitely say that some prescriptions will become ineffective because of the high temperatures in cars during the summer well before the expiration dates shown on the bottles.

Furthermore, because of heat some prescriptions may react to form chemicals which can harm you.

For this year, the heat is over. Replace your pills.

Kenneth E. Kogut

Concord

Support FAIR

Ellen Dale's Oct. 17 commentary claims that the efforts of a group of Orindans to save money on emergency services is going to force the county to take over these services and the taxes currently allocated to them. Then the county would reduce these services and use the savings elsewhere in the county.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

I am a member of that group of Orinda and Moraga residents. We call ourselves FAIR (Fire And Infrastructure Renewal). We are examining ways to significantly increase the cost efficiency of providing emergency services, thus freeing up much needed funds for our deteriorating infrastructure.

Any changes we would propose would guarantee equivalent or enhanced emergency services and provide cost savings for Orinda and Moraga.

Dale's contention that the state agency LAFCO will force Orinda's emergency services and taxes to the county is incorrect. LAFCO commissioners have stated consistently that they do not force changes on local communities. There is no example of this ever happening.

A detailed response to Dale's assertions is on the FAIR Web site, www.fairfororinda.org. I ask the community to support FAIR's efforts.

Rose Anne Critchfield

Orinda

Land use abuse

After reading the Oct. 26 letter titled "Poor decision," I felt compelled to respond to Gregory Santos' frustration with Pleasant Hill's approval of use permits in residential neighborhoods. The message: "line your birdcages with the general plan" is also clear to many Oakley residents.

Early this year our City Council approved a Conditional Use Permit (despite public opposition) for Hanoum Estate, a nonprofit event center for weddings, retreats, and other outdoor events allowing outdoor amplified music.

This facility is located in a very low-density, residential neighborhood of single-family, 1-acre-lot custom homes. Conflicts with the noise ordinance in the general plan exist, as well as CC&R's restricting commercial businesses in our neighborhood, but approval was still given.

Now this once-quiet, serene neighborhood has the "Concord Pavilion" operating among surrounding residences. I definitely relate to Santos' letter!

So, grab some popcorn, go to www.archive.org., search Oakley TV. Council meetings dated 3/10, 9/8, 9/22, and 10/13 are great examples of how our city leaders respond to valid concerns of citizens regarding growth and land-use in our city. There are eye-opening viewings of small-town decision-makers!

Stephanie Gosnell

Oakley

Labor bill foes

In response to the editor's article "Blow to bad labor bill," it is important that we take the time to see where the support and money is coming from to defeat this bill.

Chamber of Commerce, Walmart, and McDonald's are not the best friends for working people. These corporations will spend millions to defeat this bill.

It is this country's position that working people have the right under the law to organize a union and not be intimidated by their employer. (NLRA)

This act provides that if the employees have a majority of cards signed the employer must recognize the union and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement within a certain time frame or the issue will go to arbitration.

This paper and others have made statements that are inaccurate i.e.: "This bill will take away the secret ballot." Not true, the act provides that if a majority of employees sign authorization cards, the employer must recognize and bargain with the union. If a majority of employees prefer instead to hold an election they will have that right.

The Employee Free Choice Act will give the choice to employees.

John Hunter

Clayton

Why delay bill?

If it is true that 43,000 people die yearly because they do not have health care, why is it not to be implemented until 2013? Would it have anything to do with the national elections in 2012?

If the funding of the bill is to be aided by the elimination of waste and abuse in the existing Medicare program, why hasn't waste and abuse been eliminated in the past?

If the bill in its current form is about two thousand pages long, and apparently none of our elected lawmakers have read it in its entirety, who actually wrote it? Perhaps they could come out of hiding and explain it to us.

Since most normal people see the stifling and negative effects of bureaucracy in the DMV and Post Office, why would they expect government-run health care to be any different?

Only two reforms are needed to make medical costs affordable for all, First, allow all private medical plans to cross state lines. True competition brings competency, efficiency, and lowered costs. Think UPS and Fed Ex.

Second, require the loser to pay for all lawsuit expenses, thus lowering medical malpractice insurance costs, and concomitantly patient costs.

Mark Barnes

Martinez

Rescue GOP

Republican leadership is missing in action. Can any current moderate Republican step forward to rescue the party of Lincoln, Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt, Everett Dirksen, etc., from the "Lunatic Fringe" that now dominates the GOP?

The "Fringe" doesn't engage in civil discourse. You've seen the disruptions over health care at town hall meetings and now in the Halls of Congress — the inflammatory rhetoric is fanned by right-wing talk radio, some personnel on Fox News Channel and corporate money, much of it funneled through "K" Street lobbyists.

Fellow Republicans, let each of us use our ability to analyze the merits of proposed legislation and vote our convictions without corporate influence.

Is there a moderate Republican today who can return our party to its once proud roots i.e. fiscally conservative and socially moderate?

Dolores Morgan

San Ramon

Goodman wrong

I have subscribed to this newspaper for over 30 years. I contemplated a week ago to stop my paper but still enjoyed the local news, comics, advice columns, etc.

When I read Leonard Pitts' column regarding Fox News I got physically sick from the lies, but Ellen Goodman put me over the edge.

Her quote "the cost of living has decreased" is so totally wrong, divisive and absurd that I am now canceling this newspaper.

I dare her to quote her advisers or ask her where she got this diabolic information. I assume she is not a senior citizen. Does she ever shop, pay for gas, buy food? I really, really want to know exactly where the cost of living has decreased. Are there any other senior citizens out there who have seen their costs decrease?

Kathryn M. Vernon

Antioch

Bundle of hope

In the wee hours of the morning, I received the news via my bedside radio that President Barack Obama had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace by the committee in Oslo, Norway.

By sheer coincidence, I had just a few hours earlier gotten around to reading Obama's speech given in Prague, the Czech Republic, on April 5. It was a hard-copy release from the White House Office of the Press Secretary.

Obama's "remarks" of last April had been greeted enthusiastically by myself and my friends at Tri-Valley Communities Against a Nuclear Environment. It was so wonderful to know that we now had a president who was unequivocally in favor of ridding the world of the nuclear weapons threat.

Now, to have Obama be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize! What a joy! Yes, it is only an audacious hope, but that in itself, expressed by perhaps the major player in the arena of world power politics is no small matter. It gives those of us who have worked for years for the abolition of nuclear weapons a bundle of hope.

Donald F. King

Livermore

Faster than Bush

I will say this much for President Barack Obama. He is a much, much faster worker than George W. Bush ever was by a large margin. It took President Bush almost five years to convince me that he was not worth more than two-cents as our president. Obama convinced me of the same thing in less than one year!

H.E. Carter

Walnut Creek