Why would we aid North Korea?

It was reported in the Aug. 3 Times that North Korea needs aid because of recent heavy rains there.

The article also stated the United States "would consider a request for assistance" and that "the U.S. government gave $900,000 in relief supplies for North Korea after deadly floods last year."

Why on earth would the government "consider" sending aid to a nation that regards the United States as its mortal enemy?

North Korean students learn from their history textbooks that Americans are "the bastards who crossed the 38th parallel, stoking the flames of war, jumping around like mad men, yearning to invade the North under any pretext."

They read that "The troops of the People's Army defeated the American bastards over and over again on every battlefield. Cornered in a dead end, the American bastards didn't know what to do." (From the "History of the Revolution of our Great Leader Kim Il-Sung: Junior High.")

Should our government be handing over even $1 of U.S. taxpayers' money to a people who despises them so?

Jayme Scott

Hercules

Sick of these pitiful, dishonest politicians

This is regarding Mary Hayashi running for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. Give me a break!

I don't know how the people in her Assembly district feel about her sorry plea to

And to think Hayashi is married to an Alameda County judge. Surely, between their combined wages -- paid by the public's taxes -- she doesn't have to steal. Shame on her.

Vote the crooks out and put someone in office who will really be there to serve the public with integrity and honesty.

M.E. McCarrie

San Pablo

Is taxing the rich the right solution?

The president is right, I didn't build my business alone. Three guys in suits from the city, state and federal government made me an offer I couldn't refuse -- for a portion of my profit they would protect me and keep the roads and bridges passable.

As my success grew so did their demands for ever greater portions of my profit. If I refused, I'd go to jail. So, effectively I paid for those roads and bridges.

The plot of "The Sopranos" was remarkably similar.

Another wise guy suggested Bill Gates had help from thousands of his workers. Right, but could they have done so without Gates creating their jobs first? So, who helped whom?

If taxing the rich were the solution, California should be a shining showcase instead of resembling Greece.

Erich Kellner

Walnut Creek

Must come together for all of the students

With the state Board of Education's recent denial of Mt. Diablo Unified School District's waiver request, the district must now pay Clayton Valley Charter High School the $1.7 million in extra ADA funding it is entitled to as a conversion charter school.

This money is not provided by the state. Sadly, what the charter opponents predicted has indeed come to pass.

The money will come from the district's general fund and will, of course, result in the further erosion of programs and services within the district ... outside of Clayton.

At the hearing, the board trustees agreed that having certain students subsidize the mandated higher funding of other students within the same district is clearly unfair, yet their hands were legally tied to make things right. How this doesn't violate the 14th Amendment is, frankly, beyond me.

I call on the entire MDUSD community, including our friends at Clayton Valley, to come together and call on our elected state officials, Susan Bonilla, Nancy Skinner and Mark DeSaulnier, to introduce legislation to achieve funding equity for all students in Mt. Diablo.

Matt Lovett

Pleasant Hill

Time to end Concord's life medical benefit

Concord is in trouble. The disclosures of the lifetime medical benefits in the Mt. Diablo Health Care District brings to focus substantially greater problems in the city. The current policy of the City Council is that one who serves five years on the council and takes the medical package qualifies for lifetime medical coverage.

It is an outrageous perk for a part-time political post and exposes the city to massive amounts of unfunded liability. This must be stopped, plain and simple.

Additionally, it should be noted that currently no part-time employee of the city is given medical coverage except for the City Council. This is an unacceptable conflict in policy. We must remove the perk in simple fairness.

We must stay clear of the spiral of medical costs and the liabilities that come with such long-term commitments for short-term service.

Edi Birsan

Concord