Letters to the Editor: Sept. 2, 2010

I’m writing in response to the article “ACLU contests activity fees.” As a product of a public school education, I remember my parents having to buy my school supplies. And they had to buy my PE uniform. Now, flash forward to the present day.

As a recently retired PUSD employee who inventoried the district’s equipment, I know the school district provides musical instruments to the band students at no cost to the students. Some of these instruments are very expensive. Students pay nothing. The district used to provide a lot of supplies to the schools. Purchasing would buy in bulk and pass the savings on. But as money became tight, supplies were cut, jobs were cut and services were cut.

In light of all the district does for its students, in spite of the all the cuts, I find the ACLU’s stance hard to swallow. The district is working with a bare bones budget and the ACLU has the audacity to challenge the district’s right to ask for donations (fees) to cover the costs for extracurricular activities. You don’t need these activities to graduate, which is why it’s called extracurricular. If the student chooses to participate, the student needs to support it.

The Poway Unified School District provides its students with an outstanding educational environment — check out its ratings in California and the nation. Extra means extra, as in not included. I think the ACLU is way out of line in contesting public schools for charging activity fees.
Sue Wiggins
Rancho Bernardo

This RN favors Whitman

Hear the voice of a retired RN in favor of the upbeat, clearly articulated position of Meg Whitman regarding not only RN/patient ratios and more support for educational opportunities, but also a solid, free-market plan for a broad spectrum of job creation sorely needed in California.

Hear my voice also in opposition to the strong-arm, negative tactics of the California Nurses Association union, which does not represent the majority, nor does it stand for the stimulus that works: less regulation, lower taxes. Whitman knows how the marketplace works. Look at her record, her successes.

Now, why in the world would we want to recycle Governor Moonbeam? He grew government and left office with unemployment at 11.1 percent. That is the legacy of Jerry Brown. Been there. Done that.

Look forward to a new California with Meg Whitman 2010.
Alexandria Eyre
Poway

Still waiting for clearing

Back in March, I questioned the possibility of the city cleaning out the tremendous fire hazard in the dry creek bed at the eastern end of Garden Road. The prompt response was that the city now owns the property and that the cleanup was scheduled to start in June.

When nothing happened by July 16, I contacted the city’s code compliance officer, Mark LeDrew, who stated that the California Conservation Corps, the organization tasked with the project, had gotten a late start this year but should be at it in two or three weeks.

On Aug. 9, LeDrew stated that the CCC had postponed the project but had set Aug. 17 as the start date. By Aug. 16 CCC had again canceled and now targeted September, six months from the initial inquiry and well into the fire season. LeDrew stated that he would look into the possibility of another contractor.

The project, which has a huge fuel load of dead trees and pampas grass, is severely restricted by guidelines of the Department of Fish and Game. It’s hard to follow this since there is water in the creek bed only every six to eight years, when we’ve had an outstandingly wet season (and no fish). The only “game” might be squirrels, rabbits and coyotes, and do they need protection? The effect of those restrictions will be to leave untouched much of that fuel load as an ongoing danger to the surrounding homes, some of them having been lost in the 2003 Cedar Fire.
Les Lenzner
Poway

Why won’t Hunter debate?

In a time of too much biased media, negative ads and million-dollar commercials to go around, voters deserve the one real-time experience that can the best influence them about making up one’s mind on who to cast a vote for: debate.

All candidates running for an office should agree to meet their opponents in a well-mediated debate of the issues and concerns.

Congressman Duncan Hunter is unwilling to schedule any debates with congressional candidate Ray Lutz. In two separate, hand-delivered letters, the Lutz campaign requested a series of eight debates, taking place in each community throughout the 52nd District. Delivery of the second letter was recorded on video, and was greeted with malice, verbal abuse and expulsion of the messenger.

With November right around the corner, voters deserve better. I would hate to think that Mr. Hunter, a fellow veteran, would have a diminished respect for the democratic process. What is he afraid of?
Michael Foster
Poway

Water rates ‘out of step’

Each time I pass the Poway public information kiosk, I shake my head in amusement at the Stage 2 water alert posted there. Should I really conserve water when my rates will be going up in January under the new system?
Water will cost me the same whether it’s the first gallon used or the 199th unit used. That makes a farce out of our previous conservation efforts.

By adopting the new “two-tier” system, Poway is the only city in our region that has reduced water rates for the bigger consumers, putting our community clearly out of step with our Southern California brethren. The policy that’s being adopted is “conservation” in name only.

Relax, Green Valley residents, you’ve gotten what you wanted.
MARIJO VAN DYKE
Poway

Who would repair turf?

A letter sent out by the city says the Sept. 7 City Council agenda will include “Consideration of artificial turf and lights at Arbolitos Sports Field.”

Aside from the fact that placing artificial turf will cost a lot of taxpayer money, the city seems to forget that this place is not a sports field, but a flood control basin first. Photos taken the last time such flooding took place show the basin did its job.

Assuming that artificial turf was placed in the flood control basin, what then  would be the additional cost to the taxpayers of Poway to repair or replace the  artificial turf when the next heavy rain
occurs?
Don Nieto
Poway

Why tear up fixed street?

In recent weeks, we were delighted to see Edina Way in north Poway re-surfaced after at least seven years. A great job by the re-surfacers and no more bumps and dips on our street.

All is well and good for about 10 days. Then along comes Time Warner Cable, tearing up our street to replace (presumably) new cables for its service. We now have a half-dozen or more “patches” in one block of a brand new surface from Time Warner’s work.

What is so complicated about coordinating road surfacing with planned work events from those who provide underground infrastructure? Somebody did not do his or her job.
C.G. Stockton
Poway