Letters to the Editor – Issue of July 26, 2012

Letters published in the News Chieftain

Poway sets good example

Thumbs up to Councilman Dave Grosch and Councilwoman Merrilee Boyack. I totally agree with them on the fact that our city leaders do a very good job at managing our budget and our city taxes. Maybe if our state and county officials would pay attention to how we run our city they could learn a thing or two about managing their budgets better. Maybe our city should have classes on what to do right and what not to do. The money we spend in Poway supporting our local businesses should stay in Poway. Our academic program is one of the highest in the country and it is because the people in Poway care about their kids and our city. If we didn’t do such a good job, maybe the state and county would be forced to do a better job because they wouldn’t have other cities they could pilfer from.

Keep up the good work.

Linda Wood, Poway

Mangum has broad support

In his recent column on common sense versus ego, Dick Lyles missed a very important point regarding the candidacy of Jeff Mangum for City Council.

While on the board of PUSD Jeff represented a broad and diverse constituency. People from Rancho Penasquitos, 4S Ranch, Rancho Bernardo as well as Poway held Jeff in the highest esteem.

I have friends from all over Poway. People from south Poway, north Poway, Garden Road, Arbolitos, Green Valley and everywhere else will verify three things about Jeff. First, he listens. Second he responds appropriately to problems and issues. Finally, he cares and sees himself as a humble servant. It is Jeff’s character that has earned him the trust of people across the political spectrum.

I encourage everyone to embrace Dick Lyles’ proposal and support Jeff Mangum for City Council.

Richard Bramwell, Poway

Vineyard offers new perspective

Gary Vineyard is running for council and has:

• Lived in Poway for 30 years;

• Raised a family in Poway;

• Is in business in Poway (and has been for 30 years);

• Has been in or involved with Poway Kiwanis, Elks, Chamber, Governmental Affairs, Student Site Council, chairman Elks trustees, Boys & Girls Club, Miss Poway Pageant, Poway VFW, Poway American Legion…

None of the candidates can match that record. Gary doesn’t ring his own bell and you’ve never heard of the work he does, and Lyles says he has an ego problem? Hardly!

I think it’s time we get a different perspective from a business person who lives in midtown Poway and who represents all of the citizens of Poway equally. I’ve heard him say, “You know, Joe, there’s an old saying that goes ‘you can’t fight City Hall,’ and I don’t think you should have to (fight City Hall). We’re on the same side, aren’t we?” He also says that “common sense ain’t that common anymore.”

Gary has supported Poway for nearly 30 years and Mr. Mangum has supported Rancho Bernardo, 4S Ranch, Rancho Penasquitos, Del Sur, Santaluz, Torrey Highlands, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Sabre Springs and Poway for 16 years. Compare their service then you make the call. Red, white and blue, Vineyard’s working for you!

Joseph J. Cataldo, Poway

Letters published in the News Journal

Make gun ownership more difficult

There will always be gun-happy lunatics, like the man who massacred moviegoers in Denver. There will always be sociopaths who kill without remorse. What can we do about that? Nothing. It’s in the nature of humanity.

But here is something obvious that we can do to prevent such people from continuing to murder on an industrial scale. We can make it more difficult for them to possess guns and ammunition.

The National Rifle Association; the gun makers and sellers who finance the NRA; the legion of gun-lovers who blindly follow the NRA; and our political leaders, most of whom are too cowed by the NRA to do what they know is right, must answer for Friday’s massacre and for the epidemic of gun violence in that grips the United States.

The gun lobby’s solution to the problem is for everybody to carry a gun. Commenting upon the Colorado theater massacre, a spokesman for a gun owner group said: “Potentially, if there had been a law-abiding citizen who had been able to carry in the theater, it’s possible the death toll would have been less.”

Let’s call that the “Gunfight at the OK Corral Argument.” In truth the more guns there are in circulation, the higher the body count will be. Surely most people are aware of this obvious fact. Even many gun-rights advocates must acknowledge it in their hearts. It is just the NRA’s party line replacement for “guns don’t kill, people do,” to obscure the truth and keep the guns and ammo flowing.

Frank Auwarter, Rancho Bernardo

Danon is best candidate

Come November, those of us who are fiscal conservatives, advocates for job creation and supporters of accountable, transparent local government have a great chance to prevail in electing a new county supervisor. We all win by getting Steve Danon elected to the Third District seat.

Steve will work to accomplish many of the same things I’ve proposed:

• Eliminate millions of dollars in local “pork” spending.

• Abolish the supervisors’ double dipping and their ability to earn per-diems.

• Cut through the Department of Planning and Land Use’s bureaucracy so that businesses can expand operations and build new facilities.

The last thing we need is to have Dave Roberts, the Washington, D.C., health care lobbyist, implement new or higher taxes. That’s what he does. He’s voted for multiple tax increases, including a new business license tax in Solana Beach. He did that, by the way, right after declaring a “fiscal state of emergency,” which was the result of poor business decisions. His decisions.

With Steve Danon, you know exactly what you get: conservative with our tax dollars and focused on strengthening our local economy. With Dave Roberts, who knows? He’s changed his registration from Republican to independent to Democrat, along with decline-to-state and now says he is a Pam-lite.

I don’t think there’s any question about which candidate will do the better job. That’s why I’m putting my support, my time and efforts, and my vote behind Steve Danon.

Carl Hilliard, Del Mar

(Hilliard ran against Danon in June and now serves on his campaign committee.)

Related posts:

1. Four are early entrants to Poway City Council election
2. Letters to the Editor: Issue of July 5, 2012
3. Let common sense rather than ego fill vacant Poway council seat

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Posted by Staff on Jul 25 2012. Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry