Letters to the editor – Issue of Sept. 27, 2012

Letters to the editor – Rancho Bernardo News Journal and
Poway News Chieftain

Newspaper favors Republicans

I opened the Sept. 20 paper to find Dick Lyles’ column assailing the mainstream media for preferential treatment toward President Obama and bias against Mitt Romney. The irony of this particular column should not be lost on anyone that reads your paper.

In the almost five years that I have lived in the RB and Poway areas I cannot remember one positive thing that your papers have written about the president, Democrats or any other non-Republican person or party involved in government. It is frankly appalling that you would assail other media sources for the same behavior that you exhibit.

Jamy Klein, Rancho Bernardo

(Editor’s note: See Letter from the editor on this webpage.)

Lyles should clean up his act

It’s upsetting to read Dick Lyles’ recent column and think that in some way he represents the people of this area.

If Mitt Romney isn’t running away with this election, it’s not because the press is biased, but because it accurately reports his flip-flops, gaffes and extreme positions. Veterans and Social Security recipients who earned their government checks are part of the 47 percent moocher class?

Romney is proud of Romneycare in Massachusetts but thinks that Obamacare is the worst thing that ever happened to America? Corporations are people, my friend? Forget the polls, die hard Republicans are jumping the Romney ship in droves. David Brooks, Peggy Noonan, Scott Brown and Tim Pawlenty head a long list of prominent conservatives who are giving up on Romney.

Unlike Mitt Romney, the president thinks before he speaks and acts. He didn’t wait until the hard evidence was in before he concluded that the Benghazi attack was more than a spontaneous event. And he didn’t make excuses for anyone. He said that the perpetrators would be brought to justice — just like Osama bin Laden was finally brought to justice.

If Mr. Lyles wants to get rid of mean, angry and divisive attacks in this campaign season, he would do well to clean up his own diatribes. Stick to the facts, Dick. You would be much more persuasive if you did.

Thomas E. Polakiewicz, Poway

Hats off to Mr. Marketing

I would like to extend a special thanks to Rob Weinberg for his weekly column, Ask Mr. Marketing. His column is always informative, interesting, educational and humorous. I am certain that many readers in business greatly benefit from his ideas and recommendations. His column has challenged me to increase and improve my marketing efforts, and I have seen great results by doing so.

Thanks again to Rob, and keep those columns coming!

Adrienne Streeter, Poway

Letters from the Poway News Chieftain

Vaus cares about Poway

There is one candidate for City Council who best exemplifies the kind the person we need serving our town. He’s shown his dedication to Poway in grass roots movements from the Rexford recall to drug abuse and does not hesitate to speak from his heart when the situation demands it.

He has volunteered on many levels — reserve park ranger to chairing the Budget Review Committee. I had the pleasure of serving with him for two years on the committee and appreciated his ability to grasp the big and small financial pictures, the nuances of running our city and the way he kept the committee focused and productive.

This man is not beholden to any special interests but rather what’s in the best interest of Poway and its citizens. Most importantly, he has what I feel is extremely important in executing the duties of the office: passion.

Steve Vaus cares deeply about our city and has shown me he is here for all of us, compared to some whose only passion is losing grip on their control of our City Council. Please give him your support.

Gary Fletcher, Poway

City needs Mangum’s experience

Poway City Council candidate Jeff Mangum has more public service experience than the other non-incumbent challengers combined.

As a school trustee, Jeff guided our award-winning school district for 16 years. During Jeff’s time on the board decreased funding from the state forced the district to cut $50 million from its budget. Yet our schools continued to improve in student test scores and in all academic areas year after year, even receiving a commendation for academic excellence from the San Diego County Grand Jury. Under Jeff’s leadership, the school district learned to do more with less.

Now our city faces similar challenges because the state has abolished the Poway Redevelopment Agency and taken away its funding and assets. Jeff has already been serving on the Poway City Budget Review Committee and understands our city’s budget. We need someone with Jeff’s experience now more than ever. If he can keep our schools excelling during tough economic times, he can do the same for our city. I urge the community to support Jeff Mangum for Poway City Council.

Kathy Huish, Poway

Attacks on Mangum without merit

The attacks on City Council candidate Jeff Mangum have continued to get worse and more removed from any concept of truth. The people that are behind these attacks and the people funding the maneuvers have truly gone beyond the pale of truth. They have continued to accuse Jeff solely rather than to levy their attacks toward other members of the school board. That would make it rather clear that this is strictly politics and a smear campaign against  Mangum.

Mangum was not on the Poway School Board in 2011. He has and continues to be very clear, forthright, honest, and more than available to give the chronological events that he participated in on the PUSD board which did not include the PUSD board decision to issue bonds in 2011.

If the other candidates are interested in the truth, they and their surrogates will cease and desist from claiming that Mr. Mangum was on the board and authorized the issuance of the school bonds that were issued in 2011. If some of the other candidates compromise the truth while trying to get elected rather than run on their own qualifications, will those same candidates be honest and serve Poway residents without compromising and distorting truth once in office?

Mangum is not the person attacking others. He is speaking for himself, about his 16 years of service to our community, and his desire to serve selflessly on the City Council. He is clearly the best, most experienced, consistently honest, respectful, and committed candidate for the City Council.

Lynda Jeffries, Poway

How will PUSD pay for future repairs?

Jeff Mangum (Letters, Sept. 6) attempts to wash his hands clean of the Poway Unified School District bond scandal. He and the rest of the PUSD keep on repeating the same nonsense over and over again, hoping that if they say it enough times — we will eventually believe them.

What PUSD doesn’t talk about is the relation between the $1 billion committed us to and the school system’s performance. That’s because there is none.

Of the 219 slides presented in the Aug. 20 board meeting, 167 slides are pretty pictures showing us the fancy construction the money went into. Not a single slide discussed the bond’s impact on education.

The PUSD also didn’t address how they plan to pay for future “upgrades” since by the time we start paying for this, the schools will once again be in “urgent” disrepair.

Lastly, PUSD has been ignoring the fact that in a financially sound school district, a certain percentage of the budget goes for normal upkeep. As slide No. 25 of their presentation demonstrates, between 1999 and 2002 PUSD put bond measures on the ballot three times. PUSD does not know how to live within their means.

The best indicator of future performance is past performance. Jeff Mangum comes from an organization with a consistently poor track record. Let’s not make that mistake twice and let Jeff Mangum become a Poway City Council member. This family won’t be voting for Jeff Mangum.

Assi Friedman, Poway

Related posts:

1. Letters to the Editor: Sept. 13, 2012
2. Letters to the Editor – Issue of July 26, 2012
3. Letters to the editor: Aug. 16, 2012
4. Letters to the editor: Sept. 6, 2012

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Posted by Staff on Sep 26 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