Welcome Mat

This is regarding the article “Great for Everybody” (“City Lights,” March 20).

When we elected Cheryl Cox as mayor, we unfortunately invited in outsiders whose goal is to control Chula Vista. The Lincoln Club, Jim Pieri, Tom Shepard, and now David Malcolm. Can Steve Peace be far behind? How do we get our city back?

Susan Watry
Chula Vista

Bring In The Goons

Thank Susan for connecting the dots for the general public on bayfront development (“Great for Everybody,” “City Lights,” March 20)! Please let me know when you folks will drop the hammer on Imperial Beach political machinery loyal to the Coxes!

I recently did a story on SaveIB.com about conflicts on council votes within 500 feet of a financial interest. Love to see IB get roasted for that or for the new eminent domain ordinance passed last night. It probably should have been a referendum item on the ballot, since the council voted to give power to themselves, acting as the redevelopment agency. The chamber of commerce did not stand up against the new ordinance, which will go after prime business properties and any residence they can vacate with code-enforcement goons!

The people of IB are at fault for not caring enough to forgo South Park episodes on Wednesday night to go to city council meetings. People who own property in IB are more screwed than ever!

Ed Kravitz
Via email

Where’s Dubya’s Thinking Cap?

Thanks for publishing Don Bauder’s analysis of our disintegrating dollar (“Why Plummeting Dollar Hurts You,” “City Lights,” March 20). It reminds us that the Federal Reserve is the source of inflation as well as economic depressions. But it also may help to remind readers that out-of-control federal spending by Dubya and his enablers in Congress is the root cause of Federal Reserve chairman Bernanke’s decision to debase our currency by lowering the prime interest rate.

When our president, who vaporized his brain many moons ago with cocaine and alcohol, decided to invade Afghanistan and Iraq, he forgot that Daddy wasn’t going to pay the bills like he used to. Furthermore, since he knew that Americans typically wish to avoid facing reality whenever possible, he chose not to tax us to pay for his murderous military adventures. So what’s a frat boy to do? Someone has to pick up the tab. So he borrows the money, billions and billions. That’s why the Chinese government is one of our biggest creditors. But because Dubya never put on his thinking cap, he forgot what happens when you suck billions of dollars out of capital markets. There is far less money to lend to people looking for loans or a chance to refinance those bloated mortgages taken out when greed got the best of them during the real estate bubble. In other words, because Dubya and his supporters embarked on an immoral rampage, many borrowers are now paying a high price. But the people who purchased overpriced real estate are not the only ones who will ultimately pay the price for our government’s wrongdoing. All of us will. And I’m not talking about the inevitable blowback-terrorism that our foreign policy will trigger. I’m talking about prices rising every time we shop for food and gasoline. It’s called inflation, and this is how it works.

Once Dubya had dried up credit markets with his spending binge on soldiers and rich contracts to Halliburton, Blackwater, and the rest of the spying-and-military-industrial complex, there was only one way to keep a lid on the economy without admitting guilt or insanity: increase the money supply. But this causes the value of the dollar to plunge. So why do it? Because it lets the government repay its debts with dollars that are worth less than those originally borrowed. And that’s where the Federal Reserve and Ben Bernanke come in. They help the government pull off this nasty trick on the public. How? The Federal Reserve purchases treasury securities (called U.S. Treasuries, which are government bonds). As a result of this purchase, the money supply increases. This makes more of it available for loans at lower rates of interest. That’s what it means when the Fed announces a cut in the prime interest rate. But it also does something else, and it’s not pretty. Since there has been no overnight increase in the productivity of American workers, there are no additional goods and services available compared to before the interest-rate cut. So now there is more money chasing after the same amount of goods, and prices rise. Inflation.

Inflation is basically a shell game in which the government cheats us of the value of our money to cover up its spending sprees. It’s an easy way out for politicians who don’t want to be blamed for economic disasters. They know that public schools churn out turnips by the truckload, so the populace won’t catch on. You can see the result in the pitiful candidates that remain floating on top of the toilet bowl in the presidential race. The Democratic candidates have either surrendered their Constitutional war-making authority to Dubya (Hillary) or have voted the funds to keep the mass-murder in full swing (Obama), and Republican John McCain of S&L bailout fame can’t wait to start slaughtering innocent Iranians while keeping the evil war in Iraq going for 100 years more. Only Ron Paul spoke out consistently against our murderous foreign policy and on behalf of monetary solvency. But too many of us were busy slapping stupid Orwellian yellow ribbons on our cars or cheering the president as he led the choir of pseudo-Christians in their vile one-minute hate. As H.L. Mencken once said, Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.

Lawrence M. Ludlow
via email

Keep It To Yourself

In response to Edna Foss’s letter of March 20.

Way off!! I am not sure if I am more surprised at her ignorance or that of the Reader for printing such crap, but everyone is entitled to an opinion — right or ignorant.

Jewphobes are predictable and post their crap at every opportunity. First, the United States is not afraid of Israel, but the USA is afraid of Saudi Arabia.

Second, some states in the USA have the death penalty, but not all of them. Why blame the entire nation?

Third, capital punishment was abolished in Israel in 1954 with the exceptions of conviction for treason during a time of war and genocide. We know how Jewphobes love to twist the term “genocide.” They play that one often. Israel has not carried out an execution since June 1, 1962, when Adolf Eichmann was justifiably executed. Jewphobes are about as ignorant as they are hate-filled.

As most Jewphobes do, Foss focused on Israel and left out the following countries in the region and North Africa that have the death penalty: Algeria, Chad, Egypt (rape, murder, treason, and organized drug trafficking), Ethiopia, Libya (high treason, attempting to forcibly change the government, and murder), Morocco, Bahrain, Brunei, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (murder, apostasy, drug offenses, witchcraft, and sexual offenses — usually by beheading), Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

Spare us the bull**** and keep your hatred to yourself. If Foss hates Jews, fine. Just don’t hide behind the “I am only anti-Israel” bull****. Most Jews could give a rat’s *** what she thinks (if she thinks).

Besides, polls are worthless. Ask someone something they know nothing about and you will get an opinion. Most Americans polled don’t know how many U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq. Also, Israel does divulge information, and any moron knows that they have nukes (a good thing).

Michael Fuentes
via email

The Washed Brain

Dear Ms. Edna Foss (Letters, March 20),

Most newspapers are brainwashing machines, and most people who read newspapers daily are brainwashed. They think it’s their own opinion, but it’s really the newspapers’ and the magazines’. The threat to world peace exists because the U.S. and Europe continue to let anyone and everyone into their lands. Terrorism hurts us from within our own borders. They can’t blow us up if they don’t get in, and we also wouldn’t have the excuse or reason (whichever you believe) to go stomping around in foreign lands.

Of course Europe will point the finger at the U.S. for threatening world peace. They’re brainwashed by socialism (as the U.S. is by consumerism), and if you look around in Europe (especially France) you’ll notice quite a bit of Islamics. Offending them has proven to cause riots and fatalities.

If Europe offends the U.S. it brings insults from George Bush, and that’s about it.

As for the U.S. being afraid of Israel, it’s more like we’re in bed with Israel. If you haven’t noticed, Judaism has a lot of influence and power in this nation. That’s just a simple fact. We will rub their back just the way a newspaper will rub the back of the people that it’s in bed with.

Anyway, you could replace the state of Israel with the People’s Republic of Ocean Beach and they’d probably still blow it up. The Middle East has always been on fire no matter who’s stomping around.

As far as the death penalty, what’s the matter with it? If we can have abortion we can have the death penalty. I think the U.S., Israel, and the rest of the world outside of Europe practice the death penalty, Ms. Foss. Interesting the people your type always feels sorry for don’t practice the virtues you believe in.

Tell me, have you ever seen smiles in communist nations, and would you like to be a woman in the Middle East?

Socialists always think they occupy the higher moral ground, but all they are is brainwashed, weak, and in possession of a strange logic process. On a special note, this letter is anonymous because my name is irrelevant.

Name Withheld
via email

Little Battle

Regarding your story on the Copley Press (“The Rise and Fall of the Copley Press,” Cover Story, February 28), I have my own little battle going with the Union-Tribune concerning the missing sections in their daily paper plus getting ripped off by their vending machines. I have repeatedly called them and sent emails regarding this problem and have been promised vouchers for free papers, but none ever arrived. All I’ve gotten is a runaround. This morning is an example: I bought a copy of the U-T and discovered two sections were missing. Speaking to the folks at the nearby Starbucks, they said that all of their copies were missing two sections as well. A pretty poor example of how to keep your customers.

Name Withheld by Request
via email

Watchdog Watch

I just wanted to congratulate you on the article that was published about two weeks ago; it was titled “The Rise and Fall of the Copley Press” (Cover Story, February 28). I was very impressed with it. It was more of an exposé than everything else. Almost everything that I read in it confirmed my suspicions as to what the newspaper has been about and what a disservice it really does to the community. I often have wondered when I hear the newspaper call itself the watchdog. I wish that you would do an article maybe called “Who’s Watching the Watchdog,” about the Union-Tribune and who proclaimed them to be such a thing.

I think you do a great service to the community by taking on fellow journalists or fellow publishers and exposing them for what they are. I think San Diego would be a much better city if we had a newspaper that had the courage to do the right thing, unlike the Union-Tribune and the Copley Press.

Name Withheld

Time Is Short

“The Rise and Fall of the Copley Press,” the cover story in the February 28 edition, was very interesting. I’m curious as to why Neil Morgan’s name was missing. Morgan introduced Helen Hunt to James Copley, which is a significant fact. Morgan, a prominent columnist, was also the editor of the San Diego Evening Tribune. He was later fired, for unknown reasons.

With the June election approaching, and the U-T being what it is, I look forward to the Reader telling us what we need to know regarding the two hot contests, mayoral and city attorney. Time is short.

Name Withheld by Request

Antisocial Column

I just wanted to say I really enjoy the “Crasher” column. It’s really funny. I like all the different stories on the parties like the Super Bowl or the Oscars or just whatever’s particularly going on…Halloween. I like how Josh Board puts in his own personal experiences and relates them to what’s going on at the party. I call it the antisocial column.

Diane
Mission Valley