Letters to the Editor 3/5

Hangar business

The $500,000 shortfall reported recently at the San Luis Obispo County Regional airport points out what happens when the county government takes over a job that should have been left to private enterprise (“Regional airport falls short on funds,” Feb. 26).

The prior airport administration wanted to get into the hangar rental business to generate more income.

In the past, the county has leased the land to private developers that constructed hangars for private owners to purchase. These owners pay rent to the county for the land, property taxes for the hangar and maintenance and upkeep on the property and taxiways. The county has little or no responsibility over the property.

When the county decided to build their own hangars, the hangar owners tried to persuade them to allow private business to build them. We were told that we charge too much rent to the public for the use of hangars we own.

After completion of the county hangars, their rent is higher than the privately-owned ones. Now they are stuck with a big loan to repay.

They could sell the hangars to the public and repay the loan, get out of the hangar business and go about the business of running the airport.

Robert De Vries

Hangar owner, lease site P, San Luis Obispo

Enough about Haiti

Enough about Haiti already. Yes, it’s a horrible situation but why does the United States have to be the one to bail them out?

Billions of dollars that we can’t spare are going to Haiti while much needed services are being cut here, leaving our citizens vulnerable. What happened to “charity begins at home?”

Kathleen E. Doughty

Nipomo

Park confusion

I am confused. On March 1, I read about the state Department of Parks and Recreation’s plan to build a larger parking lot and other amenities at the Harmony Headlands State Park (“Proposed Harmony Headlands facility provokes discord”) and on March 2, I read about the state Department of Parks and Recreation paying $75,000 for a “dune buggy” that is underutilized to patrol the Oceano Dunes. 

Is this the same state park system that was going to be closed last year because there was not enough money to operate the parks? This kind of spending is a large part of the budget problems we are having in California. While the money being spent on these two parks does not seem like a lot, when you multiply it by the hundreds or maybe thousands of little projects, it becomes a significant sum. 

If this money must be spent then can we please repave the road in Morro Bay State Park before we buy any more “toys” for the park rangers in Oceano? Unless those we elected and the bureaucrats in Sacramento control their urge to spend, we will never have a balanced budget in California.

R. Lewis

Los Osos

‘We’ don’t owe

Regarding “California short on money for retirees,” Feb. 10:Judy Lin of the Associated Press tells us that California taxpayers are on the hook for an additional $52 billion that the state owes retired state employees for their health and dental benefits. She went on to report that “we” promised these employees this money.

I beg to differ. Had the entire benefit package for public employees been put to a statewide vote of the taxpayers, you can bet they wouldn’t have gotten such a sweetheart deal. There was no “we” involved.

This was all cooked up by the employee unions who bought the state Legislature with their promises of money and votes. These unions and their unrealistic demands are the real causes of our state being on the verge of bankruptcy.

Robert L. Hyde

Morro Bay

Not a right

‘Health care and jobs are a right,” proclaims Tom Comar (“Health reform now,” Feb. 17), as he invites others to join him in urging Congress “to enact meaningful health care reform and jobs.” Sorry, Tom, but jobs and health care are not rights. I looked in the Bill of Rights and wasn’t able to find any such rights listed there. As a matter of fact, all I found there was a list of things that the government couldn’t do.

In an effort to better understand my rights, I consulted the Declaration of Independence and discovered that our rights are God-given and that we instituted government to secure those rights. If you believe your rights come from government, then you’ll have no legitimate claim when government rescinds them.

Furthermore, rights are self-sustaining and do not come about at someone else’s expense. Whose rightful earnings will be taxed away to sustain the so-called right to health care?

Government-created jobs add little, if anything, to the gross domestic product and act as a drain on the economy. Every national health care delivery system ever created by any government has always resulted in decreased medical services and increased delays and costs.

Mark Whipple

Los Osos

Invite to dog park

Morro Bay Pups is proud to announce that the Jody Giannini Family Dog Park is open and all the feedback we have been receiving has been extremely positive. There are both large and small dog areas and all gates are ADA compliant. Naturally, there are many people to thank for ensuring that our dream came to fruition: Morro Bay Recreation and Parks Commission (especially Joe Woods), the Morro Bay Planning Commission and the city council. All these folks have given Morro Bay Pups such strong support.

I want to thank all our donors for without you, none of this would have happened. Lastly, Morro Bay Pups board of directors who have worked so hard: Anita Ayoob, Naida Simpson, Steve Eckis, Donna Kline, Cathy Ryan, Elaine Giannini, Joe Hoeflick and the fundraising committee.

We will have a grand opening this spring — as soon as the weather will permit. In the meantime, you are invited to bring your pup and enjoy Morro Bay’s beautiful dog park. Please refer to our Web site, MorroBayPups.org, for directions to Del Mar Park.

Mary Stallard

Chair, Morro Bay Pups

Ridiculous ticket

Congratulations to the Cuesta College men’s basketball team. Their win over Moorpark the other night capped off a great season.

I’ve been a fan of community college basketball for years and try to attend three or four games every year. This year’s team is one of my favorites, as they exemplify teamwork. Obviously, coach Rusty Blair is a great teacher of the game.

However, I regret that I won’t be able to attend any more games. When I returned to my vehicle after the game, I found a parking ticket. I called campus police and was told parking permits have been required for about a semester and that “it’s posted in the gym.”

Now, the money I would have spent paying for admission to the next game will have to be used to pay this ridiculous ticket.

Good luck in the playoffs.

Eric Schultz

Paso Robles