Letters to the Editor 10/18 | The Tribune

Vote ‘no’ on water hike

In the past, our city officials got their way by signing the financial bonds to finance the Nacimiento pipeline as a fee. The financing of the project should have been approved by the voters. The public needs to know that major capital projects should be levied as an assessment or a special tax as related in state proposition 218.

Our city officials remind us that the Nacimiento pipeline is a “done deal.” I am tired of hearing about “done deals.” The public cannot allow future “done deals” without voter approval on all major capital funding expenditures.

I can surely support my local government if it would exhibit fiscal responsibility and integrity in governing and not circumvent the political system as was done this time around. Please vote “no” on Nov. 3.

Noel C. Foerst

Paso Robles

Make parents responsible

While I’m disappointed that Coast Union High School backed down from its initial proposal of doing random drug testing for pupils participating in extracurricular activities, I’m pleased with the method they are implementing to deal with substance abuse.

I am especially supportive of the parents themselves having to pay the $30 fee each time their child is drug tested.

I think one effect of hitting parents’ wallets will be to make many of them rethink their parenting strategies. Too many parents are in denial of the seriousness and extent of substance abuse problems in our schools today. Too many parents are abusers themselves.

I’m not a fan of parents who oppose random drug testing, especially those who say it violates their children’s rights. We’ll remind them later that, although their child died of a drug overdose or developed a serious addiction, their rights weren’t violated.

Too many parents have lost common sense and now see school staff as the enemy rather than as allies.

Parents at Paso Robles High School have done a great job of banding together with school staff to curb gang violence and other problems on campus. Others could learn from them.

Sue McMeans

Atascadero

Not much of a warning

I heard on CNN recently that the cigarette manufacturers are going to have to put stronger warnings on the cigarette packs, as our legislators are concerned that not enough people have stopped smoking, and they “care about the citizens.” Other countries put photos of diseased lungs and show people with holes in their throats.

So why not just ban smoking and the manufacture of cigarettes if they are so concerned about us citizens?

The cigarette manufacturers, however, are not going to have to do anything as dramatic as the photos.

I cannot use my cell phone while I drive as I may cause an accident, injuring or killing someone else. But I have to consume second-hand smoke. Guess the cell phone lobby should have anted up a bit more in contributions.

George Pistoresi

Paso Robles

What is Obama hiding?

Love him or hate him, we did know a lot about George W. Bush, including what classes he took and the grades he earned while a student at Yale and his MBA record at Harvard.

Barack Obama has not released any records from his two years at Occidental College. Did he take any classes in economics? How did he do in his history classes? What grades did he earn in lower division science classes? Did Obama enroll in ROTC and learn anything about the military?

Why has Barack Obama not released any of his records while a student at Columbia University or Harvard? What classes did he take, and what grades were earned to better lead our nation?

His Selective Service registration has never been released — why?

I assume that Mr. Obama attended these expensive schools on scholarship — who provided the scholarship money and why don’t we know?

I am just an average citizen, and my records are there for anyone to look up, so my question is: What does Barack Obama have to hide?

Ralph Bush

Arroyo Grande

Don’t force insurance

I support health insurance reforms and the public option, but I am adamantly against mandatory health insurance. Mandatory health insurance benefits nobody but the insurance companies. It does not benefit the citizens of the United States.

My husband and I are currently self-employed and uninsured — but when we need medical attention, we do not go to emergency rooms (well, unless it’s an actual emergency). We go to community health centers or doctors, and we pay our bills.

I resent the fact that uninsured Americans are depicted as a drain on taxpayers. When my husband had shoulder and knee surgery, we made arrangements with the surgeon and the hospital to pay for it. That’s not to say we wouldn’t like to have health insurance. If something disastrous happened, we would probably lose our home and savings — but we currently cannot afford it.

We need affordable health care options and insurance reforms — without making insurance mandatory. If there are good insurance options, people will get it without being forced.

Cathe Olson

Arroyo Grande

Trashing the moon

I can’t believe it. They are going to leave trash on the moon.

It’s not enough that we’ve messed up the oceans, now we’re going after the moon.

Alice C. Anderson

Atascadero