Coastal Post Online

MARIN COUNTY'S NEWS MONTHLY - FREE PRESS
(415)868-1600 - (415)868-0502(fax) - P.O. Box 31, Bolinas, CA, 94924

December, 2005

Letter To The Editor

Beggar State
With an 8 trillion dollar national debt the United States sometimes looks like a beggar squatting on the sidewalk with a tin cup begging for money from China and Japan to support supposedly the greatest democracy and leader of the free world?
What an embarrassment for a nation that boasts it is superior in every way and yet has to borrow from its former enemies to finance its wars and standard of living? The U. S. should stop swaggering and face up to the fact that it is operating a quart low in many respects the last few years.
Why are we humiliating ourselves by invading a country 2/3rds the size of California to bring Iraq some questionable democracy that we can't afford? Why are we wasting our valuable resources of money and men to "stay the course" to win what? Very few people get the opportunity to be president and do good deeds for their people. Why would anyone waste it by taking their country to an illegal war and thereby bring pain and misery to so many on both sides of the engagement?
Killing tens of thousands of people and spending 1/3rd of a trillion dollars destroying Iraq is a bit foolish. And just think, as Marlon Brando said in the movie, On the Waterfront: "I had a chance to be somebody..."
David A. Whelan
Forest Knolls, CA 94933

Billboard Attorney
Why do people have a problem with billboards in Marin County?
They are ugly; they take away the beauty of Marin. They are obnoxious. His billboards say nothing but lawyer cross talk or the obvious.
They are a distraction for drivers; I am surprised there have not been fender benders.
They do not belong in Marin. They belong in "me first" LA or Las Vegas.
What is the point of Mr. Attorneys billboards? He is standing on his soap box. He will never be a Melvin Belli and wants attention
What his second sign should have said was.
"I have cost you $20,000 by being an obnoxious selfish person by keeping my UGLY and useless billboard up. I hope you like it!
His billboards are simply just tagging or graffiti. We all know what tagging is! It is marking ones territory, just like what dogs and cats do when they spray! What Mr. Attorney's billboards are is just his way of spraying and saying "notice me"!
San Anselmo people you want to get rid of billboards? Then everyone who lives on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. has to do is to put up a sign in your property, just the same size as his. Put something useful (unlike his)like "Drive Slow", "Have a nice day", "Support Your Local Police" "Support your Schools." All you have to use is an old sheet with stenciled words on it, you do not need the expensive marquees and stands Mr. Attorney wastes his money on!
Then see how long it takes San Anselmo to get rid of all of them!
Kevin West
Marin

Being Taken Care Of
President Bush today declared loudly, "We do not torture!" But this statement is just coded "Bush Speak". You have to understand what he really means. Of course we don't torture. That's why Bush has secret foreign prisons so that someone else can torture for us. That makes it look like "we" aren't doing it. It's just like Bush said about the CIA leak, "If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of." What does "taken care of" mean to Bush? It means that they will get a pardon. it's now clear his entire staff knew about the leak and they are all being taken care of.
Now that you know how Bush speak works here's a quiz. Ask yourself what these phrases mean in Bush speak. "Strengthen Social Security", "Simplifying the Tax Code", "Brownie is doing a heck of a job!", "Mission Accomplished", "I won't raise your taxes.", "War is a last resort.", "Social Security Lock Box", and "We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud". Think about it and have fun figuring it out.
Marc Perkel
San Francisco system

Our Buddy, Liar And Cheat
November 9, 2005
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi
Iraqi National Congress

c/o The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown
3100 South Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007

Dear Mr. Deputy Prime Minister:
We write to you as members of the 60 to 70 percent of Americans who believe that this war has been (in the words of the polling companies) a "mistake," or (in our own words) a criminal fraud. We resent the role you played in instigating it. We believe you owe an apology.
You owe an apology not to Judith Miller, whose career is ruined but who consciously chose to disgrace herself by working with you. Rather, you owe an apology to the families of the over 100,000 people who have died in this war, including over 2,000 US soldiers.
Your misinformation campaign has been exposed:
¥ "Curveball" was a fraud and a brother of one of your top lieutenants.
¥ The 20 secret WMD sites didn't exist.
You should not only offer an apology, but you should offer to testify, under oath, in a Congressional committee, on the subjects of both pre-war claims and wartime spying.
Just last summer, the US military raided your office in Baghdad after it learned you had passed sensitive intelligence to Iran. At the time, US Senator Chuck Hagel (R., Neb.) said, "This is a very, very serious charge. There were a number of us who warned this administration about [Chalabi]... But the fact is, there were some in this administration, some in Congress who were quite taken with him."
Why would anyone distrust you, Mr. Chalabi? Let's list a few reasons:
¥ The CIA stopped working with you in the mid-1990s because they didn't think you were being honest.
¥ The US. government cut you off again last year, after paying you $33 million, because our military had decided to raid your office.
¥ The Los Angeles Times quotes sources who suspect you of feeding phony or tricked-up sources and documents to the spies of eight nations.
¥ Seven of your aides in Iraq are wanted on charges of blackmail, fraud and other crimes.
¥ You've been convicted of embezzlement and sentenced in absentia to 22 years of prison with hard labor in Jordan.
¥ In August of 2004, Iraq issued a warrant for your arrest on charges of counterfeiting.
US Senator Diane Feinstein (D., Cal.) said of you: "I think he's a charlatan. I think he's a manipulator. I don't believe he's a man that you can trust. I think we made a horrendous mistake in providing him with tens of millions of dollars and enabling him to build a corps of infiltrators, allegedly to give us intelligence, which in many cases was deeply flawed." Mr. Chalabi, when you were peddling bogus reasons to launch this catastrophic war, you said "'I am not seeking any positions - my job will end with the liberation of Iraq from Saddam's rule." That quote is from the BBC, which added this commentary: "However, for the Arab media, Mr. Chalabi was the epitome of an American stooge, a man who sold his soul to the devil." So you have no desire to rule, and the people you would be ruling consider you a
stooge of the US And yet, here you are in Washington, apparently to ask for US support to become ruler of Iraq.
Should we laugh or cry, Mr. Chalabi, that you are here at the American Enterprise Institute speaking on the topic of "An Insider's View: Democratic Politics at Work in Iraq." Is democracy now something only for insiders?
Democracy, to us, is something controlled by the people. The people of the United States demand an apology, a confession, and the return of all the money we've spent on you.
Sincerely,
Ann Wright, Career US Diplomat who resigned in protest of the war;
Malachy Kilbride, DC Anti-War Network;
Gene Bruskin, Coconvenor, US Labor Against the War;
David Swanson, Washington Director of Democrats.com, Co-Founder of After Downing
Street;
Gael Murphy, Co-Founder of CODE PINK;
Mike Hersh, Chairperson, Montgomery County Progressive Alliance, Maryland State
Coordinator, Progressive Democrats of America, Organizer, Democracy for America
/ Maryland;
Sarah Browning, Coordinator, DC Poets Against the War;
J.E. McNeil, Executive Director of Center on Conscience and War;
Kevin Zeese, Director, Democracy Rising;
Barbara Cummings, peace activist, San Diego, CA;
Jeff Norman, Executive Director, U.S. Tour of Duty;
William Rivers Pitt, Author;
Tim Carpenter, Director, Progressive Democrats of America;
Medea Benjamin, Co-Founder of Global Exchange;
Paul Kawika Martin, Organizing and Political Director, Peace Action;
Bill Moyer, Director of Back Bone Campaign;
Joe Libertelli, National Advisory Board Member, Progressive Democrats of
America;
Mike Ferner, Co-Chair, Veterans For Peace Impeachment Committee;
John Bonifaz, Co-Founder of After Downing Street, and constitutional attorney;
Cindy Sheehan, Co-Founder of Gold Star Families for Peace;
Shay Lohman, peace activist, Washington, D.C.;
Karen Bradley, mom and activist, Washington, D.C.;
Richard Bell, longtime activist, Washington, D.C.;
Ray McGovern, U.S. Army veteran and retired 27-year CIA analyst;
Travis Morales, Organizer for The World Can't Wait;
Jeff Cohen, Author;
Larry Johnson, Former CIA Officer;
Bob Fertik, President of Democrats.com;
Eric Hamburg, Producer, "Nixon", the movie;
Brad Friedman, co-founder VelvetRevolution.us, managing editor BradBlog.com;

Congressional Investigations
Yes to Congress fulfilling its Constitutional oversight responsibilities over the Bush Administration regarding failure of Iraqi WMD intelligence. The Republican stonewall deserved that slap in the face!
Administration involvement with outing undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame is outrageous. Outing Plame is widely viewed as retaliation for her husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, going public with discrediting information about the pre-war claim that Iraq was seeking nuclear material from Niger. I commend those in Congress now asking for investigation of the "Downing Street Memo" plus seven additional documents leaked to the British press which collectively point to intentionally manipulated intelligence for the invasion of Iraq. Charges of perjury and obstruction of justice against Scooter Libby make such an investigation even more relevant!
Hold President Bush accountable for cleaning house of all the liars.
William A. Self
Redwood Valley


Frank Egger Can Provide Some Substance Or Shut Up
I am disgusted with the way the Fairfax Town Council race has developed this election. I have received mailer after mailer from nearly every candidate, in addition to speaking directly with each one personally. And over the last months I have witnessed a "blight on our town character," to borrow a phrase from one that arrived today from Frank Egger's campaign forces.
Since the beginning of his 2005 re-election campaign, Egger and his supporters have carried out a campaign worthy of George W. Bush and his Far-Right spin artists, inciting vaporous fear over unsupported and unsubstantiated claims.
I have little doubt that there are developers who would be interested in building homes in our fair town, however Frank's repeated (and none-too-quiet) whispering campaigns breed the idea that every candidate other than himself is going to usher in a new era of unbridled tract housing and the death of a wonderful community that he takes full credit for. Frank has, from day one, stated repeatedly that the Marin Town & Country Club (MT&CC) is in danger of imminent development, yet continually refuses to show ANY proof of such claims. The real question is, "Where does it stop?" Frank's tirade against the MT&CC is unbelievable. 36 years of feuding with the prior owners wasn't enough for him, apparently. He repeatedly attacks the new owner, Michael Mackintosh, both directly and indirectly, casting aspersions on Mr. Mackintosh's intentions and financial backing. It finally reached the point last week where Mr. Mackintosh felt it necessary to send out a rebuttal to every registered voter in the town. And I'm glad that he did.
Today's mailer from Frank states that recent "attack mailers saying, 'save your property rights,' mean 'rights for developers'". Would Frank care to back that very broad statement up? Egger also says he's "spearheading an on-line 'smart permit' system for homeowners". So 39 years of "leadership" gets us to the "spearheading" point? For the seven years I've lived in this town, candidates have promised a simpler permitting system, yet none have ever delivered it. And we should remember that Frank was re-elected for his 10th term just four years ago.
I agree that Frank has done some excellent things for this town, including important actions like the pesticide ordinance and a strong living wage. However, it seems that arrogance and a holier-than-thou attitude have replaced (or at least surpassed) usefulness and altruistic actions. Or perhaps I am wrong and Frank's campaign website is right and his "energy and dedication to Fairfax are the stuff of legend."
Before the election season began I was not pro- or anti-Egger, but upon receipt of his very first mailer, dated August 25, 2005, the anger began to brew, primarily because of the ego that is evident behind statements such as "real estate developers are eyeing Fairfax...if Frank can be removed. They're talking about...future development at Marin Town and Country Club."
For me, the final nail in the coffin came on Halloween, as I celebrated at a home on Dominga. We were enjoying the festive holiday and creative costumes of children seeking candy when a young man and young woman came to the door and started spouting off how they were dressed up for Halloween as "developers" and couldn't wait to build on the ridges just north of Fairfax. (Nevermind that those ridges are not actually within the Fairfax town limits!) Of course, their real motivation came through soon enough: they were campaigning for Egger, using the holiday to open doors so they could spread their whisper campaign.
The Egger camp has said they want to "reject [a] campaign of misinformation and distortion." Perhaps they should be the first to stop.
Jory K. Prum
Fairfax business-owner and resident

A Solution To Global Warning, Please
Did you ever think you's see a day when the brilliant German scientists didn't offer a solution to the world's environmental problems, instead of just dry, frightening statistical news?
I bet if you posted a reward posted that offered $Cash to Stop Global Warming, some genius would crawl out of the woodwork and put our minds at ease.
Al Herb
Albuquerque, NM

Global Warming Just Part of A Cycle
Read your Global Warming article today... (Nov. 1 issue)... somewhat interesting... but no cigar...
Here is the thing... there have been numerous cycles of glaciation and then warming historically. And these have happened again and again before CO2 emissions, fossil fuels, cars , oil etc. Whenever I see politicians promoting something like Global Warming... well that is a major red flag for me... they usually do the wrong thing at the wrong time (because they are absolutely guaranteed to be the lowest common denominator in our society... )
Warming and cooling are controlled by solar (and planetary) cycles (per the links below)... and incidentally we are now in an interesting period (2002 to 2011) when the center of mass of the solar system is eccentrically located outside of the suns diameter... these periods have historically been ones of great social, economic and political upheaval on earth. You may read about this in an astounding and beautifully documented small book... Sun, Earth, Man, by Theodore Landscheidt.
Now... below are some links to review re solar cycles and global warming... if studied with care, you will find that CO2 emissions have little or nothing to do with global warming.
Alfred Morrissette
Architect
San Rafael

Mug Shots For Bush & Company
After what we have heard about President Bush's White House gang, they ought to turn themselves in to Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald for mug shots.
They created more dark conspiracies to support a case for war with Iraq and demonized anyone who criticized them. Valerie Plame, Ambassador Joe Wilson's wife, was outted just because the gang went ballistic over Wilson's article debunking President Bush's State of the Union speech that inferred a "mushroom cloud" would blossom over Washington because Saddam Hussein was making
nukes?
The conspiracies to out Valerie allegedly began with I. Lewis Libby, the vice president's chief of staff, who has been indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice.
Vice President Cheney himself spent endless hours with the intelligence agencies to pressure them into giving questionable info to support not only Bush but Secretary of State Powell's speech before the United Nations.
Karl Rove, Chief Counsel to Bush, is under investigation by Fitzgerald also because he supposedly instigated the policy of "Let's get even." You have to take a shower after walking out of a room full of these guys. Of course Bush and Cheney weren't involved in any wrong doing? Nooo... of course not. And to prove his innocence and adherence to a moralcode, Bush is ordering his staff to get a refresher on ethic rules. "Attendance is Mandatory!" I feel better now knowing the White House will be cleansed from any ethical misconduct in the future?
In the meantime Bush and his aides still solicit the continued support for his war with Iraq which is like "enabling" a drunk to continue his wayward ways when he should be restrained and treated for his addiction to self destruction of himself and others. Enough is enough.
David A. Whelan
Forest Knolls

Benefit For Refuseniks
On Sunday the 13th of November at the Masonic Hall in Larkspur 14 Friends of Palestine (of San Rafael) held a concert of Arabic, Turkish and Afghan music to benefit the REFUSENIKS OF ISRAEL. Performing to a crowd of approximately 70 people were HELM, THE BIZEM MAHALE TURKISH ENSEMBLE, and THE DEVOAY AFGHAN ENSEMBLE, music was accompanied in dance by exuberant Middle Eastern Belly Dancers: ANTONETTE, CRYSTAL and HANNA.
The event was held in conjunction with the 2nd annual TURKISH TEXTILE MARKET who donated a percentage of their proceeds to MECCA, ( MIDDLE EAST CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE). The proceeds from the concert were in the double digits with all the monies after rental going to NEW PROFILE.
Thank you to INDIAN PEACH of POINT REYES STATION and DIANNA'S COOKIES of LAGUNITAS and Josie Taylor of LAGUNITAS for their delicious contributions to our evening, all proceeds (127.00) dollars goes to NEW PROFILE. NEW PROFILE is a group of Israeli parents whose sons are in prison or facing prison for refusing to serve in the IDFs Occupation of Palestine.
There are 4 different groups of REFUSENIKS in Israel. The Refusers we supported are called "The 12th Graders" they are the largest group all are 18 years old war resisters from the Peace Camp in Israel. We are working with their parents to get their sons peace effort information out to the world. To date there are 1,600 REFUSERS in Israel. If you wish to write to one of these brave young men in jail and thank them here is the address for the four we are working with. ALEX COHN military ID 6866693,military mail 02507IDF Israel, URI NATAN Military ID 6870739 Military Mail 02507, IDF Israel.
ORWA ZIDAN military ID 7703714 military Mail 02705,IDF Israel, SHAOUL MOGRABI-BERGER, Military ID 7683912, Military Mail 02507, IDF Israel. Big Thank You's to everyone who cooperated in making this event happen.
J Kate Hart
Forest Knolls

Dear Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel,
I have just been looking at today's pictures from around the world on my ISP home page (Tiscali) here in England (5th November 2005) and what do I see but a photograph of your Saloon and Hotel. What caught my eye was the two flags of our GREAT NATIONS joined together as one, flying from the flagstaff of your establishment.
I find great comfort in knowing that across the ocean is a nation of wonderful, friendly people that value democracy, as much as we do here in England. Seeing or two flags joined together was a beautiful sight. A sight that has put fear into the hearts and minds of our countries enemies.
I will without doubt be coming back to California and I will make every effort to spend some time in your establishment.
Wishing you all the best in this world.
Stephen Graham
England

Mr. Vice President:
Right on, Dick! You may have hidden out in Wyoming with 5 deferments during the Vietnam War but don't let it prevent you from attacking those commie liberal democrats who have no backbone because they haven't the guts to bomb and kill and decimate the Iraqi people like you guys in the White House.
Let's shove peace and freedom down their throats with white phosphorus chemical bombs and whatever else it takes to free them from the brutality of the former regime of Saddam Hussein. Sure it hurts and burns to the bone but you have to waste 'em to save 'em.
That's how they saved all of those villages in Vietnam.
America is safer now from your leadership and although it was discovered that Saddam didn't have much of an army, navy or air force to fight you at the beginning, now you have created a whole bunch of civilian terrorists to war with because of your benevolent undertaking.
And don't you let any liberal weak willed democrats deter you from converting these folks to Christianity and democracy through baptism by fire.
You and Bush wouldn't be in the White House if God had anointed you for this sacrificial mission.
David A. Whelan
Forest Knolls

Bush Should Stop Misleading
The American people deserve to know the truth. That's why I seconded the motion Sen. Harry Reid made last week to put the Senate into a special closed session to force the Republican leadership to face lingering questions vital to our national security. Republicans in Congress have refused, despite repeated promises, to investigate the Bush administration's misuse of pre-war intelligence, so Senate Democrats are standing up and demanding the truth.
We want to know how and why the Bush administration distorted intelligence to lead us into war in Iraq. We want to know who else was involved in Lewis Libby's efforts to conceal the White House's deceptions. And we want to know why the Republicans who control Congress have, until just last week, repeatedly accepted the deception coming from the White House and refused to ask the hard questions about the misuse of pre-war intelligence.
Most of all we want to know when George Bush will stop misleading Congress and the American people, acknowledge the mistakes we've made in Iraq, and develop a strategy to achieve military, political and economic success to bring our troops home.
Now you have the opportunity to stand with Harry Reid, me, and the rest of the Senate Democrats. The DSCC has launched a new campaign where you can sign on to our efforts to seek the truth. You can also let us know what questions you want the answers to. I've told you some of the questions Senate Democrats will be asking, but I want to make sure we get the answers the American people want. Join the DSCC's new campaign today and let George Bush know that you stand with Harry Reid and you want the truth about how we were lead to war.
http://www.dscc.org/demandthetruth/act
We know that there were no WMDs in Iraq and no connection to the terrorists who attacked America on September 11. Those at the highest levels of the White House have gone to great lengths to spread these myths as justifications for war. They have gone to even greater lengths to conceal the fact that their case for war was based on distorted intelligence. Senate Democrats are going to get the truth.
Join me in demanding answers on behalf of the American people. Together, we will hold the Bush administration and the Republicans in Congress accountable and we will get the truth that every American
Senator Dick Durbin
P.S. Our leaders must be held accountable to ALL Americans. Forward this message to your friends and family and ask them stand with us and demand the truth about how we were lead to war in Iraq.
http://www.dscc.org/demandthetruth/act.

Turning Against America
Who's doing worse, Bush or Schwarzenegger - that's a tough one. They both claim to be moderate Republicans; they're like two peas in a pod. They're both selling their constituents down the river; neither man likes to negotiate, both are polarizing figures, and can you trust either of them? Basically we're struggling with an integrity issue when trying to solve this equation.
It's more like an apples and oranges question. President Bush operates at the national and international level while Governor Scharzenegger is at the state level. Bush with his "us or them" mentality is turning much of the world against America, his preemptive war stance is backfiring, and George W. has turned the US economy into an anti-tax failure. Arnold has morphed into the consumate politician, fundraising and special interests magnet, and Republican lackey. Where do you draw a line between the two of them?
Ron Lowe
Nevada City

Congress Pays Social Security Tax
I am writing to correct an error and common myth appearing in the November Coastal Post, "Memo on Social Security."
All members of Congress, the president and vice president, federal judges, and most political appointees, were covered under the Social Security program starting in January 1984. They pay into the system just like everyone else.
Thus, all members of Congress, no matter how long they have been in office, have been paying into the Social Security system since January 1984.
Leslie S. Walker
Social Security Administration,
Regional Communications Director,
San Francisco

The Value Of Coal
Senate Office Bldg.,
Wash., D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Hagel:
I saw you today on C-span where you were taking testimony on Energy, particularly coal. Coal is used to produce 55% of our energy which is generated by coal burning power plants. I believe your advisors have ignored or are unaware of a Research Project at the U. S. Bureau of Mines in the 1920'a to determine the best way to remove oil from coal. A process called Low Temperature Carbonization (LTC) was found to be best way to do it.. LTC involves heating coal without air to about 800 degrees. Several barrels of oil are produced from each ton of coal and then can be refined. In addition there is coal gas and char, which is not to be confused with coke, and is nearly pure carbon/ The char burns with more heat than coal and produces no smoke or pollution. The Project was Directed by Lewis Kerrick. He later taught at the University of Utah, and worked with Ohio officials. He testified at several Congressional Hearings held in the early 1950's.) He had several patents on various aspects of the Process, which was allowed then...
LTC was well known to the British and was used to produce smokeless fuel after about 5000 persons died from a London Fog. Its use was discontinued after oil & gas were discovered in the North Sea. (In 1969, while visiting in England, a bed and breakfast had a pail full of char pellets by their fireplace. At the time, I knew nothing about LTC.) Both Germany and Japan used LTC to get oil during the blockades of WW II.
The carbon dioxide can be recycled or sequestered, as mentioned in your Hearing.
I have produced a 5-page bibliography on LTC, which I will send to you by e-mail if you request it. I also have many of the references pertaining to LTC and would furnish them although most of them are available to your Staff already. They were received from the widow of a reporter who covered the 1950's Hearings. His coverage resulted in a very large number of letters to the editor of his newspaper.
Charles L. Smith
Berkeley