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MARIN COUNTY'S NEWS
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Letters To The Editor
Will someone please pinch me and wake me up? This has to be a nightmare, or one of those sci-fi movies where one falls through a black whole or goes through a time portal and ends up in the past.
Is this 1958 or 2008? McCain is running as Eisenhower ("I like Ike") with a Roller Derby queen hosting a Tupperware party at the Republican convention for vice President. I feel like should be watching this farce on a BW Crosley TV with rabbit ears!
It's time for Americans to move on and catch up with the rest of the world. McCain and Palin - one living in the middle of the 20th century and the other in the middle of nowhere - don't get this, but America is no longer Number One in the world, thanks to eight years of Republican misrule under George Bush, and a do-nothing Congress. Obama, Biden, and the Democrats this election are offering a path to a better future for all Americans, while McCain, Palin, and the right- wing of the Republican party are stuck in the past, caught in a cultural time warp of their own making. And the past is history.
Art Llebrez
Portland, OR
Remember Enron?
Remember Enron? Faster than you-know-what through a goose, both houses of Congress were holding "special hearings" into who did what and why. Now, we (the taxpayers) will likely take a bigger hit than during the S&L disaster in the 80's, and where pray tell are our fearless leaders, just back from vacation. Do you know why we have this mess, and can you guess why the politicians are so quiet about the cause?
You can blame it on the Democrats and Republicans together who encouraged, egged, and cajoled bankers to make these "sub-prime" loans. Did you know that bankers were making loans they nicknamed "Ninja's", for borrowers that had no income, no job or assets.
As an ex-banker, I can tell you that 15 years ago a loan officer would lose their job making those kinds of loser loans. But today the economy is awash in them, because Democrats and Republicans got together with the Fed and Treasury and gave the banks the high sign to forge ahead and make them. More than any other group, the Congress and the President are most responsible for this mess.
And less than a generation ago, our fearless leaders in Washington set the stage for a similar market feeding frenzy and subsequent financial bust and debacle, that we longingly refer to as the S&L Disaster. Now those mental giants in Washington are lying low and doing the best to bail the foolish lenders out, again with our money. If you think Wall St. made a bunch of money this past decade, just wait until the government gets a hold of these mortgages and starts to sell them off to their cronies.
Try to keep all this in mind, when you cast your votes this November and are inclined to sending the same old worthless bums back once again to Washington.
Anthony Gaas
Mill Valley
McCain Running Against Republican Party?
John McCain is running against the Republican establishment? The Republican establishment that he now admits failed the American people. John McCain is going to take America back from people like John McCain? And that's change we can believe in?
I wonder if the Republicans running for reelection in the House and Senate are going to pick up on McCain's theme and run against the Republican Party too?
I'm Marc Perkel - And I approved this message!
Marc Perkel
San Bruno
Lime Disease Conference In SF
Lyme disease is on the rise in Marin County. Our local health care providers need to become better informed on how to diagnose test and treat this complicated disease so no one else has to go undiagnosed like I did for 16 plus years.
We are very fortunate that the 2008 Conferences of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) and Lyme Disease Association (LDA) will be held in San Francisco this year on October 17 - 19. Please check the ILADS and LDA websites for details and to register. [www.ilads.org] [www.lymediseaseassociation.org]
I would like to encourage all healthcare providers from West Marin to attend. Grants are available from CALDA the Calif. Lyme Disease Association.
CALDA the Calif. Lyme Disease Association will reimburse up to $800.00 out-of-pocket expenses for any actively practicing MD, DO, ND, NP or PA in any state to attend the LDA and ILADS annual conferences. http://www.lymedisease.org/
Mentoring grants are also available for healthcare providers to mentor with a California ILADS physician (1-10 days) and be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses (room, board, travel) up to $1600.
Marjorie Morgenstern
Government Does What No Sane Person Would Do
Someone (Einstein?) said that you can't solve a problem with the same kind of thinking that got you into the difficulty in the first place. How can borrowing MORE money that we don't have, solve a financial crisis that was caused by people borrowing money that they couldn't repay? The Republicans CLAIM to like "small government", and berate "tax and spend liberals", but isn't it much worse to force the government to spend money that it doesn't have?
Why do we think it's okay for the government to do what no sane person would do with their own money???
Michael J. Vandeman
2600 Camino Ramon # 2E950I
San Ramon --
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.) Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!
Convention's Stark Contrasts And Weak Media Analysis
Representation at the conventions this year highlighted a growing divide between white male "Heartland" Republicans and the ever more diverse "Liberal Coast" Democrats. These media created geographic distinctions are silly, of course, since all delegates were from all 50 states. What is real is that these two parties represent very different constituents. Republican delegates were over 90% white and two-thirds male, while almost two-thirds of the Democrats were minorities and more than half were woman.
The contrasts don't stop there. Democrats wore a kaleidoscope of fashions while Republican men dressed in suits. The "red meat" liberals in Denver didn't hear all they wanted while "red meat" conservatives in Minnesota were whipped into feeding frenzies by conservative hardliners, including their VP candidate. Democrats repeatedly hammered us with broadly stated policy goals while the Republican drums beat out their traditional themes of morality (as in Christian), family values and nationalistic pride.
Such stark contrasts received little comment during convention coverage. Television had us pondering the trivialities of tactics, personalities and dumb speculations of its own making.
Meanwhile, outside the convention centers, thousands of ordinary American's showed up to voice opinions not heard from either podium. These folks were herded into "free speech" zones far away from the cameras. Corralled into these tightly controlled zones of silence, the police treated them like suspects. Minnesota police even conducted "preemptive" raids, without warrants, to jail members of a group planning to videotape police conduct during the convention. Later, these same police in full riot gear knowingly and violently arrested independent news reporters who witnessed them arresting scores of peaceful protesters. None of this was covered by the mainstream reporters embedded within the convention centers.
Republican's criticized news outlets for not being conservative. I have to criticize them for not being journalists.
Brian Lynch
Mine Hill, NJ
Just Plain Stupid
I cannot believe the American people will be so stupid as to put John McCain and Sarah Palin in the White House. They are running on the ticket of FEAR! I see only four reasons why someone would vote for them. 1. Paranoia. 2. You have lots & lots of money. 3. You are a racist. 4. You are just plain STUPID!
Bruce Carlton
Mill Valley
What If Smart Doesn't Pay
There are matters that concern us about SMART that have not been answered; they are:
What will happen if SMART revenues are not sufficient to support the proposed rail system?
Will they reduce service? Will they divert funds from buses?
Will they require another sales tax? These are some of the questions for which we need answers.
It seems to be obvious that extending and increasing our present Golden Gate bus service rather than starting and paying for an entirely new system and its administration could achieve greater benefits.
Before this project goes ahead, we must have answers to these, and other questions.
Jayne West
Novato
Searching For Truth On Bolinas Lagoon
My name is Gabrielle and I am working with the 2008 Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF). The festival strives to ensure that scores of wonderful films are shown and this year is no exception. It is always thrilling to have local artists represented and this year the wonderful, locally produced and filmed project, Call it Home: Searching for Truth on Bolinas Lagoon, stands apart from the crowd. This is a project four years in the making, which celebrates the beauty and importance of Bolinas Lagoon and explores the issues behind a decades-long community debate to understand the forces affecting its future. It would be wonderful to get The Coastal Post involved in spreading the word about this fantastic local film, especially since it is all about, well, Bolinas! In addition, late producer Chuck Olin was a longtime Stinson Beach resident and his wife Nancy, an executive producer on the project, still resides there; which I really feel gives the film even more of a personal, west Marin touch.
This film is a testament to the effectiveness of patient democratic debate, concerned activism and in part a legacy for the local Northern California coastal communities and their long-term commitment to save "place," and to "dwell in harmony with our neighbor." Call it Home places the Bolinas Lagoon story in the context of the history of the "Marin Miracle"; which is the ongoing preservation of open land in Marin County.
Again, it isn't often enough that local filmmakers get to see their work screened at the MVFF. I would love to hear your thoughts on this and I would be happy to send you anything else you may require. Also, you should be receiving a schedule and overview release via mail shortly, we sent them out yesterday!
Gabrielle Harris
Hamilton Ink PR
Mill Valley
Nothing "SMART" About It
If the proposed train measure-or any transportation plan-were "SMART", it would do three things: take people where they would want to go, considerably improve highway congestion, and appreciably better our air quality.
Unfortunately, if the "SMART" train measure were to pass, it would not deliver on any of these requirements.
"SMART" would not take Marin's citizens where they would most want to go. Not to San Francisco-or even to the ferry. Not to the Corte Madera, Bon Air, Vintage Oaks, or most downtown shopping centers. Not to Marin General, Kaiser, or Novato Community Hospitals.
In addition, "SMART's" Environmental Impact Reports state that the train would not considerably improve Marin's highway congestion issues:
¥ It "may not show substantial improvements in highway operation (i.e., the level of service still remains the same)." (page ES-7, DEIR)
¥ In Marin County, few people-less than 300-would ride the train back and forth south of Fireman's Fund each day (page 3.2-12, FEIR). With few riders, few cars would be removed from the highway-and Marin's traffic issues and would remain essentially unchanged.
Finally, "SMART" would not appreciably better our air quality. The proposed system would take few cars off the highway and the diesel-powered trains would have their own emissions. According to their reports, the measure "would result in the proposed project reducing CO2 emissions compared to the 2025 No-Project condition by about 0.8 percent." (page ES-7, DEIR). A 0.8% reduction in CO2 does not appreciably better our air quality.
Clearly, there is nothing "SMART" about the proposed train: it doesn't take people where they would want to go, it doesn't improve highway congestion, and it doesn't better our air quality.
Vote NO on "SMART". Demand a transportation solution that really is "smart".
Keith & Patricia Cockerham
Novato
Teen Honoring, Gathering Veteran's Stories
Hello. My name is Kyle Nappi. I am 18 years old and I live in Ostrander, Ohio. I am currently a Senior at Buckeye Valley High School. I have a big interest in history, specifically WWII. I collect military medals, patches, badges, insignia, field gear, and a very unique thing, veteran autographs. I have a collection of autographs from military veterans who served during WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, and the present war in Iraq.
I have been interested in history for over 6 years now, and I have collected the autographs and stories from nearly 1,800 veterans in 20 countries. The oldest veteran is currently 112 years old and the youngest enlisted at age 14. I have autographs from Pearl Harbor survivors, D-Day veterans, airman, POWs, USS Indianapolis survivors, Holocaust survivors, and even German soldiers!
Back in June (of 2007), I was interview by PBS, to talk about my collection for an interview that was to be shown online (YouTube). After that, I was interviewed for "The Columbus World War II Roadshow." They mentioned that it was to come on (in Central-Ohio) before some of the episodes of Ken Burns' "The War." You can find this interview on YouTube under "Kyle Nappi."
I was recently interviewed by the American Legion for an article that appeared in their August magazine. Here is an Internet link to the online article:
http://www.legion.org/whatsnew/publications/newsletter/story?id=635
There have been several other people have taken the time to post my request online and in newspapers. There are too many for me to list, but if you go to Google or Yahoo and search "Kyle Nappi" you can find most of them.
Recently, I also had the privilege of going to Washington, D.C. in March of 2008. I was invited to the Pentagon, by the Secretary of Defense (Robert Gates) for a Ceremony honoring WWI veterans. I was able to meet with the last American WWI veteran, Frank Buckles. He is the last surviving WWI veteran...out of nearly 5 million that served. He's the last survivor. Before not to long, the WWII veterans will dwindle down as well (sadly nearly 1,100 die each day), and we must not only remember their stories, but the ones who did not come home. "All gave some, some gave all."
There are so many people, my age, which don't fully understand the magnitude about the veterans and what they did for our country. I think it's inspiring to these veterans when, someone is asking for their autographs/military experiences, but also when the person asking is that of my age. I have received letters from veterans who thank me for what I am doing and that it is unfortunate that so many people tend to forget these stories. Some veterans have even sent me their military insignia, medals, books, etc (one veteran even sent his POW dog tag) simply because they say that there is no one in their family who cares about it. I think it's amazing that they would send all this to me, a complete stranger to them.
So, overall, I am trying to obtain as many autographs/stories from veterans as I can to ensure that their stories are not forgotten. This is a hobby that keeps me quite busy - I get over 5 things in the mail each day, followed by 10-15+ E-mails, fielding phone calls, writing up letters, sending out letters (a lot of postage) to numerous veterans, locating/finding addresses, typing up the questions, translating the letters (for those foreign veterans), etc. I have dial-up Internet, so it takes an extra amount of time when on the Internet researching this material. This is pretty much a daily routine so it's almost like my job, so to speak.
I have enclosed a questionnaire, which includes some basic questions I have for military veterans about their service time. I was wondering if it is possible to provide any veterans (who are interested) with my questionnaire, put me in touch with them, or pass along the word about my collection. If possible could they print off the questionnaire, autograph it, and mail it to me for my collection (my address is below). Please let me know if this is possible. If not, is it possible to post my request?
My main purpose for writing it to share with you that there are people from my generation who do remember the past and the sacrifices that were made for our country. I would greatly appreciate it if you could pass the word around that there are people who remember, along with the information about my collection. Thank you very much for your time.
Kyle Nappi
1890 Warren Rd.
Ostrander, OH
Election Tampering
A recent Gallup poll showed McCain ahead of Obama in a survey of likely voters. We later read that their sample increased the number of Republican's surveyed. If true, there may be scientifically sound reasons. I'm a little skeptical. There is mounting evidence of election tampering in America and it begins with pre-election polling.
Here are some steps you would have to take to quietly steal an election:
1. Create the impression that the election is very close. This is key to fooling the public. The closer the race seems before the election, the less suspicious any tampering might seem afterwards.
2. Make every effort to suppress opposition voting. For Republicans, this means suppressing minority voting since they are mostly Democrats and easy to spot. They tend to clustered in urban districts, often have minority sounding names and, in some states, they may have to indicate their minority status on voter registration forms. Minority targeting is well underway already. Some mainstream newspapers have begun reporting about it. If you haven't heard much about it, try going on Google and type the word "caging."
3. Next, identify those key voting precincts within "swing" states where the vote count must be altered. Vote tampering has become highly scientific, a vast coordination of narrowly targeted operations. It may be facilitated by electronic voting machines and partisan Secretaries' of State.
4. You must also control exit polls. This is done by creating sampling bias, such as under representing minorities. If exit polls don't agree with tampered vote counts, simply attack the accuracy of exit polls. Better yet, arrange to eliminate exit poll results altogether, as happened in 2002, right under our noses.
5. Finally, you have to either suppress recounts or destroy evidence of vote fraud before a recount, as happened in parts of Ohio in 2004. Don't believe me? Check the Net for former Ohio officials imprisoned for that fiasco.
Brian Lynch
Mine Hill, NJ
Crunch Time For The Election
The orchestrated political conventions are done. Now it's the voter's turn. Many states will begin-voting 30+ days in advance of November. Like Now!
Senator John McCain, one of the Keating Five, and his congressional allies, gave us: Constitutional assaults; questionable oil profits/prices/favors; meds doughnut-hole; politicized justice department; excessive executive "public" corporation compensations/bonuses; reduced health care; human rights assaults; shrinking education; withdrawal from International Criminal Court Treaty; efforts privatizing social security; poor contract management; two times shutdown our own government; and worse world respect.
Elect Barack Obama (the "real" transcendent candidate). Eject Members from Congress who resist legislating a single-payer universal health care system, one "without" insurance executives. Stop our other-nation invasions, reduce the "causes" (de-regulation/secrecy, options) of the financial mess, and "reverse" the actions stated in the above-paragraph. Thanks! www.bauerletters.com
John Bauer
Martinez,
Not Smart
Please do not let financially driven SMART ruin our neighborhoods only to benefit those in Sonoma County. Sure, they don't care if the communities down here have diesel pollution and train noise day and night. They still have their quiet peaceful neighborhoods. Why should we sacrifice our community for the few riders from Sonoma? Who will subsidize this train when ridership falls and the route cannot be changed like a bus? Please think before you vote!
Joan Hope
Novato
Past Or Future
Tale of two Parties. Coverage of the Republican convention revealed the astonishing lack of diversity among GOP delegates. As the cameras swept over the crowd, we rarely caught a glimpse of anyone of color. It's as if the Republicans have given up even the pretense of the "big tent" they claimed to represent in recent years.
The contrast with the Democratic convention, where every shot of the attendees captured the full spectrum of America's rich heritage, is striking. It conveyed a much more powerful message about true inclusiveness and representation than any speaker at the podium.
White, conservative Republicans are locked into the past while Democrats are seeking true change and a new direction compatible with the diversity of an ever-evolving America.
Ron Lowe
Nevada City
Poor Paying For The Rich
America is now a place where the poor pay welfare to the rich. What a country! The working class bailing out the investor class and the investor class pays a far lower tax rate (capital gains) than working class people who pay payroll taxes. So when the rich were making money they got to keep it but when they start losing money the working class people have to give 700 billion in welfare to the stock market. The investors want the government to stay out of it when it come to regulation, but when the housing pyramid falls apart it falls on the taxpayer to bail them out.
If we are going to be stuck paying their bill shouldn't we at least repeal the capital gains tax cuts and the tax cuts for the rich to pay off this new debt? 700 billion dollars is a lot of debt. That's 2800 more bridges to nowhere on top of a 40,000 bridges to nowhere national debt. I think that the people who can't remember how many houses they own should pay off this debt rather than putting it on those of us who don't own a home.
I'm Marc Perkel - And I approved this message!
Marc Perkel
San Bruno
We Deserve Better Than SMART
There are at least two sides to every issue and sometimes more, but let's look at SMART and there is only one: look down and you will see only ONE railroad track. ONE railroad track for PASSENGER and FREIGHT. Does it frighten you to know that we will need to rely on the passenger operators (SMART) and freight operators (DIFFERENT FROM SMART) and to make their schedules compatible with the one-way-at-a-time track?
Now look at Mill Valley, Ross, Tiburon: no railroad tracks; but for a town like Novato one track for passenger and railroad traffic and a super loud horn sound for either and almost surely at night when freight will run. The planned bicycle path appears attractive until we learn that the space allotted to the bicycle path is inappropriate given that freight debris can fly off and inflict damage to bicyclists, and this assessment comes from an official of the national railway.
One track for going and coming with trains operating on Diesel, not modern light electric rail. That's not a healthy alternative. How many people will find it useful? Not many. According to SMART's own ridership estimates up to the year 2025, the impact on vehicle traffic along Route 101 will not be significant. One reason for this is obvious. The SMART track stops at Larkspur, not San Francisco.
We deserve a much better plan for public transportation.
Alan Berson
Novato
Palin Will Dumb Down America
John McCain says he can 'absolutely see Palin as president. What a joke! Sarah Palin is no Hillary Clinton, and Republicans are using her to try to capitalize on the women's vote. Hillary Clinton has years of experience in the public eye and speaks for women's rights; Sarah Palin is a religious advocate who has a smattering of public exposure.
Sarah Palin, as president, would try to tear apart the separation between church and state, take away a woman's freedom of choice, and institute prayer in schools, for starters.
Have you listened to what Palin says - the GOP has - and they've slapped a blanket order over her mouth and what comes out of it.
Not to jump the gun, but Sarah Palin as president will bring an end to what is near and dear and progressive in America; bring a dumbing down of the nation.
Ron Lowe
Nevada City
More Deception In Order To Portray Israel As A Victim
The first presidential debate between McCain and Obama revealed many aspects of where the two differed on topics, but one topic seems to be protected from any disagreement, and that is with U.S. protection of Israel. Both candidates understand that being disloyal to Israel to be hazardous to careers.
Senator John McCain must have repeated at least 3 times during the debate that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has threatened to "wipe Israel off the map" and that the United States must stand by and protect Israel at any cost.
The only problem, and both know this to be true, is that Ahmadinejad never made such a threat.
Instead, Ahmadinejad merely stated that the regime will disappear from the universe in the same way that the USSR disappeared. This is a vastly significant distinction, as one cannot wipe a regime off the map. Ahmadinejad does not even refer to Israel by name, he instead uses the specific phrase "regime occupying Jerusalem."
So this raises the question.. what exactly did he want "wiped from the map"? The answer is: nothing. That's because the word "map" was never used. The Persian word for map, "nagsheh" is not contained anywhere in his original Farsi quote, or, for that matter, anywhere in his entire speech. Nor was the western phrase "wipe out" ever said. Yet we are led to believe that Iran's president threatened to "wipe Israel off the map." despite never having uttered the words "map." "wipe out" or even "Israel."
This scenario mirrors the kind of false claims that led to the illegal U.S. invasion of Iraq, a war now widely viewed as a catastrophic mistake. And yet the Bush administration and the compliant corporate media continue to marinate in propaganda and speculation about attacking Iraq's much larger and more formidable neighbor, Iran. Most of this rests on the unproven assumption that Iran is building nuclear weapons, and the lie that Iran has vowed to physically destroy Israel. Given its scope and potentially disastrous outcome, all this amounts to what is arguably the rumor of the century.
James J. David
Marietta, GA
James J. David is a retired brigadier general and an Honor Graduate of the U.S. Army's Command and General Staff College.