North County must stick with the plan

Re “Newland Sierra unveils ‘affordable’ housing covenant” (Dec. 17): Regarding recent shenanigans of Newland Sierra and its support of pro-sprawl North County mayors, there seems to be an important reality left out of the conversation. What the mayors fail to remember is that the “compromise” was already struck — it is called the county general plan and includes zoning areas for 60,000 to 70,000 new housing units. Although some of those elected were not in office when it was adopted, they should study and honor it now.

If our region is to remain livable, the fundamental paradigm shift that must occur is to stop letting developers build what they want, where they want and direct, through general and transportation planning, where it should be built for the good of housing, transportation and climate change reduction. General plan amendments relentlessly pursued by developers are a recipe for disaster.

Vote to oppose the Newland Sierra project.

Time for taxpayers to open their wallets again.

Unions say there is another crisis in city employee staffing. The dozens of unions here in California face the biggest unfunded pension and health care costs in history. The unions care not about you, but like in the old Jimmy Hoffa days, care only about the cash flow. Their members are well taken care of, us old fixed-income types suffer.

We need a Bobby Kennedy to kick the mobsters out and restore sanity before the house of cards collapses.

Military members should be ready to act

We must allow those specifically trained in our military to carry weapons during the performance of their duties while stateside. This ability must be afforded to those we trust with our national security while overseas yet we struggle with this notion when they return from deployment. This just should not be the case.

The world we live in does not retain the America we grew up with. Our enemies do not subscribe to the Geneva Conventions and we are (sadly) routinely attacked on home turf. This is not a charge to allow the military to act on behalf of law enforcement; it is designed

to provide them the opportunity to defend themselves and others when they return to a “no longer safe” United States of America.

Windmills a better option than fossil fuels

Re “Trump, Dems clash on environment” (Dec. 24): I was recently driving through the Banning Pass in the Palm Springs area and took note of all of the electricity-generating windmills. There must be at least 100 of them, probably more.

There was a fair wind that day and the blades were rapidly turning, generating emission-free electricity. I do not believe that their appearance is objectionable. These are the same windmills that President Trump was recently railing against. Among other complaints was that the windmills kill birds.

That is true, they do kill birds, however, how many people have had their health impaired or even died because of the emissions caused by the coal power plants he seems to like so much?

Antibiotic crisis is too big to leave to chance

Re “Crisis looms: Antibiotic drugmakers are going bankrupt” (Dec. 26): The article identified a serious problem of world significance

and impact. It is obvious the major issue is structural followed by an unwillingness to correct problems by multiple entities.

Pharmaceutical and medical research and development organizations are research-oriented and best supported by a type of government-owned, contractor-operated system (government and private companies via donations) cooperating with similarpurposed organizations worldwide. They require funding stability.

Products and technologies that reach certain levels of development would then, by law, be transferred to profit-motivated companies structured to handle production and marketing. The latter should be required to feedback a percentage of profit to further medical research and development.

GOP has sold soul for some pieces of silver

As we watch the GOP twist itself into a pretzel over the impeachment hearings, one must ask, what drove the GOP into the arms of Vladimir Putin and allows all of Republicans’ bluff and bluster to hide the fact that they continue to support a president who is hell-bent on destroying our sacred institutions?

The answer of course, is power, and the fact that they’re not about to lose it

to their hated adversaries, the Democrats.

Their apparent willingness to ignore the facts and truth tells us all we need to know about them and how they’ve sold their collective souls to back a man with such a lack of honor, integrity, who is mean, a bully, is cruel, and who has no business leading a city department, much less the country.

History will judge them harshly, in my opinion. Their grandkids will ask them how they could lower the bar of basic human dignity and sell themselves for a few pieces of silver.

Impeachment is all about naming judges

The real reason the Democrats want impeachment is to stop Donald Trump from nominating a conservative Supreme Court justice who won’t legislate from the bench like Democrat appointees are wont to do.

Let the voters decide if Trump needs to go

As the trial shapes up, I think the House Republicans had a good idea and the 170 million voters should get to decide the final guilt, or not, of Trump.

Meanwhile, the prosecutors can continue to seek facts to present to that jury of the people prior to the November 2020 decision day, not to 35 or so jurors who do not represent a majority of the people.

And, perhaps, the courts will have spoken about the checks and balances of the Constitution of the United States.

Who would take back such a major award?

After seeing Bruce Plante’s editorial cartoon the day after Christmas (“Returns,” Dec. 26), I am deeply distressed.

As a proud owner, why on Earth would anyone want to return a leg lamp?

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