CSU stiffs students

Re "With pay hike, has CSU gone fully tone-deaf?" (Editorials, July 14): Thank you Sen. Ted Lieu for standing up for what we all feel has been a fleecing of our tax dollars. The American educational system has been broken for some time now, and our students continue to fall far below other countries. Yet the CSU board of trustees voted to burden our students with a 12 percent increase in tuition, and gave a 25 percent pay increase to an incoming administrator – on the same day, no less!

The head of a state university will now make the same amount of money as the president of our United States, and we the students and taxpayers will pay for it.

– David Matthews, Citrus Heights

Campus presidents overpaid

Although CSU claims that its presidents are underpaid, the opposite is the case. Unlike many peers, CSU presidents do not deal directly with a Legislature or a board of trustees; they do not raise huge sums of private money; they do not recruit nationally for the brightest students; and their institutions do not have to bring in large research grants. In short, these presidents simply do not have the responsibilities that would justify their high salaries.

– Vince Buck, professor emeritus, California State University, Fullerton

Federal dollars go to basics

Re "Is it important that the United States honor its debt?" (Head to Head, July 13): Approximately 55 percent of the federal budget is spent on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other safety net programs that keep millions of Americans out of poverty. Ben Boychuk compares this spending to "refinancing your house to buy a pickup, a toy hauler and a cool speedboat."

His analogy is not only far from perfect, it is wrong. Spending that assists those who are too young, too old or too sick to support themselves is not spending on luxuries. It is spending that reflects the fact that we are a decent, caring society.

– Thomas A. Busch, Sacramento

Boycott shows anti-Israel bias

Re "Pro-Israeli bias at work" (Letters, July 12): Maggie Coulter and comrades claim their agitation to boycott Israeli products at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op is about "human rights." How suspiciously inconsistent.

Do they advocate sanctions against Iran, which hangs gay men, or other Muslim countries which discriminate against gays? No, only Israel, where gays are fully protected. Boycotts against Saudi Arabia, where women cannot vote and drive, or other Muslim countries where women are second-class? Nope, only Israel, which protects women's rights. Against Lebanon, which like most Arab countries denies rights to Palestinians living there? Nope, only Israel, where Palestinian citizens enjoy equal rights and high standards of living.

They pretend it's a coincidence that the target of their double standard happens to be the one Jewish country in the world.

– Fred Hayward, Sacramento

Light bulb complaints off-base

Re "Let us choose light bulbs" (Letters, July 14): Now the complaint is your freedom is being infringed upon because of light bulbs. As long as incandescents are being produced and sold in stores, you can buy them. The other complaint is they are made in China. I hate to tell you this, but if you own a so-called American car, most likely the only part made in the U.S. is the transmission. Instead of producing bills for jobs, this Republican House is concentrating on light bulbs. No wonder American jobs keep getting outsourced overseas.

– Reggie Nunn, Antelope

In defense of E-Verify

Re "Here's some food for thought about immigration policy" (Viewpoints, July 13): Ruben Navarrette ignores the facts in his recent column. While 14 million Americans are unemployed, 7 million illegal immigrants work in the U.S. These jobs should go to legal workers. We could open up millions of jobs for unemployed Americans by requiring all employers to use E-Verify.

Navarrette insinuates that illegal immigrants hold jobs that Americans won't do, but this is false. Fifty percent of agriculture jobs are held by legal workers.

Some growers seeking seasonal labor do face difficulty in attracting American workers, but my E-Verify bill has a longer phase-in for agriculture. And it doesn't apply to current employees, only future employees. This means that current seasonal agricultural workers can leave and return.

– Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman, House Judiciary Committee

Good role models for girls

Re "Sub puts bounce in U.S. step" (Page A1, July 14): I am not really a sports fan, but I might turn into one thanks to the U.S. women's soccer team. I have really enjoyed your coverage of the team and of Redding's Megan Rapinoe, one of the heroines of this year's Women's World Cup.

It is great for my daughter to see images of women's sports figures on the front page and featured in the sports section. What great role models! Keep up the coverage of women's sports after the World Cup is over, please.

– Elizabeth Bynum, SacramentoWRITE US A LETTER

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