Re "Troubled histories follow some troops to Iraq war," July 13: It disturbed me greatly to see The Bee devote so much space and pictures and stories about "suspect soldiers" when the headlines of today are all about increased violence in Afghanistan and continuing troubles in the Middle East. Why was this in-depth study done?
There are more than a million people in our military, and you are so pompous that you would publish a rambling article about a few soldiers and publish their misdeeds to serve … what purposé? You have consciously demeaned all of the military who are risking their lives for you instead of praising the majority. Shame on you! Why don't you do an "expose" on government employees, journalists, celebrities or illegal immigrants?
- Elmer Kauk, Rocklin
Positive stories worth telling
The Bee and the rest of the liberal media have done extensive research on the behavior of military personnel before, during and after their service. I can't wait for the "fairness doctrine" attitude to take effect and the research shows the good side.
How many troubled young people have found their direction and straightened out? How many positive things have taken place in Iraq and Afghanistan? How many have served, gotten out, gone to school and become productive members of society? As a former Marine officer, I've seen it happen many times. One of my young helicopter crew chiefs was real rough around the edges and a very tough guy. He worked hard, commanded respect, eventually retired as a sergeant major and married a physician.
I look forward to that series of stories being published, but history tells me not to hold my breath.
- Stan Frazer, Folsom
Boom times in Chico. Really?
Re "Fire battle perks up Chico's economy," July 13: While motel rooms may be full and some restaurants may get business from firefighters, Chico's economy is hardly "booming." Due to the unhealthful air, two of the past three Thursday night markets have been canceled, and there is almost no foot traffic downtown. The author of the article apparently found it sufficient to talk to one local hotel manager and to a single restaurant manager, and then extrapolated from that biased sample.
Since I doubt that the firefighters and evacuated foothill residents have time to shop, and since many Chicoans find themselves trapped in their homes by the unhealthy air, I suspect that the local economy has suffered.
In addition to the inadequate research that formed the basis of that article, I also found it to be in poor taste. Residents of Chico and the surrounding communities are suffering from the pall of smoke hanging over the area, as well as from the direct threat to the homes and livelihood of friends and relatives living in the paths of the fires.
As an economics professor and researcher with California State University, Chico, I see the value of economic analysis, but I also understand the importance of both quality and timing.
- David Gallo, Chico
Grandstanding? Hardly
Re "Grandstanding Old Party in Capitol spotlight," editorial, July 13: The Bee has mischaracterized Republican leadership in finding a balanced, responsible budget solution. Hardly grandstanding, we have been offering solid ideas, garnering positive reviews, since very early in the process, beginning with our ideas to protect voter-approved funding for educating California's children. It would be foolish to leave out the largest portion of our state budget when discussing creative solutions to this crisis.
It has been a common theme of Democrats to say we can't solve the budget problem solely with spending reductions. The other portion of their solution, however, is to throw up their hands in defeat and simply raise taxes on hardworking Californians. That's the easy way out.
We all know that when fiscal times get tough, tightening our belt and exploring constructive alternatives is the responsible thing to do. Solving 20 years of overspending is not an overnight process, but there are some important steps that can be taken to improve our economy, streamline government and reform our budget process that will save more resources to ensure future crises are minimized.
Higher gas prices, lower home values and a sluggish economy should make us realize that taxpayers are not an endless pot of money. Putting the additional strain of higher taxes on Californians and the marketplace has historically proven disastrous. Seriously considering our viewpoint as a viable alternative will serve our citizens better than dismissing them out of hand.
– Dave Cogdill, Modesto Senate Republican Leader
Is The Bee promoting McCain?
Is it just me, or is The Bee favoring Sen. John McCain over Sen. Barack Obama? I notice that McCain is always above Obama, or on the left side of the page. I also notice that McCain seems to get larger photos and font headlines than Obama. What's up?
- Stephen Knight, Davis
Soccer coverage: Good and bad
Re "Match was a tie, but soccer's a winner with Raley Field fans," July 14: As a coach of youth soccer, I was happy to see The Bee's front-page coverage of the professional soccer match at Raley Field.
The fact that The Bee didn't mention or even post the score of a U.S. women's team's match against Brazil (that aired last Sunday on ESPN) is sadly more typical. The United States won the match 1-0 as it prepares for Olympic competition.
– John Finegan, Sacramento
