Lower Carinalli price
Editor: The Hospital Board should ensure that any purchase of the Carinalli site is only transacted after a judicious, prudent and successful renegotiation resulting in a multi-million dollar price reduction. The present option for $10 million, which is way overpriced in this market and is about to expire, should be renegotiated immediately or allowed to expire. The dramatic price-drop taking place in real estate prices has created an opportunity for the Board. Clearly, no sane developer would now pay anything close to $10 million for that site. By renegotiating the price, the Board can garner more support for their $45 million bond measure. In one brilliant stroke such a renegotiation could also effectively recoup every last dollar ever expended on any past option by negotiating a more equitable price based on today’s real estate prices. Taking advantage of this opportunity would prove to voters the effective stewardship this Board intends to practice with the public’s purse.
Dennis Hipps
Sonoma
Applauding Barnett
Editor: Larry Barnett’s column of March 27, “The Dysfunctional Democracy of America,” was outstanding. Scholarly, timely, well researched, well written. I am forwarding it to all my relatives and friends. How fortunate we are to have someone of Larry’s caliber writing for our local paper. How lucky we are to have the Sun deposited at our doorstep every Thursday. Keep up the good work.
Helen Rowntree
Sonoma
Some serious realities
Editor: Remembering what many of the younger generations never knew–or have forgotten–but the data is correct here! For those who spent time in the military, believe in our military and support the men and women of our military, read on…
John Glenn (Democrat) said this: There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq in January. In the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the month of January. That’s just one American city that is almost as deadly as the entire war-torn country of Iraq.
When some claim that President Bush shouldn’t have started this war, state the following: FDR (Democrat) led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us; Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost–an average of 112,500 per year.
Truman (Democrat) finished that war and started one in Korea. North Korea never attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost–an average of 18,334 per year.
John F. Kennedy (Democrat) started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us. Johnson (Democrat) turned Vietnam into a quagmire.
From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost–an average of 5,800 per year. Clinton (Democrat) went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. Bosnia never attacked us. Clinton was offered Osama bin Laden’s head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama and his cronies have attacked us and our allies on multiple occasions.
In the years since terrorists attacked us, President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran, and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people (Saddam), and the Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking? But wait, there’s more!
It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno (Democrat) to take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51-day operation. Scary! We’ve been looking for evidence for chemical weapons in Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton (Democrat) to find the Rose Law Firm billing records. It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick, drowning an innocent young girl trapped inside the car.
It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida! The biased media hopes we are too ignorant to realize the facts.
Elizabeth MacDonald
Sonoma