Reporter should go underground for Balboa...

Reporter should go underground for Balboa Peninsula stories

I’m just reading the Daily Pilot and I’m wondering why there’s no

comment at all or article about the final approval of the assessment

district here on the peninsula to put all the utilities underground.

There’s a long article about that temple but nothing at all about the

assessment district. I’m just wondering why we can’t find out about

that.

RICHARD SPURZEM

Balboa Peninsula

End of the estate tax will only benefit the wealthy

This is in regard to Rep. Chris Cox’s crusade to end the “death

tax.” As far as I and most of the people I know are concerned, it is

simply the income tax levied on huge inheritances, and rightly so.

If you win big in Las Vegas, you pay. If you win the Lotto, you

pay. If you inherit large amounts of unearned income, you should pay.

At the other extreme, retired Americans are taxed on their Social

Security benefits. Cox would leave that in place, but eliminate

taxation of millionaires?

So heirs are required to pay this income tax on estates in excess

of $1 million and rising to $3.5 million. Poor babies. That excludes

the vast majority of taxpayers in this country, and most of us are

bed up with the tiny majority getting the majority of tax breaks.

Do Cox and his party think that Americans are unaware of the

inequity? Almost the entire ill-conceived and deficit-causing Bush

tax plan is aimed at benefiting the elite. Now Cox wants to force

even more rewards out of the public coffers and into the overflowing

bank accounts of political patrons by killing the inheritance tax.

Good luck to Cox, but he should remember what Lincoln said about

fooling the people.

By the way, does the ruling party intend to pay for Bush’s oil war

with more tax cuts? That would be a very neat trick.

WALLACE WOOD

Costa Mesa

Public duped by promise of Great Park in El Toro

It was obvious from the start that the main money opponents of an

El Toro airport were these wanting the land for their own gain.

It should have been obvious to even the most stupid man that the

“Great Park” has been the “Great Real Estate Development Scam” and

that the large, open space will be lost to the public forever.

D.L. WARWICK

Costa Mesa

Bell not ringing clearly on comments about nonvoters

According to his column, “Nonvoters have only themselves to blame”

(Nov. 14), Joseph N. Bell has a problem with nonvoters. I don’t. I’m

glad they leave the election process alone if they care so little

about it. The number of voters is not nearly as important as educated

ones who search out information on the issues and candidates before

deciding. Educated voters do not stay home as a protest against the

quality of candidates (that’s just an ignorant excuse for those with

a lack of interest) because there is always something on the ballot

for those who took the time to investigate.

Bell is concerned with one-issue voters. I’m not. At least that

person is passionate about something, and usually it is a

controversial issue that tends to indicate the voter’s opinion about

many other political leanings.

Bell had a problem with the Airport Working Group calling people

to inform them that Costa Mesa Mayor Linda Dixon did not support the

El Toro airport. I don’t. It was an accurate statement that provided

voters with honest information.

I do have a problem, though, with telephone calls (and other types

of campaigning) that intentionally deceive people through downright

lies. That occurred in the battle between Councilman Gary Adams, Ron

Winship and Rick Taylor for the Newport Beach City Council. A call

was made to Greenlight supporters incorrectly stating Winship was the

endorsed Greenlight candidate. Actually, Taylor was the real

Greenlight candidate, and that farce robbed him of votes, which

helped Adams slip into the seat.

Bell was ecstatic when the Angels won the World Series and that

the Great Park isn’t going to get bailed out by the taxpayers of

California. I wholeheartedly agree.

ELLIE PARKER

Newport Beach