MAILBAG:

Thank you to Chris Epting for writing what are pretty much my own thoughts on cell-phone use (“Ideas for new laws could save lives,” Feb. 12).

The Huntington Beach Library got it right when they put a $100 fine in place. And that, most likely, has had an enormous impact on stopping cell-phone use at the library.

If only our inept legislators in Sacramento could get with the program. The current $25 fine for using a cell phone while driving is a joke.

For a first time offense, $25 is less than meaningless in today’s world.

If the legislators really wanted to do it right, they should have, and still can, up the fine to no less than $100 for a first offense and then go to $250 for a second offense, and do I dare say — do it a third time and the fine is $750.

Go beyond that and you lose your driver’s license for 60 days.

I raised my two sons with the following mantra: Every action you take in life has its rewards and consequences. As for the consequences, they knew what the price would be if they crossed the line, and the price, just as with the reward for positive behavior, was major.

My now 21-year-old son started driving when he was 16.

I told him, “If you are going to stay over at a friend’s house you absolutely must call me to let me know so that I am not going crazy at one in the morning wondering where you are, and what kind of trouble you might have gotten into.”

l told him the price for not calling me would be losing his driving privileges for seven days. It didn’t take long for him to get the message.

Within a week he did exactly what I asked him not to and his excuse was, “I fell asleep while we were watching television and didn’t awake until four in the morning.”

I had no sympathy for his plea. He lost the use of my car for a week, and since that experience (and he now has his own car and lives with me while going to college) he has never failed to call me to let me know that he is sleeping out.

I’ve given you all of this to come to a point: The City Council’s new edict regarding sign twirling is beyond ridiculous.

If they really wanted to zero in on driver distractions they should, as you have suggested, pass a new ordinance regarding cell-phone use by drivers, skate boarders and the like, and that ordinance should carry a fine that is going to make people think very carefully about violating that ordinance: a fine of no less than $100 for a first offense, and then double it with each successive violation.

Without a fine that is going to have some “balls” attached to it people will just continue using their cell phones while driving, walking across intersections, and so forth.

Howard George

Huntington Beach

Politicians need to find better uses for money

Several times a month, the Independent reader is subjected to the neoconservative rhetoric and ideology of the local politicians, especially Harman and Silva.

The strong business/corporate bias is reflected by the two of them boasting that they had sided with the Orange County Chamber of Commerce 100% of the time on relevant legislation.

There must be some issues wherein considering the interests of the nonbusiness constituency would be appropriate.

Now, Harman is espousing the need for a more militaristic and dominant America in the guise of creating more jobs.

We already have enough nuclear arms to destroy the world many times over.

How about spending some of that money for education and infrastructure?

That would create jobs also while alleviating some important social problems.

I doubt that we will be chasing terrorists and insurgents in F-22s. What we need is better intelligence and diplomatic efforts to extract ourselves from the middle east quagmire orchestrated by the Bush/Cheney gang and supporters like Harman and Silva.

I hope the Independent will provide its readers with other perspectives.

Javier Regalado

Huntington Beach

Illegal immigrants should be deported

My only problem with Assemblyman Jim Silva’s commentary (“Ailing state can’t pick up tab for illegal immigrants,” Feb. 12) is that it doesn’t go far enough.

Illegal immigrants, whether they are prospective college students or not, shouldn’t be here at all. What part of “illegal” is so difficult to understand?

Anyone who is here illegally should be deported, not rewarded with a tax-payer-subsidized education.

Isn’t it bad enough that we already must pay for K-12 to educate illegals?

Randle C. Sink