C'mon, permits to fly the red, white and blue?

Letters to the editor for May 23: Flag permits; VA scandal; PUV chief; desal; bridge tube; smoking drivers; fire fee; fluoride

Leaders cannot charge for patriotism

I woke up this morning to the article “S.D. OKs American Flags to go up on Memorial Day” (May 22) and could not believe what I was reading.

What has happened to this city where we must get permits to enjoy the freedoms that our servicemen and women have fought for over the past two centuries? Since when has it become offensive to merchants in Hillcrest, and other locales, to display the flag of our nation whenever we wish without permits and excessive charges? Have our leaders become so calloused and arrogant that they can charge $2,000 for a permit to display flags along city streets that we taxpayers are paying for?

And what world are we living in where the fine for violating such an inane city ordinance costs $250,000 — per flagpole?

I don’t remember anyone getting a permit to raise our flag on Iwo Jima, so why here in the U. S.?

Jerry Huston


Let Congress enroll in VA medical system

I would respectfully offer up a very simple yet inevitably effective way to ensure that the current deplorable mess involving the VA medical system is resolved swiftly and with a guarantee that those being served by the VA end up getting the best possible service: The president should sign an executive order mandating that all members of Congress, all members of the judiciary and all members of the executive branch have their current medical insurance coverage canceled and then enroll them all in the VA system for all medical care for life.

Can anyone doubt the outcome?

Mark Alderson


Doubts raised on PUC chief’s priorities

Regarding “Calif. PUC leader uses profanity at hearing,” (Watchdog, Business, May 22), Michael Peevey was president of Edison International and Southern California Edison before being appointed president of the California PUC in 2002.


Debbie Checkwood


Fresh approach to drought solutions

California needs to take a long-term view of drought.

We need large desalination plants to turn seawater into fresh water. The technology exists. California has state lands by the ocean. With pumping stations, the aqueduct could be constantly supplied. Natural gas could generate the electric pumps. Scrap the plans for the high-speed train and begin addressing our needs for fresh water.

Allison and Bill Siren

Sorrento Valley

Desal add

I don’t understand why they keep saying water drought when we have all the water we want from the ocean. Our ships at sea and our submarines use desalination to purify the water to drink and other uses.

Carlsbad is building a desalination plant. Why don’t we use that money to build one instead of building a new city hall. The water from the desalination plant would be suitable for human consumption or irrigation. along with recycled waste water, this is one of the few rainfall-independent water sources. Desalination is particularly relevant to dry countries. according to the International Desalination Association. In June 2011, 15,988 desalination plants operated worldwide produced 66.5 million cubic meters per day, providing water for 300 million people. Do you think this telling us something?


