LOVE THY NEIGHBOR
Re: George Neumayr’s
Cardinal
Stonewaller:
You can almost hear Neumayr frothing at the mouth in this
column. He hates gays; he hates Vatican II; he hates contemporary
Catholic education; he hates the liturgy in languages that people
can understand; he hates the new cathedral; and he hates Cardinal
Mahony. I wouldn’t be surprised if he also hates air conditioning,
automobiles, telephones and indoor plumbing, too.
Neumayr is a garden variety bandwagoner who is taking advantage
of the sexual abuse situation to get in a few cheap, free swings at
the church. He even admits to that near the end of his column! The
column itself is so full of inaccuracies and falsehoods that it
sets new, lower standards for journalistic irresponsibility.
When it comes to his misinformed and specious claims that the
church is not seeking reconciliation and healing, Neumayr might as
well be talking about himself. He doesn’t give a hoot what happens
to victims, as long as he gets to use them to pummel the church
back into the 14th century, where he undoubtedly believes it should
have stayed.
The church will continue to reach out to help victims heal, and
it will resist the exploitation of this episode in our church’s
history by medievalists like George Neumayr.
— Tod M. Tamberg
Office of Media Relations
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
BELT WAYS
Re: Jeremy Lott’s Crash
Test Dummies:
I couldn’t agree with your seat belt article more. Seat belts
have become yet another intrusive campaign by the “Nanny State” for
our own good. When the state of Maryland first passed its mandatory
seat belt law here, we were assured that policemen (policepersons?)
would not pull us over for not buckling up, although they might
issue a ticket for just that if a malefactor were pulled over for
something else. Oh, yeah, I was reassured. Sure enough, on the
recommendation of regulators trying to justify their salaries, the
law got tightened up a few years later.
Now we have “Click it or ticket,” which is both a sentence
fragment and a guarantee that you are not safe from the state while
otherwise legally trundling down the road eating your hamburger,
combing your hair and talking on your cell phone. What’s next?
Cameras at intersections that automatically send out tickets if you
have not strapped on your vehicle, if your hands are not at the
10-2 position and if you are not wearing sun glasses to counteract
the glare? Oops! Forget I said that; we don’t want to give the
do-gooders any more ideas.
— S. Craig Taylor, Jr.
PERFECT LIES
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.’s Living
Hillary:
You wrote a great column on Hillary’s claims about when she
first learned of Clinton’s affair with Monica. Of all her many
misrepresentations over the years, this is the most flamboyant, the
most defiantly in-your-face, surpassing even her account of how she
made $100,000 in her one and only venture into the futures market.
But, sorry to have to say, she’ll get away with this one, just as
she got away with the others.
— Fred Asselin
East Hampton, NY
Your article regarding Hillary Clinton’s new book and her
propensity for untruths is marvelous. I hope it is disseminated far
and wide. I know I am going to do my part.
— Carol Pollard
San Francisco, CA
HIRELINGS
Re: Wlady Pleszczynski’s All
Kidding Aside:
“Paul Silas gets fired by New Orleans, and is quickly scooped up
by Cleveland. Larry Brown quits Philadelphia and a week later is
hired by Detroit. Maurice Cheeks wants to leave Portland to coach
Philadelphia (which would create a tenth opening).”
Notice the hierarchy of hirings though. Paul Silas gets the
worst possible job due to his being fired from an average team for
an average record and probably his age and/or financial status.
Larry Brown, having earned respect over the last 31 years, goes
to a team better than the one he left behind. This smacks of
European soccer, only instead of Milan and Juve we have Allen the
juvenile.
Mo Cheeks is being repaid for his ability to relatively tame his
Portland crew which has had more arrests than the gang on “The
Sopranos.” He’ll be counted to subdue Allen Iverson into attending
practice.
With the top two teams recordwise filling their vacancies, the
also-rans have to depend on the also-ran coaches or simply ante up
for the targets of their desires who are otherwise ambivalent about
going to New Orleans, Los Angeles or Toronto.
“Average former coaches like Mike Fratello and Jeff Van Gundy
are suddenly in great demand. Even Mike Dunleavy, a lousy former
coach, is in line to be hired for one of the new jobs. Go
figure.”
Wlady, I’d have to disagree on these coaches. Given the talent
of their teams, all of the above had done as well as can be
expected and that should be the only thing that counts. You can’t
squeeze the NBA championships out of turn-ups, AKA the NY Knicks
backcourt.
And, as far as Detroit is concerned, I hope Larry Brown leaves
them quicker than his brother Herb ( which sounds like a character
from the Simpsons). I know if I had a home in Malibu, I would
have.
— Dan Leo
Miami Beach, FL
This may seem like a quibble, but do you normally blog about
teevee shows almost nobody watches? The NBA finals got a six rating
in the Nielsen fast nationals. They ranked third or fourth in each
half-hour.
For the overwhelming majority of people who don’t watch the
games, you might want to do some Dick-and-Jane stuff. Like which
teams are playing, who the most important players are, how they got
to the finals, why they’re playing in the middle of June…basic
stuff. Your blog reads like hieroglyphics without a Rosetta stone
for most of us.
— Casey Abell
GREEN ZONES
Re: David Ross’s Man
Is the Endangered Species
The David Ross article was on the mark. I have been involved in
the wet lands buffer issue on a 4-lot split. We have done extensive
research on the buffer issue and have found no scientific evidence
to support the need for any buffers. San Diego County initially
required a 200 foot buffer and the Fire District added another 100
foot. This wiped out the entire project. The interesting question
is, who in the County government is directing its environmental
agenda?
More articles like this are needed.
— Granger Haugh
After having lived in North San Diego County for ten years
during the 70’s and having witnessed the first expansions of mass
housing, condo’s, real estate development and the draconian
California Coastal Commission, I read with resigned, head-shaking
amusement the comic opera which continues amid some of the most
valuable, overpopulated, and beautiful land on the continent.
It appears the day will soon be upon Sandy Ego when one will no
longer be allowed to transfer deed of ownership if English is one’s
primary language. Of course, that’s assuming the environmental hug
police still allow the private ownership of property.
— Stephen “Doc” Watson
Maybe the greens should check out Malibu where Barbra Streisand
lives. The link below shows an aerial view of B.S.’s home
overlooking the ocean. Zoom in on the photo and check out that big
ol’ pipe sticking out of the cliff right below her property (at
left of her property). God only knows what evil bilge pours from
that pipe, infecting the beach and ocean below. Click here: California Coastal
Records Project — Aerial Photographs of the California
Coastline.
— Kitty Myers
Painted Post, NY
FINAL ROUND
Re: jimi izrael’s Saving
Mike Tyson:
Mr. izrael, I’m glad you wrote this column. I am not a sports
fan, nor a Tyson fan, but I have a sick feeling this man is going
under with no one to help him.
That tattoo on his face gives me this irrational thought that he
has surrendered to becoming more demon and less a man. I hope there
is someone who loves Mr. Tyson who will help him.
— Bill Zerbe
THE BARNARD POLL
Re: Warren Engelberg’s “Double Steal” letter in Reader Mail’s
Things
Are Looking Up:
I truly feel sorry for the likes of Warren Engelberg. His
delusions are getting the best of him. As is typical with certain
liberals, he cites a figure that he admits he cannot back up with a
source. This in turn allows his little mind to throw out his
unsubstantiated rhetoric. (“I have read, sorry I can’t quote the
original source, 80% of Americans want increased taxes and greater
entitlements.”)
So I decided to do a little research for the poor soul.
Something I rarely do since I feel liberals should be forced to
produce their own facts. Anyway, here is what I found doing Google
searches on “taxes versus services polls” and “tax cuts or more
services polls,” etc. I found many references, most dated somewhat,
and then wrote an e-mail to John Zogby asking for advice on similar
polls.
— April 2002 Marist College poll in New York; 55% prefer cuts
in state jobs (35%) and/or services (20%) versus 30% that want to
raise taxes.
— April 2002 Quinnipiac College poll in New York; 52% cut
services and 34% raise taxes.
— 2000 Florida International University (Institute for Public
Opinion Research) poll; 49.2% cut services and 50.8% raise
taxes.
— December 2002 Quinnipiac College poll in New Jersey; 61% cut
services while only 28% said raise taxes.
— January 31, 2003 KAET Arizona poll; 33% cut programs, 32%
sale or lease state owned assets with 20% wanting to increase
taxes.
— March 10, 2003 Mason-Dixon poll for Florida; 49% to 45%
willing to raise taxes for healthcare only but large margins
opposed to raising taxes for public safety and public
education.
None of the polls I found (and I’m still looking, especially for
more national polls which I know favor less taxes and less services
over more taxes and more services) come even close to Mr.
Engelberg’s 80% figure except for one:
A May 15, 2003 poll taken by the Sun-Sentinel for the
state of Florida. But the wording is highly biased and unscientific
since it was an Internet poll.
“Legislators are ready to enact $300 million in tax cuts to
business and wealthier residents, even as they slash spending in
education, social programs and arts to balance the budget. Right or
wrong?
80.0% - Wrong. They shouldn’t hand out tax breaks when they’re
having to cut essential programs. (2865 responses)
20.0% - Right. These tax cuts will help the economy, and the
intangibles tax cut was previously promised to residents. (718
responses)”
Nice try, Warren. Now who lives in a bubble?
— Greg Barnard
Franklin, TN
