Give Me More
Perhaps Joe Hall could get another interview with Leon Panetta as excellent as "An Unbalanced Budget" [May 29-June 4]. This time, ask about the advantages of increasing the national debt. As Leon says, a huge deficit "requires the federal government to borrow a great deal."

Now think! Who lends the government that money? What interest do they get? It is substantially greater than ordinary folks can get from a CD or even EE bonds.

Individuals, corporations, financial institutions and even foreign countries with loads of money can earn a bunch more by lending it to the government through an extraordinarily complicated system of federal borrowing. It's a totally safe investment and no real work is involved.

So in addition to tax decreases for the rich and ultra-rich, the Bush administration gives the already rich an additional gift with every increase in the national debt. In other words, they are not ignoring it as some have said but deeply interested in increasing it.

Of course, that's only my ignorant opinion. Perhaps Joe Hall can get Leon to enlighten me.

Francis Cartier | Pacific Grove

McPherson's Plan is a Sham

Weekly readers should take Sen. Bruce McPherson's SB 149 for what it really is: A devious political trick to impose upon the taxpayers of the Monterey Peninsula a water board that is not representative of the water users ["Carmel Dam Plan Resurfaces," May 22-29].

Sure, the members of McPherson's new board are elected, but not to do the task assigned under the district law.

The ploy by the Peninsula mayors to take control of the entire Peninsula got the attention of a legislator who not many believed would stoop to such political shenanigans. Shame on you, Bruce.

Most politicians who assume office generally are upright, honest and loaded with integrity. But after they have been there awhile, they become "politicians."

Public servants should take a lesson from long-time public servant Monterey Councilmembers Theresa Canepa, and recently retired Don Edgren. Integrity is their middle name. McPherson obviously skirted the issues in response to the questions in the Weekly's May 8 publication ["McPherson's Water Politics"]. When told that under the present set-up board members are elected solely on their stance on water issues, he evaded the issue by saying that no water has been produced over the last 25 years.

An honest politician would have said: The voters weren't happy with the projects! Now that the solution is on the horizon, (desal), the mayors will take credit for "solving the water problem."

Lou Haddad | Monterey

What Bill Would Fred Kill?

What would Fred Keeley do if he were still our State Assemblyman? He would say no to McPherson's Senate Bill 149 that gives away our Water District to the special interests who want more water for more development. Special Interests who don't want us to vote on major water projects. So Assemblyman John Laird, do the right thing and stand side-by-side with Fred and Democracy by leading the opposition to SB 149 when it arrives in the Assembly. It's a blatant "Old Boy's" power grab.

Ed Leeper | Monterey