Saturday's Letters to the Editor

<p><b>Ill-timed attack</b></p><p>EDITOR: Mitt Romney showed his true colors this week — colors that we all should recognize by now. Romney used the attack on our embassy in Libya and the murder of one of our most gifted and dedicated ambassadors as an opportunity to attack our president on the flimsiest of excuses. This was a blatant display of political grandstanding in a time of national crisis. Romney, a political predator, will stop at nothing to draw blood from his opponents. When our nation is attacked, we have only one president and spokesperson. This is not the time for the egregious act of political grandstanding that we heard from Romney.</p><p>GREG BENTALL</p><p>Cloverdale</p><p><b>iPhone unveiling</b></p><p>EDITOR: Yes, I am an educator, and yes, I am probably reaching “grumpy old man” age. Nonetheless, what kind of message is being sent when a 13 year old is allowed to miss a day of school to attend the introduction of the new iPhone?</p><p>DAVID SHICK</p><p>Petaluma</p><p><b>No on Q</b></p><p>EDITOR: Three separate City Councils (1992, 2002 and 2012) have asked three separate citizens committees to examine the City Charter and make recommendations on the issue of district elections. I chaired each of those committees. Each committee studied the issue and heard from consultants and the public. None of the committees recommended that the city scuttle its practice of at-large elections in favor of district elections. None of our councils have seen fit to place a charter revision on the ballot recommending the adoption of a system of district elections. Measure Q simply puts the question to the voters with a recommended system if adopted.</p><p>District elections will increase political factionalism. The constituency of our council representatives should be citywide, as are our problems. I do not want to lose the right to vote on the selection of six of our seven council members.</p><p>Since 1992, we expanded the council from five to seven members to give greater access to the council, given each council member the ability to make direct appointments to boards and commissions, created Community Advisory Boards for the expression of neighborhood concerns and established a policy of encouraging diversity on boards and commissions.</p><p>I am voting no on Measure Q.</p><p>MICHAEL D. SENNEFF</p><p>Santa Rosa</p><p><b>Republican foxes</b></p><p>EDITOR: When Republicans say that they want to preserve and protect Medicare, it's like the fox telling the farmer he'll watch the henhouse. Don't be fooled by their misleading statements.</p><p>The truth is that Republicans have been trying to kill Medicare since its inception in 1965. The truth is that Republicans have twice passed budgets that turn Medicare into a voucher program. Here's how it will work. When you are eligible, you will receive a voucher to use to go buy health care in the private market. If the cost of the health care you buy is more than the voucher, you will pay the difference out of pocket.</p><p>Studies have shown seniors will be paying at least $6,000 more per year under this system than the current system. If you cannot afford to pay the extra amount, tough luck. You can show up at the emergency room when you get sick, which will drive up everyone's health care costs.</p><p>Eighty-three percent of people polled don't want this new voucher system. That's why Republicans never talk about it or mention it in their plans for the future. Don't be hoodwinked by these Republican foxes. Save Medicare. Vote Democratic.</p><p>MARK ELCOMBE</p><p>Santa Rosa</p><p><b>More veto bait</b></p><p>EDITOR: Another bill that Gov. Jerry Brown should veto: Senate Bill 1233 would require that initiative petitions be translated into as many as 200 different languages for the benefit of “limited English proficient voters” (so they wouldn't have to learn English).</p><p>JAN BARBARITA</p><p>Novato</p>