Mr. Clinton's exit

As good as President Bush's intention is to overlook these pranks and acts of vandalism in the White House, I do not believe it is his right to let these criminal acts against "the people's house" go without an investigation of "who-dun-it."

If his own personal house had been violated in such a manner, he would have every right to dismiss it, if he wanted to. But it is "our" house and we need to find out who and why and make them pay for it, not our tax money.

THOMAS P. BANAS

Murrieta

. . . It would appear the Clintons can do no right -- regarding leaving Washington.

I, for one, thought it was very thoughtful to say goodbye to his staff and friends. Mr. Clinton cannot help it if the media came to call. Had they not, he would have been defiled for "sneaking" away. . . .

ALTA B. BAMMER

Banning

The eleventh-hour pardons coupled with gifts showered on the Clintons by the Hollywood faithful is a reminder of the arrogance and sleaze associated with this administration. . . .

Even Clinton apologists and loyalists are having difficulty attempting to justify the pardon of millionaire, tax evasionist and racketeer Marc Rich who has been living in luxury in Switzerland until his ex and Democratic supporter Denise Rich secured Clinton's support.

The gifts supplied by Hollywood and party faithful for the departing first couple under the guise of a bridal registry and family furniture fund would make Emelda and Fernando Marcos blush.

It has been said the Clintons could drive a U-Haul through a loophole and this latest escapade proves it. Why should anyone be surprised? Hopefully history will not overlook what the media and public have come to expect from this sordid spectacle and failed presidency.

E. LEON SPAUGY

Riverside

Power points

In response to Mike Lavino's letter, January 28, suggesting we close 24-hour businesses to save electricity: Does anyone out there think that electricity saved at night is saved in some big batteries somewhere? The answer is no.

The problem is that we don't have capacity at peak usage times -- i.e., we need more generators unless more businesses operate only at 2 a.m. . . .

JIM BIZAL

Norco

Dozens of light standards are blazing in auto sales lots on Ynez in Temecula. Would suggest they decrease these lights by 50 percent at least to help out during this crisis period.

A. C. DOUGLAS

Menifee

Bush's lame-brain solution to the California electricity crisis -- allow more pollution, or as he calls it, "rolling back air pollution requirements on power plants" -- shows the unfortunate direction of his stewardship of the country: big oil, big polluters, no big open spaces without oil wells.

Not only does he not have a mandate for such policies -- though the Republicans are proceeding as if they do -- he does not have a plurality to work from. If looked at logically, Bush and Co. lost a majority of votes on the environmental issue: 48 percent for Gore, 3 percent for the Greens.

Oh, well. Only 1,455 days to go.

WILLIAM SHOCKLEY

Riverside

I would like to comment on the letter from Randy Cloutier and his observation "I smell a rat!" in regard to the "windmill statues" in Whitewater Pass.

The wind does not blow "60 mph, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year." Spring and summer are the windy season. There are only about 125 to 150 days per year when the wind is adequate to generate electricity.

Wind turbines require wind speeds of 7 to 15 mph to begin generating electricity. Speeds over 40-45 mph will cause them to shut down. Location, height of towers and wind direction are all factors in whether the turbines are generating.

There are only four main reasons why the turbines are not generating: Not enough wind; too much wind; the "grid" can't accept the electricity; the on-board computers have detected a malfunction and they have shut down automatically.

In the interest of full disclosure: I am an employee of the Windmill Tours, Inc., a Palm Springs tourist attraction which offers guided tours and accurate information about the wind industry.

MARLENE MOFFETT

Riverside

Hope charter school

Corona-Norco School Board accuses California Hope Charter Academy, CHCA, a charter school under its jurisdiction, of not keeping accurate attendance records. Enter the Corona-Norco auditors who found no errors in CHCA's.

If its own auditors found no errors, C-NUSD should admit its own error and stop making false accusations.

Mr. and Mrs. GREGG DURAND

Corona

In reading The Press-Enterprise article about California Hope Charter School declaring bankruptcy, I was struck by the fact that so many charter schools are being starved of funds and having to go under. The biggest problem as I see it is that the fox is in charge of the hen house. When you put a school district in charge of a charter school, the district has a vested interest in seeing them fail.

Washington, D.C., had trouble keeping its five charter schools running until an independent board was put in place to oversee them and they now have over 300 charter schools. By withholding funds, the Corona-Norco School Board and the State of California are circumventing the will of the people who have demanded school reform and mandated charter schools. People need to stand up and demand that their will is carried out.

DAVID and SHERYL DAMERON

Riverside