13 minute read
Basilone Cont. on
TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT
Q: Last August, I was supposed to fly roundtrip with my two children from Boston to San Jose on JetBlue Airways. I had booked the flights through Orbitz. I was using a ticket credit from a JetBlue flight canceled at the start of the pandemic.
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When I got to the airport with my family, Jetblue had no record for these flights, even though we had confirmation numbers for the tickets.
I tried to call Orbitz. The calls disconnected twice, and we had to call back and start the conversation with someone new. Eventually, a representative told me there was nothing they could do for us at the time, and we had to wait for a call back within 24 hours. I called Orbitz, and I discovered that the credits had never been applied. They were still sitting in my account.
I had to buy tickets for the following day from Boston to San Francisco. I also had to book a hotel to stay in that night.
An Orbitz representative asked me to send in the receipts for the flights and hotel I had to book in order to obtain a refund. Orbitz never followed up with me. After the trip, we reached back out to them, and they requested ticket numbers and receipts. I provided all the information to them, yet to this day, we have gotten no response despite our many efforts. Can you help me? -- Benjamin Eckstein, Natick, Mass.
A: This was a somewhat complicated case. But let me see if I can simplify it. You had a JetBlue flight at the start of the pandemic. JetBlue canceled the flight and you received a credit from JetBlue through Orbitz, your online travel agency. Then you tried to use the credit for a flight in August. You booked that flight through Orbitz. It issued a confirmation number, which led you to believe you had the tickets. But you didn't.
JetBlue said you didn't have a ticket when you showed up at the airport. You had to book new flights on JetBlue and a hotel. You also paid for tickets to San Francisco on United Airlines. Orbitz asked you to submit your expenses, and when you did, it failed to respond to your refund request. And that's what led you to me.
Usually, when an online agency sends you a confirmation number for your airline tickets, you can rest assured that you have an airline ticket. I'm not sure why Orbitz didn't apply the JetBlue vouchers to your new tickets.
But I am sure of this: Orbitz
Basilone Cont. from Page 3
whole division standing at attention, the nation’s highest military award for valor was presented to Basilone,
After receiving the medal, he said, “Only parts of this medal belong to me. Pieces of it belong to the boys lying buried on the island.”
He returned to his regular duties, but then two months later, in July, 1943, Basilone learned that the Marine top brass had a special mission for him: to help sell war bonds.
A month later, having arrived in California, he headed to Camp Pendleton and while there he saw his brother George, who was a Marine in training. Soon after he arrived at the camp, he received orders to report to Marine Headquarters in New York City, and there he was briefed on the upcoming bond tour.
Basilone asked if, before he started the tour, he could get a pass for home, and that was immediately granted.
Seeing Basilone as he stepped off the train on September 19, 1943, the people in Raritan went crazy. They rushed about him and kept him trapped for nearly an hour, as his family and everyone he had ever known growing up crowded around him and embraced him, shook his hand, tousled his hair.
Then there was the parade, thirty thousand people, many of them from nearby cities and a long line of limousines filled with dignitaries, including the mayor, governor and senators.
In the following months, with other decorated servicemen and a group of Hollywood actors, Basilone went on the war bond tour.
It was a whirlwind but successful tour. In one month alone, Basilone and the others toured ten states and sold more than nineteen billion dollars of war bonds.
When the tour ended, Basilone asked to be sent back overseas. His request was granted and he was ordered to report on January 17, 1944 to Camp Pendleton where he joined the newly formed 5th Marine Division, and where he was promoted to gunnery sergeant and put in charge of a platoon. And it was while he was in training with this division that he met Sgt. Lena Riggi, a reservist, stationed at Pendleton.
They soon fell in love and on July 10, 1944, they were married at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Church in Oceanside.
A month later, Basilone was told that the 5th Marine Division would
Cut the Gas Tax Already
California still has the highest gasoline prices in the U.S. along with the highest gas taxes. Gasoline is averaging $6.40 per gallon across California, inflation is escalating, people are hurting.
Immediate relief is needed, and the simplest, fastest remedy would be suspension of the gasoline tax at both federal and state levels. It’s been over 100 days since the Governor first called for gas tax relief, but nothing has happened. Despite our $97.5 billion surplus, the majority in the Legislature can’t come to an agreement about how to grant relief. The new idea is a small rebate of $250 to $350 based solely on income and residency. Legislative Democrats want to send $200 to all taxpayers earning less than $125,000, with an additional $200 per dependent. But they won’t consider a simple, temporary suspension of the gas tax, now at 51 cents per gallon. It’s scheduled to go up to 54 cents on July 1st. Can’t we at least stop that? Apparently not, though repeated attempts have been made.
So what’s next? I’m a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which is advocating an immediate, temporary suspension of federal and state gasoline taxes. I joined five Assembly colleagues in a letter to the President asking for suspension of the federal gas tax. The President agrees, and has asked Congress to suspend the federal gas tax for three months. In my opinion that’s not nearly long enough, but it’s a step California has been unable to take.
I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get relief at the pump. If you’d like to learn more about the Problem Solvers Caucus, and view our letter to President Biden, please visit: https://caproblemsolversfoundation.com
Assemblymember Marie Waldron, R-Valley Center, represents the 75th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the communities of Bonsall, Escondido, Fallbrook, Hidden Meadows, Pala, Palomar Mountain, Pauma Valley, Rainbow, San Marcos, Temecula, Valley Center and Vista.
5th District Supervisor Jim Desmond
A Summer of Blackouts?
On May 20th, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) warned that two-thirds of the U.S. could experience blackouts this summer. Earlier in the month, California energy officials warned that summer blackouts may continue for the next three summers. There’s already finger pointing occurring from government agencies and many theories being publicized including climate change, severe drought, quick switch to renewable energies, lack of infrastructure, rise in the demand of electricity, the list goes on and on.
The reality is, we are looking at a summer where the basic necessities we need, may be endangered. Rather than blame, I want to work on solutions.
At our next Board meeting, I’m proposing action to enhance resiliency to energy emergencies throughout San Diego County. We should not accept that our lights will not be on, or that our food may spoil. If San Diego County experiences days without power, that will cause severe harm to our older population and those who need electricity, including air conditioning. throughout the unincorporated areas of the County, this will include options to expand San Diego Gas & Electric’s “Generator Assistance Program” to help residents of our unincorporated communities more easily acquire a back-up power generator. Also, I want to look at establishing a County program, separate from SDG&E’s, that would offer rebates or other incentives for personal/commercial back-up generators purchased by County residents and local businesses.
Another part of my board letter will include researching the need and opportunity for microgrids within the unincorporated communities of the County.
I will admit, many of the grid problems that San Diego County now faces are from policies in Sacramento. I believe we made the transition too quickly to renewable energies as we need to focus on providing electricity right now, while also looking towards the future. But we are in this reality, and we need to be looking at all the ways to keep the lights on.
To contact
North County Office – by appointment only 325 S. Melrose Ave., Suite 5200 Vista, CA 92081 Mon.-Fri., 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Website: www.supervisorjimdesmond.com Email: Jim.Desmond@sdcounty.ca.gov
Historically Speaking
by Tom Morrow
An Historical Assessment of 14 Presidents
During the last half of the 20th century and through much of what has passed thus far in this century there often has been less than stellar performances on the part of U.S. presidents. These are my personal subjective assessments, not from a political, but from an “historical” point of view.
Harry Truman: "B-plus" ... The toughest decision any president ever made was whether to drop the two atom bombs to end WWII. Historians mostly agree Truman saved more than 1 million lives with that decision, which puts him high on the list for top presidents.
Dwight Eisenhower: "B- minus" ... During his 8 years in office "Ike" led the nation like he led the Allies to victory in Europe. But he lied to the world about the U.S. secret U-2 spy flights over Russia while the Soviets shot it down and pilot Gary Powers was put on trial. But all-in-all, Ike did a noteworthy job.
John F. Kennedy: "B- minus" ... Kennedy’s action to halt the Soviets during the Cuban Missile Crisis gives him a “Profile in Courage” mark. But the revelations of his womanizing does sort of deter from many of his good marks.
Lyndon B. Johnson: "C-minus" … LBJ deserves high marks for his passage of Kennedy's Civil Rights bill, but the quagmire of the Vietnam War that cost thousands of American lives compares with those lost during WWII. The bloody Vietnam War will be the primary subject future historians will study about his presidency.
Richard Nixon: "D-plus" – He opened the door for trade with China, but the negative side of things outweighs the positive during his tenure. The Watergate burglary of the Democrat headquarters ended up proving Nixon was less than truthful to the American public. He was shamed and ended up resigning from office in disgrace. Indeed, he was a “Crook.”
Gerald Ford: "B-minus" ... He did a credible job of holding down the seat in the Oval Office, but Ford’s pardoning of Nixon is the one thing voters remembered at the polls during the ‘76 election. He was a good man, but his time in office was too short for serious measurement.
Jimmy Carter: "C-minus" ... His administration is a good example of Americans voting with their pocketbooks. Recession, inflation, sky-rocketing gasoline prices, and the year-long imprisonment of American Embassy members hung around his neck like a heavy weight. A nice guy but he’ll be remembered more for the Habitats' for Humanity houses he helped build rather than the long gasoline lines of the early ‘70s. spots, namely the Iran-Contra scandal, voters re-elected Reagan in a landslide. He emerged at the end of his second term with a relatively good reputation. But he had a sad ending, dying of Alzheimer’s disease. At the end he had no awareness of his long and successful life.
George H.W.Bush: “C-plus” – About the only memorable decision Bush made was organizing several nations for “Desert Storm,” which was the liberation of Kuwait from Iraq. The socalled war lasted about 100 hours. During his first election he promised “no new taxes.” Later however, Bush went back on his word. On his re-election attempt, a third-party challenge split the Republican vote, handing the win to Democrat Bill Clinton with less than 50 percent of the tally.
Bill Clinton: “C-minus” – Clinton balanced the budget one of his eight years in office, but historically he’ll be remembered being impeached for a sexual encounter with a young intern.
George W. Bush: “C-Minus” – He won the presidency by electoral vote but lost the popular vote to Vice President Al Gore. Nine months into his first term, the terrorist attack on the New York Trade Center led to Bush’s retaliation by attacking Iraq charging they threatened the middle east with “weapons of mass destruction.” There were none.
Barrack Obama: "C" … The most significant historic thing Obama did was becoming the nation’s first black president. He spent 8 years staying out of harm’s way. About his only other accomplishment he’ll be remembered for is getting the Affordable (health) Care Act passed. Of course, Obama did more but will future history scholars take note?
Donald Trump: "D" … He was the most divisive U.S. president in history. Voters either loved or hated him. His cavalier malfeasance made Nixon’s seem like child's play. Trump had many good moves. His actions to slow the flow of illegal aliens across the border were extraordinary. His policies made the U.S. an international energy leader. Ironically millions supported him even though many didn’t like him as a person. He was responsible for the Jan. 6, 2020 riot at the Capitol building, which was a national embarrassment. For 2024, hopefully, Trump will take his vast support and back another candidate. If he tries to run again it surely will split the GOP, ensuring a Democrat victory.
Joe Biden: (so far) -- "D" … Needless to say, the current president is faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, many of which is his own making. Witnessing Biden’s decisions proves being the leader of the free world takes a younger person, regardless of party.
It’s a Grand and Beautiful Country in Which we Live Happy Birthday America! Escondido Pharmacy
909 E Valley Pkwy Escondido, CA (760) 480-1871
Proud to Deal in America’s Coin and Currency Our Best Wishes for Continuted Prosperity, America! Escondido Coin
You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.
~Erma Bombeck
Tasty Ribs that fall off the bone, delicious side dishes, plenty to drink . . . and we’ll DELIVER Mike’s BBQ
Escondido 760.746.4444 Happy Birthday, America!
From all the staff here at the San Marcos Dental Center - to our grand and noble country, The United States of America Happy Birthday! Dr. Gregory Hurt and the San Marcos Dental Center
760.753.7907 1155 Grand Avenue, San Marcos
America the Beautiful! Have a Great 4th of July!
Marcia and Richard Jungas California Funeral Alternatives "Our Family Serving Yours"
760-737-2890 Escondido
FD1624 858-842-3000 Poway
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San Marcos, CA. • 760.734.4311
Gems N Loans! Wishes You and Yours A Happy 4th of July! Locations: 340 W 2nd Ave, Escondido 760.747-7117 925 S Santa Fe Ave, Vista 760-732-3999 3753 Mission Ave Ste 111, Oceanside (760) 722-2762
Something Special America! Happy Birthday to our beautiful nation! La Tapatia Mexican Restaurant 340 W. Grand Avenue Escondido, CA. 760.747.8282
