PUBLIC FORUM\Needed Someone with Mulholland's vision.

What I am looking for is another William Mulholland, a man of foresight and the guts enough to get the job started and finished despite all of the negativism of the time.

Muholland developed the system to bring water to Los Angeles. This area probably woild be a desert today if it had not been for him.

I read the Feb. 13 Public Forum letter of John V. Foley, chairman of the Metropolitan Water District, and fear for our future. He talks about a couple of hundred thousand acre-feet of water and how we must manipulate to get an increased share of the Colorado River water. What we need is millions of acre-feet to survive the future, plus the electric power required for California expansion.

Projections of California growth include tens of millions of new people in just a score of years. This means new homes, businesses, cars, appliances, etc. This demands water and power. Where is it going to come from?

Foley gives us a small increase in water from the river, or purchase from out-of-state sources. The river would offer us several years of easy living, then disaster.

Major problems in any expansion of water or power sources in California are state laws. What is my suggested solution? Change the law, build the dams. Another approach is to distill ocean water.

I know these proposals will not happen; in today's world no one wants to make waves.

- Charles Dusheck

Chatsworth

Grass-roots initiatives

Much ballyhoo and bad press have come to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and its attempts to build a comprehensive rail and bus transportation network for the Los Angeles area, and in North Hollywood in particular. While I agree that the MTA has made many missteps, and has poorly communicated with local residents, I want to share with you at least one positive aspect of this project.

There is a group of people, citizen volunteers from all backgrounds, who make up the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative in eight different L.A. communities - including North Hollywood and Sun Valley. LANI, as it is called, was started by Mayor Richard Riordan with assistance from the City Council and the MTA, as well as numerous organizations.

It has been, however, the LANI volunteers, participants and staff who have been responsible for planning and implementing numerous transit and pedestrian-related improvements in their individual neighborhoods, complementing MTA projects.

In North Hollywood for example, under the direction of local businessman Ken Banks, numerous improvements have been made in the last few months alone, including the development of an arts park, new bus shelters, new street trees, painting of stoplight and streetlight poles and more. I wish I had heard of this group sooner, so that I could have participated. It really seems to be the best kept secret in the Valley (but hopefully this will change soon).

As an average taxpaying, voting citizen, I see projects such as LANI as having the potential to end the bureaucratic stranglehold of our city and to give local residents control over their own neighborhoods' destinies, while at the same time getting much-needed improvements done

- Michael Higby

North Hollywood

Clinton and immigration 

Awakened from a deep sleep, President Bill Clinton has suddenly realized that America has a massive illegal immigration problem ("INS budget OK'd; Border Patrol to be beefed up," Daily News Feb. 9). It's rather pathetic that only an upcoming presidential election is able to force Clinton to stem the tide. However, in an attempt to please special interests, Clinton is addressing only a portion of the problems.

It's equally important for the Immigration and Naturalization Service to vigorously seek out, arrest and deport the estimated 6.5 million illegals living in the United States. With so many lawbreakers residing here, it would be difficult for INS agents not to stumble over illegals if they were willing to enforce the law.

INS agents must also take a more aggressive approach in identifying employers who have illegal aliens. Jail time for employers who knowingly have illegals must be considered.

- Robert Sennett

Sylmar

Passing the CBEST test

I was very interested in the article about the CBEST test by Debra Saunders on Feb. 13, I took the test about seven years ago. I had graduated from college in 1964, so I knew I had to study for the test. I did study, and I missed only one on the math and none in the reading section.

I bought books to use to help me with the test. I found the test to be rather easy after studying for it. I know many others who have passed the test after years of being homemakers or being in other kinds of jobs. All of us studied.

There are tests in all kinds of occupations. Do we lower the standards for doctors, dentists, cosmetologists, pilots, welders, etc.? No, we do not because we want qualified workers. It is the same with educators. We want and need qualified educators. Those that do not pass the CBEST test should do like other people do, and that is to work harder.

I am an aide in a kindergarten class. There are four African-American children in the class who should be able to pass the CBEST in the eighth grade if they continue in learning the way they are now. This also holds true for any student of any race or ethnic background if that student really applies himself (or herself).

I feel that the effort to lower the standards of the CBEST is a slap in the face to all people who have worked so hard to become qualified educators. I know teachers of all races and ethnic groups who are great teachers. If a person really wants to be an educator, he or she has to work hard just like anyone else. Our children are too important. They are our future.

- Jo Ann Okelberry

Reseda

Aid policies decried

The recent tragedy in Glendale, which resulted in the death of seven people, brought up a very touchy and sore spot with my family and myself. When I read that they were recent arrivals in the United States and on welfare, I wondered about their eligibility qualifications.

My son, who is 41, was recently diagnosed as a candidate for a heart transplant. This health problem has made it impossible for him to work. He went to the Department of Public Social Services and was denied because he "did not belong in the under 21, over 65 or pregnant categories."

Here is an individual who has contributed to these services all his working life and is unable to get any assistance whatsoever. However, newcomers to this country get these privileges immediately, even though they never contributed to them.

My concern is as follows: Where is the justice and fairness for the deserving, lifelong citizens of this country?

- W. Jellison

Burbank

Forbes' 'globalist idea'

If Steve Forbes manages to sway the voters with his anemic talk on issues, and his multimillion-dollar media blitz to arrive at the White House, then California would be condemned to his globalist idea of open borders. This state's sovereignty would be in true peril, as millions of economic refugees spurred on by his policies would be allowed to cross legally into America.

His dangerous ideas on reforming immigration would compromise every citizen's right to work. We are already under the direct threat of invasion by this cheap labor force.

We need a leader who will unite the citizens against corporate cupidity, contest the export of jobs and business out of America and who will rebuild our manufacturing backbone.

- David J. Cullen

Winnetka

Rebuttal on AIDS

I would like to respond to L.J. Andrews' remarks that appeared in Public Forum Feb. 13 ("Clinton and HIV"). He denounces President Clinton for wanting to retain military people who test HIV positive and goes on to say that HIV is "a self-inflicted wound."

HIV does not limit itself to the gay population. It can strike anyone: man, woman, or child. I have never heard of anyone running out to get HIV. Granted, testing positive for human immunodeficiency disease is quite different than being disabled in combat. But aren't both conditions deserving of compassion?

J. Luce

Lancaster

Prop. 198 would allow mischief

Carl Irving's column, "Opening up the process," Opinions, Feb 15., argues that Proposition 198's passage would create "open" primaries, thus "restoring a progressive political center."

This guy should be writing fairy tales, not newspaper columns. Open primaries would only dilute a political party's power to choose its best candidate for the general election. And that's what politics is all about - winning elections so that a party's candidates can run government in accordance with that party's philosophies.

The potential for "sabotaging" campaigns by rallying voters to support the opposing party's weaker candidates is too great. If our upcoming primary was open, think about a possible scenario: Clinton runs virtually unopposed while Republicans must choose among a large field. Clinton supporters could easily cast votes for weak Republicans who would have no chance in the general election, while not jeopardizing their own candidate's primary victory at all.

If independent voters want more of a say in primary elections, they are welcome to join one of the two major parties. Crossing party lines is for general elections, not for the primaries.

L. Boxer

Valencia

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William Mulholland He kept his sight on the needs of California