PUBLIC FORUM : CLINTON'S CRITICS ON IRAQ, MONICA REBUTTED.Re ``What has Clinton done in Iraq in last 6 years?'' by A.M. Rosenthal in Viewpoint, Feb. 22: When he sat down to write his column, Rosenthal knew that the majority of communication with Saddam Hussein during the time he mentions had to be done with as little public enunciation enunciation (inun´sēā´sh  n),n an auxiliary function of teeth, particularly those in the anterior sector of the dental arch; the formation of sounds as possible. Accusing President Clinton of doing nothing about Iraq and describing the administration's warning as being ``camouflaged, murky'' leaves me flabbergasted flab·ber·gast tr.v. flab·ber·gast·ed, flab·ber·gast·ing, flab·ber·gasts To cause to be overcome with astonishment; astound. See Synonyms at surprise. [Origin unknown. . Where has Rosenthal been? I'll tell you where, locked in goose-step with all the other knee-jerk Clinton haters. There has never been more of a mess left behind by any action of this country than the Persian Gulf War Persian Gulf War or Gulf War (1990–91) International conflict triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Though justified by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on grounds that Kuwait was historically part of Iraq, the invasion was presumed to be . Rosenthal should help the public understand the problem of dealing with one of the most treacherous and deceitful leaders of a country in history. To confront Saddam in a world made increasingly complex by whirlwind transitions and change into a global community requires more than brains, but considerable luck. Rosenthal should cease criticizing and give our president the support needed from everyone more concerned about our country than his personal prejudices. - Don D. Brown West Hills Who is the degraded? When a talk-show host such as Joe Crummey exploits the public airwaves and writes a newspaper article (``Clinton denial degrades more than himself,'' Viewpoint, Feb. 22) to castigate cas·ti·gate tr.v. cas·ti·gat·ed, cas·ti·gat·ing, cas·ti·gates 1. To inflict severe punishment on. See Synonyms at punish. 2. To criticize severely. my president with irresponsible and false statements and reckless innuendoes, I consider it my responsibility to speak. Crummey accuses our president of saying that he never had an improper relationship with Monica Lewinsky. I had my hearing aid turned up and I heard him say he never had a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky. It's amazing how Crummey is able to draw the conclusion that our president's reluctance to answer Wolf Blitzer's inflammatory questions implied he was trying to make it seem as though he couldn't comment because he was under some sort of court-imposed gag order A court order to gag or bind an unruly defendant or remove her or him from the courtroom in order to prevent further interruptions in a trial. In a trial with a great deal of notoriety, a court order directed to attorneys and witnesses not to discuss the case with the media—such . When any of us is accused of a crime, our lawyers advise us to say nothing. Even when someone takes the Fifth Amendment the judge admonishes the jury to draw no inferences. That's the American way. Mr. Crummey states, ``The president needs to know we don't believe him and we're going to hold him responsible.'' Who is this we? And just how does he propose to hold him responsible? And for what? It's not the Monica Lewinsky scandal that has whipped up a lot of talk about the devaluation devaluation, decreasing the value of one nation's currency relative to gold or the currencies of other nations. It is usually undertaken as a means of correcting a deficit in the balance of payments. of the presidency. It's the press, the TV news and radio talk shows that have devalued the presidency with their irresponsible and reckless spreading of rumor, innuendo and false accusations. - Fred W. Coble co·ble n. 1. Nautical A small flatbottom fishing boat with a lugsail on a raking mast. 2. Scots A kind of flatbottom rowboat. - North Hills Private lives U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas allegedly makes a suggestive remark to Anita Hill, so it's our business to lynch him then put him on trial (during hearings on his nomination). Sen. Bob Packwood hugs some female staff members so we have to make it our business to remove him from office. These are private matters involving adults, right? So now Bill Clinton earns praise because it's nobody's business what he does in private. Have we as a society become so decadent in our sense of morals? We seem to just rationalize it - if it's OK with Hillary, it's OK with me. But then it happens to a friend and, well, that's too bad "That's Too Bad" is the debut single by Tubeway Army, the band which provided the initial musical vehicle for Gary Numan. It was released in February 1978 by independent London record label Beggars Banquet. , I should care but it's still a private matter and none of my business. Next it happens to your daughter and you're very sad, upset and starting to care a lot but it's still a private matter and none of my business. Finally it happens to you and nobody cares because it's none of their business. - Bob Tanabe La Crescenta Tujunga golf course The Daily News has a well-deserved reputation for its support of frugality and appropriate oversight at all levels of government. And so it was startling star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. to read a recent Daily News editorial (``Washed up at City Hall; L.A. council tries to repair its flawed decision on golf course,'' Feb. 11) attacking a Los Angeles union, Hotel and Restaurant Workers Local 11, for its opposition to the proposed golf course in Tujunga Wash. Local 11 is waging a campaign against Kajima Engineering, the proposed golf course's contractor. Kajima is the contractor or a major subcontractor in three controversial Los Angeles projects: the multibillion-dollar Metro Rail project, the $600 million Belmont High School Belmont High School may refer to:
At face value, there does seem to be a common theme to these projects. First, a hyperinflated price tag: Take a guess at what it should cost and then add two zeros. Second, in all three projects, Kajima appears to be all too cozy with the appropriate level of government: MTA (1) (Message Transfer Agent or Mail Transfer Agent) The store and forward part of a messaging system. See messaging system. (2) See M Technology Association. 1. (messaging) MTA - Message Transfer Agent. , in terms of Metro Rail; the L.A. school board for Belmont High - no competitive bidding Competitive bidding A securities offering process in which securities firms submit competing bids to the issuer for the securities the issuer wishes to sell. competitive bidding 1. allowed - and Mayor Richard Riordan's City Hall in the case of Tujunga Wash. Third, the end results are meager mea·ger also mea·gre adj. 1. Deficient in quantity, fullness, or extent; scanty. 2. Deficient in richness, fertility, or vigor; feeble: the meager soil of an eroded plain. 3. or negative for society - a marginal rapid transit system, a $600 million high school in a system where students don't have textbooks, and L.A.'s 151st golf course built on top of endangered species endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. habitat. What we have here is three cost-defective, as opposed to cost-effective, projects. The Daily News would do well to take up where Local 11 left off; these people are doing a public service. - John Yard Sunland In response to the letter (Public Forum, Feb. 19) by William J. and Janet L. Dillon and Eskild and Iris Larsen from Topanga Canyon criticizing the effort by Joe Edmiston (of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is an agency of the state of California in the United States founded in 1979 and dedicated to the acquisition of land in the Santa Susana and Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills, north and west of Los Angeles, for preservation as open ) to preserve the Tujunga Wash and buying open land near their homes: I live in a great neighborhood in West Hills. I run and hike in Topanga Park once or twice a week. I have never understood why the people who insist on living in fire zones and on the beach can complain about a guy who wants to preserve our open spaces. Every year these people are either threatened with fire or surf erosion and the city and state come in to bail them out. I like it the way it is, green and natural; Joe Edmiston for mayor. - Chuck Heinold West Hills Inspector general needed It seems that the Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. is mired mire n. 1. An area of wet, soggy, muddy ground; a bog. 2. Deep slimy soil or mud. 3. A disadvantageous or difficult condition or situation: the mire of poverty. v. in another scandal regarding how Proposition BB funds and small contracts are used to deceive the public and the Board of Education. I'll bet that this is just the tip of the iceberg tip of the iceberg n. pl. tips of the iceberg A small evident part or aspect of something largely hidden: afraid that these few reported cases of the disease might only be the tip of the iceberg. as far as how the school district handles its $5 billion-plus budget. I strongly urge the board to create an office of the inspector general Office of the Inspector General (or OIG) is a common sub-agency within cabinet-level agencies of the United States federal government and serves as auditing and investigative arm of the agency's programs focused on identifying waste, fraud and abuse. . That's the only way that the LAUSD LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA) has any chance of keeping on top of their out-of-control financial empire, which seems to be above everybody and accountable to no one The Board of Education needs to get off the dime and take a stronger leadership role in this mess. Creation of an inspector general will be a large step in the right direction, especially with the proposed breakup looming in the distance. - James P. Biddle Quartz Hill Speaking English Kurt Bukofzer (Public Forum, Feb. 22) lauds the Olympic athletes with their ``perfect'' English, finding in them the perfect counterpoint to immigrants to our country who have not learned English and an excuse to damn ``useless bilingual education.'' But isn't it interesting to note that these very athletes, most of whom have risen not from the poverty of immigrants but the wealth that gives opportunity to privileged athletes, learned their English as a second language in bilingual English classes. I would also like to counter Edwin Koblentz's statement that ``not one - repeat, not one'' of the countries he has lived in allows students to study in their first language? Which countries are these, I wonder? I have been teaching English in southern Africa and Southeast Asia for the past eight years. In both regions, and in the other parts of the world that I have lived in, schooling and testing in other languages is readily available. The growth of international schools in Thailand The following is a partial list of over 36,000 schools in Thailand. See also List of universities in Thailand. Public schools Bangkok
- Bill S. Schreiner La Crescenta Visas for scientists There is something disturbing about increasing the number of visas for foreign computer scientists and information technology workers to enter the U.S. (``Clinton, Gore may relent re·lent v. re·lent·ed, re·lent·ing, re·lents v.intr. To become more lenient, compassionate, or forgiving. See Synonyms at yield. v.tr. Obsolete 1. on scientist visas,'' Daily News, Feb. 23). First, it is appalling that the educational systems of this country are not preparing enough of its citizens to fill these jobs. And second, it brings wonder as to how other countries have been able to produce an excess of these scientists and workers who can competently fill the job openings here. Considering that we can afford to incarcerate in·car·cer·ate tr.v. in·car·cer·at·ed, in·car·cer·at·ing, in·car·cer·ates 1. To put into jail. 2. To shut in; confine. hundreds of thousands of our own citizens for nonviolent offenses and refuse to educate them in skills for which there are great demands, we know that we are doing something very wrong. - Kenneth H. Bonnell Los Angeles Paving and repaving We all see workers out fixing the potholes in the streets. We witness the repaving and detours because of this work. But I have a question: Could someone please explain to me why the same piece of road has to be dug up and regraded and then repaved, barely getting the lines repainted and then they start to tear it up again? Why? I don't work for the government, but it seems to me that to fix the same thing again and again is like spinning your wheels in the mud with no traction. I'm sure there are others who feel the same way. - Sandra Elmer Granada Hills |
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