PUBLIC FORUM : NECESSARY WAR.

Regarding Kosovo: This latest war's protagonists say we have another Hitler on our hands. Its antagonists say we are going into another Vietnam. It is neither: It is both.

We are morally correct in going after genocide and, while we can't contain all genocide around the world, we can focus on Kosovo, which is strategically important because of the risk that genocide will spread throughout the area.

While many people decry the United States' role as the police of the world, we are the last remaining superpower, and with this power comes responsibility.

However, we are also headed for a quagmire. What are our objectives? When and how will U.S. troops be pulled out?

This war, as all wars, will depend upon public support. While all wars are bad and hell, sometimes war is necessary to avoid a greater evil, a worse war and a more evil hell.

May we win.

- Craig Lennon Kysar

Sherman Oaks

Misguided adventure

It appears that this bombing was started to take our attention away from the terrible tragedy of allowing the Red Chinese to steal our nuclear secrets and from the cover-up by the White House for the past four years so that Clinton could get re-elected.

This is the fourth country Clinton has bombed in the past seven months, and in almost every case it happened after a discovery of an administration crime or misadventure.

NATO is violating international law by attacking a sovereign nation. This is open aggression.

Throughout history, it has been U.S. policy only to go to war to protect our national interests. We have no national interests in Kosovo.

This is a misguided misadventure to cover for the administration's misdeeds. It's time our Republican representatives labeled it for what it is.

- Frank Drewe

Glendale

Bad example

If our country cannot resolve its conflicts nonviolently, why should we expect our youth to do so?

As a nation, we express loudly and clearly that the most powerful nation - militarily and financially - is the best nation, and our youths hear the message.

- Jean Kramer Glasser

Van Nuys

Risky proposition

The Daily News, a longtime champion of safeguards to protect taxpayers, is willing to support the $744 million public safety facilities bond, Proposition 1, based on ``an assortment of assurances'' from bond proponents.

But a close look reveals that the only difference between this bond measure and previous ones on which the city has failed to keep its promises is that this time officials are promising to keep their promises. For Proposition 1 there are no binding legal requirements that the city must perform as pledged.

There is something worse than not having first-rate city facilities, and that is paying for improvements that aren't delivered.

Taxpayers have been generous in supporting the city's needs. Eight of the past 10 bond measures have been approved, with each one representing a tax increase. But taxpayers have been repeatedly burned when the projects for which they are paying did not materialize.

The city now finds itself in the position of a person with a bad credit record who must work hard to re-establish the confidence of lenders, who in this case are Los Angeles taxpayers. City officials could have put forth a more modest bond proposal, as was recommended by the mayor's blue-ribbon committee, and used it to prove good faith to taxpayers. Instead, we are being asked to forget the past and trust them with a huge new unsecured loan.

- Jon Coupal

President

Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association 

Los Angeles

Truth in politics

The highest court of the land has decided that money is free speech.

Moneyed interests use their ``free speech'' to purchase time on our airwaves and TV media to persuade the rest of us to vote for something that is good for them and not for us (See Proposition 9, November 1998).

Some of us have more free speech than others. Six out of eight petitions win on the money side, not on your money.

Let them spend their money, but truth in advertising applied to political campaigns will go a long way to help you and me know how to vote.

- Christa Schubert

Long Beach

Say no to Hal

With the upcoming election on April 13, we must be reminded that we voted for term limits. Councilman Hal Bernson will have been in office for 20 years. Because of the way term limits were written, he is eligible for another term. Whether you vote for Marilyn Stout, David Guzman or Charles Rubel, it is imperative you don't vote for Bernson.

An example of his cavalier attitude is the 23 condominium townhouses being constructed at the corner of Nordhoff Street and Hayvenhurst Avenue. Petitions against this project were filed with the Planning Commission by 774 constituents. The Planning and Use Management Committee, with Chairman Bernson, Councilman Mike Hernandez and Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, approved the project.

At the City Council's televised hearing, Councilman Bernson said only two people objected, whereas there are 774 signatures on file, in addition to the hundreds of phone calls to him. Further, not one of the petitioners was ever contacted by Bernson's Citizens Advisory Council regarding this project.

- Hank Workman

North Hills

Pun intended

The right-wingers whose mantra for the past six years has been polls mean nothing have suddenly made a 180-degree turn to polls mean everything.

Why? Because their ``white hope'' George W. Bush's ratings are approaching those of his father, George Bush, after Desert Storm.

Obviously, this dramatic turnaround is predicated upon whose Gore is being axed.

- Zachary A. Charles

Burbank

Would they do that?

With so many politicians - City Council, other officials, etc. - telling us how difficult or how impossible it would be for the Valley to secede from Los Angeles, would they please tell me how come there was no problem when the residents of what is now West Hollywood split off from Los Angeles to create a separate city? They pay for the use of L.A. Fire Department and L.A. Police Department services, and I'm sure their Department of Water and Power bills are no higher than those we pay here in the Valley. Are our politicians trying to mislead us?

- Margie Barron

Van Nuys

Price of herbs

Your article on herbs (Business, March 13) was very timely and interesting, explaining how the drug manufacturers now want to put out their own brands of herbs. If you can't beat them, then join them.

The expensive drug industry was very unhappy that the herbs without side effects were taking over part of their lucrative market. First they tried to ban herbs. Failing in that, they tried to get the Food and Drug Administration to have herbs bought by prescription only. They failed at that, but still want part of the action, so they are going to put out their own brands.

If you have noticed that some of your prescriptions have gone up 500 percent, it's because drug companies' new gimmick is to buy up exclusive rights to popular drugs and avoid competition. What happens to the people who don't have insurance? They can't afford to fill their doctors' prescriptions.

- Joseph Carnes

Tujunga

Thanks, but no thanks

I would like to express my thanks to all those brave and highly organized stormtroopers of the Los Angeles Police Department who risked their lives on Venice Beach to bring us our very own Tienanmen Square.

Special kudos to Police Chief Bernard Parks, who had the courage to proudly voice his approval of the riot his officers created when they converged on a crowd of people watching a break dancer, which was an organized event. He also expressed the need for organizers of events, such as the one on Venice Beach, to have the right kind of permit.

I would like to say bravo and offer a vote of confidence to those highly trained officers and gentlemen who had to kick and beat with fists and clubs those protesters in the crowd who dared to question police authority when they were marched upon.

- Mary Bempechat

Van Nuys

Too much homework

Regarding the article about homework (Daily News, March 18): As a sophomore student as Granada Hills High School, I truly know what homework is like. I am writing to give you a point of view from a student. A student at a high school in the Los Angeles Union High School District is required to have at least 40 minutes of homework in each class every night. Personally, I have four to six hours of homework every night, and that is overwhelming. When kids complain that they have too much homework, they are usually not lying. I wish that the LAUSD would loosen up on the homework policy for high schools.

- Ryan McLaughlin

Granada Hills

Move over, Rover

I've noticed of late that people who own dogs have an attitude. They take their dogs to arts-and-crafts shows to show them off, allowing them to sniff each other or you and me.

Why, dogs are taken to places where even smokers are not welcome. Even though special dog parks have been provided for them, dog owners let their dogs run loose in public parks in defiance of posted signs that state it is against the law. You know, homeless humans haven't been given this much consideration.

I see all these super pet markets where more money is spent for pet food and toys than is spent to feed hungry children around the world.

It used to be we went to the market to buy food for the family table or for a hungry person who might knock at the back door, and the dogs got the scraps from the table.

Next time around I want to come back as a dog.

- Philip Wilt

Van Nuys

CAPTION(S):

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PHOTO Yugoslav army barracks burn near the Kosovo capital of Pristina on Wednesday as NATO forces launched an attack in an effort to end fighting in the region.

Srdjan Ilic/Associated Press