PUBLIC FORUM : PALMDALE BOASTS WHAT LAX LACKS: SPACE.

In reference to your report on the expansion of Los Angeles International Airport (``Big plans for LAX; officials push for airport expansion,'' Feb. 2):

It is obvious to anyone who uses our airport or the streets and freeways that lead to it that LAX has reached its capacity. Expanding it would be a disaster for the public that must use it, not to mention anyone living in that area.

Our transportation system is at the saturation point. It simply cannot handle the expansion that is proposed. This is obvious to everyone except, apparently, the city fathers and commissions. With a few exceptions, city leaders seem more interested in the acquisition of business money than in applying some common sense and looking toward the future.

The real solution is the development of the airport in Palmdale. There is room to expand, and the transportation problems are not nearly as difficult as those for the urban sprawl around LAX.

Palmdale, Burbank and LAX together would provide what we need well into the 21st century. To simply expand LAX would invite gridlock and provide little for the city.

Can we trust the decisions of those who brought us Metro Rail and who show so little concern for residents that many communities are willing to secede? The people of Los Angeles should make it clear that they will not accept another blunder by those entrusted to make important, long-term decisions.

The economy is getting stronger, crime is down, and L.A. has its natural advantages. But let's not make our city motto, ``Just when you thought it was safe to go to L.A., you can't get there.''

- Brett Papworth 

Van Nuys

Impounding animals

The hollow ring of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Regulation's attempt to shield itself from accountability by changing animal impound and record-keeping laws is absolutely appalling. To suggest that an erosion or abolishment of the hard-fought protections for Los Angeles city animals is a solution to the ills of incompetence and lack of agency leadership smacks of the worst kind of mismanagement.

We urge Councilwoman Laura Chick and Animal Regulation Commissioner Steven Afriat to continue their due diligence and press hard to prevent a miscarriage of justice.

We question the motives behind City Attorney James Hahn's proposal. Can he really be serious when he recommends that a city agency doing a poor job of carrying out its mandate be excused from that mandate?

There is a solution to this agency's ills: a new general manager with strong leadership skills and the ability to pull the public, the animal welfare community and the department together without recrimination or acrimony.

- Jamie Penn

Los Angeles

Thank God for Chick (``City may change animal impound laws,'' Jan. 29).

With friends like City Attorney Jim Hahn, our tragically underfunded and understaffed Animal Regulation Department certainly doesn't need enemies - and it doesn't need ``humane'' critics anymore. Could it be that the City Attorney's Office is covering its own failure or refusal to prosecute cases brought to it by animal control?

Mayor Richard Riordan may truly get his wish to make L.A. No. 1 if Hahn's proposal passes. L.A. could become the first city to actually legalize animal cruelty - as long as you do it in your own yard.

This department has a long-established ``priority'' list, with attacks on humans and other animals at the top, along with animals hit by cars or otherwise injured. Also, it still has fewer than 50 animal control officers struggling to cover - on a seven-day, 24-hour basis - a city of more than 465 square miles and close to 4 million people.

Let's give animal regulation enough personnel, suitable equipment and - for a change - some support, management and leadership that is more concerned with animals than with political maneuvering.

- Phyllis M. Daugherty

Los Angeles

State of the Union

On Jan. 27, President Clinton gave a magnificent State of the Union speech. He offered goodies to almost everyone except childless married couples and single adults. However, can we really believe what he tells us? He has misled us many times in the past.

There are a lot of people saying they don't care about his sex affairs, and some even say they don't care if he lies about the affairs as long as he does a good job running the country. Does this forgiveness also apply to their spouses and significant others?

He takes credit for our country's prosperity, but does he really deserve it? The private sector has provided the jobs.

In regard to the anticipated surplus, he said, ``Save Social Security first.'' If he wants to save it, why doesn't he propose that all Social Security revenues go into the Social Security fund rather than into the general fund? This would show that there is no surplus, but rather a much larger deficit. The Social Security deficit is projected to be as high as $660 billion in the next decade.

Even though our national debt is $5 trillion, Clinton proposed an additional $40 billion to $50 billion of new spending programs. Can we afford to pay for these programs, and can we afford to believe the president? It is our money and the money of future generations that he wants to spend.

- Bill Zelenka

Granada Hills

Regarding your Jan. 29 editorial (``This is small? Clinton, who said big government is over, calls for more spending'') wherein you state, ``Every time the government spends a dollar, it reaches into taxpayers' pockets and takes that dollar away'':

If only that were true. The fact is that for every dollar the federal government spends, it must tax us about $1.75 in order to support the massive bureaucracy that was created to spend our dollars.

And even that extra taxation is not enough. The federal government has ``borrowed'' billions from the Social Security fund and hundreds of billions from European and Asian countries.

Any private citizen who went into debt in this profligate manner would now be bankrupt.

- Sid Conkwright

Van Nuys

Charen's premature judgment

Re Mona Charen's column, ``Morality does matter for a chief executive'' (Opinions, Jan. 29):

Although President Clinton denies the allegations in the Monica Lewinsky case, and the full scope of evidence will be many months in coming, Charen apparently is already in possession of all the evidence, which she no doubt carefully weighed in reaching her guilty verdict against the president.

In her article, Charen shows her typical respect for Clinton by describing him as ``corrupt and decadent,'' ``abusing his office to obtain sexual services'' and tossing about accusations of ``lies and tawdriness.''

Wow. The last time I checked, a person was innocent until proved guilty. How did Charen get access to the full set of facts before even the grand jury did, and why on Earth is she not testifying before the grand jury if she has such personal knowledge of the case?

The reality is that during Clinton's terms in office, indicators that show poor morals such as the rates of crime, drug use, teen pregnancy and unemployment have all declined, while good indicators such as breaking free of welfare, or church and synagogue attendance, have increased. Our country still has a long way to go in the morality category, something every one of us can work on.

I do agree with Charen in her headline only: ``Morality does matter for a chief executive.'' However, it is only one item on a long list of characteristics, skills, abilities and experience, which is the job description for our chief executive, a job that Clinton is filling competently and admirably.

If these allegations are proved true, then they should be dealt with in an appropriate manner. But we are a long way from a properly rendered and well-founded verdict.

- Diana Hanna

Simi Valley

If the charges against President Clinton are proved false, will his detractors and enemies apologize for their efforts to destroy him, or will they just crawl back under their rocks, protesting that they were ``only looking for the truth,'' even if the evidence was fiction? Will those people who provided the false information be punished, or do they just crawl back to their bitter, self-serving existence?

The fact that their onslaught impairs his ability to perform his duties does not deter them from their self-appointed position of judge, jury and executioner. They are worse than a pack of wolves, who do what they do instinctively and not with malice aforethought.

- Harlan Campbell

Tujunga

Is Bill Clinton the best politician in my lifetime? You bet. His most immediate crisis brings to bear his four most important skills. He lies, he demagogues, he commands irrefutable loyalty and he takes both sides of any issue.

- Kenneth A. Eaton

North Hills

Southland will pass on Holden's bid tobring back Raiders

You printed a picture Jan. 23 of Los Angeles Councilman Nate Holden wearing Raiders football regalia in support of his efforts to return the team to Los Angeles.

Doesn't this man realize that Raiders owner Al Davis enjoys about as much popularity in Southern California as a rotten egg in a punch bowl?

I suppose his next effort on behalf of the taxpaying public will be to organize a ``let bygones by bygones'' party to celebrate Saddam Hussein's birthday.

- Hal Singer

Granada Hills

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1) Councilman Nate Holden discusses the Raiders at a news conference.

Myung J. Chun/Daily News

(2) MONICA LEWINSKY