PUBLIC FORUM : TAXES ARE WHY VALLEY MATTERS TO RIORDAN.Isn't it amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. that Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Mayor Riordan Riordan suddenly ``reaches out to the Valley'' (Daily News, May 9). Nearly Three years into his first term, and with the possibility that the City Council will lose its veto power on the Valley's power to secede se·cede intr.v. se·ced·ed, se·ced·ing, se·cedes To withdraw formally from membership in an organization, association, or alliance. [Latin s , Riordan suddenly finds the Valley ``a great place to live, to work and to play, with a glorious past and an incredible future.'' Isn't it also amazing that the mayor's aides could not remember when, if ever, the mayor had devoted a full day tot he Valley. It becomes most obvious that the Valley only comes to mind when it becomes possible that all that middle-class tax money may vanish from the city coffers, and may indeed be used for benefit of the people who pay it, the residents of the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . His honor's ``full day'' consisted of a speech to the San Fernando Valley Association of Realtors, a snack on bagels, a meeting with senior citizens, a speech to a college class, a meeting with police officers and a meeting with students at an elementary school elementary school: see school. to tout the LEARN (Los Angeles Educational Alliance for Restructuring Now) program. The mayor condescended to spend about seven hours, including travel time, with people who supported him 3 to 1 in his election bid. The mayor acknowledged that it was important to him, and other city officials, to show the Valley that it matters. The Valley has always mattered, but Riordan just didn't get it until we got serious about seceding, and he saw the possibility of losing all those votes, and all that tax money. Now it may be too little, too late. - Les Parker Woodland Hills LEARN `is not working' We as parents of 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. at San Fernando Elementary School The main building of the San Fernando Elementary School follows Standard Plan No. 20 of Gabaldon schoolhouses. feel that LEARN (Los Angeles Educational Alliance for Restructuring Now) is not working. The system tells us that we are an integral part of the school's decision-making when in fact we are excluded and kept in the dark. When we ask questions of the school and district personnel, no one has the answer nor do they respond to our concerns. We are treated as second-class citizens second-class citizen n. A person considered inferior in status or rights in comparison with some others: "He believes women . . . are second-class citizens under the Constitution" Edward M. , not as equal stake holders as stated in the LEARN document. The teachers union has made sure that parents be kept in the background and rubber-stamp its agendas. Anyone who questions the union's methods, ideas or motives is intimidated in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. and questioned intensively. We as parents are in fact able to come to the table and take part in the decision making process. Why are we not being trusted by those to whom we entrust our children? How can we remedy this problem - or is the answer the breakup breakup The division of a company into separate parts. The most famous breakup to date was the 1984 division of AT&T (formerly, American Telephone & Telegraph Company). This breakup was intended to increase competition in the communications industry. of the district? - Juan Medrano San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. 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. management I must commend Joseph Drew, chief of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, for putting his vehicle on route, on time and in a manner to serve the public with true management style (``Ride over for 2 MTA officials,'' Daily News, March 9). But his tasks have just begun, for there are many more similar situations, not only in upper management but in the lower ranks also. I began with the former Rapid Transit rapid transit, transportation system designed to allow passenger travel within or throughout an urban area, usually employing surface, elevated, or underground railway systems or some combination of these. District in 1971 and watched as many persons were elevated to positions in management who were not qualified. Persons with Drew's management style were almost always stifled or driven away to make way for puppet management. Persons with initiative, vision, character and an ability to lead employees in a productive direction were dismissed as being outspoken, rebels and definitely not ``team players.'' - Richard H. Lussier Sylmar Saunders off target Debra J. Saunders' column on dairy promotion programs got it wrong (``Think dairy prices are rising? Blame it on Uncle Fed,'' Opinions, May 2). Taxpayers don't pay for these programs; farmers do. For decades, thousands of us California dairy families have voted to work together to promote our products with ad campaigns like ``It's The Cheese.'' The cost of these programs is around 1 percent of total sales - far lower than most candy and cola companies spend. Saunders worries that the number of dairy farms is declining. That's a concern we all share. But promotion programs don't hurt. They help us sell more of our nutritious products and keep us in business. California is now the top-producing dairy state and per capita [Latin, By the heads or polls.] A term used in the Descent and Distribution of the estate of one who dies without a will. It means to share and share alike according to the number of individuals. consumption of our products has increased 7 percent in the last five years - so we must be doing something right. - Bill Van Leeuwen Corona Second Amendment Joseph Perkins, Daily News, May 8, 1996, suggests that if the framers of the Constitution had ``meant to set forth the rights of crime victims, they would have included such an amendment in the Bill of Rights.'' The framers did include such an amendment. And not only did they include that amendment, they framed it so as to prevent the generation of victims, rather than to compensate victims or their heirs after-the-fact. The Second Amendment is the equalizer. One armed citizen - acting alone - can give pause to a small gang; and when all citizens are armed - which is to say that a ``well regulated militia'' exists - the bad guys will have no chance, whatsoever. The framers were not negligent; they merely assumed that succeeding generations would not relinquish their personal responsibility for the protection of society. - Wm. O. Felsman Woodland Hills Fire protection fades I read ``Firefighter response times often are slower in the Valley,'' Daily News, May 5, and felt that finally someone has listened to complaints about the overall loss in fire protection in the last few years. I cannot fault Chief Bill Bamattre for his reduction in staffing. He is at the mercy of the mayor. Councilwoman Laura Chick has been trying in vain to get the mayor's office to give her the proper figures, but has been stymied at every turn when it comes to the Fire Department. As chairperson of the Public Safety Committee of the council, she recognizes that both fire and police are in need of a transfusion if there is to be a success in safety. But if her committee does not receive cooperation with the mayor's office and his staff it will become increasingly difficult for the Fire Department to receive its due consideration. It was due to her leadership and the council's recognition of safety that the council allowed the Fire Department to keep staff assistants. Riordan's office had consistently called them ``chiefs' chauffeurs,'' without the slightest knowledge of how important that position is at an emergency, and for the everyday operation of the Fire Department. Insurance rates are being jeopardized by these losses. If an insurance survey is held soon, the Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), also known as the Los Angeles City Fire Department to distinguish it from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles. will surely not be able to retain its vaunted vaunt v. vaunt·ed, vaunt·ing, vaunts v.tr. To speak boastfully of; brag about. v.intr. To speak boastfully; brag. See Synonyms at boast1. n. 1. Class 1 rating. - John Adams There have been several notable people called John Adam:
Northridge `Lesson in compassion' My thanks to the Daily News for printing the fine essay (``A lesson in compassion weighs just one pound'') by Neal Barnard, M.D., in the May 5 edition of Viewpoint. This is a quote from this thought-provoking piece: ``Cruelty to animals cruelty to animals n. the crime of inflicting physical pain, suffering or death on an animal, usually a tame one, beyond necessity for normal discipline. It can include neglect that is so monstrous (withholding food and water) that the animal has suffered, died or is diagnosed as a psychiatric symptom predictive of anti-social personality, yet we fail to recognize the cruelties we perpetuate so casually in our own lives.'' Why don't more people realize that animal abuse, torture for the fun of it, is where it starts, then on to bigger prey, the human animal. I suspect this is where it started with the 6-year-old boy in Richmond, while adults ignored it. To this boy the baby probably was just another small animal, completely defenseless. The parents and other adults who see no connection and do not bother to step in and do everything possible to stop the animal abuse have a lot of responsibility for the whole sad outcome. - Lois M. Stevenson North Hollywood `Blessed for giving of themselves' Thank you for the uplifting, inspiring front-page article and pictures, ``Bringing out the beauty,'' May 7, describing make-overs for skid row skid row a run-down area frequented by alcoholics. [Am. Culture: Misc.] See : Alcoholism Skid Row district of down-and-outs and bums. [Am. Usage: Brewer Dictionary, 1008] See : Failure moms. I am sure the ladies doing the hair and makeup were blessed for giving of themselves. A resident of Safe Harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. demonstrates that she is learning what true rehabilitation rehabilitation: see physical therapy. involves in the last sentence of the article: ``If you don't change on the inside, the outside isn't going to make any difference.'' - Linda Andersen Burbank Gay marriages should be legal All states acknowledge in full faith birth and marriage certificates, etc., obtained in another state. Some states want the right to disregard same-sex marriages Noun 1. same-sex marriage - two people of the same sex who live together as a family; "the legal status of same-sex marriages has been hotly debated" couple, twosome, duet, duo - a pair who associate with one another; "the engaged couple"; "an inseparable from Hawaii. Some might say a same sex couple could be committed and monogamous for life without benefit of marriage the same is true for a heterosexual couple. No one can argue the benefits of being a married couple. Why should only heterosexuals be allowed to marry their life partner? Maybe if all couples (gay or straight) were allowed only one marriage, it would hold more importance. It is not unusual for a heterosexual to be married two or three times. Heterosexuals don't always display behavior Display behavior is the tendency of living things to express actions or formations, it is thought, for competitive advantage. Among animals Animals may use display behavior for different purposes including threat, courtship and direct competition for example. that is morally superior. Some examples are pre-marital sex and abortion. If gay Americans can accept irresponsible heterosexual behavior and its consequences, then why can't straight America accept that many gay Americans want the right to marry their life partner, the same as them? - Leaf Erickson Studio City CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Barbara Walden, left, applies blusher to Barbara Oli ver in the Fred Jordan Mission Mother's Day make-over earlier this month. |
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