PUBLIC FORUM A GREAT SCAM.

Re ``Tribes, Arnold closer to deal'' (Feb. 4):

Indians and the governator will be hawking gaming ideas to the voters this November. Here's an idea: Allowing Las Vegas-style gaming one-half mile from the Nevada and Oregon borders, limiting the locations to interstate highways. Provide for a state Gaming Commission to regulate them.

Invite Nevada interests to set up and run the endeavor for, say, 20 years. Tax at the rate of 30 percent, which is what card parlors and race tracks pay now. And for the Indians, well, they're sovereign nations so they can't be taxed (state or local), nothing for roads, sewer, water or power. This is a great scam; we taxpayers provide all the services so some poor slob can lose his/her money.

- Darene Sutherland

Reseda

Restrict fund-raising

Re ``Cardenas backs plan for jets, prop planes'' (Feb. 4):

City Councilman Tony Cardenas announced his support Tuesday for an alternative proposal for Van Nuys Airport master plan for development for lucrative jets while preserving space for small propeller planes.

As a watchdog, I feel that once any of our councilmen or councilwomen backs any type of public works that they should be restricted from receiving any funds for re-election and etc. To me this is the same as a kickback and should be restricted in any manner.

- Frank Jacobs

Sylmar

Irrelevant analysis

Re ``Deciphering the CODE'' (Feb. 1):

The better part of a Daily News page was devoted to the interpretations of the religious significance of the possible participation of Mary Magdelene in the ``Last Supper'' proposed in the best-seller ``The Da Vinci Code.''

What is the significance of these profound analyses expressed by these noted authorities? When I arise each day, I must adopt actions and attitudes that reflect my obligations to myself, my family, humankind, the environment and God. I fail to see how this intellectual exercise contributes to my meeting these obligations.

- William Vietinghoff

Thousand Oaks 

DWP responds

Re ``DWP pays for bigger spin'' (Feb. 1):

A recent Daily News story discussed costs associated with DWP's corporate communications, but the story failed to accurately depict the nature of our expenditures and the hundreds of millions of dollars in savings that have been achieved as a result. About half of the corporate communications budget is devoted to lobbyists and outside attorneys who have helped protect DWP from hundreds of millions of dollars in fines that could result from federal and state investigations of the department's actions during the energy crisis.

A related challenge has been communicating DWP's positions on the federal energy bill. This bill could have cost the city control over its energy transmission system - the very system that helped Los Angeles survive the California energy crisis. In Sacramento, bills are being considered that would close down the city's recently retrofitted, clean power plants.

The Fleishman-Hillard contract, which includes a corps of minority and women-owned communications specialists as subcontractors, helps the department get its messages about water conservation, water quality, homeland security and the environment out to our diverse community in a culturally sensitive way. Fleishman-Hillard itself is paid less than 20 percent of the corporate communications budget, and has volunteered to reduce its monthly billings in consideration of the city's fiscal situation. We consider them an essential part of our communications team.

- Frank Salas

Chief administrative officer 

Department of Water and Power

Entertainment industry

Re ``Bad taste'' (Feb. 3):

I cleaned my house for the traditional family get-together on Super Bowl Sunday, but I was unable to get the dirt off my television screen during halftime activities, which are probably watched by more Americans and their children than any other event. The so-called mistaken disrobing of Janet Jackson was full of the usual Hollywood excuses for their lack of class.

Even the usually outstanding commercials were lacking in talent. Even a presidential candidate found it necessary to use a four-letter word on TV recently to show he is with the modern thinking. Shall we just give up and let the entertainment industry run the country? The game was great, but the show was rated at the bottom of the word class.

- Jeanne Hovland

Northridge

Speaking of bad taste

Re ``Bad taste'' (Feb. 3):

I found it humorous that while the Daily News found the Super Bowl halftime show and ads in questionable taste, you chose to use the street word for flatulence in the article itself. By the way, I missed Janet Jackson's overexposure because I found the halftime show dull and uninteresting and the ads no better. I left the room to prepare dinner, which was a little spicy, but not offensive to anyone.

- Bill Johnson

Granada Hills

Between the ears

This situation on Sunday with the halftime show is just another example of moral decay. I hope those that are in charge of the situation will do something about it so this doesn't happen again, and severely penalize those who were involved with it.

Costume malfunction, bull; I don't think so. The malfunction took place between the ears. Better safeguards need to be in place. People need to stand up for decency and not accept this.

- Hal Alvord

Panorama City

The issue is violence

Re ``Bad taste'' (Feb. 3):

The French, Germans, Italians and Swedes must be laughing their heads off about the uproar over one of Janet Jackson's breasts being seen over national TV. Your editorial ``Tasteless performance'' (Feb. 3) misses what is most objectionable in the event. It is the apparently violent disrobing of a woman by a man. This certainly isn't the kind of behavior that should be encouraged in our children and youths.

- Kenneth H. Bonnell

Los Angeles

More bad taste

Tuesday's front page, editorial and sports page all refer to ``Bad taste'' at this weekend's Super Bowl. Yet, the cover of U Entertainment shows the Beatles sitting and standing on the American flag, which is draped across the floor. Talk about bad taste. Of the hundreds of thousands of pictures of the Beatles that could have been picked, someone chose this one.

- Ralph Ventura

Studio City

Raiders fans

The best thing about the NFL playoffs this season was that, with the Raiders not reaching the postseason, it was very pleasant to go to the sports bars in the L.A. area and not have to deal with the obnoxiousness and unruly behavior of the Raiders fans, most of whom arebandwagoners anyway.

If the Raiders fans were as gracious in victory, or defeat, or as well-behaved and pleasant to watch games with as the fans of the other NFL teams, I wouldn't dislike the Raiders so much. Unfortunately, a lot of these same Raiders fans are only going to resurface at the sports bars in the L.A. area this spring, wearing Lakers jerseys during the NBA playoffs.

- Michael Lipofsky

Simi Valley

Chiropractic costs low

Your Jan. 28 business article ``State caps chiropractor visits to cut cost of workers' comp'' left the impression that chiropractic care is somehow responsible for the astronomical costs of workers' compensation insurance. This is just not true.

In fact, chiropractic care comprises less than 5 percent of the workers' compensation system costs. Insurance brokers' fees, litigation, needless surgeries and outright fraud are just a few of the factors contributing to runaway premiums. It is unfortunate that your article neglected to mention the real culprits in the workers' compensation crisis, and instead painted such an unfair picture of the chiropractic profession.

- Dennis R. Buckley

Vice president of external affairs

California Chiropractic Association, Pasadena