PUBLIC FORUM BUSH HAS NOT LIED.

Re ``Very different lies'' (Your Opinions, July 15):

OK, here we go again. George Bush has not lied. The statement was factual. Get over it. If Bush were president in 1998, 9-11 may not have happened. Clinton's lies ``were about a personal matter.'' Excuse me, it's called lying under oath (actual crime). Just because your hero lied, it doesn't mean that every president lies.

The party that whines about the politics of personal destruction seems to be the only party doing that. Just look at the Your Opinions section. A liberal cannot argue the facts so they contend that all Republicans/conservatives are bad people, i.e., ``unscrupulous administration'' ``gang of radical neoconservatives'' ``Shameful hypocrites and accessories to the crimes of the Bush administration.'' Get a clue.

- Charly Goehring

West Hills

High crimes

As all the reasons for the invasion of Iraq are revealed as a tissue of lies, one wonders if the Republican Congress, which was so hungry for Bill Clinton's blood because of the lies that made a shambles of his private life, will be as hungry for the blood of George Bush, whose lies have cost the lives of tens of American servicemen and hundreds of Iraqis, not to mention the credibility of American intelligence and motives.

If they have any honor, they will seek Bush's impeachment for the high crimes and misdemeanors of lying to Congress and duping the American people. But I'm not holding my breath.

- Gary L. Helm

Lancaster

We want answers

Dick Cheney sends Ambassador Joseph Wilson to Africa at the beginning of 2002 to check whether Iraq bought uranium; Wilson comes back and states that the document claimed to be a contract between Niger and Iraq is a blatant forgery. A year later, George W. Bush uses the forged document, with visions of ``mushrooms clouds,'' as an excuse to declare war on Iraq and when he realizes that he's been busted, blames George Tenet.

Bush says that he has now moved on and thinks that the country has moved on. Think again. We want answers. What was the reason to invade Iraq and put our boys at risk? Simply sticking the blame on Tenet for the inclusion of this document in the speech is not enough. This was supposed to be the whole rationale for going to war. Bush, the buck stops here.

- Estella Bloomberg

Los Angeles 

Killing our soldiers

Re ``U.S. soldier killed in Iraq'' (July 14):

This notice was on Page 8. Each time an American soldier is killed in ``peacetime,'' it should be reported on Page 1, as a reminder to the U.S. that our soldiers are being systematically eliminated by people we just freed from Saddam's slavery.

- Dante F. Rochetti

West Hills

Benny Carter 

A few more words on the passing of Benny Carter:

In the '50s, I lived in one of the small glens in the Hollywood Hills. At the time, Benny Carter was living in a house on Holly Ridge Drive, which ran along the top of our glen. My father, a musician/journalist, was a longtime friend of Mr. Carter (I was a child, and he was ``Mr Carter'').

It was a short and enjoyable hike up the hill from our house to his. I enjoyed very much our visits back and forth. From my parents, I knew that Mr. Carter was a much-respected and very talented musician; it wasn't until I was a person grown that I came to appreciate that diverse talent. What I recall most clearly was the gracious friendliness and dignity of my parents' friend. He will be greatly missed, and by many.

- Noel Hobson

Burbank

Taxing pet owners

In regard to your July 12 article discussing California's budget, ``Local agencies begin feeling budget pinch,'' perhaps one way to increase fees would be on pets. Beginning with dogs, cats, horses, etc.: an annual fee of $200 per dog, $100 per cat and $300 per horse.

Pet owners are shelling out over $30 billion a year on their animals. Given this, they should ``give'' back to the community. There are kids living in California on seven cents a day, including health care.

- Carole Wade

Los Angeles

Not all Christians

Re ``Not theocracy'' (Your Opinions, July 13):

Michael Foxen wrote: ``Don't people realize this country was built on Christian beliefs and our forefathers were Christians?''

Maybe he should actually crack open a history book and read it before making such assumptions. Some of our forefathers were Christians. Many were deists, a number were Jews and a couple of them were atheists. The only unanimous belief they shared was that we should be able to govern ourselves. But most of them believed that theocracies were a bad thing.

- Sam Speelman

San Fernando 

Cause and effect

I cannot be the only one that realizes traffic is caused by automobiles and automobiles are caused by excess development. Increased development means increased revenues. Thus, the bureaucrats never meet a developer they don't love.

To paraphrase: ``It's the developments, stupid.''

- Patrick Weir

Chatsworth

Deeper in debt

Re ``Daily News Line'' July 14 question, ``Do you think a recall election would be too expensive?'':

If my finger is infected do I spend money on a doctor to save my finger now, or do I wait until my finger drops off? Every day Davis is in office, California becomes more infected, deeper in debt, and harder to fix.

- Marilyn Dalrymple

Lancaster

Go with light rail

I would like to voice my support for Supervisor Michael Antonovich's July 13 letter regarding light rail. Additional freeway lanes do little to resolve our traffic situation because it fails to remove cars from the freeways. Now, Supervisor Antonovich, please have an engineering study done for a light rail, elevated commuter train in the I-5 median, to serve your constituents of the Santa Clarita Valley (and future residents of Newhall Ranch). And, please, keep the MTA out of it.

- Bruce Van Wetter

Val Verde

Walk-softly Teddy

For those of us who object to the lies we are continually told by the White House, I quote Theodore Roosevelt: ``To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.''

- Jean Strauber

Encino

Where are the birds?

Re ``Feral felines stake out L.A.'' (June 22):

Have any of you cat lovers out there ever wondered why the only birds left in L.A. are sparrows, pigeons, doves and crows? Could it be, oh, I don't know ... 2 million feral cats? It's time to get serious about cat overpopulation.

A hilltop resort for 300 cats is not going to fix this feral cat problem. I hate to be the one to point this out to you, but eradication is the only real solution - and you know it.

- David Hall

Winnetka

Bush knows danger

This is in regard to Albert Cohen's letter (Your Opinions, July 8) about the president's never having faced any danger.

Hey, what about the time he was attacked by the pretzel? I think he knows danger. He knows to talk big and carry a little stick. Next time he makes that speech saying to ``Bring them on,'' show him a bag of pretzels.

- Joan Olear

Burbank

Turn about

Norwood Price says (Your Opinions, July 9) that conservatives like to ``blame Clinton for anything and everything.'' Well, turnabout is fair play. All the lefties who populate Your Opinions ritually blame President Bush and the Republicans for everything on either side of the horizon.

- Jack Schlicht

North Hills