PUBLIC FORUM BUSWAY WORK.

Re ``Busway work stoppage a net loss for businesses'' (Aug. 25):

Perhaps there's a silver lining to the senseless shutdown of construction on the half-completed Orange Line busway. This delay will give the public agency that will build a reclaimed water pipeline from Sepulveda Basin to Pierce College time to coordinate the construction with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

If the pipeline could be run under the portions of the Orange Line corridor that will be used for the bikeway, pedestrian walkway and landscaping, perhaps significant disruption to construction of the busway proper could be avoided, with a cost savings of tens of millions to the pipeline agency, and acceptable delays to bikeway construction.

- David S. Glicksberg

West Hills

Don't just whine

Re ``Inaction heroes'' (Editorials, Aug. 25):

There you go again. First, the Daily News provides a fawningly written front-page editorial about the consultant who brought about the court- mandated halt to construction of the Orange Line busway. Today, there's another editorial, on the Editorial Page (where editorials belong) that expresses anger and frustration about the delay.

That's it. No alternatives. No suggestions. No remedies. Merely a whiningly written complaint ending with the whiningly written question, ``What are they (our public officials) going to do about it?''

- Ben Wright

North Hills

CSUN as neighbor

I read ``CSUN opens with 33,000 students'' (Aug. 23) from the unenviable perspective of a campus neighbor disgruntled about the problems connected to the dormitory residents and guest parking on neighboring streets outside of CSUN's jurisdiction.

With all due respect to campus President Jolene Koester, this present state of parking affairs is absurd. No matter how they spin it, CSUN is not a good neighbor. Not enough on-campus parking pushes the search for convenient parking onto city streets and causes disruption of the quality of life of CSUN's neighbors.

- Linda Durham

Northridge

Robert Solomon

Re ``CEO's shocking suicide'' (Aug. 23):

It is with great sadness that I read of the suicide of Robert Solomon, CEO of Applause LLC. Last spring, Mr. Solomon presented the commencement address at the 55th Los Angeles Valley College graduation. His message to the graduates was one of hope and inspiration. He encouraged the graduates to follow their dreams as he spoke of the Dream Pets he presented to each one of them.

Many students were touched by his sincerity and personal invitation to contact him if they wanted to talk about their future plans. To learn that the business difficulties he faced may have been the cause of his decision to end his life is such a contrast to the message of encouragement he left with our graduates.

- Tyree Wieder

President

Los Angeles Valley College

Props. 60 & 62

Re ``Deliberate confusion'' (Editorial, Aug. 23):

Thank you for pointing out the differences between Propositions 60 and 62. The parties like to compare Proposition 62, the Voter Choice Open Primary Act, to Louisiana's open primary system and how former Klansman David Duke almost won that state's governorship in 1991. However, if David Duke was running for the California legislature, his extreme views would probably get him elected in one of the many gerrymandered districts drawn up by our lawmakers.

David Duke finished third in his party's primary for Congress in 1999 largely because of the influence of the centrist voters in open primary elections. Proposition 62 will result in more centrist, open-minded lawmakers.

- Rusty Hammer

President & CEO

Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

Very relevant

Re ``Vietnam mud - again'' (Editorial, Aug. 25):

In your editorial you claim that ``... what Kerry did or didn't do in Vietnam 30 years ago is irrelevant to the issues of today.'' We are about to elect a president during extremely critical times. Character, honesty and responsibility are very relevant and obviously sadly lacking in this presidential candidate, as has been exposed by his Vietnam experience and his ``missing in action,'' uneventful years in the Senate.

By his outrageous speeches during the war, he endangered our POWs and gave aid to the enemy.

- Elaine Machiko O'Connell

Stevenson Ranch 

Full disclosure

Your editorial ``Vietnam mud - again'' (Aug. 25) makes the right conclusions, that we need to get to the real questions facing us this election. How we get there is another matter, however.

I am a Vietnam vet, and with others vets, would like to know the truth about Kerry's war record. He should release that information, just like the president was asked to release his military records. That would be fair and would put the issue to rest, once and for all. Instead of attacking the swift boat veterans, the Daily News (and all media) needs to get Kerry to make full disclosure. Who knows? Maybe he is being truthful. But if he is not, then we can all ask if he is really fit to lead.

- Louis Loomis

Winnetka

Overwhelmed system

Re ``Hospital closings'' (Your Opinions, Aug. 25):

For those of you who have not noticed, there have been about 25 hospitals around Los Angeles that have closed over the past 20 years. Add to that the private sector of the city's trauma service which has disappeared. Those past losses were blamed on the ``medically indigent,'' a nice politically correct phrase.

As a registered nurse who has been there and seen the problem with my own eyes, I'll tell you what the problem is: If you let 3 million people into this state from Mexico who have no money or insurance, then you are going to bankrupt the system, and the first thing that you are losing is your medical facilities.

- Michael A. Leptuch

Pacoima

Bush's record

George Bush has always sacrificed public safety in favor of corporate profits. His shameless disregard for the health and well-being of the citizens of this country are no secret. Bush took away the right to overtime pay for 6 million Americans, including nurses, cooks, clerical workers, and nursery school teachers.

Bush created a huge loophole that allows dirty power plants to operate without controlling their emissions and endangered pregnant workers when he stopped regulating exposure to chemicals used in manufacturing semiconductors. The list goes on and on, as does the list of corporations profiting from these egregious policies. Why then has your newspaper neglected to write about these issues?

- April Garrett

Woodland Hills

A noble couple

I am a senior citizen and I'm tired of seeing our president referred to as ``Dubya.'' Would you rather have ``iffy'' Kerry and his brazen wife as first lady? Think about it. At least George and Laura make a noble couple.

- Irene Woldanski

Simi Valley

Get off his past

John Kerry was in no more or less danger when he performed his ``heroic act'' than any other crewmate on the boat. I do not care about his service then - what's he going to do if elected president? Until he can propose solutions to the issues, I see nothing that makes him qualified to earn my vote. Get off his past glory and give us something to vote for.

- William Costello

Granada Hills