PUBLIC FORUM FAR TOO KIND.

Re ``Special Order 40 ties LAPD hands in war on gangs'' (Editorial, Nov. 21):

Soft on illegal immigration? Your article was far too kind: The city affirmatively encourages illegal immigration. Witness the West L.A. Day Labor Center. The mayor and the council use hundreds of thousands of our taxpayer dollars to run these centers that are primarily employment agencies for illegal immigrants.

And, no, Councilman Zine cannot escape responsibility for this state of affairs by whining that illegal immigration is a federal issue. It is a major state and local issue: A recent study showed that close to one-fourth of L.A.'s economy is ``off the books.'' That means that, while the taxpayers absorb the costs of education and health care, etc., for illegals, the employers and workers contribute little or nothing.

- Peg Manning

Los Angeles 

Common sense

Re ``Special Order 40 ties LAPD hands in war on gangs'' (Editorial, Nov. 21):

My compliments for your Nov. 21 editorial advocating an innovative and common-sense method for locating and deporting illegal immigrants who are also violent criminals. Al Capone was put away for tax evasion rather than murder, and there is no reason why a similar tact cannot work with illegal criminal aliens.

Maybe the same common sense will convince both houses of Congress to pass the CLEAR Act (Clear Law Enforcement for criminal Alien Removal Act), which will empower law enforcement to deal with these thugs.

- Henry C. Clifford

San Diego 

Presidents and funerals

Re ``Bush's absence felt at military funerals'' (Viewpoint, Nov. 23):

While my heart goes out to Elaine Johnson for her great loss, her son Spec. Darius Jennings, I disagree with Jim Spencer's column on President Bush's absence from military funerals.

I am old enough to have lived through every conflict from World War II to Iraqi Freedom. I lost relatives and friends in many of these wars. My late husband served as an honor guard for many Korean War casualties. None of the sitting presidents during these conflicts ever attended the funerals of these fallen warriors. All these presidents paid tribute to these heroes for their sacrifice. Jim Spencer should be ashamed for manipulating a grieving mother in order to do some Bush bashing.

- Jeanette Jones

Los Angeles

As he promised

Re ``Public driving SB 60 repeal'' (Nov. 23):

Harrison Sheppard uses the term ``conservative Republicans'' but does not equally refer to the ''liberal Democrats.'' According to the article, 59 percent of all Californians, including 41 percent of Latinos, oppose the measure.

It was the liberal Legislature and ex-Gov. Gray Davis that rammed this measure down the public's throat. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is again doing as he promised, speaking for the citizens that are not guided by partisan politics or special interests, but by logic and conscience.

- Steve Belkin

Northridge

Thankful for FOX News

In the Nov. 23 Viewpoint, Page 3, editorial cartoon, it is implied that FOX News intentionally misleads the public by hiring attractive, articulate conservative hosts, and less-capable liberals. I certainly wonder why the near complete absence of articulate conservative voices on all other news programs was overlooked.

How many rational conservatives have you seen alongside Peter Jennings, Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw? What about on ``60 Minutes,'' or ``Nightline,'' or NPR, or CNN, or the L.A. Times or N.Y. Times editorial pages, or frankly the vast majority of other news agencies? I am thankful that we do have FOX News around now, to offer us the much-needed balance that all the other sources have failed to provide.

- Tracy Oates

Van Nuys

Michael Jackson

Re ``Jackson surrenders'' (Nov. 21):

Is it really fair to charge someone $3 million bond who has never had a criminal record? I am a boomer in defense of Michael Jackson who has only sought to do good in the world and gets lambasted for his being naive because he lives in a country that is sexually obsessive and cannot view kindness as a simple thing.

I am tired of the new style of McCarthyism and every day someone is being hung out to dry. I am looking at the man in the mirror and I am starting to hate Big Brother.

- Jane Hoffman

North Hills

American tragedy

Patrick O'Connor's Nov. 21 cartoon depicting Michael Jackson as a freak is heartless and cruel. In his quest to get a chuckle, O'Connor is reaching for the lowest and vilest of human feelings. We take no pleasure witnessing this American tragedy unfold.

All we feel is sadness and a hope that Michael Jackson is innocent. We don't know if Jackson is guilty of any of the alleged acts he is accused of committing; what we do know is that he has helped countless children stricken by leukemia and other devastating diseases. How many other Hollywood stars or newspaper cartoonists have shown that kind of human kindness? Shame on those of us who profit from and take glee at another human being's tragedy.

- Dan Bravin

Agua Dulce

Check for insurance

I heard our governor is trying to take the driver's license privilege away from the illegal immigrants. I think that is what should happen. Illegal immigrants should not be given driver's licenses. If the state of California wants to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, then it should conduct a background check on that person to see if he should be issued a driver's license.

The state should also check for proof of insurance on all illegal immigrants with licenses.

- Tony Gregory Levin

Palmdale

Exempt polluters

Here is another example of how the power in charge, current administration and the majority of Congress (special interests), are having the taxpayers pay for some corporations that have polluted the water.

In the current energy bill in Congress, there is a paragraph that has an exemption for corporations that have polluted the ground and well water with the chemical MTBE. Apparently the Congress and the administration have become judge and jury. If this bill passes, these corporations cannot be sued by people and businesses that have been damaged by this chemical. Therefore the taxpayers of this country will have to pay to clean up this pollution that was caused by others.

- Martin Schiechl

Woodland Hills

Two scenes

The toppling of the two-story-tall papier-mache statue of George Bush by our only ally, the British, yesterday in Trafalgar Square raised some interesting thoughts. The overall message conveyed by the banners, chants and signs was clear; the British do not oppose Americans, they oppose Bush, his war and his policies.

This scene was a stark contrast to the toppling of the statue of Hussein in Baghdad in a huge, empty square in front of a group of 150 people, composed of journalists, troops and two busloads of compliant Iraqis brought in by the occupiers. The Baghdad scene was exaggerated as though hundreds of people were rejoicing, and was replayed incessantly on television, while the huge British protests were barely mentioned by the American media.

- Walter Maloney

Los Angeles

DWP responds

Re ``DWP's deceit'' (Editorial, Nov. 20):

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power does not take lightly its obligation to keep both water and power rates as low as possible. It has been 11 years since the last water rate increase in Los Angeles. We made every effort to continue that record. The wake of Sept. 11 brought with it a critical need for change in the way the department secures the water system. The challenges are real and the costs are high.

Unlike DWP, utilities nationwide have delayed addressing these rising costs. As a result, the ratepayers have been handed exorbitant rate increases far beyond what the department is seeking.

- David H. Wiggs

General manager

Department of Water and Power