PUBLIC FORUM FASCIST TACTICS.

Re ``Hunting for a killer'' (Nov. 19):

Now in the aftermath of the Burbank shootout, we have the system (D.A. Steve Cooley, Chief William Bratton, etc.) behaving like Nazi jerks. Having the parents of David Garcia be paraded in front of news cameras and falsely arrested is despicable. Bogus warrants signed by Cooley and rogue judges are resulting in innocent persons with no nexus to the incident being harassed.

They don't have a scintilla of evidence against Garcia's parents, nor is Garcia even in a gang book. It's a shame - the allegation of aiding escape. Why should Garcia's parents cooperate? How many Los Angeles cops cooperated in the Rampart probe? With this type of despicable conduct affecting innocent third parties and neighbors, it is no wonder Mexico would never extradite anyone.

- Ron Nicoll

Glendale

Equal justice?

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

A multimillionaire superstar waltzes into a police station to post bail for being charged with a heinous, heinous crime - which deserves the death penalty - and because he happens to have $3 million gets to waltz right out again and go his merry way. Another person accused of smoking marijuana or passing bad checks gets tossed in jail if he or she can't come up with just a few thousand dollars of bail.

So, in effect, because of money, the multimillionaire superstar is actually above the law. Because of money, he can do whatever he wants the very next day until his arraignment, after which it is doubtful he will be incarcerated even then. And even if he's convicted, why is it doubtful we, the rest of society, would still see any justice? Where is equal justice under the law?

- Kathryn Durfee

Agoura

Real motivation

Re ``Protecting hoodlums'' (Editorial) and ``Dumbing down education'' (Their Opinions, Nov. 21):

I am surprised that you didn't catch on to the common link between your editorial on crime and the opinion article on educational decline: illegal immigration. As a teacher in an LAUSD school plagued by overcrowding and gangs, a simple answer to many of our educational problems would be to deport those students who fail to live up to the ``standards'' demanded of them.

In a country which offers so many motivational ``carrots,'' it is wise not to forget the stick. Given some real motivation to attend classes, behave and study rather than to ditch, spray graffiti and gang-bang, we'll see some improvement in our public schools.

- Kevin C. Glynn

Los Angeles

Using the laws

Your Nov. 21 editorial ``Protecting hoodlums'' certainly highlighted the necessity of employing common sense and using the laws we already have to fight our local illegal terrorists. The quote by Councilman Dennis Zine, a former LAPD officer, saying immigration is a federal responsibility is disgusting. I telephoned and spoke to Zine's deputy, who blatantly told me that the LAPD operates under the rule of ``selective enforcement.'' In other words, they only enforce the laws they want to. Is that what Zine did too when he was a cop?

- Ted Simpson

Woodland Hills

Game is over

Re ``DWP responds'' (Your Opinions, Nov. 25):

So, the overpaid, bloated bureaucrats finally have time to talk to the little people from the downtown marble tower of babble. Isn't that special? David Wiggs, one of the most overcompensated public servants in the U.S., tells us he needs more money to guard our water supply. Tell you what, Dave, you and your people didn't seem to get the picture of what just happened in Sacramento did you?

If you ever come out of your palace long enough to view the real world and not take yet another ``fact-finding tour'' of Hawaiian water projects, you might see that the public taxpayers you work for are sick and tired of your lame excuses as to why you never have any money (except for lavish parties and substantial wage increases). The game is over and Laura Chick is on to you and your fat-cat DWP cronies ... and so are the taxpayers.

- Jim Rowe

Chatsworth

Knowledge is power

Re ``Where to Write'' Chart ) Nov. 24:

Thank you so much for letting me know where to contact my local legislature and let them know I do not support the Governator's bond.

- Aisha Herrell

Los Angeles

Who carries the burden?

I am hearing a lot about how ``we'' are going to ``all'' have to suffer through the pain of these budget cuts. I want to know how Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, or any of his family, is going to be hurt by these cuts. What about our legislators? Are any of them or their families going to be harmed by this? One thing is for sure we are all going to end up paying for this, if not now then later.

So whom do these cuts hurt? They harm poor people generally and people who are elderly or disabled the most. So when we talk about who will have to suffer the pain of these cuts, let's be very sure who we are talking about.

- Kurt Baldwin

Van Nuys

Business as usual

Los Angeles residents can't see the Hollywood Hills from one day to the next because of the smog, wildfires exacerbated by changes in our climate have ravaged the Southland, and fights over water quality and availability are pitting Southern California communities against each other. Is now really the time for our new governor to put a halt on new rules to control pollution and regulate power plants?

During his campaign, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger swore he would not be swayed by special interests and campaign contributors. Yet before his first week in office is over, he is giving an early holiday gift to many of his biggest contributors by tying up regulations that would help clear the air and water for all Californians. We voted for a change in the way California politicians run our state, instead we're getting ``business as usual.''

- Jennifer Kelly

Los Angeles

Latino support

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

In the Field Poll showing 59 percent of Latinos support driver's licenses for illegals, how many of the Latinos polled are illegals? If the people polled were all legally in the U.S., you would probably find that most Latinos do not support driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.

- Walter Hall

Stevenson Ranch

The filter failed

The White House seems to be so concerned about the leak of the CIA memo describing the deteriorating situation in Iraq that they are ordering an immediate investigation in order to ascertain the source of the leak. Apparently, the CIA leaked the memo to ensure that President Bush received the information directly, rather than having it ``filtered'' to him through Cheney, Rice, Rove or others.

Why was not the same zeal applied to the leak ``outing'' Valerie Plame, the CIA operative wife of Joseph Wilson. We were told that we might never know the source of that leak, although the educated guess was that it was Karl Rove and ``Scooter'' Libby.

- Charles Prendergast

Los Angeles

Gift of organs

I am not one to agree with Maureen Dowd's political views, but the subject of her Nov. 20 column about organ gifts should be on the front page. All responsible citizens, upon their death, should be willing to donate life-saving organs. This simple act of compassion could help save the lives of over 6,000 people a year.

Consider also being a living donor. Almost anyone in good health can donate a kidney (you have two and only need one) or part of their liver (which quickly recovers). Contact any of the hospitals that perform transplant surgery - UCLA, Cedars-Sinai, Loma Linda and others - for more information. There are almost 100,000 Americans waiting with their lives on hold.

- Bill Hamburg

Woodland Hills