PUBLIC FORUM FOOLISH ENVY.With gross apologies to Gary Avetisyan and his brother-in-law, this is no way to treat a neighbor (``Vandals turn dream house into nightmare,'' June 18). Who was it that taught these little girls to hate ``rich people''? They haven't the slightest idea of what makes a person rich or poor. They may have given lip service lip service n. Verbal expression of agreement or allegiance, unsupported by real conviction or action; hypocritical respect: to what they thought it was. They gave physical vengeance to what they saw as wealth, and tried to obliterate o·blit·er·ate v. 1. To remove an organ or another body part completely, as by surgery, disease, or radiation. 2. To blot out, especially through filling of a natural space by fibrosis or inflammation. it. In what narrow place of the world do we now live where we allow our children to destroy other people's dreams? With housing prices going up and rent going through the roof there seems no way for the little guy to get a real foot hold on the ``American Dream American dream also American Dream n. An American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire: .'' If you own a house you can't afford to fix it up. If you rent you must pay more and more for less and less. Yes it is unfair. You can hardly keep the car running. But dissolving into a gray ugly mass of envy is not going to cure the problem. - Leslie Snow Sunland Dowd's garbage I read that so-called article by Maureen Dowd Maureen Dowd (born January 14, 1952) is a Washington D.C.-based columnist for The New York Times.[1][2] She has worked for the Times since 1983, when she joined as a metropolitan reporter. , a columnist for The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times (that figures), ``Bush should keep to what he knows,'' June 20. It seems to me that she should pay attention to her own advice. While President George W. Bush is no Einstein, neither is Dowd. Her snide comments about Bush talking about intellectual things like philosophers, writers and giants of other disciplines as if somehow he is incapable of understanding such things were disgusting. For her information, everyone is capable of learning new things, something which apparently Dowd stopped doing after she graduated from journalism school A journalism school is a school or department, usually part of an established university, where journalists are trained. An increasingly used short form for a journalism department, school or college is 'j-school'. . Bush at least walks the walk, and Dowd does nothing but talk the talk, and badly at that. While I am not particularly fond of some of the things that Bush promotes, such as ignoring the separation of church and state
- Graydon Wayne Canyon Country Good, honest work I have to agree with K.C. Durfee of Agoura (Public Forum, June 19). If it wasn't for the cherry and berry picking back in the 1950s, we kids would not have had any school clothes to wear. You got out and earned your money. It kept us busy during the summer, and there was a lot less crime then. The kids of today do not have that opportunity to feel worthy. - B. Andonie Burbank Address the traffic Bruce Babbitt Bruce Edward Babbitt (born June 27, 1938), a Democrat, served as United States Secretary of the Interior and as Governor of Arizona. Biography Born in Los Angeles, California, Babbitt graduated from the University of Notre Dame, and attended the University of Newcastle , whom I did admire when he was Secretary of the Interior because of his intelligent appraisal of land use, is not being honest with himself (``Ex-Interior chief: Ahmanson a winner,'' June 19). He should urge Washington Mutual to address the 45,000 car trips that will generate gridlock Gridlock A government, business or institution's inability to function at a normal level due either to complex or conflicting procedures within the administrative framework or to impending change in the business. , smog, school overcrowding overcrowding overcrowding of animal accommodation. Many countries now publish codes of practice which define what the appropriate volumetric allowances should be for each species of animal when they are housed indoors. Breaches of these codes is overcrowding. and a degradation of the quality of life for the thousands of people who live in the west San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and the Conejo Valley. A new, updated traffic Environmental Impact Report is absolutely necessary before the politicians approve any required permits. Babbitt should ask Washington Mutual why they are so frightened to update this 12-year-old study. This is not a NIMBY NIM·BY n. pl. NIM·BYs Slang One who objects to the establishment in one's neighborhood of projects, such as incinerators, prisons, or homeless shelters, that are believed to be dangerous, unsightly, or otherwise undesirable. response. The project is thoughtfully planned and laid out. The problem is the traffic mitigation and until that problem can be solved, Ahmanson Ranch should never be built. - Ray Kirschbaum Westlake Village Sheriff's budget In the news every day since Sept. 11, we see and read about the expanding threats of bioterror and other attacks, airline and transportation security complexities, and Federal law enforcement confusion. Meanwhile, the county's population and therefore its criminal element continue to expand, as is seen in the significant increase in L.A. city homicides and other crimes. The community's response to these legitimate concerns, as well as other long-standing public safety issues, is to demand an increase in local law enforcement efforts and vigilance. In response to this, the Board of Supervisors is about to implement their solution: Decrease the county general fund contribution to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department This article is about the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department, not to be confused with the smaller Los Angeles County Police The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) is a local law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. by $117 million, thus slashing the sheriff's budget lower than it was 10 years ago. Somehow, the future seems tragically predictable. - Mike Parker Burbank Where are the flags? June 14 was Flag Day. I saw many flags being flown. Unfortunately, not many of them were the red, white and blue. The same day the Lakers were being honored in downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or , I saw Lakers flags being flown from many cars and SUVs around the Valley, but very few American flags. Soccer is heating up around the world and I saw many Mexican flags being waved, but again, I saw very few American flags on Flag Day. I am saddened that at a time that the United States is at war, American flags are hardly being displayed. Both of my flags are still flying from my antenna of my car and the porch of my house. In less than two weeks it will be the Fourth of July Fourth of July, Independence Day, or July Fourth, U.S. holiday, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Celebration of it began during the American Revolution. . Instead of having your mind only on your barbecue, please remember to put out the flag and display it proudly. - Maxine Flam North Hollywood Honor Old Glory Flag Day was a sad day because so many Americans forgot to display Old Glory. On my street you could count the flags on display on one hand. Look at cars, etc., you hardly see the American flag anymore. You do see many cars with the Lakers ``flag.'' Next time we get attacked by terrorists, let's call the Lakers to help protect us, OK? - Carlos Manfred Wulff Sylmar Boroughs sound good Although I no longer reside in Los Angeles, I have been listening with interest as the movement has reached the November ballot to separate parts of the city from Los Angeles proper (Valley secession). In my opinion, the idea suggested creating as many as nine boroughs, on the order of New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. , would seem feasible, given careful planning. If regions could be created, equal in all essential areas of service - municipal, police, fire, transportation, schools and colleges, adequate sources of business and revenue without raising property taxes or creating inequalities or hardships on residents - this sounds like the way to go. - Gary F. Traxler Oxnard Fields of concrete What is the Los Angeles County Fair The Los Angeles County Fair (also called simply the L.A. County Fair) is an annual event held in the Fairplex in Pomona, California, held every September. It is a carnival with rides, merchants, food vendors, cooking contests, and livestock. The 2007 L.A. without horse racing? It saddens me that small-time small·time or small-time adj. Informal Insignificant or unimportant; minor: a smalltime actor. small trainers, owners, jockeys, and young and old sport enthusiasts will not be able to attend this small oval once a year at the Los Angeles County Fair. Gone but not forgotten was another small oval located in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, Devonshire Downs. As time went on and Northridge was no longer the self-proclaimed ``Horse Capital of the West,'' the small oval was killed. It is now buried under concrete. Will this old course at Fairplex-Pomona become a field of concrete as well? ``The Sport of Kings'' will become an endangered breed among sports unless you help keep it alive for future generations to come. - Lorraine Deniz Chatsworth Sound of silence What's up with the silence? After a young woman has been involved with a powerful politician, her body is found scattered off a remote walking trail, and we hear nothing from women's advocates? Regardless of whether Gary Condit was involved, this is a profound tragedy. How many representatives of the National Organization for Women and advocates for female victims of violence have we heard from? None. If there was ever a cause and an opportunity to educate about the nature of this problem - what women should be watching out for, etc. - this would be it, right? Instead, their silence is deafening. It's the same silence that accompanied the Clinton era of sexual harassment sexual harassment, in law, verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, aimed at a particular person or group of people, especially in the workplace or in academic or other institutional settings, that is actionable, as in tort or under equal-opportunity statutes. . However, if you remember, their shouts and taunts about Clarence Thomas could be heard everywhere. - Lores Rizkalla Los Angeles Middle East peace plan The Saudis pay the family of each successful homicide bomber in Israel $25,000. My suggestion to ease some of the violence on the part of the Palestinian martyrs or martyrs-to-be is that members of the homicide bomber's family, including grandparents grandparents npl → abuelos mpl grandparents grand npl → grands-parents mpl grandparents grand npl , parents, siblings, children and aunts and uncles, be exiled to Saudi Arabia to collect their money and get a fresh start in their host country. More deserving Palestinians can move into the vacated houses. - Barry Allen Glendale |
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