PUBLIC FORUM FUNNIEST DEBATE.

The recall debate was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in politics in all my life. The candidates spent more time lashing out at each other than focusing on the actual issues at hand. Even though the debate didn't seem to be as serious and professional as it could have been, I must admit that it was extremely entertaining to watch adults go at it like children.

The most entertaining part came when Schwarzenegger and Huffington kept throwing insulting one-liners at each other. This debate will go down as one of the funniest political moments in history.

- Isabel Guzman

Arleta

Couldn't stay on track

Re ``Recall free-for-all'' (Sept. 25):

The recall candidate debate was intended to display the standpoints of each candidate. Obviously, there was a common dislike for some candidates but why do they need to attack each other when they should be addressing important issues? Actually, I found it amusing that Arianna Huffington and Arnold Schwarzenegger felt the necessity to continue flinging insulting one-liners at each other.

You'd think Schwarzenegger would want to try his best to make a good impression with his first debate. Ultimately, I feel the candidates should have used their debate time efficiently. They knew most of the questions prior to the debate, now why couldn't they stay on track?

- Tiffany Celedio

Winnetka

Two wrongs

Re ``Recall free-for-all'' (Sept. 25):

It is clear from the gubernatorial debate Wednesday evening that both liberals and conservatives are wrong about the undocumented aliens being allowed to acquire driver's licenses.

On one side, it is illegal to be in America without having the proper and legal documents. On the other side, it is wrong and I believe illegal to hire knowingly an undocumented alien for work. Until this is acknowledged and corrected by both sides of the issue, there will be no end to this dilemma.

- Martin Schiechl

Woodland Hills

Four looked good

Gov. Gray Davis criticized Arnold Schwarzenegger for being ``scripted'' during the debate, saying the true test of a governor is how he deals with uncertainty. That comment would be laughable if it were not so tragic.

Californians will be paying for Davis' mistakes for years to come because you failed miserably in dealing with uncertainty. What we as citizens witnessed Wednesday night was the ushering in of a new, bipartisan era. Four of the five candidates at the Sacramento State debate articulated well on the issues and showed a true grasp of what's wrong with California. I found it puzzling that Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante sat there idly by watching as if he had a ticket in the cheap seats at the Network Associates Coliseum.

- Don Faustman

San Fernando 

Shall we lose another?

The California Republican Assembly is a minority group. It claims that it represents the GOP in this state. The GOP lost the past two gubernatorial elections because of the CRA and its ultra-right views. Most Californians are middle-of-the-road.

Now we shall lose another if the CRA prevails. Tom McClintock is a fine senator and we need him in the Senate. Someday he probably will be the governor. But it is not the time.

- Theodora Howell

West Hills

McClintock's principles

State Sen. Tom McClintock is the only candidate for governor who stands behind our Constitution and Bill of Rights. He is a man of principle and integrity who has solid plans for fixing California as seen on Wednesday's debate.

We conservatives are fed up with both moderates and liberals compromising the values and morals our republic was founded upon. It is not McClintock, but Schwarzenegger, a RINO (Republican In Name Only), who is handing the recall election to Bustamante.

- Marlon A. Cicero

Burbank

We knew that

Re ``Girls surge past boys'' (Sept. 20):

Girls ``surged'' past boys in reading at least 70 years ago. In all my life, girls have always been better readers on average. In my day (I started school in 1933), they were way ahead of the boys. Likewise in my children's school days and now, to the best of my ability to judge, the same thing applies in my grandchildren's time. I'm glad that the news media have recognized this phenomenon.

- Virgil Weatherford

Woodland Hills

Were not Polish camps

Re ``Aging victims of Nazis sue Holocaust commission'' (Sept. 28):

Stop aiding and abetting revisionists of World War II history. You indicate that ``Steinberg spent six years in Polish and German concentration camps.'' There were no Polish concentration camps. There were Nazi concentration camps in German-occupied Poland.

- Irena Szewiola

North Hills

Passive resistance

Re ``Consumers to wait on hold for telemarketing relief'' (Sept. 25):

I applaud the anti-spam bill and am appalled at the judge who blocked the ``do not call'' list for telemarketers. This action is ludicrous. Telemarketers' phone calls are annoying and an invasion of privacy.

I suggest that all readers who are fed up with telemarketers do the following: When a telemarketer calls, say that you are getting the person whom they are requesting. Set the phone down and walk away. Hang up the phone 5-10 minutes later. This will cost the company money and waste its resources. It also prevents them from calling someone else while they wait. Sooner or later they will remove you from their list.

- Lou Cozzolino

Woodland Hills

Problem is extremism

Re ``Atheists not aggressors'' (Your Opinions, Sept. 19 and Sept. 24):

I've been bemused by the writers who blamed aggression on those who believe in God. Many horrors have been caused by believers in deities, however, these writers seemed to have missed the events of the 20th century in which some of history's greatest evils were perpetrated by those who denied the existence of God. Have they forgotten Lenin, Stalin, Mao or Hitler (an atheist who declared himself to be ``god''), who were responsible for the deaths of millions who disagreed with them?

Extremism in any belief system, whether deistic or atheistic, leads to intolerance and aggression.

- Donna Engbertson

Lake Balboa

Placing blame

Re ``Scapegoat issue'' (Your Opinions, Sep. 24):

No, the majority of American citizens do not blame the ills of this country on immigrants in general, only those who are here illegally. As for the dirty politicians, I am afraid that as long as we have politics there will always be someone willing to pretend to be a public servant in order that they may get rich and/or get a fantastic retirement. It is up to the electorate to remain vigilant. And yes, my grandparents were immigrants who entered the country legally and worked for the good life that the promised land offered them. They weren't under the delusion that America owed them; they realized that the debt was theirs.

- Mark Majewski

Lancaster

Illegal immigrants

Re ``Scapegoat issue'' (Your Opinions. Sept. 24):

My mother was an immigrant, legal. She went through the proper channels to come here and get her citizenship. So don't belittle her by putting her in the same categories as the illegal immigrants. The problem isn't the legal immigrants, but the illegal ones. You need to understand the difference between those two things.

Answer this question: If the illegal immigrants love this country and are law-abiding people who just want to live the American dream, why is it that the first thing they do is break the law? It doesn't matter what your reasons are or what you have done here lately, if you disregard our immigration laws, you should be kicked out. That goes for all illegal immigrants of any nationality.

- Ngan Bui

Valley Village