PUBLIC FORUM GROTESQUELY ROTTEN.

Re ``LAUSD workers' comp claim surge'' (Jan. 9):

Something is grotesquely rotten with public sector workers' compensation policies, procedures and operations. The enormous expansion of incidents and costs appears to be immoral and perverse. In particular, the staggering increase of trivial Band-Aid incidents has become a Work Projects Administration project for doctors, lawyers, consultants and several highly paid Los Angeles Unified School District brass.

The hand-wringing of several board members tells me they don't know enough about the subject to even ask the right questions. It also tells me that obfuscation of managerial accountability within LAUSD headquarters continues to be tolerated by the current board. There also continues to be much speak and little do regarding managerial accountability for results.

- James B. ``Jerry'' Domine

Winnetka

Stepfamily 

Let me get this straight. The L.A. city leaders continually say the Valley is an integral part of the L.A. Basin ``family.'' Yet they are unable to include us in the share of $17 billion in tax incentives and deductions from HUD.

Also the L.A. City Council voted against our community's interests by keeping the Sunshine Canyon dump open. It seems the only money the city can find for the Valley is for more police officers to catch speeders but not criminals. For this dysfunctional family, secession is looking better all the time.

- Sidney Gold

Granada Hills

Sabotaging L.A.

In 1996, Valley VOTE was formed. Its mission: Valley cityhood, Valley schools, Valley voter registration. Today, Los Angeles has never been more of a cultural, economical, technological, architectural, thriving and glowing city. Breaking up our city means overthrowing, demolishing and sabotaging Los Angeles.

James Hahn's Jan. 18 comment ``Now is not the time to break up the city'' highlights the importance of keeping Los Angeles together. Creating a new city means the possibility of establishing an inefficient, unmanageable, nonresponsive government that would soon become a ``bloated'' place for termed-out politicians to ``roost'' as they reap the financial benefits.

- Carole Wade

Century City

Doesn't seem fair

In regard to the Jan. 24 Public Forum letter by Becky Butler. Concerning jury duty pay, I just wanted to say I agree completely with her. I also don't feel it's right if you aren't chosen for a panel on the very first day of service, all you are reimbursed for is the cost of gas mileage one way and nothing else.

I don't mind doing my duty either but to get paid 96 cents for day of jury service doesn't seem fair to me at all.

- Harold Longanecker

Reseda

Staged brawl

The ``staged'' brawl in New York between Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis reminds me of how the World Wrestling Federation advertises its up and coming events, by staging brawls. This type of acting is good advertising. Let us remember that for a brief time, Iron Mike was a member of the WWF, and along with WWF President Vince McMahon, produced measured mayhem with the assistance of professional writers.

If one thinks for a moment that the Nevada Athletic Commission is going to prevent those two from fighting, one is mistaken. As long as Iron Mike can draw a large attendance, producing millions of dollars, not one member of the commission will have the guts to stop this up and coming fight. You can bet on that.

- Sam Heinz

North Hollywood

He's good at it

It's not difficult to understand how columnist Thomas Sowell could surmise that people in other countries hate us because we're successful. So far, he's made a career out of declaring his contempt for people who have the intellectual capacity to consider the world's problems from a greater perspective than he could ever dream. He's an expert at hating people who are smarter than himself.

- David B. Sharp

Granada Hills

Just plain wrong

I wholeheartedly agree with columnist Leonard Pitts Jr.'s opinion of the (New York) Fire Department's memorial statue. To change the physical appearance of the actual firefighters who raised the flag into men with different ethnic backgrounds is just plain wrong. My only question is, why didn't they carry the absurdity one step further by changing one of the firefighters into a woman?

- June Valentine

Granada Hills

Bleeding hearts

Now this is not to be believed: There are actually people who object to the good guys dealing firmly with the bad guys? I'm bewildered. There are objections to chaining and regimenting vicious human beings who behave like wild, untamed animals?

There are objections to fencing in and compartmentalizing terrorists who plot to kill enemies in a heartbeat? It is said by some we should treat them with more respect and leniency. Those bleeding hearts are hemorrhaging stupidity.

- Shirley Osborn

Los Angeles

Wildlife Waystation

Martine Colette of the Wildlife Waystation shows a great deal of class by not bringing in professional activists, as so many animal and environmental group leaders do. But something needs to be done. The demands made by many of these governmental agencies seem terribly arbitrary. Seven hundred thousand gallons of water is probably 10 times as much water as could be used under the most extreme fire demands. The two Waystation water trucks can easily access all of the roads on the property, which makes the need for county fire trucks unlikely.

And if, as the watermaster for the Los Angeles areas has determined, the sanctuary is not contaminating the groundwater, then maybe nobody's health is in danger after all. Maybe we amateurs ought to explain to our regulatory officials how to be more reasonable, without sounding too professional, of course.

- J.D. Silvester

Sylmar

Consider Joe Louis

Joseph Honig hits the mark with ``Ali's fame defies reason,'' (Viewpoint, Jan. 20). All this time since the early 1940s, I thought Joe Lewis was the greatest fighter when he beat Hitler's Max Schmeling in a world title match representing the United States of America. The country was very proud of Joe Louis and it's a shame nobody remembers his fame or name.

Just an old tired World War II veteran left with his memories when people weren't so shallow and fighters were respected for fighting the great fight and not the remarks they make before or after a fight as to who's the greatest. Where is the class that people used to have?

- Daniel Epton

Encino

Or Rocky Marciano

Rocky Marciano, have you heard the latest? A guy named Muhammad Ali, beaten many times, claims he's ``the greatest.'' Losing in boxing is just part of the game. Ask Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Joe Frazier; they'll tell you the same. You're supposed to lose once; it's just human nature to have mom on your mind or a cousin in the pasture.

What's amazing to me is that, in 50-plus fights, not one man could turn out Marciano's lights. He's obviously ``the greatest.''

- Ralph Stasilli

Van Nuys

Griffith Observatory

Reading and hearing about the Griffith Park Observatory closing for three years for repairs brought back many memories when I was in grade school. We used to take many trips to the observatory. It was much fun and we learned quite a lot.

One time stands out when they had the first television there and it was quite small. I said, ``That will never catch on.'' How wrong I was.

- Granada Lietz

Mission Hills