PUBLIC FORUM LAUGHABLE AND TRAGIC.

Re ``CSUN freshmen unprepared'' (Jan. 29):

Are we all expected to spring up out of our seats, give a hearty cheer and pat California's educational system on the back, now that ``only'' 63 percent of incoming freshmen at California State University, Northridge, need remedial English and ``only'' 53 percent require remedial math to bring them up to a level adequate to complete college-level work?

Did anyone else pick up on the fact that, according to the story, the average incoming freshman entering CSUN last fall had a 3.1 GPA in high school? Let's see if I get this straight ... far more than half the incoming freshmen at CSUN can't read, write or do basic math computation, yet they were rewarded at their high school graduation with a higher-than-B grade-point average. It would be laughable, if it weren't so tragic.

- Michael D. White 

Los Angeles

Burglar alarm policy

Re ``County fails to veto new alarm policy'' (Jan. 29):

Citizens and politicians should do some research. The results are compelling. Las Vegas instituted its no-response procedure in 1992. The burglary rate dropped from 16 per 1,000 to 13.5 per 1,000 within 5 years. Salt Lake City instituted a similar policy in December 2000. In 2001, Salt Lake City's burglary rate dropped from 12 per 1,000 to 11 per 1,000. False alarms in Salt Lake City dropped from 9,375 in 2000 to 893 in 2001.

Let's support Chief Bratton on this one. Once this policy is implemented, the LAPD will be able to focus on the difficult work of controlling and reducing crime in L.A., thereby giving renewed and just meaning to ``Protect and Serve.''

- Mickey Jannol

Valley Glen

Increase fines

Re ``County fails to veto new alarm policy'' (Jan. 29):

I sympathize with the Police Department for its having to chase false burglar alarms. And I sympathize with the city of Los Angeles for its fiscal shortfall. Seems to me they have overlooked a cash cow right in front of their faces. All they have to do is levy a $200 fine for each false alarm to which they respond. I bet the false alarm rate will decrease in short order. If not, the city would collect millions in fines.

- Richard Mueller

Granada Hills

Drugs and borders

Re ``Scourge of gangs'' (Editorial, Jan. 27):

Terror is the right word for gang murder, violence and intimidation. But other words - drugs and borders - are needed to complete the story. Drugs are the fuel that run these gangs and their terror. And dangerously open borders, through which flow tons of drugs to enslave and dehumanize our youths and terrorize our neighborhoods, are the conduit.

We send our troops to protect other nations' borders, but no such aid to our own overworked and underfunded Border Patrol.

- Barbara Vickroy

Escondido

Quit whining

Why is everyone so surprised at the treatment we are getting from Los Angeles City Hall now that the secession election is over? Let's see. After Proposition BB bonds with supposed community oversight was passed, the LAUSD promptly forgot it was supposed to have oversight. In fact, it even said it never promised it and that it was not required in the bill.

Now, we have voted down secession and the politicians at City Hall have, once again, given us the short end of the stick. I say that all the Valleyites got just what they deserved because they did not have the nerve to vote for secession. Mayor Hahn and his cronies are, as usual, lowering our share of revenues. Next time, vote for secession. Take the chance. Stop whining.

- Robert Mix

West Hills

Prayer for Hussein

I truly agreed with almost every word President Bush articulated in his State of the Union address. However, I deeply wish he could have included something like the following, namely - I also ask the American people, of all beliefs and opinions and stripes to earnestly pray for Saddam Hussein to have a conversion of sorts and openly and honestly agree to end the threat of war by immediately complying with the U.N. resolution with which he agreed. Wouldn't that be a victory for him and the world. I pray for this - let's try it.

- Peter Kirby

Granada Hills

Time to operate

Re ``Democrats: U.S. headed in 'wrong direction''' (Jan. 29):

Talk about ``health care,'' if Gov. Gary Locke were told he had intestinal polyps, if Sen. Tom Daschle's dermatologist pointed out a possible melanoma, or if Hillary Clinton's mammogram came back positive, you would see some health care. First, there would be discussions. But if those talks did not satisfy, and if the condition could not be guaranteed, there would be a ``surgical strike'' to rid the body of such potentially fatal illnesses.

A long time ago the world was not ``one body.'' It is now, and history supports that fact. If we do not intervene and eradicate the cancer of Hussein's insane hate, it will, as cancer does, proliferate. This is not about oil, political clout or, singularly, terrorism. It is about the health of the world. Like it or not, America has always been the surgeon. It's time to operate.

- Rick Colley

Tujunga

You first

Re ``Renegotiate salaries'' (Your Opinions, Jan. 29):

Steve Krough asks that salaries be renegotiated for state employees. To what minimum wage? Because of health premium increases, my paycheck has already been reduced and will most likely be reduced another 5 percent this July. By the way, his reference for doing this was that it's for ``the taxpaying state residents.'' We are taxpayers too. So does this mean you will also take a pay cut? When can I expect to see your 5 percent pay cut? Come on, get real, Steve.

- Bill Martin

Chatsworth

Not a peep

To the millions of Californians who were sleepwalking when they voted Davis in for another term - and keep voting ``yes'' on local/state measures without thinking about how much it's costing - I'd better not hear one peep of protest when you're asked to tighten your belts and open your wallets. You got what you asked for.

And to Governor Davis: When are you going to start treating the state's finances as if they were your own? It's a very simple formula: Spend less than you earn. I'm expected to, so why shouldn't you?

- Sue Antico

Canyon Country

Never get it back

I am 61 years old and I just received my Social Security statement that reflects my earnings through 2001. If I divide what Social Security says it will pay me per month at age 62 into what I have paid in, I would have to live 43 more years to get it all back. This does not even take into consideration the fact that my employers, over the years, have matched my payments.

The icing on the cake is that we must pay income tax on the payments we receive while our employers got to deduct their share as an expense on their tax returns.

- Cecilia Stock

Los Angeles

Reality bites

The reality shows that seem to be plucked out of thin air are actually and no less different amusement than in the days of Nero. Those who watch these programs are in the same seats as the audience at the Roman Coliseum. Death doesn't permeate these shows, thankfully; however, the spectacle of lying, cheating, back-stabbing, human degradation and depreciation is the fodder that this society seems to feed on.

All types of shows are being proposed since greed has replaced morals, ethics and values. How much lower will society let itself go? I don't know whom I feel more sorry for: the people in these shows, the ones who watch, or the ones who come up with the ideas.

- Judy Ross

Simi Valley

Trickle down 

``Trickle-down economics'' has become the epithet that liberals trot out when they have nothing to say. The truth is that a capitalistic system will always be trickle-down. It can't work any other way. The wealthy build the factories that hire the middle classes.

- John P. Jarvis

Northridge