PUBLIC FORUM MAYORAL ELECTIONS.

I am a 52-year-old native Californian and I belong to a union. Elections in this state are a joke. The unions are the ones who elect the candidates. Too many workers vote for whomever the unions promote. I, for one, am very sorry I am associated with them, and have said I do not want any of my money going toward their political endeavors.

This state is killing the average worker in taxes. We are supporting the immigrants ... legal or not. I am so sick of cashing Social Security checks for someone who obviously never paid into it. How does this happen? How about all the welfare checks I see? Food stamps? WIC? It is truly unbelievable.

- B.L. Geib

Simi Valley 

A no-brainer

What a surprise. On the front page of the April 18 Daily News there was an article about a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association stating that Saint Johnswort was useless in treating depression.

Putting aside the fact that I know it works, I cannot imagine that the AMA would ever find anything that you can get without a doctor's prescription would be effective.

- Nancy Macias

Northridge

Not surprising

Re ``Jefferson's brother may be real father of Hemings' son,'' (April 13):

The commission of scholars want to dispute the DNA evidence that Thomas Jefferson fathered Sally Hemings' younger son, Eston. It's obvious they can't seem to accept the fact that one of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, has slaves and, yes, fathered children from one of them named Sally Hemings.

If these scholars dug deeper into their history, particularly slavery, I'm sure they'll find that Thomas Jefferson probably wasn't the only founding father of this country who had slaves and fathered children from them.

- Sophia Sherman

Van Nuys

Too humane

I have certain reservations concerning capital punishment. Ironically, however, i believe that executing Timothy McVeigh by lethal injection is too humane. It is almost tantamount to putting to sleep a faithful old family dog who has an incurable malady.

For such a horrendous crime, McVeigh should be confined to prison under the most stringent conditions for the remainder of his life.

- Robert Gallagher 

Santa Monica 

Speaking of medals

I do not know what criteria may justify the awarding of the Distinguished Flying Cross, but I think Lt. Shane Osborn who brought our reconnaissance plane down safely has certainly earned consideration for such an award.

Speaking of medals, why hasn't our government asked Timothy McVeigh for the return of the bronze star he won in the Gulf War? He hates our government so much, I think he would be glad to give it back.

- Tarleton X. Garton

Glendale

Continue the flights

We must continues our reconnaissance flights. We do not want to take the chance of suffering another Pearl Harbor. The sleeping giant is wide awake.

- Patricia Lambert

Burbank

Out of the White House

Thankfully, with the return of the American crew whose plane had to make an emergency landing on a Chinese island, it would appear the behind-the-scenes diplomatic negotiations conducted by the Bush administration were successful. The main objective achieved (was) the safe return of our American military personnel.

To me, at least the negotiations for their release were carried out in a proper manner and at appropriate places. The White House was not the site for the discussions. Also, no generals from the army of the People's Republic of China were invited to the Lincoln Bedroom, and sensitive military secrets were destroyed rather than transferred by the real heroes, our military men and women who very easily could have perished.

- Ralph L. Myers

West Hills

No thanks to Jesse

I, for one am grateful for two things. The first being that our troops are safe again on American turf and deserving of praise for their heroism and attention to duty under the worst possible conditions: an aircraft falling out of the sky. Secondly, that the ongoing fraud that is Jesse Jackson was not able to use this potentially volatile situation to accommodate his already overblown ego by ``securing'' the release of our people.

- Daniel F. Taylor

Tujunga

Surely put to death

In Philip Wilt's ``My Reality'' (Public Forum, April 10) response to my April 5 letter, he correctly wrote that I boldly stated that the Lord God empowers governments and nations to commit ``murder.'' He inserted the word murder and has mislead our readers. I never used the word murder in my letter.

Murder is defined (Funk & Wagnalls New Practical Dictionary): to kill with premeditated malice. Malice is defined as, ``evil intent; spite, ill will.'' Our nation goes to immeasurable time and means to allow murderers to do all within their power to escape God's punishment, which he empowers the nation to do. Exodus, 21:12 - ``He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.''

- Olaf Bohannan

Northridge

No responsibility

It amazes me how Southern California Edison and PG&E are now crying the blues about how the ratepayers are supposed to pay for their mistakes; otherwise, they will pick up their marbles and go home. They wanted only the gravy from deregulation, only be the brokers, the middlemen in a win-win situation.

No responsibility for failed projects like in the past - just buy it here, tack on the profit and sell it there. Was it really lack of farsightedness, or just an attitude of ``if the price goes up, we just charge more for it; it is no longer our responsibility to produce more energy, just buy and sell?''

- Sal Nuno

La Crescenta

Freedom's price

In response to Sam Heinz' April 16 Public Forum letter chastising the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' decision to reverse an anti-abortion Web sites closure, I would like to remind you of what Benjamin Franklin said: ``Those who would give up their essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.''

I find the language used in your letter inflammatory. I believe abortion to be a horrible practice and wish that it had never been legalized, yet I am neither a ``fanatic'' nor ``gun-toting.'' Should the federal government deny you your freedom of opinion for the sake of my safety? See how quickly the road to security leads to the quagmire of oppression?

- Donovan Weir

Chatsworth

Dangerous dogs

Re ``Bill unleashes pet emotions,'' April 16:

While State Sen. Jack O'Connell has a point concerning the ever-growing, over-population of dogs that maul and kill innocent children and adults, O'Connell does not speak to the real issue of dogs.

AB 860, which permits residents to keep dogs in condominiums and apartment buildings that are new subdivisions built after Jan. 1, should be overturned. Gov. Gray Davis signed this bill and trampled my constitutional right of free association. The state should not interfere with my right to safety from vicious dogs who kill.

- Carole Wade

Los Angeles

Give me the bus

Regarding ``MTA service'' by Dale Singletary (April 11, Public Forum):

Boy, did Dale get on the wrong bus. As a recent ``carless'' person, for the last two months, I have been riding MTA to work and back every weekday.

All my drivers have been friendly and considerate to all, especially the elderly, driving safely, even watching for people waving them down so they can catch the bus. When anyone at work asks if I need a ride home, I show them my bus pass and say, ``No thanks, I'll take the bus.'' I encourage anyone to take the bus to work to save gas and reduce pollution.

- Diane Sullada

Canoga Park