PUBLIC FORUM ONE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

Re ``Cloud over Sunshine'' (March 28):

It is not very often that a local community scores over big business in Los Angeles. Delivering a black-eye punch to a large polluting trash giant may be far from driving a stake through its heart, but it proves that the efforts of Granada Hills, more specifically, the North Valley Coalition, to rid their back yards and the Valley from the deadly pollutants, which BFI contains, is well worth the battle.

It is a testament to their hard work. Safeguarding the residents and future generations of children from the poisonous affects of this nightmare is the noblest of causes. You are to be congratulated. From my children's reading books, you truly qualify as ``the little engine who can.'' Pour on the steam, you will make it over the mountain.

- Dan L. Huffman

Chatsworth

Real party loyalty

It is interesting to see that the Board of Supervisors wants the courts to stop sending jury duty summonses to dead people. I wonder when they are going to urge that the voter rolls be purged of dead folks? Probably an impossible fantasy - Democratic voters have such intense party loyalty that they continue to vote even after death.

Recently the Democrats have been focusing on getting illegal immigrants to the polls, since they are easier to transport. But the dead remain an important constituency for the Democrats ... one which they won't willingly forsake. Hmmm. If they vote, maybe they should continue to be summoned for jury duty.

- James F. Glass

Chatsworth

Galanter responds

Re ``Sharing power fairly'' (Editorial, March 28):

What is this nonsense about calling for my resignation from the City Council? Not only have I done nothing wrong, you haven't even alleged that I might have done something wrong. I am very proud of my record of producing for the city and for my district, and I intend to maintain the same level of commitment until my terms ends June 30, 2003.

- Ruth Galanter 

Councilwoman

City of Los Angeles 

Location is everything

I found the Celebrities column in the April 3 U section about Tom Selleck ``saddling up for action as Monty Walsh to be shot in Canada'' ironic. Because of over development, many Southern California prime western movie locales like Chatsworth, Newhall, Topanga and others have been rendered useless and open space like the Ahmanson Ranch and others are being lusted after by among others the Selleck family who are part of the over development crowd.

Yee haw Tom, enjoy Canada while I crawl on the freeway wondering how this all happened.

- Chuck Heinold

West Hills

Snubbing McCain

The childish intentional snub of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., by President George W. Bush when he signed the Campaign Finance Bill behind closed doors goes a long way in pointing out his immaturity. This is the guy who a year ago couldn't find Afghanistan on the map and now has done his best to bomb it off the map.

This is the guy who is propped up by a staff that is intent on riding Sept. 11 to a second term. This is the guy who's campaign ignored the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and now his cowardly coddling of Israel is about to escalate it into a full blown war. His rhetoric about the axis of evil is getting a little boring, too. And why has he stopped telling us about how he was going to bring Osama bin Laden to justice?

- Phil Wilt

Van Nuys

What terrorists want

Shakib Muhammed Nassiri's April 3 letter which said: ``Israel bombing Arafat's headquarters and invading Palestine is totally against the U.N.'s policies.'' By this logic was the 1967 invasion of Israel by its surrounding Arab neighbors totally within the U.N.'s policies?

I believe that the Palestine people need a homeland, but Arafat already refused the offer of returning Israeli land once. Why does the Saudi peace plan ask for basically the same thing? Why not admit that the Palestinian terrorists, not the Palestinian people, actually want all of Israel. Has anyone heard one Arab country offer any of their own land for a Palestinian homeland if they actually care about their brothers?

- Lloyd A. Fradkin

Canyon Country

Fundamentally

Let's get down to fundamentals and admit that Harry Truman, otherwise a fine president, made a serious error when he pushed the establishment of Israel through the U.N. and committed the U.S. to the support of that state. Although we may have sympathy for the Israelis, we should not favor one nation over another.

- John Jarvis 

Northridge

This is wrong

Re ``Leaders of Hamas revel in attacks' toll'' (April 4):

I'm reading this article and thinking why am I reading an interview with Ismail Abu Shanab? If we can interview him why isn't he in jail? To me this would be the same thing as sitting down with Osama bin Laden and having a casual talk regarding his planning of the attacks on the U.S. There is something very wrong with this picture.

- Keith Gurian

Granada Hills

U.N.'s problem

The solution to the conflict in the Middle East will require a resolution from the United Nations Security Council that is then ratified by the General Assembly and enforced by U.N. forces as necessary.

It seems clear the United States of America cannot act as an honest broker nor should it. Israel is a creation of the United Nations and the problems created by this act are solely the responsibility of the U.N. Individual nations, good intentions or not, can only make a bad situation worse.

- Robert Matano

Redlands

Outside negotiator

I believe that any efforts to a negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority will fail because each side seems capable of only blaming the other for the mess they're in and with no one accepting responsibility, no one will change. More importantly, Israel's real opponent is Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad, i.e., the radical groups that have no intention of negotiating a peace with Israel.

I hate to conclude it, but the successful destruction of these groups may be the only path leading to an eventual negotiation for peaceful co-existence. If successful, however, and negotiations can start, the U.S. is not a good choice for mediator, as it has clearly been more supportive of Israel.

- Alan Pollack

Woodland Hills

Withdraw U.S. support

Two wrongs do not make a right. Israel and Palestine are both terrorist countries. Israel steals the Palestinian land and murders innocent people. Palestinians do suicide bombings to murder innocent civilians. Neither side ever wanted peace.

Israel and Sharon plan to completely murder all the Palestinians with the support of the United States. It is time for the U.S. to completely pull out. No more support. Israel has enough and better weapons than the Palestinians. The U.N. must act and take it over. It is about time they did their job.

- Gerald C. Karels

Van Nuys

Everyone but us

Re ``Bush Medicare cuts would decimate nursing homes'' (March 26):

Isn't it amazing that any time more money is needed for anything, the Social Security fund or Medicare payments are cut to supply the needed money? The senior citizens are always paying the price. It seems money is found to help everyone else but our own people in this country - our homeless, our poor, our children, senior medical needs.

- Theresa C. Piscitello

West Hills