PUBLIC FORUM SOUND FAMILIAR?

``Curtains for Martha'' (March 6):

Martha Stewart was fairly convicted of obstructing justice and lying to the government. Stewart was guilty on all charges: two counts of making false statements and obstruction of justice. (Sound familiar?) The charges carry up to 20 years in prison. She could be potentially sentenced to time in a halfway house or home confinement, but legal experts have been quoted as saying her term would probably be reduced to roughly a year in prison under federal guidelines.

Each charge carries a maximum sentence of five years and a $250,000 fine. (I seem to recall in 1998 a politician who did a similar thing, but alas he was not a woman. ``Womanizer'' is not the same thing).

- Don Segien

Canoga Park

Getting Martha

``Curtains for Martha'' (March 6):

When is Martha Stewart's execution? Since everyone wants her scalp, maybe we could do it in California since our elected officials and judges never use the equipment anyway. They'd rather soak the taxpayers to support a thousand monster predators. Right now state officials are planning a brand-new, extremely expensive Death Row for the comfort of the vermin for the rest of their lives because our elected officials and judges have no intention of obeying the law and executing them.

So let's knock off Martha in our death chamber to keep the dust from accumulating in case our dedicated public servants ever decide to honor the rule of law. Fat chance.

- Charles K. Sergis

Calabasas

Greed

``Curtains for Martha'' (March 6):

It seems that, despite her intelligence, Martha Stewart was unaware greed is one of the seven deadly sins with sometimes deadly consequences.

- Everett P. Harrington

Glendale

Double for Martha

``Curtains for Martha'' (March 6):

When Martha Stewart is sentenced, perhaps she should spend the same amount of time locked up that Bill Clinton did for lying to the feds, obstructing justice, perjury, etc. - or perhaps even the jail time given to Hillary Clinton for lying about her stock transaction. Why not combine the jail time of both Clintons and double it for Martha just to send a message?

- Trent D. Sanders

La Canada

Martha's conviction

``Curtains for Martha'' (March 6):

The conviction of Martha Stewart is an outrage. Will someone please tell me why a double murderer is free to cruise the golf courses in Florida while poor Martha, who only did what thousands of people on Wall Street do every week, is headed to jail. I guess being a woman and white is not a good thing in our society.

- Sion Colvin

Woodland Hills

Martha cooks

With Martha Stewart found guilty, maybe I could suggest a suitable punishment. Instead of locking her up and having the taxpayers foot the bill to house her, she would be required to cook dinner nightly for inmates in the local prison. We'd save money on groceries, and the inmates would get a decent meal.

- Terri Glaser

Simi Valley 

Not enough to do?

Re ``Arnold taking up editing'' (March 6):

It strikes me as most unseemly that our governor has signed on tobe the editor of a fitness magazine. Discounting everything else onthe governor's agenda, one would think that just dealing with thestate's budget crisis and workers' compensation would be a full-timejob in itself.

- Sandy Sand

West Hills

Which is it?

What is the true story of how the Los Angeles Unified School District sets its priorities? I think we all need a little education here. On Wednesday, after the bond measure was passed and under the headline ``LAUSD set to begin spending billions,'' Roy Romer's special assistant is quoted: ``Now we know we can deliver on everything.'' Friday's article is headlined ``LAUSD begins cost-cutting campaign.''

- Richard Fisk 

Granada Hills

WTC cartoon

Re ``View from the Valley'' (Cartoon, March 7):

I cannot believe that you put in the paper that disgustingly vicious cartoon of Patrick O'Connor's showing smoke from the World Trade Center as an ad for the president. We are getting sick of that left-wing ideologue O'Connor and his hate of Republicans. There must be other cartoonists you could use who are not so rabid about us.

I realize that the media are completely left-wing except for the Wall Street Journal, but don't you understand that a local paper should sometimes have the other point of view expounded?

- Roger Greenwood

North Hollywood

Four simple words

Re ``Common values'' (Your Opinions, March 6):

One needs only to substitute a few simple words circa 1872 to reveal the silliness of this gay marriage issue: ``Woman's rights'' is not a religious issue; it is a societal issue. The fact of the matter is that America must decide what constitutes acceptable behavior.

``Woman's rights'' is no different in these terms than ``slavery.'' Neither is currently acceptable, and neither was mentioned in the Constitution. Substitute ``slavery'' for ``woman's rights,'' and the arguments still fit.

U.S. laws are developed by society based on common values - i.e., secular behavior norms. The question is: Do societal values allow for woman's rights? Currently I think the answer is no. Maybe someday we will be ready, but for now it simply sows dissension on all sides.

- Robert Loveridge

North Hollywood

Bashing Bush

I am tired of listening to people bash the president. As far as Iraq goes, the best intelligence said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Bill Clinton and weapons inspectors have said that President George W. Bush had no choice but to believe that Iraq possessed WMDs. The insurgency in Iraq is not from Iraqis but terrorists coming into the country from Syria.

And as for Social Security, this is nothing more than a pyramid scheme perpetrated by the government. I'm only 28, and I don't expect Social Security to be there when I retire. Looks like all my deductions went into the pockets of the older generations today. It's just one more government program never designed to work, and it has Band-Aids applied to keep it going. So how about we stop bashing our president?

- Michael Rogge

Van Nuys

Cheaper to fly

The price of premium gasoline near my home has reached $2.54 per gallon. Consider this: Aviation fuel at Santa Monica Airport, which is 100-octane, low-lead fuel, costs more to produce per gallon than auto premium. Plus, we as Californians and Americans consume far less general-aviation fuel than auto fuel. Therefore, one would logically assume that 100-octane, low-lead fuel should cost much more than auto fuel, but it sells for $2.10 per gallon at the self-serve pump.

Conclusion: We car drivers are again being ripped off by the gasoline companies that charge us much higher prices for fuel that costs much less to produce per gallon than aviation fuel.

- Bill Wyse

Los Angeles 

Horses and Hahn

Re ``A maglev too soon'' (Editorial, March 8):

Comparing Mayor James Hahn to a horse is a serious mistake. Horses are majestic, graceful, playful and, above all, gregarious creatures. None of these traits describe the character of James Hahn.

The single common trait that horses share is optimism. Horses generally believe people will feed them treats whether they are good or bad. Horses also have an incredible memory, something Hahn apparently doesn't have. However, memory is something folks in the Valley share with horses. That's why Hahn will not be re-elected.

- Jerry England

Chatsworth