PUBLIC FORUM TRY ETHICS.

Instead of ``a moment of inspiration,'' the Los Angeles City Council should start its weekly meetings with a discussion of ethics, honesty and integrity. That would really surprise the citizens of Los Angeles. The hypocrisy of our so-called civil servants is unbelievable. They have already voted to exclude themselves from term limits and rather than improving city services in the San Fernando Valley, they are prepared to fight all secession efforts.

The new council members have already been infected with the ``good- old-boy'' virus, so it is back to business as usual. Councilwoman Janice Hahn says they could use two minutes of inspiration. Unfortunately, it is not the inspiration to do the right thing by the people of L.A., who pay their outrageous salaries.

- Harlan Campbell

Tujunga

Last laugh

I burst out laughing when I read the Nov. 16 Public Forum letter by Guenter H. Dyrenforth bewailing that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision regarding election law finally put George W. Bush in the White House. How ironic that liberals everywhere are shocked and horrified by a Supreme Court decision unfavorable to them when for years they wagged their heads in approval of Supreme Court decisions that established the liberal agenda as the law of the land, Roe vs. Wade and school busing being prime examples.

Those decisions were made by Supreme Court judges appointed by the Kennedy-Johnson-Carter axis and all with close ties to the Democrat machine at the national level and, most certainly, on the basis of political loyalties rather than the law.

- Phil Pangborn

Canoga Park

What are they hiding?

Regarding the Nov. 25 Viewpoint column by Richard Reeves, in which he questions George W. Bush's ``Executive Order No. 13223'' and how it will make it almost impossible for us to find out how presidents and vice presidents come to make vital decisions that concern all Americans.

I agree that there are certain areas concerning, for example, national security, that we can't know about. But why a total blackout on what's going on? Are they afraid that we may find out about some grievous blunders? It brings to mind what Herbert Spencer, an 18th-century philosopher, said: ``The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.''

- Loyal Bruno

West Hills

Afghan women

If the Taliban had not brainwashed and terrorized the men in Afghanistan and shackled and veiled the women, the terrorism we are suffering now would have been more difficult to accomplish. These Afghan women are doctors, lawyers, teachers and mothers, and had they had a voice in the governing of their country, there wouldn't be guns in the hands of their children, people hungry and their country a battleground.

The men have proved incompetent running their government; now is the time for the women to be empowered to take control and help provide a government for the people and not for terrorists.

- Edna McCoy 

West Hills

Just the facts

Garth Bishop (Public Forum, Nov. 27) plays fast and loose with the facts. The economy had already started a strong recovery in the fourth quarter of 1992 before Clinton took office. Clinton's budgets showed $150 billion to $200 billion deficits ``as far as the eye could see'' and it was not until the Republicans took over Congress in 1995 that the deficits were reined in and surpluses began to appear.

During Reagan's administration, the money collected by the Treasury approximately doubled (due to tax cuts), but the Democratic Congress failed to honor its agreement to cut spending and spent about $1.30 for each $1 collected. Congress controls spending, so if we are going to give credit where credit is due, let's do as Joe Friday would have done and use ``just the facts.''

- Bob Cranor

Panorama City

It's their money

Re John W. Dancer's Nov. 15 Public Forum letter:

Dancer claims that various large corporations will get huge sums from the government. Of course, no one ever ``gets'' money from the government, because the government does not make anything - least of all money. The money that people and companies get is money they have earned. Large corporations in reality pay no taxes at all. All taxes are costs of business and are passed along to consumers. Taxation of producers merely increases the price of everything from shoelaces to automobiles.

The notion that all wealth and resources ``belong'' to the government is the key to the cancerous growth of government, usurious taxation and loss of freedom that afflict us.

- James F. Glass

Chatsworth

Potter's magic

Responding the Public Forum letter that calls the imaginative Harry Potter books a virtual graduate course for children on how to use ``good magic'' and describes it as blatant witchcraft. For that matter, what is wrong with some ``good magic'' that stimulates reading and imagination in our kids?

Somehow, most kids can tell the difference between fantasy and reality, but fundamentalists apparently are so insecure that they can't, so they would censor everything that strays from their own very narrow viewpoint. How sad that they live in constant fear of hellfire and damnation.

While the Bible can be truly inspirational, it is also filled with a great deal of superstition as well, involving good and bad magic, miracles, visions, apparitions, levitations, etc.

- Graydon Wayne

Canyon Country

Airport safety

Last month: hassling with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Last two weeks: hassling with flunkies to get a new garbage can - which got me to thinking. Consider the Internal Revenue Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service - from top to bottom the governmental bureaucracies have become the apex, the epitome of inconsiderate incompetence.

They are the Peter Principle writ in platinum. Possessing a reverse Midas touch, anything of value they touch turns to garbage. So now they will take over the airports. Will you really feel safer flying, America?

- J. Donald Adams

Sylmar

Smith will be missed

An era in our region came to a close Nov. 25 with the passing of Martin V. ``Bud'' Smith, the visionary developer who helped to see a harbor at Channel Islands, commerce where once a pig farm and swamp were home, and tall buildings to grace the Oxnard Plain.

He had the courage to dream big things and the drive to make them happen. He had a wonderful way of seeing human potential, too, and inspired many people and institutions to success. He was the man who helped grow Oxnard, who scoffed at the city's adolescent self-consciousness and propelled it to a maturing success. He will be dearly missed, but his mark of imagination is everywhere for generations to come.

- Robert and Madeline Murphy

Channel Islands Harbor

A gift

Referring to the rip-off by the American Red Cross:

I fought in the Philippines in 1945, and went to the Red Cross for a bar of soap. I had to pay for it, and there was a band around the bar that said ``a gift of the American Red Cross.''

Since then I have not contributed to the Red Cross. I met others that had experienced similar things with the Red Cross.

- George Trafton

Rosamond