PUBLIC FORUM TWO FOR ONE.Guess what. Vote for Valley cityhood and you get two cities for the cost of maintaining one. That big block of blubber known as Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. costs an excessive amount just to keep itself going. The Local Agency Formation Commission's report states that all city employees who transfer to the new city are protected by the laws of the state of California. All collective-bargaining agreements must remain in effect, and no existing retiree benefits can be diminished. I regret Richard Alarcon's lack of faith in the Valley's vision but greatly admire the resolve of the movement's leaders. We voters are indebted to you and to the Daily News for its support. - Kay Virgiel Northridge I'm a nobody too Interesting piece by Kimit Muston on the ``somebodies and nobodies'' of politics (Viewpoint, Aug. 4). I was selected to attend the dog and pony show Dog and pony show was a colloquial term used in the United States in the late-19th and early-20th centuries to refer to small traveling circuses that toured through small towns and rural areas. , ``Meet the Mayor,'' in June, and I asked in person, with follow-up written support, to be appointed to a vacancy on the Animal Rights Commission. I was asked to send my resume an additional two times. I have yet to receive the courtesy of a reply from Mayor Jimbo. Since I'm not a multimillionaire mul·ti·mil·lion·aire n. One whose financial assets are worth several million dollars. multimillionaire Noun a person who has money or property worth several million pounds, dollars, etc. contributor, guess this explains the silence. I'm a nobody. - Dee Long Van Nuys Freedom of choice I have to tell you that Chris Weinkopf and Kimit Muston have written powerful columns for Americans everywhere, not simply in the Los Angeles area (Viewpoint, Aug. 4). Every day someone is attacking the miracle of our country. Here the common man and woman can choose their own food, clothing, shelter and job with complete freedom and opportunity. We simply must fight to regain and retain our rights. I signed the Valley Declaration of Independence. - Theodora Howell West Hills Free money It is ridiculous that we are going to give a lump sum Lump sum A large one-time payment of money. of $2,600 to each of the 1 million unemployed people Noun 1. unemployed people - people who are involuntarily out of work (considered as a group); "the long-term unemployed need assistance" unemployed plural, plural form - the form of a word that is used to denote more than one in California for free. It is ridiculous that we give them weekly checks for free. I might be able to understand giving free money if there were no jobs, but I see help-wanted signs in every fast-food place on every corner. We should take the $2,600 per person and put it into a program that places these unemployed into the vacant fast-food jobs. - Tim Grabe Lake Elizabeth Lake Elizabeth may refer to
Toxic treats Re ``Elitist e·lit·ism or é·lit·ism n. 1. The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources. Perry threat to our fried chicken'' (Viewpoint, Aug. 4): Chris Weinkopf stated that a multibillion-dollar fast-food industry is a testament to our individual liberty. ``Freedom of choice'' is a hollow statement when one cannot blink without seeing a fast-food restaurant - or a billboard for one - while driving in the Valley. Fast-food companies have some of the biggest advertising budgets in America. McDonald's especially targets children. Heart disease is directly linked to diet and is the number one killer in America. Let's stop the disease at its source: fast-food establishments. - Kirby Pringle Sherman Oaks And apologized It is inconceivable and disgraceful that the indifferent, immoral European nations that actively collaborated with the Nazis in the murder of millions of Jews are now using the high moral view to lecture and condemn the behavior of Israel. People of these same nations remain silent and morally indifferent when suicide bombers assassinate as·sas·si·nate tr.v. as·sas·si·nat·ed, as·sas·si·nat·ing, as·sas·si·nates 1. To murder (a prominent person) by surprise attack, as for political reasons. 2. innocent Israeli citizens or when Arabs gleefully glee·ful adj. Full of jubilant delight; joyful. glee  ful·ly adv.glee celebrate the horrific massacres. Salab Shehada, the terror mastermind of horrific suicide attacks, connived purposely to hide in a densely populated neighborhood. His cowardly, irresponsible action contributed to the tragedy. In stark contrast to Palestinian jubilation after suicide bombings, Israelis initiated much moral soul-searching and apologized for the unfortunate incident. - Vernon L. Rusheen Woodland Hills Whatever it takes Having just returned a few hours ago from a solidarity mission to Israel, I can speak for everyone in the group, including some who are physicians, when I say that nothing could have prepared us, intellectually or emotionally, for what we saw. The carnage, the devastation, the destruction and the senseless loss of human life were not only beyond description but were something we will all remember for the rest of our lives. For those of us on the trip, we will never look at news accounts or respond to reports of future homicide bombings in quite the same way. All of us are resolved that Israel must do whatever it takes to end this senseless tragedy and loss of human life. - Brian Goldenfeld Woodland Hills Where was his concern? Mike Kirwan's letter (``It Was Easier,'' Public Forum, July 25) states that ``Israelis used an F-16 to assassinate several children.'' Where was his letter of concern when Hamas killed innocent Israeli children? The Hamas cowards hide among women and children. That's their cover. These terrorists teach their kids to hate all non-Muslims. Unless Kirwan is a terrorist, they would have killed him as fast as they killed all the innocent Israeli and Trade Tower civilians, as well. At the same time, I don't hear Israelis or Americans cheering over the death of innocent Arab women and children. Do you? - Sam Kwasman North Hills Moral certainty moral certainty n. in a criminal trial, the reasonable belief (but falling short of absolute certainty) of the trier of the fact (jury or judge sitting without a jury) that the evidence shows the defendant is guilty. The most moral act of World War II was the nuclear annihilation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That act ended the war, bringing destruction to a feudal, theocratic the·o·crat n. 1. A ruler of a theocracy. 2. A believer in theocracy. the , warmongering war·mon·ger n. One who advocates or attempts to stir up war. war mon kingdom, and made possible the establishment of a modern, law-abiding, democratic Japan. Today, America not only can wage war alone against terrorists and their supporters, but it must. Simultaneous nuclear attacks on Tripoli Tripoli, city, Lebanon Tripoli (trĭp`əlē) or Tarabulus (täräb`  l , Baghdad and Tehran, along with the military reclamation of the oil fields This list of oil fields includes major fields of the past and present. The list is incomplete; there are more than 40,000 oil and gas fields of all sizes in the world[1]. stolen by Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia (sä `dē ərā`bēə, sou`–, sô–), officially Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, kingdom (2005 est. pop. from American oil companies, would mean the end of all Middle East dictatorships and the beginning of democratic civilization there. We must act now, or the next attack on American soil won't be by hijacked aircraft; it will be by something much deadlier. - Ray Shelton Glendale A good start Re ``President Bush signs fraud bill'' (Aug. 1): I heard President George W. Bush say, ``We must audit the auditors and hold the accountants accountable.'' Why should we stop there? I think we should also police the police, supervise the supervisors, teach the teachers, nurse the nurses, report the reporters, captain the captains - and edit the editors. - Robert Matano Redlands Racial reasoning Re Leonard Pitts Lenard Pitts is a nationally-syndicated columnist and winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. He was originally hired by the Miami Herald to critique music, but within a few years he received his own column in which he dealt extensively with race, politics, and culture. column (Opinion, July 26): Pitts wants his readers to believe that government intrusions are OK when they relate to race. He gives himself away when he defines Judaism as a race: ``Shall I pretend Jerry Seinfeld This article is about the comedian. For the character, see Jerry Seinfeld (character). Jerry Seinfeld (born Jerome Seinfeld on April 29, 1954 in New York City, New York) is a Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-winning American comedian, actor and writer. isn't Jewish?'' My last name is Feldman, but I don't practice Judaism. Nonetheless, to Pitts I'm still Jewish. I guess all Asians are also Buddhists in his world. Pitts proves by his ignorance the reason why colorblind col·or·blind or col·or-blind adj. Partially or totally unable to distinguish certain colors. laws are so important. - Clyde Feldman Sherman Oaks Hang all the lawyers I share the disgust of the Aug. 1 Public Forum writers regarding James Beck's mother's filing a lawsuit after what he did. That's as stupid as the action of the mother of one of the North Hollywood armed robbers when she did the same. But let's look a little further. These type of idiotic lawsuits would not be possible if it were not for the lawyers who accepted the cases. Shakespeare was right. - Dennis D. Hawthorne Canyon Country |
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