PUBLIC FORUM WHO DELIVERS?I listened to Barack Obama speak last night, and who could possibly disagree with Verb 1. disagree with - not be very easily digestible; "Spicy food disagrees with some people" hurt - give trouble or pain to; "This exercise will hurt your back" what he said? That is what is so confusing about the Democratic National Convention. The speeches are glorious, then we live through the next four years of same-old, same-old stuff. The Dems have had control of the Senate and the House for most of the past 50 years. Why do we not have a government as fair and honest as the one Obama spoke about already? By the same token, President Bush listed all the things he wanted for America. He won a close race fair and square. And he succeeded in getting taxes reduced not for the few rich but for all Americans. Most of us do not qualify as rich, do we? Yet we get along on our incomes. - Theodora Howell West Hills Wonderful television As a moderate Democrat, I love watching conservative shows such as ``Hannity & Combes'' or ``The O'Reilly Factor'' just to hear what the other side has to offer. How many times have I heard Bill O'Reilly Bill O'Reilly may refer to:
 Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. , going toe to toe with O'Reilly. I almost lost it when Moore asked the question from his movie, ``Would you send your child to free Fallujah?'' You could see the wheels spinning in Bill's head as he struggled to say, ``I would go,'' thus not answering the question. Game over, checkmate checkmate end of game in chess: folk-etymology of Shah-mat, ‘the Shah is dead.’ [Br. Folklore: Espy, 217] See : End , Moore wins. Wonderful television. - Arnie Moore Sherman Oaks Whitewash whitewash, white fluid commonly used as an inexpensive, impermanent coating for walls, fences, stables, and other exterior structures. It varies in composition, being generally a mixture of lime (quicklime), water, flour, salt, glue, and whiting, with other 9-11 report What a surprise! The final report of the half-Republican, half-Democrat 9-11 commission is a blame-nobody, ``mistakes were made'' whitewash that calls no Republican or Democrat to account - but does call for a new Cabinet-level bureaucracy. Open your wallets and duck and cover Duck and Cover was a suggested method of personal protection against the effects of a nuclear detonation which the United States government taught to generations of United States school children from the late 1940s into the 1980s. , America. Everything is still business as usual in Washington. - James Dawson
James Dawson (whose pseudonyms include Daltrey St. James, Angelina Troy and T.J. Madison) is a writer whose work has appeared in places ranging from The Los Angeles Times Tarzana Bush's priorities Re ``Valley's free asthma treatment program out of funds'' (July 25): As I opened my paper to Page 3, an article made me sick and livid livid /liv·id/ (liv´id) discolored, as from a contusion or bruise; black and blue. liv·id adj. . We have enough money to send to those ingrates in Iraq, but not enough money to keep an asthma center, used by our little children, open. I cannot understand President Bush's priority of greed and prosperity for the ungrateful Iraqis. Our children, the future of this nation, suffer. - Gilbert Smith Encino Wasting money Don't raise the sales tax sales tax, levy on the sale of goods or services, generally calculated as a percentage of the selling price, and sometimes called a purchase tax. It is usually collected in the form of an extra charge by the retailer, who remits the tax to the government. , just stop spending my money foolishly. I become furious each time I spot that blue sign with white lettering and the heron (or whatever bird) identifying that cement-lined trench as the Los Angeles River The Los Angeles River is an intermittent river flowing through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the west end of the San Fernando Valley, 51 miles (82 km) southeast to its mouth in Long Beach. . I would love to know whose pockets were lined by this project. Imagine how many signs they contracted for - don't forget the river must be labeled on each side of the overpass. How many ``studies'' were made to decide that we needed these signs in the first place? Label the American and Kern rivers, where we can appreciate the beauty of the running waters and all the activity that takes place along their banks. Don't point out this eyesore eye·sore n. Something, such as a distressed building, that is unpleasant or offensive to view. eyesore Noun something very ugly Noun 1. that serves as a catch basin catch basin n. 1. A receptacle at the entrance to a sewer designed to keep out large or obstructive matter. 2. A reservoir for collecting surface drainage or runoff. for our ``castoffs.'' - Christina G. Cardoza Van Nuys Tried that Re ``Parties share one aim: to squash independents'' (Their Opinions, July 26): Jim Mangia's editorial in support of Proposition 62, which would institute open primaries, fails to mention that when this has been tried, it's been a failure. In the early 20th century, a similar process, known as ``cross-filing,'' was in effect in California and led to a Legislature controlled by powerful lobbyists. It was abandoned in the '50s. Open primaries exist now in Louisiana, which has led to a state controlled politically by the governor. The Mangias of the world want it both ways to determine a party's candidates without joining the party. Make a commitment, Jim, and try to influence the party from the inside rather than the outside. - Brian Baker Brian Baker may refer to several people:
Saugus Opposing Prop. 62 Your July 25 issue carried an opinion column that claims that the major political parties of California are disenfranchising independent voters, that independents will be better off if Proposition 62 passed. Starting with the 2002 primary, independents have been allowed to vote in either the Democratic or the Republican primary. It is not true that the major parties of California are hostile to independent voters. Proposition 62, which would permit only two candidates on the November ballot, would injure independent and minor party voters. California has held 408 blanket primaries. In all 408 cases, no one but a Democrat or a Republican ever placed first or second (except in the 12 obvious cases when only one major party member was running). That is why all five of California's qualified minor parties are fiercely opposed to Proposition 62. - Richard Winger Richard Lee Winger (born August 27, 1943) has been for the last forty years the leading advocate in the United States for minor political parties, in particular for more equitable laws allowing access to the ballot for minor parties. Editor Ballot Access News Ballot Access News is a monthly newsletter edited and published by Richard Winger of San Francisco, California. Mr. Winger is a leading expert on ballot access law in the United States. Published since 1985, the newsletter advocates "fair and equitable ballot access laws. Not semantics Re ``It starts with simple issue of semantics'' (Viewpoint, July 25): Chris Weinkopf muses about what we should call illegal aliens. How about ``illegal aliens?'' This is a perfectly accurate, technical term employed by the federal government. So it's not a slur, and it avoids any blurring of the important distinction between people who have come here and settled with our permission and those who have seen fit to impose themselves on us without our approval. - Paul Nachman Redondo Beach Redondo Beach (rĭdŏn`dō), city (1990 pop. 60,167), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1892. Once a commercial port for Los Angeles, it is a residential and resort city with a protected harbor and an excellent marina. Cheney's example The hypocrisy of the Republicans is mind-boggling. The radical right- wingers are making a mountain out of a molehill over Teresa Heinz Kerry's response to a right-wing hack, who, as usual, misquoted her. Actually her suggestion to him to ``shove it'' was extremely mild - she should have followed the example of Halliburton's man in the White House, Dick Cheney. Cheney, as we all know, brought his gutter language onto the Senate floor when he used the ``F'' word in his verbal attack on Democratic Sen. Leahy. This, after all, is the only kind of language that right-wingers understand. - Zachary A. Charles Burbank Moore's propaganda Wendy Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. (``Unnerving un·nerve tr.v. un·nerved, un·nerv·ing, un·nerves 1. To deprive of fortitude, strength, or firmness of purpose. 2. To make nervous or upset. signs,'' Your Opinions, July 27) states that the incident concerning Linda Ronstadt and other entertainers who use their position to spout their views and then are attacked for it is not so dissimilar from incidents occurring in 1930s Germany. However, Wendy, did you ever stop to think that perhaps Michael Moore's black propaganda about President Bush is exactly the same kind of propaganda that Hitler used to spread hate and discord about the Jewish people? - Abbi Witty Tujunga Freedom of speech Regarding Wendy Cohen's letter in response to the Linda Ronstadt incident in Las Vegas, it is becoming quite apparent that liberals believe in freedom of speech as long as the liberal is doing the speaking. The audience members that did not like Ronstadt's comments were exercising their right to protest. While I do not condone the ripping down of posters or turning over of tables, it was far less destructive than the rioting that liberal groups do at world trade conferences. As far as the Dixie Chicks and Whoopi Goldberg, the last time I checked, people are allowed to disagree with their statements and boycott their products - except liberals find the need to call the boycotters ignorant oppressors. - Gary Vartanian Moorpark Secret deeds President George Bush has spent about $100 million telling the voters what John Kerry can't do. Is this because it would be a waste of money trying to tell us what he's done? - Tom Hodges Reseda Chemically balanced Is the opposite of ``girlie girl·ie also girl·y adj. Informal Featuring minimally clothed or naked women typically in pornographic contexts: girlie magazines. men'' steroid men? - Hal Rothberg Calabasas |
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