PUBLIC FORUM.

Don't blame the Mexicans

I'm tired of hearing people blame only Mexicans for the illegal-immigration problem. About half of the illegal immigrants who are here in our country are not from Mexico. I would like to remind everyone that illegals don't only enter by sneaking across the border. Forty-two percent of the illegal immigrants here are people who overstay their visas.

- Sergio Lara

Los Angeles 

Lucky homeowners

I remember all the propaganda and promises made to gain voter approval of the lottery. The lottery has certainly created lots of millionaires but obviously did nothing for the schools. Soon after came the selling of three school bond measures. Los Angeles voters bought all the propaganda on each one. So what happened to the schools?

Now the Los Angeles Unified School District is selling another bond, scheduled for November - this one for $3.85 billion. But that's not all. School board member David Tokofsky wants to add an additional $150 parcel tax on top of that for all lucky property owners.

- Helen A. Hoblock

Santa Monica 

For shame

Here's hoping the new mayor straightens out the Los Angeles City Council. We need more police officers. We need more streetlights in the east San Fernando Valley. We need streets to be paved. Not raises for the City Council.

I thought they were all voted in to help the people, not pocket the money and then look to tax us for more.

- Russell E. Spencer Sr.

Encino

Repairing City Hall

The Los Angeles City Council's recent actions to curb undue influence by city commissioners and lobbyists is just a small step to repair the city's ``pay-to-play'' image.

The City Council could take a big step by ensuring that ethics laws apply to all lobbyists, not just the ones who play by the rules and register with the Ethics Commission.

- Rusty Hammer

- President and CEO 

Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

Hey, hey, hey

Re ``Unrecognized racism'' (July 6):

I wonder if United States activists would be upset if Mexico's stamps depicted Fat Albert.

- Gary E. Skogen

Littlerock

Traffic solutions

Re ``Mayor's plan for gridlock'' (July 7):

Throwing money at transit projects is not the solution for gridlock. Getting a handle on unbridled development is. Developers and their lobbyists have contributed to regional plans, which simply cause gridlock.

A cost-saving measure would be to limit development in terms of the effect it has on community traffic patterns within a five-mile radius. If intersections are now experiencing gridlock, then a building moratorium takes effect until the city and the developer can ensure further building will not clog streets.

The mayor needs to look beyond transit and toward limiting growth as a solution to ease San Fernando Valley gridlock.

- Leigh Datzker

Woodland Hills

LAUSD waste

Re ``LAUSD placed on financial watch list'' (July 8):

The Los Angeles Unified School District finally made it to the big time by getting on a financial watch list. They claim they are ``hard-pressed to provide the quality of education we like with the revenue we are getting.''

That is true, but they also waste more money than other districts do. With new schools being built in wrong places and the waste of Belmont over their heads, what do they expect?

Break up the school district and make more charter schools. See what a difference can be made when money goes directly to the schools and they control spending. Only then will the general public realize what has been going on with LAUSD.

- Stephanie Schwartz

Canyon Country

Before or after

Do we get serious about securing our borders before someone walks across with explosives strapped to their body and gets on a bus or train and explodes it - or wait until it's too late? I say, the time is now.

- Barry W. Bauer

Woodland Hills

Blame for Blair

Re ``Bloody hell'' (July 8):

Prime Minister Tony Blair is partly to blame for the attacks in London. This is al-Qaida or one of its affiliates' retaliation against his government's support for President George W. Bush's invasion and occupation of Iraq.

You don't see the terrorists attacking France or Germany, right?

This doesn't mean that Bush should not have gone after al-Qaida and its Taliban supporters in Afghanistan. France and Germany were with us on that one. But President Bush should have stayed focused on al-Qaida.

If it wasn't for the unnecessary invasion of Iraq, our forces could have defeated al-Qaida long ago and the London bombings probably never would have occurred.

- John Wisdom Dancer

Canoga Park

CAIR cares

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR, joins Americans of all faiths, and all people of conscience worldwide, in condemning Thursday's bomb attacks in London as barbaric crimes that can never be justified or excused.

American Muslims offer their sincere condolences to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured in the attacks and call for the swift apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators.

In 2004, CAIR launched an online petition drive, designed to dissociate Islam from the violent acts of a few Muslims. The petition states in part: ``We refuse to allow our faith to be held hostage by the criminal actions of a tiny minority acting outside the teachings of both the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad.''

To view or sign the petition, go to: www.cair.com.

- Hussam Ayloush

- Executive director, Council on American-Islamic Relations

Anaheim

It's war

Re ``War for money'' (Your opinions, July 7):

How ironic the terrorist bombings in London would occur on the same day Frank Barron's naive and ridiculous letter is published. Blood money? Cheney and Halliburton? They're just defending their own country? Balderdash.

In 1998, Osama bin Laden declared war on the West for, among other things, the sanctions against Iraq. What makes anyone think this war is anything other than what it truly is?

These are radical Islamic jihadists out to destroy the West and turn the world into their own version of an Islamic fundamentalist paradise. To believe otherwise is staggeringly foolish. We could pull out of the entire Middle East and we would still be attacked.

- Steve McCombs

Chatsworth

The housing game

Re ``Taxing behavior'' (Our Opinions, July 3):

I bought my home in 1986. My property taxes are much higher than my next-door neighbor who bought in 1960, and much lower than my new neighbor who bought last month. I am not angry with one neighbor, while gloating at the other.

Buying a home is like buying stock. It is an investment over a long period of time. Are you suggesting that it isn't ``fair'' that some people bought IBM stock in 1970? Rent control has had the same effect on those who live in apartment buildings - new renters pay much more than old renters. Is that fair?

The housing game in California is pretty straightforward. You get in and at some point, you stay put. That is the only way senior citizens and low-income families can live in this state at all.

- Chris Morris

North Hills

Seize today

Re ``No argument in budget session'' (July 3):

Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata said that Republicans are too focused on future problems. So should you, Sen. Perata. The idea of ``take care of today and let tomorrow take care of itself'' is what brought us our current problems.

- Joy Stovall

Woodland Hills