PUBLIC FORUM.

Nice figures

Re ``16,360 riders a day!'' (Dec. 7):

County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and his cohorts at the MTA are real geniuses. Just ask them. In fact, General Motors should hire them to solve its problems. First, Zev would use his trusty cocktail napkin to draw up the plan. Next they would project a ridiculously low sales target but promise to triple it. Then they would count the number of people who walk into GM's showrooms instead of counting the number of people who actually buy cars. Lastly, they would act flabbergasted at such a brilliant accomplishment.

It's time to retire Zev, his cocktail napkin and the MTA and get some true visionaries with honest accountability to seriously solve our enormous traffic problems for the 21st century.

- Robert L. Rosebrock

Brentwood

What goes up ...

Re ``Double-decker road rage'' (Nov. 27):

I've got a question for you about double-decking the freeway: When the freeway is packed, bumper to bumper, and the next big earthquake hits, where do you think all the cars on the second level will go? Down!

- Rick Darrel

North Hills

Do-nothing legislators

Re ``All but 14 lawmakers to get pay raise'' (Dec. 3):

After an $80 million-plus special election, a budget deficit, and already the most overpaid state legislators in the country, another pay raise and a 12 percent one at that. Plus $153 a day in expense money when they are in session. This should have been in the comics section.

This is almost laughable if you didn't have people in the private sector who get laid off when there are budget problems. Every one of these state legislators who accepted this pay raise should be voted out of office in their next election, but then some will receive a retirement check for doing nothing; but, wait, they do nothing now.

- Bill Martin

Chatsworth

Earning their raise

Re ``All but 14 lawmakers to get pay raise'' (Dec. 3):

I was back in Washington, D.C., a few weeks ago and took a tour of the Capitol. I was in the House of Representatives gallery when the daily session started. It was appalling that there were only about 10-12 representatives in attendance when the House was called to order. What were the rest of them doing?

On Monday, 103 of our state's 120 senators and Assembly members accepted a 12 percent pay hike. What do our elected officials really do to earn their salary? How about asking each elected official to send a list of the five most important things they accomplish every week to their local newspapers. I am sure that each paper would gladly publish how our elected officials are earning their pay.

- Richard Golden

Granada Hills

Already in middle

Re ``Moving to middle'' (Editorial, Dec. 5):

You point out that the governor's constituency is all of the residents of California. Because of this obvious fact, you say he is ``moving to the middle'' by the appointment of (ultraliberal) Susan Kennedy as his chief of staff.

I submit he was already in the so-called middle with his many positions that differ with California's Republican voters, thus agreeing with most Democrat voters. Also, I would ask you to ask the Democrats to make their own move to the middle and start thinking of California's broad-base constituency which, by the way, includes many Republicans.

- Phil Johnson

Santa Clarita 

Some call it treason

Re ``Saddam faces first witness testimony in trial'' (Nov. 29):

I was horrified to find former Attorney General Ramsey Clark (Johnson administration) had joined Saddam's defense team. By defending America's enemies, it's apparent that the liberal's hatred of Bush has become greater than their love of America.

Imagine Ramsey Clark's father, former Attorney General Tom C. Clark (Truman administration), standing up for the defense of Hermann Goering during the Nuremberg trials? He'd have been rightfully executed as a traitor of the United States. We, as a nation, are in danger of becoming everything that the radical Muslim extremists are accusing us of being when they call us ``the great Satan.''

- Janet Hinde

Canyon Country

Trial is a fraud

Re ``Saddam disruptive at trial'' (Dec. 6):

Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general, has questioned the legality of Saddam's trial in Baghdad. I see it as a fraud directed by the Bush White House with only one verdict possible, guilty, and death as the punishment. Saddam knows this and has nothing to lose by disrupting the court since the outcome was established before it began.

The witnesses have been rehearsed, testimony coordinated and defense rebuttal limited. Justice, fairness and Bush doctrine are oxymorons and the world knows it. George W. is a loser, as is our illustrious governor, illustrated by their recent trade missions to China; both came home empty- handed.

- Philip Wilt

Van Nuys

Even Democrats

Re ``Murtha begins new era in the Iraq war'' (Viewpoint, Dec. 4):

Trudy Rubin's article on John Murtha is an attempt to distort the truth by calling it a new era. On Nov. 17, Congressman Murtha urged Congress to withdraw troops from Iraq, and Trudy conveniently forgot that this same Murtha asked for the same withdrawal in May of 2004.

Of course, when all rhetoric is set aside the truth comes out. For one day later, Nov. 18, the vast majority of the House and including Murtha voted 403-3 against immediate withdrawal. So despite all of the negative rhetoric, when it comes down to the truth even Democrats see it and will abandon their hatred of Bush.

- Joseph Nicassio

Valencia

Tookie's case

If clemency for Tookie Williams is to be based upon his anti-gang message to kids, we should be able to see some kind of measurable value attributable to his message. Gang problems in Los Angeles are at record levels. What good is Tookie's message doing? It seems that his original message, the one that spawned the Crips gang, far surpasses his purported change-of-heart message.

- Patrick Weir

Chatsworth

Cat came back

Re ``Midwestern cat returned after cargo trip to Europe'' (Dec. 3):

The article on the return to Milwaukee from France after being a ``stow- away,'' caused me, an animal lover/pet owner, to unashamedly weep over Emily the cat and to remind pet owners everywhere about the necessity of tags.

How kind of the workers in France who used Emily's tags to contact her veterinarian who in turn called Emily's owners.

- Eddie Cress

Sylmar

Rose Bowl vultures

It is disgraceful the way the Rose Bowl people have made sure that scalpers get plenty of tickets. Meanwhile, working people who could maybe have afforded a $175 face-value ticket are left out of the game. Only those with fat wallets will be at the game. At least some of the students will get to go.

These people should be ashamed they let vultures take over college sports. Ticketmaster, we were told, would have tickets available Dec. 6; yeah, right. What a bunch of liars. They should send their resumes to Washington, D.C.

- Stanley Moore

Winnetka

Just as responsible

Re ``Same boat'' (Your Opinions, Dec. 2):

Jennifer Rabuchin is right. Democrats in the Congress are now trying to distance themselves from the position of the Bush administration as regards the war in Iraq.

As a longtime Democrat, I'm so ashamed of my party. they just don't have the guts to stand up to George Bush and his cronies - that makes them just as responsible for this mess we are in today.

- Tarleton X. Garton

Lancaster