PUBLIC FORUM.Call this a test? Re ``Angst over exit exams'' (Jan. 15): Some high school students fear they will not pass the California exit exam, your article suggests. Your writing test example should be a breeze for any fourth-grader; the math, perhaps sixth grade. I attended public schools in 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. , and I am fortunate enough to have done so prior to their evident failure. If any student cannot pass these tests, it means someone failed grossly in that student's upbringing. Shall blame be focused on the parents, the student or the liberal California laws that now all but prohibit classroom discipline? I will not blame the teachers. Bring back real classroom discipline, make parents accountable and don't wait until high school to teach elementary skills. - Charles L. Murray Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, Back when ... Re ``Test for success'' (Editorial, Jan. 17): Paranoia, panic and intense pressure? Our high school seniors are losing sleep over passing the exit exam. You're joking, right? I am 40 years removed from high school and it took me less than five minutes to ace both the English and math portions of the test samples. They wouldn't let me out of the sixth grade if I failed this test back when teachers taught and public schools cared. Our tax dollars at work, right? At least the self-esteem classes (indoctrination in·doc·tri·nate tr.v. in·doc·tri·nat·ed, in·doc·tri·nat·ing, in·doc·tri·nates 1. To instruct in a body of doctrine or principles. 2. ) give comfort to high school seniors knowing they can all graduate with a sixth-grade level of education. - Bob Tanabe La Canada Flintridge Too big to audit? Re ``Chick demands records from earlier audits'' (Dec. 28): Laura Chick asks LAUSD LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA) for former audit information and they say they need time to get them to her. Is the district buying time to adjust the audits to fit? Truth be known, Chick does not have a team large enough to audit this school district. The depth of the spending and mismanagement mis·man·age tr.v. mis·man·aged, mis·man·ag·ing, mis·man·ag·es To manage badly or carelessly. mis·man  age·ment n. of public money is likely unimaginable in relation to the size of this kingdom, spread over hundreds of square miles, with countless buildings and satellite locations. And the leadership of this district depends on the size to overwhelm any auditor, including Chick. This is one time I'd like to be wrong. - Michael C. Hines West Hills No shame or honesty Re ``DeLay eyes funding post'' (Jan. 14): Wait a minute! What's going on What's Going On is a record by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released on May 21, 1971 (see 1971 in music), What's Going On reflected the beginning of a new trend in soul music. ? Tom DeLay, who on three separate occasions in 2004 was admonished by the House Ethics Committee ethics committee A multidisciplinary hospital body composed of a broad spectrum of personnel–eg, physicians, nurses, social workers, priests, and others, which addresses the moral and ethical issues within the hospital. See DNR, Institutional review board. ; was indicted INDICTED, practice. When a man is accused by a bill of indictment preferred by a grand jury, he is said to be indicted. last year on money laundering The process of taking the proceeds of criminal activity and making them appear legal. Laundering allows criminals to transform illegally obtained gain into seemingly legitimate funds. charges; and is being investigated for his ties to ex-superlobbyist Jack Abramoff Jack Abramoff (born February 28, 1959) is a former American political lobbyist, a Republican political activist and businessman who was a central figure in a series of high-profile political scandals. , causing him to resign his post as majority leader, is now likely to be approved by GOP leaders to a post on the coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. House Appropriations Committee? What the ...? If he's the best man for the job, then there is no shame or honesty in current administration politics. Where is the public outrage? - George J. Kramer Northridge Not your property Re ``Don't bet against Texas, city learns'' (Briefly, Jan. 14): I just read that Council President Eric Garcetti lost a bet to his Houston counterpart and will now fly a ``Don't mess with Texas'' banner on our City Hall. I am outraged. City Hall belongs to all of us and is not the property of our council members to use as a personal wager on a football game. This is just another example of our elected officials using public property for their personal use. Come on, L.A., when do we wise up and vote these idiots out of office? The council president owes us all an apology and should do so after he apologizes to the person he made this ridiculous bet with that he has to renege re·nege v. re·neged, re·neg·ing, re·neges v.intr. 1. To fail to carry out a promise or commitment: reneged on the contract at the last minute. 2. and not put up the banner. - Morris Caraway caraway, biennial Old World plant (Carum carvi) of the family Umbelliferae (parsley family), cultivated in Europe and North America for its aromatic seeds. Van Nuys Allen execution The reason there are elderly Death Row prisoners awaiting execution is that California's many dishonest appellate judges - who obviously love murderers and hate their victims - defy the law to keep these totally guilty monsters alive when they should have been executed 20 years ago. Clarence Allen is no exception. He slaughtered innocents, including a teenage girl. Whether he's 76 or 176, he deserved to pay for his horrible crimes. There are hundreds more like him, most of them actually much worse, all kept alive by renegade judges. Let's get on with it. - Charles K. Sergis Calabasas Arnold's example Re ``Arnold won't be cited in collision'' (Jan. 12): LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. and the district attorney should have filed charges against the governor for driving a vehicle without the proper permits, or at least ticketed him. Why should he get off? We have millions of drivers in the state who still can't obey the rules of the road who either get ticketed - if they're lucky - get into accidents or cause them. The governor should have insisted on getting a ticket, to set an example for the rest of the state, but his current example of walking away scot-free only proves money talks, malarkey ma·lar·key also ma·lar·ky n. Slang Exaggerated or foolish talk, usually intended to deceive: "snookered by a lot of malarkey" New Republic. walks. If the governor gets away with it, why shouldn't the rest of the state? Governor, set an example for all of us to follow. Get the ticket, and pay for it. Otherwise, you're no better than the lawbreakers. - John C. Weaver Reseda No two-tier system Re ``Bad example'' (Editorial, Jan. 13): The governor's treatment was not based on a two-tier system. Arnold Schwarzenegger could not be cited by the police even if they had arrived on the scene. Driving with a license not endorsed for motorcycles is an infraction Violation or infringement; breach of a statute, contract, or obligation. The term infraction is frequently used in reference to the violation of a particular statute for which the penalty is minor, such as a parking infraction. INFRACTION. of the law subject to citation only when caught driving. Even if the governor, or anybody for that matter, had told the police someone just ran a red light, the police cannot cite that person unless they witness the violation themselves. Traffic laws are not citable unless witnessed by the citing authority. Only a report to DMV DMV abbr. Department of Motor Vehicles is necessary because there was an injury. This is a matter for the insurance companies and not the law. Don't mislead the public. - Leonard Yniguez San Fernando Not too bright Re ``Labor Center opening low-key'' (Jan. 14): As a resident of Burbank, I sure don't remember ever voting on having any work safe havens for obvious illegal immigrants built in city limits. After the recent big-time coverage of once-city official Stacey Murphy's brilliant display of leadership, one would think that aiding and abating criminal activities for any reason would have been the last thing on council members' minds. Not too bright. To all involved - good luck at the next city elections. - Ron Moreland Burbank Different Alito Re ``Confirm Alito'' (Editorial, Jan. 15): Evidently I saw a different Senate hearing on Alito than you and your readers. I saw a judge who stonewalled when questioned on his membership in an anti-woman/anti-civil rights group; bloviated when asked about women's right to choose; whose record is pro-corporation, anti-individuals' rights 85 percent of the time; and who may eviscerate e·vis·cer·ate v. e·vis·cer·at·ed, e·vis·cer·at·ing, e·vis·cer·ates v.tr. 1. To remove the entrails of; disembowel. 2. the clean water, clean air acts. A judge who'll be elevated to a lifetime position of immense power so long as most citizens don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. where he really stands. He reminds me of Dickens' character Uriah Heep. - Pearl Kalechstein Woodland Hills Party dictatorship Re ``Confirm Alito'' (Editorial, Jan. 15): I've been a proud new citizen of the United States for several years now and it really pains me to see this wonderful country going the way of a dictatorship by party. I am afraid that Judge Alito will only hasten that journey. After studying his record, I am convinced he will vote for big business, ignore the little people and give more power to the president. If put on the Supreme Court, I am afraid it will be a sad day for freedom and for the American people. I pray that I am wrong. - Jorge Rivero Los Angeles |
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