PUBLIC FORUM.

Another study?

Re "DWP lag in wind project blasted" (March 22):

Once again the Water and Power commissioners lashed out at the slow pace of DWP's clean-power efforts. Why didn't DWP have a deposit to obtain the wind turbines? Is the money being spent on subcontractors and overtime pay? Did the money needed go into the city general fund?

Once again the City Council Energy and Environment Committee wants another report to lay out its policy and trend for DWP overtime in future years. Once again water (and) sewer service charge rate increases will take place on July 1, and every year till 2008 and maybe beyond. We can't take it anymore. If the current commissioners can't do the job then, Mr. Mayor, it's time for a shake-up. All we are getting is hot wind, reports, rate increases and no results.

- Leonard Horowitz

West Hills

Extend Orange busway

Re: "New busway lot being built," March 22:

Even as the MTA builds a new Park-and-Ride lot in Canoga Park, parking lots near the eastern end of the Orange Line are consistently empty. If the line went farther east, then cars would fill those parking spaces quickly. Why not extend the busway to the Bob Hope Airport rail station from the Orange and Red Line terminal?

Orange Line users can connect to Metrolink and Amtrak trains, while air passengers and employees can walk five minutes to the airport terminal. An eastern extension would build on the existing success of the busway, and with the parking lots overflowing at Bob Hope, shouldn't there be a high-quality transit alternative?

- April Weeden Washington

Sylmar

Another stupid law

Re "Mind if I snuff out personal freedom?" (Their Opinions, March 24):

No smoking outside in Calabasas! A prosperous attorney takes a job as a city councilman in Calabasas to get name recognition, then comes up with this laughable ordinance. I'm told they are giving tickets to people sitting outside Starbucks at the Calabasas Commons. The l0l Freeway is adjacent with the exhaust of thousands of cars.

It reminds me of Prohibition. Alcohol is bad for you too, but we found out that you cannot legislate social behavior. As long as cigarettes are legal, people should be able to enjoy them. As a nonsmoker I don't like this hypocritical, ridiculous legislating away another freedom. Let the poor guys have a cigarette outside. You can always move away.

- Loretta Hanson

Calabasas

Spiral downward

Re "20 Mule Team movin' on" (Business, March 22):

I read with dismay at yet another business moving out of California. Our elected officials either do not address the issue of jobs moving out of state or do so with so little effort it is not apparent. California must have a strong business base (taxpayers) and needs to encourage businesses to stay.

I watched aerospace leave and still wonder if that would have happened if we had a Sen. Sam Nunn representing us and not Georgia. Not everyone works for the studios and we all know that is mostly smoke and mirrors. California doesn't manufacture anything anymore. It is a sad spiral downward. I can only hope we wake up soon.

- Marianne Goluch

Glendale

Mahony's reality

Re "Gospel mandates giving aid" (Their Opinions, March 23):

Cardinal Roger Mahony is very generous on behalf of the illegal immigrants as long as others foot the bill. I personally do not know anybody who is anti-immigration. Everyone I talk to is for legal immigration. Fair and orderly. If Mahony is true to his conviction, then will the Catholic Church open their parochial schools to the children of those who choose to migrate to the United States illegally? I think we all know the answer to that.

The reality of the matter is that the Catholic Church is losing members by the thousands annually and his opinion is fueled by the need to pander to those desperate enough to illegally immigrate to another country. At least the cardinal is consistent when he refuses to cooperate with law enforcement.

- Ronald Thomas 

Burbank

Sex crime prevention

Re "State can't go easy on sex offenders" (March 23):

The purpose of having a law on the books is not to "punish criminals." It is to encourage our neighbors not to become criminals in the first place. If our neighbors know for a fact that the crime will always be punished, then they will almost never become criminals. The result is that the number of executions carried out will be very small. In the Bible, the term used for "sex crime" is "adultery," and the penalty is death. I don't want anyone to be hurt, especially potential rape victims.

- Wendell Washer

Arleta

New blood at VICA 

Re "New blood the next VICA generation" (Editorial, March 22):

The L.A. Area Chamber is sad to see Brendan Huffman leave us, but we applaud VICA's decision to appoint him as its new president. A tireless advocate for a stronger business climate the past four years, Brendan has regularly delivered for our members on issues at City Hall, Sacramento and Washington, D.C. I am confident he will deliver for VICA, too.

Brendan Huffman and VICA are a perfect match, and we look forward to increased collaboration on the many issues that impact employers and will benefit us all.

- David Fleming

Vice-chair

L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce

World conquest?

Re "Check these facts" (Your Opinions, March 23):

Robert Rosebrock feels it was a mistake not to liberate Iraq in the first war. The reason for not getting rid of Saddam then is the same reason now. Replace him with who? The chaos that is going on there now was predicted. The Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis don't like each other, but somehow having democracy, they will get together around a campfire and sing "Kumbaya.''

Anyone who thinks that the world is safer without Saddam is just nuttier than a fruitcake. And comparing Saddam's army with Hitler's. So Saddam was planning on world conquest? I don't think so. With his war machine? You got to be kidding. Talk about stretching reason to justify this insane war.

- Richard Martin

Burbank

Verifiable

Re "Irreducible Complexity" (Your Opinions, March 10):

Justin Olson says that irreducible complexity is falsifiable. Surely he knows that also makes it verifiable, in a scientific sense. His own statements show he does not know what irreducible complexity is.

That does not stop him from refuting it, however. If one reads about intelligent design, one learns that it does not matter if blood clotting has 12 or 15 factors. It only has to be two or more (to be brief). But, Olson can argue with Darwin about that "weakness" in his theory. My question is, why can't we be open to a Designer? Darwin was.

- Lyndell Brown

Lancaster

Wrong ban

Re "Horsey cartoon" (Your Opinions, March 22):

Forget banning cigarettes, we need to ban organized religion. Horsey's cartoon nailed it perfectly. Maureen C. Wiggens ought to spend a little more time delving into the history of organized religions and the slaughter of millions. Don't get me started on hypocritical televangelists who have bilked the elderly, the denial of evolution that amazingly exists now and the thought that some white-bearded old man somewhere in this universe has any influence on any of us including that dimwit in the White House.

- Richard Reese

Lakeview Terrace