PUBLIC FORUM.

Dump flimflam 

Re "More opinions on dump EIR sought" (April 3:)

At my age, I have been scammed and flimflammed by the best of them, but the firm paid by Waste Management to compile the Bradley Landfill EIR is real good. The aesthetics/view section says the impact of the 43-foot height increase of the dump would not significantly impact the view from the surrounding area.

They illustrated with eight picture site locations. They conceded three were significant impacts on views. Just by moving the carefully selected sites a slight distance, all of the other five would be significant. The ugly mountain not only blocks my view and hurts my property value, but it does the same to hundreds if not thousands of view homes. With just the deception shown in this section, how good were they in the rest of the EIR?

- Butch Johnson 

Sun Valley

Labor problem festers

Re "Union leaders ousted from council chambers" (April 5):

In the City Council chambers, the president of the Engineers and Architects Association union and three others were arrested for protesting the unsettled labor dispute. Why does Mayor Villaraigosa let this problem fester? The employees are demanding that their wages be tied to the Consumer Price Index, which doesn't seem unreasonable considering that their previous contract lacked this provision, resulting in an effective loss of purchasing power.

A primary responsibility for the mayor is to conduct city business within its means. However, this does not mean that the existing city employees should be expected to endure pay cuts to make fiscal ends meet. Mayor Villaraigosa needs to get his house in order and settle this contract issue with the employees` union.

- Glenn Haugen

Los Angeles 

Cleaning City Hall

Re "Pay-to-play returns" (Editorial, April 4):

I don't get it. The Daily News editorial outlines the "crooked deal" Fleishman-Hillard had with L.A.`s DWP. Also, Fleishman-Hillard "overbilled" the city by an unknown amount ... We just know they "settled" for $5.7 million. Third, Fleishman-Hillard funneled incalculable money to former Mayor James Hahn`s campaign, gave him "free P.R. advice" and "got a sweetheart, $3 million-a-year deal with the DWP."

There is only one question: Why isn't James Hahn being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law along with the rest of them? That messy city needs a good house cleaning starting at the top.

- Betty Arenson

Valencia

Corrupt politicians

Re "DeLay's exit" (Editorial, April 5):

So Tom DeLay, who is surrounded by aides who have already pleaded or will soon plead guilty to multiple corruption charges, decides to resign. He says he is doing this to spare the voters from a bitter emotional re-election campaign. What a farce.

Does this idiot, one of the most powerful people in Congress, really think the voters are as stupid as he is? Whether it's corruption in Washington or all the corruption charges that persisted in the Hahn administration unless and until those who are guilty are handed some significant jail time it will be business as usual. These little rinky-dink fines that are imposed when the politicians plead guilty are not a deterrent.

- George Timko

West Hills

European time

Re "A hundred years in the making" (April 4):

Actually, the time/date sequence that only happens every 100 years will take place on May 4. The Europeans place the day before the month, e.g. "4 May 06" or 04, 05, 06. And given that our time is determined by Greenwich Mean Time at the meridian, then the standard sequence would be European method. So on the fourth of May it will be 1 hour, 2 minutes, 3 seconds, fourth day, fifth month, sixth year.

Perhaps one could say it happens twice every 100 years and both in the same year depending if you are American or European. Ah, aren`t we Americans so egotistical to think that everyone in the world does things the way we do.

- Gary Lowe 

Toluca Lake

Maybe deserved

Re "DWP articles" (Your Opinions, April 3):

Cheril Linn Powers stated she was tired of all the constant bashing of the Department of Water and Power. Making sure that everyone knew that she was writing her message on her 15-minute break. Would that be the same 15-minute break that I observe between four and 10 DWP trucks parked in a fast-food restaurant in the 9300 block of Reseda Boulevard, Northridge, at 7:10 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. on just about any weekday?

It is my understanding that these men start work at 7 a.m. and are having breakfast on the taxpayers' time after being on the clock for 10 minutes. Just maybe DWP needs to be bashed.

- Ron Roth

Northridge

Need mental institutes

Re "Antonovich responds" (Your Opinions, April 4):

I agree with Supervisor Antonovich when he says that monies for the homeless should be funded from the health and mental health budgets. It seems to me that when we gave the mentally ill "their rights," closed institutions and let them go, it coincided with the vast increase of the homeless.

Any society has a percentage of those who drop out. We used to call them "hobos." I think that if we eliminated the mentally ill and the drug and alcohol addicts from the homeless, L.A.'s percentage would plummet. Veterans can get help through the VA, but we need mental institutions again where people will continue their medications and enjoy a decent life.

- Terri Andrews

Castaic

Let's be fair

For a number of years, I was a teacher at a trade school that had a largely international student body. We had students from countries in Asia, the Mideast, Europe, South America, etc. Though only coming here for one or two years of training, they all arrived here fluent in English. Those who stayed on to find employment earned that right by going through the legal process of acquiring work visas and, in some cases, green cards.

It would be grossly unfair to ... folks like these, who have followed all the proper procedures, to allow any person or group to circumvent the law or be given preferential treatment.

- Bob Ahrens

Los Angeles

Good news

Re "Valley lift-off"(Editorial, April 3):

Yes, Airbus is indeed interested in bringing some of its many jobs to the Valley. This is very good news for thousands of skilled aerospace workers who live in and near the San Fernando Valley.

Headlines and lead stories in newspapers and TV are mostly about bad news. Here is news that will bring work, bread and happiness for many and we hope you will continue to report on the progress of how well the "red carpet" is being rolled out by our city officials.

- Frank and Herta Neumeister

Sylmar

No living wage

Re "Death of middle class" (Your Opinions, April 4):

Pat Ramirez's letter and Dana Summers' cartoon both appearing on April 4 do invite a reply. Pat is correct on the "death of the middle class," but Summers' cartoon tells us why this has happened. The businesses that Summers identifies only hire illegal aliens because they are the only people willing to work for starvation wages. I am willing to cut lawns for reasonable pay.

Construction workers were earning $15 to $20 per hour with benefits. Today construction workers will do the jobs for $10 per hour and no benefits. As Pat wrote, the employers won't pay a living wage. The president is correct, too, when he says these are jobs Americans won't do. He just leaves off the statement that our society won't pay a living wage.

- Don Evans

Canoga Park