PUBLIC FORUM.Not enough trash Re "Revolution in education" (April 19): Mayor Villaraigosa's plan to add 1.5 months to the school year and extend the school day by two hours sounds unbelievably expensive. He has made no mention of how he plans to fund such an expensive proposition, even though he has promised to compensate teachers for the additional time they would spend on campus. Even if you include all the paper used to print the numerous critiques of this plan that will be forthcoming, there won't be nearly enough trash in this city to tax to fund all the increased salaries generated by this plan. I urge all fiscally conservative state lawmakers to vote his proposal down. The plan itself is garbage. - Ed Kaz Ed Kaz born November 21, 1956 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, is an entertainment correspondent for the Asbury Park Press, a newspaper located in Asbury Park, New Jersey, United States. In addition to reporting on entertainment, Kaz is an on-camera talent for hire. Oak Park Wrong equation Re "Revolution in education" (April 19): I am very disappointed about the mayor's new plan for education. I can't believe how long it took him to realize the obvious decision to announce a potential raise for teachers. This should have been his top priority as soon as he was sworn in. Also, the mayor wants students to have uniforms. I thought we lived in a democracy. It would be a shame if we started robbing children of their individuality. 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. has a mayor who is more concerned about power and not about improvement. This is an equation that could spell disaster for every Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. school. - Bruce Christensen Bruce Ray Christensen (born February 22, 1948 in Madison, Wisconsin ) is a former Major League Baseball shortstop for the California Angels. He was drafted by the Angels in the 17th round of the 1966 amateur draft. Northridge All sound and fury ... Re "Revolution in education" (April 19): All of the posturing and grandiose statements by our mayor will do little to fix the problem until the one major factor affecting our entire school system is fixed. That factor is the steady influx of illegals from south of the border. Obviously, this is a problem that has taken years to accomplish. And yet, no one wants to talk about it. Is it any wonder the grade scores are pitifully low? Enough is enough. We all need to press our elected officials, at all levels, to finally take action! Without drastic action, our public schools will continue to fail. - Robert Kunz Canoga Park Robbing Peter to ... Currently, the combined budgets of the Police and Fire departments are between 60 percent and 70 percent of the entire city budget. Now the mayor wants to add to that by increasing our trash fee to fund more police officers. This proposal is right after a decision by the mayor and council to divert a portion of our trash from Sunshine to another landfill, at a significantly higher cost. What department budget paid for that increase? Was it the Police or Fire department, or did the Bureau of Sanitation have to take one for the team and absorb the cost? Please, mayor, don't continue to rob Peter to pay Paul, especially when Paul gets most of the money already. - Gil Garnas Granada Hills Private affair? Re "Mahony must reveal files" (April 18): Once again, Cardinal Mahony attempts to block the courts from investigating his beloved priests, citing it as "unconstitutional" to intrude on Verb 1. intrude on - to intrude upon, infringe, encroach on, violate; "This new colleague invades my territory"; "The neighbors intrude on your privacy" encroach upon, obtrude upon, invade private church affairs. Excuse me, but when did molesting a child become a private church affair? His attempts to hide behind the Constitution are merely an attempt to protect the assets of the church from the pending civil cases against same. Illegal and immoral actions should not be condoned by the church nor anyone else. Mahony has degraded the ethics and morals of the church by condoning this type of behavior, and in the process encouraging others to follow. Mahony should be accountable for his actions as would any person willfully willfully adv. referring to doing something intentionally, purposefully and stubbornly. Examples: "He drove the car willfully into the crowd on the sidewalk." "She willfully left the dangerous substances on the property." (See: willful) blocking a criminal investigation. - Ralph Searcy Saugus Skid Row skid row a run-down area frequented by alcoholics. [Am. Culture: Misc.] See : Alcoholism Skid Row district of down-and-outs and bums. [Am. Usage: Brewer Dictionary, 1008] See : Failure arrests Re "Officials: Skid Row arrests to continue" (April 18): The city needs to seek review immediately of the 9th Circuit Court's ruling that the ban against cruel and unusual punishment Such punishment as would amount to torture or barbarity, any cruel and degrading punishment not known to the Common Law, or any fine, penalty, confinement, or treatment that is so disproportionate to the offense as to shock the moral sense of the community. invalidates the city's loitering Loitering (IPA pronunciation: ['lɔɪtəˌrɪŋ] is an intransitive verb meaning to stand idly, to stop numerous times, or to delay and procrastinate. laws. If ever there was a case that cried out for reconsideration, this is it. Neither the wording of the 8th Amendment nor its history indicates it invalidates loitering laws. On the contrary, loitering laws have been around since the Norman Conquest Norman Conquest, period in English history following the defeat (1066) of King Harold of England by William, duke of Normandy, who became William I of England. The conquest was formerly thought to have brought about broad changes in all phases of English life. , and the same people who adopted the Eighth Amendment also adopted loitering laws. The decision is wrong, and the city must not surrender control of our streets just because two out of four judges made a mistake. - Walter Moore Los Angeles Time to stand up It's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a for the people to stand up and tell the city of Los Angeles
See also: Pray for another tax crusader like Howard Jarvis Howard Jarvis (September 22, 1903 - August 11, 1986) was born in Magna, Utah and died in Los Angeles, California. In Utah he had some political involvement working with his father's campaigns and his own. to step forward and organize us to put a stop to all these taxes and fees. The city is going to raise our trash, water and electric fees and add another bond to repair the streets. This in addition to the city utility tax, where they collect 10 percent from our utility bills. Enough is enough. Years ago, the people of Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. organized and got their city utility fee thrown out. We can, too. - Mike Houlihan Sunland Can't miss it I measured this pothole pothole, in geology, cylindrical pit formed in the rocky channel of a turbulent stream. It is formed and enlarged by the abrading action of pebbles and cobbles that are carried by eddies, or circular water currents that move against the main current of a stream. - it is 40 inches wide by 30 inches long by 2 1/2 to 3 inches deep. It is located on a main road, Foothill Boulevard The following streets are named Foothill Boulevard:
- Ron Cartier Sylmar May 1 boycott Re "Boycott weakens cause" (April 20): When the "We Are America" folks hold their boycott on May 1, are they also going to encourage illegal aliens to stay away from our medical emergency rooms and welfare offices? Are they going to encourage them to keep all their children home from school? Are they going to take all illegal aliens out of the jails and prisons? Are they going to keep all illegal alien drivers off the road? Only then would we have a glimpse of what life would be like in California without illegal immigration. - Vicki Van Camp Sylmar Sin and sinner Re "Takei supports gay-rights riders" (NewsLite, April 19): How sad that North Central University in Minneapolis had not a single professor, instructor or mature-in-the-faith student whatsoever able to speak with the Soulforce Equality Riders. This incident certainly indicated how too many Christians have become so immersed in and influenced by our modern culture to the extent of being crippled in the ability to love the sinner but still hate the sin and gently explain to him why. - Kathryn Durfee Agoura Renters get it, too Re "Homeowners only" (Your Opinions, April 19): Ellen Vukovich says only homeowners will be paying for a tax increase - bull. Renters get it passed on to them in the form of rent increases - mine, $250 per month in 12 months, and my neighbor, $410 per month in 12 months. - Martha Ballardo Montrose Gas pump tyranny In December 1773, the American colonies took action against the high price of tea that was being imported to the new land. They dumped all their tea into Boston Harbor. The foreign oil interests are now gouging Gouging can be:
- Carolyn Whitehead Canyon Country What talent? Re "It spells 'Vanna'" (NewsLite, April 21): Wow! Now I've seen everything. A star for someone who walks back and forth pushing letters. Does that take talent? Might as well give Dick Cheney a star for frowning. - Earl D. Horwitz North Hills |
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