PUBLIC FORUM.

Hotel tax

"Call made for Grand tax break" (April 25):

Hotel operators do not pay bed tax. They merely collect it from the patrons and guests of the hotel and give it to the city. It is just another item on the total bill, not an operational expense, just as sales tax is not an expense to a retailer; he just collects it for the government. These taxes are not part of operational income.

I believe the reason the hotel operator of the Grand project does not want to pay the bed tax is he intends to continue to charge the tax in the price of the room and keep it as a windfall profit. In my opinion, the hotel would be an asset to the city and there is really no need to hinge its development on a reduced tax just to one hotel operator. All the other hotels seem to be able to operate profitably and collect the tax.

- Michael Malone 

Glendale

Myopic anxieties

Re: "Mayor fumbles MTA clout" (April 26):

Our organization opposes Senate Bill 1507 that would take one of the Los Angeles seats on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board and give it to the other cities in the county. We consider it a meaningless shuffling that in no way addresses core issues of governance that plague the MTA board.

This bill panders to the worst sort of parochialism fed by myopic anxieties against the city of Los Angeles held by certain interests. The real imbalance in the structure of the MTA board is the presence of all five Los Angeles County supervisors, insofar as only 10 percent of Los Angeles County residents reside in unincorporated areas. We would look favorably upon legislation that facilitated an elected MTA board or reduced the representation of the supervisors to a single appointee.

- Dana Gabbard

Executive Secretary

Southern California Transit Advocates

Ironic low-cost

Re: "Low-cost housing work is begun" (Briefly, April 26):

It's ironic what Los Angeles' elected officials call affordable housing. They pass and approve ordinances that prevent owners of older, more affordable apartments from being able to finance needed rehabilitation at no cost to the taxpayers. In fact, such improvements would improve tax revenue.

But construction has just commenced on a so-called low-income affordable housing project in Canoga Park. At an overall cost of $20.2 million for 47 units, it costs $429,787 per unit. Mayor Villaraigosa says, "Hart Village is an example of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund at work." That kind of use of our taxes is another reason why the city supposedly cannot afford enough police.

- Victor N. Viereck

Valley Village

Opposing trash tax

Re: "Sure he will" (Your Opinions, April 26):

I called Villaraigosa's office to voice my opposition to the mayor's proposed trash fee. I know why they say they have few complaints: They aren't interested in taking the call. I had to ask the man to take my name, then almost force him to listen to my reasons for the opposition. There was absolutely no concern on his part.

We've never dumped furniture anywhere. Yet three or four times a week, I call 311 to have sanitation remove furniture dumped in my neighborhood by apartment dwellers. Every apartment should pay a fee to cover costs of L.A. city sanitation crews removing discarded furniture. So if you're reading this, mayor, our family opposes the "trash tax." Everyone that lives, works, plays, visits or does business in this city benefits from any additional officers added to LAPD, and here you are asking only homeowners to cough up more cash.

- Sandra Munz

North Hollywood

What a guy

Re: "Mayor grabs ball on NFL deal" (April 26):

Well, not only does our illustrious mayor fix potholes, plant trees, wants a tax on trash collection, wants to run the school district, and sits on the MTA board, he now is an entrepreneur in the sports world, hoping to bring the NFL to Los Angeles.

How come Mayor Antonio's picture is always scattered throughout the Daily News? Maybe now he wants to win a popularity contest to add to his legacy.

- Pamela Franklin

Granada Hills

Crocodile tears 

Don't let politicians fool you. They scream and holler about what the gas companies are doing and claim they're going to take them to task. Bull.

It's a facade to cover their behinds when most are in the pockets of the oil companies. From the president on down, it's just a lark. The poor consumer is the final victim of corporate greed ... and prices will still rise as they keep crying into their wallets.

- Earl D. Horwitz

North Hills

Trees and sidewalks

You left out costs: repair/replacement of main sewer lines, repaving, new curbs and gutters. Solution is to plant trees in containers. Drop them into wells, replace when the trees outgrow their containers and plant in parks.

The damaged sidewalks are not repaired. In North Hollywood, they are almost unusable, with 6-inch sheer drops to the next section of sidewalk. I am disabled and use an access scooter; others use power chairs and wheelchairs. We have to use the street, including Victory Boulevard, in many places as these cannot go over more than a 1-inch drop or rise.

- Jan Fisher

North Hollywood

Berman and ethics

Re: "Mr. Ethics" (Editorial, April 26):

Until the 1960s, there were no formalized ethics committees or formal rules governing the conduct of members, officers or employees in public office. Sadly, we must have such a committee. What should be done about elected officials who directly and blatantly sell the favors of their offices for money, or those who accept favors which offend the spirit of the law?

I have no doubt Rep. Howard Berman will restore integrity back to Congress. As my representative, he has set a positive example when it comes to social values and principle. His respect for the code of conduct make him a perfect fit for the House of Representatives Ethics Committee.

- Corina Alarcon

Sylmar

Riddle me this

If there is suspicion of mad cow disease, we are able to track down the history of the animal to the stall it was born in and probably several generations back, if needed. There is really good record-keeping capability in this country. So how come we continue to collect funds from individuals if their Social Security number is fake?

If it is a real number, but funds come from a different name, or 50 names, shouldn't SS become at least a bit suspicious? If the number is made up and doesn't exist in their records, where do the funds go? The latest claim from analysts is that these fake numbers are going to "save" the system since the undocumented/illegal/whatever never collects and therefore the fund benefits. Isn't some part of this illegal, or at least immoral (maybe unethical for the PC crowd)?

- Bob Driscoll

Woodland Hills

Classic know-nothing

Re: "Global meltdown" (Viewpoint, April 23):

You gave Jack Strayer the front page to spew his "know-nothing" nonsense about global warming despite Katrina, melting icebergs, increases in water and air temperatures, and the egregious corporate polluters and governmental excusers. Please let some scientists give us the straight facts.

- Albert Cohen

Sherman Oak