PUBLIC FORUM.

Hi-tech visas

I find it ironic that ``High-tech worker visas at cap limit'' is on the page next to ``LAUSD: $36 million plan; Reforms revealed as state says 14 percent of students don't qualify to graduate'' (June 2). We have been neglecting our own children's educational and vocational needs for a long time and supposedly need to import high-tech workers.

Why don't we just educate our own people properly in the first place? Perhaps that concept is too simple for our fearless leaders -- or the recognition and money that flows from doing it right the first time is not that impressive?

-- Nina Menart

Sunland

City budget increases

Isn't it amazing that the new budget was approved so quickly by the eager beavers at City Hall. First of all it included the trash fee tax the voters did not get to approve. Did anyone note that Antonio got a whopping $1.9 million increase in the Mayor's Office budget and the City Council got a $6.6 million raise in its budget?

Also it is noted that the city received, among other things, $200 million to cover pensions for city workers. Nothing for roads, sidewalks, streetlights, etc. Hope everyone who voted for Antonio is happy. And this is only his first year in office.

-- Joe McMillin

West Hills

Trash fee increase

In my neighborhood trash collection is Tuesday morning. But, because of the holiday, it usually gets pushed back a day. Well, here it is Friday night, and the trash in this area still hasn't been collected.

I received notification of the trash fee increase Wednesday in the mail. Maybe we should use the increase for trash collectors?

-- Carl Heinrich

North Hollywood

Tell us the rest

Re ``Holden responds'' (Your Opinions, May 30):

I want to thank Nate Holden for bringing to light that there is a ``slush fund'' buried in the city's budget. He also stated that he has firsthand knowledge, that on any given day, eight members of the City Council with the concurrence of the mayor can spend money any way they choose.

Was this true while he was a councilman? Was there a slush fund while he was a councilman? Was there hidden fat in the budget when he was a councilman? Was he one of the eight that may have helped spend money the way the council chose? It would be interesting if Holden would just tell the public where all the slush fund money is ... and encourage the council and mayor to 'fess up to ``sticking it to the public'' again.

-- Gary E. Taylor

Sylmar

Clear difference

Re ``Some see no logic in tax cuts'' (Their Opinions, June 1):

Thomas Sowell states, ``most of the taxes paid by people in income brackets that liberals choose to call `the rich,' though that label would probably come as some surprise to many people in those brackets.'' It occurs to me that if you are called ``the poor,'' you would not be surprised at all.

Perhaps Sowell should suggest to ``the befuddled rich'' that they open their eyes to the plight of all too many in the world around them who, too often, need to choose between paying the utility bill or putting food on the table. This would definitely help them understand the difference.

-- Charlotte Gussin-Root

Tarzana

And report back

Since you are all my employees, I am directing you to see that Laura Chick is put in charge of oversight of the $127 million that will be collected for an additional 1,000 police officers.

Your immediate positive response to this e-mail will save your jobs.

-- Marilyn White-Sedel

Studio City

Lying lips Lay

After his conviction, Kenneth Lay said, ``God is good to his Christian followers, everything will turn out all right for those who love the Lord.'' Throw-up time! How dare this liar and hypocrite talk about loving the Lord. ``Lying lips are abomination to the Lord.'' (Prov. 12:22) Did he ever hear of the Commandments about not taking the Lord's name in vain and not stealing?

He should give away everything he owns to those he robbed of everything, and if he comes out of jail alive, he should work on repenting till the day he dies. Then we can talk about loving the Lord.

-- Christina Sjoblom

West Hills

Church and Holocaust

Re ``Church complicity'' (Public Forum, June 2):

Again an uninformed writer has submitted an anti-Catholic letter in relation to the church's response to the Holocaust. The church could not save the thousands of priests who died in the camps, however in a silent and secretive manner the Catholic Church in Europe saved more than 800,000 Jews from the Nazis.

On Oct. 12, 1945, The World Jewish Conference made a gift of 2 million lire to the Vatican as a token of gratitude. Dr. Raphael Contoni, a hero of Italy's Jewish Assistance Committee, said that many more Jews would have died had it not been for the intervention of Pope Pius XII. On the death of this pope, Israeli U.N. delegate Golda Meir expressed the gratitude of the Jewish people. Moshe Sharett, Israeli's second prime minister, told Pope Pius ``that his first duty was to thank him, and through him, the Catholic Church on behalf of the Jewish public for all they had done to rescue Jews.''

-- Kevin Fitzpatrick 

Northridge

Join me

Re ``Political ad tsunami'' (Your Opinions, June 2):

If you want to stop all the annoying political mailings and phone calls, try registering as an independent and don't give out your phone number. I did this and I get almost no mailings and no phone calls. Your voting is more limited in the primary elections but the lack of mailings and phone calls is worth it.

-- R.J. Johnson

North Hollywood

Political pests

In the last few weeks my privacy has been interrupted four or five times a day by phone calls telling me who, or what, to vote for. I am so fed up with this invasion of privacy that I will become one of those who will no longer vote.

Do they think I can't read the hundred pieces of junk mail I receive on the same topic and they have to call me? No wonder voter apathy runs high. We stopped the telemarketers. What can we do to stop the politicians and their irritating phone calls?

-- Mike Miles

Granada Hills

Is it too much to ask?

Re ``Pretty good pay'' (Your Opinions, June 1):

As the husband of a LAUSD teacher, I'd like to enlighten Luis Macias, who believes that teachers make ``Pretty good pay of $39.36 an hour for a baby-sitting job.'' Besides his obvious contempt, he fails to account for the countless (unpaid) hours preparing lessons, correcting homework, parent conferences, PTA meetings, etc.

When you factor that in -- and the $1,000/year my wife spends of her own money on supplies -- her pay averages $16 an hour, roughly what a cocktail waitress makes. Ridiculing teachers while believing they are getting paid too much are the symptoms of the real underlying problem in education: a shortage of public respect and support.

-- Mark Lawrence 

Beverly Hills 

Exit exam

At this time of year high schools are bracing for graduation exercises. There are formalities, ceremonies, parties, perhaps a prom, and of course now exit exams.

If everyone who finished high school passed the exit exams, then what value does the exam have? Even a few highly motivated students fail their driving test -- but try again and again. Finishing three or four years of classes with passing grades should qualify for something on paper -- such as the GED or a diploma stamped, ``No exit exam.'' Some ``C-'' students in high school might not be able to pass the exit exam, regardless of repeated tries.

-- Sol Taylor

Sherman Oaks