PUBLIC FORUM.

Mirror of the city

Re ``Ghost traffic haunts the 101'' (June 27):

Tell me something we don't all know and live through every day. No matter where you are in our beautiful city of Los Angeles, the realities are that our freeway systems and other roadways were never designed to hold the volume of vehicles that we as motorists require of them, especially during peak commute times.

After the commute hours and all of the volume flushes out -- when everyone is at work or gone home for the evening -- the roadways are the ``ghost town'' rife with speeders failing to do the right thing when our Los Angeles Police Department is not looking.

Is there a solution? The problem has been and will always be a part of the city of Los Angeles.

-- Mark R. Cronin

Canyon Country

It should be a crime

Re ``Governor gets 18 percent raise'' (June 24):

Let's get this straight, because I was mugged falling down the rabbit hole and through the looking glass: State politicos have been given -- clearly have not earned -- an obscene pay hike by an ``independent compensation commission,'' obviously larded with corporate boardroom stooges who, with shameless Byzantine dementia, defend the reward for (charitably) egregious performance.

So the world's sixth-biggest economy is so flush and well-managed that ``Kalifornia'' can afford performances that would be deserving of demotion, sacking or, in some societies, execution. The only ``commission'' here is of a crime.

-- Gary W. Dolgin

Santa Monica 

Buffett's death tax

Re ``Better life for poor Buffett's top focus'' (June 27):

Looking at the details of the Warren Buffett ``donation'' to The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, I note that he also provided one-half million shares to each of three other foundations. The current share value is more than $90,000 each.

Do the math. Each of his children is the head of one foundation. These foundations are required to pay out a percentage each year. If managed properly, the principal still continues to grow. Taxes are never paid on the original estate. The government has no say in where the money is spent. Really rich people still pay no inheritance taxes.

And probably never will.

-- Henry David

Calabasas

The truth published

Re ```Disorders' erode responsibility'' (Viewpoint, June 25):

It is so refreshing to see the truth published about the psychiatric and drug industries. There is a formula for how to destroy a civilization in one easy step: Convince everybody that he or she is a victim. Psychiatry has been pushing this lie for decades. Fortunately most people don't buy it. As long as we know we are responsible for our actions and act responsibly, we can continue as a strong and vibrant civilization. When that goes, we are gone.

-- Randall Wise

Glendale

Deadly parking

Re ``Neighbors' dispute turns deadly'' (June 27):

For some Valley residents, parking in front of their own home has become rare at best. My dad's street in Van Nuys -- with the house I grew up in -- has become a virtual parking lot for the apartment dwellers a block away on Vanowen. They block driveways, park in red zones, park next to fire plugs and double-park. There is truly a flagrant abuse of parking laws. On trash day they shuffle the barrels so they have room to park. It's no wonder tempers flare.

Our city fathers, with their come-one, come-all policy, have created a real problem. Ten people living in a one-bedroom apartment is the sole cause, and something needs to be done about it.

-- Bob Mauch

North Hills

Biodiesel explained

Re ``Fueling their cars without a gas pump'' (June 26):

I wish to clarify a popular misunderstanding regarding biodiesel and vegetable oil fuels. Biodiesel is a manufactured, refined product with vegetable oil components and has the viscosity of regular diesel. It will work in most any unmodified diesel engine. Biodiesel is now available at some gas stations, and it can be homemade with proper equipment.

But what Joe Broderick did in his Volkswagen and what I have done in my Toyota is called a waste vegetable oil conversion or WVO. It requires modifications, including a second fuel tank with a heater. Waste vegetable oil can be burned safely only in some diesel engines.

Either is an honorable way to fight petroleum dependence.

-- Charles L. Murray

Santa Clarita 

Pacoima editorial

Re ``Remembering Pacoima'' (Our Opinions, June 21):

I want to express my disappointment with the Daily News' characterization of Pacoima in your editorial. It could not be further from truth. Evidence of improvement is everywhere, and the transportation-planning grant is only the most recent example.

The third phase of neighborhood streetlights in Pacoima was also recently approved, and it will bring a total of $1.8 million to offset the cost otherwise placed on homeowners. With the opening of the Mission Area Police Station, the Foothill Division in Pacoima now has a reduced coverage area; as a result, the police service throughout the Northeast Valley has improved. Foothill Division has now become the safest division in the city.

In my opinion, with the leadership of Alex Padilla and the work of his staff, the city has kept its promises and is getting things done.

-- Edwin Ramirez

President

Pacoima Neighborhoood Council

Rational judgment

Re ``U.S. troops charged in new killing'' (June 22):

The White House and the secretary of defense should receive letters from each of us asking for a rational judgment for the seven battle-trained servicemen in the brig at Camp Pendleton who are charged with killing someone while looking for insurgents.

According to retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the purpose of war is to kill people and break things. These men were assigned to their missions by high-ranking superiors. They were doing their jobs. Where are the current Gen. Pershings and Gen. Pattons of other wars who stood by their men against the enemy?

-- Shirley A. Minser

Eagle Rock

LAUSD takeover

I am concerned about our newly elected mayor. He has enough problems with Los Angeles city government that need resolution and does not need to add anything more to his growing list of things he wants to fix.

The Los Angeles Unified School District is composed of more than the city of Los Angeles, and I believe that this should be voted on by the voters in those cities who will bear the cost of the change. Neither the governor nor our Legislature should be making this decision for us. The voters should be making this decision.

-- Miles Hodge

West Hills

Trip down Route 66

Re ``The Mother Road'' (June 25):

Thank you for the informative and memory-provoking article about Route 66. Yes, my family was one of the many who took ``66'' to the Midwest each summer to visit family. We got some kicks on Route 66.

It is good that there are a few remnants of the original businesses, still along Foothill, etc., and thanks for telling us that the tepee motel is back in business. What a memory trip!

-- Terri Andrews

Castaic

What is rich?

Re ``Fiscally reckless'' (Our opinions, June 26):

Would you please explain what is unreasonable about allowing people to pass on to their children wealth that they have earned and already paid taxes on? While I am asking questions, I have a few more. I often hear complaints that the rich don't pay their fair share of taxes. Would somebody please define: What is rich? What is `fair share'?

-- James Mulvihill

Simi Valley