PUBLIC FORUM.

Money and power

Re ``Valley talks LAUSD reform'' (Aug. 4):

Pardon my skepticism toward the mayor taking over LAUSD, but wasn't that Antonio Villaraigosa I saw in those Yes on 82 ads? Proposition 82 was a bit of ``Feel good about voting for it; never mind the consequences'' would-be legislation that never should have been on the ballot. Not only ill-conceived, but corruptly so, it was presented as ``For the Children'' when it was plainly an attack on them and the principles they should be learning.

Is the mayor stupid? Does he think we are? Insulting our intelligence is an interesting way to promote education reform. But then it's not about education. Or the children. It is about money and power.

-- Edward Bowers

Sherman Oaks

Chimp's death

Re ``L.A. Zoo's failed fight to save chimp recalled'' (Aug. 3):

Since when did the inmates start running the asylum at the Los Angeles Zoo? I am not referring to the animals -- who are suffering as the innocent victims of bureaucratic egotism and incompetence and callous veterinary bungling. From the biologically inadequate sea lion exhibit -- to the ongoing elephant tragedy -- and now a chimp that dies in agony from a rattlesnake bite without appropriate medical help -- when will this end?

I don't accept the lame excuse about horse serum -- if rattlesnakes are common in Griffith Park, why were immediate response measures not in place for such an eventuality?

-- Malathi Ramji

Encino

Slackers at the top

Re ``Our youths are spoiled about draft'' (Their Opinions, Aug. 3):

So Thomas Sowell faults academia, the media, Congress, and consumers for not having military experience and therefore not understanding the demands on the people we send into battle.

Interesting he does not apply the same conditions to the people in the current Bush administration. Of course, it would be nice to have leadership to pay attention to those who have had the experience and not dismiss their input because it does not fit a particular agenda.

-- Richard Martin

Burbank

Greuel in Studio City

Re ``No more terms'' (Your Opinions, Aug. 6):

Spot on, Robert Simon. Wendy Greuel has impacted our Studio City neighborhood also. She slam-dunked the expansion of Oakwood Elementary School over the neighbors' concerns. It's been a traffic nightmare for years in the Woodbridge Park area, which the school adjoins, and now the plan is to double the enrollment of the school without mitigating any of the traffic woes we have already.

The condominium developments on Moorpark Street are completely out of control. Did anyone tell Greuel that there's no new roads to handle the amount of congestion she's bringing to this area? One last point. We homeowners didn't know when we bought our homes that we had to genuflect to the ``Studio City Residents Association'' in order to get anything done in our neighborhood or get through to Greuel's office.

-- Steve Page

Studio City

Liberal screed 

Re ``View from the Valley'' cartoon (Aug. 4):

To compare captured terrorists from the Middle East to Cuban citizens is typical liberal screed, relying on the idea that hatred for President Bush is sufficient to hide the real facts.

First of all, there is no reality to the statement that ``... all of Cuba will be free.'' Cuba will sink further into the abyss of tin-pot dictatorships before the current masters of the Cuban people give up their positions and power. Two, no detainee in Guantanamo resembles the character drawn, who is kneeling like Daniel Pearl (one of your own) prior to being beheaded on television.

-- Richard Clark

Simi Valley

John Wooden P.O.

Whose brilliant idea was it to rename the Reseda post the ``John Wooden Post Office?'' I have lived in Reseda for 45 years and I was not informed of this before reading it in your paper. Since he is not or has never been (to my knowledge) a Reseda resident, why rename our post office after him?

If they want to honor him, they should name a basketball arena or a street in Encino after him, not a federal post office. If this trend is to continue, are we to see the Santa Ana post office renamed after Mickey Mouse?

-- Phyllis Lipman

Reseda

Just an example

Re ``Cheap shot'' (You Opinions, Aug. 6):

I apologize if Victor Ordonez thinks I was blasting immigrants. I am not against immigrants. My grandfather was one. I am against illegal immigration. As I am against all things illegal. I am trying to get from our government an explanation of illegal, and why some things that are illegal are ignored or brushed aside and others can cause people fines or jail time.

I used the basketball hoops as an example. Like if someone shoplifts, it is illegal and they go to jail, but if someone is in this country illegally they can get free services that are paid for by our taxes. Where is the equity?

-- Betty Jenkins

Chatsworth

Unpleasant answer

From infancy, I remember my parents were very prejudiced against black people. My father especially would say very nasty things about them. Even as a young child I knew he was wrong but I know his words will always be imprinted in my mind, no matter how often I push them out.

Mel Gibson's father was revealed as a bigoted nut during ``The Passion of the Christ'' flap. So the question is, If I got drunk enough, would I ever repeat out loud ugly words I don't even believe to anyone? Having grown up under a father like mine and Mel's might give me an unpleasant answer.

-- Kathryn Durfee

Agoura

Potent combination

Re ``Gibson's sincerity'' (Your Opinions, Aug. 6):

``Brainpower'' alone is by no means an omen for success, but brainpower coupled with an extraordinary hard-edged egotism is a potent combination in getting one where one wants to be. The mitigating element here might well be a genuineness of intent to achieve that which is good.

-- Stephen Pettine

Canoga Park

About Mel Gibson

He who is without sin, cast the first stone -- enough said.

-- Mary Eisenhauer

Northridge

Israeli stoicism 

Israel must stand up to world resentment to survive. Take the cease-fire; does anyone really expect Hezbollah to stop firing rockets at Israeli cities? Even when Hezbollah and Hamas agree to cease-fires, they never honor them, but does Europe hold them accountable? No.

Europe complains that Israel is overreacting, but short of destroying Hezbollah fighters and supply lines (airport, highways, bridges), how can Israel stop Hezbollah fire-bombing? Does the world blame Hezbollah for deliberately firing and storing its rockets among civilians? No. In ``Arab-speak,'' ending Israeli ``occupation'' means Israeli annihilation. Otherwise, why did they terrorize Israel before the '67 war, when there was no occupation?

-- Rueben Gordon

North Hollywood

August 6

On Aug. 6, 61 years ago Sunday, President Harry Truman ordered the atomic bomb dropped on Japan. Thousands died. But because of it, the war ended early and hundreds of thousands, maybe over a million, lives were saved. With what's going on in the world today ... makes you think, doesn't it?

-- David Hall

Winnetka

And the two soldiers?

Politicians in Syria have said that all Israeli troops must be out of Lebanon before there can be a cease-fire. Does this include the two Israeli soldiers Hezbollah kidnapped and took to Lebanon? Just asking.

-- R.J. Johnson

North Hollywood