PUBLIC FORUM.

Assembly Bill 2984

Re ``Electoral system in for a change?'' (Aug. 31):

The Assembly bill that would award California's 55 electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote would disenfranchise California voters. In effect, it would not matter who won the majority vote in this state; the popular vote of the rest of the nation would determine who received our electoral votes.

Why should candidates make an effort to visit a state whose votes would be determined by others and, thus, useless? This bill makes no sense at all.

-- Sharon Maguire

Northridge

Drug-related crimes

Re ``Gangsters' paradise'' (Our Opinions, Aug. 30):

Prohibition creates the gangsters' paradise you decry. If I steal a pound of coffee from you, you might call the police. But if I steal a pound of pot, the law says you must take the law into your own hands. It is this law requiring drug dealers to mete out their own justice that causes drug dealers to mete out their own justice ... hence ``drug-related'' violence.

If we want to get rid of gangs, we have to get rid of the laws that give birth to and nurture them.

-- Peter Wilson 

Simi Valley 

In search of pie

Re ``College aid backed for illegals'' (Aug. 30):

Legislation favoring illegals just keeps rolling out of our state Legislature. The latest is a bill that would allow illegals to apply for and get college aid. At first this appears to be a desirable program to have. But giving it a second look, one becomes aware that there are only a limited amount of funds available for college aid.

By allowing illegals to have access to these funds, citizens and people here legally will be denied aid. The ``College Aid Pie'' is of a limited size. Allowing illegals to have a slice of the college aid pie is a slap in the face to the law-abiding citizens of our state.

-- Ron Ellis

Sun Valley

Big Surprise

Re ```Big day' for Antonio'' (Aug. 30):

It really comes as no surprise that the mayor won his ``battle'' with an all-Democratic Assembly and a covert Democrat in the governor's office. Just one more step in the ``Mexicanization'' of America.

-- James F. Glass

Chatsworth

Hezbollah's rebuilding

Re ``Supporting the troops?'' (Your Opinions, Aug. 18):

I can't see a connection between the reporting of Hezbollah's rebuilding efforts and support or non-support of our troops. Perhaps the perceived rarity of reporting U.S. rebuilding work in Iraq has been a softball treatment of reporting incompetency, looting and profiteering by our well- connected, no-bid, cost-plus contractors, who after three years have left Iraq little better off than under Saddam's rule.

I would bet that Beirut will be up and running before Baghdad. Reporting by our media will really support our troops by speeding their return home.

-- Frank E. Johnson

Hollywood

Sowell so bad

Re ``Observer finds lots to ponder'' (Aug. 31):

Thomas Sowell obviously has a lot going on in his head. He ridicules the legitimate problem of global warming (as confirmed by thousands of scientists worldwide), and passes it off as nothing more than hysteria. He blithely defends Ann Coulter -- who so cruelly called 9-11 widows publicity-seeking witches -- as just a modern-day Dorothy Parker.

And he insultingly implies that people who vote for Democrats don't care about keeping their children safe from terrorists. I'd go on about his irrational ramblings, but I'm nauseous that someone of his ilk could actually be taken seriously.

-- Mike Laskavy

Oak Park

Bush movie

British television is airing a movie that shows the assassination of President Bush while in real life he is still in office. Can you imagine if people in the United States produced a movie where someone shot and killed Queen Elizabeth or Prince Charles while they are still alive?

-- R.J. Johnson

North Hollywood