PUBLIC FORUM.

Bond issues

Looking at Tuesday's election results, I concluded that the electorate misunderstands the term ``bond issue.'' Voters must think it means we allow politicians to walk into the forest and pick free money off the trees.

-- James Perry Jaster

West Hills

Free candy

The political candy store was open in Los Angeles on Election Day, and all the something-for-nothing people filled their respective faces, passing every spending proposition.

-- Lawrence A. Calabro

Northridge

Nancy Pelosi

Re ``Dems seize House'' (Nov. 8):

The scariest thing about the midterm election is that Nancy Pelosi is only two heartbeats away from being president of the United States. For our sake, I hope President George W. Bush and Vice President Cheney never ride on the same plane or in the same car together.

-- Paul Brennan 

Saugus

Message is clear

Re ``Dems seize House'' (Nov. 8):

We the people have spoken. This election is a big warning to all politicians -- Democrats, Republicans, Independents and others. We are tired of your arrogant attitudes. We will vote you out of office if you don't listen to our needs.

-- Angela Morgan

Van Nuys

GOP opportunity

Re ``Dems seize House'' (Nov. 8):

As a longtime GOP activist, I saw this coming. First, the House leaders failed to take decisive action on the corrupt members. Second, and really most importantly, they strayed too far from the party's principles. They indulged in pork-barrel politics and spent like drunken Democrats.

While the war in Iraq was an important factor, one must remember that Democrats also voted to go to war in Iraq. This is where the GOP has an opportunity. The Democrats have to share in the conduct of the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism in general. They have to prove to the American people that they can be just as tough as the Republicans, if not tougher, in the War on Terror. If they drop the ball on that, it's all over.

-- Armand Vaquer

Tarzana

Proposition 85

Why stop at abortion? Maybe next election we can vote on getting rid of parental notification for dispensing Tylenol. No, wait a minute -- that may be too radical.

-- Kelly A. Dunnahoo

Saugus

Jessica's boondoggle 

Most voters must have failed to read the literature on Jessica's Law, Proposition 83. This cumbersome ``feel-good'' law will have dreadful consequences for many good citizens, outweighing any benefits. It does not differentiate among levels of offense, and it is open to being retroactive. A hypothetical nursing home patient, a productive good citizen all his life, will be forced to wear this GPS thing because he met up with a 17-year-old girl when he was 18 and on shore leave during World War II.

Further, the taxpayers will have to pay for these GPS devices since many of the offenders can't. Maybe the American Civil Liberties Union could do something good for once in history by suing this one to death.

-- Charles L. Murray

Santa Clarita 

Not a privilege

While voting, George W. Bush once again got it wrong. He urged America's citizens to vote because ``voting is a privilege.'' Wrong. Voting is not a privilege in the United States; voting is a right guaranteed by the Constitution.

One privilege is obeying the rules, paying your money, passing a test and being granted a driver's license. Driving is a privilege, not a right.

-- Sandy Sand

West Hills

Days after

When my father jumped ship and voted for Jimmy Carter because of the Nixon scandal, we kids, who were raised pretty conservative, stayed the course and voted Republican. For the next four years all we heard was our father complaining about Carter: ``That SOB did this'' and ``That SOB did that.'' And, of course, we reminded him, ``We told you so.''

Here we are again. Outraged at the Republicans because of what the president and the rest of the mad hatters did, many were going to vote for the Democrats. Well, I don't mind waiting to find out what happens next. I know my taxes are going up because the Democrats want that. I know they want us out of Iraq, as they wanted us out of Vietnam, so that they can make the military look bad.

-- Wynne Ritch

Granada Hills

A sense of urgency

Re ``LACC district chancellor set to retire'' (Nov. 7):

A year ago, after spending loads of money on a sham of an interview process, the Los Angeles Community College District board members chose their favorite son Darroch ``Rocky'' Young to fill the post. No kidding. Now he's quitting after one year, and now the big bucks come out again for another public display and national search to prove that the LACC knows what it is doing. Who runs that mixed-up show?

In relation to the remainder of his chancellorship, ``The Rock'' said, ``Now I feel a certain urgency. Great, Rock, but where was the urgency over the past 12 months?

-- Joel Greenman

Woodland Hills

Nice and easy

Re ``Easy does it'' (Your Opinions, Nov. 6):

Responding to Dick Denne's letter, I thought name-calling stopped at grade school. Calling people stupid is rather childish, if you ask me.

But since we are on the subject, I guess some of the Democrats must be considered stupid by Denne, because they were offended by John Kerry's comment and suggested that he apologize for it. I remember an old saying: ``If you can't say anything nice about someone, don't say anything at all.''

-- Rebecca Butler

Sunland

Short-term expense

Re ``Hidden costs,'' Ray Keesler's letter on the cost of the shuttle ride to Griffith Park (Your Opinions, Nov. 8):

It is true that $8 for adults and $4 for children and elderly is high, but it is only for a short time during the reopening. I was there on Saturday, as were many other people, including many children. So I would say the cost is not keeping people from visiting.

Once the reopening is over, people will be able to drive up, park and visit for free again -- which means everybody will be able to visit. So I don't really think the cost for a short time is out of the question.

-- Howard Barr

Valley Village

What we don't have

Re ``Mayor calling for cuts'' (Nov. 8):

Well, as we all knew, our leaders are not leading by example. The mayor and all his partners in crime just gave themselves a great big raise, and they hired this new guy in the Los Angeles Unified School District at $300,000 a year, plus benefits.

But now they are asking every department in the city to cut down on its budget, which means a cut in services, which is stupid because we are down to almost no services already. How can you take away from what you don't have? Better try something else, Antonio.

-- Joe Pinoy Lozano

Mission Hills

Births on U.S. soil

Re ``Dumb and dangerous'' (Nov. 6):

Doesn't the writer realize that the majority of these illegal immigrant pregnant women cross the border with the express intent of having their offspring delivered on U.S. soil to take advantage of our misplaced generosity?

American citizens are facing hard times in receiving adequate medical treatment due to the scarcity of funds. We cannot afford to take care of the children whose unfortunate parents come from countries with corrupt and uncaring governments that encourage their citizens to risk their lives to illegally cross over to the United States. I know it's not the fault of these children that their parents are illegal immigrants, but then again, it's not our fault, either.

-- Marisa Echaurren de Miranda

Northridge