PUBLIC FORUM.

We're suckers

Re ``No more cops for the Valley'' (Nov. 10):

What suckers we are. I guess the money that the Valley paid in the new 155 percent increase in trash taxes must have paid for the mayor's trip to the Far East. He told us that money was to hire new cops for the whole city. Isn't that also the Valley? Check your map; maybe we are free! Free at last? Only a dream? No, no, no new cops for the Valley. Where are our trash tax refunds then, mayor?

Is this what they meant when the politicians told the Valley if we didn't secede from L.A., they would make sure we were treated fairly? We keep falling for that lie every time. More Valley taxes, but no new Valley cops. How long are we going to let them do this to us? Remember this when the next vote for splitting it up comes down for your choice.

-- William Conroy

Northridge

5 percent cuts

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

Mayor Villaraigosa must be battling schizophrenia if after getting more a month for trash pickup from L.A.'s elderly he now wants a 5 percent cutback in police.

Yes, L.A. is a safe haven -- for gangs and illegals -- not for its citizen residents.

-- Thomas Wierzbicki

Van Nuys

Right and wrong

Re ``O.J. book on slayings sparks outrage'' (Nov. 16):

Has it truly come to this? Is a man that most consider to be the murderer of his ex-wife and another innocent victim coming out with a book on how he ``would have done it''? And an interview on Fox TV.

Shame on anyone who purchases his confession! Shame on Fox for producing such trash and shame on us as a society to allow this absolute mockery of our judicial system to happen. What are we teaching our children about right and wrong?

-- Jeff Becher

Granada Hills

Imposed pay level

Re ``Council to widen pay law'' (Nov. 16):

The most important aspect of having a job with a living wage is that there is actually a job. Because of work-hour limitations in Europe, the unemployment rate is much higher than in the United States. Also, when wages are artificially increased, more qualified workers will replace people who will have a more difficult time getting a new job. Those are the consequences that the L.A. City Council is imposing on the Century Boulevard hotels (and their employees) near LAX. Compared to the imposed living wage, the reduction in business license tax is chump change.

Of course, neighboring cities (El Segundo, Culver City, etc.) will be glad, and the Century Boulevard hotels can be converted to needed condominiums.

-- Deborah L. Viereck

Sherman Oaks

That greedy?

Re ``Council to widen pay law'' (Nov. 16):

I see the hotels, and a few council members, are balking at giving the working class more money. I suppose their coffers are going to suffer the most due to the fact the working class never earns enough to live, let alone survive, and also the hotels may outsource to cheaper companies for cleaning staff.

Are they really that greedy that they can't give the workingmen and -women their fair share? Bah, humbug on all you Scrooges in the industry and to the voting members!

-- John C. Weaver

Palmdale

Job losses at stake

Re ``Council to widen pay law'' (Nov. 16):

Just what does the L.A. City Council think they are accomplishing by setting wage standards on the LAX hotel industry? Do they think that more hotel operators will want to move onto Century Boulevard and pay higher employer costs? The fact is that even if cities did have the legal authority to set wage standards on the private sector, such ordinances cost the city jobs and tax revenues in the long run.

There is nothing to prevent the hotels from outsourcing their current in-house services such as cleaning, maintenance, bell services, restaurant services, etc., to private companies based in Glendale, Burbank or other incorporated cities at lower costs, thereby creating job losses and revenue losses for the city of L.A. Today the council is setting wage standards on LAX-area hotels. Tomorrow it could be restaurants on Ventura Boulevard or body shops on Sepulveda. Where does it stop?

-- Gregory N. Lippe

Vice-chair

Valley Industry and Commerce Association

Flu shots

Re ``Shipping slow for flu shots'' (Nov. 14):

When vaccine supply is scarce, those who are left out are the fortunate. In examining the process and formula for making vaccines, we find they contain poisons such as glycerine, carbolic acid, formaldehyde, mercury derivatives, and the toxic pus of diseased animals, humans or eggs.

The so-called ``flu season'' begins precisely at the time of year when people are overeating and consuming large amounts of processed and refined sugar and flour. Trans fats and alcohol are also immuno-depressive and disease-producing. There is no magic pill or injection that can erase the damage done by the typical American diet and the ignoring/ignorance of the rules of health.

-- Sandra Bell

Tarzana

Video-game campout

Re ``Video game fans stalk systems'' (Business, Nov. 16):

I love video games, but there is something seriously wrong with peoples' values if they're camping out waiting for the privilege of spending hundreds of (I'm assuming hard-earned) dollars on a game system that will no doubt be yard-sale fodder in a couple of years.

Are these people sacrificing time from their jobs and families to actually sleep in parking lots? Or is this just some crazy experiment and they wanted to see what it might be like to be one of the 20 million homeless in our country? No. They are having picnics in front of the stores. I hope these folks will re-evaluate their lives, because right now they look extremely foolish, selfish and are representative of the worst aspects of consumerism.

-- Howard Barr

Burbank

Expert witness?

I was thoroughly disgusted at the Nov. 14 Local View ``Video only tells half the story'' by Greg Meyer. Although we expect a biased opinion in the opinion pages, we shouldn't have to read an opinion containing an outright lie.

Meyer's very first argument, that excessive force wasn't used, surrounds the use of a cell phone. I saw the young lady who filmed the outrageous use of force against William Cardenas, and she did not use a cell phone. She used a high-quality digital camera -- she was photographing her kittens when this incident occurred. He should get his facts straight before spouting off that he is ``an expert witness.''

-- David Dills

Van Nuys

Almost all women

Re ``Her own fault'' (Your Opinions, Nov. 15):

I am incensed at the chauvinistic comment by Elizabeth Potter regarding the harassment of a female firefighter. Does she not realize that almost all women have this type of problem just trying to be women?

As a female having spent 30 years in the workplace in female-type jobs, I can tell you it doesn't matter where you work, what kind of work you do or how you try to avoid it; if you're at all attractive, you will receive unwanted overtures from many men, and even other women. These often are of such an offensive sexual nature or frequency to definitely be harassment. It would be interesting to know why Potter (I am assuming Elizabeth is a woman) never had this problem that the rest of us have.

-- Jacque Lamishaw

Winnetka