PUBLIC FORUM.

Pathetic joke

Re ``Council flip-flops on payoff'' (Nov. 30):

Our former lousy police chief and current lousy Councilman Bernard Parks states, ``You may not choose to be a racist. You may not want to be a racist. It's how it's perceived that was important to understand.'' That's right, Bernard, and perception is a choice. (Firefighter Tennie) Pierce chose to perceive it as bigotry because that choice could possibly supplement his retirement.

Current lousy Councilwoman Jan Perry states, ``We can't decide what to do with a person's life based on what a talk show says.'' That's right, Jan, but, as an elected official representative of ``We the people,'' you need to pay attention to the fact that 99 percent of the citizens of this city feel this payoff of $2.7 million is a pathetic joke. Wake up.

-- Bob Budworth

Woodland Hills

Celebrate this

Re ``Council flip-flops on payoff'' (Nov. 30):

So, Councilman Dennis (I'll vote for it if it is good for me, otherwise, forget it) Zine persuaded the City Council to reverse the settlement for Fireman Tennie Pierce. I hope that Zine hosts a meal consisting of champagne and a dish of dog food to celebrate. Let's see how many council members attend.

-- Charlotte Gussin-Root

Tarzana

Boot camp for them

Re ``Council flip-flops on payoff'' (Nov. 30):

Regarding the dog food incident, and the ridiculous legal claim, I strongly believe the whole Fire Department personnel should go through basic military training to inculcate discipline. The obvious selfish demand from the ``nonwhite'' (ethnicity is irrelevant to idiocy) fireman and his attorney should not be honored with a court trial. To do so would amount to abuse of process.

As a former military officer, I strongly believe the Fire Department should do its best in selecting men for the job, and not oversized old boys who lack anything to do most of their overpaid time and recur to mischief. Some pay should be forfeited from all these boys. By the way, I tasted dog food when I was a kid (a real one), and it is similar to corned beef hash.

-- Michael A. Campos

West Hills

The lesson here

Re ``Beaten man gets cash from city'' (Briefly, Nov. 29):

Stanley Miller was a convicted felon, on parole, when he carjacked a vehicle (at gunpoint), led police on a high-speed chase for 30 minutes before crashing the car, and running about 100 yards down a flood channel. The police attempted to take him into custody and struck him several times with their flashlights.

Now the L.A. City Council awards him $450,000. After the lawyer's cut, that should leave Stanley with about $270,000. I've gone about my life all wrong. I thought if you went to college, stayed out of trouble, and got a job, you could earn a living and support your family. I now realize the best way to make money is to commit a crime, have the cops chase you, resist arrest, and then sue the city.

-- Paul Brennan 

Saugus

County mayor

Re ``Janssen responds'' (Your Opinions, Nov. 30):

I would like to thank David Janssen for giving us such a perfect example of the convoluted and deceptive mind-set of those who spend their life feeding at the public trough of elected/appointed employees. A mayor? How about spelling out the mayor's salary that would be, without exaggeration, about five to seven times more than the average Angeleno's income (not counting huge retirement benefits).

How about spelling out the size and cost of this ``mayor's'' staff, the size and cost of this ``mayor's'' offices, overhead, etc.? In other words, this ``mayor'' would no doubt cost Angelenos in the millions of dollars. And for what? So he can hop on a plane with Villaraigosa and jet off to China, New York and who knows where?

-- Patrick Weir

Chatsworth

Plan B pill

Re ``Plan B now over the counter'' (Nov. 29):

The concern shouldn't just be that the spread of STDs may rise, with Plan B being available over the counter for anyone over the age of 18, the availability for teens even younger to have access to the pill is greater as well.

There are no requirements for buying this pill other than showing proof of age, which doesn't prevent people buying it for girls who are younger than 18. What about frequency? How often can a person buy this pill? At least when the pill was only available through prescription, the girl had someone to talk to about the side effects of the pill, the consequences of unprotected sex.

-- Alisa Post

Los Angeles

Plan B counseling

Re ``Plan B now over the counter'' (Nov. 29):

It's troublesome that any pharmacist responsible for dispensing Plan B over the counter could think that use of an emergency contraceptive could lead to an increase in STDs among young people. All significant scientific research has shown the opposite: over-the-counter availability of Plan B does not increase disease or risky sexual behavior among adolescent or adult women.

It's common sense that preventive measures do not cause what they prevent. We don't blame women with extinguishers for kitchen fires. Emergency contraception is no different. The age restriction placed on Plan B's over-the-counter status betrays a misunderstanding of research and mistrust of women. For both reasons, Planned Parenthood provides confidential medical care and counseling on Plan B, and prescribes it to women of all ages.

-- Martha Swiller 

Executive vice president

Planned Parenthood Los Angeles

Stupid L.A. voters

Re ``Districts key issue in Capitol'' (Their Opinions, Nov. 28):

In regard to the Dan Walters column, I suggest that Walters review his polls. His expressed opinion that voters are reluctant to loosen term limits is certainly not true of voters in Los Angeles (and probably elsewhere) who voted to extend the terms of the overpaid City Council.

All that is necessary to fool the voters is to indicate that such a measure is intended to impose term limits (which already existed) and find a judge willing to say that such ballot language is acceptable. Voters educated in the public school system are generally unable to distinguish this language from the facts.

-- Max Yost

Northridge

Net connected

Re ``5th of parents say kids staying on Net too long'' (Nov. 29):

Kids are too connected with technology that claims to connect people, when in reality we are becoming more unconnected and spending more time in our own worlds.

Families used to spend nights together, now our children are attached to the computer for hours on end. We have become more unaware of our surroundings than ever before. Children and adults alike need to take the phones off their ears and eyes off the computer and spend more time with those who care most about them.

-- Shannon Hilton

Castaic

Sniffling and blaming

I'm a SAG-AFTRA union member for many years. Unions can be a good thing or they can be filled with corruption. In L.A., we have a very strong and active fireman's union. My question is, What are they doing about the hazing? What are they doing to discipline the behavior of their members? What is their responsibility?

When a SAG member commits a breach of the rules of conduct, the culprit is brought before the SAG board and disciplined. We do not run sniffling or blaming the management of the production company for the behavior of our members. Let the fireman's union do its job. Let Chief Bill Bamattre, who is not only a hard-working thoughtful person but is a good solid leader, do his job.

-- Jean Fleming

Studio City