PUBLIC FORUM.

English immersion

Re ``Delgadillo says adios to council furor, makes language trip'' (Tipoff, Dec. 4):

Wow, Rocky Delgadillo has to go to Mexico to learn Spanish for his constituents. I remember when I was a little boy they put soap in your mouth for speaking Spanish.

How about your constituents learning English, because anyway you cut it, the money used for the trip came from taxpayers. If Rocky were more involved in prosecuting gangsters, he could learn the Spanish he needs from them. Just ask them, Rocky, they will help you.

-- Joe Pinoy Lozano

Mission Hills

Students not here

Re ``Good neighbors'' (Our Opinions, Nov. 30):

The Granada Hills community has opposed building a high school on the hospital site for three reasons. There is a dire need for emergency-room services in the North Valley. Holy Cross and Northridge hospitals often have to close their doors and redirect emergency-room patients, putting lives at risk.

Building a high school on Balboa will cause traffic and parking problems that LAUSD cannot mitigate. And lastly, the seats are not needed in Granada Hills. Six new elementary and middle schools are planned for Arleta, North Hills and Panorama City. That is where the students reside, and that is where the seats should be built.

-- Dave Beauvais 

President

Old Granada Hills Residents' Group

Suzie Pena tragedy

Re ``Suzie Pena tragedy'' (Our Opinions, Dec. 1):

Your editorial on Suzie Pena was excellent. The only problem is that it should have been on the front page for all to see -- especially Pena's family.

It's disgusting to watch the family cry and whimper on TV about how they've been wronged by the LAPD. All they care about is a free ride in the form of a city payout -- like so many before them. Unfortunately, the city of Los Angeles has set a precedent of paying criminals' families off -- making it easier for the Pena family to cry wolf.

-- Lisa Kaul

Santa Clarita

Big dog goes unfed

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

Finally, some members of the City Council got it right. Tennie Pierce doesn't deserve a nickel for what happened to him. What goes around comes around, karma, eye for an eye and all of that. Pranks, or ``turds,'' as they are affectionately known on the department, are endemic to the job. They have been around forever and will remain regardless of the chief's or mayor's orders.

Instead of paying off like a loose slot machine, the city should just allow it and tell the so-called victims to toughen up. If someone's feelings get hurt, too bad. Also, if there is this somehow negative connection between canines and blacks why was Pierce referring to himself as ``Big Dog?'' Ridiculous.

-- Bob Witherspoon

LAFD, retired

Simi Valley

It ain't hay

So, ``Big Dog'' Tennie Pierce barks ``racism'' because his fellow pranksters fed him dog food. Would he be chirping ``racism'' had he gone by ``big bird,'' and they fed him birdseed? It would appear that feeding him dog food had to do with the macho nickname he enjoyed when it suited him.

Now the ``big bull'' is hungry to feed at the public trough -- big time, and that ain't hay.

-- Vic LeBreton

West Hills

Energy threat

George Bush's energy secretary has chosen former Exxon CEO Lee Raymond to lead an influential study on America's energy future. He's the guy who says global warming isn't a threat but renewable energy is (to their profits?).

So this lame-duck president continues to reward his buddies in the petroleum industry to the detriment of our climate, health, national security, and our grandchildren's very survival here on earth.

-- Jane Gordon

Van Nuys