PUBLIC FORUM.

The people's rights

Re "P.R. firm plans blitz for Home Depot site" (July 26):

The people of California vote for legalized marijuana for the sick and the federal government refuses to recognize it; the residents of Sunland-Tujunga say no to a Home Depot and the city says "too bad." Is it too late for the people to stand up and get their rights back?

-- Marty Klein 

North Hollywood

One person, one vote

Re "So who gets say in L.A.?" (July 9):

Neighborhood councils will not be taken seriously until registered voters, as defined by the state, elect their boards. That "stakeholder" definition is good enough for City Council members; it should be good enough for neighborhood councils. The current and proposed definition of stakeholder allows people to vote in, and even sit on the boards of, multiple neighborhood councils. Whatever happened to one person, one vote?

The 912 Commission's "cure" for board takeovers, partitioning boards into stakeholder categories, causes voter confusion and poor turnout. It also often results in some seats remaining unfilled or being won with a single vote.

-- Clara Woll

Chatsworth

Suspected burglar

Re "UCLA receivers coach arrested by LAPD" (Sports, July 26" (July 26):

I am very disappointed to read about the arrest of UCLA Coach Eric Scott for burglary. I have been a UCLA fan since 1967, and I regret to say Scott failed UCLA when he chose not to disclose his arrest-and-conviction history during the employment-application process.

Such an ethical lapse is reason enough for his firing. UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero should do the right thing and terminate Scott's contract immediately.

-- David Cervantes

La Crescenta

$1 trillion value

Re "County property values top $1 trillion" (July 10):

When you see the graffiti on the walls, drive on the broken-up roads to the hospitals bursting at the seams and your children fail in the LAUSD schools, stop for a minute when you get the trash-fee increase, or the notice to replace your sidewalk from the city of L.A. How can the highest-paid city council with all the expensive lawsuits and welcoming more with their legislation, and scandals, manage so badly?

The L.A. County tax assessor tells us the tax roll went up to $1 trillion after a $88 billion increase this year and a further $94 billion increase the year before. Could it be the high salaries of the best-paid elected officials in the country?

-- Brian Paul 

West Los Angeles 

Locking up Lindsay

Re "Brat" (July 25):

I wrote several letters against the harsh treatment of Paris Hilton. Lindsay Lohan is a horse of a different color. This young girl is in serious self-destruct mode. As with the Paris letters, I disclose that I speak from experience. I spent time in a Los Angeles lockup myself. Lindsay needs a dose of this harsh reality before she kills herself or someone else.

-- Daniel Houy

Burbank

Iraq is Bush's

Re "View From the Valley) (July 24):

It's obvious that Patrick O'Connor is a member of the 25 percent of Americans who don't much care about America, only their Republican "team." Although there are always people in both political parties who need skewering, it must be tough for you right now to close your eyes to what's going on and find something to "pin the tail on the donkey."

But Iraq? Iraq was, is and always will be the sole fault of the Bush administration, which "fudged" us into war. Immigration? Whether the legislation was bad or good, the Republican president pushed for a bill that was supported by Democrats. And health care? Now, there you're half right. We will likely never get the universal health care we deserve because certain members of both parties believe more in their right to make money than in the right for everyone to have access to a doctor.

-- Patrick Tomcheck

Culver City

Parliament vacation

The Iraqi parliament decides to take a monthlong vacation in August, while our soldiers are dying there? Where are the expressions of outrage by our Congress and president at their lack of commitment and sense of urgency to solving their problems? And why are we so concerned about them, if they aren't?

-- Harvey Seltzer

Woodland Hills

Sowell's facts wrong

Re "Is U.S. becoming France of past?" (Their Opinions, July 26):

Thomas Sowell says negotiations are bad, and will allow Iran to rise as Germany once did. The Germans did not universally approve of Hitler and not every German was a Nazi (only about 6 percent were card-carrying members). But as a country, they were united in opposing the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles and the resulting ruin of their economy.

So Sowell is right, but has the facts wrong: An occupying foreign power imposes a treaty (Big Oil gets Iraqi crude) that makes the country go broke and creates intolerable living conditions for the people, leaving the door open for a messianic leader (Iran) to create havoc against our interests. We are setting ourselves up for another war by not negotiating. If France had renegotiated Versailles, Hitler would have been swept aside.

-- Jerry P. Concha 

Sylmar

Rest of the story

Re "Very noble" (Your Opinions, July 24):

Regarding a letter ... that stated that the U.S. after war with Mexico "turned only half the country of Mexico back over to its own people" and "lost 500,000 square miles" -- this is all true, but is not the whole story. Texas was already independent from Mexico, rightly or wrongly, beforehand.

As to the rest, our government paid the Mexican government $15 million in compensation at the time. Granted, it was thus a forced sale and therefore not morally right, but it was not out and out thievery. Remember, that would be the equivalent of billions today. (Another $10 million was also paid a decade later for the purchase of southern Arizona.) But I would also like to ask, would our Southwest really be better off today if we were not part of the United States?

-- Mark Bailie 

Arleta

A simple yes

Re "Give him a chance (Your Opinions, July 24):

To John J. Curti, who asks incredulously what poor Cardinal Mahony was to do when he discovered he was surrounded by pedophile priests, "Get rid of them?" The answer is a simple, resolute yes.

That fact that he doesn't know that reveals the true problem in today's church. And by the way, a zygote isn't a child, any more than a fertilized egg is a chicken. Like any business, the church just wants to grow its market share. God, save me from your followers.

-- Mark Lawrence

Los Angeles

Decent people

This is a thank-you letter to the gentleman who stopped to help out me and my family Thursday night. Our car had died at the corner of Foothill and Hubbard in Sylmar, and after several people honked and yelled at us, this gentleman and his family stopped to help us get our car safely to the curb so we could call for help.

I unfortunately did not get his name, but I hope he reads this paper and recognizes himself. This just shows that there are still decent people around.

-- Becky Butler

Sunland

Relief from living

It's amazing the outpouring of lament for the loss of our favorite comic strips. Perhaps it helps us to escape the reality of this world: war, political shenanigans, environmental disasters, crime and all other horrors.

I'm concerned that newspaper reporting has become entertainment. Instead of front-page news about Paris Hilton and all the other misguided rich and famous, move the obituary column to the front page (with) each of the Southern California soldiers' photos/bios who have died in Iraq or Afghanistan. These Americans deserve front-page coverage. The Daily News has been a good watchdog for local political situations so don't slide into entertainment news. I vote to have Zippy returned!

-- Carla Henry

West Hills

Spoiled brat

Re "Brat" (July 25):

Imagine my surprise when I opened Wednesday's Daily News. I thought I was looking at the Enquirer or some other sleazy supermarket tabloid. With all of California's scandalous religious (Mahony) or political (Villaraigosa, Delgadillo, Cedillo, etc.) news to report, I'm faced with all the sordid details of the drunken antics of another Hollywood spoiled brat.

-- Bob Sullivan

Hidden Hills