PUBLIC FORUM.

Fooled no one

Re "Bonds sets all-time home run record" (Aug. 8):

If you cheat in medical school, you'll be an awful doctor. If you cheat your way through law school, you'll probably be a successful lawyer. But if you use performance-enhancing drugs to get ahead of the real hard-working players, all you've done is cheat everyone who's ever heard of the game. You fooled no one except yourself.

-- Ron Sellz

Chatsworth

Barry Bonds 

Re "Bonds sets all-time home run record" (Aug. 8):

We now know the answer to that age-old question, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make any noise?" Barry Bonds broke the home run record and no one cares. So the answer is: There is no noise.

-- Tom Fafard

Winnetka

Deporting criminals

Re "Busted! Big-rig crime ring" (Aug. 7):

We have gone from a charitable country to a nation of patsies. We allow people from the former Soviet Union and elsewhere to come here, then many of them become criminals. Such immigrants who are convicted of felonies should serve their sentences and then be deported to their nations of origin. They had a chance and they blew it.

They are literally biting the hands that feed them. I, for one, am absolutely sick of it!

-- Ken Green

Burbank

Her own office

Re "Smart move" (Our Opinions, Aug. 8):

Without exception, every department Laura Chick has audited has turned up waste, fraud, misuse and abuse of taxpayer dollars on a massive scale. Unfortunately, nothing is done about it. Those departments continue to be funded at the same rate with the regular increases. The city controller's audits are just more waste, fraud, misuse and abuse; a means of laundering the excess dollars committed annually to the Controller's Office.

And now we see that the city controller is personally involved in approving waste, fraud, misuse and abuse in her own office. The fox is indeed in charge of the henhouse.

-- Patrick Weir

Chatsworth

Pierce response

Re "No cash left for colleges" (July 31):

The facts are just the opposite. The colleges have the funds provided by Propositions A/AA and we're proceeding with active construction programs that are creating new buildings for classrooms and services, as well as renovating well-worn facilities that continue to be the pathway to productive careers for thousands of students. It's not fair to our students and all the hard-working faculty and staff at our colleges to imply that our investments in the future have been misspent.

At Pierce alone, many projects have already been completed, including a new Academic Village, sheriff's station, College Central Plant (air conditioning!) and a 700-plus-car parking lot. In addition, more than $100 million of new projects are currently under construction or will be shortly. Among these are the new Center for the Sciences, a new Student Services Building, as well as critical roadway, parking and infrastructure projects. Over the next three to five years, we plan to spend millions more on buildings and renovations that will continue improving our educational capacity and effectiveness.

Certainly there were adjustments that needed to be made as we confronted escalating construction costs, the same ones that UCLA, CSUN and local homeowners have faced in recent years. But we have kept our focus on the best interests of our students and the communities we serve. And contrary to Daily News suggestions, we have worked hard to monitor our progress and report openly and accurately to the public.

-- Robert Garber

President

Pierce College 

Hal Fishman 

Re "TV anchor enjoyed a high-flying life, career" (Aug. 8):

Hal Fishman was undoubtedly the best news anchor in Los Angeles and one of the best in the U.S. Hal was not just a news reader; he analyzed the news and selected stories that he thought we should know about. Hal railed against some of the dumb ideas put forth by politicians; one of his favorite targets being diamond lanes on our freeways. Hal was a credit to our city and will be missed very much by all of his viewers. Rest in peace, Hal.

-- Dick Kinsman 

Chatsworth

Hal's familiar voice

Re "TV anchor enjoyed a high-flying life, career" (Aug. 8):

Rest in peace, Hal. You will be missed terribly by our family. Your integrity, professionalism and right-on-the-button commentaries made the KTLA 10 p.m. news what it is today. Your familiar voice will forever be in our minds as you were part of our lives. We will miss you greatly. Our ultimate message of sympathy is extended to your family.

-- Barbara Ponce

Northridge

Sunland Home Depot 

Re "Balancing needs" (Our Opinions, Aug. 2):

Your editorial missed the major point with regard to Home Depot moving into the old Kmart building.

The Kmart store in Sunland was the only store of its kind in the area, where the store serviced not only the Sunland-Tujunga area but also La Crescenta and La Canada Flintridge to the east and Lake View Terrace and Sylmar to the west. The Kmart store is sorely missed. In the near vicinity, we have access to Home Depot's competitors along with a Home Depot 10 minutes away in Sylmar. What the area needs is another Kmart, Target or Wal-Mart store.

George Kunkel

Sunland

Dictating our drugs

Re "Plan to limit new medical marijuana dispensaries OK'd by council" (Aug. 2):

The purpose of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is the protection of every individual's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. An individual who possesses or cultivates marijuana violates no one's rights.

Just as the government has no right to dictate what foods we ingest or what books we read, it should have no right to dictate what drugs we take so long as we do not violate the rights of others. And in the case of people with terminal diseases, forcefully preventing them from using drugs that might alleviate their pain is unconscionably immoral.

-- David Holcberg 

Irvine

On his own time

Why is it that every time reporters are around Mayor Antonio "Villarsalinas," one of two things happen: Either the mayor's security goons rough up the reporters or he's forever asking the reporters to respect his privacy in light of his extramarital affair with Mirthala Salinas.

The mayor can't have it both ways. As a public figure, he knows that any expectation of privacy is out the window, especially considering the fact that his wife and kids are living in the mayoral mansion that is paid for by the taxpayers, and that his affair occurred on the taxpayers' dime and time. If the mayor wants privacy, then he should resign, go into seclusion, and move his family out of the tax-paid mayoral mansion and deal with his issues on his own time.

-- Sophia Sherman

Sherman Oaks

More questions

We have gone through the alleged special treatment of Paris Hilton by Sheriff Baca. We have heard about (Rocky) Delgadillo's usage of city attorney staff to handle some of his personal matters. Now we have the current outrage of Antonio's infidelity.

We have heard, through the news media, that the mayor had been seen taking groceries into Salinas' home. Are we to believe that Antonio actually went to the grocery store and purchased these items personally? Or did a paid city staff member do the shopping on taxpayer time? That's a big question that needs to be answered.

-- John Arason

Mission Hills

Late fees

The city of Los Angeles sent out bogus inspection-fee bills to apartment owners, with a 250 percent late fee. Most owners, frightened by the late fee, just paid it. Under city Housing Manager Mercedes Marquez, appointed by Mayor Villaraigosa, most owners that paid their unit inspection and registration fees didn't receive registration certificates on time for two years. They were forced not to collect rents, making payments late across the city. No late fee for Mercedes Marquez, or the uber-paid City Council.

-- Brian Paul 

Los Angeles

Bridge inspections

Having read the articles about the Minnesota bridge-inspection failures being the federal government's fault because of President Bush, I just shake my head in amazement. Get a grip. The inspections of bridges, highways and the likes is a state function.

-- James Taylor 

Woodland Hills