PUBLIC FORUM.

Ethical void

Re ``L.A.'s ethical void'' (June 25):

It is no surprise that there is a scandalous ethical void in the Ethics Commission when those persons who manage it claim ignorance of the rules that they are mandated to enforce such as money laundering.

But according to Commissioner Bill Boyarsky, bidders for city contracts should not be burdened with the stigma of a prior criminal conviction like money laundering.

-- Clyde Feldman

Sherman Oaks

All flash, no substance

Re ``All smiles'' (Viewpoint, June 25):

While his frenzied schedule impresses Mariel Garza, she fails to see that Mayor Villaraigosa has accomplished very little in his first year in office. The mayor has set out to try to be everyone's friend when what we need is a mayor who can make the tough decisions.

Villaraigosa failed miserably in his quest to take over the LAUSD. Instead of taking over the troubled organization, he has empowered a teachers union that has failed us for years. The deal gives no one actual responsibility for the LAUSD, including the mayor.

-- Jerry Procanik

Valley Village

Can't do both

Re ``New LAUSD draft reduces schools' role'' (June 24):

Concerning the mayor and his meddling with LAUSD. ``No man can serve two masters.'' Currently on a scale of one to five, the mayor's performance is about 2.5 in running the city. He knows very little about running a large school system and would have to devote all his time to the school system. Furthermore, most of his decisions are based on politics, not what is really best for the city. His performance in running the city would fall to 1.5.

Villaraigosa needs to make up his mind -- being the mayor or the school superintendent. If he wants to run the school system, he should resign from being mayor. If he decides to do both, then he should be recalled as mayor as soon as possible.

-- Lois Newman

Los Angeles 

Mayor caving

Re ``LAUSD deal gives too much power to unions'' (June 23):

The mayor, school board, etc., won't consider the one proven reform -- vouchers. They have been consistently shown to improve education, especially for the disadvantaged. I believe it is because the teachers unions object, as many private and church school teachers are nonunion. So the mayor caving in to union demands makes reform even more difficult.

-- Warren Thompson 

West Hills

Voice of the people

Re ``LAUSD deal gives too much power to unions'' (June 23):

As a taxpayer and mother of three LAUSD students, I am extremely disappointed in Mayor Villaraigosa who voted in favor of the Presidents' Joint Commission on LAUSD Governance in April 2005.

Why have a commission and the allocated operating budget (taxpayers' money), spend almost a whole year conducting hearings to gather the public's opinion without the intention to at least wait and hear their final recommendations? Why not be respectful to the commission and the people who have an interest in LAUSD, i.e. parents, teachers, principals, board members, etc., who have invested money, time and effort to have their opinions heard?

-- Terri Croswhite

Sylmar

What they need

Re ``LAUSD's graduation rate: 44%'' (June 23):

With all the issues with schools now, dropout rate, college prep, etc., etc., you would think someone would take a hint. Not everyone is college material. There are many out there who would like to be prepared for jobs in the hands-on world. And maybe if we trained them here, we would not need to have illegal immigrants coming and taking these jobs.

We need to go back and review the old school ways that taught auto mechanics, landscaping, agriculture, construction, cooking, basic business courses, simple bookkeeping and, of course, English. Help the kids help themselves. Parents, they are first and foremost your responsibility. Get them what they need and be there for them and guide them.

-- Betty Jenkins

Chatsworth

With their hands out

Re ``Governor gets 18 percent raise'' (June 24):

Regarding your headline on June 24, 2006, about the big raises for our ``servants'' makes you wonder, doesn't it, how easy it is to give away some other person's money. Be it unions, government employees, welfare recipients, Israel, the U.N., or any other outfit with their hand out, it is always easy to give away the money if it isn't yours.

Do you think this money would go where it is going if we were given the option of voluntarily giving it? I don't think so. But government has the biggest gun, doesn't it?

-- Bob Sharp

Arleta

McCain is right

``McCain denounces ballooning government'' (June 24):

Sen. John McCain is right. The only way to end political corruption, paybacks and favors is small government. Unfortunately, the Republicans gave up on small government in the 1970s. Since then, both major parties have acted like drunken sailors spending other people's money.

That's why the Libertarian Party was formed in 1971, for the 25 percent of us who are ``social liberals and fiscal conservatives.'' Our Founding Fathers believed in small government, and letting you keep your money and your liberty. Only the Libertarian Party upholds this principle.

-- Bruce K. Bell

Moorpark

Uncivilized war

Re ``One-sided'' (Your Opinions, June 23):

Alex Bey fails to see that the aggressor is the Palestinian people, governed by Hamas, a known terrorist organization. War will always produce collateral casualties. But when your enemy, who declares you have no right to exist, fights an uncivilized war by hiding among women and children, what do you and they expect will happen?

Yes, it's disgusting that these bombs have killed civilians, but please don't make the Palestinians out to be the victim. So if you sense a bias about this issue, it's usually against Israel. And, by the way, this ``occupation'' of Palestinian land that you speak of does not exist. The land belongs to Israel. They won this land in the many battles they fought.

-- Dolly Greene

Northridge

Artist?

Re ``Portrait of the artist as a young N.Y. girl'' (June 24):

It is interesting that this young artist, Maria Olmstead, is being compared to the work of Jackson Pollock. By precisely the same logic, one could conclude that the talent of Jackson Pollock is that of a 6-year-old.

-- Donald S. Jenkins

Tarzana

In vain

``Staying the course'' means continued death of U.S. troops and collateral deaths of Iraqi civilians -- all in vain. I hear nonprogressive Republicans claiming ``Withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq will mean the deaths of the fallen were in vain.''

Ladies and gentlemen -- the dead have died in vain over a pre-emptive war based on the lies. ``Staying the course'' or ``Cut and run'' will not change this. ``Cut and run'' means U.S. troop deaths stop, they come home to rebuild their lives and collateral deaths of Iraqi civilians, by U.S. troops, stop. Each ``Stay the course'' advocate should volunteer to replace a U.S. trooper that is in harm's way.

-- Meredith Gene Pearcy

(Korean vet)

Canoga Park

Not a comic strip

``Mallard Fillmore'' is not a comic strip. It is propaganda, not even thinly disguised. Move it to the Opinion section or better yet, remove it, period. While I'm at it, ``Rose is Rose'' is terrific.

-- Madelyne Barnett

Santa Clarita