PUBLIC FORUM.

What about the cops?

Re ``Trash fee for cops? Not!'' (Aug. 19):

The Los Angeles City Council members have passed motions in the last couple of weeks that aren't in the best interest of the people, so it doesn't surprise me they are diverting money to hire more police officers.

Council President Eric Garcetti said gang violence remains too much of a problem. What about the cowardly assaults and violence against our officers? In the last two months officers have been seriously injured in the line of duty. You would think the politicians would have come out united to denounce such acts. Where is the council's support for the police?

The council has just given the voters of L.A. one more reason to vote against the term-limit extension ballot measure in November.

-- Monica Harmon

Los Angeles

Lousy with laws

I was completely boggled by the figure of 47,000 new laws since 1966 as reported by Jill Stewart. Thank goodness the governor has vetoed more than 300 recent laws that were sent to him by the Legislature. Luckily, he decided against protecting grape pickers from eating unwashed grapes, telling schools what sort of sprinklers to install, etc.

Now the Legislature is considering up to 1,700 more laws before its Aug. 31 deadline. I believe our legislators, who will earn $145,097 by next year, are wasting their time and our taxes on such drivel.

-- Beverly Triggs

Granada Hills

Huizar responds

Re ``What's the deal with Jose Huizar?''(Their Opinions, Aug. 15):

During my 4 1/2 years as a school board member, I fought hard to reform the Los Angeles Unified School District. I won some victories, and all were against entrenched opposition.

Now that I'm a City Council member, I'm singing the same tune and still pushing for accountability and transparency at the LAUSD. That's why I support the mayor's school-reform plan and why I'm working to end the Wild West atmosphere of board elections with a ballot measure to institute term limits and contribution caps.

School reform isn't about the mayor's deal, my deal or even the school board's deal. It's about getting a better deal for the students and families in LAUSD.

-- Jose Huizar

Los Angeles City Council member, District 14

Crowded in Sylmar

Re ``City panel makes condo recommendations'' (Aug. 16):

Councilmen Alex Padilla's and Bill Rosenthal's moratorium proposal on condo conversions is a step in the right direction. However, I live in Sylmar and see the daily overdevelopment of ``horse property.'' A three-acre parcel that held one home is torn down and immediately made into a condominium or housing project with 20 or more homes. I have been to the meetings to voice my complaints, but to no avail. The developers get their projects passed, and here we have to deal with the crowded conditions.

-- Erin Ziliak

Sylmar

Complaint complaint

Re ``Valley has most bus complaints'' (Aug. 18):

The article states the Metropolitan Transportation Authority received about 148 complaints in June of 2006 on its complaint hotline.

Try calling that number and see how poorly it works. It's a bureaucratic sham of the worst magnitude. It is good for comic relief if you have 20 minutes to waste and no expectations of actually receiving assistance. It really doesn't even offer an option to voice a complaint.

-- David Silverman

Chatsworth

Bad at math

If I was a savvy mayor who had aspirations of becoming the next governor of California and maybe president of the United States, I would ride the coattails of successful school reform of the second-largest school district in the nation and demand all the credit be given to me. This is Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's plan, evidenced by his push for Assembly Bill 1381.

In the last five years, Superintendent Roy Romer and the LAUSD school board have started massive construction of new schools to relieve the overcrowded ones, put in place small learning communities and successful reading and math programs, and significantly raised student test scores and graduation rates.

If AB 1381 passes, Villaraigosa will be the official supreme leader of LAUSD and the district's successes will ``rightfully'' belong to him. AB 1381 is just a political ploy by the mayor to take credit for the vision and hard work of Romer and the school board.

-- Mark Tackett

Fullerton