PUBLIC FORUM.

Left us with zilch

Re ``Political musical chairs'' (Our Opinions, Nov. 27):

You put everything into perspective for Pacoima, Sun Valley, Arleta, San Fernando and Sylmar. Because of Richard Alarcon's selfishness and inflated ego, one of the most poverty- stricken districts in California will be left with zilch representation in the state Assembly.

Alarcon, thanks for placing the Northeast Valley so ``high'' on your list of priorities and solving the issue of poverty for us. Not.

-- Benny Calzada

San Fernando

One at the top

Re ``Ceding responsibility'' (Our Opinions, Nov. 27):

The idea of a mayor for Los Angeles County has a lot of appeal. If the county supervisors' jobs were combined into one for a single mayor, it would produce significant savings for the taxpayers. In the past, head-count reductions have been applied to all levels of government except the top. So why not have one at the top?

-- Joe Dunn 

Burbank

Don't go with Harman

Re ``Mistake to ignore Harman'' (Their Opinions, Nov. 27):

Rep. Jane Harman is as responsible as President George W. Bush for the current horrifying reality that is Iraq. She voted in the House in October 2002 to give absolute authority to Bush to invade Iraq. At that time, she was the senior Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee. It was her job to provide checks and balances on the president.

Unlimited intelligence on Iraq was at her fingertips. She should have been the leader of the 133 of her fellow House members who voted on Oct. 10, 2002, to deny Bush the power to invade. It would be wrong for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to allow Harman to become the next head of the House Intelligence Committee.

-- Gene Pomerantz

Tarzana

Providing living space

Re ``Memories razed in `improved' L.A.'' (Their Opinions, Nov. 27):

I am always amused by people like Robert Weibezahl who seek out Los Angeles as a desirable place to live and then complain about the millions of other recent arrivals with the same idea. The reason his ``personal history'' was razed is to make room for new arrivals. The ``remorseless eraser'' he calls progress is working to providing living space for all the Robert Weibezahls who arrived five years ago or last month -- or will show up next year.

My family has lived in California since the 1860s. If any of us had fought to preserve our own personal histories, Weibezahl would still be shivering in his only slightly altered house ``back East.'' Have some sympathy, Robert. Los Angeles welcomed you 21 years ago. Who are you to roll up the red carpet?

-- Vicky McCargar

Encino

Mayor's promises

Re ``Mayor vetoes hazing payoff'' (Nov. 21):

I was happy that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa vetoed the $2.7 million settlement granted to Tennie Pierce by the City Council. Even so, I would be happier if the mayor would veto the elephant-expansion exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo, also voted for by the City Council, and instead send these two remaining elephants to a sanctuary.

Villaraigosa promised the animal-rights community that if he became mayor, he would do just that, but he broke his word. Now it's time for him to step up to the plate and do the right thing.

-- Marion Winkler 

Sherman Oaks

Where's our money?

Re ``Boomers a threat to Medicaid'' (Nov. 24):

What happened to all that money the baby boomers put into the system?

-- Jerry Piro

Sun Valley

Defaming words

Re ``Kramer N-word double standard'' (Viewpoint, Nov. 26):

The news media -- in all of the various forms -- have been most accommodating this past week in providing outlets for many African-American politicians and religious leaders to rightfully and vociferously condemn the recent intolerable N-word outburst by former ``Seinfield'' TV star Michael Richards. However, I feel the time is long overdue for the same concerned news media to be just as accommodating for politicians and religious leaders of all colors to vent their dismay and disgust at another frequently used, totally grotesque word: ``motherf-----.'' After all, we must not discriminate; we all have mothers.

-- Everett P. Harrington

Glendale

Racism in America

Just saw a wonderful story on ``Good Morning America'' about a young man who ran for a year and collected more than $100,000 for Pass Christian, Miss., to help with repairs from Katrina. Wonderful story.

Compared with the stupidity of Richards and Mel Gibson, who sound off, and the behavior of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, who do nothing to help heal bad relationships, it accentuates the positive.

-- Theodora Howell

West Hills

Not Jewish

Re ``The Kramer diatribe'' (Your Opinions, Nov. 28):

Will someone please inform Sophia Sherman that people of the Jewish community looked in ``their own backyard'' and discovered that Michael Richards is not Jewish? People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

-- Donna Bond

Palmdale

End of argument

Re ``The wrong call'' (Your Opinions, Nov. 26):

Chuck Heinold writes: ``You want racism, then remember New Orleans. If it was white people dying at the Superdome, the entire U.S. fleet would have been there within hours.''

There are two things wrong with that statement: It is ``were'' white people dying, not ``was,'' and it would have taken the entire U.S. fleet at least a day and a half. So much for absurdity.

-- Dick Bank

Los Angeles

Too much greed

The people Michael Richards insulted and swore at want an apology. They are entitled to one. They also want a cash payment. They are entitled to whatever they spent on drinks or admission that night, but that is it.

There is too much greed in this country these days. People want money, money, money for the slightest little things that happen. Boohoo. These crybabies need to grow up and go out and work for their money, as everybody else has to.

-- Mike Kirwan

Venice

The next thing is us

Re ``May they extend'' (Your Opinions, Nov. 24):

The tenor of Bob Deluca's letter on Friday is straight out of the socialist play book. When local government -- the L.A. City Council -- orders private companies what they must pay their employees, that is a slippery slope we do not want to be on. That system died a long time ago.

What is next? A good question. Maybe your home or mine, Mr. Deluca.

-- Herbert Auerbach

Van Nuys

Real fame

With respect to the upcoming Baseball Hall of Fame selections, I would like to suggest that the song ``Mack the Knife'' be renamed ``Mac-the-Steroid'' and rewritten as follows:

``There are some who are in darkness

And the others are in light.

And you see the ones in brightness.

Those on steroids drop from sight.''

-- Adam Platts

Northridge