PUBLIC FORUM.

Willing participant

Re ``The fall guy -- or a failure'' (Dec.2):

Chief William Bamattre is a victim of our fear of offending the African-American population. The guy ate some dog food. Prior to that, he was more than willing to participate in practical jokes. When it was his turn, he cried racism. And our woefully inadequate city attorney was willing to give him $2.7 million, although he was unharmed. Wake up, folks.

-- Connie Friedman

West Hills

He doesn't understand

Re ``The fall guy -- or a failure'' (Dec.2):

I'm sorry to see that Fire Chief Bill Bamattre was forced to retire over something as trivial as the Tennie Pierce engine-house prank. Let it be clear, however, that the officers in charge were severely disciplined despite the news reports -- unless many people don't think that losing a month's wages, which could have amounted to as much as $10,000 each, is not severe discipline.

I sincerely hope jurors don't buy into Tennie's crocodile tears when they examine this case. If you want to act like a ``big dog,'' then you should be prepared in an engine house for being taken down a peg or two. That's the obvious part of teamwork that he doesn't understand.

-- Bruce Frashure

Retired, LAFD 

New and fresh ideas

Re ``It's the system'' (Your Opinions, Dec. 4):

I have to agree with Frank Jacobs about the system, but I have to disagree with him about Alex Padilla as a city councilman. Padilla's office has always responded when I have contacted or visited the office in Pacoima, and Pacoima has come a long way since he has been in office.

I have always supported Richard Alarcon, and we elected him to the state Assembly, and he should do the job that he was elected to do and stop this flip-flopping. It is time now for someone else to be the City Council member for this area. I think that Cindy Montanez will make a good councilwoman, and I think that she has done a great job in the state Assembly. We need new and fresh ideas for this area.

-- Brynie Brackin

Pacoima

Defending the city

Could someone please explain to me how the L.A. city judicial system works? I am under the impression that the city attorney et al. are on the city payroll to defend the city.

If that is accurate, how does the city government decide when it's too expensive to defend a case? Aren't the costs to support and maintain the judicial system ongoing, whether city government is defending the city or not?

-- Amy R. Gladish

Tujunga

Going to wear it out

Re ``UCLA 13, USC 9 -- Bruined'' (Dec. 3):

I'm going to have a T-shirt made up that I will wear out over the next 12 months. It will be powder blue. Gold lettering on it will say: ``UCLA 13, usc nein.''

-- Dave Folck

Simi Valley 

Smith responds

Re ``All the News That's Fit To Spoof'' ( Their Opinions,'' Dec. 3):

The comments attributed to me in Steve Young's column are completely fabricated, offensive, in poor taste and not funny.

Young wrote that I said that making dog food ``an acceptable human staple'' would solve the Tennie Pierce case and that low-income seniors should be glad to be able to eat dog food. I never made such comments; nor would I ever.

The high rate of poverty among elderly people is a serious and tragic problem in our society, and making jokes about it is insensitive and offensive. Inventing quotes from a public official doing so is irresponsible. It is not ``News That's Fit to Spoof.''

If Young must make offensive, tasteless jokes, he should do so in his own words.

-- Greig Smith 

Councilman, District 12

City of Los Angeles 

Now and then

We used to be ``Land of the free, home of the brave''. Now, it's ``Land of the fee, home of the indebted.''

-- Bob Ginn

Arcadia