PUBLIC FORUM.

No time for old idea

Re "Time for a new idea on energy" (Viewpoint, Feb. 4):

Just one day after this newspaper prints of the catastrophic consequences of global warming, Joel Kotkin and Robert Hertzberg tell us the first step in their "new idea for energy" is to "develop domestic fossil fuels." They claim this would be only for the short term. It would take years to institute this "solution."

How many years do they want us to waste on fossil fuels when we should be focusing on alternatives? What's "short term" for Kotkin? Fifty years? When it's too late to reverse the damage we've done?

-- Gabriela del Campo-Moore

Studio City

Gavin forgiven

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has recognized, admitted and asked forgiveness for his transgression. Yet the public is falling all over itself to cast the first stone. Those of us who are Christians should give thanks that Jesus doesn't forgive us with such vehemence.

Why are we questioning whether Newsom's career is at an end when the man who has led more than 3,000 American heroes to their death in an immoral war remains in office and unrepentant?

-- Michael Menchaca

Santa Clarita 

Worry

Re "Are you worried about global warming?" (Online poll, Feb. 2):

To those readers who are not worried about global warming: The leading scientists and politicians in California are very worried.

The 300 scientists at the September 2006 California Climate Change Research Conference reported that the impacts of global warming on California include: more heat waves like last July's, increased forest fires, increased smog, decreased crop productivity, species extinction, decreased water supply, increasing insect-caused disease and coastal flooding and erosion caused by sea-level rise.

California is leading the nation in fighting global warming. Everyone can help by conserving energy with fluorescent bulbs, fans instead of air-conditioning, and more ways (flexyourpower.com).

-- Jim Stewart 

Los Angeles 

Do us all a favor

Re "Mandatory democracy" (Our Opinions, Feb. 5):

The proposed legislation making registering to vote a requirement of high school graduation is yet another in a long line of loony leftist ideas. If large numbers of high school graduates lack the motivation and desire to register to vote -- and, by extension, are unlikely to be at least somewhat informed on issues and candidates -- I would prefer they do the rest of us a big favor by staying home on election day to catch up on all the latest "news" in People magazine.

-- Charles Robinson 

Saugus

Naming rights

Re "Lake Balboa beckons" (Feb. 4):

Many Valley communities had different names long ago -- Lankershim, Owensmouth, Roscoe and Lopez Junction, for example. In 1991 a slice of Van Nuys along Chandler Boulevard became a part of Sherman Oaks. That change has had positive effects on the area, including new homes, many remodeled homes, street improvements and improved real estate values (even when the Valley's real estate market was in a sinking mode through the 1990s). The same is true for Valley Village and Valley Glen. So who can fault a community for wanting an image change?

-- Sol Taylor

President

North Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association

Sherman Oaks

Impossible to please

In 2006, the Democrats in Congress attacked President George W. Bush's Iraq policy by declaring that he had not allotted enough troops to pacify and secure order in that nation. The president has acquiesced by inserting more troops.

Now the Democrats' reaction is to introduce a resolution condemning Bush's plan, a plan they had previously endorsed. Such duplicity would make Machiavelli proud.

-- Harry Nieves

Sylmar

Dog days

Re "Man poisons dog" (Your Opinions, Feb. 7):

Kudos for Lisa Freedman and her ability to "appreciate the desperation" of the man who poisoned his neighbor's barking dog. I, too, have listened to various neighbors' barking dogs half the night while training my own dogs to be civilized enough to stay in my home quietly during my absences.

In many of these cases the barking dogs' owners and pet-advocacy organizations lament: How could someone hurt an innocent dog? No one discusses the plight of pushed-to-the-limit homeowners who listen daily to barking dogs and deal with their inconsiderate owners.

-- Mary Montes 

West Hills

Democracy redefined

Re "Democracy defined" (Your Opinions, Jan. 29):

It seems that whenever the Bush administration loyalists have their Divine Right of Rule challenged, some anti-democratic type comes up with the old canard, "America is not a democracy; it's a republic." Contrary to Jack Schlicht's straw-man argument, we are really talking about a situation of six of one and half a dozen of another.

Both terms, when qualified, describe a government "of the people, by the people and for the people." The term "democracy" comes from Greek word roots meaning the "people's rule," while "republic" comes from Latin word roots meaning the "public's thing to do."

-- Rick Kellis

Woodland Hills

Birds of a feather 

Re "Ford renaming Ford 500 model Taurus" (Feb. 7):

Calling a dead duck a dead goose pretty much leaves a dead duck with a different name. To re-christen something unsuccessful with something that had become unsuccessful makes as much sense as calling a lemon a melon.

-- Michael E. White

Burbank

The Race Bowl

Re "Super race-obsessed" (Your Opinions, Feb. 6):

I could not agree more with Elizabeth Potter. Someone please enlighten me: What does the color of one's skin have to do with football coaching?

Divisiveness is growing at an alarming rate in this country, and this is yet another example of why.

-- Judi Williams

Chatsworth

Break the habit

We all know that America is addicted to oil. This addiction plagues our health, our environment and our security. And it leaves us open to the whims of potentially hostile foreign governments.

It's not enough to get off of foreign oil. We need to get off of oil altogether. We need better funding for public transportation, strong conservation measures, higher fuel-efficiency standards and more funding for alternative energy sources.

These are common-sense solutions and are well within our grasp. I only hope our elected officials have the wisdom to enact them.

-- Danielle Fiderio

Reseda

Turning their backs

The hypocrisy from the left just astounds me sometimes. When manufacturing firms move jobs out of the country for economic reasons -- like cheaper labor, fewer union restrictions and better tax breaks -- they are "evil" and must be dealt with.

However, when their friends in the film industry find that they are not getting enough breaks from the government, it's the government's fault. Instead of blaming the Treasury Department, they should be going after those in the multibillion-dollar film industry for turning their backs on their country.

-- Keith Gurian

Granada Hills