PUBLIC FORUM.

A viable plan

Re "A border fix" (May 19):

Congratulations on a reasonable viewpoint regarding immigration reform. I applaud this forward-thinking and rational plan as perhaps the closest thing to a workable, viable plan that we have seen.

It's truly sad, however, that we must entertain the watering-down of our existing immigration laws. Sad for the many who feel entitled to amnesty simply because the have lived or worked in this country for years, attended schools and taken advantage of higher education, medical care and the like. But illegal immigration is illegal. I question the integrity of those who so willingly break the law.

A question to those demanding amnesty: Will you still love this great country if our safety, Constitution and quality of life are reduced to that of the country you left?

-- Doug Yates

North Hollywood

Something wrong here

My nephew was just transported to Iraq. We found special body armor that can withstand the impact of grenades. The company that manufactures these vests says the military doesn't think they're good enough even though rigorous testing indicates that is not true.

But the rules of the military say our troops aren't allowed to wear them, even if the family springs for the money to purchase them. Something is wrong here.

-- Mimi Chen

Granada Hills

Carter's got nerve

"I think, as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history," said former President Jimmy Carter on President George W. Bush.

It is ironic that the man responsible for greasing the skids for the fall of the shah of Iran and ushering in the radical Islamic government in Iran we are having problems with today, with a possible nuclear threat, should call the Bush administration the worst in history.

Lest we forget, Jimmy Carter gave us double-digit inflation, double-digit interest rates, a hostage crisis that lasted 444 days, long gasoline lines and high unemployment. He was the laughing stock around the world and has nerve calling the Bush administration the "worst in history."

-- Armand Vaquer

Tarzana

Yagman's own trial

Re "Bratton not capable of fixing LAPD" (Viewpoint, May 20):

I find it appalling that, of all people, Stephen Yagman has the audacity to criticize the Los Angeles Police Department. He should be getting ready to go to jail on his 19-count indictment by the feds for one count for attempting to evade payment of taxes, one count of bankruptcy fraud and 17 counts of money-laundering. A jury was selected on Friday.

-- Monica Harmon

Los Angeles

Yagman v. LAPD

Re "Bratton not capable of fixing LAPD" (Viewpoint, May 20):

Stephen Yagman would be out of a paycheck if there were no Los Angeles Police Department. His bread and butter is the city of Los Angeles.

Yagman has been filing ridiculous lawsuits for years against the city and getting big money. He filed the lawsuit against the LAPD for the wrongful deaths of the two bank robbers involved in the North Hollywood shootout. Now he is suing the city again for the May 1 incident. Is his recent opinion piece aimed at tainting the future jury pool?

-- Travis Coyle

Castaic

Job-killing bill

We oppose Senate Bill 48, as amended May 1, which imposes a tax on small employers who can't afford to provide health care coverage to fund health care coverage for those who don't currently purchase it.

On May 15, Sen. Don Perata announced that his proposal to overhaul California's health care system would be funded primarily by a mandatory 7 1/2 percent tax from most businesses. The chamber is concerned that this tax increase on small employers would hurt California businesses and cause the loss of jobs. The revenue from employers identified by the bill is a tax that should require approval by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature, although the bill is not designated as such.

-- Leigh Nixon

President

Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce