PUBLIC FORUM.

Waiting not smart

Re ``Raising the bar'' (Editorial, April 27):

Have you seen employers lowering their standards for future employees? In fact, most of those who offer well-paying opportunities have ``raised the bar'' for new hires. Waiting for people to improve their performance is not only costly to productivity, but to the morale of others.

Waiting to ``raise the bar'' in hopes that others can catch up doesn't reflect life in the outside world. The only place I know where you are allowed ``do-overs'' is in the educational system. The race to obtain the available spaces in our colleges and universities, as well as the race for those high-paying jobs, is not going to slow down and wait for everyone to catch up, so why should the Los Angeles Unified School District?

- Sue Prout

Van Nuys

Rigorous curriculum

Re ``Raising the bar'' (Editorial, April 27):

The time to ``raise the bar'' for students, more specifically, low-income students, has been wrong for the past 25 years. Since then, the conditions of low-income schools have only been getting worse. Low-income schools have never been the same since Proposition 13 passed. A lack of qualified teachers and quality resources took a huge toll on the equity of schools across California in 1978 and low-income schools have not recovered since.

The bombarding of low-income schools with quick fixes such as the California High School Exit Exam has brought everything but relief to the suffering LAUSD. The implementation of ``A-G'' requirements will not result in more dropouts. Statistics prove that a more rigorous curriculum raises graduation rates.

- Jessie Fernandez

Los Angeles 

Try the trades

The LAUSD seems to be very puzzled as to why the high school dropout rate is so high. Neither the school board nor the LAUSD hierarchy has shown much intelligence in trying to solve the problem. Instead they want to make graduation more difficult by requiring more math and language classes.

Do they really think that every student wants to go to college or is even qualified to do so? Perhaps the leadership should consider how they have handicapped students who want to go into a trade by their elimination of most shop classes. Why are classes such as auto repair, computer repair and woodworking not being offered at every high school? Unless the LAUSD makes better decisions than it has in the past, the dropout rate will continue to increase.

- Richard Kinsman 

Chatsworth

Involving the council

Re ``Council to check PR company offer'' Briefly, April 27):

Fleishman-Hillard has agreed to pay the city $5.7 million. City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo has hired outside auditors, at taxpayers' expense, to check on City Controller Laura Chick's findings and now the City Council is going to assert jurisdiction over the proposed settlement.

Why can we not just accept the settlement from Fleishman-Hillard of $4.5 million and the dropping of $1.2 million in billing requests? Can someone explain this for me? Why does the City Council have to be involved? You know they will mess things up.

- Ken Thatcher Sr.

Van Nuys

Subject is Iraq

Re ``Bush: Limit benefits for rich retirees'' (April 29):

Are the parents the only ones who care about our troops? Iraq hasn't been mentioned by President Bush in over a month and Congress has dropped Iraq like a hot potato.

We parents are the ones getting donations from giving Americans. While we have soldiers dying every day, Bush should be talking about that - not Social Security.

- Jerry Pennington

Van Nuys

High standards

Re ``Officials discipline 11 LAFD employees'' (April 21):

Let me tell you this, if Vincent Jenkins says a firefighter is not up to standards, he or she is not up to standards. I trained Vince since he was a Boy Scout and he was possibly the best I have seen. His driving ability and his mechanical ability are probably only overshadowed by his firefighting ability.

I trained firefighters for 27 years for the Los Angeles Fire Department. I don't think you will find anyone who will dispute me. Whatever station got Vince made out.

- Monty Majesky

Palmdale

Numbered bullets?

Re ``Serial numbers on bullets urged'' (Briefly, April 27):

Regarding laser-engraving serial numbers on individual bullets: First, it would probably put ammunition makers out of business, which is likely the goal of this legislation anyway. Secondly, it is obvious that state Sen. Joseph Dunn has never seen a spent bullet that has impacted semi-soft or hard material (flesh and bone) as such bullet would invariably be deformed beyond reading any serial number. And, lastly, who pays for the incredible data base management and record keeping involved?

- Gary Hannah

Glendale

What about reloading?

Re ``Serial numbers on bullets urged'' (Briefly, April 27):

There is no doubt in my mind that this hair-brained idea will not stop our street gangs, nor will it do anything to put a stop to shootings that have been going on here in Los Angeles. All a person has to do is drive over the state line, buy ammo that doesn't have a serial number on the bullets and drive back.

I would like to ask state Sen. Joseph Dunn what he's going to tell the people that do their own reloading? There are a lot of shooters that do their own reloading, so what is next - a law banning reloading your own ammo?

- Benjamin R. Laufer

Sherman Oaks

Misleading liar

Re ``No real evidence'' (Your Opinions, April 27):

For the record, Clinton was not found guilty of lying or perjury, nor was he indicted for those actions. He admitted to, apologized for, and took responsibility for ``misleading'' some of the American people. Any problem in sorting this out is partially due to the definition of lying and the difficulty of proving deliberate intentions to falsify a statement.

Now Bush has half the nation saying that he deliberately misled us on the subject of WMDs, according to a very recent Gallup poll. Applying the standard used for Clinton, if misleading is an acceptable criterion to indicate lying, this means that 50 percent of the U.S. population feels Bush is a liar.

- Rick Kellis

Woodland Hills

Freeway video cameras

Re ``Stopping freeway killers'' (April 27):

Suppose all of the L.A. area television stations that feature a live feed from Caltrans each morning on their news programs pool together to tape around the clock - as many as possible feeds from video cameras on our freeways.

Each station could monitor a different segment of the freeway system utilizing existing equipment and manpower already in place. This would ease the pressure on Caltrans to find money, people and equipment to do this on their own.

- Albert Pryor

Glendale

Probably they are

Re ``Brits are smarter, Kilmer tells BBC'' (Newslite, April 27):

I cannot vouch for all of America, but if the rumor that the ``John and Ken'' radio show is the No. 1 talk show in town (apparently where many local ``movers and shakers'' get their ``news'') is accurate, Val's comments would most certainly must ring true in Los Angeles and surrounding areas where this show and its ilk are held in high regard.

I have also heard a filthy rumor that ``Desperate Housewives'' is one of the most popular new TV shows around. If these listeners and watchers are the mentality he is measuring the British against, I must admit the British would have to be the hands-down winners.

- Eileen O'Neill

West Hills

Ceded to Mexico?

As I drove down the 605 Freeway from Baldwin Park to Irwindale, I was bemused to see a billboard advertising a Spanish news show. The billboard advertises news for Los Angeles, then the letters ``CA'' crossed out and replaced with the word ``Mexico.'' So I now apparently live in Los Angeles, Mexico.

Is there something the government is failing to tell us? Have we been ceded to Mexico?

- Carol Hutchinson

Sunland