PUBLIC FORUM.

Snidely backlash

Re ``DWP flub leaves 2 million powerless'' (Sept. 13):

An inadvertent mistake while working on equipment caused an electric outage of momentous proportions to hit Los Angeles. According to news reports, workers in North Hollywood reconnected some kind of apparatus incorrectly. I can't wait for the usual suspects who write to this forum to demand investigations, to call for someone's head, to excoriate the whole DWP for this mistake and to snidely say that no one at DWP deserves the raises granted in their new contract.

How juvenile. We didn't have rolling blackouts during the energy crises. On balance, DWP does a good job, and I for one would never rely on the curmudgeons who normally write to the Daily News to maintain anything so complicated, nor as well as our DWP does.

- Ben Wright

North Hills

One good thing

Re ``DWP flub leaves 2 million powerless'' (Sept. 13):

It is a good thing the power outage didn't last longer; FEMA could have got involved.

- Omer Murray

Newhall

Pending doom

The Daily News' Sept. 11 article headlined ``Are we ready,'' in relation to the ``Big One'' coming, as if ``strike three'' is on the way for America. Then the Page 4 article headlined ``Tomorrow, Los Angeles'' in relation to a terrorist attack here.

I have no problem with this because people need to know. However, these headlines are causing my wife to call me here in L.A. every two hours from out of town, asking me if anything happened yet. It appears that the media might be contributing to a ``pending doom'' scenario, that in the worst case may drive residents from L.A. and in the best case, may simply drive up my wife's cell-phone bills.

- Joel Greenman

Woodland Hills

Day laborers

Re ``Making a place for workers''(Sept. 11):

In Sunday's article about a proposed city ordinance to force home improvement stores to provide shelter for day laborers, Pablo Alvarado claims that ``When people realize that day laborers are men with families trying to bring food home, they will no longer see the worker as a criminal, but a human being.''

As director of National Day Labor Organizing Network, has Alvarado performed criminal background checks on any of the thousands he claims to represent?

- Dennis Wilkinson

Canoga Park

Just doing his job

Re ``No excuse'' (Editorial, Sept. 12):

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger does not need an excuse to veto Sen. Cedillo's driver's-license bill for illegal immigrants. Over two-thirds of the legal residents of the state of California have made it clear that there will be no driver's licenses for illegal immigrants under any conditions. The governor is just doing his job, enacting the will of the people he was elected to serve.

- Thomas Gillen

Northridge

Not bending

Re ``Voters hit by election fatigue'' (Sept. 12):

Yes, I think we definitely need special elections. The commercials bought and paid for by Los Angeles' unions are so annoying. They hide the fact that they, the unions and special-interest groups, want to continue supporting bought and paid-for representatives that kowtow to all their demands even when the California economy is in trouble.

Union leaders might think of giving up some of their exorbitant salaries and union dues to help their union members. Hurray to Governor Schwarzenegger in not bending and a thank you for doing a good job.

- Mildred Hubert

Santa Clarita

Should have known

Re ``Disaster pro picks up pieces after Brown quits'' (Sept. 13):

I would generally agree that FEMA's performance in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was not the best but the real fault for the misery when the hurricane hit falls right on the president of the United States. George W. Bush should have known on Sept. 1 that the worst storm in recorded U.S. history was about to hit the Gulf Coast.

Army airborne, Navy SEALs, special forces and local police should have been at the ready with rubber rafts to evacuate hospitals, nursery homes, care facilities and people in danger. The buck does not stop with the FEMA director - it stops with Bush.

- Robert Matano

Redlands

Where was the Senate?

Re ``Disaster pro picks up pieces after Brown quits'' (Sept. 13):

Isn't the Senate supposed to vet presidential nominees for federal office? Where were the senators and their staffs when Brown (formerly of FEMA) was nominated? Was the Senate in such a hurry to do Bush's bidding that they did not thoroughly look into this man's record? What other of President's Bush's appointments were mishandled?

- Irving Leemon

Northridge

Katrina aftermath

The ideal response to the aftermath of Katrina would be to impeach George Bush and his administration, charge everyone else guilty of this tragedy, and confiscate the financial assets they have looted from this country and around the world.

We could use these assets to rebuild the areas they have left in ruins, and right the wrong they have done to humans less fortunate than this elite cabal. Second to that, we need an investigation team with no Beltway connections whatsoever. Bush does not represent me nor most of humanity on this planet. He has to pay for these crimes.

- Anne M. Berg

Northridge

Easy remedy

All that needs to be done to remedy the harm caused by this evil hurricane is to place a conspicuous banner in New Orleans imprinted with the words Mission Accomplished.

- Joseph Rudorfer

Woodland Hills

Political hack

Re ``Arnold's pick to lead DMV rejected'' (Sept. 8):

The state Senate rejected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's nomination of a veteran state employee (Joan Borucki) to head the Department of Motor Vehicles. Unfortunately, the Democrats are playing politics with appointees again because they stated that the DMV needed a ``political leader.''

I guess the Democrats really mean that they want someone who is a Democratic Party hack with no previous DMV experience. The DMV has a lot of problems serving the people of California, so we need someone with experience and good problem-solving skills. The Democrats need to use some common sense and appoint an experienced director to head the DMV.

- Timothy L. Stanley

Rosemead

Leave my cuts alone

Re ``Fair share'' (Your Opinions, Sept. 8):

To blame Hurricane Katrina on President Bush indirectly, via dubious ``global warming'' rhetoric, is really over the edge. Bruce Joffe's comment, ``rescind the tax breaks which the rest of us have to cover,'' is typical of his ilk and doesn't even make sense.

I don't know about you, but my tax cuts allow me to plan for my family's future, take better care of my kids and even do some remodeling on my home. This is money that goes back into the economy, which creates more jobs with more taxpayers. But if people like you really hate the president and the tax cuts, who is stopping you from sending your money back? But leave my tax cuts alone.

- Gregory Conte

West Hills

Still hope

Re ``Brain rapidly evolving, new finding suggests'' (Sept. 9):

I am glad that the human brain is evolving. Then there is still hope for Democrats.

- Joseph Nicassio

Valencia