PUBLIC FORUM.

Class action

Re ``Candidates accuse each other of breaking promises'' (March 29):

I have a question for Mayor James Hahn and Antonio Villaraigosa: Of the millions of passengers that pass through the gates at LAX, what percentage of Los Angeles city residents actually use this facility that we are about to spend $11 billion on? In any given year do more than 20-25 percent actually use it once a year?

Certainly a large number use it many times per year, as do many who do not live in Los Angeles, but the majority of us are impacted by the streets that we have no money to repair and the police officers that we can't hire. Our cars take a beating daily and the gangs and criminals control our lives so that the upper and middle classes are more comfortable in their travel.

- Garth Carlson

Reseda

Real politicians

Re ``Candidates accuse each other of breaking promises'' (March 29):

What debate? What we Angelenos need are real politicians that can debate the issues without a script. For example, the Lincoln/Douglas debates. Real politicians for the people - a debate that is written in American history. Will Monday's debate be remembered? Enough ``Pay and Play.'' Give me real politicians like in the old days before radio and TV.

- Leo Glick

Northridge

Some choice

Re ``Candidates accuse each other of breaking promises'' (March 29):

Except for unions, certain contractors and other favored insiders, I feel the overwhelming majority of Angelenos are sick of the backroom deals and ``business as usual'' politics at City Hall. We vote them in, and given a choice, we can vote them out.

But it seems that every election we have to choose between the mediocre and the downright inept. Do you really want to elect a person that once headed the L.A. office of the ACLU and sought a pardon for a convicted drug dealer? Or do you want to maintain the status quo - a downward spiral? Some choice.

- Bill Fleming 

Burbank

Patrolling volunteers

Re ``Civilians to patrol border'' (March 31):

Regarding the expected hundreds of volunteer citizens expected to ``patrol'' a 40-mile southeast stretch of the porous 370-mile Arizona-Mexico border to, ostensibly, alert the Border Patrol to illegal immigrants trying to enter the United States: Right or wrong, lawful or unlawful, sooner or later citizens will band together and step up to attempt to do a job their government has failed to do.

Is anyone really surprised by the Minuteman Project?

- Phillip Barton

Burbank

Cutting cops' benefits

Re ``Ads feature police widows'' (March 30):

After 22 years of law enforcement service to the citizens of L.A. County, I realize my benefits will be there for my family should something happen to me in the line of duty. Under the governor's proposal, that provision is not there. Even though he says he will not cut the death and disability benefits to the newly hired police officers and firefighters, there is nothing in writing that supports that. The governor says the police unions are lying. Quite frankly, it appears the governor is the one that is lying.

If my kids want to follow in my footsteps, I want them to have the same benefits. If not, every public agency in the state will have trouble filling these positions, much like L.A. County is experiencing right now with its Sheriff's Department.

- Brian Jones 

Rancho Vista

Taxpayer taxes

Re ``Health audit raises pulse'' (March 30):

The county's taxpayers must not be the premium payers for the illegal immigrants' HMO and health care. No matter if the federal, state or local governments pay for these health services, all government money sources are ultimately taxpayers' taxes. Clearly, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky refuses to accept this fact.

American citizens do not receive any free medical care from the countries that send millions of illegal immigrants across our borders. These same countries send their poor and unemployed to be cared for by the American taxpayers. It is time for Yaroslavsky to stop this financial abuse of the taxpayers and act responsibly to eliminate health care services for illegal immigrants.

- Mort Arditti

Los Angeles

L.A. High School

Re ``Famed O.J. lawyer dead at 67'' (March 30):

When I read that Johnnie Cochran went to L.A. High School (Go, Romans) and was one of a handful of black students that ``integrated the school in the '50s,'' I must set the record straight. I graduated from that illustrious institution in February of 1949 and I direct you to a picture of our graduation class. You will undoubtedly see that we had, in our number, more than one black student in our midst. Yes, they were a minority, but they were there - and had been there in prior years as well. May I also add that we all got along?

- Patricia Pierce

North Hills

Hahn's potholes

Re ``Hahn (mis)calculates'' (Editorial, March 30):

To tell the truth, Mayor James Hahn has as many potholes in his administration as there are potholes in the city that he's failed to clean up. In desperation, Hahn is spreading old dirt about his opponent, but he can't sweep his current scandals under the asphalt for this election.

- Jerold Drucker

Tarzana

Vocational training

Re ``Dropout crisis in L.A.'' (March 24):

When are educators going to realize that not all students are going to go to college? Bring back vocational education. Once upon a time we had two tracks, one for college and the other for vocational education. What happened to auto shop, wood shop, agricultural classes, home economics, childhood training, music, art, photography, office business training and anything else getting students ready for living in this world?

Students must be able to understand what they are reading and need to understand basic math, but unless schools meet the needs of all students, we will have a large percentage who are disinterested in school. They will see the advantage of getting an education if they can see a future with them in it.

- Jean Domine

Winnetka

Lowering voting age

Re ``Lower voting age would pump up turnout at polls'' (Their Opinions, March 28):

Robert Livingston wants to lower the voting age to 16. Amendment XXVI to the United States Constitution lowered the voting age to 18. It was an attempt by Democratic politicians to have younger people vote in the belief that they would vote in greater numbers and that the majority of them would vote for Democrats. It was a thoroughly political maneuver.

There has not been any improvement in voter turnout. Since then there have been two Democrats and three Republicans elected president. Democrats have been elected for three terms and Republicans for five terms. The Republicans now control both houses of Congress. Livingston's proposal and arguments make even less sense than Amendment XXVI.

- Robert S. Kennedy Jr.

Camarillo