PUBLIC FORUM.

Control of borders

Re ``500,000 voices put L.A. at center of immigration debate'' (March 2):

How many of those were voices of citizens of the United States? Not all were, as indicated by the numerous foreign flags displayed and the buses with Mexican license plates. How many were citizens in name only - born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants?

Immigration must be controlled by the host nation and not by the uninvited guest. So far our elected officials have shown they lack the resolve and/or the courage to do their job. To reform immigration, we must control immigration. To control immigration, we must control our borders.

- Richard and Gloria Hampton

Sylmar

Death of middle class

Re ``U.S. at odds over border policy with Canada, as well as Mexico'' (April 1):

President George W. Bush constantly states that he wants to start a guest-worker program to do the work that Americans won't do. That statement is a complete falsehood, as there is no such thing as work Americans won't do.

There are only employers who no longer want to pay a living wage, as they once did. Middle-class America, once the backbone and strength of this great country, is disappearing - and, along with it, America's greatness.

- Pat Ramirez

Sherman Oaks

Breaking up LAUSD

Re ``Only a breakup can help LAUSD'' (Their Opinions, March 30) by George Runner and Keith Richman:

What does a 50,000-student school district mean to the Valley? It means five Valley districts, each with four or five mega high schools with an average of 3,200 students each, plus 12 magnet, continuation and other small high schools (per LAUSD Web site for the 2005-2006 school year for local Districts 1 and 2).

Does this - 17 high schools per district - sound like something ``smaller, more community-oriented'' to you? It sure doesn't to me. How many communities do you think there are in the Valley? Not five. I spotted 33 named communities in my Thomas Guide. Along with its feeder schools, one high school is more likely to pull in parental and community involvement - 10,000 students per new district. Perhaps ``within walking distance'' could be added to the Runner-Richman criteria.

- Shirley Goldstein

Sylmar

Rents climb higher

Re ``L.A. area rents climbing higher'' (Business, March 31):

This is totally outrageous. There has to be a viable answer to affordable rents. Doesn't anyone see the issue here - as to why there is a huge homelessness problem in Los Angeles? Each of us wants a better life, a decent-paying job and an affordable roof over our heads.

I see a lot of new construction going on in the San Fernando Valley - new apartment buildings, new condos - and I laugh and think: Wow, more unaffordable housing! Postage-stamp-size units go for $1,500-plus a month - $1,300 for a single person. Disgusting! I say shame on those greedy landlords and land developers.

We need Los Angeles citizens to stage a major protest for affordable housing. Just say no to greed.

- Linda Simeone

Shadow Hills

Lesson in racism

Re ``Legislator says incident was racially motivated'' (April 1):

I am disgusted with Rep. Cynthia McKinney. When she thought her arrogant tirade and assault on a Capitol police officer would go unpunished, she was sorry about the incident. Now, however, when she will actually have consequences for her actions, she plays the race card and attacks the police officer in the face of numerous videotapes and an unbiased witness.

For her to expect the officers to memorize the appearance of every member of Congress is ludicrous. She, not the Capitol police, forgot her ID pin. She, not police, tried to breach security without proper ID. And, when asked by the officer to stop and confirm her identity, per protocol, she punched him.

She needs a lesson in racism - and humility. I vote for the maximum jail time allowed by law.

- Craig Hawley

Reseda

Antonovich's response

The ``homeless debate'' letter to the editor (March 28), which questioned my opposition to siphoning money from public safety funds to address the homelessness problem, failed to comprehend this vital issue. Homelessness solutions need to be funded from the county's health and mental-health budgets, not from public safety funds.

In addition, state law must be changed to require treatment for the mentally ill and those addicted to drugs and alcohol. The pending county proposal must also include the community in the decision-making process to locate suitable sites for regional centers for the homeless. In addressing the homelessness problem, we must not shortchange public safety, and we must engage our partners in the community - not ignore them.

- Michael D. AntonovichSupervisor

Los Angeles County

Economic vacuum

I know of a few immigrants who came here illegally many years ago, such as Hungarian Jews who were excluded right after World War II because Hungary was an Axis country during the war. The real issues today focus mainly on illegal immigrants who cross our southern borders, not those who fly in from Europe.

If all illegal immigrants were deported today, we'd have a serious employment problem since many areas of our economy are supported by migrant workers and illegal immigrants - agriculture, textiles, domestic work and construction. Congress needs to find ways to deal with the problems caused by millions of illegal immigrants, also known as undocumented workers, without causing a serious economic vacuum.

- Sol Taylor

Sherman Oaks

Stick to TV

Re ``Unit's' military expert has fighting words for Bush'' (U, March 26):Shame on TV critic David Kronke. For a journalist, it serves no high purpose to fail utterly to challenge and question the interpretations of the interviewee. Indeed, the interview is apparently justified by the fact that he is an adviser to a television show, and Kronke is a television critic.

To use a TV critic's position to add credibility and exposure to someone's peculiar views regarding our nation's defenses and current administration is unfair to unsuspecting readers who turn to the column for information on entertainment.

- Robert A. Gismondi

Reseda

Voting machines

A big hurrah to the American citizens of California in trying to stop the deployment of these mechanical Trojan horses. More and more news stories point out how easily these machines can change votes and without a paper trail for a recount. Is this an intentional criminal design in these machines or the result of utter incompetence?

Diebold builds ATMs that can give you a paper receipt on your financial transactions. Even a small credit-card machine will give you and the store a paper receipt. We should all value our constitutional rights and the record of our vote with as much as, or more than, we value our money. Diebold should be made to recall all 50,000 machines, as they are a threat to the security of our country.

- Robert Barr

Burbank

Bird flu death rates

Re ``Here comes the flu'' (March 31):

With regard to your bird flu article, it should be noted that the 1918 flu had a mortality rate of 1.8 percent while H5N1 avian influenza has a mortality rate of more than 55 percent. The statistics offered by the experts are way off base. If 90 million become infected nationwide with the current bird flu virus,the number of deaths would be approximately 49 million, not 1.9 million.

According to the World Health Organization, there have been to date 186 cases in eight countries, with 105 deaths - 56 percent mortality. As grim as these statistics are, public officials should disclose the truth and not venture estimates that are inconsistent with the facts.

- Edward C. Bayan

Northridge