PUBLIC FORUM.

Not surprising

Re ``Border debate inspires symbolic mail'' (July 3):

Why am I not surprised that the numerous bricks and gloves flooding the offices of Rep. Howard Berman and Sen. Dianne Feinstein in support of border security ``make no difference'' in their decisions? Since when have these puffed-up politicians ever listened to the people who put them in office?

-- John Lynch

Studio City

Bad neighbors

Re ``City might seek refunds from LAUSD'' (July 1):

Kevin Reed, general counsel for Los Angeles Unified School District, said the district has bent over backward to be a good neighbor. Facts show just the opposite. Come to Granada Hills and talk to the neighbors of the proposed ``Hospital High.'' LAUSD purchased 11.26 acres that included the closed Granada Hills Community Hospital, medical buildings and a 361-space multilevel parking garage. The 1,215-student school, planned for 8.5 acres, only dedicates 113 parking spots for faculty and staff. All student parking needs are to be accommodated on the residential streets. I don't think that is being a good neighbor.

-- Richard Fisk

Granada Hills

A great idea

Re ``Prudish L.A. nixes `Hooters for Neuters''' (June 28):

I applaud Los Angeles Animal Services General Manager Ed Boks for wanting his grossly underfunded department to be the recipient of the Hooters for Neuters fundraiser. Yes, the bikini-clad Hooter girl poster was tasteless, but the poster that replaced it with the dog in the T-shirt was adorable.

At a time when pet overpopulation is reaching new highs, and when it is difficult enough to convince men to spay and neuter their animals, this event was a great idea.

The funds generated by this event could have gone a long way to assist low-income people in getting their animals spayed and neutered. This is the only way to turn off the faucet of pet overpopulation, which is the primary cause for the killing of so many animals in city shelters.

-- Lori Golden

Northridge

Downward spiral

Re ``Whose responsibility'' (Your Opinions, July 2):

Kim Garrett writes from Pacoima about ``residential rage,'' but he describes the problems that are putting many of our neighborhoods into that downward spiral. Overpopulation causes friction between neighbors. Lack of parking, noise and trash are all indications of the lowering of neighborhood standards. The residents who care about their surroundings get more and more frustrated, and the others add constantly to the problem.

-- Barbara Adams

Reseda

Toon thanks

Thank you, Mallard Fillmore, for telling it like it is.

I perceive a deafening silence from liberal organizations like Human Rights Watch when it comes to our soldiers having their eyes gouged out, skulls crushed and bodies mutilated. In fact, I heard nothing from them or the former administration when our soldiers' bodies were dragged through the streets of Somalia in the '90s.

Speaking of Gitmo, does anyone remember the lady with the bomb strapped to her -- the bomb that didn't go off during a hotel bombing? Well, one of her accomplices, whose bomb did go off, killing innocent citizens, was a terror suspect released from Guantanamo.

-- Carol Milton

Woodland Hills

Rove's O'Reilly?

Re ``Media declares jihad on Bush White House'' (Their Opinions, July 3):

The most ridiculous item Sunday was Bill O'Reilly's paranoid attack on the so-called far-left news media. However, it is not surprising. It has long been a strategy of Republican Karl Rove to attack the press as a means of stirring up the ultra-right-wing base, especially in an election year, and there are those who believe that O'Reilly readily does Rove's bidding. Some wouldn't put it past Rove to have deliberately leaked the story about the Bush administration secretly spying on banking transactions as an excuse to attack the news media to divert attention away from all the other scandals plaguing the Republicans this election year.

-- Jack Allen

Pacific Palisades