AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREChargers go winless in AFC West with season-ending loss in Kansas CityNorthridge Where you live counts Re “DWP: The whole story” (Your Opinions, Oct. 4): I shake my head in bemusement at Fran LeDuc, a Burbank resident, telling me about how my L.A. DWP “gave” money to the city of L.A.. If she were an L.A. DWP customer, she would see that at the bottom of our bill we customers already pay a 10 percent city utility tax. Evidently, some very high-powered lawyers think that they need a “validation” from the courts to “transfer” funds from the DWP to our city budget fund. Perhaps the DWP largesse to the city is entirely legal. The courts will decide. If LeDuc would like to move into the city of L.A., I’ll be glad to help. Re “House of Cards” (Our Opinions, Oct. 7): Great article, too bad it isn’t on the “Required Reading List” for the taxpayers and voters of Los Angeles. How about printing copies of same, and we can hand them out on the street corners of L.A., so our bill payers can see just how their city leaders are almost all in bed with special interest’s money. The recent pay increases for the DWP, and the bureaucrats in City Hall are just examples of how these special interests are in control of the ones who took the oath. Most of the people paying these bills are certainly not getting 20-plus percent increases in their abilities to pay. We all knew it was bad, but DN’s “the House of Cards” reveals to this reader, it is even worse than I ever suspected! – William Conroy – Kurt Fisher Van Nuys City government Re “L.A. vs. The People” (Oct. 4): How effective is our city government? Consider our Department of Water and Power. We can thank the greedy unions and gutless city politicians for the excessive DWP salaries, compared to the private sector. Then we have extravagant hidden taxes in the form of cash transfers to the city general fund from water and power revenues ($100 million to $200 million each year). And now the city plans to increase our DWP rates. Are we voters like lemmings rushing over the cliff? When do we wake up and vote Libertarian? – Bill Lyons Santa Clarita Social Security unfair Re “Poverty is no game” (Business, Oct. 7): No wonder Social Security is headed toward bankruptcy. Your story cites a 47-year-old former drug addict who seldom worked, yet is drawing $1,020 monthly from Social Security and awaiting Section 8 federally subsidized housing. I feel sorry for her plight – but how come she gets Social Security at age 47 while I and others paid in to the fund for some 50 years and had to wait until age 65 to draw out a meager monthly amount? This is unfair. It’s nuts! – Ken Green Burbank Air-traffic controllers Re “Controllers link LAX errors to staff shortage” (Business, Oct. 2): Regarding a shortage of air-traffic controllers, it should be a crime to let this happen. We are talking about hundreds of lives per airplane that could be in jeopardy. This should be the top priority on every city, county, state and federal government’s list. With all the frivolous spending that goes on I’m sure they could direct some of it to this important issue. They should have on the payroll controllers on the sidelines at all times to fill any and all vacancies that occur no matter if it is a sick day, vacation or retirement. Every time I get on an airplane now, I’m going to be thinking “I hope there are enough of you in that tower and you’re not overtired.” – Marie Mull Glendale Water usage Re “H2O woes” (Oct. 9): I commend the Daily News for its water-saving tips story. However, the given advice is but a mere Band-Aid fix. When will someone have the courage to step forward and proclaim the cause of the problem? There are too many people using too many resources in this region. The fix for this problem will require someone with even more courage to step forward and make a few hard changes. – Cesare Consaga Simi Valley Bush out of touch Besides being amazingly heartless, President Bush’s veto of the expanded State Children’s Health Insurance Program proves that he is even more out of touch with mainstream American families than his father was. Here’s a possible solution: Every president should be required to live with a typical American family for at least one week per year during his term in office. – John Blumenthal Westlake Village Nanny state is here State Sen. Jenny Oropeza opines in her guest column, “Law must protect California’s Children” (Their Opinions, Oct. 8) that the state is in charge of the daily lives of our children, not parents. Very scary stuff. Think about it, the left has set the rules on how we discipline (not abuse) our children. And now the state legislates what we can and can’t do with our children in a private vehicle. I’ll bet that soon, legislation will be passed controlling what we feed our children. If this is the case, then I have a suggestion for the Democrats in the Senate – ban the playing of violent rap in a car with a minor. Rap music damages the soul. – Patrick Henry Lake Balboa The seal’s theme Re “County Seal” (Your Opinions, Oct. 8): Martin Korn’s logic in his response re “County seal issue may go to top court” is underwhelming. He bemoans the fact that Muslims, Jews and Hindus were forced to endure having a cross affixed to their official documents. Yet, he is silent about Christians having to endure a pagan goddess of the harvest, which is at least 15 times the size of the little cross, affixed to theirs. Actually, he misses the entire point of the seal representing our history both communally and economically. His animus toward the Christian symbol is interfering with his reasoning skills. – Maureen C. Wiggins Lake View Terrace Political correctness Re “County Seal” (Your Opinions, Oct. 8): Martin Korn basically objects to a cross on the county seal because he believes county government forces the Christian religion on people. The cross above the Hollywood Bowl in the original seal was put there to signify the role of the Spanish priests in the history of California. The pagan goddess Pomona in the previous seal was replaced by an Indian maiden – probably to appease Christians for the removal of the cross. To me this indicates the ridiculousness of political correctness. – Warren Thompson West Hills GOP hypocrites Re “Dem hypocrites” (Your Opinions, Oct. 4): For Craig Hawley’s information, Brian McGough served in Afghanistan, was injured in combat in Iraq, and received the Purple Heart. Rush Limbaugh slimed him as a “phony soldier” for criticizing the Iraq war. McGough has challenged Limbaugh: “Ask me or any other member of VoteVets.org to come on your program. Until you have the guts to call me a phony soldier to my face, stop telling lies about my service.” Limbaugh is a hypocrite with draft deferments who will debate with McGough when pigs fly. – Alexander Freeman Thousand Oaks Don’t criminalize it Re “Don’t give up” (Your Opinions, Oct. 5): Candido Marez thinks that legalizing drugs is “not the answer.” Not the answer to what? This type of muddled thinking is the problem. In one stroke it would answer every problem associated with drugs. People must get over the fact that you cannot legislate morality. Criminalizing behavior just because you don’t approve of it is wrong. What another person chooses to consume is none of your business. If you believe that someone you care about is hurting themselves with their behavior, then by all means help them. Teach your children not to abuse any substance, be it drugs, alcohol or even food – but don’t criminalize it. – Jeff Clarke Simi Valley Win some, lose some For clarification – we won the Iraq war when we deposed Saddam Hussein and captured most of his henchmen, but we seem to be losing the occupation. – Sol Taylor Sherman Oaks Hallelujah Re “Battered Lakers get some time off” (Sports, Oct. 7): The season hasn’t even started yet and the Lakers are beat up already? Kobe finally has his reason to complain now. – Britni Howze Northridge160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
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