This is prompted by your editorial, 'It's still safety first,'and an Opinions article by Los Angeles City Councilman Marvin Braude,'Valley's capital: Van Nuys,' both of which appeared in your Aug. 2issue.
I am thoroughly in accord with your thoughts regarding theproposed refurbished and enlarged Van Nuys Civic Center, especiallyinasmuch as it is said that private investors would finance theconstruction. God knows we need such a center, although I am notsure I would recommend the inclusion (as Braude did) of theaters,such as are to be found at Sherman Oaks Galleria, because of thetroubles they attract these days.
And I certainly agree that if the San Fernando Valley - I havealways thought that the San Fernando Valley should be a city untoitself - is to have a capital, it probably should be Van Nuys,despite the blighted and dangerous conditions that have sounfortunately overtaken Van Nuys during recent years.
As a Marine Corps combat veteran of World War II, I am stronglypro-police and anti-crime. But I have never been able to understandwhy the areas immediately surrounding police stations, say likedowntown Van Nuys, should not be nearly 100 percent safe fromphysical crime on the streets at all hours.
In conclusion: Bring on the proposed civic center, but moreurgent and more important than that, let's first establish conditionswhereby unarmed and law-abiding citizens can, with reasonable safetyat all hours, walk and drive about the streets of Van Nuys, ShermanOaks, Panorama City, North Hollywood, Reseda and other neighboringcommunities.
If our government owes its citizens anything, it is reasonablesafety during law-abiding activities from physical harm at the handsof undesirables who do not deserve to be free to commit suchunspeakable crimes as are reported in our local papers daily.
- Marion Everett Willson
Sherman OaksIt's Fuhrman's responsibility
I would like to comment on the Goldman family's press conferenceAug. 16. I understand their emotions and feel for their loss. Ialso have seen and experienced that emotions can blind you toreality.
There was a simple way that these tapes would be a non-issue inthis particular case - for Mark Fuhrman to have told the truth, thewhole truth and nothing but the truth.
- David Pentecost
SylmarMore on `exploited' aliens
This is in response to Yuri White's letter ('Illegal aliensexploited,' Public Forum, Aug. 15). White uses the 'it-for-tat'justification to say it's OK for our current culture to be displacedby another because 'the white man came into California, stole thisland and its language and culture from Mexico.' White's rhetoricjust serves to create further group hatred. Next you will hear thatMexico stole California from Spain, Spain stole it from NativeAmericans, and so on.
Sure there are illegal immigrants other than Hispanics, butWhite does not face up to the fact that the overwhelming flow ofillegal immigration comes from south of the border.
I agree with White that illegal immigrants are exploited by thehotel and restaurant industries. But it is hypocritical to, on theone hand justify the presence of illegal immigrants because of theirwillingness to be exploited, and on the other hand to fault theiremployers for exploiting them.
White says that illegal immigration has nothing to do with thereduced quality of our schools, saying that it is simply a matter ofthe differences between inner-city and suburban neighborhoods. Whitetotally ignores that inner-city demography changes are directlylinked to out-of-control illegal immigration.
Millions of dollars of extra costs are the direct cause ofovercrowding of our schools by children of illegal immigrants, andmillions more are spent for bilingual and remedial education forthose children. Wake up.
- Hal Netkin
Van Nuys
After reading the Yuri White rebuttal in your Public Forum to myForum piece of Aug. 8, I am compelled to respond.
White got it wrong from the beginning. If those illegals whocome here uneducated and unskilled were not here at all, they couldnot be exploited. For those who are here legally or otherwise, I saywe all had to start somewhere, and that is usually at the bottom.
The United States did not 'steal' California from Mexico anymore than Mexico stole Mexico from Spain, or Spain from the nativepopulation. Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1822 by war.The United States won California in 1848 in a similar manner by war,treaty and purchase from Mexico.
Whether it's health care, housing, food, transportation,education or whatever, illegals are draining the system.
- Jim Van Schaack
TarzanaMulticulturalism
It is sad and ironic when the 'advocates' of those who come hereexpress a longing for multiculturalism - ironic, in that people whocome here are fleeing the responses of the culture of their nativeland to their problems.
The responses developed in Sweden, Poland, Mexico, Russia,Ireland, etc., were not adequate to fill their bellies, providereligious freedom, economic or political opportunity, etc. That iswhy they left.
It is sad in that those 'advocates' appear not to understandthat a prosperous, secure, stable, democratic republic is notsomething separate from culture, but is both the creation and thereflection of a culture.
- David A. Breetwor
Sun ValleyGloomy economic omens
It is alarming to observe the repetition in our economic historythat is apparently overtaking us. In the '20s, we experienced a boomof enormous proportions, mirrored by a runaway stock market. The'80s saw a similar phenomenon.
The end of the earlier era saw an unprecedented collapse thatstretched into a depression that finally ended when the world wasengulfed in war.
There were a number of causes, but a principle factor wasoverproduction coupled with underconsumption. Goods and servicesoutstripped the ability of the consumers to pay for them, and whencredit had been stretched to the utmost, the inevitable occurred.
We are faced with this same convergence of events. Aftermerging and expanding, businesses are now in the process ofconsolidating and slashing their work forces. Government is alsocutting employees. Credit has grown. Unless there is a change, wemust anticipate some kind of revisitation of the woes of the '30s.
- Ira Skutch
Sherman OaksScavengers invade privacy
I am frustrated and angry with the inequities of our lawenforcement.
Recently, at approximately 8:25 a.m., I heard someone in mydriveway. To my surprise a scavenger was going through my cityrecycling container. This container was on the side of my drivewayapproximately 20 feet from the street.
This prompted a phone call to the Los Angeles PoliceDepartment's Devonshire Division. When I explained the situation tothe desk officer, I was informed that a violator must be warned byme two times before a report can be filed. The violator was stealingfrom the city of Los Angeles, not me, since the container belongs toLos Angeles. I thanked the officer for not helping and hung up.
I am appalled that someone can walk onto my property and selectitems of his or her choice and remove them.
The scavenger situation is an annoyance and an invasion ofprivacy. Some solution needs to be reached.
Homeowners find trash strewn after a scavenger has been throughtrash cans, recyclable items pilfered instead of being used by thecity of Los Angeles. I am tired of being a weekly victim.
- Ruth Zehfuss
North HillsAdvice for Riordan
An article in the News on Aug. 9 that some Los Angeles CityCouncil members are pressuring Mayor Richard Riordan to remove CivilService Commissioner Joe Gelman because he 'supports the CaliforniaCivil Rights initiative to end affirmative action,' and thereby hasan agenda.
Nate Holden, Jackie Goldberg, Rita Walters, Richard Alarcon,Mark Ridley-Thomas, Mike Hernandez, Ruth Galanter and RichardAlatorre, who oppose the initiative, obviously do not have an agenda.
I trust that the mayor is smart enough to turn his back on thecouncil in this instance.
- Bob Sharp
ArletaJob discrimination
I am one of those citizens who has been denied job opportunitiesbecause of my color, and race. This was back in the late '20s and'30s. I remember being called all sorts of names.
I did the only thing I could do - join the Army.
Did I mention my mother and father came to this country in 1907from Ireland? I am not an Irish-American. I am an American.
- Joe Rowan
San Fernando
