Letters To The Editor

Letters to the Editor
Letters To The Editor
By
May 15, 2005 - 7:44:00 PM

I am writing about the story that I just read from Chris Volkay (The Passion of the Chris). I thought that it was very funny and some truth in it. But as far as I'm concerned, with the movie from Mel Gibson (The Passion of the Christ) is just a remake of the Untold Story, The Robe, and also Ben Hur. We the people of all walk's of life really dont know the truth. How can we, we weren't there. In this day and age, it's all word of mouth. You must believe your pastor or priest. And even then they tell you only God knows. Well how come you don't know? Then the big answer. My children of the flock, if you pay me 10% out of your pay check each week we will find the answer from God. (So pay up buddy). As we go through life whether we ride the bus, train, and what not, we find that our first impression is hatred, because you're not the right color, the right person, not the right sex. Until the one that breakes the ice then there is a happy medium. I believe that God gave us passion and love that was passed down through our fathers and mothers from their past learnings.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
May 2, 2005
I oppose drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and believe destroying this last bastion of untouched wilderness is not the appropriate way to go about becoming more energy independent. The United States
government should adopt a policy of developing other forms of alternative energy, and not focus on finding other ways to cultivate oil.
The U.S. accounts for 4% of the world population, but consumes approximately 25% of the crude oil in the world. Destroying more of the environment and
drilling for more oil is not the answer. It is a short term solution to a long term problem.
Besides the myopia of this solution, there are thousands of species that will be affected by this legislation. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the last untouched wilderness areas in the world. We must do
everything to ensure this land is protected from fat cats and barons of the oil business.
The development of more solar power, wind power, and hydrogen power will offset the reliance America has on oil foreign or domestic. At the rate we are going, all the oil in the world will run out in our lifetime. If we do
not invest in the resources and capital of alternative forms of energy, we will be left in the dark, literally and figuratively.
The need for alternative energy sources is inevitable, so the U.S. should be at the forefront of developing this necessary new technology. Please contact your Senators and Congressmen and let them know that you support
investing in alternative forms of energy. It not only could save our planet from ravenous energy hungry humans, it could also solidify America as a super power well into the next couple centuries.

George Christopher Thomas

Agoura Hills, CA

SCHOOL IS OUT.What's A Parent to Do?By Denise Rockwell The proverbial question of what to do with the kids when summer vacation hits the neighborhood has become more and more problematic as the norm in American households is increasingly single parents or both parents working. As a teacher I am frequently asked by parents or guardians whether or not I know about anything that will keep their child meaningfully occupied during this time. This usually is a request for some kind of formal writing or reading activities. Frankly, I must say, that my first inclination is to say, "For heaven's sake, just let them play!" However, I recognize this is not as easy as it was when I was a child growing up in a multiracial neighborhood in Los Angeles in the late fifties and early sixties. Nosy neighbors who would "rat out" inappropriate behaviors to our parents without fear of being cursed out still existed. Small business owners from the five and dime to the hardware stores knew us and joined in keeping us in line while making money on our purchases of candy, paper dolls, comic books and keys for our skates. Parks were places to play on the swings and slides and the streets in front of our houses served as great diamonds for our afternoon softball games (usually played with bats and tennis balls) and had perfect corners for lemonade stands. So what's a parent to do to occupy the kids during summer vacation in today's urban setting? Plenty! Your children can have fun and learn too if you start planning right now. Start by looking up what kinds of activities for kids your city and county are having during the summer. Museums like Natural History, Science and Industry, County Museum of Art, Getty, and Museum of the American West all have wonderful education programs and many of them have extended care. They are not free, but there are scholarships so don't delay applying for your child to attend. Don't forget that your local public library is a great source of summer reading activities. Just remember that the library is not a nanny or babysitting center. It's a fantastic place for your child to be exposed to the world of ideas, so make sure that your child uses it appropriately. Ask your librarian for help in making your visits an adventure. Believe it or not, many Metro systems provide inexpensive tours on specific days. You'd be surprised about what you can learn about your city's history and cultural highlights. But more important, what a great adventure this can be for you and your child. One last tip, if your child is going to be spending lots of unsupervised time on the Internet, be sure that you review the safety information at websites likewww.netsmartz.com and <http://www.safekids.com/> www.safekids.com. These sites have excellent activities for kids that teach them about safe Internet usage.With a little effort you'll find great resources in your community to make your child's summer both fun and educational!

ANOTHER BROKEN PROMISE LOS ANGELES, April 27, 2005 - Concerned that the Governor has broken his promise to safeguard death and disability benefits for future police officers and firefighters, Bob Baker, President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, issued the following statement. It has been three weeks since Governor Schwarzenegger abandoned his badly conceived pension initiative. On April 7th, the Governor admitted what everybody else could see -that his pension initiative eliminated death and disability benefits for police officers and firefighters. On the day he retreated from his outrageous pension initiative, the Governor made a promise to "fix" the elimination of death and disability benefits. No fix has been forthcoming. Yet, the Governor continues to bluster his way around the state, announcing to carefully handpicked audiences that he intends to dismantle the pension system. Analysis of his abandoned pension initiative showed the only cost savings came from eliminating death and disability benefits for police officers and firefighters. Perhaps that is the reason the Governor refuses to elaborate on his fix: there isn't one that doesn't come at the expense of death and disability benefits. Or, could it be Governor Schwarzenegger has no intent on making any fixes and is just hoping that he can score enough out-of-state special interest money to buy the pension plan he wants? Public employees need to feel secure about their retirement and future. Police officers and firefighters take enough risks as it is; their pension plans should not become another. About the LAPPL Formed in 1922, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,000 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL serves to advance the interests of LAPD officers through legislative and legal advocacy, political action and education. The LAPPL can be found on the Web at www.LAPD.com<http://www.lapd.com>