February 21-27, 2008
Hillary’s Mind Games
[Re: American Babylon, “No Guilt Trip, Please,” Feb. 14] Bravo to Andrew Gumbel for his perceptive assessment of Hillary Clinton. I can offer only my own personal point of view, of course, but from that position, this piece was so well laid out and so excellently delivered that I can only wish I had a gold frame in hand to put around it. I have to thank Gumbel for great work in demographic analysis, political commentary, penetrating thinking, and brilliant writing.
RICHARD HEBERT
BURBANK
Welcome to Clintonville
Ah, 2000 is busting out all over, and the alternative-media brain trust is telling us mainstream Dems offer us “no change” from the Republicans. Scream it from Baghdad and New Orleans!
Gumbel feigns a half-hearted attempt at sizing Hillary Clinton up objectively, but, as usual, the cherries must be picked and laid by the gilded lilies on the stacked deck. Worst is his charge of the Clinton campaign’s race-baiting; a totally manufactured slur from a press corps out to do in the Clintons at any cost. But this is where, in Clintonville, mainstream and alternative media have always shaken hands and lied without shame.
GREG WALL
LOS ANGELES
Hanging with Don
I just wanted to say that the article entitled, “Hanging with Hill’s Pals” [Feb. 7] by Don Shirley was awesome! I really enjoyed reading it. It was informative and quite fun as well. Thanks so much for the article and props to Don Shirley.
KATHARINE CHEN
BOSTON
Be Scared
Maybe all the young people who are voting for Obama because Hillary is the oldest, and all the men who are voting against Hillary because she is a woman, should consider who Obama’s opponent will be if he wins the primary. John McCain is not the best orator nor does he ask you to “believe,” but he is the son and grandson of distinguished Navy Admirals, the Naval Liaison to the U.S. Senate, a 22- year career Naval aviator, a re-enlisted Vietnam POW who not only earned a Purple Heart but four other military medals of honor. Can Obama stand up to that? The Republicans will tear Obama to pieces over his lack of experience in foreign affairs. McCain will keep the war going strong on his entire terms, which means that all of your sons will possibly be drafted just because you felt the need to elicit age and gender discrimination against Hillary.
CAROLYN DOSWELL
STUDIO CITY
Close the Libraries!
[Re: “The Crushing Blow of Howard Jarvis,” Jan. 23] Some people believe that Jesus Christ is their personal savior. I believe that Howard Jarvis was my personal savior; that is, my economic savior.
I remember when Prop. 13 passed in 1978. It allowed me and my family to keep our home and to remain in Southern California. In 1975, my real estate taxes were $400 per year. In 1976 my taxes doubled to $800 per year; in 1977, my taxes doubled again to $1,600 per year. In 1978, I went to the Board of Equalization in Culver City and asked what would my tax bill be if Proposition 13 failed to pass. I was told it would be over $2,400. I saw many people in tears knowing that if Proposition 13 did not pass, they would lose their homes and be forced to leave Southern California.
If the Assembly had given us a tax break, Prop. 13 would have never occurred. These Democrat, liberal, bigot, poverty pimps know that by raising taxes on us, and re-distributing our money via welfare to poor people, they will get their votes come election time.
I remember the propaganda from Governor “Moonbeam” Jerry Brown who was against Prop. 13. After it passed, Jerry did a flip-flop and said he supported it.
As far as libraries are concerned, they are almost obsolete since the introduction of the Internet. They don’t need to build any more.
From the “Save Prop. 13/Howard Jarvis” group I get an update several times a year. I see that this year, about 30 years since Prop. 13 passed and I have saved $137,000. This amounts to about a little over $4,400 a year. What better way to keep liberal bigots from using the government robber-barons from stealing money from me?
My real estate tax bill this year was $1,000 because Howard Jarvis wrote into this law that the government can only raise my taxes by 2 percent per year. Hallelujah, and thank you again Howard, baby, wherever you are!
RONALD L. NELSON
CULVER CITY
Send Letters!
Letters to the editor should include a return address and telephone number. All correspondence becomes property of Los Angeles CityBeat and may be edited for space. Send to LETTERS, CityBeat, 5209 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036. Or by fax (323) 938-1661 or e-mail: editor@lacitybeat.com.
Published: 02/20/2008
DIGG | del.icio.us | REDDIT
