Johnny Applevillaraigosa

Regarding “Villaraigosa’s Million Tree Planting — 55 down, 799,945 to go,” by Steven Mikulan (L.A. Daily blog, March 31):

The mayor is busy planting advertising kiosks instead of trees. Every time I see one of those monstrous, three-sided, green metallic advertising objects on the sidewalks in my neighborhood, I think … if they can put that there, they could have put in a tree. Do they think that because they painted the metal green, we won’t notice?

A beautiful tree died on Beverly Boulevard, just east of La Cienega Boulevard, on the north side of the street. I think it was poisoned by one of the commercial interests in the shopping center behind it. The city came and removed it, and left a stump and a barricade. This was months ago. They still haven’t come back to replace the tree.

Comment by Anonymous

Waking Up Chandler

Regarding “The Big Sleep — Raymond Chandler, 50 years dead,” by Judith Freeman (March 27):

Your essay excellently summarizes the essence of Chandler’s written output and his sensibility.

Comment by Peter L. Winkler, North Hollywood

LAUSD Blues

Regarding “Cortines’ Many-Headed LAUSD Monster,” by Joseph Mailander (March 20):

LAUSD is a nightmare and must not only be decentralized but probably broken up. If Cortines is trying to do that, great, but it doesn’t seem to be working. School principals must be highly paid, highly motivated EXECUTIVES. If they can’t hack it, they should be ex-principals. The same goes for teachers.

We need executive DNA leadership at the school level. Downtown is a joke. A massive reduction in nonteaching staff would be a good place to start. Less bureaucracy. Less procedure. Less nonsense. Make the schools make it happen at the school level. Anything else is money down a rat hole.

Comment by Dale Leshaw

Hubbard and the City Council

As a Scientologist I am happy that the L.A. City Council recognized the work that L. Ron Hubbard did and that all scientologists are doing in creating a better society. Thanks.

Comment by Frank G.

What are L. Ron’s accomplishments, starting a religion to make a million dollars? That’s about all he accomplished, and he only called his pseudoscientific quackery a religion for tax purposes: Google “religious cloaking Scientology.”

Comment by Bob Dobbs

 

We Don’t Know What He’s Talking About but We’re Printing His Damn Letter Anyway

So, you didn’t include Michael Jackson’s record-setting residency at London’s O2 Arena, huh? Not surprised. Although you did include your copy-and-pasted article on his “forced” Neverland transferency and an auction that, supposedly, no other celebrity ever has, according to you. All your views on Michael reflect the truth about you. You are racist, despite your “disguise.” You will talk about rappers, and other black musicians, as long as they are not TOO successful.  And you won’t give big ups to celebrities that live right, especially black ones. After all, you gotta relate, right? And, though it’s a cliché, you don’t have the guts to print this letter in your paper. Plus you don’t dot the small i’s in your validation codes.

Comment by Gene Jensen, L.A.

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