Arianna Huffington teaming up with AOL; Republicans’ budget-cutting efforts; battling over public employee unions

Write it down

Re “HuffPo’s mojo,” Feb. 16

I don’t know where FOA (“friend of Arianna”) Mickey Kaus got the idea that journalists are “coddled and well paid,” but it sure won’t be with the Huffington Post in the near future.

I was a reporter for AOL’s Patch (among others) until it decided to cut local editors’ budgets to the point that it couldn’t even pay me the tiny stipend that works out to, after interviewing, researching, fact checking, formatting, photographing and, oh yes, writing, something like $10 an hour.

Huffington wants to reach a larger audience? Great. But she is going to get the quality of journalism that she pays for. (Yeah, I know — a dangling preposition. But I can’t afford to take the time to rewrite.)

Melonie Magruder

North Hollywood

The politics of budget cutting

Re “Republicans plow ahead with plans for deep cuts,” Feb. 16

Do budgets exist for the sake of people, or do people exist for the sake of budgets? It’s clear that for the GOP it is the latter: Some people with jobs will have to lose their jobs so that the budget deficit will be reduced. To that, House Speaker John A. Boehner says, “So be it.”

“We’re broke,” he says. But we are not broke. We’re not so broke that we can’t extend tax cuts to the wealthiest. We’re not so broke that we can’t pay for two unpopular wars. So it’s not about budgets; it’s about politics.

The GOP is clearly dedicated to the proposition that government of the wealthy, by the wealthy and for the wealthy shall not perish from this Earth.

And if people lose their jobs as a result, well, “So be it.”

John H. Geerken

Claremont

Your article speaks of the concern of local political leaders that the proposed cuts will lead to the loss of thousands of jobs. Boehner brushes aside such concerns.

That’s understandable. Why would he worry about job losses when the Republicans would use high unemployment in the 2012 election as a sign that President Obama has failed to repair the economy?

Donald Schwartz

Los Angeles

Debating the union way

Re “Union battle lines drawn,” Feb. 18

Something stinks in Wisconsin, and it’s not the cheese. Fair and honest negotiations with the unions will expose Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s real motivation: to destroy the Democrats’ ability to raise money in future election cycles.

I applaud the public union workers and Democratic legislators in Wisconsin for drawing a line in the snow.

Tom Avildsen

Woodland Hills

There is virtually nothing that I agree with Republicans on, but I have no problem with government employees paying their fair share of the costs of their benefits, the same as do those of us in the private sector.

Although I’m a union man, unions have gone too far with their demands in both the public and private sectors. If government workers think they can do better in the private sector, then do what the rest of us do and change jobs.

Stuart Singer

Arlington, Texas

Public employees do not set their wages. We decide what their compensation will be, and we do this by electing representatives to negotiate for us on various boards and councils.

From the biggest legislature to the smallest school board, these representatives sit through tedious budget meetings where they are deluged with expert advice regarding such topics as age of the workforce, projected retirement numbers and property tax valuations and trends. Then pay packages are offered, purportedly in line with what taxpayers can afford.

Now, if we are to believe the news, these elected representatives have been locking us in to remuneration that is unaffordable and unsustainable. Why is this situation the workers’ fault? Perhaps we should be demanding the resignation of every elected official who agreed to these supposedly high payouts.

Cheryl Holt

Burbank

They’ve earned their pensions

Re “Pension perk is prime budget target,” Feb. 16

State employees have been grossly underpaid for years; this is particularly true for professionals and senior administrators. The Legislature realizes this. So to make up for it, employees are given decent benefits.

If we significantly cut these workers’ pensions or other benefits, then they must receive increases in base pay. Otherwise, how can the state expect to retain and attract competent people?

Stewart Chesler

Sherman Oaks

Dan Pellissier, who advised Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on pension issues, is the ultimate hypocrite. As a state employee, he purchased “air time,” or pension credit for years he never worked. Now he thinks it’s not fair to taxpayers and is pushing to stop this practice, which he says should be done immediately.

These people are not hogs or pigs, but they are certainly getting fat on our backs. And it’s all transparent — behind a brick wall.

Julian Tellez

Los Angeles

Aid matters

Re “A soft bargain,” Opinion, Feb. 16

Micah Zenko and Rebecca R. Friedman are right about the importance of foreign assistance, which accounts for a miniscule part of the federal budget but has great potential to prevent conflict.

Certainly mistakes have been made in the administration of foreign assistance, but the U.S. Agency for International Development has been implementing reforms to make aid more efficient, transparent and accountable. More needs to be done, but this is not the time to eliminate or cut assistance. Foreign assistance empowers people to overcome poverty, hunger and disease.

Military leaders recognize how important it is to invest in development. Fighting poverty is a lot cheaper than fighting armed enemies. Congress must make foreign aid more effective, not eliminate it.

Merilie Robertson

Canoga Park

Helping vets

Re “L.A. County’s most fragile vets to get overdue help,” Column, Feb. 16

Reading about homeless veterans saddens me. I do hope they will get the help they deserve.

Americans should be ashamed that this is even such a huge problem. Anyone who fights for our freedom should always have the benefits to take care of their problems no matter what they may be when they return to this country of ours — ours because of the men and women who fight to protect our freedom.

Elaine Houghton

Montebello

In Compton

Re “Compton parents trigger reform,” Opinion, Feb. 15

It’s about time parents stepped up and took their rightful places in their children’s education. They are the missing team members in all that is going on in our schools.

Parents — not teachers, administrators or elected officials — are children’s primary educators. As we each find our voice and speak out, our educational system will begin to do the jobs it is intended to do.

With teaching being the second-most-honorable profession, maybe the tide is shifting and the voices that are being heard are realizing that parenting is the most honorable profession. We have to hold ourselves accountable to move all children forward toward excellence. It’s about time.

Beverly Franco

Monterey Park