A presidential visit’s impact on local traffic; new construction in Century City; a mosque near ground zero

A one-man SigAlert

Re “ Obama raises cash, L.A. commuter ire,” Aug. 17

I’d like to thank President Obama for ruining my evening and that of many thousands of other Angelenos who found it extremely difficult to make our way home because of his visit to raise money for the Democratic Party.

It is hard to imagine how he could have picked a worse time to travel through the streets of West Los Angeles to meet with a few high-and-mighty individuals and fill his party’s coffers. Had he been in town on some important mission affecting the welfare of our nation, I would have been happy to have been inconvenienced. However, his actions showed a complete lack of sensitivity to his fellow citizens in our city.

Allan Kokin

Los Angeles

There must be an easier (and, for the taxpayer, much cheaper) way to get $1 million to Democratic candidates than flying someone with a huge entourage across the country and snarling traffic for thousands of commuters for hours.

A first-class postage stamp maybe?

Wim Scholten

Culver City

I do understand the need for heightened security when the president visits our city.

What I don’t understand is how half of our city is completely shut down during his visit.

Can’t there be a better plan for diverting drivers, especially during rush hour?

Driving home from downtown, I saw many traffic control officers standing by street barricades, but I didn’t see officers directing traffic. The planning of the street closures needs to be taken into consideration.

Mr. President, I live on Wilshire Boulevard and could not even walk my dog when you were in town.

Maxine Moshay

Los Angeles

The towers of Century City

Re “New plan for Century Plaza hotel adds 46-story towers,” Aug. 11

You don’t have to live anywhere near Century City to know that putting up two new 46-story towers is a terrible idea.

Over the last few years I have watched the traffic on the Westside slow to a crawl during most hours. At 3 p.m. and later, it now takes about an hour to get from Santa Monica to Hollywood.

Let’s work on thinning out the traffic before we put up any new buildings.

Chuck Braverman

Santa Monica

The celebration over Michael Rosenfeld’srevised Century Plaza Hotel project only heightens the pang of missed opportunity.

An artist’s rendering published in The Times tells this tale graphically. An aerial view underscores differences in scale, making the original hotel a child’s toy at the feet of two tall, knowing grown-ups who are in on the real agenda: the business of making money. The Plaza itself has been desaturated, complimenting the sleekness of the new towers.

This is not preservation; it’s invasion of the body snatchers. Energy is entirely invested in the new, using the body of the old as a husk-like alibi.

But why hide profit motive behind fake familiarity? In its heyday, the Century Plaza was a psychedelic SoCal aristocrat scene, complete with bell captains in British Beefeater outfits. Where is the effort to capitalize on this found-object mojo, perfectly synchronized with, say, Ian Schrager’s hotel empire?

Instead, we get milquetoast, shiny enough to quiet the squawking of City Council crows who can smugly line their nests with a trinket that looks like victory.

Andrew Holder

Los Angeles

The writer is principal, the Los Angeles Design Group.

Ground zero for the president

Re “President speaks out on mosque,” Aug. 14, and “President defends mosque remarks,” Aug. 15

To quote President Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address: “It is rather for us … to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.”

The people have now spoken. They do not want a Muslim community center complete with mosque constructed on the now-hallowed ground zero, where nearly 3,000 innocent people were slaughtered in the name of Allah.

This is still a democracy where government of the people, by the people, for the people stands. Not of Obama, by Obama, for Obama. Listen to the people, Mr. President. They have spoken.

Jean Martino

Indio

I agree with Obama: We are not at war with Islam.

But the president is overlooking the fact that Islam is at war with America and everywhere else Islam decides it does not like the way people practice life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

If this mosque is allowed to be built near ground zero, it will not show the world how tolerant we are. It will show the world of Islam that America has become a weak, decadent land, crippled by political correctness and void of public opinion.

Arthur Senzy

Santa Monica

If those who wanted to build a church decided to do so near a clinic where a doctor had been killed by a zealot for performing legal abortions, should they be barred from doing so?

It is important to

remember that the 1st Amendment does not protect free speech only for those you agree with. Whatever your feelings on the propriety of the mosque, if you truly respect the Constitution, you must agree that legally there is no standing to stop it.

In America — the one that I cherish — people are free to worship when and where they please. All people.

Michael Olson

Pasadena

Although I’m still not unhappy that I voted for Obama, I am wondering when this highly intelligent man is going to develop some emotional intelligence.

Of course our religious freedoms are paramount and must be preserved. However, when he states that “I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there,” he alienates a majority of Americans whose pain and grief over 9/11 has not abated.

It was a mistake to ignore those deep feelings. Obama could have easily addressed them along with our constitutional priorities.

How about having the guts to say up front that it’s an unfortunate, bad idea and follow with the obvious constitutional mandate?

If he was going to wade into these waters, emotional guts were what he required — and lacked.

Penny Peyser

Woodland Hills

I think Obama should have used his eloquence and the power of his office to defend the right of the mosque to be built — and to convince those who wish to build it that they shouldn’t.

Sid Smolen

Fullerton

Instead of a mosque near ground zero, how about a group of Muslim organizations erecting a memorial to all the victims killed on 9/11 and condemning the perpetrators?

Elie Zev

Culver City

Keeping L.A. to ourselves

Re “Taking potshots at L.A.? We’re crying all the way to the beach,” Column, Aug. 15

Repeat after me: “L.A. is terrible!”

Keep saying it! Maybe they will all stop coming here, and it will return to the paradise of my youth.

Ginger Caples-Urode

Marina del Rey