Little Tokyo; climate change; Sarah Palin and Levi Johnston

Leaving Little Tokyo

Re “Light at end of tunnel for Little Tokyo?” Nov. 22

There is no future for Little Tokyo because of me and my peers.

I am a third generation American of Japanese descent. After World War II and into the early 1980s, Little Tokyo was the hub of the Japanese American community. Savvy businessmen and investors then started building Japanese supermarkets and restaurants outside of Little Tokyo, with easy access, free parking and no panhandlers. Now, there is no reason for me to go to Little Tokyo.

The proposed new rail plan through Little Tokyo will only quicken its eventual demise. Thank goodness they built the Japanese American National Museum to record the history of a once-vibrant immigrant community.

Henry Sakaida
Temple City

Where were the parents?

Re “A party, a death — and a town’s unanswered grief,” Nov. 22

I was shocked and appalled (maybe I’m just old-fashioned, going on 90) by the story on 16-year-old Joe Loudon’s death. In the “close-knit town” of Orinda, affluent inhabitants apparently don’t pay much attention to the fact that their teenage children attend parties where alcoholic drinks are available.

A 17-year-old who hosted the party, and was then a junior in high school, was jailed. Wow! Little mention in this story of parental control or responsibility. In my view, the parents of teenagers who allow their kids to host and attend parties where alcohol is illegally available are the ones who ought to be in jail.

Bill Jones
Oceanside

Climate files show we’re not serious

Re “Climate change dust-up,” Nov. 22 and “A legal dry hole,” Editorial, Nov. 22

It will be interesting if the hacker who reportedly broke into the secret climate files will try the same defense as the student who disrupted the oil lease sale. His motive? To dramatize the climate issue before the politicians who have already made a mess of things do irreparable harm to the economy at their upcoming U.N. climate conclave in Copenhagen.

There is a larger issue here, though, and it shouts out from the files that have been released so far: cognitive dissonance. If climate change is indeed such a serious problem, why do they send in the B-team to solve it?The filched files reveal an appallingly low level of comprehension and competence among those entrusted with such critical research.

This is where we need another Richard Feynman, someone with the integrity and ability to seek the truth, however the chips may fall. Otherwise the public is bound to ask: If you don’t think this is worth the very best science available, why should we care?

Gilbert Dewart
Pasadena

California’s computer mess

Re “Billions spent, yet data systems in peril,” Nov. 22

It’s no wonder California’s having computer problems. Any computer geek will tell you two reasons:

1) Antiquated hardware. Trying to keep old iron is expensive.

2) COBOL. Weak, flabby and verbose are just a few mild adjectives used to describe this excuse for computer code. Mere mention of its name to an IT professional is guaranteed to elicit a negative emotional response.

Peter Isaacson
Whittier

I figure there is little urgency to improving the computers used to pay California’s bills and issue checks.

With another $21-billion deficit, the state won’t have any money to pay anyone, anyway.

D. F. Middleton
Rancho Mirage

Political reason, not extremism

Re “Huckabee: Stop attacking Obama,” Top of the Ticket, Nov. 22

Thanks for including the article about former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s suggestion to politicians to stop attacking President Obama over trivial matters. I think this news should have made the first page.

One of the greatest threats with which this country has to deal is extremism in politics, and the media devotion to it. We need to hear more voices of reason, whether or not we normally agree with those persons’ usual political positions.

Until the public demands that their government representatives avoid personal attacks, rather than attacking issues, we will never reduce the polarization and demonization so common in politics today.

The media could help by making the public aware that there are many reasonable people in positions of leadership by devoting more attention to them.

Forrest Shattuck
Orange

Sarah Palin in the spotlight

Re “Where ‘going rogue’ got its start,” Nov. 19

A fan’s comments about Sarah Palin and the evil media at the “Going Rogue” book signing -- “I want the media to know how many supporters she has. They did nothing but crucify her” -- are appalling.

In reality, the media were the instrumental cause in helping Palin attain rock star status and become a multimillionaire, a celebrated author who “wrote” a book in four weeks, a TV and radio celebrity, a cover story for numerous magazines and a potential candidate for president of the United States.

Palin and her fans should bow down to the media for helping her achieve fame of astronomical proportions. And they should think about all the talented and very qualified men and women -- aspiring writers, politicians and, yes, media personalities -- who will never have the opportunities granted to Palin.

Larry Zeiger
San Diego

Politician Palin’s picaresque publication promotes personal profit, precludes presidency.

John J. Kuiper
Los Angeles

Re “A woman who savors a fine whine,” Opinion, Nov. 18

Michael Carey’s Op-Ed article really gave me a laugh. He condescendingly states that Palin’s victory as governor of Alaska was built largely on her “fresh, attractive face and her predecessor’s unpopularity.”

Gee, who else do we know who fits that description? I can think of at least one former community organizer.

Marlene Moreno Thorson
Alhambra

Re “Palin, personified,” Opinion, Nov. 18

Matthew Continetti incorrectly concludes that Palin’s detractors are dismayed that she’s not about to vacate the public stage.

In reality, our fondest fantasy is that she remain center stage for all eternity -- because there this petty, self-centered, vacuous and vindictive train wreck would be the kiss of death for the conservative movement, as her lunatic base churned out a perpetual stream of unelectable, hard-right reactionaries.

William D. Wolff
Tarzana

Following Levi Johnston’s parade

Re “He’s hot, he’s cute, he’s playing hardball,” Opinion, Nov. 19

I nearly spewed my Grape-Nuts across the breakfast table this morning while laughing out loud at Meghan Daum’s article on the guilty pleasure of following Levi Johnston’s media parade.

Just as she feels that he’s keeping audiences awake by making the rounds on the talk-show circuit, Daum gave me a charge where my morning coffee failed.

Keep up the good writing. Oh -- to find use for the word “carbuncular” in a sentence.

Kathy Weber
Santa Monica

I was totally disgusted to read Daum’s column. The Times is sinking to new lows if this type of writing continues.

Mel McDonald
Rancho Palos Verdes

Entertaining, but is it news?

Re “Her feat in strappy heels,” Column One, Nov. 21

Really? Truly?

A front-page article on “Dancing with The Stars” right next to articles on cancer and Madagascar’s imminent death?

Dawn C. Chmielewski writes an entertaining article. She is simply drop-dead gorgeous for a woman with a 17-year-old son. But would not this article have been more appropriately placed in the, uh, Calendar section or maybe later in the front section? I found it jarringly out-of-place, and trivializing of the serious news against which it was juxtaposed.

DeAnn Morris
Tujunga