Teaching in Los Angeles

I found it fascinating reading Lantos’ column. Here is a teacher looking for politicians to help, which I gather means raising taxes on all of us, while not having the inclination to try to change the system that he deems himself trapped in. He throws out the standard line that teachers in the district will lose their homes, etc., to the banks and collection agencies due to less pay. Still not content, he then takes a slap at Proposition 13 for its alleged “criminal redistribution of wealth.” My understanding of the infamous proposition is that the homeowner pays property tax according to how much was actually paid for the house, instead of on the basis of how much of a shortfall in the state’s revenue must be made up on the backs of homeowners. And he also ignores the possibility of young and old getting thrown out of their houses due an inability to keep up with escalating taxes at politicians’ whims.

I propose Lantos either depart for greener pastures or at least suffer silently in combatting his Quixotic “social Darwinism.”

DOUGLAS J. WICKHAM

Laguna Niguel