THE EARTHQUAKE : Legal Citizens Getting Short End of the Stick

* I am an apartment manager in Woodland Hills, approximately five miles from the heart of the quake.

My letter is in regards to all of the illegal immigrants who have found yet another way to embezzle money from the American government.

When the quake came, several of my tenants moved to the park located one block from here. Several stayed in the parking area. We observed them bringing in trucks of food and water.

We had the inspectors come to our building two days after the quake and post a green sign in our windows. Still, our tenants stayed in the park getting free handouts. I even saw one of our tenants on TV saying their home was destroyed.

We made a joke that when the rain came, they would pack up and say the gig was up. No more handouts. At first we laughed, but then we realized it wasn’t funny at all.

We lost all of our food in the quake. We had just shopped and we were without electricity for nine days, so what we had spoiled.

We see on TV the long lines and the violence at the aid places. So we’ve decided to suffer and eat what we can while the immigrants get more and more. It just angers us that we as American citizens are taking the back seat in our greatest time of need.

LESLIE V. CLARDY

North Hills