Spray Paint Legislation

* Our clever lawmakers in Sacramento are going to save us from taggers by preventing the sale of paint sprays that are not connected to a permanent power source (May 8). The permanent power source turns out to mean a 110V AC electricity supply. Well, I’ve got news for these folks up in Sacramento: 110V AC can be generated from a handful of flashlight batteries and an inverter. The whole package will fit neatly into a pocket. Better ban inverters too, and just to be on the safe side, let’s ban batteries too.

I feel so much better now I know the problem has been “solved” by passing a law.

GRAHAM C. NORRIS

Port Hueneme

* I share Peter King’s contempt for graffiti (May 12), and his frustration over our seeming inability to stop it.

The can of spray paint, such an effective tool when put to legitimate use, is a sinister weapon in the hands of a tagger. How to stop the latter without destroying an industry and preventing millions from making more attractive their little corner of the world?

I would suggest a compromise solution between an outright ban and the status quo. Why not manufacture aerosol paint cans that whistle like a boiling tea kettle when paint is emitted? Sure, it would be kind of a pain in the ear for the user and those nearby. But it might also deter at least some of the midnight mischief that results in the disfigurement of our environment.

BOB BRIGHAM

Manhattan Beach