Agenda for Candidates

In “A Presidential Agenda” (editorial, Feb. 13), The Times offers up advice in seven areas it views as vital for presidential aspirants to address in the California primary campaign. Despite the fact we now have 2.5 million illegal aliens in California, The Times apparently believes this is not a major issue. How can immigration not be a major issue? California public schools have fallen to last in the nation. Our emergency rooms are flooded with illegal aliens who use them for ordinary health care needs. Our environment is most negatively impacted by huge population growth, two-thirds of which is the result of federal immigration policy.

The Times contends we are inviting illegal immigration if the North American Free Trade Agreement is not expanded beyond Mexico. Was not the same argument made by proponents about Mexico itself in the original NAFTA debate? Who is really inviting illegal immigration and why?

LARRY BROWN

Riverside

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Your editorial asks, “What could the next president do that will improve academic achievement?”

George W. Bush outlined his plan for improving education last year. He said that “federal funds will no longer follow failure,” meaning that Title I schools will have three years to improve, otherwise the money will go to parents for tutoring or use in another school. He pledged to cut the over 60 federal grants down to five, insists on local tests and not a national examination and will establish a charter school fund to help establish or improve charter schools. Lastly, his call for expanding education savings accounts will allow parents to save more of their hard-earned money to pay for education expenses from kindergarten to college.

HOLLY STROM

Los Angeles

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The rapid expansion of our species and the ever-growing amount of space and resources we use threaten the very existence of up to one-third of the nonhuman species on Earth and make most human problems worse. Yet The Times’ agenda for the next president does not mention the importance of limiting human population or expanding the protection of our wild heritage before much of what remains disappears. Isn’t this as important as campaign reform, gun control or foreign policy?

JOHN MONSEN

Tujunga