Lose Liz

Other than a syndication deal for which her attorneys and agents should be handsomely rewarded, can anyone tell me why Liz Smith’s column remains a staple in The Times?

Somewhere, somehow, someone in Los Angeles must be able to turn out a better gossip column than Smith does from her New York office, an office which I imagine consists only of four fax machines that spit out releases received from the press agents of (pick one, two or all) Cher, Madonna, Tom Cruise and Barbra Streisand.

DAVID NEAL

Beverly Hills