Foster System: A Baby Starves to Death

Regarding the death of Danzel Bailey, Nov. 4: Whose heads will roll in the apparently grossly disastrous operation of the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services? Surely actual responsibility and liability can be established among the under-performing and overbearing bunch of bureaucrats who claim to be able to manage the lives and the futures of innocent infants and children who deserve much better, as well as the people who should be supervising them.

Possibly some jail time might teach a necessary lesson to others on the staff who may, even as I write, be neglecting their own responsibilities and could be responsible for other future tragic atrocities. The proper authorities know who they are, and there is no reason to wait for bureaucratic niceties. Send them packing!

Meyer Levadie

Los Angeles

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The 21st century? What is being done about the child welfare system? What is being done about women who continually give birth to children when they should be sterilized or at least on birth control? The grandmother, Sarah Jones, should receive a death sentence. Her actions during the time Danzel was with her indicate to me that she was aware of what she was doing and knowingly killed that little boy.

I cannot accept her reduced sentence to child abuse. Not only is Jones guilty, but the child welfare system, the social workers, the attorneys and the court are all guilty. Danzel should have remained with his foster mother. Family is not the best answer when the writing is on the wall from the beginning. The government should step down and allow laypeople to run this system.

Gloria Lemer

Fair Oaks Ranch, Calif.

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A friend of mine offered an economic solution to the problem. He suggests that women who have drug problems should be offered a voluntary sterilization program that would guarantee a lifetime stipend. The cost of the program would come from the following cost savings: cost for child placement and the follow-up court system; foster parent support; case workers and management; and support of children growing into adults who are mentally and physically unable to support themselves.

Walter Rusanoff

Torrance