The Swiss and Islam; making money from bank bailouts; student absenteeism

It’s not just the Swiss

Re “A Swiss miss on minarets,” Editorial, Dec. 2

The Times asks, “Why should Saudi Arabia allow Christians to worship openly if . . . Switzerland requires Muslims to efface their identity?”

Why does Switzerland set this agenda? Why does Saudi Arabia get, at this very late date, to further its delay of human rights to its citizens and legal immigrants because of a tiny European country’s bad behavior? The center of Islam doesn’t forbid just church towers -- it forbids churches and synagogues and temples of every sort.

By all means challenge Switzerland, because what it did was exclusionary and wrong. But don’t give us insipid excuses for the Saudis to delay doing what is right. Their behavior is even more offensive than the repugnant behavior of Switzerland, which at least permits Muslims to worship publicly without their minarets.

Fr. J. Patrick Mullen
Camarillo
The writer is a professor of biblical studies at St. John’s Seminary.

Things you can bank on

Re “Bank bailouts appear to be paying off,” Dec. 4

So big banks are repaying Troubled Asset Relief Program loans more quickly than expected.

That’s good. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much trickle-down benefit.

The banks have used the money to acquire other banks, increase cash reserves and repurchase stock. They have not provided loans to other businesses, big or small, so that they can stay in business, keep or hire employees and keep communities together.

It just proves the old business adage: We’re here to make money, not friends.

Stefen Malone
West Hollywood

I do not see how The Times can write an article about the TARP bailout without mentioning TARP Oversight Panel Chair Elizabeth Warren’s comments on the behavior of some of these now taxpayer-owned institutions.

The only reason they are paying us back is to avoid public scrutiny of their operations, which brought us to the brink of financial ruin. It is incomprehensible to the middle-class taxpayer that any executive would even consider a salary, let alone bonuses, for such lackluster performance.

As Warren has noted, TARP has created a new win-win business model for Wall Street: Make a high-risk investment. Should it pay out, great. If not, the taxpayer will cover the losses.

Sounds like it’s lose-lose for middle-class America, unless serious reform and regulation take place.

Jason Calizar
Torrance

The missing, the tardy, the data

Re “Tracking missing students,” Opinion, Dec. 2

This opinion article is yet another example of bureaucrats in quest of data streams to justify their out-of-the-classroom positions.

Ask any diligent teacher whether she knows about her students’ attendance patterns, and she’ll give you

any answer you need. Students are chronically absent for many reasons. The slightest sniffle, and some children are kept home. Other parents need the children to serve as caregivers. In LAUSD, with our large immigrant population, students or parents frequently notify a teacher that they are returning to their home countries for weeks.

We don’t need any more data. We don’t need federal funds to generate more data. We don’t need to hire more consultants or bureaucrats to analyze the data. We need more diligent teachers in the classroom giving time and energy to students, especially the ones who are chronically absent.

But that’s just wishful thinking, right?

Sujata Bhatt
Los Angeles

The article leaves out one important component of attendance -- chronic tardiness.

LAUSD uses rigorous and precisely timed programs for both math and reading. When a youngster is even five minutes late for school, he or she has probably missed breakfast and lacks a psychological readiness for focus and attentiveness. Good teaching depends a lot on “working the crowd” and timing, just like an entertainer.

Almost all schools have incentive programs for attendance. Teachers and social workers are dealing with many societal problems. Some students are routinely hours late; they miss whole lessons and test very poorly. Social workers are overwhelmed just getting these students to school.

This is a home problem. Help needs to be given there.

Chronic tardiness and absenteeism are huge problems and definitely should be included with the students’ test scores.

Catherine Beyer
Lomita
The writer is a retired LAUSD teacher.

Tracking the meth makers

Re “The wrong fix for meth labs,” Editorial, Dec. 2

I was disheartened to see the recent editorial in opposition to Assembly Bill 1455. My agency has worked tirelessly to reduce methamphetamine production and has called on legislators to make it harder for criminals to divert medicines for illegal purposes.

Federal law requires retailers to keep paper logs of behind-the-counter pseudoephedrine drug sales. The current system requires law enforcement to visit retail locations and review these paper logs manually. With electronic tracking, the same information will be collected, but law enforcement will have real-time access to it -- and as a result, to the information we need to stop sales as they happen and track down and prosecute criminals.

The California State Sheriffs’ Assn. strongly backs this bill. By mandating an electronic tracking system, law enforcement will have a more effective tool in the fight against methamphetamine production in California.

Lee Baca
Los Angeles
The writer is sheriff of Los Angeles County.

Lots of mail, just one office

Re “Outside groups set spending record,” Dec. 7

I had a difficult time voting in the 2nd District City Council runoff. The amount of phone calls and mail I received certainly was more than necessary. From one candidate I must have received 20 pieces of mail -- that is not an exaggeration.

At a time when money is scarce, it boggles the mind to see these very glossy and more than likely costly mailings stuffed in my mailbox. One wonders how thrifty and wise a seeker of office would be in dealing with financial concerns.

Ronald K. Burke
Sherman Oaks

Redondo Beach’s future

Re “Redondo Beach harbor rises,” Dec. 1

I am all for revitalizing our waterfront, but one person’s revitalization is another’s overdevelopment.

There are already 920,000 square feet under development in our harbor. To allow another 400,000 square feet, including three-story timeshare condominiums -- which will create gridlock -- is overdevelopment in my book.

Unfortunately, Redondo residents have been ignored for years on this issue, so they approved an initiative that requires voter approval for this rezoning to proceed. The City Council at the time opposed this initiative and is now refusing to adhere to it.

That’s the story behind the story: The residents are now going to have to sue their own city to obey the laws they voted to enact.

Bill Brand
Redondo Beach
The writer is a Redondo Beach city councilman.

More prominence for the chief

Re “Pageantry for the chief,” Dec. 4

The Times’ report on the swearing-in ceremony of our incoming police chief, Charlie Beck, was most fitting.

The article, however, was misplaced by being buried on Page A18. This event was a very proud and honorable day for Los Angeles and for its Police Department. Your article should have been placed on the front page, above the fold.

Please work to make good news a higher priority for the front page of y(our) newspaper.

Dan McLaughlin
Los Angeles