A Disney worker’s fight to wear a hijab; the state budget; protecting wolves

Dressing the part

Re “Disney restaurant hostess sues for right to wear hijab,” Aug. 19

Since day one, Disneyland’s employees have worn uniforms if they dealt with the public. Period. Beards and whiskers are not allowed. It’s a little old-fashioned and the uniforms are sort of hokey, but it’s a theme park, not a social justice clinic.

Next time you can afford to go to Disneyland, look at the faces of the park employees — the diversity is obvious. All those faces from all those cultures speak eloquently about Disney’s hiring practices. Noisy demonstrations notwithstanding, the young lady, Imane Boudlal, must have known her employer would not let her wear her hijab at work.

And if she is the personable, alert and intelligent human being whom Disney hired to greet and serve park guests, she also knows uniform restrictions have nothing to do with diversity or religion.

Tom Sloss

Fountain Valley

What if Boudlal wanted to work for Hooters but did not wish to wear a tight T-shirt?

How about joining the Rockettes but refusing to expose her legs?

Disneyland has always had a dress code, and she knew that going in. It is that simple.

Valerie A. Paulson

Yorba Linda

Though I understand completely Boudlal’s desire to wear her head scarf as part of her Muslim faith, she can also share some of the blame and responsibility. When she accepted a job with a show-based employer such as Disney, she knew “area-themed” costumes were part of the deal.

Suppose Boudlal was a singer and dancer and landed a role with “Cats.” Am I to expect Grizabella on stage wearing a hijab?

Brad Boardman

Orange

Readers should not think Disneyland is targeting Muslims.

Years ago I worked at Disneyland as a Gibson Girl at the Emporium. I was castigated for being “out of theme” for wearing a thin gold chain bearing a small crucifix and an Italian horn. I was questioned with suspicion about the “hidden meaning” of a crucifix and a horn.

When I agreed to place the offending necklace inside my blouse where it was not visible, it was demanded that I remove it instead. I refused and quit the summer job that I thought would be fun.

Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth only for the visitors — and yes, if Disneyland discriminates, it does so indiscriminately.

Linda Linville

Corona

Several votes for a budget

Re “Budget progress? It’s nil,” Column, Aug. 19

George Skelton reports that the governor’s press secretary, Aaron McLear, senses “no urgency” from the public about the state budget constipation.

McLear needs to get out more. College instructors like myself, elementary teachers like my son and almost everyone else in my circle of friends are utterly disgusted with the lack of seriousness by many legislators and the governor about this costly impasse. The state’s credit rating is teetering near junk-bond status, state workers are furloughed, students can’t get Cal Grants and Sacramento fiddles.

I suggest a march on the capital by public employee and teachers unions, Medi-Cal employees, vendors and others if there is no budget by Sept. 15. If not then, when?!

Benjamin J. Hubbard

Costa Mesa

Watch out for pension ‘reform’

Re “Support falls for pension reform plan,” Aug. 18

Someday soon, some right-winger and his or her friends will qualify for the ballot an initiative that will roll back public employee pensions, benefits and salaries. An outraged public will vote for it and implement a cure worse than the disease, making government service unattractive to top-quality employees.

This is what happened with Proposition 13 in 1978 and what happened with term limits in the ‘90s.

Union leaders and their allies in the Legislature need to understand that in California, voters can take matters into their own hands, sometimes with unintended, draconian results. My advice is to get real and make some sacrifices.

Laurence Kaplan

Los Angeles

Web, TV and personal space

Re “A new way of looking at TV?,” Business, Aug. 18

Whoa! Every time a tech company introduces a new gadget, it doesn’t have to be revolutionary. Such is the case with Google TV.

WebTV introduced a set-top box with keyboard for Web browsing on TV way back in 1996. Microsoft bought them and buried them by not evolving the technology.

Apple missed the boat when it launched Apple TV without integrating Web browsing. Google may be able to do the holy grail of TV-centered convergence better, but it is certainly not anything “new.”

Jeff Drobman

Malibu

The sentence that most got my attention was Dave Morin’s belief that people will spend even more time in front of the TV and with each other. This kind of thinking is what’s wrong with the ever-expanding field of technology today. His fiancee, Brittany Bohnet, who runs the marketing campaign for Google TV, thinks no one wants a phone that doesn’t have a browser.

Well, I couldn’t care less, so here’s one person.

Techies just don’t get that the vast majority of us aren’t interested in going ever deeper into the virtual abyss of cyberspace.

To all the techies out there I say, go for it — just don’t insist I go along with you.

Marty Wilson

Whittier

Not a howling success yet

Re “One state’s wolf problem,” Opinion, Aug. 16

Assistant Interior Secretary Tom Strickland posed the question, “When will we be able to recognize success [of wolf recovery]?”

When federal and state plans that ensure continued wolf recovery are in place, we will all celebrate the amazing comeback of wolves in the Northern Rockies.

The current federal recovery plan only requires 100 wolves each in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Wyoming would allow wolves to be shot in most of the state. And though Idaho wildlife officials say they will manage for more than 100 wolves, existing state law only provides for managing for that minimum number.

To address these problems, Defenders of Wildlife has called on Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to convene a scientific review to update the federal recovery plan and state management plans. We have also asked that a stakeholder process be initiated to address wolf-management conflicts.

No one wants to see wolves or any other species listed forever under the Endangered Species Act. But before we can declare success, we have to make sure that the long-term future of wolves is truly secure.

Jamie Rappaport Clark

Washington

The writer is executive vice president of Defenders of Wildlife.

Hanging up on Dr. Laura

Re “Dr. Laura in denial,” Editorial, Aug. 20

In stating that she was leaving her show so that she could get her 1st Amendment rights back, what Laura Schlessinger was referring to, in my opinion, is that political correctness, which has terminated the career of more than one journalist, has stultified free speech, and that you can only exercise your 1st Amendment rights if you are not connected to the media or politics.

Also, The Times’ interpreting Sarah Palin’s tweet — that Schlessinger’s “1st amend. rights ceased 2exist thx 2activists trying 2silence isn’t American, not fair” — as “frightening” ignores the fact that Palin promotes freedom of expression at every turn. She was referring to the uproar from activists that occurs whenever someone says something that is interpreted as politically incorrect.

Ivan Marburger

San Dimas

As a physician, I could never understand the popularity of Schlessinger. Any doctor of psychology who is qualified to treat patients would never make a diagnosis and offer advice after allowing the patient only a minute or two to present their problem.

She is often caustic and confrontational in her response. Empathy and sensitivity is generally lacking.

I think Schlessinger is convinced that she has the privilege to admonish callers and insult those she does not agree with. Using a racial slur on the air says it all.

She should retire.

Eugene Strull, MD

Los Angeles