A wayward California cougar; the Brown-Whitman debate; the pay of top staff members of L.A. County

A well-traveled cougar

Re: “Cougar’s travels take a bad turn,” Column One, Sept. 25

I read the article on the cougar’s travels and travails with much interest.

I am always saddened that people would rather trap or kill the very things that exemplify wilderness, rather than coexist through awareness and prudence when living or visiting wild areas.

John Broecker

Lake Forest, Calif.

Thank you for your article on the short life of a young cougar in Southern California.

Cougar M56, with his regal tail and piercing yellow-green eyes, is now dead — trapped, caged and shot point-blank. That is not coexistence, people.

Lisa Markowitz

Westlake Village

Debating the candidates

Re “Brown and Whitman go head to head,” Sept. 29

Meg Whitman keeps saying that in these times, we need a governor with a spine of steel, which she reportedly has — and I do not doubt that she does.

The last thing I would want my governor to have is a spine of steel, especially in these times. I do not want my government to be run like a ruthless corporation where people and their needs are tossed around like they are mere commodities. The bottom line in a government is not the profit margin. Government is of the people, by the people and for the people.

Yes, we have to make difficult decisions, but we do not have to make them on the backs of the workers the way corporate America does.

C. Moss

Sacramento

What does an old duffer like me, a 97-year-old veteran of World War II, have to offer young voters? It’s this:

Read the story of your United States of America. It is more exciting than any novel. We outbluffed, outsmarted, outfought and outproduced the great powers of the world. And wound up with an unbelievable government “by the people.”

The very existence of our country is in your hands. Learn to count on what a candidate has done, not what he is going to do. Push through the ballyhoo to the crux of a question.

Carleton Ralston

Los Angeles

It was a wonderful debate, and it’s a wonderful election: Meg-alomaniac vs. Jerry-atric.

John McCumber

Los Angeles

At the end of an hourlong “debate,” all I could remember clearly was an ever-smiling Whitman who dodged questions that she had no answer for, such as campaign finance. Her answer to the question was a well-rehearsed evasive response of generalities.

Phil Wilt

Van Nuys

A maid as a campaign issue

Re “Whitman admits maid was illegal,” Sept. 30

Meg Whitman is spending multimillions on her quest to be governor of California, yet claims she’s unaware of what transpired in her own home?

Equally disturbing is that after her housekeeper of nine years was discovered to be undocumented,instead of publicly acknowledging it, apologizing plus perhaps helping her, the wannabe governor apparently tried to hide it.

John Holmstrom

Hollywood

It’s obvious The Times is running with this story and Gloria Allred is taking this case to smear Whitman in an attempt to help elect Brown.

Now I am certainly no fan of Whitman or Brown, but let’s be fair on this one. She got her housekeeper through an agency. The agency does the background check. The housekeeper “fessed up” and Whitman let her go. Let’s move on.

Mike Loomis

Monrovia

There just aren’t any limits to which these Republicans won’t go to circumvent the laws as long as what they are doing benefits them. Whenever they are caught doing something illegal, immoral, unethical or downright hypocritical, they always claim the same excuse: It is a smear tactic. How did breaking the law become a smear that only applies to Republicans?

Whitman has a credibility problem. My doubts about who to vote for have now been removed. I look forward to Gov. Brown.

Carolyn Crandall

Camarillo

I used to have respect for Allred, but too many “coincidences” and too many “timely” accusations just before elections have led me to believe that she is no longer the “defender of the underdog” but another political hack using the desperate circumstances of unfortunate human beings for her own political agenda.

Gary Mason

Los Angeles

First, I am not a big fan of Whitman, but I respect her performance during this week’s debate. If Whitman’s housekeeper gave falsified documents in order to be employed, the question isn’t what will Whitman do but rather what will Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown do to enforce the law?

Michael Hopper

Los Angeles

Whitman, a politician for just about a year, and now the hypocrisy of hiring an undocumented woman for nine years, then campaigning against hiring illegal aliens?

With a businessperson, I thought maybe we were getting something fresh.

David Lynn

Agoura Hills

The county and staff salaries

Re “County not telling pay of top staff,” Sept. 27

A really simple suggestion for those who “have expressed personal safety and other concerns about such disclosure” in L.A. County if their salaries are disclosed — something we as their employers are entitled to know: Resign your positions and give up your obviously exorbitant and/or illegal salaries.

Arthur A. Fleisher

Northridge

Isn’t it nice when government refuses to comply with the law? Because all government employees report to the public, the public has the right to know all compensation.

A proposal: All employee compensation and benefits should be posted on whichever government website is appropriate for all employees on the job a minimum of one year. The information can either be listed by name or number or some other form. The information must be updated by April 1 each year.

This would give us in the productive sector, which pays for all this, an idea if we are receiving what we pay for.

James C. Preston

Gavilan Hills

Los Angeles County has every intention of releasing all information on the scheduled release date that was originally agreed on: Oct. 4.

We are processing The Times’ request in an orderly fashion by informing our employees, and then reviewing any and all potential personal conflicts that may arise as well as legal conflicts.

Given that the request came to us on Sept. 9, that the Brown Act permits us 10 days to respond, and that we asked for a 14-day extension to fulfill The Times’ request properly, our information should arrive at The Times by

Oct. 4, as originally stated by Los Angeles County.

Gloria Molina

Los Angeles

The writer is the chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

So Los Angeles County workers who make more than $250,000 are worried about their safety should the public find out who they are and where they live.

Other than the fact that this has already been decided to be a legitimate disclosure, there is no doubt in my mind that these individuals will be completely safe in which-ever state penitentiary they may find themselves housed in.

Robert Nowicki

Pasadena