Budget cuts and California’s higher education system; new rules for Amazon in California; the Dodgers ownership mess

Sign of the times?

Re “Is it having a meltdown?,” June 29

“Chain Reaction,” the late Paul Conrad’s unique and creative 26-foot tall nuclear mushroom cloud sculpture in Santa Monica’s Civic Center, is not melting down or falling apart. Yes, it likely needs reinforcement and strengthening, but that can also be said for the anti-nuclear movement in general.

Maybe the “Chain Reaction” sculpture issue is both an artistic and political sign that is calling us to take timely strengthening action.

Jerry Rubin

Santa Monica

Blame it on Proposition 13

Re “Budget ax means more tuition hikes,” June 30

When are Californians who are concerned about education going to recognize that the passage of Proposition 13 is primarily responsible for the deterioration of the finest public higher education system in the world and one of the nation’s best K-12 systems?

The severe reduction in our revenue base, combined with the requirement of a two-thirds vote in the Legislature to raise taxes, has placed education on a dangerous downward cycle.

Instead of blaming the Legislature, Californians need to understand that the real culprit is the 1978 passage of Proposition 13. The only way for California to once again have high-quality education is to eliminate these provisions by another constitutional amendment.

Harley Frankel

Santa Monica

In the late 1950s, after I received an engineering degree from an out-of-state university, I was trained by Westinghouse to be a field engineer and was transferred to Los Angeles. After a year, I decided to pursue a childhood dream of becoming a patent attorney. I chose the University of California’s Hastings College of Law in San Francisco.

Tuition was not even a consideration. Law schoolcost $50 per semester, or $60 if you registered late.

Now Californians with ambitions for a special university-trained career but without money are being denied the opportunity afforded to me. California has turned its back on them. Only those with wealthy parents or other sources of wealth can pursue such a UC education.

Don Haycock

Los Angeles

California vs. Amazon

Re “Internet sales tax law is signed,” Business, June 30, and “Amazon takes on state in sales tax war,” July 1

When you buy something from a local retailer, the sales tax is based on the store’s location. An Internet retailer is located in the “cloud” of cyberspace. The server computer that processes your order may be at one physical location, and the warehouse that ships the product may be at another.

There is also the question of whether retailers should charge at the basic rate of the state where you live or the local rate at your home address. This would affect the size of the database the company would have to use to compute a sales tax.

A fairer method would be a federal law establishing a nationwide rate for Internet sales tax, which would be remitted to the state where the customer lived. That is not likely to pass soon.

In the meantime, this new California requirement makes little sense in today’s economy.

Jim Mentzer

Los Angeles

It is about time that our state stops subsidizing online e-tailers and has them collect sales tax just like every other retailer. Since Amazon says it will stop doing business with California partners in an effort to evade its responsibility, I along with probably many others will “evade” its website and shop elsewhere.

Once this fuss is over, maybe our state government will lower the sales tax rate and still collect more revenue by expanding the tax to include services. We can only hope that in time we spread the responsibility to all so some are not being subsidized by others.

Let’s all pay our way so everyone wins together.

Ben Tenn

Northridge

With teacher layoffs, higher tuition costs and public pension reductions, California’s effort to provide a modest increase in state revenue was met by Amazon requiring its affiliates wishing to do business with Amazon to move out of state.

We find this “more for me” culture at Amazon something that we cannot support. We will be purchasing all books and other previously Amazon-supplied products at stores in California that support our state services by charging sales tax.

To do otherwise would be, in Amazon’s words, “counterproductive” to our living in this great state.

Larry and Lola Moline

Los Angeles

Bad days for the Dodger faithful

Re “A new playing field for McCourt vs. MLB,” June 30, and “Judge OKs lifeline for McCourt,” June 29

Can anybody explain to me why “diverting” $100 million from the Dodgers is not considered “embezzling”?

Meanwhile, I call on all true-blue Dodger fans to stay away from the stadium to help Major League Baseball prove the damage Frank and Jamie McCourt have done. Also, those who bank with JPMorgan Chase could move their assets to another company and tell the bank manager that they don’t think loaning $150 million to an over-leveraged McCourt makes good business sense.

Finally, what sort of twisted laws do we have that allow a bankruptcy judge in Delaware to rule on something that affects millions of people in Southern California?

William Winkler

Sunland

If you tell me that the Dodgers are in last place, the drop in attendance is the highest in baseball, the team is in bankruptcy and that McCourt will retain ownership of the Dodgers, I will run outside and watch pigs fly over my house.

Tom Moir

Torrance

Out of Syria

Re “All in for Syria,” Opinion, June 30

Thank you for Nazir al-Abdo’s heartbreaking story. By telling the truth about the brutality of the Bashar Assad family dictatorship, he sealed his fate: He can never return to Syria so long as Assad rules.

I experienced the same advice from my family as Abdo did: Be patient, the regime will change in time. I have been waiting patiently in the U.S. for nearly 30 years. As a critic of the regime, I am on a blacklist. The secret police threatened my family with descriptions of what they would do to me if I returned. To protect me, my family did not tell me of my father’s illness until after his death.

Now the people of Syria have lost their fear. We were like a dysfunctional family trying to cover up the evil behavior of one criminally insane relative.

The time is up for the Assad family.

Samir Twair

Los Angeles

Bay Area bliss

Re “Geez Frisco, lighten up,” Opinion, June 30

San Francisco, your only mistake is aiming too low.

The next ordinance should require half the population to be resettled on open land within city limits to work on collective organic farms. As farmers markets spring up in every neighborhood, supplying local people with pure fruits and vegetables, produce trucks will disappear from city roads along with their toxic food cargo and carbon footprint.

At last, eco-social legislation on a scale to save the planet. Today San Francisco, tomorrow — well, tomorrow is just tomorrow after all.

Jim Valentine

Woodland Hills

Lopez’s target

Re “No rush to get rid of priest,” Column, June 29

Once again, thanks to Steve Lopez for highlighting what appears to be the moral sickness throughout the Roman Catholic bureaucracy. Cardinal Roger Mahony may be retired as L.A.’s archbishop, but his sordid reputation will follow him to the grave.

Thanks, Steve Lopez, for holding various feet to the fire.

Duane Walker

Carlsbad