The ‘super committee’ and its failure; a murderer’s redemption; raising taxes for better schools

Too many pledges

Re “Deficit panel’s failure sets up a fight,” Nov. 22, and “Super shameful,” Editorial, Nov. 22

I am outraged over how dysfunctional our government is. Not only did the congressional deficit committee fail, but now members of Congress are talking about reneging on the automatic budget cuts.

Our Congress suffers from the pledge syndrome. Republicans have pledged never to raise taxes, and many Democrats have pledged not to touch Medicare or Social Security. With those marching orders, progress is impossible.

The only pledge members of Congress should make is to the United States.

Alan B. Ungar

Thousand Oaks

There are three things Congress can do to redeem itself.

First, immediately take a cut in pay. Second, lawmakers should refuse their government-paid healthcare. If they have to enroll in typical insurance plans, they will understand that some morning they may wake up with an illness that could bankrupt them.

Finally, reduce their staffs, which may require them to actually read and understand the bills they are voting on.

Lucia Dzwonczyk

San Pedro

Your editorial is itself shameful. You write that Democrats “irresponsibly resisted meaningful cuts in domestic programs” and that “both parties deserve blame for the anti-climactic outcome of the committee’s work.”

Here are the facts, according to a New York Times editorial of the same day:

“The Democratic offer would have cut $475 billion from Medicare and Medicaid over 10 years, nearly half of which would have come directly from beneficiaries. That’s more than the Bowles-Simpson deficit plan proposed, and eight times the level of Medicare cuts offered by President Obama in September.”

One wonders what would constitute “responsible” and “meaningful” in the L.A. Times’ world.

Ken Greenberg

Encino

Less faith, more heart

Re “Faith and tears take center stage,” Nov. 20

Somebody should remind the Republican presidential hopefuls that they are not running for evangelist in chief. Article VI of the Constitution states, “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

We are not a theocracy. The candidates should not be touting their piety.

Sadly, their professed religiosity has not made them charitable toward the have-nots in this country. Newt Gingrich dismisses the Occupy protesters by saying he would tell them, “Go get a job, right after you take a bath.”

One problem: There aren’t enough jobs, and not everyone has the political contacts that Gingrich parlays into lucrative consulting contracts.

Trudy Ring

Sherman Oaks

Rick Santorum takes a rather narrow view of liberty, defining it as “not what you want to do but what you ought to do.” My dictionary defines liberty as “freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control.”

What is it that Santorum feels we “ought to do”? Did he have personal discussions on this with the founders?

Russell N. Eagan

Valencia

Don’t believe the polls

Re “Voters back tax hike for schools,” USC Dornsife/Times Poll, Nov. 20

The article held no surprises. Californians rarely see a tax or bond “for the children” they don’t like.

Unfortunately we know that not all the revenue collected goes for its intended purpose, nor do all Californians share the tax burden for schools; it’s the property owners who get stuck with most of that bill.

What we need is fiscal responsibility by school officials, not sticking it to property owners.

Jason Levi

Northridge

Do you really think this one-sided question is a true test of voters sentiment on taxes and education? Why are schools, fire and police often used to test voter sentiment instead of the real spending issues?

Don Black

Rancho Palos Verdes

Occupy — not

Re “An awakening,” Opinion, Nov. 22

Sorry to burst Rebecca Solnit’s bubble, but Occupy Wall Street protesters will fade into obscurity if all they do is sit in parks.

Electoral politics is the name of the game in America. Tea partyers understand this. They vote (Republican), and their representatives listen.

Once, maybe, social activists could shame politicians into voting better. Not anymore. Congress today is owned by corporations, and Solnit’s American Fall threatens them not at all.

My advice to the students and disaffected: Get thee to the Democratic Party, and sway it left. Otherwise nothing will change.

Bonnie Sloane

Los Angeles

What’s a cult?

Re “Not a cult — and not a problem,” Opinion, Nov. 20

I agree that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not a cult today. However, Mormonism was demonized in the 19th century, and an extermination order against it was proclaimed by the governor of Missouri.

Likewise, the Way of Jesus in 1st century Palestine was a cult demonized by religious authorities. Islam was treated as a cult by the dominant tribal power in Mecca, which waged war to eradicate it. If one defines a cult as a group of brainwashed followers of a charismatic leader, early Buddhism was also a cult.

There are many cults and few religions, because most cults fade away or are persecuted. Those of us who analyze religion and violence consider “cult” a pernicious label, not a category. All the dominant religions today originated as dissenting movements.

Beware the cult label; it is unscientific and can do great harm.

Jean E. Rosenfeld

Pacific Palisades

The writer is a historian at UCLA’s Center for the Study of Religion.

Tax insecurity

Re “Brown polishes his tax plan,” Column, Nov. 21

George Skelton reports that Gov. Jerry Brown is contemplating increasing income taxes on “wealthy” individuals to help close our budget deficit. But the biggest reason for our budget deficits, setting aside the two-thirds vote requirement for the moment, is that we are too dependent on income taxes.

When the economy improves, money flows to Sacramento. As the economy worsens, the money no longer flows as expected.

So why should we depend even more on taxes from the wealthy?

Forrest Bonner

Huntington Beach

Lost history

Re “Dallas coming to grips with Kennedy assassination,” Nov. 22

It’s great to hear that Dallas is going to have an event to signify the 50-year anniversary of the John F. Kennedy assassination.

Los Angeles should pay attention. We could do something similar for the 50th anniversary of the Robert Kennedy assassination — that is, if we hadn’t torn down the building where it happened.

Andrew Saidi

Los Angeles

Section 8 goals

Re “When poverty moves in,” Opinion, Nov. 20

Erin Aubry Kaplan tells a hopeful story about her neighbors confronting their fear of a local family on Section 8.

“Section 8 folk” (as Kaplan calls them) are overwhelmingly African American families, and they often move into neighborhoods where their children can grow up with more opportunity. One of the main goals of the federal program is to break down barriers of poverty and race.

While Kaplan doesn’t talk about it, some city leaders across the country have fueled the fear of “Section 8 folk.”

Since courts outlawed housing segregation more than 50 years ago, our nation has lurched toward equality, sometimes stumbling on its way. Cities and elected leaders have a key role to play. When neighbors meet across their frontyards or their children play together, it can change history.

Catherine Lhamon

Los Angeles

Neal Dudovitz

Los Angeles

Lhamon of Public Counsel and Dudovitz of Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County are co-counsel in a Section 8-related federal lawsuit against Lancaster and Palmdale.