MAILBAG - March 16, 2009

Outdoor smoking is not the worst option

According to Glendale’s new smoking ordinance, “.?.?.?no person shall place, discard or dispose of smoking waste in or upon:?.?.?.?A street?.?.?.?[or] a sidewalk.” Hopefully, lawn medians are included.

I, as a nonsmoker apartment renter, would much rather have smoking tenants choose to go outside the building to smoke — even if it means seeing butts on the street — than have them smoke within their units (assuming the building owner, per a lobbied-for loophole in Glendale’s particular ordinance, chooses to allow smoking in the units in the first place, of course).

Nothing, at least in this nonsmoker’s experience, is worse than having ongoing secondhand smoke “outsourcing” upward, “Twilight Zone”-like demonically drifting from a subjacent unit, inexorably into his or her own.

That said, couldn’t such cooperative outside smokers at least flip their butts into the less visually blightful, gutter part of the street? (Don’t worry, I would doubt very much that they’d ever wind up reaching, much less polluting, the ocean itself — or what are street sweepers for, anyway?)

HARVEY PEARSON

Los Feliz

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Don’t listen to Obama on schools issues

I, for one, wish President Barack Obama would cease trying to change things he knows nothing about. I wonder when he was ever a teacher in the public schools?

I taught in an elementary school for 31 successful years and retired in 1982.

Way back then, attempts were being made to reward teachers with merit pay. It was proven then to be impossible for several reasons that are still true.

1. The raises created adversity and resentment among faculty members who were not in agreement with the chosen few.

2. There would be no one to judge these teachers. What might be “outstanding” to one judge would be untrue of another. Even some principals would be unfairly judgmental of their faculties.

3. Classes often have children with educational difficulties or language problems, which lowers the success of some teachers. No one is qualified to judge unless they sit in on classes every day.

The unions, which brought about the demise of the schools, are against merit pay, which cannot be accomplished.

Glendale has some of the best schools in the nation under the leadership of the incumbents. Stay with what is working and the school board that knows what it is doing. Vote for the reelection of Greg Krikorian, Chakib Sambar and Joylene Wagner.

FRANCIS ADAMS

Glendale

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An experienced vote for Ransford

I urge the voters to elect Ann Ransford trustee of Glendale Community College in the upcoming election. Ransford has a long history of hard work and dedication to the college, and has a proven track record of effectiveness working with all segments of our community, including the city, the Glendale Unified School District, businesses and charitable groups.

Ransford knows the college and its people well and has the backing of the college “family,” including faculty and staff groups, plus endorsements from a wide variety of civic and education leaders in the area, including retired President John Davitt. I can’t think of a more qualified and “ready-from-day-one” candidate.

The college is facing some tough financial and other issues in the coming years, and Ransford is well-equipped to handle them.

Ransford is not interested in moving on to another political office, as trustee candidates often are, and stands ready, willing and extremely able to hold the office of Glendale Community College trustee.

ROBERT K. HOLMES

Glendale

EDITOR’S NOTE: Holmes served as a college trustee from 1983 to 2003 and was the board’s president five times.

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Boxing will put Glendale on the ropes

Regarding the question “Will allowing professional boxing matches in the city bring in more funds?” (“Boxers get back in ring,” Wednesday):

No, pro boxing will not bring more city funds — just million-dollar lawsuits brought on by gang crime and violence against the city. Keep boxing out of Glendale.

DAVID LEE WILLIAMS

Glendale

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The right to disagree with Griem’s viewpoints

Regarding “One solution to Griem grief,” Mailbag, March 9:

Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. Some believe in freedom of speech and tolerance, as long as you march in lock step with their beliefs.

We live in a land of free speech, but with that privilege comes the responsibility of knowing when not to use words.

If the words you are using do not uplift us as a whole, then bite your tongue. We all should be sensitive to the needs of others as well as our own needs and be considerate of others’ feelings.

One might agree or disagree with the Rev. Bryan Griem. We all should respect his profession.

LILLIAN AZARIAN

Glendale