MAILBAG - June 2, 2009

Bad economy no time for golf

Under normal circumstances, I would not want my city or county taxes being used to purchase the Verdugo Hills Golf Course.

In the current economic downturn, when cities are scrambling for revenues just to keep operating, I am especially against such use of public funds.

I am not unsympathetic, however, to Leonard Hoffman and his neighbors, nor even to Karen Zimmerman and her cohorts (“Report: Golf plan would harm area,” May 29).

I suggest they get together and raise private funds to buy the property.

I would be happy to contribute a few bucks to that enterprise, should they try to raise funds for such a purpose.

They can keep the golf course, and make a private park of the remainder of the land.

Or they can donate it to the cities to be a burden on those civic entities in maintaining the facilities.

JOHN HINDSILL

Glendale

Code enforcement benefits all

This is in response to Sev Attarian’s letter (“The right to aesthetic beauty,” May 29).

Attarian stated that Neighborhood Service code enforcers are “roaming around Glendale to cite law-abiding homeowners who violate Glendale’s . . . standards.” Let me first point out that one cannot be a law-abiding citizen if they are violating any laws or standards set forth by the city in which a person lives.

That is a contradiction in terms.

Attarian also stated that “this is my property and your property we are talking about . . . as such, we have the unconditional right to do with it what we please.” It is because of this type of mind set that Neighborhood Services exists and is so very vital to the city of Glendale.

We have personally experienced what happens when someone “does what he pleases,” and it is not a pretty picture. Many times when homeowners “do what they please,” they do so without involving the Planning Department and do so without permits — it happened to a home near us, and it had an immediate effect on our property.

This is when Neighborhood Services gets involved, and it is usually triggered by a request from a neighbor. So Attarian might be wise to check with his neighbors. What he felt was aesthetically beautiful may have been a real eyesore to his neighbors.

There are very good reasons why we have laws and codes in our country, in our state and in our city. We are very grateful to those men and women who are out there enforcing these laws and codes.

Neighborhood Services does a wonderful job, and we are very grateful for all of their long hours and hard work.

Ayn Rand may agree with you, Attarian, but from what we have heard and seen, a whole lot of Glendale residents would adamantly disagree.

LINDSAY AND RICHARD SODERLUND

Glendale

Cheney’s defense can’t hold water

For the second time in recent weeks, former Vice President Dick Cheney made statements that the Bush administration’s approach to counter-terrorism saved thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of American lives.

In the Los Angeles Times, Cheney said “those lives were saved as a direct result of the CIA’s use of waterboarding and other so-called “‘enhanced interrogation methods.’”

However, this number seems to be quite an exaggeration, unless Al Qaeda had a nuclear bomb, which experts say they didn’t.

My question for Cheney is why do terrorists “hate” America in the first place? Terrorists hate the United States because they see this country as a global big brother that tries to control everyone and everything through bullying and torturing tactics, such as waterboarding.

Cheney should stop believing in using his big stick and start employing the great virtues of democracy and fair play.

KAMRAN MOVASSAGHI

Glendale