Mailbag: Traffic safety grant is money well spent

Traffic grant is money well spent

I would like to share my opinion regard to the July 9 article, “State grant for traffic safety,” in which the state gave Glendale police $254,800 to reduce danger to people on foot and drivers who aren’t obeying the rules.

I strongly agree with the decision to use the money to reduce risks for pedestrians and control distracted drivers. Even though drivers know the rules and dangers of using their cell phone while driving, there are still some people who are not willing to obey the law and drive safely.

Educating pedestrians and drivers is necessary because the accidents happening here aren’t always the motorist’s fault. Pedestrians sometimes cross where they are not supposed to, and end up getting hit. People who come from other countries are not familiar with the rules here, which may also be a factor for the high collision rates.

Rina Ohanes

Tujunga

Griem is full of unintentional humor

There is nothing as perversely fun as opening the Burbank Leader to the “Faith” section and seeing a response from the Rev. Bryan Griem on the subject of homosexuality. He never fails to amuse and confound.

There was one column in which he described gays as swindlers and pretty much the scourge of humanity, and then went on to say he has many homosexual friends. You had to ask yourself, “What kind of masochists are these people?”

Then there was the column in which Griem told us of his best friend, a married man, dying of AIDS. Strangely, Griem had no idea how he got the disease. He presumed it was from “sowing oats.”

Again, you had to wonder, “Why didn’t you ask him? Weren’t you the least bit curious? He was your best friend.”

Now we have his response to same-sex parenting (“In Theory: Same-sex couples as parents,” July 10) as parents in which I learned for the first time that not all of God’s abominations are equal. Some are for Jews, and some are for everyone. Some are passé, and some are still in force. I learned that eating shellfish and committing sodomy are on opposite ends of the abomination chart.

I did take heart, however, that Griem in all his convolutions acknowledged the possibility that God created a gay gene. He doesn’t commit to the notion, but it’s a step.

Maybe all those gay friends of his exist after all.

Alan Burnett

Burbank

New Horizons project is sorely needed

With everyone trying to cope with this economic crisis, it’s no surprise to hear more stories about construction projects getting delayed in our city (“New Horizons facility delayed,” July 13).

Unfortunately, I consider much of the problem to be people who are responsible for controlling and financing such projects. This would include people like Maria Rochart, the founder of New Horizons who left as executive director after accepting a position as a Los Angeles County commissioner. Now it appears she can’t even be reached to discuss this badly needed project.

I expect people to take responsibility, to make something happen and have to finish their work no matter what the challenges, especially since they know better than anyone the details and history involved in the project — more so than their replacements.

I really appreciate that the government is still trying to take care of children and gives grants for construction projects like this, despite the financial crisis we are currently in. Nowadays, building new child-care facilities for low-income children is very important because in this bad economy, a lot of children are left behind after school as parents struggle to pay the bills.

We really need to get this project moving again because our children are our future.

Inesa Balcan

Los Angeles