Support for Moammar Kadafi among Latin American leaders; voting on tax increases; the pope on Jews

A dictator’s friends

Re “Unholy alliance,” Opinion, March 7

Andrés Martinez deplores the bond between Libya’s Moammar Kadafi and Latin American leaders Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega and Fidel Castro. He recognizes the anti-imperialist (anti-U.S.) character of this bond but feels that these leftist regimes have forfeited the right to judge authoritatively on liberty and democracy.

The U.S. has forfeited that right even more. Not only has the U.S. repeatedly supported right-wing repression and death squads in Latin America, it has also tried to undermine democratically elected leftist rulers in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Chile and Haiti.

The U.S. had a chance to undo that legacy by recognizing the Cuban government or forcefully condemning the overthrow of Manuel Zelaya in Honduras. It flunked both tests. With this track record, can the U.S. really expect sympathy from rulers who have interests other than pampering their countries’ upper classes?

Roger Carasso

Los Angeles

The real Latin American left is composed of many millions of productive workers and small farmers. It is wrong to lump in mountebanks such as Chavez, Ortega and the Castro brothers. These pseudo-populists identify with the Libyan dictator because he is an autocratic oppressor.

We can hope that this crew of mis-leaders will soon be dragged from their gilded palaces by their outraged populaces.

Gilbert Dewart

Pasadena

Still work to do on the budget

Re “Time to deal on the budget,” Editorial, March 7

Any “deal” requires trust. The politicians don’t have our trust because they use taxes, fees and gimmicks to “balance the budget,” hoping the economy will save them from required cuts.

They must show us that they will cut the budget by changing public service pensions to align with what the rest of us receive; reduce administrative staff but not police officers, firefighters, teachers and janitors; increase both the number of years used to calculate retirement pay and employee contributions; eliminate unnecessary commissions.

California lawmakers must prove that they can be trusted to lower costs, agree to a balanced budget on time and bring in businesses before they ask for tax increases.

Alan L. Strzemieczny

Riverside

Gov. Jerry Brown got elected by promising that the voters could decide on extending higher taxes. The Republicans are refusing to let the voters vote. Why can’t Brown and the Democrats simply say to the Republicans, “Put this to a vote or we’ll just pass it ourselves”?

The Republicans could never get away with saying that Brown broke a campaign promise because they are the ones who don’t want the people to decide on their own taxation.

Michael Lorraine

Simi Valley

The Gospels and the Jews

Re “A papal defense of Jews,” Editorial, March 5

The statements about the exoneration of the Jewish people for the death of Jesus in Pope Benedict XVI’s new book are timely, and not because of crazies like John Galliano.

The Roman Catholic Church embarks this week on the season of Lent, an emotional time for Christians, who contemplate the death and resurrection of Jesus. Even though the emotions that led to violence in medieval times are mostly gone, some animosity lingers.

Would that all Christians were familiar with the pope’s correct interpretation of the role of the Jews in the Gospels, especially the Gospel of John.

Fr. Vivian Ben Lima

Woodland Hills

The idea that any group of people should be forever vilified for killing Christ is puzzling.

According to Christian theology, God sent his son to take human form and to die. Dying by some prosaic means would not have gotten the same attention as a spectacular public execution. Somebody had to kill Jesus.

Christians who look for a group to condemn forget that if Christ had not been killed, there would be no Christianity today, and the compassionate wisdom in Jesus’ teachings would have been lost. Maybe that’s why we call the day of his execution Good Friday.

Jan Gabrielson

Los Angeles

Working toward retirement

Re “Too many broken nest-eggs,” Opinion, March 4

According to Republicans, the solution to eliminating the disparity between public and private sector employees is to make sure that all workers have it as bad as private sector employees.

It’s kind of like noting that because those with two eyes can see better than people with one, to make it fair we should blind everyone in one eye.

Richard Vidan

Lawndale

I worked for more than 45 years paying into Social Security, and when I retired my annual benefits were less than 20% of my final year’s salary. During those years there was never any job security other than working harder than the next person.

Eugene Thomas

Pasadena

Who pays?

Re “Credit or debit, human?” March 4

If the corporate fat cats, interested only in the bottom line, continue to find cheaper labor elsewhere, and if technology further erodes jobs for the working class, the purchasing power of the middle class will also diminish. Who will be able to buy the goods and services no matter how cheap or more convenient they are? This continuing trend is an economic slippery slope.

I’m no economist, but it doesn’t take one to see that eliminating jobs means there is less money to spend. I think business and industry are tolling their own death knell.

Marty Wilson

Whittier

Shoe leather

Re “Pedal-power to the people,” Editorial, March 4

The Times is behind the times. Your editorial on the new bicycle plan begins by referencing the 1982 song “Walking in L.A.,” repeating its claim that nobody walks in L.A.

Well, this is 2011, and hundreds of thousands of people do walk in L.A. Many people now look for homes in neighborhoods where they can walk, bike and take transit — to

avoid getting stuck in traffic, to help the environment, to build community and to improve their own health.

It’s not 1982 anymore.

Paul Lerner

Los Angeles

No to cheaters

Re “Founder of Crescendo charter schools fired,” March 5

Although most seem to treat this as merely an administrative problem, I hope that everyone’s main concern in the Crescendo schools cheating scandal is the children.

Students were being taught by some, but not all, of their own teachers that cheating is OK. They were told, once again, that winning is all that counts and that it doesn’t make any difference how you get there.

When I was a teacher, schools instilled a lifelong commitment to truth, fairness and real achievement. Those were the days.

Bob Olive

Valley Glen

Rich vs. poor

Re “20% of Californians struggled to afford food,” March 6

Was anyone else saddened and appalled to read that 20% of Californians had a hard time buying food in 2010?

In the same day’s Image section, there were pictures of designer clothes and a description of a jewelry line that costs from $l,500 to $150,000 for one bracelet. Wouldn’t a $125,000 bracelet be good enough, with the remaining $25,000 donated to food banks?

Ilene Schur

Laguna Woods