Longer yellow lights in L.A.; closing the achievement gap in California schools; aid to Pakistan

Caution on lights

Re “Can yellow lights be longer?,” Sept. 19

Yes, I suppose it would be a good thing to extend the length of yellow lights and implement “all-stop” red-light timing in L.A. It would probably save lives.

But let’s not fool ourselves: Doing so would solve a symptom, not the underlying problem. Basically what it would do is hold all drivers hostage to those who place saving 30 seconds of their time at a higher priority than others’ lives. All this does is hold cross traffic back so these drivers may run red lights with impunity.

Making a left turn once, I myself was almost killed by a red-light runner who went between my vehicle and a car in the second left turn lane who moved forward faster. For some reason I realized the guy was coming and held back.

Why is it so hard to simply insist that people drive responsibly?

Kevin Arthur

Fullerton

Adding time to yellow lights makes my cynicism bubble up. Selective use of red-light cameras was already a silly waste of resources because the average light abuser, knowing an intersection was camera-equipped, simply made up his time at subsequent lights. That same person would abuse longer yellow lights, which is just a silly form of amnesty.

I do feel, though, that the all-stop option could help — but it would require police enforcement. Otherwise, the light abuser will continue to believe that zipping through late will still pay off.

Nothing new there: Watch any intersection.

Jack Fenn

Los Angeles

Debating the achievement gap

Re “Closing the achievement gap,” Editorial, Sept. 18

Standardized test scores have improved — so what? With all the attention focused on testing in the last eight years, the surprise would be if they hadn’t gone up.

The question should be whether the No Child Left Behind law was worth it (I’d say no), whether our education policy is going in the right direction (no again) and what should be done if we are serious about strengthening, not dismantling, public education.

We need more support and fewer mandates; more teachers and fewer consultants; more arts and music and less test drill; and a librarian and nurse in every school, with time for books and play.

In short, every public school needs the support to be great, not constant budget cuts and “competition” from privatizers.

Brad Jones

Santa Monica

As the principal of a middle school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, I know how hard it is to utilize minimal resources to achieve high results. But the drop-off in parent and family involvement from elementary to middle and middle to high school is significant, and a contributing factor in the slow progress of our high schools.

Parent involvement at each level shouldn’t diminish but instead change to meet students’ needs. Parents want to be involved, and I think we need to do a better job of defining what a good partnership really means.

Bonnie Murrow

Los Angeles

Could we please stop using the race card as a reason for an achievement gap in public education?

Your editorial mentions how white and Asian students scored higher on standardized tests than their “disadvantaged, black and Latino counterparts.” Later, the article mentions how California has “far to go in improving results for disadvantaged and minority students.”

So Asians aren’t a minority in California? And no Asians come from disadvantaged backgrounds?

Is a lack of motivation to succeed in high school a racial issue or a personal one? How many highly motivated “minority” and “disadvantaged” students do we need to succeed before we can put this issue to rest?

Troy Garrett

Long Beach

If you like Ike, you’ll like taxes

Re “Tyranny of the typical,” Opinion, Sept. 20

Jonah Goldberg notes that the U.S. poverty rate dropped by 50% between 1949 and 1961, and he attributes that remarkable decline to President Eisenhower ignoring the issue. Goldberg then goes on to note that only 25% of Americans had no health insurance in 1960, down from 90% in 1940.

Really, Mr. Goldberg? The existence of huge, soon-to-be-idled assembly plants on U.S. soil and pretty much nowhere else, enormous pent-up demand for goods and housing unavailable during the war, a large reduction in the number of young men entering the workforce due to war casualties and the bargaining strength of very powerful labor unions had nothing to do with those statistics?

Having come of age during the Eisenhower years, I am absolutely certain they did.

Susan Newell

San Diego

So Goldberg wants to go back to the policies of the Eisenhower era. Doesn’t this mean that the highest marginal income tax rate goes back up to more than 90%? Maybe he’s got something there.

Brett Armstrong

Simi Valley

History and ‘Palestine’

Re “The Palestinian peril,” Opinion, Sept. 22

Saree Makdisi’s effort to add a new Palestinian narrative to the previous myth of lands lost due to Israeli “aggression” is laughable.

Makdisi rejects statehood through the United Nations, with its implied finite borders, because he proposes that statehood would then limit the claim of the Palestinian people to their “ancestral lands.” Makdisi refers, of course, to all of Israel.

This type of manipulative use of history denies the long and recorded history of the Jewish people to “Palestine,” a term used by the Romans to refer to the geographical entity that had been Israel. To trot this alternative narrative out now is indeed laughable, were it not also dangerous.

Irving S. White

Los Angeles

Makdisi fails to recognize that self-determination only comes when a people can effectively govern themselves. The state of Palestine can only be independent on Palestinians’ own terms once they are able to function without the support and largesse of the Israeli government.

There is a sense among intellectuals and the media that Israel can do no good. I think Makdisi furthers that opinion, which, like the United Nations bid, is only another impediment to peace.

Julian Carmona

Van Nuys

Not so glittering

Re “In Elko, they’ve been down this mine shaft before,” Sept. 21

This article just goes to show the fickle and dangerous nature of the gold-mining industry.

Right now there are 285 mining claims within 10 miles of Yosemite National Park, and mining companies want to open them as soon as possible. Industrial mining uses cyanide and other toxic chemicals, which historically have contaminated local waterways. This is an accident waiting to happen.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar declared a moratorium on uranium claims around Grand Canyon National Park for that exact reason. It’s time that Salazar kept Yosemite safe from these toxic mines and the boom-and-bust cycle of gold mining.

Mac Farrell

Sacramento

A poor ally

Re “A new Pakistan,” Opinion, Sept. 19

As George Perkovich notes, the U.S. in 2009 authorized $7.5 billion for Pakistan’s civilian development and assistance programs. Perkovich should have explained why it was in America’s best interest to funnel $7.5 billion to Pakistan when our nation’s job development and infrastructure assistance was just as wanting in 2009 as today.

Forget about all the rhetoric in the Op-Ed article and just explain why giving money to a double-dealing country harboring terrorists that has closer ties to China, Iran and Saudi Arabia (let these countries provide the money) than America.

Or is this just another example of U.S. foreign policy blundering in trying to buy allies?

Richard Havens

Laguna Niguel

Down on fur

Re “W. Hollywood sheds fur sales,” Sept. 21

Hooray for West Hollywood. Humans with a conscience recognize that animals are feeling, sensing creatures. In this crazy, violent and inhumane world, we have a shred of common sense, decency and kindness.

This city has now banned cat de-clawing, the retail sale of dogs and cats and finally the sale of animal fur products. Every city nationwide should follow suit.

Those who protest are focused only on their own ill-gotten profits.

Cheryl Kohr

Redondo Beach