LETTERS

Staying On

We appreciate your coverage of the appointment of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund’s new chairman (Law column, May 20 issue). However, some readers were misled by the headline, which they interpreted as meaning there was a forced departure of L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina as chairwoman. She remains on the MALDEF board, and we are grateful for her three years as chair, during which she oversaw a successful Census 2000 outreach program, redistricting advocacy throughout the U.S. and the opening of a new southeastern regional office in Atlanta.

Antonia Hern & #225;ndez

President and General Counsel

MALDEF

Traffic Jams

I loved your article on Caltrans and the 405 Freeway (July 29 issue). The people who run Caltrans have no trouble spending millions of dollars building themselves a new headquarters in Los Angeles. They only have trouble fixing the 405. Another six years until some relief will be in sight? I think it is time this bureaucracy was reigned in and made accountable to the taxpayers. Perhaps then more freeways, better freeways and faster flowing freeways may come about.

Gilbert Smith

Encino

Conspicuous Consumption

Thanks for running Denny Lanfear’s choice in Web sites (My Favorite Sites, July 22). If he isn’t the epitome of the dot-com era gone by, I don’t know what is. I especially got a kick out of his collecting guitars he’s too afraid to play. I couldn’t think of a worse way to come across in this era of crashing stocks, corporate scandal and world problems.

Bill Sewell

Iowalab.com

Los Angeles