The Electric Daisy Carnival debate; Libya after Kadafi; executive compensation

Kids will be kids

Re “Why does Electric Daisy draw fire?,” Opinion, Aug. 22

My son has been attending the Electric Daisy concerts for several years. Like many attendees, I’m sure, my kid isn’t your typical juvenile delinquent: He’s on his high school’s honor roll and is a hospital volunteer, among other things.

Why he likes Electric Daisy is a mystery to me. But I doubt my parents understood why my generation liked Jefferson Airplane, the Doors or, for that matter, love-ins at Griffith Park. That smoke in the air? It wasn’t smog!

Today’s kids aren’t doing anything different than we did. Naturally, parents are concerned about safety at the Electric Daisy concerts. Considering the violence at professional sports events lately, I’d rather see my kid attend an Electric Daisy Concert any time.

Kevin Rupp

Redondo Beach

Libya on the brink

Re “Libyan rebels tighten grip,” Aug 23

Moammar Kadafi has fallen and another country has been purged of dictatorial evil. The heavens are aglow with fortune and Libyan oil, again, will flow like, well, oil. Or will it?

Surely the collection of tribes replacing Mr. Evil wouldn’t be so foolish as to prevent its land and people benefiting from a harmonious, civil and equitable government? Will they take prudent advantage of the prodigious financial opportunities inherent in large oil reserves to advance themselves socially, economically and politically, even if the unintended consequence is an incremental easing of a global economy enslaved to every drop of fossil fuel, no matter its source?

Yes, they will.

Michael E. White

Burbank

I find all the “hooray for our side,” both from the West and the rebels, a bit premature. One need look no further than Egypt, or Germany or the former Soviet Union, not to mention Yugoslavia, China and Korea.

As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for. I don’t for a minute think that peace has come to Libya or that Western-style democracy will somehow emerge. Iraq? Afghanistan? Even here at home, the governor of Texas has mused about secession.

F. Daniel Gray

Los Angeles

As Libya descends into chaos during the fall of Kadafi, I wonder how soon there will be a call for a strongman to rule the country and George

Orwell’s cautionary fable, “Animal Farm,” gets re-enacted.

As one dictator falls, another is just waiting to rise.

Spencer Grant

Laguna Niguel

Figuring out executive pay

Re “Fight is brewing over exec pay,” Column, Aug. 21

As an executive compensation consultant to several corporations, I’ve noticed little or no connection between performance and compensation. My suggestions to link the two have been consistently resisted by most executives on the compensation committees.

Large corporations hire high-priced consultant companies to legitimize astronomical compensation packages for their executives, even as they lay off hundreds of low-paid employees.

The main criterion used to rationalize the acceleration of executive pay has been to match, and exceed, the ever-increasing pay lavished by other corporations on their executives. Performance is largely irrelevant.

Mark Manz

Pasadena

Michael Hiltzik has difficulty with the concept of highly valued expertise.

It would behoove him to give Kobe Bryant a call and ask if he would sacrifice a large chunk of his $83-million contract to supplement the $1.5 million offered to a new draft pick. After he hears the click on the other end of the phone, he could try Tom Hanks and remind him that the key grip for his last movie earned $40,000 last year. Now where is the fairness in that?

If all else fails, Hiltzik could give part of his salary to any lower-paid new columnists hired by The Times — just because it seems fair.

Dave Mulnard

Newport Beach

He’s ‘Fed Up!’; what about us?

Re “What Rick Perry’s ‘Fed Up!’ about,” Aug. 23

Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s bizarre statements regarding Social Security being an illegal Ponzi scheme and the unconstitutionality of federal laws such as those governing food safety, the minimum wage, child labor and environmental protection defy belief.

If this man is elected to the White House, we may look forward to conditions prevalent in the 19th century, when people were apt to eat tainted food, often worked for a pittance and many children were sent into the mines to work. Let’s not even begin to imagine more rivers filled with factory waste.

Is this an absurd scenario? Not at all, and we should be very afraid.

Anneke Mendiola

Santa Ana

I have no problem with Texas going its own way and embracing Perry’s philosophy. Do away with unconstitutional regulations on food safety, environmental protection, child labor and the minimum wage. Protect citizens of the state from the failed socialist policies of Social Security and

Medicare.

Of course, other states will have the right to refuse to do business with Texas if they believe, for example, that importing agricultural products from Texas could present a health problem, or they object to buying products manufactured with child labor.

Let’s see what happens after a few years. I’d bet we would have to build a wall to keep Texans from illegally crossing into the United States to take advantage of some of those government handouts.

Howard S. Blum

Thousand Oaks

A big burden

Re “A good move on immigration,” Editorial, Aug. 22

The Times labels most illegal immigrants as “those who merely are in this country illegally,” “those who are already in the country, obeying its laws, working and paying taxes” and “those who are contributing to society.”

Our national unemployment rate is 9.1%; California’s rate is 12%.

With about 8 million illegal immigrants in the labor force, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, I’m baffled how The Times can call this a “contribution.” Another “contribution” is that the financial burden for welfare, medical care and education for those who are living in this country illegally now exceeds $100 billion a year, according to a study by the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

Michael Scott

Glendora

We need them

Re “A first: UC fees exceed state funding,” Aug. 22

The comment that “the Golden State is becoming more like others in the view that students are the main beneficiaries of a college education and should bear most of the cost” assumes that a college education is primarily important only for the individual.

I taught in a German public university for nine years and was impressed by how students in that culture are regarded as a crucial resource. Academically qualified students may enroll in a German university with no tuition (paying only some lab fees).

The great value college-educated people add to our culture as well as to our nation’s economic competitiveness makes the German perspective much more in touch with reality than our current radically individualistic view.

Our students are a powerful resource and should be encouraged to go as far as their abilities can take them — with no

tuition barrier — to benefit all of us.

S. Scott Bartchy

West Hills

The writer is a professor of history at UCLA.

Timely temblor

Re the Aug. 23 earthquake in Virginia

I think it was about time that someone shook up Washington.

Eva Kalpins

West Covina