Authority for principals opposed

We strongly disagree with your April 1 editorial, "Let cityprincipals run their schools."

The engineer-custodians are professionally licensed buildingmanagers. Many are college graduates and others are graduates oftechnical schools. All have received extensive training relating tothe operation and maintenance of buildings and the equipment therein.They comprehend the myriad of problems that must be faced each day tomaintain an atmosphere within which the principal, teachers andstudents can readily perform their duties. They respond to allrequests for service from the principal provided those requests arein compliance with Board of Education rules and regulations and donot jeopardize the safety and/or comfort of the children.

As you state, most engineer-custodians and principals get alongextremely well under this arrangement. The record shows principalsdo not want any added responsibility in this area. Education reforminitiated in the past year mandates that they spend a majority oftheir workday supervising classroom instruction. Most are occupiedwith reading levels, dropout rates and other educational problems andhave no desire to take on duties outside their field of expertise.

Your statement that principals were stripped of authority inthis area over a decade ago, quite simply, is not true. In November,1971, a letter from the president of the Chicago PrincipalsAssociation to the engineer-custodians stated, "This law codifiescurrent practice and does not, nor was it meant to, infringe on therights or status of any other group." In no way did we intend to usethis legislation to preempt, or usurp, your jurisdiction, or that ofany other craft or trade."

Former Gov. Richard Ogilvie's Commission on School-BusinessManagement Task Force concluded in 1972: "Placement of operatingpersonnel under the control of the educational administrators wouldbe a serious violation of good administrative practices."

The "altruistic" attitude of those few promoting this change inthe state school codes causes us to ask this question: Is thisincursion into the authority of the engineer-custodian sincere, ormerely a ploy to obtain additional administrative positions withineach school and/or additional compensation for the principalsthemselves? Donald J. McCue, president, International Union of Operating Engineers Congress usurps

The recent visit by the secretary of state to Moscow illustratesa potentially disastrous trend in Washington: the usurpation ofconstitutional powers of the president by Congress.

After his meeting with Mikhail S. Gorbachev, Secretary Shultzwent to Brussels to "brief the allies." In his turn, Mr. Gorbachevbriefed the visiting U.S. representatives on whom he relies topressure President Reagan into an arms deal.

The congressmen, led by Speaker Jim Wright, went to Moscow evenas 70 senators urged Secretary Shultz not to go, when the bugging ofour embassy was disclosed. The proximity of the visits and Mr.Gorbachev's statement that he intended to inform the congressmen ofhis meeting with the secretary of state are disturbing. Both menwent back to their allies: Mr. Shultz to the NATO allies and Mr.Gorbachev to the congressmen. We have a problem - our Congress! S. Paul Zumbakis, Loop Fake handicaps

Calvin Robertson (Letters, April 22) is right when he complainsabout healthy people who have handicapped plates so they can get agood parking place. Ever since those permit cards were passed outfor convenience by Secretary of State Jim Edgar with the help ofdishonest doctors and phony handicapped people it has been almostimpossible for a true handicapped person to get a parking space.

I once saw a healthy woman get out of a car wearing red high,high heels and she didn't feel ashamed at all. And by the way, beingold is not being handicapped. Most outrun me.

I agree with Mr. Robertson about having these people prosecutedfor fraud and also make these dishonest doctors bear the sameprosecution. I would gladly change places with these healthy peoplewho dare to fake being handicapped as a means of convenience. Bernice Krygier Harwood Heights Some ills not visible

Calvin Robertson shows the rampant ignorance that so manydisabled people have to deal with every day.

While there are some healthy people who abuse handicappedparking plates and cards, there are also many disabilities notvisible to the casual observer which would necessitate close-inparking. Among them are heart disease, lung disease and diseases ofthe nervous system.

Recently, I parked in a legal space directly across from ablue-sign handicap spot. Teenage boys in a parked car were veryvocal in informing me I had parked in Handicapped Parking illegally.I told them I hadn't, but thanked them for being so observant andcaring enough to check it out.

However, do not view every marked handicapped parker withsuspicion. You are not in a position to judge. Maggie Burk, Lombard Different tune?

Gov. Thompson called the AIDS education rap song,"Condom Rag,"garbage.

The song was part of the Illinois Public Health Department'sweeklong campaign against AIDS, and was to be sung in front of theState of Illinois Center in Chicago before Gov. Thompson stopped themusic.

Gov. Thompson argued that "If I were innocently walking thestreets with my family and I had to hear that - I would be offended."Would the governor's innocence be equally offended if he heard thesong while rummaging through the antique shops on Halsted accompaniedby his bodyguards? Jon-Henri Damski, Lake View