Writers Strike & Scabs

What planet is Jack Mathews on (“The Almost Never-Ending Story,” Aug. 14)?

The only thing the Writers Guild “won” was the same sliding percentage deal they were offered way back at the beginning of negotiations--with the added provision that in case the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is lying about the strength of the foreign market, a “mediator” can set a higher flat fee in the future.

Even Brian Walton admitted that the rank and file would probably be disappointed in what he (and the Guild) settled for, but “the time was right” to come to terms “for human reasons” (i.e., the writers were broke).

As for David Letterman “stepping forward to refer to management with the elegant phrase, ‘money-grubbing scum,’ ” I have news for Mathews-- David was making a joke .

Since Mathews seems to hang on every one of Letterman’s elegant phrases, let me be the first to tell him that Connie Chung is not married to Morton Downey Jr. and Martha Raye does not use condoms.

HOWARD LOBERFELD

Los Angeles