February 24, 2005 Robert C. Bonner Commissioner U.S. Customs and Border Protection 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20229 Re: Compliments for L.A. International Dear Mr. Bonner, I have just returned from a trip to South America. As I was showing off my pictures of Machu Pichu and Easter Island last night, one of my friends asked, “What was the highlight of your trip?” After some thought, I said, “I guess it was coming through U.S. Customs. It makes me proud to be an American.” I travel a lot. In fact, I just had to send in my passport to have more visa pages added. So I have considerable experience with immigration facilities in dozens of countries. I can tell you with certainty that ours is the best. As you must be aware, it has not always been this way. But over the past couple of years the improvements have been remarkable. Your people exude a professional friendliness. One gets the feeling that these folks know their business. “Welcome home.” The uniforms are clean. They stand up straight. The mission statement is right up there for all to see. The facilities are neat, and efficient. Everyone has a smile. . .but you know not to mess with these guys. These Americans know what they’re doing. This must be very impressive to foreigners visiting our country for the first time. This is a good thing. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Congratulations to you, your management and staff for the enhanced level of professionalism you have brought to your important function. Keep up the good work. Sincerely, Richard Blake (just an ordinary fellow)