Inspecting the Details of Candidates’ Resumes

Re “Record Does Not Support All of Candidate Issa’s Claims,” July 30:

Thank you for detailing Rep. Darrell Issa’s (R-Vista) devious resume. I’m having trouble understanding the point of spending millions of dollars on an election aimed at replacing an unskilled governor with a crooked one. Where’s the net gain for us?

Tom Hensley

Sherman Oaks

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The front-page feature on Issa was quite informative. I am always amused by candidates who take a defensive position with the press. I support Issa’s right to make light of the many charges against him throughout his life; however, I think that he believes that the electorate is naive. “What he is speaks so loudly, that no-one can hear what he says.”

He lost the nomination for senator. He will be crushed in his bid for governor. If he can ever take advice, I suggest that he hold on tight to his House seat, before his “locals” realize that he is an embarrassment to them.

Jay S. Lowy

Encino

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Thanks for what could be the first in a series of front-page articles on misstatements and errors made by California’s politicians. Your coverage of Issa’s outrageous claims that he was Entrepreneur of the Year when he was really only Entrepreneur of the Year for San Diego and that he actually received an “unsatisfactory” rating from the Army back in 1971 showed crack, first-rate reporting. I’ll anxiously await your front-page report on every similar detail of Gov. Gray Davis’ background and campaign claims.

What a great series this would be! Keep up the good work.

Paul Bent

Long Beach

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One possible outcome of the special recall election is that the recall will pass by something like a 60-40 margin but whoever wins as replacement will only have around 25% of the vote. That would mean that many more voters supported Davis over his successor. (Sounds like Florida all over again.)

My suggestion is a write-in campaign for Davis. If everyone who votes against the recall writes in Davis’ name, he could be recalled and then reelected on the same ballot.

Brad Goldberg

Studio City

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Thomas Jefferson wrote, “What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?” Recall keeps that spirit of resistance alive in California, and it has worked successfully to change things for the better on many occasions.

Most sensible people agree that state government is dysfunctional. The Legislature is a gaggle of incompetent, no-compromise ideologues, and Davis is an abject failure as governor. It’s regrettable that California law does not permit the recall of the entire Legislature, as well as the governor, in one mass housecleaning.

Dan Emory

Newport Beach

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Originally opposed to the recall of Davis for both political and economic reasons, I have recently changed my opinion on this most critical issue. I remain opposed to the governor’s recall for political reasons but now support the recall for its potential economic benefit to the state.

The state Democratic Party should immediately drop all resistance to the recall and encourage each and every one of the 1.1 million petition signers to run for the job.

If each one of them ponies up the $3,500 filing fee, California would reap a $3.85-billion infusion of cash, which would reduce the state deficit by 10%.

Robert Pike

Canyon Country