Mayor Riordan

* Although I don’t live in Los Angeles, I read with interest your interview with Mayor Richard Riodan (July 3). By most accounts, Riordan is a conscientious and principled man. By some accounts he is even a success after enduring a trying first year. But his characterization of himself as a “father image” for the city crystallizes the uneasy feelings I’ve had about him since he first entered the public arena: someone whose outlook is essentially patriarchal and rooted in the past.

What Los Angeles needs--what government at all levels needs--is a leader, a word that is not gender-specific.

DIANA PALMER

Pasadena

* Mayor Riordan says his worst nightmare in the world is waking up in the morning, and realizing he’s governor of California.

It’s mine, too.

MELVIN LENNARD

Pacific Palisades

* On July 1, the Times Poll, “After 1 Year Mayor Gets Good Marks,” shows the approval rating of Mayor Riordan by major ethnic groups. The groups reported on were white, black and Latino. I am puzzled by the fact that apparently the sample did not include Asians. True, it may take a different approach to reach Asian voters or solicit Asian opinions, yet the economic power of Asians cannot be ignored . . . especially in Los Angeles where the Asian population has tremendous small business power.

Can we really afford to ignore the major impact of the Korean community, not to mention the Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thais?

SUSAN KNOX

Marina del Rey