Controversy Over Allen

* Doris Allen, the new Democratic--whoops!--I mean Republican Speaker of the Assembly, sets a milestone for not only all Republicans in California, but for women as well--NOT! As a California taxpayer, business person, Republican, and oh by the way, woman, Allen (R-Cypress) is just another example of the age-old situation of a woman who is too dumb to know that she is being used by a man. A domineering, vindictive and calculating man. Shame on Allen for not respecting herself and her constituents enough to stand for what and who she was elected to represent! If she can’t serve the people with honor, she shouldn’t serve at all.

LESLIE EARLEY

Laguna Niguel

* Let me get this straight. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) is leading a campaign to recall Allen as the Speaker of the state Assembly (June 8).

Rohrabacher’s time and the taxpayer’s money that pays his salary would be far better utilized if he would focus on issues confronting his peers in Washington and leave the petty backbiting and infighting in Sacramento to members of the Assembly.

Hey, Dana! Quit grandstanding and get to work on issues of much greater concern--like our national debt, defense, the budget and health care.

STEVE GOULD

Tustin

* The battle in the Assembly over leadership is a non sequitur. With all of the problems to deal with in California, it sounds to me as if the entire Assembly is a bunch of little boys trying to show whose toys are bigger.

Not only are we going to suffer through another recall (over personality problems) and the expenditure of taxpayer funds to hold another election ($200,000) in a bankrupt Orange County, but they also expect us to pay for a frivolous lawsuit by the Republicans over the Assembly rules. And, while this is all going on, you can bet that there is no work being accomplished on the real problems of California.

The recall process has been abused and the word leadership has been abused. While our elected officials try to make us believe that they care about cutting costs and good government, they force the taxpayers to pay for their toys of battle--recall elections and frivolous lawsuits. It is obvious to me that they have forgotten why they were elected.

Shame on all of them.

EILEEN E. PADBERG

Irvine

* In response to “Sexism Still Alive in Sacramento,” June 12:

Since when is speech between equally elected representatives considered damagingly sexist? Bagging on the Speaker’s haircut is not sexism.

Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-Burlingame) calls Republican votes against a bill that would have explicitly permitted public breast-feeding “oppressive conduct.” That oppressive conduct is called voting.

It is my opinion that Allen’s assumption of the speakership was slick maneuvering of “Speaker Emeritus” Willie Brown. This was the equivalent of representative pimping. What could be more sexist?

MITCHELL TWERSKY

Culver City