Riordan Challenge to LAUSD Board
Mayor Richard Riordan’s plan to unseat four incumbent Los Angeles Unified School District board members (“Riordan Task Force Plans Its Own School Board Slate,” Sept. 12) may have some merit to it, but his support should be as a private citizen, not as the head of a mayoral task force. School board members should be elected on the basis of their capabilities and skills, not as a result of a politically motivated campaign against incumbents. However, in the same article, UTLA President Day Higuchi indicates the union would defend incumbents David Tokofsky and George Kiriyama against “God himself,” if they had union endorsement, because they have been dependable votes for the union.
If the criteria for selecting school board members come down to political agendas or being dependable votes for the union, then LAUSD will join the Titanic as a ship that was lost due to egotism, political decisions and negligent leadership. Without the primary selection criterion being what a candidate can do to improve the education of our children, then anyone elected is just another politician.
GEORGE EVANS
San Pedro
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Is there no limit to the largess which Mayor Riordan will bestow on us citizens of Los Angeles?
Now that he has, with the aid of the inestimable MTA, solved the public transportation problems of the city, he is moving to do the same for education.
The mayor is embarking on a campaign to pack the Board of Education with four of his cronies. Truly, our cup runneth over!
GENE FRIEDMAN
Granada Hills
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