Debate Over Prop. 187

Don Quixote believed that he was fighting giants; in reality, he got beat up by a windmill. Proponents of Prop. 187 need a similar reality check. Prop. 187 failed on its own merits. Nothing Gov. Gray Davis, Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, or Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo said or did could’ve changed that.

Enacting public policy through the initiative process contains inherent defects. Proposals are formulated in “the back room” with no public input from interested parties. This is a serious problem and calls for a remedy. It’s not surprising Prop. 187 got gutted in court. Unless the initiative process duplicates the legislative system of public hearings, we will get bad public policy. Learn to live with it.

VINCENT S. DeYOUNG

Oxnard

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Re “The Remedy Is Mexican Jobs,” by Antonio Villaraigosa, Commentary, Aug. 8:

Either make Mexico a state of the U.S. or make California a state of Mexico. Otherwise, knock off this cross-border politics; it stinks.

SHANT AGAJANIAN

Newport Beach

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After several trips south of the border, I have decided to retire in southern Mexico along the Pacific Coast. The weather is tropical, the surf is good and the people are wonderful. I just don’t think they are wonderful enough to give me a small grant to build my little hacienda and a pension--which is what I had in mind. I would be in Mexico illegally, of course, but I don’t think that little technicality should prevent President Clinton from going to Mexico and doing a little backslapping and arm-twisting on my behalf. I understand that Mexican politicians love a good photo op almost as much as their Sacramento counterparts.

Apparently the will of the taxpaying, law-abiding citizens on either side of the border is no biggie. Kind of like the right of Americans to govern themselves.

STU O’GUINN

Huntington Beach

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I find it rather ironic that with the apparent demise of Prop. 187 we will now be subject to a travel fee of $15 should we choose to travel in Mexico (Aug. 5). Let’s keep paying taxes for the overcrowding of our classrooms (or the solution for this problem) and the medical care of illegal immigrants and then pay to visit one of the countries responsible for burdening our taxpayers. Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?

NANCY HORTON

Diamond Bar