Times’ Endorsement of Villaraigosa for Mayor
The Times’ endorsement of Antonio Villaraigosa (editorial, May 27) sounded more like Marc Antony’s praising of Brutus to the Roman mob than a genuine endorsement. After you commend Villa-raigosa for his energy and the “audacity of his aspirations for the city,” you slam him for his past scrapes with the law, two children out of wedlock, adultery and a letter written on behalf of a drug dealer. The final paragraph, endorsing Villaraigosa, follows the one in which his weaknesses are summarized as “large lapses in judgment.” (I was waiting for you to add “ . . . but Antonio is a noble man.”)
Tell me again why I should vote for a person with such poor judgment. Ah yes, you mention that you go with “aspiration” and “the daring that built Los Angeles,” over the maintenance and upkeep tendencies of Jim Hahn. Perhaps when making its endorsements The Times should be more impressed with substantive qualities like judgment, experience and character. What does L.A.’s noblest Democrat of them all, Warren Christopher [who has endorsed Hahn], know that you don’t?
Norm Pizzuti
Granada Hills
I read with interest “Tribe Plans 2 Postcard Mailers Backing Hahn” (May 26), regarding the planned attack of the Soboba Band of Mission Indians of San Jacinto against Villaraigosa.
Native American tribes such as the Soboba retain sovereign nation status under various treaties negotiated by the U.S. government. This status allows autonomous governments, permitting gaming and casinos to exist within their borders. As sovereign nations, they have no right to comment on, much less jeopardize, a U.S. city election. This is tantamount to the U.S. criticizing a mayoral campaign in Paris or Moscow.
Augusta Weaver
Hollywood
For the first time since I’ve been old enough to vote I will not be exercising that right in the coming election. I refuse to hold my nose to vote for either candidate for mayor. Give me a real choice and let me vote for Valley secession!
Matthew Schaaf
Granada Hills
Re “Face Up to It, Rep. Becerra,” editorial, May 24: I absolutely “face up to” and apologize to Supervisor Gloria Molina and mayoral candidate Villaraigosa on behalf of my campaign. I did so privately, and I do so publicly. I also apologize to the people of Los Angeles.
Even though, as the district attorney’s report details, I never authorized those unethical calls and did not know they were being made, I am ultimately accountable to the public for the actions of those who worked for my campaign. No one from my campaign named in the district attorney’s report works for me any longer.
I cooperated fully with the district attorney’s office, and I did ask my campaign staff the tough questions directly early on. They denied it emphatically to me and to my campaign attorney. The D.A.’s report tells a different story, and I am outraged by these deeds and the cover-up. I ran for mayor to highlight the need to promote, invest in and elevate our city and its people. I have never believed in tearing others down.
Rep. Xavier Becerra
D-Los Angeles
Re “Spanish-Language Radio Largely Tunes Mayor’s Race Out,” May 19: Radio Unica 1580 AM (KBLA) covered Los Angeles’ mayoral election locally with a special series of interviews hosted by news veteran Ricardo Brown. The special broadcasts aired April 5, 6, 9 and 11 and on election day.
During the broadcasts, KBLA covered education, immigration, police brutality, the energy crisis, the local economy, social services and labor issues. Our coverage gave the participating mayoral candidates an opportunity to present their policy issues to Hispanics. Our coverage of these elections was an enormous milestone. Radio Unica will continue its local coverage of the mayoral elections through June 6.
Joaquin F. Blaya
Chairman, Radio Unica
Miami