Davis and Simon Both Have Their Strong Points

On the Oct. 29 front page you say that the state spent its way into a budget crisis, blaming Gov. Gray Davis. Have you not heard of the business downturn that has wrecked state budgets all across the nation? How about Enron? Is there any doubt that this crooked energy giant and its crime partners engineered a crisis that will take California two or three decades to pay for? Why is The Times so ever-ready to lay the blame on the governor’s doorstep?

At every opportunity you badmouth Davis. Is it that he beat the Republicans at their own fund-raising game? I believe Davis did a great job of keeping the lights on after the manufactured energy crisis was tossed in his lap.

Tom Freeman

Pinon Hills

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So, the voters and nonvoters of California are aghast at the time Davis spends on fund-raising and the amount of money he has collected. Fund-raising is a necessary evil of running for office. If we want to put a stop to it there are two choices: federal or state funding of election campaigns (like that will ever happen), or how about limiting the governor to one six-year term? Then he wouldn’t need to worry about reelection and could concentrate on the job he had been elected to. Bring me a petition and I’ll be the first to sign it.

Jay Cywan

Sherman Oaks

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I am voting for Bill Simon on Nov. 5 because he is a good man. He inherited money and could have lived a hedonistic life -- making more money, buying fancy cars, living easy. Instead, Simon has devoted a good portion of his life to children and families in desperate situations: runaway children, abused spouses, poor families, out-of-work fathers, drug addicts. I have seen Simon give his money and, remarkably, his time, to wonderful causes like Covenant House. How rare is it for someone of wealth to devote, in addition to the millions of dollars, hundreds of hours teaching or playing basketball with teenagers? That’s compassion. Simon has it, and Davis just pretends. The state could use a man like Simon.

Anita Gunther

Long Beach