Bustamante Serves as a Role Model

In his candidate profile of Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante (Capitol Journal, Aug. 25), George Skelton captured something unique that seems to have eluded Republicans and the media: Bustamante is a tangible, larger-than-life symbol of Latino empowerment and the American dream. Arnold Schwarzenegger talks a lot about education and claims to love immigrants (as long as they are documented), but the Terminator will never be able to conquer the hearts and minds of Latino schoolchildren with his Hollywood antics and empty rhetoric.

Bustamante, on the other hand, will make it possible for teachers like me to motivate the heck out of students by showing them that someone they can personally relate to actually became governor of California and could soon be the first Latino president of the U.S. Top that!

Roberto N. Galvan

Alhambra

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I still don’t get Bustamante’s candidacy. Other than for his own personal glory, why does he think he should govern? What would he do differently from Gov. Gray Davis? They both favor higher taxes, costly business regulations, more employment-discrimination lawsuits and more favors for unions. As far as I can tell, Bustamante is just another shade of “Gray.”

William Fortuna

Northridge

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How can voting “no on the recall/yes on Bustamante” possibly be viewed as inconsistent? A “no” on the recall question affirms the governor’s right to fill out the term the voters awarded him in a fair election less than a year ago. A vote for Bustamante affirms the lieutenant governor’s right, also awarded by the voters less than a year ago, to fill out the governor’s term if the governor cannot. Far from being inconsistent, “no on the recall/yes on Bustamante” is the only logical and ethical choice.

Christopher Gragg

Burbank

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I almost fell out of my chair Tuesday morning when I read Robert Scheer’s “Arrogant Arnold or Capable Cruz?” (Commentary, Aug. 26). He actually had some faintly praiseworthy things to say about Ronald Reagan. When was the last time he had anything good to say about any Republican?

George W. Bowman

Lompoc

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Change in Sacramento is long overdue. We have a Democrat-controlled state Assembly and Senate. We have a Democrat governor. We have a $38-billion shortfall. There are no checks and balances in Sacramento. We need to restore the two-party system by voting yes on the recall and for a Republican replacement.

Californians deserve a fresh start with a new Republican governor who has a good sense of business and budgets. Voting for Bustamante will only make matters worse. The Democrats need some “tough love” for their taxing-and-spending addiction.

Thomas Sherman

Del Mar

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I urge The Times to restrain itself from publishing something about Schwarzenegger’s campaign on a daily basis. It is already so nauseating. Once again big money is trying to buy into more power. I hope the citizens will use their brains when they go to the voting booths.

Elke Heitmeyer

Sherman Oaks

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Thank you, Patt Morrison, for your Aug. 26 column pointing out what we do in fact get for our tax money. It should be required reading for all those who moan about the tax “burden.” Of course we all want to get our money’s worth for the taxes we pay, but a “no taxes” stand is just plain hypocritical and immature.

Ulla Anobile

Los Angeles