Davis Recall: Look Past Politics to Real Needs

Re “Davis Seeks to Shift Focus to Recall Backers,” June 24: It seems that Gov. Gray Davis has been paying attention to something during his tenure in office when he blames the “right wing” for the recall efforts presently underway. As I recall, Hillary Clinton blamed her husband’s miscues on the vast right-wing conspiracy.

Get out from behind Hillary’s skirt, Governor. Take responsibility for being a bad, bad fiscal manager. When people in the real world screw up, they get fired by their bosses. If given the chance, the voters of California should fire you for squandering the biggest budget surplus California has ever seen, raising our taxes and stealing money from our local communities.

David Chantarangsu

Upland

*

The manipulative Republican machine that took over Washington in the bloodless coup of 2000 now seeks to take over Sacramento. Unable to secure control of our state at the ballot box in 2002, Republicans and their media handmaidens are attempting to steamroll the recall of Davis with the hope of installing one of their good ol’ boys in his place.

The “Terminator” as governor? Thanks, but no thanks! While Davis may not win a popularity contest, his “sins” are not worthy of recall and repudiation. Let the state government do the job it was elected to do. Tell the Republicans to stop messing with California -- they have already made a mess out of this country with their lies and false promises. We don’t need them doing the same or worse here. No recall!

Ilene Dice

Lakewood

*

Why shouldn’t those who sign any recall petition be obliged to pay the costs of the special election? The state can’t afford it.

Jean Clad

Seal Beach

*

Why do we leap so quickly for simple answers to complex problems? A few years ago it was term limits. It has become obvious that term limits have done more harm than good. Today, it’s recall Davis. Republicans claim that his reckless spending is the cause of our budget deficit. They never say what that reckless spending was. Didn’t we all want him to spend more money on education?

Before you reach for that recall petition, consider the real causes of our budget shortfall: tax revenues are way down in all states, but especially in California, because of the collapse of the dot-coms and the plunge in the stock market; we were ripped off for billions by the energy bandits; money to the states has been cut off by the Bush administration, which prefers to do business in Iraq rather than take care of business at home. Most of the other states are facing similar deficits. Recalling a governor should be reserved for serious breaches of the public trust, not to serve the ambitions of political rivals, in this case multimillionaire U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), the man who would “buy” governor.

Walt Petrovich

Glendale

*

The movement to recall Davis needs to be expanded to include the whole Legislature. Never has a group been so shortsighted, so stubborn and so unable to act in the interests of any group other than its blind political parties.

Richard C. Richards

Corona