Ruling a ‘Judicial Hijacking’ or Worthy Delay?

Re “Appeals Court Orders Delay of Recall,” Sept. 16: The ruling cites Bush vs. Gore no less than half a dozen times in delaying by only a few months the recall and the ballot initiatives, and its reasoning is well grounded in federal and state law.

If the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes, it not only runs the risk of making mincemeat out of its own arguments during the 2000 Florida election fiasco regarding equal protection under the law, but California Democrats will also have a huge motivation to turn out at the polls in three weeks and vote down the recall.

Republicans who cry foul should think twice about appealing this decision; rather, they should take advantage of the delay to get their act together and rally around a single candidate instead of splitting their votes.

Michael Sadler

Hollywood

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In the words of Ronald Reagan, “There you go again.” Due to the convoluted thinking that has led the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to be the most overturned appeals court in the nation, the expressed wishes of Californians are once again being subverted. Somehow, the very voting machines that were used to elect Gov. Gray Davis and other state and local officials just 10 months ago are now declared to be unconstitutional.

By this thinking, the entire election of November 2002 was unconstitutional and therefore Davis and all other officials are not legally elected and all propositions passed or defeated are made moot.

Richard Lawrence

Corona

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The 9th Circuit says we must delay the recall election. If we do, I am confident some group will argue in court that a recall election cannot be held outside the time frame prescribed in the California Constitution. A state court or the 9th Circuit would certainly concur, so there would be no recall.

E. Noel Fletcher

Los Angeles

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I was amused to read an outraged Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) label the court’s decision a “judicial hijacking.”

Doesn’t the court know that only Issa has the right to hijack an election?

Victor Fresco

Santa Monica

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Delaying the recall allows for an adequate number of polling sites to be set up. It allows for plenty of debates so that each viable candidate can offer very specific solutions (not catchy bumper sticker slogans) to fixing California’s problems. It allows for outdated voting equipment to be replaced so that each and every vote will be counted.

Of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger can no longer duck debates or details and cannot allow the clock to run out, hoping to ride his celebrity to the governor’s mansion. An informed electorate with access to the polls is worth waiting for, and March is right around the corner.

Paul Kundinger

Beverly Hills

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If the problem with punch-card voting machines is that the chads aren’t completely punched out, why not just make the punch pin rectangular to cover more of the rectangular chad? I also wonder if companies that manufacture the expensive touch-screen machines have been talking up the alleged problems associated with the time-proven punch-card system.

Martin Mach

Venice