Mayoral Endorsement Gets a Mixed Reception

Re “Out With the Ho-Hum,” editorial, May 8: Antonio Villaraigosa represents the hopes and aspirations and diversity of Los Angeles. Overcoming crushing poverty, Villaraigosa graduated from UCLA and rose to the position of leader of the state Assembly, a true Horatio Alger story. Villaraigosa’s youth left him with a genuine empathy for all those who have been left behind.

His opponent, Mayor James Hahn, is a scion of power and wealth. He represents the status quo of a Los Angeles declining because of a dysfunctional school system and police force. Villaraigosa has an impressive record of working to reform our public schools. He engineered the largest effort to build and modernize schools in California history. He has also worked to ensure that all students have access to up-to-date textbooks, and he personally drafted legislation to improve teacher training and review.

Villaraigosa should be our next mayor because he has demonstrated the compassion and leadership to lead Los Angeles into a bright future.

Jeffrey A. Lowe

Los Angeles

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Thanks to The Times for its endorsement of Villaraigosa for mayor. I was having a hard time deciding because both men leave much to be desired. But I can always count on The Times to help me decide. Your endorsement convinced me to vote for Hahn.

Aaron Fisher

Los Angeles

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Shame on The Times for endorsing Villaraigosa.

The absence of ho-hum isn’t what “will make a good mayor.” It’s integrity, accountability, responsibility and good old common sense -- none of which Villaraigosa has proved he has.

Barbara DeKovner-Mayer Harris

Encino

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Interesting that The Times’ endorsement of Villaraigosa fails to address his participation among a bloc of council members who voted down the one-half-cent sales tax measure being placed on the ballot as a means of hiring more police officers.

When Police Commissioner Rick Caruso commissioned a poll on this matter, 70% of the citizens of L.A. were in favor of the tax and the additional police hires. Why wouldn’t Villaraigosa et al let us vote on it?

Jack Bornoff

Studio City