What push on schools tells us about the mayor

The contempt for fundamental principles of democracy, as expressed in your June 19 editorial “The mayor’s field trip,” in support of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s attempt to take over the Los Angeles Unified School District, is breathtaking.

To suggest that legislators’ concerns about having a vote of the people to decide this major issue of civic governance might be assuaged by a vote five years after the suggested “reform” is in place reeks of Orwellian logic. If Villaraigosa and The Times do not trust the people of Los Angeles to make the correct decision on this issue, then perhaps the idea of mayoral control itself is the problem. We need more democracy, not less.

BRAD JONES

Santa Monica

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Re “Tension Between Mayor, Angelides,” June 17

When Villaraigosa was elected mayor, I was ecstatic. Finally we had a Latino Democratic mayor of Los Angeles. A man of action, labor and the people who could make good changes. Little did I know that the biggest change that he wanted to make was to appoint himself emperor of the schools.

Now we hear that Villaraigosa is snubbing our Democratic choice to take back the governor’s seat because Phil Angelides isn’t too keen on the mayor’s ill-conceived big plan. Angelides sees that, like the crime statistics, test scores are improving. Angelides knows that there are better ways to improve the school district because he’s talked to teachers and others in the trenches. No longer am I inclined to vote for Villaraigosa.

ANDREW CARRILLO

Venice

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It is not surprising in this age of quickly changing alliances to see Villaraigosa jump onto the lap of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The mayor’s lack of support for Angelides shows he no longer believes loyalty is an attribute. Villaraigosa needs to drop his visions of grandeur for complete hegemony over Los Angeles and remember who brought him to the dance.

KENNETH WAYNE LOCK

Culver City