Meg Whitman’s immigration stand; The Times’ endorsement of Barbara Boxer; a budget deal that helps one rich California family

Left, right and illegal immigration

Re “Illogical on immigration,” Editorial, Oct. 5

Your editorial was about as fair and balanced as possible.

However, I am sure someone will find a way to interpret it as too left or right.

By the way, we are all hypocrites on this matter.

H. Sheldon Wright

Temple City

Your editorial concludes with an accusation of Meg Whitman being a hypocrite. Because she is placed in such a brittle position, her best defense is to be a bit “squishy.”

John A. Saylor

Long Beach

You hit the mark: Whitman’s flip-flopping on immigration is “political expediency, not leadership.” But a “bit” of a hypocrite? Why pull your punch? Whitman is a hypocrite, pure and simple.

Larry M Edwards

San Diego

The Times calls a political candidate “illogical” and “a bit of a hypocrite” about immigration? That’s like a toad calling a frog slippery.

One editorial after another objects to this or that immigration restriction, complaining there must be another way.

Because The Times never seems to meet a restriction it can support, why not come out of the closet instead of feigning moderation?

Kenneth Pasternack

Santa Barbara

To solely blame Whitman for her hiring of an illegal immigrant exposes not only her own hypocrisy but also that of The Times.

Pity poor Nicandra Diaz Santillan, Whitman’s former housekeeper, who didn’t even realize that she was being exploited until she was convinced by her publicity-seeking attorney, Gloria Allred. And speaking of exploitation, how curious that the incident was revealed just a month before the Nov. 2 election.

And since Diaz Santillan has now come out of the shadows, publicly proclaiming her long-term illegal status, precisely where were the proper immigration authorities?

In the ongoing debate over immigration reform, absolutely no consideration should be given to legalizing anyone in the country illegally until the United States decides to begin strictly enforcing its immigration laws.

Jim Redhead

San Diego

The Times chooses Boxer

Re “Boxer for U.S. Senate” Oct. 4

Thanks to The Times for your completely detailed endorsement of the reelection of Sen. Barbara Boxer.

Please watch the word “strident” in describing her unless you use it correctly. Strident is defined in the dictionary as “harsh in tone; loud; urgent.”

Boxer has been stridently urgent in her career-long fight to protect California’s environment. She has been stridently loud in the fight for women’s reproductive choices. She has been strident in promoting civil rights for all Californians. She has been strident in trying to find fair answers to immigration dilemmas. She has been stridently urgent in giving veterans like me the help and respect we have earned.

Best of all, Boxer was strident in her vote against going to war in Iraq.

Marvin E. Schulman

Westwood

Your endorsement omitted one excellent example of Boxer’s courage and good judgment: her vote against the use of force in Iraq in spite of tremendous pressure from the Bush administration.

If more had followed her example, we might have avoided the loss of thousands of American lives, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives and the loss of a trillion dollars.

Earl Beck

Cypress

Hard to decide whom to vote for:

In the race for governor, Whitman, a billionaire who has rarely voted and has spent $140 million on this race, against Jerry Brown, the original frugal politician who has put in his time in state and local government.

In the Senate contest, Carly Fiorina, who took a huge payout from Hewlett-Packard after laying off tens of thousands of workers as she encouraged outsourcing jobs overseas, against Boxer, who has worked tirelessly in the Senate for California.

Sheesh, really, this takes a lot of thought …

Tom Graner

Hermosa Beach

Your editorial has me confused. You endorse Boxer for reelection, then list nine reasons to defeat her. She is one of the most dangerous people in the “District of Corruption.”

It is important that she be replaced. Fiorina is the only one on the ballot to have a chance.

Charles Devalon

Palm Desert

I find it hypocritical and slightly amusing that Fiorina opposed the confirmation of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court because Kagan was an “unknown quantity and lacked experience as a judge.”

It is for this reason that I cannot vote for Fiorina: I find her an unknown quantity, and she lacks experience as a senator.

Jan Olson

Northridge

A sweetheart budget deal

Re “Budget deal aids wealthy family,” Oct. 6

I am infuriated by the news that a $30-million tax break was buried in the budget deal specifically for the Humboldt Redwood Co. Someone in Sacramento apparently held legislative leaders hostage as a condition for agreeing to a budget. It’s sneaky and epitomizes putting special interests ahead of the interests of California.

My level of trust in our legislative leaders is up there with the Bell officials.

William Goldman

Palos Verdes Estates

If I had any doubts about voting yes on Proposition 24, this article removed them. This sort of backroom deal is just disgusting; the rich keep getting richer using their friends in power.

If the people of California have to govern by the initiative system, could they do a worse job than what’s coming out of Sacramento? I think not.

Lee Gardner

Burbank

Do we get what we pay for?

Re “County identifies 199 top earners,” Oct. 5

President Obama proposes not renewing tax breaks for the top earners — those making more than $250,000 a year.

Astoundingly, about 200 of those people work for L.A. County. Over 12% unemployment in California, and one psychiatrist made more than $122,000 in overtime, in addition to his salary, which makes me crazy just thinking about it — but probably doesn’t qualify me for his services.

Of the top 50 jobs, only a few are outside the medical field, which also dominates the bottom 150 jobs.

These 200 people represent millions and millions of dollars in compensation at the same time services are being cut in such a broad swath.

If we are in fact all in this together, its time to recalibrate public compensation with an eye toward civic responsibility.

Mitch Paradise

Los Angeles