Letters to the Editor: Readers debate the merits of a Kamala Harris gubernatorial run

To the editor: Excellent George Skelton column on Kamala Harris and the governorship of California (“Harris hasn’t shown much interest in being California governor,” May 26). It’s a bit depressing when you realize that the potential field so far seems to be populated by such mediocre career politicians. Love him or hate him, I’d like to see another Jerry Brown, or even an Arnold Schwarzenegger. The next governor needs to be willing to shake things up and, when necessary, defy their party’s orthodoxy. I don’t see Harris, Katie Porter or Antonio Villaraigosa fitting that bill.

Fred Gober, Playa Vista

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To the editor: What is it with all the anti-Harris articles? As former district attorney for San Francisco and district attorney and senator for California, Harris has done more than enough in her career to qualify. But along with those impressive roles, she has more credentials than other potential candidates on issues such as gun control, managing the criminal element in San Francisco and later the whole state and standing up to major corporations to stop them from screwing over California citizens.

Nick Aquilino, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Skelton is both incorrect and missing the point when he calls the charge that Harris should’ve spoken up about President Biden’s mental decline a “cheap shot.” Skelton’s suggestion that any politician can be forgiven for keeping silent about their boss gives Harris a pass where one is not due.

Harris had the duty to put country over personal ambition. The cost the Democratic Party and the country have paid for her silence (and, in fairness, that of countless others) has been and will continue to be simply too high to give ambition a pass.

Had raising the alarm finished her off politically, Harris — already justly faulted for having so ineptly sought the presidency and for lacking any vision of why she wanted it in the first place — would have been able to enter the private sector with her head held high, and no doubt to considerable financial profit. That she is still considered (and, by some, sought) for any political office is sad and distressing.

David Van Iderstine, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Skelton references California’s 187,000 homeless as “the highest in the nation — only partly because we’ve got the largest population.” This is not only California’s problem. Homeless people from all over the country come to California because of our nicer climate, especially now that there are hurricanes and floods in so many other states. The federal government should be helping with this problem. Under the current president, it will never happen.

Our state has many budgetary problems, infrastructure being one of the most important as well as homelessness, but there is little help in sight from Harris or any other potential candidate.

Lynne Shapiro, Marina del Rey