Letters to the Editor: Gavin Newsom appointing himself senator is a nonstarter

To the editor: When I read George Skelton’s column suggesting it may not be a bad for Gov. Gavin Newsom to take Willie Brown’s advice and appoint himself senator, I was shocked that The Times would publish something so irresponsible.

Promoting something so unethical would be bad in normal times, but in the current situation, as the president attempts to overturn an election and Democrats may be questioning the value of playing by the rules, such an idea is incredibly dangerous.

The fact that such a thing is not technically illegal is no excuse, and it actually makes the suggestion worse. It means that responsible journalism is our primary safeguard against the further erosion of our democracy.

Jonathan Gross, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Brown, the former longtime state Assembly speaker and mayor of San Francisco, is by reputation the kind of self-serving politician that California and the nation can no longer endure.

Newsom, a promising candidate for the presidency in 2024, first needs to demonstrate that he is an effective executive of the world’s fifth largest economy, especially after inflicting heavy damage on himself during the COVID-19 crisis.

To run for cover to a less important U.S. Senate seat would be irresponsible. Voters would rightly reject him if he ran for president.

Newsom can be an innovator as governor or a caretaker as senator. Playing musical chairs is unworthy of the leader of such a great state, and it sets a bad example for the nation.

Bruce Cort Daniels, Running Springs

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To the editor: It would be terrible for California for Newsom to appoint a “caretaker” senator. He should appoint a young person, relatively speaking, who will have a chance to serve for a long time, gaining seniority and power for the benefit of California.

Further, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should resign sooner rather than later from the Senate, allowing California’s newly appointed senator to gain some seniority before the newest class arrives in Washington.

Norman H. Green, Los Angeles