Mailbag: Columnist’s rant on ‘King’s English’ is codswallop

Allow me to take June Casagrande to the lingual woodshed. (“She’ll take American English any day,” Oct. 19.)

Firstly, there is no “British” accent. Great Britain is three countries: England, Scotland and Wales. Each one has a myriad accents. A born-and-bred Scouser (Liverpool; think John Lennon) accent is as different from a Glaswegian or a Cardiffite as an Inuit from a Maori.

And “pip-pip” and “pish-posh”? I don’t believe anyone has actually uttered those words since about 1922. You reference the “King’s version” of English as contrived ... back at you!

John D. B. Grimshaw
Lake Forest

In support of Porter

There have been way too many articles in the press lately about Katie Porter’s public and personal life, mostly the latter. Yes, she has a temper and, yes, she is strong-willed — the perfect antidote to her aggressive opponents.

I see the attacks against Porter as too personal and sexist in nature. Men in politics are rewarded for their strength, but that’s not necessarily true for women. I do not want to hear what Porter is doing in her private life. I am just so grateful for what she did for her constituents in the 45th and 47th Congressional districts that she served for six years.

Unfortunately, she dropped out of a Congressional race to run for the Senate.

She would have been great in that position, just as Sen. Adam Schiff is, but political gamesmanship helped to defeat her in the primary.

Politics is a rough game, never so much as it is now. I love that Porter was demanding in her questioning of corporate leaders. I can envision her doing the same thing to her opponents or fellow Democrats in office. How I wish she was in Congress right now to also embolden her colleagues and to stand up to the Republicans in Congress who are decimating our health benefits and enabling those who would deprive us of our democracy.

Lynn Lorenz
Newport Beach

H.B.’s reputation ‘in tatters’

Once again, our local archangel of autocracy, Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns, has corrupted the norms of governing by blatantly trashing the civic rights of representation afforded our citizenry during the public comments portion of City Council meetings.

I have mentioned before that the mayor has been arbitrary and capricious in restricting the rights of speakers, who are normally given three minutes to address the City Council. This is stated in the agenda (unless a high volume of speakers necessitates reducing the time). Now, we can add the term vindictive to the list, since an overwhelming number of speakers tend to be critical of the mayor’s performance and the policies and pronouncements of his MAGA colleagues.

In a previous City Council meeting, the mayor gave fewer than 20 speakers only 75 seconds, less than half the recommended time. During the Oct. 21 meeting, he gave barely a baker’s dozen of speakers only two minutes each. He seemed to revel in his restriction.

Community-oriented 2026 City Council hopefuls like Taryn Palumbo and Ben Davis are beginning to emerge in order to challenge the MAGAs’ high handed approach to governing. Both Palumbo and Davis are highly qualified candidates who would do a miles better job of representing our residents.

Other community-backed candidates may join them, with four council seats at stake in the next election. It is high time that our concerned citizenry begins the process of taking back its local government. The current City Council has not only been inept and inefficient in addressing pressing problems like housing and dealing with the homeless, but its focus on pursuing ideological issues and costly litigation in picking fights with state authorities has proved frustrating and embarrassing. The city’s reputation is in tatters as a result. We deserve much, much better.

Tim Geddes
Huntington Beach