Mailbag: Elect the best leader, not the best partisan

Once again, we have a statewide race affecting our community (the 74th Assembly District) where the emphasis by the leading Republican candidates is not who can be the best problem-solver and representative for their constituents, but who can be the best partisan warrior in Sacramento (“Mansoor throws punches,” May 17). It might mean something if the GOP controlled the state Legislature, but it doesn’t. Instead, behind the Orange Curtain, we wind up with cardboard conservatives being elected who do next to nothing for the citizenry in their districts except rattle their sabers at opponents.

It’s time we put parties to one side and elect effective representatives who can solve problems, address issues and deal with concerns on a local level. It’s time we refuse to elect partisan puppets who are doctrinaire in their ideology and inflexible in their approach to governing. It’s time we elect representatives who care more about their constituents than monied special interests and party bosses. Shouldn’t that be the case?

Tim Geddes

Huntington Beach

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Surf City is paving paradise

Regarding “Proposal uproots passion,” May 10:

I’m a “tree person,” the environmentalist desiring to keep as much space and green as possible in our man-(I guess a few women, too)-made concrete jungle.

Lawsuits and money have the upper hand over beauty and oxygen. That tree is old and alive. It will be tree-slaughter so no one gets hurt — what a paradox!

Stop! Don’t cut the tree down. Name it, honor it, thank it, sing Joyce Kilmer’s “Trees” poem to it.

I’m hopeful, and I’ll continue to sing Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” because...

Sue Dominguez

Huntington Beach