Poor judgment
Editor
Bill Bauer shows poor political judgment in deciding to vote for Elan Carr simply because he is not Ted Lieu. Whether or not one thinks of Lieu as a "bully", Bauer never says why he will vote for Carr, only why he won't vote for Lieu.
For the record, Carr's positions line up pretty squarely on the Democratic side of the issues. This leads me to believe he labeled himself a Republican for because he needed a way to break out of the pack and was otherwise unqualified to do so.
What we do not need is another Republican in Congress, particularly a Republican who will occupy Henry Waxman's seat.
Joan Walston
Santa Monica
Voting for Shriver
Editor
As campaign mailers start to fly, one of the phrases that bores people the most is "fiscal responsibility." Yet without it, government can't solve problems. Right now, LA County has many problems that are anything but boring.
There's no point talking about providing physical and mental healthcare, reducing traffic, safeguarding our water supply, taking care of foster kids, protecting our open spaces, creating jobs, helping veterans, or promoting the arts if there isn't enough money to do those good things.
The five county supervisors have a huge responsibility to make sure county funds are used in the smartest way possible to serve all ten million of us residents. We need someone handling the money who knows how to balance budgets and sniff out waste.
Bobby Shriver is that watchdog.
As a Santa Monica city councilmember and mayor, Shriver balanced the city's half-billion-dollar budget for eight years. He often said to his colleagues and city staff, "That sounds like a great idea. Tell me how we're going to pay for it." If nobody had an answer, the idea was no longer so great. City staff sharpened their budgeting skills and did their homework because they knew he was going to ask them hard questions.
Shriver will accomplish the same thing as a county supervisor. With a solid financial footing, then he will build on LA County's strengths and fix our faults.
Nick Steers
Santa Monica
