Kamala Harris’ election as California attorney general; the WikiLeaks case; the Republican Party in Congress

Winning formula

Re “Harris is ‘humbled’ by win,” Dec. 1

The election of Kamala Harris as California’s attorney general sends an important message to prospective and incumbent officials.

Harris’ opponent in the general election was Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley. One major distinction between them, emphasized by Cooley, was their positions on the death penalty. Harris is opposed to it; Cooley has pursued it with braggadocio — and he lost.

Harris’ election — to the highest law enforcement office in the state — challenges the mantra that one must support the death penalty to be elected.

Her victory should encourage those who oppose the death penalty to seek office — especially district attorney.

Henry Organ

Menlo Park, Calif.

Not very bipartisan

Re “ GOP holds reins in tax debate,” Dec. 2

A sub-headline stating that the GOP intends to filibuster every bill is like announcing on the front page, “Sun to rise in the east.”

This is exactly what the Republicans have been doing since they lost the majority in the Senate in 2006. In this case, they insist on extending tax cuts for the wealthy at a cost of about $700 billion while holding hostage unemployment benefits that would cost $56 billion.

Their commitment to protecting the wealthiest at the expense of everyone else is truly despicable, and the fact that they are winning the public-relations war is baffling.

Laura Gallop

Agoura Hills

The Republicans may come to be known during this season as the Party of Scrooge. But as I remember, in Dickens’ story, Scrooge saw the error of his ways and eventually came around.

I can only hope the Republicans will have such an awakening. There are a lot of Bob Cratchits and Tiny Tims out there who can use the help.

Ellie Berner

San Diego

Repeatedly we have seen President Obama extend the hand of

bipartisan cooperation only to have it bitten. How many times will he try to compromise with these people? Their idea of compromise is to do everything their way.

This is not bipartisanship on the part of Republicans, and it is not good leadership on the part of the president. Most of us are still waiting for the guy we voted for to show up.

Scott W. Hughes

Westlake Village

Federal legislators are government employees. In other sectors, refusing to perform the duties of your job is called a strike.

Ronald Reagan, the darling of the conservatives, fired air traffic controllers when they went on strike. Hmm ...

Darrell Manderscheid

Fountain Valley

You get what you pay for

Re “The ‘highly qualified’ gap,” Editorial, Nov. 26

Teachers are not highly qualified to teach simply because they possess expertise in their subject field. If that were the case, UCLA professors with a doctorate and a list of publications would be assured success in K-12.

That’s why all states require certification to teach in public schools. It’s recognition that pedagogy plays an indispensable role in instructional effectiveness.

Although there may be candidates who are natural teachers, the overwhelming majority need the clinical experience that licensing mandates.

Walt Gardner

Los Angeles

The writer’s blog, Reality Check, is published by Education Week.

Recruiting great teachers might be a problem if we continue cutting funds for schools and attacking teachers.

Funding means higher salaries and the supplies and support that make the difficult job of teaching manageable.

Funding means that after spending your own money for supplies for several decades, you at least know you will be able to live on your pension. But those are under attack, usually by people far wealthier than public school teachers.

Big business justifies high executive pay by claiming such compensation draws the best people. Guess what? We need our kids’ teachers to be the best people too.

Joel Pressman

Los Angeles

What money can, and can’t, do

Re “Why populism isn’t popular,” Opinion, Nov. 29

The economy collapsed in 2008 when income disparity approached levels unseen since the runup to the Depression. Income inequality is a symptom of an unhealthy economy.

Our economy relies on a strong consumer class. The more money consumers have, the more goes toward buying goods and services in this country. Conversely, the more money that goes into the hands of the super-rich, the more goes to offshore accounts and socially useless

financial speculation.

Everyone hates income redistribution. But progressive taxation, government spending on infrastructure and education, and strict regulation of business made this country great. Our leaders have abandoned that formula, and we have all suffered as a result.

Branden Frankel

Encino

William Voegeli discusses an interesting point: We evaluate wealth not in absolute terms but by looking at how much other people have (such as Bill Gates) compared to what we have.

How much are these opinions on wealth determined by envy and resentment? If your children became millionaires, you wouldn’t be critical of the wealth gap, would you?

It was refreshing to read that most people wouldn’t support a confiscatory tax on wealth (like George McGovern’s proposed 100% inheritance tax) to achieve some populist view of social justice.

What good can come from a tax-and-destroy policy based on envy,

anyway?

Bill Gravlin

Rancho Palos Verdes

There are reasons even a conservative should be concerned about income inequality. There is evidence that prolonged income inequality may be damaging to productivity and capital accumulation.

Furthermore, severe income inequality does not appear to be consistent with “maximizing opportunity for all,” which Americans of all political stripes support.

Though these issues might not receive widespread popular attention, we ignore them at our peril.

Chris Morehouse

Shepherdstown, W.Va.

WikiLeaks’ window

Re “U.S. splits off secret files; WikiLeaks founder sought,” Dec. 1

The full-court press is on to demonize and destroy WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The leaks have proved what most already knew or suspected: Many world leaders are vain, feckless, hypocritical, liars and worse.

Prosecutable or not, the leaks have shed a cleansing light on the folly of damaged human beings who control the destiny of billions. For that, I thank Assange.

Isaac Hirschbein

La Mesa

Name-calling, spying, gossiping and seeking protection from bullies: Global diplomacy sounds a lot like high school.

Michael Figueroa

Los Angeles

A laugher

Re “Clown can take seat in Congress,” Dec. 2

Thank you for my morning laugh.

As I sleepily thumbed through the front section, my heart beat a bit faster as I glanced at the headline. Only on a second, more alert look did I notice that the story came from Brazil.

Lorraine Gayer

Huntington Beach