Election issues spark political passion in Bee readers

Published online on Monday, Nov. 06, 2006

Keep the pressure up

Your "Political Notebook" section on Oct. 28 was absolutely correct in stating that Armenian-Americans are accustomed to empty promises from presidential candidates in accurately terming the events of 1915 as genocide. Both President Clinton and President Bush attempted to gain Armenian-American support by saying they would recognize the genocide if elected. However, under pressure from Turkish officials, both immediately changed their positions.

Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, has not allowed President Bush to get away with it easily. Despite being from the same political party, the congressman has continually opposed the president, vice president and House speaker on this issue.

He has sent a letter drafted by him and his colleague, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, to the administration, making sure it understands this issue will not be allowed to go on the back-burner. They have been soliciting the support of other members of Congress to put pressure on the administration as well.

Sevag Tateosian, Fresno

Up to the parties

I found interesting the column by Editorial Page Editor Jim Boren on negative campaigning (Oct. 29). I see a problem, however.

Let's say you have only two contenders for a particular post, as is often the case. What do you do if they are insulting each other more or less equally? If you vote for neither, you are simply giving your vote away and, in fact, one will be elected regardless of how many people don't vote for either.

If a party affiliation is involved, and each party demands that their candidate keep to the issues, that would do us all a great service. Sometimes the issues are clear and under their facade the candidates agree, but often the party rivalry is so strong, the need to win becomes more important than the wish to be honest and reasonable and run a clean campaign.

It seems to me that the ridiculous partisan conflict we are subjected to has a lot to do with how the candidates act. Until the two major parties inveigh against negative statements, nothing is going to improve.

Gordon Russell, Clovis

'Throw the rascals out'

This is for independents and Republican conservatives, since by now moderates and liberals have already decided the Republicans in Congress must be voted out.

If the sacrifice of our young and dutiful soldiers (now almost 3,000 dead and more than 20,000 wounded), if a war has lasted longer than World War II, a war that's now broken our military to the point we cannot influence other nations' military ambitions, and a war that the Bush administration keeps changing its justification for are not reason enough, then consider that Iraq is costing $7 billion a month, which is being passed on to future generations.

My father-in-law told me years ago to "throw the rascals out." By that he meant that if politicians of any party don't do what is right, replace them with the other party. As he said, when politicians realize that every two or six years they will be replaced if they are not better than those they replaced, they will learn quickly. If he were alive today, he would be throwing the rascal Republicans out.

Alan Yengoyan, Fresno

'Critical campaign'

This is a critical campaign for the Board of Trustees of the Fresno Unified School District. Our district was nearly destroyed by the lack of competent board leadership and single interest influence.

There is no disputing that earlier boards bear the responsibility for the financial and academic shambles of the district. They comprised union-supported members who represented their single interests at the expense of our kids. Four years ago a handful of people stepped up to turn the tide and they have.