The Angels
As an L.A. County resident, I too am bewildered why Angels management has this fond attachment with the L.A. name.
Just two years ago, did not 40% of L.A. city residents support creating a new municipality north of Mulholland Drive? They spent millions to detach from their L.A. identity for a more genteel name such as “Valley City.”
These never-ending rumors regarding the proposed Angels name change remind me of Coca-Cola’s infamous 1985 marketing blunder with “New Coke.” Don’t destroy the brand equity you have built during the past two years!
Archie Brown
Long Beach
Arnold
Just over a year ago, I, along with thousands of other Orange County, national and international well-wishers, attended Arnold Schwarzenegger’s swearing-in ceremony as California’s 38th governor.
If truth be told, I wasn’t exactly invited to the official festivities like Arnold’s in-laws, old Hollywood buddies or new political cronies were. I was there hawking commemorative “Arnold’s the One!” T-shirts to the likes of Maria Shriver’s cousin, former First Daughter Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, actor Rob Lowe, Donald Bren, Henry Segerstrom and an army of other distinguished VIPs.
Politics aside, I was thrilled to mingle with red Republicans, white independents and blue Democrats on such an historic day.
I felt then, as I do now, Arnold was the right man at the right time for the right job. I’m not the only one. The Field Poll results keep coming back with the same numbers: 65% of California voters think the governor is doing a good job.
This isn’t to say he walks on water. When he assumed office a year ago, California had a massive budget deficit. Today, the state still has a budget crisis.
But whether he can fix the budget mess this year or next, one thing is clear: Arnold is a lot smarter than most people imagined. And besides being smart, the governor really is a skilled politician. He’s proved that time and again in his dealings with Democratic leaders.
Interestingly, it’s not just the Democrats Arnold has won over. Republicans and independents think so much of him there now is a movement afoot to amend the Constitution to help him run for president.
People all over the world are watching Arnold. His recent trip to Japan underscores not only his enormous popularity but his winning message: California is back.
It was a thrill for this Orange County Democrat to sell T-shirts during Arnold’s swearing-in ceremony. I’m ready to sell more now.
Denny Freidenrich
Laguna Beach
The Election
Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, along with thousands of small businesses throughout California, has urged legislators to fix the flaws in California’s unfair competition law for several years, only to be thwarted by the lobbying efforts of the personal injury lawyers.
Now, with the passage of Proposition 64, the people have spoken, and hopefully the Legislature will listen as we seek to fix other areas of our legal system that are plagued with abuse.
Maryann Maloney
Executive Director
Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse
Corona del Mar
Blue state Democrats are so angry at this election, many feel they want to secede from the union. Oh my! If they are successful, what will they do with all of us Republicans?
Rumor has it they will either deport us to Wyoming or fire up the Japanese internment camps in Northern California.
The place will be financed by Michael Moore and run by Commandant Bill Maher. For punishment, blaring repeatedly over the camp’s speakers: “People, people who need people …”
Barry M. Gold
Irvine
