Mailbag: Bankruptcy disproves October editorial

More sad news on the front page of today’s edition, that the bankruptcy proceedings of the Galleria Galleria continue (“Mall owner gets new deadline,” March 6).

An editorial in October titled “Competition is the nature of business” stated that in “in the time these two behemoths have mutually existed, it’s become apparent that both (the Americana at Brand and Glendale Galleria) have driven traffic to each other. That’s a good thing.”

I wonder if the editors would revisit that thought. The logic is not apparent to me.

On my most recent patronage of a theater on Maryland Avenue (not at the Americana), the audience numbered a paltry 10 — on a Saturday!

I wondered, would that theater soon join the graveyard of vacant stores along the once “in” place to stroll and support businesses.

Is that a “good thing”?

JULIE KIRBY

Glendale

Go back to the original voting system

Regarding your lead editorial this past weekend, “Special elections put voters to the test,” one way to simplify things would be to go back to the old way of special elections.

There is one ballot, one election, and whoever has the most votes wins, and that is it — a free-for-all just like the Glendale municipal election.

STUART RAY

Glendale

Representative trying to kill the economy

Our country is at a cross-roads. Years of wars and poor decisions at banks and government agencies have resulted in huge federal budget deficits which now demand sound fiscal management to ensure the future security of our nation.

Yet over the past year, Rep. Adam Schiff has demonstrated, through four key votes, that he thinks even more reckless spending and even bigger government are in order. Schiff voted for the stimulus plan, a poorly conceived, $800-billion spending package full of earmarks for special interests.

Then he voted for a large tax increase via the so-called “cap and trade” bill, which would impose new taxes on every facet of our economy. Let’s not forget his vote for the federal budget, with its $1.3 trillion in deficit spending.

And finally, Schiff voted for the so-called health-care-reform plan, which does little to reduce health-care costs and instead creates another huge government spending obligation for generations to come.