Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa

So new Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa spent $8,000 of taxpayer funds to throw himself an "inauguration" party complete with burritos and tacos on the menu (Feb. 27)? Mr. Speaker, sorry I couldn't attend. Where's my doggy bag? ALAN W. GAFFORD Torrance

In "Alatorre Looks Forward to End of House Detention" (May 27), I was shocked to read about L.A. Councilman Nick Pacheco's successful bid to have former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa's home removed from his council district. The purpose was to keep Villaraigosa from running against him in a possible future City Council race. If this is true, I think it is outrageous. This power-hungry Pacheco also has been trying to get himself a piece of Councilwoman Jan Perry's downtown district.

I was horrified to read that Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa says education reforms may mean tax hikes (Feb. 24). The Democrats have wasted no time in going after our money. Hold on to your wallets. If Gov. Gray Davis signs any tax increases, he will surely be a one-term governor. No one is interested in a tax increase for schools that are dysfunctional, but the real problem is that there is no accountability. LISA WINKEL Westwood

What a difficult time for us Los Angeles voters. Here are two candidates whom we admire for myriad reasons. Those of us not concerned with ethnicity have an even a tougher time. Why can't we have both? A coalition! A true twosome who could work together to make this beautiful city live up to its lovely name. Both candidates bring great qualifications to the office they are seeking. City Atty. James K. Hahn has lots of experience in city government, and former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa has lots of experience in state government.

I was very pleased to see the Aug. 5 cartoon by Michael Ramirez. Not all Hispanics are milking the taxpayer as Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa is. We can see Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo praying for the people of his country coming to ours; it saves money, Mexico spends little on welfare and it allows those poor Mexicans to send money from our country to Mexico. If America had a fence over which the Mexicans could not cross, they would revolt and overthrow the Zedillos of Mexico.

In "Alatorre Looks Forward to End of House Detention" (May 27), I was shocked to read about L.A. Councilman Nick Pacheco's successful bid to have former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa's home removed from his council district. The purpose was to keep Villaraigosa from running against him in a possible future City Council race. If this is true, I think it is outrageous. This power-hungry Pacheco also has been trying to get himself a piece of Councilwoman Jan Perry's downtown district.

The Times' Oct. 27 editorial, "Taxes: a State of Confusion," accurately describes our illogical, confusing system for collecting and allocating tax revenues, but failed to consider the poor taxpayers' point of view. For example, how can I know whether to vote for Tuesday's Irvine school fund measure when I do not know if other funds will be diverted the moment the revenues start pouring in? In one or two years it will be time for another school mesure or we'll again face draconian program cuts.

What a difficult time for us Los Angeles voters. Here are two candidates whom we admire for myriad reasons. Those of us not concerned with ethnicity have an even a tougher time. Why can't we have both? A coalition! A true twosome who could work together to make this beautiful city live up to its lovely name. Both candidates bring great qualifications to the office they are seeking. City Atty. James K. Hahn has lots of experience in city government, and former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa has lots of experience in state government.

Re "Zedillo Key to End of Prop. 187, Villaraigosa Says," Aug. 4: What am I missing here? Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa thanks Mexico's President Ernesto Zedillo for helping kill Proposition 187, which denied benefits to Mexicans who broke our laws to live in California illegally. This measure was passed in 1994 by 60% of California's voters. Real citizens. We know who Zedillo works for. But who does Villaraigosa work for? Certainly not the bona fide residents of California who pay his salary.

Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa has a problem: He wants to run for mayor of Los Angeles, but he can't run and also do his job as speaker. Yet he needs the power and the prestige of the speaker's office to run for mayor. It's a Catch-22. Sure, the mayoral election is not until the spring of 2001. And Villaraigosa should have plenty of time to spare then, because he'll be termed out of the Assembly at the end of 2000. But the race actually will begin long before that.

The Times' Oct. 27 editorial, "Taxes: a State of Confusion," accurately describes our illogical, confusing system for collecting and allocating tax revenues, but failed to consider the poor taxpayers' point of view. For example, how can I know whether to vote for Tuesday's Irvine school fund measure when I do not know if other funds will be diverted the moment the revenues start pouring in? In one or two years it will be time for another school mesure or we'll again face draconian program cuts.

Antonio Villaraigosa, the powerful and personable speaker of the state Assembly, announced Saturday that he is launching his campaign for mayor of Los Angeles, a move that brings new dynamism to an already large and growing field of candidates. "I'm running," he said simply in an interview Saturday afternoon. "I've decided that after a year of speculation and, more importantly, introspection on my part, I should run for mayor." Villaraigosa said he believes his track record as a coalition builder combined with his passionate idealism make him the right candidate to guide Los Angeles into the new century.

As the legislative session entered the home stretch earlier this month, Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa awakened about 5 a.m. for a hurried flight home to Los Angeles to speak to the Latin Business Assn. Then Villaraigosa immediately headed back to the capital, where he arrived in the Assembly in time to cast the decisive vote on a controversial measure recognizing domestic partners for limited benefits.

I was very pleased to see the Aug. 5 cartoon by Michael Ramirez. Not all Hispanics are milking the taxpayer as Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa is. We can see Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo praying for the people of his country coming to ours; it saves money, Mexico spends little on welfare and it allows those poor Mexicans to send money from our country to Mexico. If America had a fence over which the Mexicans could not cross, they would revolt and overthrow the Zedillos of Mexico.

Re "Zedillo Key to End of Prop. 187, Villaraigosa Says," Aug. 4: What am I missing here? Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa thanks Mexico's President Ernesto Zedillo for helping kill Proposition 187, which denied benefits to Mexicans who broke our laws to live in California illegally. This measure was passed in 1994 by 60% of California's voters. Real citizens. We know who Zedillo works for. But who does Villaraigosa work for? Certainly not the bona fide residents of California who pay his salary.

I was horrified to read that Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa says education reforms may mean tax hikes (Feb. 24). The Democrats have wasted no time in going after our money. Hold on to your wallets. If Gov. Gray Davis signs any tax increases, he will surely be a one-term governor. No one is interested in a tax increase for schools that are dysfunctional, but the real problem is that there is no accountability. LISA WINKEL Westwood

As the legislative session entered the home stretch earlier this month, Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa awakened about 5 a.m. for a hurried flight home to Los Angeles to speak to the Latin Business Assn. Then Villaraigosa immediately headed back to the capital, where he arrived in the Assembly in time to cast the decisive vote on a controversial measure recognizing domestic partners for limited benefits.

Antonio Villaraigosa, the powerful and personable speaker of the state Assembly, announced Saturday that he is launching his campaign for mayor of Los Angeles, a move that brings new dynamism to an already large and growing field of candidates. "I'm running," he said simply in an interview Saturday afternoon. "I've decided that after a year of speculation and, more importantly, introspection on my part, I should run for mayor." Villaraigosa said he believes his track record as a coalition builder combined with his passionate idealism make him the right candidate to guide Los Angeles into the new century.

Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa has a problem: He wants to run for mayor of Los Angeles, but he can't run and also do his job as speaker. Yet he needs the power and the prestige of the speaker's office to run for mayor. It's a Catch-22. Sure, the mayoral election is not until the spring of 2001. And Villaraigosa should have plenty of time to spare then, because he'll be termed out of the Assembly at the end of 2000. But the race actually will begin long before that.

So new Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa spent $8,000 of taxpayer funds to throw himself an "inauguration" party complete with burritos and tacos on the menu (Feb. 27)? Mr. Speaker, sorry I couldn't attend. Where's my doggy bag? ALAN W. GAFFORD Torrance