Assemblywoman Doris Allen

The political legacy of the late Assemblywoman Doris Allen may be that she was a harbinger of "kitchen-table" politics emerging in conservative Orange County. This divisive figure left her mark on Sacramento, where she became the first female speaker of the Assembly and was embroiled in political intrigue and bitter warfare within the Republican Party.

The recall of Assemblywoman Doris Allen was not an "empty exercise" to the people she betrayed (Editorial, Dec. 21). Rather, The Times' continued editorial support of Allen seems to be an empty exercise. Why does The Times continue to champion Doris Allen after her own constituents have overwhelmingly rejected her? Why is The Times so piqued at a system that allows the electorate to decide these things? And if the Republicans--Assemblymen Curt Pringle of Garden Grove and Scott Baugh of Huntington Beach, and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of Huntington Beach--tried to use Democrat Laurie Campbell--in much the same way as the Democrats used Republican Doris Allen--let the Democrats decide whether or not they want her as a representative.

With great sadness I read of the death of former state Assemblywoman Doris Allen. I first met Doris when she ran against my friend and boss, state Assemblyman Chet Wray. After three attempts, she defeated Chet, and became a member of the Assembly. I often traveled to Sacramento to meet with legislators for my labor union. Doris was always gracious to me and members of my group, even though we had opposed her. We found her a real breath of fresh air, compared to the cavemen on the Republican side.

Despite the onslaught of the state GOP leadership, Assemblywoman Doris Allen has raised nearly $18,000 more than the Republican-backed group that is trying to recall her, according to campaign finance statements released Friday. The Committee to Re-Elect Doris Allen raised $238,421, while the group trying to oust her, the Committee to Recall Doris Allen, raised $220,613, campaign finance statements show.

Ross Johnson had the fifth-worst attendance record in the state Assembly (third worse among Republicans), and he is being recalled by voters in his own Assembly district. And now hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent to convince us to make him our new state senator. And shame on your newspaper for failing to remind Orange County voters of Mr. Johnson's behavior, work habits and miserable attendance and voting record. Supervisor (Marian) Bergeson is supporting Johnson, but perhaps it's time for her to rethink supporting him. If county staff were always absent, I doubt she would want to promote them.

I thought the "big lie" technique was gone with the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. Unfortunately, leftist UCI Professor Mark Petracca of (the former Peoples Republic of) Irvine still clings to the old socialist trick ("GOP Males Hinder Political Careers of Women Candidates," Letters, June 21). Petracca's big lie is that women are not in leadership in the Republican Party of Orange County. Petracca also says Orange County's GOP should elect more Republican women. With this one point, I agree!

A 33-year-old Democrat from Garden Grove announced Friday that he is challenging two-term Assemblywoman Doris Allen (R-Cypress) in the November, 1986, election for the 71st Assembly District. Attorney Mark S. Rosen, speaking at a press conference, contended that Allen has failed to address key problems in her district, including gang violence and improving the local climate for manufacturing.

For 13 arduous years, Assemblywoman Doris Allen has toiled mostly in the shadows in the Legislature. But these days, the Cypress Republican is emerging as a key player in continued wrangling between the GOP and Democrats over who will become the next Speaker of the Assembly. With a special election next week expected to give Republicans a slim majority of seats in the Assembly, Allen has become the unlikely first choice among many Democrats for the top post.

Former Assembly Speaker Doris Allen, targeted by her GOP colleagues for thwarting their drive to control the Legislature's lower house, was overwhelmingly recalled Tuesday by voters who replaced her with an ardent conservative backed by the Orange County Republican Party. Allen (R-Cypress), who in June became the Assembly's first woman Speaker but held the post only slightly more than three months, lost by nearly a 2-1 ratio. Turnout was about 25%.

When the state moved to tighten regulations on the growing practice of prospecting for gold nuggets by vacuuming the stream beds of Northern California, it was Assemblywoman Doris Allen to the rescue. Working hand-in-hand with her confidant, wildlife biologist and Sacramento business consultant Harold C. Cribbs, the Cypress Republican weighed in on the issue, backing the miners and challenging the procedures being used by the Department of Fish and Game to adopt the new regulations.

It's the sort of thing that could make even the most self-possessed politician bolt upright in the middle of the night, sweat on the brow. This just might be Curt Pringle's worst nightmare. The newly minted GOP leader of the state Assembly pushed as hard as anyone for the recall of maverick Assemblywoman Doris Allen, a Cypress Republican who angered party brethren up and down the state by striking a deal with the Democrats last June to become Speaker of the Legislature's lower house.

Despite the onslaught of the state GOP leadership, Assemblywoman Doris Allen has raised nearly $18,000 more than the Republican-backed group that is trying to recall her, according to campaign finance statements released Friday. The Committee to Re-Elect Doris Allen raised $238,421, while the group trying to oust her, the Committee to Recall Doris Allen, raised $220,613, campaign finance statements show.

Despite Assemblywoman Doris Allen's claim that she left the speakership to concentrate on defeating the recall against her, Orange County political observers suggested Thursday that the Cypress Republican has lost significant ground in that effort in just the past week. Harsh predictions of Allen's electoral future were easy to come by Thursday, the day the secretary of state's office informed Gov. Pete Wilson that he must schedule an election because a sufficient number of voters in the 67th Assembly District had signed recall petitions.

For 13 arduous years, Assemblywoman Doris Allen has toiled mostly in the shadows in the Legislature. But these days, the Cypress Republican is emerging as a key player in continued wrangling between the GOP and Democrats over who will become the next Speaker of the Assembly. With a special election next week expected to give Republicans a slim majority of seats in the Assembly, Allen has become the unlikely first choice among many Democrats for the top post.

The recall of Assemblywoman Doris Allen was not an "empty exercise" to the people she betrayed (Editorial, Dec. 21). Rather, The Times' continued editorial support of Allen seems to be an empty exercise. Why does The Times continue to champion Doris Allen after her own constituents have overwhelmingly rejected her? Why is The Times so piqued at a system that allows the electorate to decide these things? And if the Republicans--Assemblymen Curt Pringle of Garden Grove and Scott Baugh of Huntington Beach, and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of Huntington Beach--tried to use Democrat Laurie Campbell--in much the same way as the Democrats used Republican Doris Allen--let the Democrats decide whether or not they want her as a representative.

Ross Johnson had the fifth-worst attendance record in the state Assembly (third worse among Republicans), and he is being recalled by voters in his own Assembly district. And now hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent to convince us to make him our new state senator. And shame on your newspaper for failing to remind Orange County voters of Mr. Johnson's behavior, work habits and miserable attendance and voting record. Supervisor (Marian) Bergeson is supporting Johnson, but perhaps it's time for her to rethink supporting him. If county staff were always absent, I doubt she would want to promote them.