Editor:

For those hesitant to vote in the recall election, let me point out the Republicans in Texas' blueprint for governance ("Do You Recall?" Aug. 26). It very well may be repeated here should they prevail. Taking a cue from the Red Chinese government, their strategy is to enable ordinary citizens to "snitch" on their neighbors with financial incentives to do so for perceived offenses against the state.

So yeah, sit out the recall. Big deal, maybe that nosy neighbor makes a clandestine phone call alerting the authorities. You get a knock on the door and summons to court for a lawsuit against you for $10,000 or more. Taking those personal freedoms away pales in comparison to being required to wear a mask. Oh, excuse me. That guy down the street that resented my vocal support for the Eureka High School Improvement Bond seems to have made a call to an ambulance chasing attorney, and someone is at my door. I wonder what they want ...

John Dillon, Eureka

Editor:

Recall Ballots have appeared in our mailboxes. This ridiculous recall is an undemocratic effort to replace a Democratic governor (who clearly won in a fair and open regular election) with a long list of unqualified and dangerous candidates.

California is currently in the midst of a healthcare crisis, raging wildfires, and a record-breaking drought. Gov. Newsom, the democratically elected leader of our state, has done an excellent job steering us through these tough times and keeping our economy stable (fifth largest in world!). The Republican party seems to be maintaining a laser focus on making everything worse. Among the long list of conspiracy clowns on the ballot is right-wing radio talk show host Larry Elder, who casts doubt on climate change and pledges to repeal all COVID mask mandates; he is a threat to the public health.

Although out-of-state RNC money paid for collecting recall signatures, the California Department of Finance estimates the cost of this farce to California taxpayers will be $276 million. It appears that our situation is like being in a lifeboat that most of us are desperately trying to row through a frightening storm, while a lunatic on board tries to punch a hole in the bottom of our boat.

Vote no on the recall! Mail in your ballot well before the due date of Tuesday, Sept. 14.

Lesley Ester, Eureka

Editor:

Regardless of the outcome of California's current gubernatorial recall election, the state of California's recall provision needs to be reformed immediately after Election Day, Sept. 14th. And here's why: Any completely unqualified attention seeker with $4,000 for the candidate's filing fee can be the largest state in the union's next governor, so long as they survive the Battle Royale runoff where dozens of depressingly dimwitted dolts compete to be California's last political comic standing.

No need for a democratic majority of the vote, if you're one of this year's 46 ridiculous replacement candidates. After all, Hollywood action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger only received 48.6 percent of the vote when he replaced Gov. Gray Davis after the successful recall vote in 2003.

Now in 2021, if California's current Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is recalled, his Republican replacement will take over with at best half of Schwarzenegger's percentage of the vote. Gov. Larry Elder? Yeah, I don't think so.

For California's sake, we must change the recall law to ensure that this is the final curtain call for the crazy clown car of recall candidates circus that has made a silly situation stupid! (And we Californians are paying $276,000,000 for this malarkey?!)

In addition to eliminating the clown car of recall candidates, the recall provision should be reformed so that if a future governor is recalled by the voters, the sitting lieutenant governor becomes the state's next governor.

Jake Pickering, Arcata