Readers React: Gov. Brown’s sad legacy at the California Coastal Commission

To the editor: I am a longtime Democrat, and after reading once again about the inscrutable, sage Gov. Jerry Brown and the obvious manipulation of the Coastal Commission before it fired Executive Director Charles Lester in February, I don’t know whether to be outraged or just plain disheartened. (“Here’s why the Coastal Commission director’s ouster didn’t upset Jerry Brown,” April 14)

The excellent columns by Steve Lopez have already dismantled every half-truth and lie offered by those involved in the firing of the very knowledgeable and competent Lester. The statement by Brown’s spokeswoman that this event was “decided without any involvement from our office” leads me to believe the governor’s people must have stepped out of the office and into the hall, because it is just not believable in the least.

Perhaps having governors serve back-to-back terms is not a good idea; it seems to give them a little more time to exact payback upon those who would act for the public good.

Martin Wauson, Westminster

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To the editor: I’ve always been a fan of Brown and his work as governor, mayor of Oakland and radio commentator. But how can he say he didn’t like not being consulted on Lester’s hiring on the one hand, and say that this is an independent commission on the other?

And how can he say this after it looks as if he’s stacked the commission?

Barri Clark, Los Angeles

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