Defending Mayor Incites Lynching

* Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) has unfortunately illustrated his view of innocence by virtue of cronyism again with his defense of Huntington Beach Mayor Dave Garofalo (Letters, Aug. 6).

Rohrabacher attacks The Times for going after Garofalo, “implying wrongdoing but absent of any specific charge of lawbreaking.”

I guess conflict-of-interest laws are irrelevant, and selective memory loss on the part of Garofalo is OK. This just follows the growing list of local “Friends of Dana” who have been accused of wrongdoing, including Assemblyman Scott Baugh (R-Huntington Beach).

Rohrabacher notes that if Garofalo has done something illegal, he should be prosecuted. Otherwise, he should complete the term to which he was elected. Again, hypocrisy speaks volumes here.

One need only to look back at the recall of Assemblywoman Doris Allen to see it. Allen did nothing illegal, and therefore, should have been allowed to complete the term to which she was elected. But alas, the loudest of the town criers seeking her removal from office was Dana Rohrabacher.

Rohrabacher should do everyone a favor and focus on being a congressman.

STEVEN N. BRODY

Santa Ana

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Rohrabacher denounces The Times for “leading a liberal lynch mob again” in its coverage of the obvious ethical problems of his good friend Garofalo.

Perhaps Rohrabacher was out of the country when The Times recently exposed another Republican public servant who provided his constituents with this indefensible type of “all-consuming service” as he lined his own pockets: the now unfrocked Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush.

If not, Rohrabacher needs to answer his own question to The Times: “Have you no sense of decency?”

JUNE MAGUIRE

Mission Viejo

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It seems to me that the media, The Times included, have an obligation to report possible political conflicts of interest.

With Rohrabacher complaining about lynch mobs, I suspect Garofalo is a Republican. This must be the same lynch mob that has undone Chuck Quackenbush.

Apparently Rohrabacher feels there should be no questions of propriety concerning Republican officeholders.

R. WALSH

Anaheim Hills

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As a Huntington Beach resident, I appreciated Dana Parsons’ July 30 column regarding Garofalo.

I try to live each day with integrity, and I would hope that our public officials would do the same.

Sure, some people may be saying, “Hey, what’s the big deal? So he took advantage of a situation. Anyone else would have done the same thing.”

I am so tired of this irresponsible attitude. It’s time we hold each other accountable and be willing to fess up to our mistakes. Isn’t that what character is all about?

Garofalo should develop some character and be a role model.

SHERE’ MORALES

Huntington Beach