Letters: Democrats must hash out viable candidates for governor

"The Democratic candidates for governor must be ignorant of California's election rules: Only the top two primary vote-getters will be on the November ballot. All Democratic candidates should thrash out who is the best candidate, otherwise it is possible that no Democrat will be on the November ballot. And the November ballot will have a huge conservative turnout because of the constitutional initiative circulating to suppress the vote of low-income/minority/youth/women voters by requiring unnecessary certified, documented proof of citizenship in order to vote, ending online voter registration. Stop and think, Betty Yee, Xavier Becerra, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Eric Swalwell: What if there were no Democrats on the November ballot because of your egotism? Idiocy."

"In explaining California students' weak performance on national assessments, Jill Stegman points to poverty and English-language learners. These are real challenges - but they are obstacles, not barriers. Barriers are things that are impenetrable, while obstacles can be overcome. Many charter schools prove it every day. Success Academy students, for example, significantly outperform traditional public school peers in New York City despite serving similar proportions of Black, Hispanic and low-income families."

Democratic gubernatorial candidates risk eliminating Democratic representation on the November ballot if they split primary votes under California's top-two system. Coordinated selection of a single viable Democratic candidate is necessary to avoid a November ballot with only conservative contenders and high conservative turnout driven by a citizenship-proof voting initiative. California students' low national assessment scores stem partly from poverty and English-language learning, but these conditions are obstacles that can be overcome. Charter schools such as Success Academy demonstrate strong outcomes with focused instruction, structured classrooms, high expectations and frequent assessments. California schools should adopt proven practices rather than citing funding or housing as sole causes.

Read at The Mercury News