Is the San Francisco Chronicle trying to oppose the Davis recall election?

To the Editor:

The San Francisco Chronicle, which I freely admit is my favorite newspaper, is sometimes right on the beam in their editorials. However, today's offering, "Why recall rules don't make sense" is off the mark. Governor Gray Davis has yesterday presented a totally absurd argument to the California State Supreme Court that the present recall election rules violate his rights under the equal protection clause of the U. S. Constitution because his name is not allowed on the list of candidiates to replace him.

The Chronicle editorial asserts that the recall election law threshold requirements for become a candidiate are "absurdly low " and have led to "a freak show." These requirements may be low, but this is supposed to be a democracy, not a dollarocracy, where only the rich and/or corrupt candidiates can enter the electoral process.

I suppose that when compared to the usual rigged electoral system, that an open election may appear as "a freak show." I would choose to call it a breath of fresh air.

Yours truly,

James K. Sayre

5 August 2003