Alan Lowenthal

I have dealt with many congressmen. He is the worst one of all. He is terrible at responding to letters, his staff gets defensive when you press them for a response. He is powerless and very opinionated.

I actually have thought of running against him because the Long Beach area deserves a more accountable and “representative” representative. Out of respect for the people he needs to step down.

Mike Vasilomanolakis

In your Beachcombing editorial on Jan. 3, you make a statement with which I simply must take issue. In reference to the subject of politicians soliciting bribes you write: “...the gentleman said he had a discussion with Congressman Alan Lowenthal about a specific problem that could be resolved through federal legislation. But that, he claimed, could only be resolved after a campaign contribution was made.”

I have been a personal friend and financial supporter of Lowenthal since the moment he decided to run for City Council to begin his career as an elected official. Because my long-term personal friendship with Alan has allowed me to take full measure of Alan’s personhood – that of an honest, hard-working and approachable man – I am simply unable to believe your allegation.

It is based on hearsay, as well as lacking in clarity which, – ironically – remains unspecified. Needless to say, I am unconvinced that anything unseemly actually occurred in that conversation. There may even have been a spoof going on that was unrecognized by “the gentleman.”

Alan Lowenthal is a good person and a good politician, no matter which party he belongs to. I think an apology might be in order.

Rev. Dale Whitney

Lowenthal is a non-player. He is the typical do little or nothing, free-ride-on-the-backs-of-taxpayers politician – in my opinion.

He occasionally produces the most ridiculous editorials in the other Long Beach paper. In the last screed they printed, he actually said he was proud of LB City Hall for not producing any results with regard to homelessness after spending millions and millions of taxpayer dollars. He was only congratulating them for trying.

Prior to that he went on and on about ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge), which is a vast wasteland of snow, mud and ice he’s probably never been to. He called it “pristine,” a description he borrowed from the 1980s. The last time I heard that, I was at a Grateful Dead concert. Maybe we’ll get a lecture from him on the Vietnam War? Can’t wait.

This guy publicly wrote about and tried to convince people how great Obamacare was, even though 65% of Americans hated it! Of course, he didn’t switch his insurance to it. He votes with Nancy Pelosi (of course) who polls unfavorably at 38% including 72% of Democrats according to Gallup. Who does he represent?

Elitists who want to tell you how to live and what to do, then don’t include themselves are hypocrites. We need change in congressional representation, and it doesn’t even matter what party. We can do better.

Robert Van der Upwich