DAVIS NEEDS MORE BEEF IN HIS PROMISES

Editor -- Regarding your editorial dated January 3, I became very upset at
your ``Promises to Keep'' for Gray Davis and how shallow some of them were.

Ensuring ``that every child to read by third grade?'' Why not ensure that
every child read at their grade level at the end of all grades up to
through 12th grade? Perhaps your suggestion is why we get ninth graders who
can't read past third- and fourth-grade levels.

Why should high schools pay for remedial instruction for their graduates?
If the elementary schools had 20 to 25 students in all academic classes up
through the eighth grade, and the homes encouraged their children and
backed the schools, students would have a better attitude toward learning
by the time they got to high school and would not need remedial classes.

Ideally, no high school should have over 1,000 students in order to create
a safe and positive learning environment. Perhaps Mr. Davis should work
toward this.

Concerning prisons -- why doesn't the state use those abandoned military
bases as drug rehab centers? Aren't most of our criminals involved with
drugs? Why don't we work toward solving the problem and reason they got in
trouble in the first place?

``Counseling for juvenile drug dealers?'' How about education and jobs for
juveniles who probably dropped out to sell drugs. They need to feel better
about themselves. Education and jobs certainly help.

GERRY GREEN

Chowchilla

HALLINAN'S FAILURES

Editor -- All of the recent news about Terence Hallinan's mistakes, which
led to a mistrial being declared and the unprecedented recusal of the
district attorney's office in the Cuong Tran murder trial, have
overshadowed the real problem with Hallinan's administration. Namely, the
fact that he has abandoned the progressive voters who elected him to office.

Hallinan continues to prosecute kids who sell $5 and $10 worth of marijuana
as felonies, is actively pursuing the death penalty in a number of cases,
and has not prosecuted a single police brutality case in the three years he
has been in office. Scrutiny of the district attorney's office should
continue so that voters can see the extent to which Hallinan has failed to
carry out his promises.

MATT GONZALEZ

Deputy Public Defender San Francisco