Corruption in Sacramento

* In response to “Votes for Sale: How It’s Done in Sacramento,” by Michael Twombly, Column Left, June 10:

Another political corruption column. While I honor The Times for its tenacity and constancy in presenting yet another “votes for sale” commentary, please be advised that I and many of my friends are in outrage burnout. What we need is not more shock but somewhere to go with our outrage.

It is most disempowering when a commentary ends as this one does with a directionless call to action, “The selling of public policy must stop.” It’s time to stop cursing the darkness and light a candle. Encourage people to channel their outrage into organizations such as California Common Cause, which are working to change our corrupt campaign financing system.

DALE O’NEAL

Laguna Beach

* According to Twombly, as a result of Proposition 13 and tax breaks to business and other tax breaks since 1978, California has been losing $30 billion a year! That’s a tidy sum, especially when you add to it the loss in federal funds as a result of the drastic cuts in taxes to corporations and the wealthy during the Reagan years.

How shameful. Yes, the county wouldn’t be making the horrible threat of closing hospitals and clinics if big business and the wealthy were contributing their fair share--and maybe our legislators would be serving the people instead of their financial benefactors.

SOL LONDE

Northridge

* The column is a graphic example of the wrong narrow-mindedness of the political left. Twombly regards the production of the people of California as somehow automatically belonging to the government of California. It follows then (in this twisted reasoning) that anything left over, after taxes to business or individuals, is a “gift” from the government. This is a twisted mind-set, but there it is.

His whole article is about how “tax breaks” are a “giveaway” of government assets. His position is that letting people or businesses manage a little more of the benefits of their work is an unearned gift from the state government.

Of course he sees himself in a better light. The organizations he works for would never ask for a “tax break.” They are nonprofit, non-taxed, and mostly nonproducing.

I gag whenever I read such tripe.

He even goes on to assert that “state revenues are a bit on the low side.” His leftist mind twist causes him to see some truth in this--even though state revenues are at an all-time high.

IVOR BARTELL

Rancho Santa Margarita