The campaign to clean up politics

Re “Dump the donors,” Opinion, March 20

Jamie Court has it right. The people want elections without lobbyists and big-donor money setting the pace and determining who will come out ahead. Supporting the Clean Money Elections initiative is the way to go. We are sick of politics as usual; we want the citizens in this state to be represented, and we are tired of only wealthy people being able to run for higher office.

BARBARA FARREN

Palos Verdes

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Re “I hate the Ethics Commission,” Opinion, March 19

I was moved by Bill Boyarsky’s statement, “Big money dominates politics, and we can’t do much about it.” But the truth is, we can. With so many good causes, from healthcare to the environment, our energy as politically active individuals is being dispersed and diluted. Instead of running around putting out one small fire after another, we could elect politicians whom we trust to represent their constituents rather than being beholden to big corporate money, which has sadly become a necessity to run a campaign.

Campaign finance reform is the answer: the core issue that could address all other issues being undermined by the way “big money dominates politics.” This isn’t just in theory. Maine, Arizona and Connecticut have passed clean-money election laws, and AB 583 is in the state Senate. If we make our voices heard, it could actually pass and address some of Boyarsky’s disillusioned yet valiant hopes for government.

VEANEY MCIRVIN

Santa Monica

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The Ethics Commission never considers that perhaps it has the wrong approach -- perhaps trying to quell 1st Amendment rights results in pushing the system underground. Instead of working so hard to stop people from doing things, the commission should focus on shining light on what is being done. Instead of focusing on lobbyists, who by the commission’s own statistics account for only 6% to 11% of all contributions, it should focus on overhauling the whole system, including lobbyists who through loopholes are not registered and independent-expenditure political campaigns that duck the rules. Perhaps we could all love an Ethics Commission that was willing to see the forest through the trees.

STEVEN AFRIAT

Sherman Oaks

Afriat is a lobbyist.