Iacocca, Hodel and Conrad

I see no difference in the political philosophies of Lee Iacocca and the Reagan Administration puppet master who programs Secretary of the Interior Donald Hodel. There may be a competitive group of corporate cronies involved, but they both define free enterprise as their right to make free with the public purse.

Iacocca sees that right in terms of the bail-out of a private commercial entity. Hodel sees that right in terms of the bypass of a public entity, the National Park Service.

I think their trivial disputes take up too much space in your pages. The real issue was posed by Conrad long ago, where he drew a map of the United States and its territories, with each state marked with a sign: For Lease. Nowadays, this should be updated to read: For Sale.

The Reagan Administration is selling off our national treasury like an improvident nouveau-riche heir. After Conrail, the Bonneville Dam. Now we learn that Ellis Island is also in the portfolio.

Please invite Conrad to do a new geographical cartoon, in his own inimitable style. If these two sets of pickpockets had not fallen out, we’d never have learned what’s going on. Even now, we don’t really know, because reporters are kind to the big takers.

NANCY GOLDHABER

Santa Monica