What ‘Crisis’ for Insurance?

Insurance companies are easily the most powerful force in America. This multibillion-dollar industry can afford to spend enormous sums to influence public opinion about subjects that may hinder even greater profits.

An example of what they have been able to do in one instance--the campaign against Supreme Court Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird--is appalling and frightening. They have apparently spent enough to persuade many citizens that Bird’s votes on various cases, usually complex criminal cases, somehow render her unfit to do her job as a judge. This is the crassest hypocrisy imaginable.

Because Bird has authored some decisions defending the rights of individuals over insurance companies, they see her as a threat to their huge profits, and are now trying to buy the opinion of Californians with a deceitful ruse. They financially hide behind and support the fanatical pro-death forces who so vocally oppose the chief justice, and let them carry the fight, on grounds they don’t care one bit about.

Conscientious Californians who happen to favor capital punishment should stop and consider whether they want to let themselves be tricked into protecting insurance companies. They don’t need protection. They have so much money they can spend it meddling with our free choice of electing our judges. And they can mount propaganda programs so forceful that even our President is giving consideration to their hysterical whining about alleged excessive jury verdicts. They omit to tell that the amount that goes back to pay claims is roughly one-eighth of what they take in.

ANTHONY WEISENSEE

Rancho Mirage