Milken, Minkow

The front page (March 30) is beginning to look like the financial section, with long articles on Michael Milken’s stock dealings and Barry Minkow’s ZZZZ Best. They should write a book, “How to Steal Millions Without Ever Carrying a Gun.” It is quite depressing to read about how these men assiduously broke the rules in order to get rich. We have always taken a rather benign attitude towards white-collar crime; after all, these boys aren’t violent.

If I had a choice though, I think I would choose the quick horror of a straight-forward robbery to the long-term debilitating effects of these financial thefts. People like Milken and Minkow do more damage to this nation than a thousand street criminals. For myself, maybe I should put my money that I took out of my local savings and loan into gold coins and hide them in the mattress.

CLEMENT SALVADORI

Laguna Beach