State Budget Impasse Ends

Would that The Times printed more stories about the all-too-cozy relationships between our elected officials and the high-paid, high-paying corporate lobbyists who are accountable to no one (“Legislative Year Ending in Flood of Fund-Raisers,” Aug. 28). If we really want to clean up government and elect politicians who will represent our concerns, we should forget about term limits and abolish PAC and special-interest campaign contributions instead. Term limits will not solve anything. We will just be electing PAC-sponsored legislators more often, rather than reelecting the same ones repeatedly.

Until campaigns are publicly financed, or at least until PAC and lobbyist funds are severely limited and restricted, we will not see real progress made on issues of health care, budget priorities, the environment, education, etc. Term limits might even make the situation worse since voters, falsely secure in believing government has been reformed, may abandon the already arduous task of holding our politicians accountable. Limit PACs, not terms.

JOHN DeVINCENT

Los Angeles