Gov. Wilson’s Payroll

* Re “Wilson’s Growing Payroll,” June 11, and “Wilson Campaigners Fill Many Top Jobs in Capitol,” June 12:

Gov. Pete Wilson has made political patronage a high art. On his climb up he has collected quite a gang of helpers. Wilson quit his Senate job to run for governor and put John Seymour in his Senate seat, but when Seymour lost the election, Wilson gave him a $100,000 consolation job.

Despite the recession and budget deficit, Wilson has increased his staff 20% with high salaries.

I am old enough to remember when California had the most honest and efficient state government and the best education system in the country.

Instead of schools and libraries, Wilson has made prisons the growth industry with his “three strikes” law. We need leaders who care about the people--promote job training, child care, gun control, and foremost, campaign finance reform--to keep these sleazy politicians who never had a real job out of the public trough!

MARIE SMITH

Cambria

* Your articles on how Wilson has supplanted civil service professionals with a “spoils system” have grave implications for the quality of our government. This is a setup for favoritism to those interests that contribute financially to the governor, as decisions are placed in the hands of political appointees whose allegiance is not to the public but to the perpetuation of a power base.

I believe that a review of actions by these appointees would disclose how much campaign contributors have benefited.

DAN SILVER

Los Angeles