Diesel Pollution

Re “Air Board Delays Vote on Hazards of Diesel Fumes,” July 31:

A year or so ago, industry was ludicrously trying to claim that everybody’s backyard barbecues, and not mega-industry, were the big cause of diesel-type particle pollution. Industry is still stalling on diesel engine cleanup. So why doesn’t some politician now finally call for meaningful mega-fines for these corporations’ now-proven-false PR? How about, too, some health or environmental cost penalties for the overly delayed implementation of these reforms? Maybe these suggestions would help get these companies to quit wasting money on delay tactics, PR and cash politics and put their investments into productive and health-enhancing research instead.

Getting politicians to honestly start representing people and their needs will never happen without a campaign finance system that’ll first get the corporate cash out of politician’s hands. Until then, we won’t have democracy, just more corporate-bought hypocrisy.

DAVID BUSCH

Santa Monica