Presidential Decisions and Campaign Reform

* Two Feb. 11 articles, “Bush’s Ties to Enron Chief Attract Growing Scrutiny” and “Drug Kingpin’s Release Adds to Clemency Uproar,” are further evidence of our broken democracy. We need to get big money out of politics. Does anyone believe that Bill Clinton’s clemency decision was not affected by political donations? President Bush received over $500,000 from Enron’s chief plus flew on Enron jets. Bush turns a deaf ear to California’s energy woes but lobbied Pennsylvania Gov. Thomas J. Ridge [in 1997] on Enron’s behalf. Enron made almost $1 billion in the last quarter of 2000, while America suffers from higher energy costs. Instead of pushing conservation and alternative energy to break the fossil-fuel industry chokehold, Bush, with his oil industry ties, wants to drill in sensitive environmental locales. This will not lessen energy costs but will destroy our environment and health while continuing to line the pockets of Bush donors.

The needs of the American people will not be served and nothing will change until we have campaign finance reform, eliminating the ties between political “donations” and political action.

JAMES F. MONTGOMERY

Redondo Beach

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Re “L.A. Politicians Urged Pardon of Cocaine Dealer,” Feb. 12: Nothing in the news should shock the reader more than the announcement of the influence of our elected officials being used to free a convicted drug dealer. We assume that this influence was sold. Few of us bother to be disgusted by their dishonest influence peddling.

Surely, no one believes this man is reformed when all it takes is Daddy’s money to free him. Are these people really the best we can find to hold office in Los Angeles? Is there no way to remove these people from the public payroll?

Is the fabric of the citizens of Los Angeles so frayed and torn that we accept these people as leaders for our children to see as an example of how it is done?

MARION D. MESSER

San Pedro

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Clinton is criticized for pardoning Marc Rich, who was accused of conspiracy in connection with illegal sales of oil to Iran. Ronald Reagan conspired to illegally sell arms to Iran and he was never even indicted. Of course, Republican lawbreakers always get off easy.

KEN LANXNER

San Clemente

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The major legacy from Clinton is the dung heap he left us. This latest revelation of his granting 47 pardons without Justice Department review and of the files supporting his actions being missing or nonexistent (Feb. 8) is just another example of his abuse of the presidency and his disregard for the people of this country.

JERRY G. EICHER

Northridge