Business Reform Meets Politics as Usual

Great juxtaposition in your July 31 edition. On the front page you have “Bush Signs Strict Business Reform Law,” with a picture of George W. & Co. celebrating the signing of corporate responsibility legislation. (We’ll get ‘em next time!) Then, on Page A15, you have “Torricelli Is ‘Severely Admonished’ ” for, in actuality, accepting bribes from a man (David Chang) convicted of illegally contributing to Sen. Robert Torricelli’s (D-N.J.) campaign. The only reason Torricelli was cleared by the U.S. attorney’s office is because Chang “could not be trusted.”

I hope Torricelli doesn’t lose too much sleep agonizing over “how [he] could have allowed such lapses of judgment.” If he can follow that line with “at no time did I accept any gifts,” then I’m sure he doesn’t have too much trouble sleeping at night. At least he will make amends for his transgression; he will pay Chang back for the big-screen TV. With interest!

Hey, next time someone robs a convenience store, maybe we should make that person pay back the store, with interest. Charge them, say, 19%. That will teach them. I am only curious about the mechanics of the deal. Did Torricelli skate because he is a senator, and senators take care of each other? Or is it because his party (Democrat) used its control to keep a lid on the damage, since it controls the Senate by a slim margin and can’t afford to risk his seat and lose control of the Senate to the Republicans?

The fix is in, folks. Is there any way for a person with an IQ above room temperature to be anything but cynical when it comes to our elected officials? We expect this group to clean up the corporate boardrooms--and they can’t clean up their own house.

Robert McKean

Newbury Park

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Torricelli apparently still does not believe he received gifts but has apologized to the full Senate for his “lapses of judgment” in taking them and has agreed to pay the donor the fair market value of these imaginary but unethical gifts. The last time I saw this level of contrition I was 6 years old and my mother promptly soaped my mouth out. Can we at least look forward to the Senate Ethics Committee following suit?

Lisalee Anne Wells

Long Beach