GOP Is Out to Lunch on ‘News’ Videos

Re “ ‘News’ Video Extols Gov.’s Plan,” Feb. 28: Last year, the Bush administration took a lot of heat from Congress when it produced videos that looked like news reports but were just political propaganda extolling the supposed virtues of Bush-backed Medicare reform. Apparently learning nothing from that experience, the Schwarzenegger administration followed suit with faux “news” videos extolling the regressive Republican effort to deny most hourly workers a guaranteed lunch break. This alone would be appalling, but, shamefully, the video contained a representative of Mimi’s Cafe -- a company that is a defendant in class-action litigation under the current regulations -- all but putting on the company’s case at taxpayer expense, and with no disclosure of the company’s direct financial interest in a change in the rules.

Every elected official has a right to use the bully pulpit to promote his agenda. However, government-sponsored propaganda packaged to look like news crosses the line. I hope that this time, The Times and other responsible news organizations will use their editorial pages to blast this reprehensible practice before it becomes a regular part of the Republican arsenal.

Donald DeLuccio

West Hollywood

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So hourly workers may not need a lunch break? Someone please pinch me -- is it 2005 or 1905?

Barbara Shapiro

Huntington Beach