Business vs. public service

Re “Lawmakers’ outside jobs raise questions,” Nov. 28

Reading your article, I was struck by one revealing aspect: There were twice as many Republican members of the state Senate and the Assembly with outside business involvement as there were Democrats, despite the fact that both bodies currently have Democratic majorities. This tells me what I have long suspected: The same breathtaking hypocrisy among the Republicans that we saw at the national level for the last eight years extends to their view of the state Legislature as a tool only to advance their business interests and line their own pockets.

Robert Helfman

Los Angeles

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I see that the law firm of Assemblyman Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) was paid $321,000 to work for the Los Angeles Unified School District, and he voted to give the district $267 million in state money.

Because he pushes the 710 Freeway tunnel so hard, one wonders what his law firm gets from tunnel contractors.

Marie David

Pasadena