SEC needs to take crooks to cleaners

To the Securities and Exchange Commission: Great, you’ve indicted hundreds of crooks like Matthew Tannin and Ralph Cioffi from Bear Stearns. (“1st Wall Street indictments,” June 20.)

But all you impose is ridiculous, puny fines -- pocket change to those crooks. I say, give all their company and personal assets -- every penny, paper clip, pot and pan -- to the people they screwed. Let the crooks start over from homelessness.

J. Andrew Smith

Bloomfield, N.J.

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It is good that these crooks are being brought to justice. The feds then need to go after the oil speculators. Greed is out of control in this country. The Bush administration should be commended for this fine work.

Robert Price

Walnut