Meg Whitman’s record-breaking spending in her campaign for governor; solar panels and the White House; sports injuries

It’s her money to spend

Re “Record set in gov.’s race,” Sept. 16

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg “bought” his election, spending “$109 million on his 2009 reelection bid.” He is so successful that two years ago he persuaded the City Council to change its term-limits rules.

Yet Meg Whitman is criticized for “self-funding” her campaign.

Both of these people are putting their money where their mouths are. They owe no one, and can take the credit or the blame for what happens.

Career politicians must answer to their donors to get elected and stay in office.

California is in crisis. We should consider giving businesspeople a chance to change its direction.

Alice Hansen

Los Gatos

Whitman’s spending of $119 million gives meaning to the expression: “A fool and his (or her) money are soon parted.”

Because politics has become the latest playground of the super-rich, why don’t we just skip the election altogether (think of the savings here) and rent the governor’s office to the nice lady for the next four years? Say for about $150million.

Then she can pretend to run things, although with our Legislature, nothing will be accomplished (nothing new there). But at least the $150 million could be used to reduce the state’s budget deficit, which means that some of us would get some benefit from the circus being played out nightly on television.

Ed Hieshetter

San Diego

In your article, Whitman is reported to have spent $119 million of her own money on her campaign — setting a record. The job she is hoping to win in November pays $206,500.

What economist would see this as a sound investment?

We are left with big questions about how she would justify an outlay of funds of this size.

Or is she a really poor businesswoman?

Lucy Thomas

Santa Barbara

What is Jerry Brown doing filing a lawsuit against eight city of Bell officials?

Yes, somebody needs to file a suit, but Brown?

Clearly, this is an opportunistic way to score some political points by hopping on board with the political furor that has been unleashed against Bell’s abusive municipal government.

Stan Parker

Malibu

Hot about solar panels

Re “Put up those panels, Mr. President,” Opinion, Sept. 16

What a missed opportunity.

Several young, committed environmentalists travel to the White House to discuss solar panels, only to be met by a couple of self-important, clueless bureaucrats.

The young people should have been ushered into the Oval Office for a meeting with the president and a photo that would have been picked up by newspapers across the country.

They even had a legitimate prop with them — a solar panel that was formerly installed on the White House roof.

Who exactly advises President Obama on these matters?

The officials come across as a bunch of incompetents. Are they overworked, their heads swollen by “access,” or just untaught?

This was a no-brainer, particularly as the president — who needs all the positive press he can get — has presented himself as a strong supporter of environmental change.

Mr. President, fire those assistants! Hire real pros. You really need better than you are getting.

Anthony Harris

South Pasadena

Long before Jimmy Carter became president, I was showering in solar-heated water.

That was in 1965, while a member of the Green Team — the U.S. Army, that is. Hot water was scarce in our little corner of South Vietnam’s jungle. So we cut off the tops of 55-gallon oil drums, scrubbed them out with river sand, painted them black and surrounded them with a circle of plywood covered with aluminum foil. That went atop a makeshift shower stall: Voila, enough hot water for half the section to shower daily.

Obama worries that the profiteering reactionaries who call themselves Republicans these days will seize on a solar panel as another opportunity to spread outrageous lies. I say they already miss no opportunity to spread lies, so why stop with a solar panel?

Cover the roof with state-of-the-art photovoltaics. Put up a small wind farm. Replace most White House cars with hybrids and electrics.

Walk the walk, Mr. President. We’re ready to walk with you.

Marvin J. Wolf

Mar Vista Heights

Tax cut strategy

Re “The politics of tax cuts,” Editorial, Sept. 15

I urge the Democrats to agree among themselves on the tax bill they would like to pass for the middle class, compromising if necessary to achieve agreement on the upper-limit cutoff of the tax reduction.

Then, try to pass the bill, and if the Senate Republicans refuse to vote for cloture, make them physically carry out a filibuster. Keep the Senate in session and make the Republicans keep talking right up to election day, if they wish.

By that time the American people would be so sick of hearing Republicans filibuster on behalf of the rich that they would be glad to keep Democrats in office.

And if the Republicans choose to leave to campaign for the election, have the Democrats stay behind and pass a tax bill for the middle class.

This approach, coupled with the inevitable endless news reports, would be the cheapest and most successful campaign that the Democrats could run.

Leroy Miller

West Hills

The single consensus among the Democrats and Republicans when it comes to the economy is that we are not creating enough jobs. In his stump speeches for tax cut policy, Obama insists that the economy cannot afford tax cuts for the wealthy.

Unless you view tax cuts in a vacuum, the only way tax cuts will help create jobs is if those who keep more of their income finance the hiring of additional employees.

My question to Democrats and Republicans alike is this: Will the middle class or the wealthy create additional jobs with their tax savings?

Stephen Rahm

Whittier

The headline on your editorial, “The politics of tax cuts,” describes our tax system very well.

Our tax code is more of a political document than policies and procedures on collecting taxes from citizens. Tax laws are put in place by Congress to govern the behavior of taxpayers, and that is done intentionally to gather constituencies and power.

Our tax code is not a fair code. It divides people and creates an atmosphere of hostility and mistrust.

Your publication and other media regularly publish stories on animosity between the rich and poor. And it seems that the “rich” get the bad rap (they don’t pay their fair share).

What nonsense that is. So, until Congress gathers the courage to replace our current tax code with one that is simple and fair, we will continue to have these political fights about who should pay.

Clarence Dixon

Los Angeles

Make sports safer for all

Re “Sports and the brain, “ Editorial, Sept. 17

I would like to commend The Times for this editorial.

Perhaps competitive sports organizers, parents, school officials and particularly coaches will pay more attention to the prevention of sports injuries rather than focus on “victory at all cost.”

Sad to say, however, experience tells me that unless some really tragic incident happens, nothing much is going to be done.

The above-mentioned people put more emphasis on winning than just simply playing the game, particularly at the younger age levels.

But then again, that is the American culture in sports.

As a dentist with knowledge of sports injuries, before the high school football season started this year, I wrote a local high school coach offering free mouth guards for his “first team” on offense and defense. Sadly, he never even replied.

Ed de la Vega

Canoga Park