Letters: Prop. 32 and special interests

Re “Prop. 32: A wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Column, Aug. 19

The next time Michael Hiltzik writes about how powerless unions are in California compared to corporations, I suggest that he check his paper’s front page. In the same edition of The Times that ran Hiltzik’s pro-union column, there was a front-page headline, “A Capitol force.”

Were Hiltzik to read the article, he would discover that contrary to being powerless, the state of California and its Democratic-majority Legislature are largely controlled by very powerful unelected forces, namely select public employee unions like the California Teachers Assn.

Richard Ronald Wood

Vista

I wish every voter could read Hiltzik’s column on Proposition 32, misrepresented by its proponents as an effort to stop special interests. If voters could get such an informed analysis of all propositions, California would be in a lot better condition.

I would like to add to Hiltzik’s analysis that Proposition 32 is unnecessary because union members already have the ability to opt out of political contributions. What we need instead is an initiative allowing shareholders to opt out of supporting the political activities of the corporations in which they hold stock.

Lloyd Dent

Studio City

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