Elizabeth Warren passed over to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Amazon vs. California on sales taxes

One that got away

Re “Obama should have fought for Warren on consumer agency,” Business, July 19

I agree with David Lazarus that Elizabeth Warren is the most qualified person to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. So I’m stunned that President Obama, who touts his support for consumers, would so quickly abandon his support for Warren.

Lazarus notes that Warren had “drawn fire from the financial services industry [and] its friends in the Republican Party.” But she occasionally makes her own boss, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, squirm, and some Democratic senators oppose her. By the way, I support Warren and I’m a Republican.

Instead of taking his case to the American people, Obama caved in to pressure from politicians and bankers. Had he put his trust in the American people, he might have been pleasantly surprised by the reaction.

David Tulanian

Los Angeles

It’s capitalism, not Amazon

Re “Amazon takes the low road,” Business, July 17

The job of Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos is the same as that of any CEO: to make a profit for the shareholders of his company by any legal and ethical means possible. It is debatable whether Bezos’ arguments against paying California sales tax are valid; it is not debatable whether Bezos has every right — indeed obligation — to make the best possible case for his company.

When Michael Hiltzik says Amazon and Bezos are motivated by greed and are “slogging around in the fetid swamp of corporate cynicism,” he demeans himself and displays a basic misunderstanding of the capitalist system.

John C. Diebel

Newport Beach

One of the biggest reasons Amazon refuses to collect sales tax rarely gets mentioned: shipping costs. The vast majority of the items it sells are shipped to the purchaser. Shipping often costs more than the sales tax.

Most people prefer to buy items in the local Best Buy or Target store rather than order online, as they would have to pay the additional shipping charges. If Amazon collected shipping charges and taxes, its products would end up costing a lot more than similar items at brick-and-mortar stores.

Andrew Saidi

Los Angele

As a longtime satisfied customer of Amazon, I am extremely unhappy with its actions regarding collecting California sales taxes. Our local businesses that employ our citizens and conscientiously collect and remit the taxes imposed by California law that build our schools, repair our roads and pay our teachers, firefighters and police officers are at a huge disadvantage to this Internet behemoth.

I now use Amazon as a search engine to compare prices, then I buy from someone else. I encourage others to do the same until Amazon understands the meaning of the words “good corporate citizen.”

Gordon Louttit

Manhattan Beach

Other ways to pick a president

Re “President, by popular vote,” Editorial, July 16

The Times urges that California adopt a measure to award all of its electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote nationally. This plan ignores a far greater risk than the problem it seeks to cure.

What if the popular vote is very close and one or more states have disputed tallies? How then would California decide who gets its electoral votes, and just who would be the ultimate decider? The uncertainty and chaos would make the 2000 election dispute look orderly by comparison.

A better idea is to keep the electoral college formula but award one electoral vote to the winner in each congressional district and two to a statewide winner. This would provide for a result more likely to mirror the national popular vote as well as provide a more certain result in close elections. It would also provide an incentive for candidates to campaign in more states.

Steven E. Presberg

Woodland Hills

I support replacing the electoral college for electing the president.

But in the name of journalistic integrity, drop the fictional narrative that George W. Bush lost the popular vote in 2000. That election was executed under a system whereby the electoral college determined the outcome. As such, “lost the popular vote” is nonsense; there was no popular vote to be won.

Had 2000 been a popular-vote election, not only would candidates have likely campaigned differently, but voters’ decisions could have been different. For example, in heavily Democratic California, a vote for a third-party candidate (say, Libertarian) over Bush would not be wasted. In a popular-election scenario (where all votes count), many Libertarians would have voted for Bush (myself included).

Multiply these changed voting behaviors across the entire voting population and it’s possible Bush would still have won under popular-vote rules.

Anthony Maenza

Chatswort

Rather than trying to cleverly circumvent the electoral college with yet another mathematically suspect scheme, there is a simpler approach that comports with both the electoral college and the popular vote while maintaining the importance of a great state like ours.

How about California awards its electoral votes proportionally to its popular vote? If it’s a 60-40 split, then the college awards a 60-40 split. Suddenly, California becomes important again. Very important.

Scott Mandell

Studio City

Role models

Re “Textbook cases,” Editorial, July 17

Your editorial on politicians influencing subject matter for California’s school textbooks misses a basic rationale for including instructional material that would discuss the contributions of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, past and present.

Because the Legislature and the governor had the courage to require positive images of this much-

maligned minority, gay students just might find a ray of hope — role models who could reach out from the textbook to reassure thousands of harassed and demoralized youths that there is a rainbow ahead and it does get better.

By such written reaffirmation of the truth, let us hope that the epidemic suicide rate among LGBT youths will no longer be a pox on all humanity.

Daryl L. James Jr.

Palm Springs

Fire fee

Re “State levies fire fee on rural homes,” July 18

I am surprised that taxpayer groups oppose Gov. Jerry Brown’s decision to assess a fee on the 846,000 homes built in fire-prone areas. I would think they would advocate on behalf of the millions of taxpayers who pay premiums to subsidize these homes in rural areas. After all, these homeowners are essentially receiving subsidized fire services paid for by millions of California taxpayers who receive no direct benefit.

Those who choose to live in areas that are subject to heightened risk of fire due to proximity to natural areas should also be willing to pay for the cost of that benefit and privilege. It is unfair to ask millions of Californians to provide free fire services to these few homeowners.

Jeffrey Prang

West Hollywood

Free Tibet!

Re “Dalai Lama visit sparks anger,” July 17

Hey China, I have news for you. In a democracy such as ours, our leaders can meet with whomever they choose. The Dalai Lama is a highly regarded individual in the United States and around the world. There is a large contingency of people who feel that your hostile takeover of the independent country of Tibet was terribly wrong.

Inasmuch as you can “demand the U.S … stop interfering in China’s internal affairs,” as a citizen of a free country, I demand that you get out of Tibet.

Beverly L. Hanes-Simon

San Clemente