Special interests and special elections

Re “Grab your wallets,” editorial, and George Skelton’s column, “Political Camps Gird for War, er, Special Election,” Aug. 22

Both pieces warned, properly, that the upcoming special election will be a contest of essentially unregulated special interest money supporting the “political industrial complex.” Voters are going to be swamped with claims.

George Skelton predicts roughly $100 million [will be spent] “mainly to pester TV viewers with mendacious ads.” We need the press to give us complete information about who donates and what they are trying to buy with their money. And we need unbiased analyses of the onslaught of advertising that is about to start; what claims are true, who pays for them.

HARRIETT WALTHER

Santa Ana

*

As I read the paper I had to check and see if the delivery person had delivered The Times to me or a copy of another Southland paper. I thought that it was against company policy to agree with anything that was sponsored by George Bush or the current governor of our state. Congratulations on recognizing that there needs to be a change in the way in which districts are redrawn in California! If this is a sign that there will be a more “open-minded” approach to political matters on the part of the editorial staff, it represents a great step forward.

FRANK HORNER

Blue Jay

*

As a California voter, I very much sympathize with the electorate of Iraq, who will be called upon to vote on the latest draft of their proposed constitution. From the excerpt printed in The Times (Aug. 23), it appears as complex and uncertain as many propositions that show up on the California ballot.

JACK WRIGHT

Marina del Rey