Lobbying rips off the public

Re “New anthrax vaccine sunk by lobbying,” a Times investigation, Dec. 2

The influence of lobbyists becomes more blatant and destructive to the public interest every day. We simply must put an end to it.

As long as candidates must use private funding, citizens will pay more than they would pay for elections, because once in office, those candidates must try to forget who their donors are when voting on legislation that directly affects those donors. Can anything be a better recipe for corruption?

There is pending legislation in Sacramento -- Assembly Bill 583 -- that can rescue California. We also need public election financing on the federal level.

If the public doesn’t provide the money that politicians need to run for office, then big money and the wealthy will continue to do so, and our democracy will come closer and closer to being a plutocracy.

What a tragic day that would be.

Tobi Dragert

Los Angeles

Both the front-page article concerning the anthrax vaccine and the Q & A on Page A26 concerning the farm bill (“Farm bill affects more than land and furrows”) are about lobbying. Both also illustrate a disturbing and worsening facet of government: Important decisions are not being made on the basis of what is best for the country, for the democracy or for taxpayers, but what is best for a corporation or for the financial coffers of those in government who believe that being elected or appointed to public office provides the very best cover for the attainment of personal riches.

The country and its citizens are being ripped off for the gain of a few. Corporate lobbying should be radically restricted. Corporations are not citizens.

Lewis Redding

Arcadia