Yee just a small part of a much larger problem

By Eileen Sargent, Letter to the Editor

One of the most shocking parts of the scandal surrounding Sen. Leland Yee is that his pay-to-play approach to politics is legal and widespread ("Bills helped Yee line coffers," Page 1A, April 20). Our campaign finance laws create a system where special interests and the super rich enjoy outsize influence while ordinary citizens are ignored. Yee is just one small part of a much larger problem.

This system of legalized corruption has to stop. I'm grateful that two Bay Area senators, Sen. Mark Leno and Sen. Jerry Hill, are working to pass the California DISCLOSE Act, SB 52, to require political ads to list their top three funders. We deserve to know the special interests trying to buy our politicians and write our laws. It's just common sense.

Eileen Sargent
San Jose

(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)