Voting for Ralph Nader

* Molly Ivins has written a hilarious column about Ralph Nader (July 17). While she thinks that Nader lives on $25,000 per year, that wouldn’t even cover his travel expenses, let alone his Saabs. With regard to what Nader has done for auto safety, cars are now so uncomfortable and unsafe that no one wants to drive a car anymore or anything except an SUV, and what has that gas mileage done for the environment?

People like Sen. Dianne Feinstein think that SUVs are wonderful, but that the makers of them should be forced to make them with the gas mileage of a Honda Civic (July 14). That’s what Nader did for auto safety, because he didn’t invent a single thing to make cars safer. He did, however, ensure that now they cost as much as houses.

The newest form of political corruption is called public campaign financing, and what it does is give government money to people like Pat Buchanan and Nader to run for president, although nobody really wants them to be president anyway. That’s expensive entertainment. To 5% of the people he might be Ralph Nader, but the dark side is that to the other 95% he may be Darth Vader.

REX RAWLINSON

West Hills

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Ivins is my political lodestar, but I respectfully disagree with her suggestion that those of us who are dedicated to an equal playing field and social justice for all must hold our noses and vote for the least nauseating candidate. In the presidential race, this means Al Gore over George Bush, despite the opportunity to cast a vote for Nader, a man for whom one can step into a voting booth and pull the lever without throwing up. Some say, “Follow your heart.” Others advise, “Follow your pocketbook.” For me, it’s the gag reflex every time.

RONALD RUBIN

Topanga