To the editor:

The March 31 Saturday Column was published one day too soon. It should have been an April Fools’ joke on April 1. To espouse that the Koch Brothers (Charles and David) are examples of what is correct (not right!), takes too many liberties with the editor’s pen.

True, Kochs give to cancer research (maybe as a result of a guilty conscience — they use cancer-causing chemicals, formaldehyde, for one — in Koch industries and have been rated in the top ten polluters in industry). Their contributions to universities have been in return for hiring ultra-conservative professors.

However, the Kochs support ultra-conservative, out-of-the-mainstream causes and people who would: 1) devalue women and their power to make decisions in their lives; 2) defund arts and cultural programs; and 3) deregulate most all business/industry, taking us back to the dark ages in dealing with the environment and worker rights. If the Koch brothers have their way, income taxes, the most non-regressive tax we have, would go away as a funding source for government. The Koch brothers’ (and those they contribute to) idea of less government is actually no government — except when dealing with abortions or gay rights.

An old adage “you are known by the friends you keep” should be adjusted to “you are known by the causes you support.” They have every right to do this. They just need to be exposed so people know what they are actually doing and judge accordingly.