Philanthropic? Not in business

I suspected that you were under orders to always cite Eli Broad as a “philanthropist,” but now I’m certain [“A Peek at Eli Broad’s L.A. Cache,” Dec. 3].

Broad is worth about $5 billion. How did he get that impressive amount? By overcharging home buyers. If Broad had decided to stop piling up money when he was worth a mere $200 million, he could have played the “philanthropist” and given thousands of home buyers a new home for $25,000 or less.

But instead Broad will contribute to the foreclosures that have just begun. Which takes us back to Broad always being called a “philanthropist.”

Why is The Times serving as his stooge? After all, the paper is controlled by some people in Chicago. Would they care if you told where the money for the “Broad Art Foundation” came from? Now that would make a great story!

ROBERT H. PASCHALL

Bishop, Calif.