The Bellevue Reporter’s Oct. 1 article, “Hunts Point event raises $900,000 for McCain” [page 3] states that 250 people raised $900,000, which works out to $3,600 per person. This surprised me.

I had understood that one could only contribute a maximum of $2,300 to a candidate. Moreover, Sen. John McCain had foregone further private sector campaign funding as a condition of receiving $84,000,000 in taxpayer campaign funding.

Sen. McCain’s only notable legislation in 26 years, the McCain-Feingold act, intended to limit party expenditures in elections. The act is obviously effete – and a a sham, even to McCain himself. His accepting such funds is grossly hypocritical.

But my main point is not that McCain is an increasingly unviable candidate. McCain demonstrates that amply himself – though his dishonesty and flip-flopping, grandstanding, ignorance about the issues, and panicky behavior.

The main point that struck me is that $900,000 was wasted. In a community which can raise that kind of money in an evening, there are so many better uses to which it could be put.

Peter Kurpis