A lawmaker questioned what he called the “onerous...

A lawmaker questioned what he called the “onerous conditions” the Tribune Co. is placing on the Los Angeles Times and other publications amid corporate restructuring. House Commerce Committee ranking member Henry Waxman, D-Calif., sent a letter to Tribune Monday (http://t.co/eUJY6w0fKh). Tribune is putting profits ahead of public interest, and while other companies have spun off print publications, “none have saddled their newspaper units with the punishing terms you are proposing for the Tribune Publishing Company,” Waxman said. There’s an appearance of the company “looting” the newspaper, he added. A Tribune counsel will meet with Waxman’s staff on Jan. 15, according to the letter. Waxman asked Tribune to have several documents, outlined in the letter, ready for that meeting. “We look forward to meeting with Congressman Waxman’s office next week and to the opportunity to demonstrate that our plans for our publishing business are focused on it being a successful stand-alone company,” Tribune told us.