Readers React: L.A. can’t fill all its potholes, but it wants the Olympics. That’s insane.

To the editor: I don’t live in Los Angeles anymore, but I still have an affinity for the city where I grew up, so I have to ask: Did anyone see the irony or humor in the juxtaposition of the headlines on Sunday’s front page? (“Inequity is ‘baked in’ when it comes to L.A. city services; where you live matters,” Aug. 28)

According to one article, the city will be on the hook for billions if it is selected to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, but according to another piece, it can’t consistently provide basic services. Graffiti removal can take days, depending on where you live. Potholes and trash may go unaddressed for weeks after a complaint.

This particular story does not even take into consideration the sidewalks, which are on a 30-year repair plan, and the water system, which breaks regularly. And all the billions to be spent on the Olympics are supposed to turn a profit of less than 3%. The mayor must have a very sharp pencil and a crystal ball. Good luck.

Steven L. Rice, Thousand Oaks

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To the editor: What is the word to describe buying a new big-screen TV when the refrigerator is broken? How about when shingles are flying off the roof in a light breeze and I get a new hot tub instead of a roof? The same word can describe the handling of our city’s infrastructure.

Our sidewalks and streets are crumbling. Water mains are bursting. Garbage and trash are piled high in some neighborhoods, and the homeless are, well, still homeless.

What are we doing? We’re adding to the infrastructure and acquiring future maintenance costs by restriping streets with bike lanes and buying bicycles. We’re also approving home, apartment and condo development, all requiring expanded infrastructure and future maintenance costs.

Shouldn’t we be fixing what we already have?

Oh, the word? Stupid.

James Jaster, West Hills

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To the editor: I appreciate The Times holding the city accountable for significant inequity in basic services from one neighborhood to the next. While the inequities do not correspond directly to poverty or wealth, trash pickup has long been lax in lower-income neighborhoods.

Mayor Eric Garcetti’s no-tolerance position is laudable, but the transparency provided by The Times holding City Hall’s feet to the fire should improve follow-through.

Margaret Martin, Los Angeles

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