Readers React: What good does towing a car do if it puts its owner on the street?

To the editor: The critics of my bill AB 516 ignore that it does not impact more than two dozen grounds to tow for public safety or traffic flow reasons, including allowing cities to tow abandoned vehicles and to pass any local towing laws to address community concerns.

For L.A. families who cannot afford any unexpected expenses, having their car towed because they lack the money to pay for parking tickets, an expired registration or a private parking spot means they lose their ability to get to work, their job or even their shelter.

It’s strange that during the week we learned that Los Angeles County’s homeless population jumped to about 59,000 people, 16,500 of whom live in vehicles, the L.A. City Council decided to defend towing practices that are pushing tens of thousands of working families into a spiral of poverty and homelessness.

The L.A. Times Editorial Board argues that state towing laws should remain unchanged until a better solution is identified, effectively supporting a system of disproportionate punishment based on class. Our justice system shouldn’t devastate lives first and ask questions later.

Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco)

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