‘Sneaky Pay Raise’ in L.A.

The City Council members have voted themselves a 10% salary increase just two weeks after they voted to decrease the income of apartment house owners by 3 percentage points. Four percent annual rental increases are now grudgingly permitted to owners of rental units, a cut from the previously permitted 7%.

The City Council applied the yardstick of inflation rate to determine allowable rent increases. There is no rationale, under the circumstances, to use any other measurement to determine salary increases of council members. Indeed, I hope the voters will be given a chance to set the salaries of City Council members. For starters, they get a decrease to 4%, tied to the same scale they used on income property owners. When can we get it on the ballot?

Actions of the council members have destroyed any remnant of confidence I had in their integrity. They may think it was real smart to have a retiring council member (Art Snyder) make the motion for the 10% increase. Rather, it just proves their action was cunningly premeditated. Council members have underestimated the intelligence and awareness of their constituents.

F. TABER

Marina del Rey