‘Political Wimpishness’ and the Sylvia Cunliffe Case
The court system and the politicians can’t win. On the one hand the courts and lawyers are criticized for backlogging the civil calendars with long and complex lawsuits that would be better settled elsewhere.
On the other, politicians are criticized for being wimps (“Political Wimpishness,” Editorial, Dec. 4) for settling the (chief of the General Services Department) Sylvia Cunliffe matter rather than litigating the lawsuit she threatened to bring. A majority of the Los Angeles City Council determined that the time and expense involved would make a win too expensive and, further, determined that a win was not a sure thing because of possible mistakes made in handling her case from the beginning.
Is it “wimpish politics” to refuse to assess taxpayers the cost of maintaining a principle that might not be supportable? I think not. It took guts to fly in the face of popular sentiment against a woman whose exploits earn her the sobriquet of Dragon Lady. The money would be better spent on sewage disposal than in the overcrowded courts.
DANIEL HON
Santa Clarita
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
