Mayor Kell Story Taken to Task

I am writing in response to the extensive article about Mayor Ernie Kell (The Times, Dec. 3.) As one associated with the city in general and particularly Mayor Kell’s efforts for the past 15 years, it was incredible to find The Times printing an article totally lacking in any historical perspective or basic journalistic integrity.

Is it not true that just a few years ago, by The Times’ own accounts, this was a city that was a disgrace to the principles of good government? Weren’t there federal investigators at every level of city government, indicted city officials, corruption abounding, economic and industrial stagnation?

As a businessman, I deal with the bottom line, and what the bottom line shows in my city is the development of a World Trade Center, a totally new downtown which is the envy of cities in Southern California, a city government and citizenry that is rapidly moving together through the participation of the citizen task forces which seem to be the source of denigration in your article (Is ongoing citizen involvement not implicit in a democracy?), and all of this is being brought together through the leadership of Mayor Kell because of the respect he has among his colleagues and the citizenry of what is becoming a great city.

Perhaps the most disturbing part of the article is that Kell has been taken to task primarily through quotes of the old guard, those for whom the new way of doing business in Long Beach may be uncomfortable. The question is, why were they not identified in the article for what they are: defeated candidates, or supporters of defeated candidates, who were opposed by Kell in favor of others who have worked together to bring about the magnificent changes taking place in our community.

In the past it was not uncommon to hear that Long Beach was suffering from an inferiority complex due to its proximity to Los Angeles. Perhaps The Times feels threatened that what goes around may come around.

BUD WEISBART

Long Beach