Officials Defend Compton

* In your article regarding Compton (“A Wealth of Woes,” March 26), The Times provided its readership with a distorted image of our city. “Blight, crime and mismanagement” are not unique to Compton, nor do they present a fair depiction of our community.

As you properly pointed out, over the past two decades, elected officials have attempted to provide the city with a much-needed economic face lift. You attributed some of our failed projects to “bad timing, bad management or bad luck.” However, you failed to mention the problem of insurance redlining, which, for years, served as a deterrent to many potential investors.

Nevertheless, we are progressing in Compton. In the 1980s hundreds of young, middle-class families were drawn to our community by new, attractive affordable housing complexes. Our central business district was also revamped into a successful new Towne Center.

Although some of our projects have indeed been unsuccessful, we are embarking on new and better ones. For example, we are now negotiating to transform our auto plaza into a diversified regional commercial center, which will increase revenue to the city and provide hundreds of new jobs for our residents.

Over the past few years, crime and gang violence have dropped precipitously in Compton. Few other cities in Los Angeles County can boast of such a trend.

In spite of your recent revelations, to date neither the FBI nor the U.S. attorney’s office has informed our management or elected officials of an ongoing investigation of Compton. Furthermore, it should be stressed that, even according to your reports, neither the current mayor nor any sitting councilperson has been accused of wrongdoing.

Compton is a relatively close-knit community of taxpaying, law-abiding, churchgoing citizens of diverse incomes and ethnic backgrounds. In light of this, we do not understand why our community and its citizens appear to be of little interest to The Times except in your reporting of isolated allegations of political improprieties.

OMAR BRADLEY, Mayor

RONALD J. GREEN, Council Member

MARCINE B. SHAW, Council Member

YVONNE ARCENEAUX, Council Member

JANE D. ROBBINS, Council Member

Compton