Earthquake ‘Ghost Towns’

Re “Quake ‘Ghost Towns’ Are Reviving Slowly,” July 16:

Unfortunately, your article considered the glass one-quarter empty, rather than three-quarters full. In terms of property damage, the Northridge earthquake was the worst natural disaster ever to strike the United States. Eighteen months after the event, in the 17 hardest hit neighborhoods--the ghost towns--76% of the damaged apartment buildings are in construction or reoccupied, and recovery has been financed for 90% of the affected housing. Originally expected to be a long-term festering problem for Los Angeles, the ghost towns’ recovery is one of the great Northridge quake success stories. No other natural disaster in the nation has seen a comparable rebuilding effort.

We owe the recovery of the ghost towns, and the re-population of 17 devastated neighborhoods, to the dedicated and concerted action of both the public and private sectors. Building owners, insurance companies, lenders, the Small Business Administration, new investors, and the City Departments of Housing and Building and Safety collaborated on the complex task of refinancing and rebuilding housing units valued at over $265 million.

Finally, allow me to give special recognition to the staff of the Los Angeles Housing Department who have not wavered in their recovery activities for 18 months. GARY W. SQUIER, General Manager L.A. Housing Department

On Jan. 27, 1994, your published my letter on the Northridge earthquake. Basically I questioned the sanity of hiring the same builders and inspectors who put up the structures that collapsed. As a result I received a very menacing and abusive phone call on my answering machine. I was physically shaken by this but amused that the individual didn’t have the courage to even say his first name.

July 12 you ran an article about better control of the construction industry. I think that’s great but like I said to begin with “you can’t license ethics.”

I wonder if the guy who called would have the nerve to call back and apologize. I doubt it. MARVIN L. PULIN Anaheim