Advisory Councils

* Regarding Arthur Purcell’s support of neighborhood advisory councils in Los Angeles (Commentary, Aug. 17): I recently moved back to L.A. after nearly seven years in Washington. In my experience the only enthusiasts for Washington’s neighborhood advisory councils are the people who sit on those councils.

While such councils might prove beneficial in a city as decentralized as L.A., the notion of modeling any municipal reforms on Washington city government is laughable on its face. No major city in this country has been more mismanaged than our nation’s capital.

BLAISE ANTIN

Los Angeles