Chick’s Critique of Mayor Hahn

Re “Chick Defends Critique of Hahn,” Feb. 5: Apparently some folks in City Hall just realized that the new City Charter gives the controller the power to investigate but no teeth. Given that, how else can the controller serve the people other than by gathering information and making public the results of the investigation?

That’s what Laura Chick’s office is all about. Too political? How does that have any bearing in a political discussion? If all politics is local, I think she’s on the right track. If we are to be sufficiently informed to make decisions about our leadership, how else shall we do so if not by an investigation of other officials by the one whose job it is to do just that?

It seems the charter contemplated the possibility of tension among public officials, sort of a checks-and-balances scenario. I have no idea what the facts are, but if the controller perceives a problem in the mayor’s office, how better to ignite a robust debate than to share that information with all candidates running against the mayor?

Ira Lee Newlander

Los Angeles

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Chick speaks often about transparency in government, but there is something opaque about providing a critique in secret to the mayor’s opponents. Chick said she prepared the material so that if any of the challengers were elected, they would understand the issues. If that is true, then why not wait until after the general election?

I find Chick’s defense to be rather disingenuous and self-righteous. Maybe her crusade to become the protector and defender of the citizens of Los Angeles is nothing more than Chick shtick. It may be time to audit the controller’s office.

Laurie Goldman

Beverly Hills

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Re “Mayoral Candidates Promising the World,” Feb. 3: I realize that it can be dangerous to take political ads seriously, but there is one that does seem a bit more outlandish than the average. There is an ad in which the L.A. mayoral candidate says he will break up the school district because it is too big to work properly.

Last time I looked, the Los Angeles Unified School District is an independent entity; the mayor has no authority over it. The ad is rather like an Oregon politician saying he doesn’t like what is happening in California and will change it. Or maybe the politician running for mayor in Los Angeles simply considers the post of mayor as irrelevant and needs to look elsewhere for things to occupy his time.

Jim Goodenough

Canoga Park

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Mayoral candidate Bob Hertzberg’s “Land of the Giants” TV ad sounds good, but where would Los Angeles house a giant mayor and would he grant special access to Godzilla, Mothra and his old pal Mr. Bunyon?

Chris Fuentes

Cerritos