Who supervises the supervisors?

Re “Accountable to no one -- yet,” Opinion, Jan. 6

Jim Newton correctly ties a range of Los Angeles County problems to the uncontested power of supervisors. But term limits miss the core of the issue and would do nothing to alter the “deference of choice” he rightly claims gives each supervisor control over his or her district.

Each supervisor represents about 2 million people -- more than 28 senators represent and about 10 times the number in a City Council member’s district. Doubling or tripling the number of supervisors would give each supervisor a more defined constituency, help voters feel their vote matters and dramatically change the way politics operate at the county level.

Instead of reducing democracy by taking names off the ballot through term limits, increase it by adding supervisors.

Richard Cohen

Santa Monica

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Rafe Sonenshein, historian and expert on L.A. government and politics, is correct when he states that “the supervisors have no boss.” Indeed, they are accountable to no one.

The core reason for this absurdity is that the supervisors are the legislative and executive branches of Los Angeles County.

The solution of term limits does not solve the problem but perpetuates it. The solution would be to have a county executive who is accountable to voters and to whom the supervisors report.

George Wolkon

Pacific Palisades