In hot water

Re “L.A. County peel of approval,” March 31

Los Angeles County officials calling the money they spend on relabeling bottled water a drop in the bucket just goes to show the utter arrogance of our politicians.

I take extreme offense that none of the supervisors had the decency to comment to The Times on the subject, or acknowledge that any waste of taxpayer money, no matter how minimal, is offensive to those of us who are working hard to pay their overinflated salaries.

If not giving “free advertising” to a water company is so important (because we all know millions of viewers tune in to public-access television to watch the county supervisors at work), could they not just do the fiscally responsible thing and simply not have a label on the bottles at all?

Of course not. Because these kings and queens must perch atop their royal seats in luxury and puffed-up pride; they must relabel the bottles with their royal seal.

Laura Power

Northridge

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Initially, I questioned the judgment of the editors of The Times in devoting precious space on the front page to an article about the consumption of bottled water by our county supervisors. But then it occurred to me that this might be just what is necessary to persuade our leaders to do the right thing.

At the risk of stating the obvious, why don’t the supervisors purchase reusable, eco-friendly containers with their own personal funds (they can even have them emblazoned with the county seal) and fill them up with delicious county tap water before each meeting?

Then, perhaps Los Angeles city officials will follow suit and use the $189,000 being wasted on their own bottled-water bill on something that will benefit the community.

Sandra J. Harris

Pasadena