Letters to the Editor: Antigovernment ideology isn’t working for snowed-in mountain towns

To the editor: I moved from Los Angeles to Lake Arrowhead 10 years ago, planning to stay for five or six years at the most. Like many city dwellers, I thought living in a small town in the mountains would be charming. Three years ago, the pandemic upended my plans to leave. (“L.A.’s snowy mountains are a glorious, fleeting thing to behold,” Opinion, Feb. 28)

Ten years now feel like 100. The storms that have devastated this community have revealed the dangers of having no proper infrastructure or resources to handle an emergency like this. Our pathetic Caltrans snow plow equipment is overwhelmed.

The residents in this community don’t like “government interference.” This is a Trump stronghold. Need I say more? Overt racism is rampant in these mountain communities; kids at the local high school fly confederate flags.

Now, these same antigovernment types are desperate for county and state services after this monster storm. They hate “big government” until they need help.

We will be slapping a “for sale” sign on our house as soon as the snow is gone.

Michele Greene, Lake Arrowhead, Calif.

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To the editor: Yes, the view from Los Angeles of snow-covered mountains is beautiful, as Tony Barboza writes. But for us who live here and have been trapped in our homes, it is a frightening emergency.

The snow has covered all light from my windows. I am 71 and healthy, but people are going to die up here.

Chris Van Patten-Bench, Twin Peaks, Calif.

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To the editor: I grew up in Pasadena. Our stunning mountains to the north have never been “dull,” as Barboza says they appear for much of the year.

In fact, their rich history includes the Mount Lowe Railway, the Mount Wilson Observatory and the cabins in Santa Anita Canyon. Additionally, countless waterfalls, amazing trails and stunning vistas are at every turn.

I suggest that if writers at The Times think our mountains are dull, they get out from behind their desks and experience the magnificence in person.

Todd Hays, Pasadena