Letters to the Editor: ‘Oh, there goes yet another crooked L.A. City Council member’

To the editor: After the convictions of former City Councilmen Mitchell Englander, Jose Huizar and Mark Ridley-Thomas, and with the recent indictment of current City Councilman Curren Price, I’m not sure the reaction in some quarters will be, “Oh, there goes another crooked Black politician,” as columnist Erika D. Smith says it might be.

Rather, the reaction will be more damaging to local democracy: “Oh, there goes yet another crooked L.A. City Council member.”

Meanwhile, the progressive wing of the City Council remains untainted by any perception of malfeasance. Thus even Mayor Karen Bass’ initiatives and the views of those city residents who might prefer more centrist approaches to homelessness, public safety and other pressing needs are hobbled.

City Hall must avoid even the appearance of conflict of interest by prohibiting spouses, family members and friends of elected officials to lobby or advise city government. At the risk of being labeled an absolutist, this prohibition should also apply to Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon’s (D-Lakewood) wife, and also relatives and friends of executive, legislative and judicial branch officials at all levels of government.

Christopher Rose, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Over the last three years, four City Council members were convicted of crimes or have faced charges. One was driven out by a racism scandal; two have been ostracized by same. Let’s not forget the FBI raids at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power headquarters.

While human beings continue to pile up on our sidewalks and much of the city is carpeted with trash and weeds, developers have no problem finding ample palms to grease so they can continue building unaffordable apartments and luxury hotels.

My question is this: How has U.S. Ambassador to India and former Mayor Eric Garcetti, who ran City Hall during much of this corruption and was every developer’s best friend, managed to fail upward?

Diane Weiss, Los Angeles

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To the editor: I am very sad to say that Los Angeles is approaching Chicago as having the most corrupt city government in the United States. It is a distinction that no one should be proud of.

We need stronger ethics laws, some with real teeth, and a more active city watchdog.

Sadly, even those might not be enough. Honesty in government is a distant dream.

Carolyn Weiss, Torrance

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To the editor: It is a particular tragedy that low-income minorities need to depend on leaders like Price to fight their battles. They are the ones who suffer after losing effective representation.

When politicians from more financially secure districts get caught in these scandals, it does not affect their constituents in the same way, because they are not as crucial to their voters’ lives.

It’s shameful that politicians like Price allegedly cannot understand that.

Doug Weiskopf, Burbank

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To the editor: Smith says there are no simple answers to cure the ills of city politics.

There is one: honest politicians. It’s a simple solution that’s just hard to find.

Roy Bagdasarian, Playa del Rey

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To the editor: Wasn’t it just a few months ago that Price said that some of the Latino residents displaced by the Los Angeles Police Department’s bungling of illegal fireworks disposal and forced to live in local hotels were “gaming the system”?

Looks like he may have been doing some serious gaming himself.

Felipe Hernandez, Glendale