Letters to the Editor: 14th District voters have been through enough. Let us decide Kevin de León’s fate

To the editor: In discussing Kevin de León, Los Angeles City Council members and the media seem to ignore the history of the 14th District, which De León represents. (“Kevin de León says he deserves another chance. Critics say he’s ‘gaslighting’ L.A.,” OCt. 8)

When our previous elected council member, Jose Huizar, was indicted and suspended from office, our district was ineffectively managed by Huizar’s chief of staff before De León could take over. Other council members ignored us. District matters came to a standstill.

On Aug. 8, 2020, The Times published the article, “With L.A. Councilman Jose Huizar arrested and suspended, who’s in charge in his district?” The article described our loss of representation and our feelings of being adrift.

The outsiders calling for De León to resign forget that he does not work for them. His job is to serve the residents of his district.

As such, he did arrange for homeless encampments to be cleaned up, and he helped establish a tiny home village in Highland Park. He advocates for new tenant protections and helps distribute food to the residents who need it. His staff answers the phones, and constituents’ issues are addressed.

Will De León be reelected? I don’t know. But that is for the voters of the 14th, and only the voters of the 14th, to decide.

Theresa Lindseth, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Do De León and former City Councilmember Gil Cedillo have no ethics or shame?

It’s absolutely astonishing that these two men have no genuine remorse, as shown by their lawsuits over the leaked recording of their racist conversation. They only care that they got caught.

The worst part of this situation is that De León still has a leadership role in Los Angeles. No wonder our city is a mess.

Retirement should be the only option.

Diane Thornton, Los Angeles