Letters to the Editor: Fair pay for L.A. County employees isn’t a burden on the public’s resources

To the editor: Complaining about Los Angeles County’s budget, while being responsible for it, reveals a serious contradiction (“Looming raises for L.A. County employees could cost $2 billion, CEO says,” June 24). The L.A. County supervisors and Chief Executive Fesia Davenport want us to believe that fair pay is a burden on the public’s resources. It is not.

The Department of Public Social Services, for example, ensures county residents receive food stamps, Medi-Cal, housing, job support and essential care. These services keep families stable and communities afloat. Does the board really think now is the time to undermine L.A. County’s safety net?

The board’s actions do more than dismiss the work of 55,000 county employees represented by SEIU 721. They effectively echo the Trump administration’s efforts to defund public welfare systems that millions rely on.

County workers belong to the same community and electorate that put the board in office. The board can’t claim to serve the county while turning its back on those who serve and live in it. Denying workers a fair agreement isn’t more fiscally responsible — it’s a failure of duty to Angelenos on multiple levels.

Christine Truong, West Covina