Letters to the Editor: Former mayor played a key role in El Segundo’s economic turnaround
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To the editor: Very interesting article on the revitalization of El Segundo, but it was remiss in not mentioning the role that the late Mike Gordon played in sparking the economic turnaround of the city (“El Segundo: SpaceX and the triumphant takeoff of ‘The Gundo,’” Sept. 9).
Gordon was mayor of El Segundo from 1996 to 2004. He spearheaded the removal and replacement of 70 ficus trees downtown that were destroying sidewalks and sewer lines (and made it difficult to see downtown businesses from the street) over heated opposition from old-guard citizens who didn’t want anything to change. He also played an instrumental role in keeping the U.S. Air Force Base in El Segundo, which benefited the economy of both the city and the entire South Bay.
The city of L.A. could learn important lessons from El Segundo in how maintaining and improving infrastructure and cutting red tape for businesses can improve the economic prospects of a city.
Michael Armstrong, Hawthorne
