If Garcetti can’t reform the DWP, why is he mayor?

To the editor: In the wake of the FBI’s raid of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power headquarters as part of a corruption investigation, Mayor Eric Garcetti acted quickly to remove the utility’s general manager so as to help restore the public’s trust.

What trust? The DWP is one of the most untrustworthy utilities in the country.

Garcetti first ran for mayor promising to clean up the DWP, and his inability to accept responsibility for his failure to do so is another example of his lack of leadership ability.

Months ago, the general manager announced his plan to leave his job this fall. Both he and Garcetti had to know something was in the works with the FBI, so why didn’t our mayor act decisively then and fire him before the raid?

Richard Whorton, Studio City

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To the editor: After three years of incompetence at the DWP, the mayor decides to fire the general manager. After an FBI raid, the mayor takes action, and I’m supposed to trust the leadership of this city.

Garcetti should join the DWP chief and leave office too. Los Angeles city government is obviously corrupt.

Payoffs to obtain building permits, trash companies with exclusive rights to each part of the city, and the poor management of funds for reducing homelessness are just some of the questionable activities we know about. What else awaits the news media’s coverage?

Don Evans, Canoga Park

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To the editor: Garcetti is quoted as saying, “We need to have a utility that people can trust and leadership they can trust.”

I’m sure many residents of Los Angeles could make the same critical comments regarding the mayor when it comes to our need for “leadership we can trust.”

Richard Austen, Los Angeles