Letters to the Editor: Don’t get mad about overtime pay in L.A. Someone has to do the city’s work

To the editor: City employees work overtime not to enrich themselves, but because our city’s departments are terribly understaffed, and the jobs they do still need to get done. It’s just that simple. (“L.A. firefighter banked $360,010 in overtime pay in one year, city audit finds,” Nov. 6)

If you want to reduce overtime, you need to hire enough people to do the work.

Mona Gerecht, Los Angeles

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To the editor: On the front page of Thursday’s Los Angeles Times, there was an article about California residents leaving the state because of high taxes.

Inside the same day’s California section, there was an article about a traffic officer making $173,000 in overtime and a firefighter making more than $300,000 in overtime. Connect the dots.

Kenneth Kurek, West Hollywood