To the editor: “You need to not be reactive; you have to at all times be proactive, and should you can, be predictive” — that is the credo of being a politician in Los Angeles, no less than optically. (“Stop Monday-morning quarterbacking Karen Bass’ fire response,” letters, Feb. 17)
And should you’re a staffer to a politician, it’s your job. That’s why political staffers are exempt from civil service guidelines of their appointments. You’re employed to attain a outcome and obligation certain to serve Los Angeles to make issues occur. Most significantly, you might be round when there’s an emergency.
Having served as a Los Angeles Metropolis Council aide, assistant deputy mayor and deputy chief of employees to the council president, I do know it is a lot to anticipate — however that’s the gig. Each mayor I’ve identified (together with Richard Riordan, for whom I labored) can have no less than one main check.
So that you don’t should be a prophet in terms of disasters such because the current fires, one thing a letter author stated Mayor Karen Bass’ critics appear to anticipate of her. You simply should be current.
John Lee, Los Angeles
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To the editor: In a recent column, Steve Lopez joined a refrain of others insisting that Bass “did herself no favors by being on one other continent when the fires broke out, regardless of warnings of vital hazard on account of drought and loopy winds.”
I used to be born in Los Angeles and have lived right here for many years. For so long as I can keep in mind, we’ve acquired common warnings of potential hazard from droughts and Santa Ana winds. Even meteorologists aren’t certain of how “vital” these situations may be.
So in and of itself, the prediction of Santa Ana winds in dry situations was not trigger for such alarm that it ought to have prevented the mayor from touring.
When the fires broke out, the mayor was visiting Ghana. Upon studying of the disaster again dwelling, she instantly returned.
As Californians, we’re continuously reminded of the hazard from earthquakes. So, ought to the mayor stay frozen in place, restricted from all journey till the unpredictable tragedy happens? I feel not.
No different politician within the historical past of Los Angeles has confronted a catastrophe of this magnitude. On this unprecedented second, allow us to give Mayor Bass a possibility to rise to the event.
Legrand H. Clegg II, Compton
