To the editor: Within the movie model of “All of the President’s Males,” the “Deep Throat” character advises investigative journalist Robert Woodward to “Comply with the Cash,” and so ought to Occasions reporter David Zahniser (“L.A. city budget shortfall grows to nearly $1 billion, with layoffs ‘nearly inevitable’,” March 19). Simply 4 years in the past, as a part of the American Rescue Plan, town of Los Angeles acquired $1.35 billion. The place did all of it go? Clearly to not healthcare. Our Well being Fee has by no means been funded one penny in its 10-year existence.
We didn’t have sufficient firetrucks operational to deal with our wants in January and we don’t have a full-time doctor accountable for our paramedics. Our metropolis’s price range was sound till the present administration; why do price range crises at all times appear to observe Mayor Karen Bass? Throughout her tenure as Meeting speaker, our state had a price range deadlock and drowned in red ink. In June 2009, California’s credit rating was lowered and even President Obama wouldn’t bail us out.
With 80% of town’s bills labor-related, her settlement lower than one 12 months in the past to one of many largest normal wage will increase within the Coalition of L.A. Metropolis Unions’ historical past — a 22% increase over a five-year span, including a 6% raise in the first year — clearly was imprudent.
In additional than twenty years of governmental management, it seems that our mayor hasn’t discovered the fundamentals of enterprise math. When you spend more cash than you might have, you go bankrupt.
Dr. Howard C. Mandel, Los Angeles
The author is president of the Los Angeles Metropolis Well being Fee
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To the editor: Oh, please! Ever for the reason that COVID epidemic “vanished,” parking enforcement has not accomplished its job by ticketing folks whose parking meters expired or when vehicles are parked on street-cleaning days, and so on. And law enforcement officials haven’t been ticketing sufficient folks for shifting violations. If folks would do the roles they have been employed to do, Los Angeles wouldn’t be within the mess it’s in. Whereas I’m not saying the price range can be fastened, at the least cash can be coming in from individuals who break the legislation.
Liz Brown, West Hills
