To the editor: Homelessness in Los Angeles started to become a major issue in the 1980s, during the term of Mayor Tom Bradley. All Los Angeles mayors since have given lip service to addressing the problem — Richard Riordan, James Hahn, Antonio Villaraigosa, Eric Garcetti — but Karen Bass is the first to seriously bring an all-hands-on-deck disposition in addressing homelessness, recognizing it as the major issue needing to be addressed in our city.
Loyalty to one’s ideals is admirable. Bass sticking by her promise to focus on homelessness is admirable. Walking the talk is something she has done admirably.
Many enlarged political egos cause some politicians to make decisions that are not so admirable. Throwing her hat into the ring a month after publicly endorsing Mayor Bass’ candidacy makes Nithya Raman appear self-serving and disloyal to her ideals (“Councilmember Nithya Raman to run for L.A. mayor, challenging onetime ally Karen Bass,” Feb. 7). This is not admirable and reminds me of other politicians who have not always walked their talk, including some former Los Angeles mayors. Karen Bass deserves another term.
Jaime Luis Gomez, La Cañada Flintridge
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To the editor: I am a committedly progressive Los Angeles-based voter. I am also an architect and city planner and, as such, I would never vote for an active YIMBY supporter like Raman.
Allowing increased density directly along mass-transit routes makes planning sense. Destroying the character of residential neighborhoods by upzoning and disregarding existing zoning and any special designations (like historic neighborhoods) does not.
Allowing upzoning in low-density residential neighborhoods, as YIMBY supporters advocate for, is like tripling class sizes in schools and pretending that you’re improving the quality of education.
Roger Leib, Los Angeles
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