To the editor: Together with different commissions, Mayor Karen Bass plans to eradicate the citizen fee centered on well being, of which I’m the president (“Bass proposes laying off about 1,650 city workers, a quarter of them civilians at LAPD,” April 21). No mayor, together with Bass, has ever funded the well being fee — created by a metropolis ordinance in 2014 — a dime. It runs with volunteer commissioners and unpaid analysis associates. In equity to her, two uniformed LAPD officers attend conferences for defense together with one audiovisual tech, one metropolis lawyer and a metropolis clerk staffer, so there is likely to be some minor financial savings. However these pennies are by no means going so as to add as much as $1 billion.
Does the mayor not imagine that being educated and knowledgeable on well being points is necessary? There are prices related, in the meantime, along with her public relations efforts. In 2023 she expanded her PR division. Right here’s a suggestion for our photo-op mayor: Eliminate most of your PR workers and avoid wasting severe cash. Alternatively, simply resign and save the town a wage north of $300,000, plus advantages.
Howard C. Mandel, Los Angeles
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To the editor: Bass’ proposed layoffs of practically 1,650 metropolis employees are regarding as a result of these selections instantly have an effect on the well being of communities. Fewer public employees ends in fewer folks supporting food-access applications, psychological well being companies, housing assets and different important wants that form long-term well-being.
As a public well being scholar at UC Berkeley, I’ve discovered how financial safety, housing and entry to public companies are social determinants of well being. This price range dangers worsening the prevailing well being disparities in Los Angeles by eradicating the very infrastructure meant to help weak populations.
Well being just isn’t solely about remedy; additionally it is about stopping the circumstances that result in a disaster. Once we reduce the individuals who maintain these techniques collectively, we create the very emergencies we later wrestle to resolve. Balancing the price range mustn’t come at the price of folks’s well-being.
Easha Narayanan, Granite Bay, Calif.
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To the editor: As a taxpayer, I help a accountable metropolis authorities and its job of managing the budgets. I discover the proposed layoffs to be a disappointing and lazy fiscal transfer. I encourage the federal government to be extra considerate and check out imposing extra aggressive fines for autos dashing and working crimson lights and cease indicators, one thing that has benefited different main U.S. cities.
Christopher Sherwood, Woodland Hills
