Leaf Blowers

Re “City Council Deals a Blow to Leaf Blowers,” May 15:

Never mind that leaf blowers were relatively rare until the L.A. City Council ruled it unlawful to use water to clean sidewalks during the last drought. Of course, droughts are gone forever. Right?

What Los Angeles needs is more laws on the books that will not be enforced. A partial list includes: the prohibition against parking cars on lawns; cars blocking sidewalks; permit parking restrictions (never mind that residents pay $15 a year to support the program); dog owners who fail to clean up after their dogs and walk their dogs without a leash; and theft of supermarket carts.

C. WILLIAM BOAK

Westwood

* You can’t imagine how pleased I was to see the reference to my city as one of the “enlightened,” for having already enacted a leaf-blower ban. The reality is, in spite of the major annoyance created by these devices, my city does not enforce the ban, instead deferring to gardeners ahead of the will of taxpayers.

N.J. ZARESKI

Palos Verdes Estates

* Have we all lost sight of reality? We seem to tolerate toxic fumes from our buses and from cars that obviously have not passed (nor ever will pass) a smog inspection, yet I don’t see anyone rushing to the City Council and asking for a ban. We have gas-powered lawn mowers, gas-powered lawn edgers, gas-powered cars that not only spew forth toxic fumes but also make a good deal of noise.

Yet we get a couple of celebrities to run to the City Council and say a couple of words, impress our council members with their presence, and then get them to vote on a ban. I wish I had the omnipotence to get the simplest of things done with the city.

SAM WHITE

Hollywood Hills

* There’s one thing missing in “Blower Ban Worries Gardeners” (May 16). That is the fact that we cannot, must not, replace blowers with water.

Yes, blowers just blow dirt around, not away. Yes, blowers are noisy and smelly. But washing the dust and debris down the sewer is not the answer. Have we forgotten we’re a drought-prone country?

Bring on the brooms and rakes!

NANCY MacCOON