L.A. County Government

Excellent editorial (“L.A. County’s Contract Laxity,” Dec. 23), concerning Unisys’ $20-million contract overrun. L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky says he doesn’t “like being taken for a fool” and that he doesn’t “like being manipulated by staff.”

Why doesn’t he do something about it? This $20-million boondoggle is but one of a continuing series being made by the five-member Board of Supervisors. Each is so jealous of his/her authority and prerogatives that they won’t consider following the city of Los Angeles’ example and looking at the basic structure of county government, as contained in the outdated Los Angeles County Charter.

We continue to elect the chief law enforcement officer of the county while every major city appoints a professional person to the job. The district attorney is up for election in 2000, and what a record he can display in the area of major trials and child support. We also get to elect the assessor, who has no authority over any policymaking in his office. That was removed by Proposition 13!

To top it all off, there is no executive authority in the county other than the five supervisors. Who in the name of reason ever heard of a committee of five, or for that matter any committee, ever administering anything? The last I heard it was a committee that invented the camel.

ROBERT J. BANNING

Pasadena