Letters to the Editor: L.A.’s new limit on developer donations won’t stop runaway building

To the editor: Most of the members of the Los Angeles City Council are puppets, and real estate developers have long been the puppeteers who pull the strings.

While I welcome the new law prohibiting developers from giving directly to officials and candidates for City Council, mayor and city attorney while their projects are up for consideration, it will do little to eliminate this very serious problem. The developers wised up long ago to public concerns about corruption and undue influence, and thus it’s their lawyers, business associates, family members and others who are responsible for many of these influential donations.

Thus, inappropriate real estate development (without the needed infrastructure to support it) will continue, while the quality of life for the vast majority of residents of this city will continue to deteriorate.

Susan Gans, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Why do developers, construction lawyers and unions give money to a member of the City Council? The only reason is to get their projects approved.

Until this payola ends, we will never meet our housing and homeless housing goals. These council members, on the take, are not good stewards of our city. Just outside my window, there are three examples of why developers’ gifts must be stopped today.

The first and second reasons are the 53- and 37-story residential towers to be built on Times Mirror Square across the street from the historic 28-story L.A. City Hall. That’s like constructing a building half a block from the Washington Monument that dwarfs it in size. Currently, there are no public plans for affordable units.

The third reason is the adjacent 30-story tower to be built on top of the future 2nd Street Metro subway station. Hundreds of parking spaces will be eliminated because of this project.

All of this is approved in Councilman Jose Huizar’s district.

Cheryl Younger, Los Angeles