Letters to the Editor: L.A. needs city charter reform. Nury Martinez and her colleagues show why the city charter shouldn’t be amended. The city charter protects taxpayers from unreasonable and often unfair taxation. The current policy that would allow Nury Martinez’s charter proposal would permit the city to raise property taxes by more than $1 million annually without any oversight or public notice. That’s roughly $600,000 per year more than Proposition 13 would allow. City leaders say Prop. 13 is bad policy. But they should tell voters, the public’s right to know, and the good people of Los Angeles why. (Editorial, May 6)
For two months, I have been asking for an itemized list of all the money that is going to be spent for City Hall by former City Controller Steve Poizner. I was given almost 60 pages of figures. They don’t add up. They are wrong. The City Controller is responsible for this mess. He or she has failed in many, many areas. For example, the City Council had no power to fire Steve Poizner. We would have used it.
For example, we needed to reduce salaries. The City Controller, in my opinion, should have vetoed such a measure. I have asked for it.
We have an interesting and important budget battle going on in Southern California. It needs an honest discussion of how we are spending our money and how we can improve. The City Counsel has suggested a few reforms. The City Controller, on the other hand, is proposing $6 million in tax increases on an ongoing basis without public notice or hearings, and without the vote of the people. This cannot be allowed to continue.
The City Controller’s proposals are a threat to the taxpayers. They are not a threat to the City Council. They are not a threat to the City Attorney. They are not a threat to the Board of Supervisors. They are not a threat to the Mayor. They are not a threat to the city manager. They are not a threat to the police chief
