To the editor: Does it surprise anyone that the Los Angeles City Council is reluctant to dilute its own power (“Panel balks at plans to expand L.A. City Council to 25 members,” June 16)? In 1997, when I ran for charter commission, I produced a graph that showed that the Los Angeles City Council representation ratio was so pathetic it ranked at the bottom of major cities, states and even a few countries.
Two hundred and fifty years ago, our forefathers rallied behind a cry of “no taxation without representation.” At what point do the ratios of representation become so high that they effectively become “taxation without representation” — and where the only constituents council members listen to are those able to make big campaign contributions?
Andrew Tilles, Studio City
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To the editor: Delaying the increase of the City Council size from 15 to 25 is little different from the many states gerrymandering their House of Representative districts. They both undermine the goal of our democracy: valid representation of the citizenry.
The council should do what the voters asked for and not cling to their present empires where deep-pocket special interests and well-organized groups advocating minority positions hold sway.
Walter Hall, North Hollywood
