Los Angeles Ethics Bill
I was greatly disturbed to hear of the tragic fate of Los Angeles Councilman Michael Woo’s ethics bill in City Council chambers (Jan. 19, 20, 22). To hear how council members stripped and weakened the bill in order to keep the perks of their positions was both revealing and shocking.
This is a time of moral crisis of leaders in business (Ivan Boesky, Michael Milken, et al), religion (Jimmy Swaggart, etc.) and government (the Keating Five and Mayor Tom Bradley). Yet the problems of ethics in government is possibly the most damaging and insidious. Ours is a democratic nation where politicians are given the responsibility to lead and represent all constituents.
It would be hoped that the Los Angeles City Council would have the foresight, thoughtfulness and leadership to take a strong stand on ethics. Instead, we read how council members argued about amendments concerning gifts of “calendars, ballpoint pens and candy.”
BERNARD C. LEE
Glendale
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