Couple’s Victory

“Topanga Pair Win Unlikely Victory Over Bureaucracy” (Aug. 24) is a story worthy of a Hollywood screenwriter. It is a tale of arrogance and audacity by appointed governmental officials, of a district attorney’s office ignoring proven and blatant violations of the law, and of the determination and pugnacity of two citizens who actually fought for better government for all of us and won a small victory. It was an inspiring story. But there are a couple of additional story elements required before this tale can be turned into hit movie.

Where were the cries of outrage from county elected officials at the payoffs and the “protection” blackmail being sold? Where were the demands that the arrogant power brokers, found guilty in court of crimes against all the citizens of this county, resign? I find the silence coming from county officials even more disturbing than the original crimes themselves.

KIMIT A. MUSTON, North Hollywood

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Reading your article on the quixotic crusade of Kathleen Kenny and Arthur Starz against the county Division of Building and Safety and its bureaucracy gave me a great deal of vicarious vindication. Like Kenny and Starz, I and my neighbors battled for years with the county office and the California Coastal Commission in an effort to get them to enforce their own permit requirements. We were continually baffled as to why there appeared to be selective enforcement.

After numerous letters and meetings with the county office, the Coastal Commission and the Planning Department, including our commissioning of engineering studies and submission of evidence to our county supervisor, no action was taken. We finally gave up. It now appears that our often cynical explanations of why our pleadings fell on deaf ears were somewhat grounded in truth. I applaud Kenny and Starz in their belief in themselves and their cause. I hope that their victory will cause the district attorney to probe a little deeper into this particular office.

PETER S. BANNER, Malibu