Double Standard for Building Permits

Re county Supervisor Gloria Molina’s illegal retaining wall and swimming pool, April 17: As much as we may want to believe that Molina and her husband will be required to pull permits for the swimming pool or bring the retaining wall up to code, we all know this will die on the vine. The $3,000-plus in fees and fines associated with the wall went unpaid and so will this.

Los Angeles operates under two systems--one for the common citizen and another for the Gloria Molinas. If you don’t believe this is so, why wasn’t the previous retaining wall fine collected? Even Patt Morrison knows this is going nowhere and made light of it in her April 17 column.

Curt Redecker

Lancaster

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It is a shame that there is such a double standard: Citizens who are not members of the City Council or the Board of Supervisors would have to tear down a wall that was built without a permit and that does not meet the requirements of the Building and Safety Department, and they would have to pay the fine and fees.

Is the city taking steps to collect the $3,710 from Molina? Has she pleaded poverty?

Charles Glasman

Van Nuys