Letters to the Editor: City leaders need to fix the streets if they want to fix the climate

To the editor: I served as a city councilmember in West Hollywood for many years. It was always my mantra that the public would support advocacy on the big-picture issues as long as I took care of the basic service issues that affected their daily lives — on their street and in their neighborhood. (“How governable is Los Angeles?” Opinion, Jan. 22)

If the streets in your neighborhood are poorly maintained, if emergency services are slow to respond, and if parks and public spaces are dirty and unsafe, then the public won’t appreciate or support focusing on major state and national issues such as climate change. If they think you are taking care of the business that most directly impacts them, they’ll allow a little more latitude.

Jeff Prang, Los Angeles

The writer is the elected assessor of Los Angeles County.