Sept. 30, 2026 5 AM PT

To the editor: Who are the City Council members responsible for the areas where tons of trash are seen? The mayor cannot see all, and local eyes seem shut.

Columnist Steve Lopez mentions the mess of homeless people squatting in an abandoned property that recently caught fire (“Here’s why so many L.A. voters are undecided in mayor’s race,” Sept. 25). The property was in City Councilmember Nithya Raman’s district. If she prevails in the mayoral race, you probably will see a lot more homeless people on school and library sidewalks, as she has consistently voted against expansions to 41.18, the city’s anti-camping law.

Why don’t these council members form trash cleanups with their constituents? It’s good exercise, good social activity and needed. That’s what we’ve done in Brentwood when trash gets overwhelming. Our council member, Traci Park, facilitates via her office. The effort requires bags, gloves, grit, humor and water to drink.

We are also working as a community to mulch dying coral trees. UCLA students pitched in. There are schools all over the city that partake in community service.

L.A. is such a massive city; it will never be perfect. But actions can be taken to keep one’s area in good shape. Start there and pat yourself on the back. Shout out a positive message and make suggestions to your council member to organize your community.

People are allowed to clean streets and sidewalks without permission.

Nancy Freedman, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Beyond articulating their specific plans for addressing the myriad issues confronting Los Angeles, the mayoral candidates need to be specific about how they are going to hold departments accountable for carrying out their plans. Voters would like to see consequences when the ball is dropped. What specific department is in charge of a problem? Why is the problem not being addressed? Who is in charge? What is the remedy for poor performance?

As a constituent of Raman, I am not surprised that she does not have a larger lead. She has alienated most of the district by running an unresponsive office. If either of these candidates want our votes, they need to heed the frustrated demands for accountability.

Alexa Smith Maxwell, Los Angeles

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To the editor: The newspaper headline about Raman’s Democratic Socialists of America questionnaire said the city council member was playing “coy” (“Yes or no? Mayoral candidate Nithya Raman isn’t always willing to commit,” Sept. 26). I would suggest that “honest” would be a more apt description.

One thing that turns me off with any politician is giving simple but incomplete answers. I have learned over a pretty long life that “yes” or “no” is seldom a complete or honest answer. I understand that politicians calculate which answer will give them the most votes, but I don’t approve of that strategy — that’s not what our democracy is about.

If I were voting in L.A., I would give Raman a much closer look, since she understands that neither “yes” nor “no” is a good answer to many questions. As an honest disclosure, I’ve been a socialist since my service in the U.S. Army in the 1960s and my years as a member of the California Bar, during which I learned the best answer is “it depends,” even if it doesn’t satisfy everyone.

Jay Coffman, San Diego