Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez had an excellent piece in Sunday’s paper. The column was titled, “L.A. Catching up to Chicago in Sleaze.” It focused on how badly run Los Angeles and other local municipalities are – and on how much corruption exists in local government.
Lopez made an excellent point about why this happens:
I think a better explanation for our current rot is that if you’re a scheming public official in Los Angeles, stealing everything that isn’t nailed to the wall is a breeze. Too many people aren’t paying attention and can’t be bothered to vote, which allows sleazy opportunists to easily build fiefdoms.
Considering that voter turnout in the most recent Los Angeles city election was 11.6%, we would have to agree.
So, get informed, get involved, and get organized. Most importantly, vote in every election, and insist that politicians pay attention to your concerns. And if you’re not willing to do that, then don’t complain to us about your problems.
You can read the entire Steve Lopez column here.
