Response to "Race to the Finish"

Mr. Allen,

I respect the following points that you made in your last editorial:

1. Municipal safety officers have no right to run a "quiet campaign" with their uniforms, whether on duty or on posters. It is immoral and unethical, in my opinion. Frankly, I hope that the constituents do not elect a firefighter or police officer to the LA City Council, which must tackle the prickly issue of pension reform. City employees will not advocate the necessary reductions to restore the solvency of Los Angeles.

2.Carpetbagging is wrong, especially when the election involves local legislators and executives. No one should be entitled to run for or represent communities where they have resided for so little time. Two years is certainly an acceptable minimum residency requirement. I believe that such a law should also apply to U.S. Congressional members. If this reform were the law of the land, the inept and scandal plagued Laura Richardson would be barred from running in the 44th Congressional District. Politicians, whether local, statewide, or federal, should not be allowed to pull up stakes and move to different constituencies to stay in office; otherwise, what's the point of redistricting legislative boundaries in the first place.

I do not agree with many of your views, but your points on these two matters caught my attention enough that I wanted to write sharing my approval.

Thank you.