Letters to the Editor: To the City Council members whining over redistricting: Adapt

To the editor: Any member of the Los Angeles City Council self-interestedly fretting about proposed district lines should remember that years ago, when the council tried to write its member Joel Wachs out of political existence, Wachs adapted and won big.

The council back then moved Wachs' district to the far east of the San Fernando Valley, figuring the good folks of Sunland and Shadow Hills wouldn't take kindly to being represented by a gay Jew from Pennsylvania.

Did Wachs whine in response? Hardly: He bought a big Stetson and started hosting giant barbecues in the conservative and equestrian areas that would go on to elect him over and over until he retired.

So a word of advice on retail politics to my own councilwoman, Nithya Raman: Time to buy a hat.

Steve Meister, Sherman Oaks

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To the editor: The League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles, which serves the entire city of Los Angeles as well as a number of other cities, is in support of your editorial calling for a charter amendment and an independent redistricting commission for the city.

We have also noted some of the problems with the nonindependent commission, such as the political manipulation of the membership of the commission and the many "ex parte" interactions of the commission with City Council members and their staffs.

The league will be seeking other nonpartisan partners to prepare for a charter amendment in the coming year.

Mona Field, Los Angeles

The writer is president of the League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.