Commissioner Firing

The mayor fires the head of the Police Commission and the story takes up almost a full page in The Times (“Riordan Fires Police Panel Head,” Feb. 6). The story behind the story, however, gets short space in the article. The mayor meets with his “advisors” at his home “to discuss problems in the Police Department.” Hey, pal, meet with other elected officials, not your buddies at home.

Eli Broad--gosh, that name’s familiar--is quoted as saying, “We saw a need to change leadership. I don’t have much patience and the mayor doesn’t either.” Hey, wait a minute, what office was he elected to? While Broad is entitled to his opinion, as is anyone, that’s all he’s entitled to. If he wants to nuke public policy and act and talk like an elected official, he should run for office. Something’s really wrong with the process here, and it makes one wonder how much other city policy these stealth mayors are orchestrating.

TOM PATERSON

Valley Village