Letters to the Editor: L.A.’s new police chief will make ‘only’ $450,000. Do we thank him?

To the editor: Once again, there’s a surprise right in the middle of my own city.

I appreciate that the Los Angeles Police Commission agreed to start our new chief at a reduced rate of “only” $450,000, which saves a bit, and hopefully provides a fair standard of living for Jim McDonnell. But still, the new Los Angeles Police Department chief’s salary is almost half a million dollars, with increases on the way.

I have not followed the story of McDonnell’s background, nor the backgrounds of those who competed with him for the L.A. police chief position. Nevertheless, a city this deep in debt needs to show better fiduciary responsibility. I know some folks in this city who would love to earn 20% of McDonnell’s salary.

But my big surprise was our overflowing compensation to the city’s utility. How did Janisse Quiñones, general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, score an annual salary of $750,000? Does anybody else think that’s excessive?

Greg Golden, Van Nuys