Opinion: L.A. did not win the 2028 Olympics. It lost to Paris for 2024

To the editor: Los Angeles did not win the bidding for the 2028 Summer Olympics; it lost the bidding for 2024. With all the other cities realizing fiscal prudence and withdrawing their bids, the International Olympic Committee was scared that no city would be foolish enough to bid for 2028. (“LA 2028 delegation returns from Peru, outlines next steps for 2028 Games,” Sept. 15)

To make matters worse, the IOC acted like late-night infomercials by demanding immediate action — think “call within the next 15 minutes for this deal!” — and Los Angeles took the bait. With no competition, city officials could have taken their time, held the appropriate public hearings and negotiated a much better deal as a single-source supplier.

Of course the mayor and his allies will be long gone by 2028. It’s obvious his ambitions lie on the national stage, and Los Angeles taxpayers will foot the bill for his vanity project.

John Schiermeier, Santa Clarita

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To the editor: Before we begin spending taxpayer funds on the Olympic games 11 years away, I suggest we ask a fellow I met outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, the central courthouse for all of Los Angeles County, how he would like our money spent.

Around 7:30 a.m. last Monday, this fellow was lying on the sidewalk without a shirt on his back, wearing brown corduroy pants and no socks or shoes. A police vehicle sped up to the scene; a young officer jumped out, and I thought finally help was on the way.

The officer jostled the man on the sidewalk and asked him if he was OK. The shirtless man said he was, and the the officer jumped back in his patrol car and drove away.

Kevin Park, Mission Hills

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