L.A. STORIES

Re your article on playwright Jose Rivera (“Loves L.A., Hates L.A., Loves It, Hates It . . . ,” by Don Shirley, May 18):

Another East Coast transplant complaining about L.A.’s problems (i.e. smog, race relations, natural disasters, fill-in-the-blank) while not offering even a hint of a solution. Big surprise.

L.A. used to be a great place to live before everyone relocated here. And as far as I know, planes still do leave LAX.

BARRIE NEWELL

Los Angeles

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I am so tired of people deriding the Westside of Los Angeles. Jose Rivera cites the “conspicuous displays of wealth” there. There are also poor, working-class and middle-class individuals who work, go to community churches and send their children to public school. He owns a home in the same neighborhood as Madonna!

Please, Mr. Rivera, exit the 10 Freeway in Santa Monica sometime and look around. We are not all “repulsive and laughable.” Some of us even buy tickets to the Mark Taper Forum across town.

CATHERINE M. GENTILE

Santa Monica