To the editor: The poll showing a level of voter dissatisfaction with local government similar to how people feel about Washington is extremely telling. ("Politics at the local level pointless? That's what many Californians think," Sept. 12)
People feel (often wrongly) that government spends money on things that don't affect them personally and no money on things that do, like road and sidewalk repair or homeless housing. And they also feel ignored by grandiose plans that seem to make politicians feel good but have small actual constituencies, like adding bike lanes for the small percentage of cyclists at the expense of motorists.