Ask Your Public Servants

The approach to funding the Walt Disney Concert Hall (commentary of Eli Broad, Aug. 11), ignores a large, committed group of Angelenos: the public employees of the state, county, city, L.A. Unified School District and other public agencies. These citizens are not members of Fortune 500 companies, but are people who appreciate music, culture and architecture. They are usually not asked to participate in major fund-raising campaigns such as the original Music Center, L.A. County Museum of Art, or the Museum of Contemporary Arts.

One organization that does reach out to public employees is the Greater Los Angeles United Way. It has raised millions of dollars with a successful payroll deduction plan administered by the agencies themselves.

For the Walt Disney Concert Hall, if 10 percent of the 223,000 government employees who live in L.A County (including state, county, city and school district workers) donated just $12 per month over a full year, $3.2 million in new money would be raised for the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Would public employees respond to a fund-raising request?

Every citizen in Los Angeles, whether young, old, or rich, has experienced the genius of Walt Disney. Disneyland, the Mickey Mouse Club, and the Wonderful World of Disney on television have brought joy to our hearts. This fund-raising campaign is a unique opportunity to say “Thank you, Walt.”

In my opinion, it is time for the fund-raising committee to reach out from the bottom to the top, as well as from the top to the bottom. Maximum public participation will guarantee a successful fund-raising program.

JACK MCGRATH

GM Communications

Valley Village