The Coup That Failed
Act One is over; the intermission could end at any moment By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
“The more we learn, the less this looks like a coup bound to fail, and the more it looks like plain luck that all our legislators and our vicepresident were not murdered.”
— Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
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onald Trump’s bumbling, slap-dash, failed coup was every bit as ridiculous as might be expected, but a lot more dangerous as well — because so many people failed to take it seriously, in the days, weeks and years leading up to it. It was dangerous not just because it left five people dead—and could have left many more—but because it may well be only the beginning. The FBI issued warnings that violent demonstrations could occur at all 50 state capitals on Inauguration Day. Beyond that, it could grow even worse. That didn’t happen, and the inauguration ceremony and speech were crafted to reduce the Trumpdriven threat to democracy. But history warns, it could still grow even worse. Thus, in contrast to President Joe Biden’s call for unity, Trump’s farewell speech focused solely on his movement, with an ominous promise that “We will be back in some form.” Historian Timothy Snyder put it succinctly. “The lie outlasts the liar,” he wrote in the New York Times. “The idea that Germany lost the First World War in 1918 because of a Jewish ‘stab in the back’ was 15 years [See Coup, p. 10] Real News, Real People, Really Effective
The capitol building in Washington, D.C., on morning of President Joe Biden’s inauguration, and the site of an insurrection on Jan. 6. Photo by Joseph M. Giordano
A Kiss of Life During Pandemic Local doc provides help on social media By Melina Paris, Editorial Assistant
Warner Grand’s 90th: Big renovations in hopes for a bright future p. 11 Winter Mushrooms p. 12
[See Kiss, p. 6]
COVID-19 Cases in the U.S. as of Jan. 20, 2021: 24,966,514 • U.S. Deaths: 415,029 Los Angeles County Cases: 1,031,874 • Deaths: 14,122 • Vaccination Alert see p. 9
Dr. Jessica Kiss in her office at Palos Verdes Medical Group. Photo by Arturo Garcia-Ayala
January 21 - February 3, 2021
Homicide: The other public health threat p. 4
Angeles County are at capacity and cannot treat people suffering from other ailments and accidents unrelated to COVID-19. Doctors must perform triage as if the country is at war. Folks are scared. But what comes next has frontline healthcare scared. Doctors have taken to combatting the fear and the misinformation by posting about their experiences in the hospitals as well as facts about COVID-19. Dr. Jessica Kiss is one of them. Dr. Kiss, a mother of four, specializes in family medicine and works at Palos Verdes Medical Group. She has practiced medicine for the past five years and has
Carson welcomes Madam Mayor p. 2
Nearly a year into a global pandemic, the United States has 24 million cases and 400,000 deaths from the coronavirus. We know flattening the curve in new infection rates is critical to gaining control over the coronavirus, but frustrated people are tired of waiting. This was exemplified by the numbers of Americans that traveled to celebrate with their loved ones this past holiday season. The reality that frontline workers experience in treating the public cannot continue. As our subject for this story noted, doctors are having to “Mickey Mouse” things in a way to help COVID patients who must endure excessive emergency room waits. Hospitals in Los
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Community Announcements:
Harbor Area COVID-19 Vaccination Community Town Hall
Long Beach City Councilman Austin will host a virtual town hall Jan. 21, to provide the latest information and answer questions about Long Beach’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program. Joining Councilmember Austin will be: Kelly Colopy, Director of Long Beach Health Department; Dr. Anissa Davis, Long Beach Health Officer; and Ikenna Mmeje, Chief Operating Officer, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. The Community Town Hall can be viewed on Councilmember Austin’s Facebook page or via Zoom at www.longbeach-gov.zoom.us/covidvaccine-town-hall. Submit questions ahead of time that you would like to have answered to district8@longbeach.gov. Time: 6 p.m. Jan. 21 Details: Call in to listen to the town hall, 213-3388477, Meeting ID: 93469670312#
Ports to Give CAAP Update
Learn about the progress the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are making toward the goals of the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan on Jan. 27. Click here to register www.polb.webex.com/ CAAP-implementation-stakeholder-meeting. An agenda will be posted prior to the meeting at www.cleanairactionplan.org/about-the-plan/ stakeholder-advisory-group. Records of prior meetings can be found at www.cleanairactionplan. org/about-the-plan/stakeholder-advisory-group. This is the first meeting of 2021 and the 11th under the CAAP 2017 Update. The ports will take public comments at the advisory meeting. The agenda will be posted on the CAAP website’s Stakeholder Advisory Group page prior to the meeting. Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m Jan. 27 meeting via WebEx Details: cleanairactionplan.org.
Understand Your COVID-19 Risks
January 21 - February 3, 2021
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
The Los Angeles Department of Aging, in partnership with BellAge Inc. has launched CV19 CheckUp in Los Angeles. CV19 CheckUp is an online system developed to help Los Angeles residents be safer, healthier and ensure their individual needs are met during the pandemic. CV19 CheckUp users complete an easy, quick, confidential questionnaire then personalized report is provided, outlining the user’s level of risk and offering recommendations and resources to reduce those risks. CV19 CheckUp employs artificial intelligence and data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. Details: https://losangeles.cv19checkup.org, https://losangeles-es.cv19checkup.org/es/
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County Eviction Moratorium Extended
Renters with questions about the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ vote to extend its eviction moratorium through Feb. 28, should speak with a counselor. Details: 833-223-7368, (RENT); https://dcba. lacounty.gov/noevictions
Free Technical Assistance Program to Help Businesses
The Los Angeles County Development Authority has launched a new online resource to help businesses large and small navigate through economic uncertainty and prepare for a post-COVID-19 economy. The BizHelp Program is available and free to all businesses in the County of Los Angeles. The LACDA has teamed up with three local technical assistance providers to host webinars that will cover various topics such as tips for successfully securing financial resources, operating post COVID-19, understanding basics in accounting and bookkeeping and improving credit for business owners. Registration is required. Details: bizhelp.lacda.org.
LA Board of Harbor Commissioners
The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners will meet. Time: 9 a.m. Jan. 28 Details: www.portoflosangeles.org/ commission/agenda-archive-and-videos
Committed to Independent Journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for More Than 40 Years
Carson Welcomes a New Mayor, District Reps By Joseph Baroud, Reporter Three familiar faces took the constitutional oath during the most-vital part of Carson’s municipal inauguration on Jan. 9, which was posted on the city’s website three days later. The video included dance troupes and community groups representing every corner of Carson and celebrated Lula Davis Holmes, the city’s first African-American woman mayor under its new charter. The ceremony also recognized the reelection of councilmembers Jawane Hilton and Cedric Hicks. Hilton’s re-election in District 1 was the most lopsided of Carson’s races; his 5,780 votes constituted 51.2% of votes cast. Vincent Kim received 2,342 votes (20.75%) to finish second. Hicks earned another term in District 3, but his race was less marginal. His 4,579 votes were 40% of those cast and four percentage points ahead of Brandi Williams-Murdoch’s vote total of 4,184. Davis made history in the mayor’s race by a margin of 376 votes — less than 1% of the total — over Mayor Pro Tem Jim Dear. Davis edged Dear by taking 32.65% of the city’s vote as opposed to Dear, who garnered 31.74 percent. The induction took place on the steps of city hall. Los Angeles County Supervisor, Holly Mitchell, swore Davis-Holmes in. DavisHolmes recounted her journey as the first female recreation center director in the City of Carson to her appointment as the city’s superintendent of recreation and parks. “I did not stop my journey there,” DavisHolmes said. “I worked hard. I associated with female leaders and kept my eye on the prize. Today I stand before you as the first female African-American to be elected as mayor of this great city.” With her elevation to mayor in a newly chartered city, Davis-Holmes’ seat is now the only at-large seat requiring the vote of residents throughout the city. In a nod to Councilman Jim Dear placing a close second in the race, DavisHolmes in an expression of reconciliation invited her longtime political rival to join her in uniting a city divided by districts through commitment to the greater good. “As I begin to take on this new role, I’ll ask my colleagues on the city council to adopt a creed, that we are one ... one city, one community, one people,” Davis-Holmes said. “And, that every resident shall have equal access to information, resources and opportunities despite the fact we have unfortunately been divided by districts. For my administration, it’s not about me. It’s about, we, the people in Carson.” Hilton and Hicks had the same ceremony as Davis. Hilton had former City Councilman Gil Smith, who was a founding member of the Carson City Council, where he served for 13 years, including two years as mayor (1970 to 1971 and 1974 to 1975) do the honors. “I want to say to District 1 thank you for [the] clear victory, [with] 51% of the vote,” Hilton said. “I’m thankful for clear victory. I’m everybody’s councilman. I’m honored to serve. I look forward to working with the new mayor. I look forward to working with our councilmembers. I’m looking forward to moving Carson forward.” Hicks, who was reelected to represent the newly formed District 3, was last to be sworn in.
Lula Davis Holmes was sworn in as the City of Carson’s new mayor the weekend prior to the virtual inaugural celebration that took place on Jan. 5. Photo courtesy of the City of Carson
He chose Compton Superior Court Judge Kevin Filer who he’s had ties with for a long time and who is familiar with the road he’s traveled as both are from similar backgrounds. Filer reminded everyone of how far Hicks has gone as he recalled his first position with the City of Carson as a park volunteer. He beamed with pride as he reminded everyone that Hicks was Carson’s first African-American director of community services. Hicks spoke of equal opportunity for Carson’s residents, saying he is going to lead the charge in making healthcare, technology, professional
services, economic and educational equality a reality for all. He, along with Hilton and Davis, said they couldn’t wait to work with the new president and vice president in a collaborative effort to work on an economic plan to help sustain the city, especially during the pandemic. The main message that the mayor and the council had for their residents is that they will work hard to create and maintain cohesiveness with a city that has been divided by districts. They want to let Carson residents know that they aren’t only your district’s council members, but still your city’s council members.
State of POLA Addresses COVID-19, Emissions By Hunter Chase, Reporter
The Port of Los Angeles hosted its annual State of the Port address on Jan. 14. In previous years, the port charged exorbitant fees to hear the address. Because of the pandemic, this year, it was virtual and free. Gene Seroka, executive director of the port, largely focused on the impact COVID-19 had on the port during 2020. In particular, the port’s moving of containers, which is its primary economic driver, was erratic. “By May of 2020, our volume had plunged nearly 19%,” Seroka said. “In the second half of the year, American consumer demand created a pandemic-induced buying that our economy has never seen before.” The amount of containers that the port moved in the second half of 2020 increased by almost 50%. The port handled almost twice as much cargo the week before Christmas of 2020 than it did during that same period in 2019. In total, the port moved 9.2 million twentyfoot equivalent units during 2020, which is slightly below 2019. However, 2020 was the port’s fourth highest ranking year in terms of cargo volume. Seroka praised the ILWU’s handling of the swings in cargo volume. By August, the port was down nearly 234,000 labor shifts. But when the pendulum swung in the other direction, the
ILWU members picked up the slack. While the moving of cargo volume broke several records over the last few months, most of the port’s other areas of business declined, including cruises, waterfront businesses and vehicle import volumes. Seroka said the biggest reduction in business was in exports. “Rarely have we seen a time when only 1 in 4 containers returning to Asia was loaded with cargo,” Seroka said. Seroka argued that the port serves the economy and said that the port will accelerate economic recovery. He said the port will do this by getting more money from the government. “Over the last decade, federal investment in West Coast ports has trailed other coasts by a margin of 10 to one,” Seroka said. “That needs to change. Working with the ILWU, PMA [Pacific Maritime Association] and other West Coast ports, we will marshal a coalition to fight for our fair share of funding.” Seroka did not specify why the port needs extra funding when it continues to break records in terms of cargo volume. He said the port will also help the economy by aligning policies, programs and investment on exports. “Everyone benefits when we make it easier
[See POLA, p. 6]
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
January 21 - February 3, 2021
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Homicide: The Other Public Health Threat By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor
January 21 - February 3, 2021
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
The coronavirus wasn’t the only thing filling up my newsfeed in 2020. When it wasn’t populated by reactions to the latest officerinvolved shooting fatalities, it was permeated with accounts of the most recent protests against the killing of unarmed Black people. I was seeing reports of horrific family tragedies that ended in homicide. Gang violence and drug deals gone wrong played some role in the overall increase in violent crime in 2020. But I know they don’t explain the whole story. The problem is that these stories all too often don’t come to a conclusion. At the start of 2021, I contacted the South Bureau of the Los Angeles Police Department to request an update on the arrests made in homicide cases in 2020 in the Los Angeles Harbor Area and learned how few of these cases have been resolved and justice served. Of the 18 homicides cases committed in San Pedro and Wilmington in 2020, only four resulted in arrests. The following is a list of cases, each with short synopsis. None of them really have a conclusion, but the storylines of a few of them go beyond a victim and victim’s families being victimized. This past December, a $50,000 reward was offered for information that would help find whoever killed Akeem Coburn on the night of July 29. The 30-year-old father of two young girls was standing in a driveway in a Harbor Gateway neighborhood, just after 10 p.m., when someone walked up and shot him. Coburn ran away, then collapsed in the backyard of a home. An arrest has yet to be made. Days before Thanksgiving, Miguel Ruiz, a
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37-year-old from San Pedro, was shot and killed on the 100 block of South Mesa Street. Ruiz was reportedly sitting in the courtyard of an apartment complex with a group of friends, a few minutes after 9 p.m., when a man approached and fired multiple shots at them. Ruiz died at the scene. Two others were injured by the gunfire; one declined medical treatment and the other was taken to a hospital, police said. No arrests. Alex Littlejohn, a 22-yearold Latino, was killed on Oct. 27, after being shot near West 1st and South Centre streets in San Pedro. No arrests. Veronica Jasmine Hernandez, a 24-year-old Latina, was slain Oct. 26 after being stabbed near West 36th and South Gaffey streets in San Pedro. No arrests. Nuusoliafaifuaina Tuimoloau, a beloved 58-year-old Carson High School volunteer, was killed April 24, after he was struck and killed by a vehicle, near 3600 S. Carolina St. in San Pedro. Justin Aranda, 21 years old, was arrested May 13 and is being held on $2 million bond for Tuimoloau’s death. Aranda was arraigned on Nov. 4 and pleaded not guilty. His next hearing date is Jan. 26 for a pre-trial conference. Though Aranda was arrested, detectives still didn’t know why he allegedly ran down Tuimoloau, nor were they certain why the two engaged in a confrontation as the victim was leaving his home to visit his mother. Jose Luis Acevedo-Jaimes, a 23-year-old
Latino, was shot and killed Feb. 26, in the 200 block of North Cabrillo Avenue in San Pedro, at about 1:30 a.m. Acevedo-Jaimes was walking east on Sepulveda to a liquor store when a person walked up to him, shot him and fled, said Los Angeles Police Detective Julie Scruggs. Residents in the area heard the gunshots and called police. Acevedo-Jaimes was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:20 a.m., according to coroner’s records. Nexo Adrian Garcia was arrested Feb. 28, 2020 and charged with the homicide. His bail was set at $3 million. Raul Ernesto Esparza, 44, was sleeping near the waterfront across the street from the post office at about 3:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020, when someone stabbed him multiple times, then ran away. Esparza was pronounced dead on the 800 block of South Beacon Street in San Pedro according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner records. No arrests have been made. Arlene Leonor Rodriguez, a 24-year-old Latina and her child, were killed Nov. 15, after being shot near 1100 N. Neptune Ave. in Wilmington. No arrests have been made. Gabriel A. Gonzales, a 27-year-old Latino, died Sunday, Oct. 25, after being shot near 800 Quay Ave. in Wilmington. Jose Altamirano, 40, was arrested and charged with murder. Teenagers Jesse Meza and Raemond Jarrod De Leon Santos, 19, were shot and killed Sept. 30, in the 1200 block of Drumm Avenue in
Wilmington, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. Shortly before 2 a.m., Santos was sitting in the driver’s seat of his gray Honda Accord with Meza, his 18-year-old cousin, when another vehicle stopped nearby, said Los Angeles police Det. Dave Cortez. A person got out of the car and began shooting at them through the driver’s side window. Santos was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:06 a.m. Meza died at a hospital. Santos had been visiting Meza, who lived in the area. Cortez said he believes the men were “misidentified” as gang members. No arrests have been made. Kevin Renard Yarbrough Jr., a 31-year-old white man, died Saturday, July 18, after being shot near 1025 McFarland Ave. in Wilmington, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s records. No arrests have been made. Daniel Felipe Delgado, a 19-year-old Latino, was shot and killed Sunday, July 5, near East Pacific Coast Highway and Drumm Avenue in Wilmington, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s records. About 1:45 a.m., Delgado was driving a burgundy Honda Accord on East Pacific Coast Highway and made a left onto Drumm Avenue, said Los Angeles Police Officer Jeffrey Tiffin. Delgado, who was with two others, was driving a friend home. Another vehicle, possibly a dark-colored sedan, followed behind him and a person inside [See Homicide, p. 5]
[Homicide, from p. 4]
Homicide
shot at Delgado’s car from behind, Tiffin said. Delgado was struck and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Delgado was driving his friend home from a July 4 gathering, police said. It’s unclear what prompted the shooting. No arrests have been made. Freddie Gomez Zavala, a 45-year-old Latino male, died May 12, after being shot near 1523 Island Ave. in Wilmington, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s records. No arrests have been made. Gus Bolanos Jr., a 30-year-old Latino, was shot and killed Jan. 31, 2020, in the 200 block of West Anaheim Street in Wilmington, according to Los Angeles County Medical ExaminerCoroner’s records. About 11:52 a.m., Bolanos was reportedly in the passenger seat of a parked car when a man approached him and shot him multiple times. Bolanos was pronounced dead at 12:05 p.m. at the scene, according to coroner’s records. Jose Gonzalez Ruiz, a 29-year-old Latino, reportedly the ex-husband of Bolanos’ girlfriend, was charged with one count of murder with gun allegations. Gonzalez Ruiz has pleaded not guilty and is due back in court March 12. You may submit an anonymous tip anytime, anywhere, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by phone, text, or through the Internet. Justice in violent crime cases requires the public’s help. Crime Stoppers wants information on crimes that have occurred including unsolved crimes. If a crime is in progress, please dial 9-1-1. Otherwise, call 800- 222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.
Life After Mother:
First, a Phone Call By Lyn Jensen, Reporter
I was packing for a trip when I got the call: My mother was in the hospital with a stroke. Staff at the senior center where she volunteered were alarmed and called an ambulance. Forget the trip! A senior myself, I had to take care of what the hospital didn’t — her car, her cats, everything. My mother’s neighbor agreed to feed the cats, but her car was at the senior center and staff had the keys. They were reluctant to give me the keys because I had no power of attorney, but I talked them into it. One of the other women at the senior center had taken upon herself to keep my mother’s personal belongings safe because she didn’t trust the hospital. She returned my mother’s things, but I had to leave my car at her house because the woman wouldn’t help drive the cars anywhere else. I drove my mother’s car to my home instead. After a day the hospital said my mother could be released but she’d require 24hour care. She had dementia, they said, and shouldn’t drive. Lacking power of attorney, I couldn’t pay for a board-and-care or a caregiver with my mother’s money. I couldn’t afford to pay with my money for
more than a month. With the hospital rushing to discharge my mother so they could free up the bed, I turned to the people who’d assisted with my father’s end-of-life care. My mother had met them, seen their facility and I thought she’d understand she could rest and recover there while I moved into her house to provide 24-hour care. Two days after the stroke, the hospital’s shuttle transported my mother to the facility I’d arranged, while I started for her home to pack some things for her. My cell phone rang. My mother was refusing to get out of the shuttle. I spent an hour talking her out of the shuttle. The police had to be called to get her in the house where she promptly fell asleep on the couch. “Call us again if you need to,” said the policeman. At 10 that night the facility’s owner called, “Come and get your mother, we can’t keep her here.” I could hear raging hysteria in the background. I had doctor’s orders to give my mother 24hour care. If I got her in my (her) car and got her to her house, at midnight, with no place for me to sleep, what good would that do?
I told the board-and-care’s owner to call the police. He refused, so I did, and explained to them about my mother’s overall condition. They got her back to the hospital, which didn’t have a bed for her so I don’t know where she slept. She probably just stayed in a waiting area somewhere. The next morning I got on the phone with the agent who’d helped my father and was able to find a caregiver I could afford for a month, but she was unavailable until evening. Finally, a friend was able to help me get my car from the woman’s house where I’d left it, while my mother’s car remained in my driveway. The hospital was calling all day about “come and get your mother,” but traffic was bad and I didn’t make it to the hospital until the day shift had gone home. The people I’d been dealing with weren’t there to deal with anymore. I took my mother to a diner for dinner, and by that time the caregiver was on shift. I introduced them and explained to my mother I’d arranged for this person to stay with her, to help her, so she wouldn’t be alone. When I phoned next morning, my mother complained there was a stranger in her house and her car was stolen. Life After Mother, a new column explores navigating elder caregiving, probate and estate issues from personal experience
Real News, Real People, Really Effective January 21 - February 3, 2021
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[Kiss, from p. 1]
Kiss of Life During Pandemic lived in the community her entire life, minus her undergraduate studies at Arizona State University. Her social media page, Ask Dr. Mom, is a section on the blog site, South Bay Mommies and Daddies. There, Kiss gives her more than 1,500 social media followers straight forward information — not medical advice — aimed at “providing help with parenting, health, and beyond.” These days, COVID has become the subject of that “beyond” including the nuances of testing, vaccines and coping. Kiss recently spoke about triage protocols for COVID patients, getting patients to the hospital, including discharge and follow up. Buckle in.
COVID triage protocol
When patients call her office worried they have COVID-19, the staff walks them through a series of questions about symptoms and past potential exposure. If they’re not in any distress, patients are sent to the clinic’s drive up test site. If they need a more rapid COVID swab and for the most part are symptomatic, they administer a molecular test for the rapid and symptomatic patients. For patients in more serious need, they have protocols to safely bring them into the office.
going to wait 15 to 20 hours on average in LA County right now. So we have to then Mickey Mouse things where we are trying to prepare them. We’ll give them extra shots of antibiotics in the office, we tell them to go home and pick up fluids. We tell them to call us if they are sitting in the E.R. and they need something because we’re not sure that their staff will be able to accommodate them.” When the doctor calls 911 for a patient who is in distress, maybe with acute chest pain or symptoms of appendicitis, the first question is, ‘Is this a COVID patient?’ “Well, everybody’s a COVID patient until
Going to the hospital
January 21 - February 3, 2021
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
Depending on what they need, if a patient is not very sick — either it’s not COVID symptoms they’re sick with, or they’re sick with COVID but it’s not emergent — the staff usually has them transported by private car. Kiss noted the craziness of the situation when, for instance, they had a patient with a kidney infection. The patient needed to go to the hospital, go through admission, receive antibiotics and fluids and then be checked more closely. “Normally, a weekday in the emergency room will require a couple hours wait and you’re done,” Kiss said. “In this case we know they are
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[POLA, from p. 2]
State of POLA
for American businesses to access foreign markets, create economic opportunity and reduce their carbon footprint,” Seroka said. He said that the port’s capacity to handle large amounts of cargo quickly was key to its competitiveness. Operational inefficiency hurts the port, and the executive director said that everyone involved needed to take steps to move faster, including stakeholders in the supply chain community and policy makers. During the presentation, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti briefly spoke, commending Seroka’s work as chief logistics officer for Logistics Victory Los Angeles, or LOVE LA, which was started during the pandemic to stockpile personal protective equipment, or PPE, for workers and hospitals. “To date, LOVE LA has provided more than 4.6 million units of PPE to three dozen LA area hospitals, and 150 skilled nursing facilities,” Garcetti said. Seroka said that at the beginning of the pandemic, the PMA and ILWU quickly came up with protocols for sanitizing terminal and telecommunications equipment. However, since liquid sanitizer
Dr. Jessica Kiss, poses a direct question from her Facebook page
was scarce, they had to rely on the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which supplied 1,400 gallons of industrial bleach. Construction and maintenance workers diluted the bleach to standards set by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and delivered them to the marine terminals in the port. Seroka also spoke of new digital tools to track port data, such as the Port Optimizer data portal, as well as the Control Tower. These tools help with efficiency, but the port has a more sinister problem related to data — the weaponization of port data. “Since the pandemic began, cyber intrusion attempts on our IT system have nearly doubled to 45 million per month,” Seroka said. “Our cyber security safeguards protect us against those intrusions, but other maritime institutions have suffered costly and debilitating attacks.” To fight these attacks, the port has a cyber resilient center run by International Business Machines Corp., IBM. Seroka did not mention that the port charged Carlos Saldana, ILWU casual, with 20 counts of cyber harassment — even though he did nothing of the sort. The only thing Saldana did was attend a protest in person with signs that mocked the harbor commissioners who approved the automation of Pier 400. The case was quietly dismissed in November 2020, after Saldana spent more than $10,000 defending himself.
proven otherwise,” she said. “We’ve had situations where patients are sitting in our office, literally vomiting and we’re like, ‘Sorry, we have to stick this swab up your nose now.’ And we have to ‘COVID’[test] them before the team comes in because anything really can be COVID. Your abdominal pain and your appendicitis might be secondary to COVID because it set you over the edge, you were already predisposed to getting that. It becomes a nightmare situation.”
Hospital stay and discharge protocol
“Most patients now, if they are bad enough to be in the hospital, will require some level of either monoclonal antibody treatment [which
What is a vaccination?
Vaccination is a simple, safe, and effective way of protecting people against harmful diseases before they come into contact with them. It uses your body’s natural defenses to build resistance to specific infections and makes your immune system stronger. Vaccines train your immune system to create antibodies, as it does when exposed to a disease. However, because vaccines contain only killed or weakened forms of germs like viruses or bacteria, they do not cause the disease or put you at risk of its complications. In total, vaccines are estimated to save between 2 and 3 million lives every year. Only by an overwhelming majority of the population being vaccinated and thus immune to COVID-19, will we develop what is called “herd immunity.” Details: www.who.int/health-topics/ vaccines-and-immunizations Seroka also spoke of the port’s clean air action plan, and the advancements the port made on it in 2020. The port’s goals include zero emissions terminal equipment by 2030, and a zero-emissions drayage truck fleet by 2035. To that end, the port is currently involved in 16 demonstration projects and is testing 134 units of advanced equipment, including 78 zero-emissions trucks. “After more than a decade of proofs of concept, we’re starting to have real discussions with truck manufacturers about what it will take to make a zero-emissions equipment market right here in Los Angeles,” Seroka said. However, such a change will not be cheap. Transitioning to zero-emissions trucks will cost more than $10 billion, which does not include the cost of installing infrastructure to support those trucks, such as charging stations. The port doesn’t know how to actually meet its own deadline in terms of zero emissions, so it sent out a request for information to private companies in October. The port wants help with how to accelerate the development of zero-emissions technology and other organizations had until Jan. 14 to respond. With any luck, other entities will be able to help the port do what critics say it should already be doing.
are] laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful antigens such as viruses,” she said. “Either people have recovered their plasma or need secondary treatments, [because] they have COVID associated pneumonia. That’s the main reason we are hospitalizing patients right now. Sometimes they develop secondary bacterial pneumonia and have to wait till that improves which could take up to 3 to 5 days. It’s also not uncommon for these patients to get on ventilators and stay in for much longer than that.” Discharge protocols for COVID-19 are similar to other diagnoses. Primary physicians, like Dr. Kiss, want to see COVID patients back in a couple days for a follow up. With COVID patients most screenings happen with a telemed visit. If she feels the patient is still too sick, she will have them come into the office. “The telemed is less than ideal,” she said. “It’s hard because the burden on the hospital system is so much right now. Normally they would be good at communicating with me what potential needs my patients would have after they leave or they will send a discharge summary. Normally I’d get those in a few days and discharge them. Right now that’s not happening because turnover in the hospital is so, so high. That’s not a priority at the moment. “I turned to my nurse practitioner the other day talking about a patient we were sending to wait in the E.R., trying to figure out what to do and MacGyvering things essentially,” said Kiss, referring to the old television show. “I stopped and said to her, ‘What is this? Why are we having this conversation? It’s 2021, not 1821.’ This shouldn’t be a thing and it’s a really unfortunate reality.”
Staff morale
Dr. Kiss’ staff is doing very well, going above and beyond, she said. The staff is well skilled in identifying patient needs. They hired extra staff to help manage their testing facility, who have been “just crushing it every day and doing more and more.” While her staff is holding up very well, right now — everyone’s in “fight or flight mode.” She’s concerned, when all of this ends, about the mental health needs of frontline workers who have been experiencing this kind of chronic trauma.
What would help inform people about COVID-19?
The doctor said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Los Angeles County Health websites are both excellent patient resources. LA County Public Health website links information on who can get a vaccination, where and when. It also links to who people can contact and provides testing information as does Dr. Kiss’s clinic. If people think they have been in contact with someone who has COVID, they should contact a testing center and their primary care physician for testing advice. But not all testing centers are offering the same resources to patients and that’s a problem. For example, Kiss’ office requires a telehealth visit to determine what the right testing is based on the patient’s circumstance. “We also let you know what a negative test or a positive test will implicate,” she said. “Without that information it’s really hard to know when you get a positive or negative result what that means,” she said. “Not all tests are created the same and all of the tests are used for different reasons so that’s been a key loophole that needs to close.”
What people should understand
Even when you sign up to get a test at a clinic where they don’t do that process, Dr. Kiss [See Kiss, p. 7]
[Kiss, from p. 6]
Dr. Kiss
encourages people to contact their primary care physician and to have that conversation, prior and after testing so that they are informed what that means. “Because potentially you can have somebody get a negative test who was exposed five days earlier and not realize that they still have to quarantine for a full 14 days,” she said. “[They] go out spreading disease and suddenly on day 10, develop symptoms. I can’t tell you how many times where we’ve seen that happen. It’s becoming a tragedy.” She recounted cases where young adults have had the infection, not realized it, tested because they we’re going to go see Grandma. They visited Grandma and then developed symptoms the following day. They have had COVID essentially the whole time, or at least part of the time without knowing. “Then Grandma gets sick and in at least a few cases, Grandma has ended up hospitalized or died,” she said. There is a need for a major public service announcement push. That’s why Kiss has been doing so much and posts daily on her Facebook and Instagram pages, talking to anyone who is willing to listen because “that’s how we end this.” “We end this if people understand the reality of the situation, the gravity of the situation but also how they can take charge to stop it from spreading. And also, how they can be empowered to do that rather than fear it.” Details: www.facebook.com/AskDrMom, www. publichealth.lacounty.gov/covidvaccinedistribution
Real News, Real People, Really Effective January 21 - February 3, 2021
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The Rude Awakening for America James Preston Allen, Publisher
January 21 - February 3, 2021
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
For those who were waiting for Mr. Donald J. Trump to become “presidential” or at least change his tone while he was in office, you can now rest assured. He won’t. He didn’t. Not even with his snubbing of President Joe Biden’s inauguration and Trump’s petty self-indulgent “bon voyage” party. At least we didn’t have to drag him kicking and screaming out of the Oval Office, evicting him like his father did to so many low rent tenants. I did tell you that he would not go quietly and if anything is more obvious now than before the attack on our nation’s capital on Jan. 6 makes it perfectly clear. It was Trump who was trying to “steal the election,” not the Democrats. Take a deep breath — he’s now gone. That he riled up the worst instincts in his racist followers, dowsed them with disinformation and malice towards our republic and let them lose on the counting of the electoral vote in congress is prima facie evidence of his contempt for our democracy, our Constitution and the rule of law. Impeachment is probably too good of a solution for him, but it’s just the first step on what must be done to cure this political virus that has infected our nation for the last four years. Will President Biden be the vaccination against future outbreaks of Trumpism? Hardly, but at least we won’t have to deal with his incessant tweeting. Let me be clear, DJT didn’t invent the kind of racist uprising we witnessed during his presidency. He only inspired it to become more visible to the rest of the country. White nationalists, neo-Nazis and right-wing militias have been percolating under the radar of the mainstream media for decades. We’ve learned that some of them have been hiding in our police agencies or being trained by our own military. Even the Ku Klux Klan has really never gone away. This comes as a surprise to much of America, but not for many communities of color who have long accused police enforcement as being racist. Now perhaps we can understand why and deal with it. Not that every cop in every city is racist, we can’t use that broad of a brush, but we must be able to see that even a few people or units inside of any law enforcement agency has a corrupting influence on the whole force and the perception of those agencies by the people who they are sworn to protect. One bad apple can rot the entire barrel. So what’s Joe Biden supposed to do? He’s got
8
to clean house from the top down, starting with the military, the Justice Department, the FBI and every appointed political office on down. Biden’s inauguration speech leaned heavily on the symbolism and words of unity and healing in the face of conflicts and challenges, which is a clear departure from his predecessor. Yet with a greatly reduced audience because of the pandemic and the threat of more domestic attacks on the capitol, there was an air of apprehension and then relief once he and Kamala Harris were sworn in as president and vice-president. The hardest thing to do moving forward will be to actually convince the die-hard right wing that unity of purpose is stronger than division. That government “for the people” means doing the things that bring the nation together rather than divide it. And at least on this day, Jan. 20, with the capital guarded by heavy security, both national parties were brought together by one common theme, E pluribus unum, Latin for “Out of many, one.” Trump left the White House early Wednesday, to a celebration for himself that he arranged at Joint Base Andrews — a celebration for which aides were desperately trying to assemble an audience big enough to avoid a Trump temper tantrum — and then on to Mar-a-Lago. Once at Mar-a-Lago, he will presumably sleep in an actual bedroom. At the White House, Melania reportedly slept in the real presidential bedroom suite, while Donald slept in his own bedroom, which was previously a study or den during previous administrations, a source told CNN. It’s no wonder that Trump was so easily agitated during his term in office as he probably hasn’t had sex with his own wife for the past four years or perhaps since his tryst with Stormy Daniels was exposed. That of course is something I don’t really want to imagine. So take a deep breath folks, the disaster has been temporarily avoided. The republic has been saved, for now. But as has been quoted since the beginning, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty” — a quote often attributed to this nation’s third president, Thomas Jefferson. There’s no guarantee that the next version of Trumpism won’t be inspired by another populist autocrat that claims he’s going to “fix America” and “run it like a corporation.” On the day of the inauguration, the Bidens Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen james@randomlengthsnews.com Assoc. Publisher/Production Coordinator Suzanne Matsumiya
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spent the afternoon at a ceremonial wreath laying at Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier accompanied by former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. During that time, a deep-deepcleaning of the White House was completed and the Biden’s belongings moved in, including
reverting back to a shared bedroom for the first couple. The government might even consider an exorcism or spiritual cleansing to make sure the evil spirits are actually gone. All I can say is that the last four years have been a rude awakening for America, one that we should not hastily place behind us.
‘The Drum Major Instinct’ Excerpted from a sermon delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Feb. 4, 1968 Now the presence of the drum major instinct is why so many people are “joiners.” You know, there are some people who just join everything. And it’s really a quest for attention and recognition and importance. And they get names that give them that impression. So you get your groups, and they become the “Grand Patron,” and the little fellow who is henpecked at home needs a chance to be the “Most Worthy of the Most Worthy’’ of something. It is the drum major impulse and longing that runs the gamut of human life. And so we see it everywhere, this quest for recognition. And we join things, over join really, that we think that we will find that recognition in. Now the presence of this instinct explains why we are so often taken by advertisers. You know, those gentlemen of massive verbal persuasion. And they have a way of saying things to you that kind of gets you into buying. In order to be a man of distinction, you must drink this whiskey. In order to make your neighbors envious, you must drive this type of car. In order to be lovely to love you must wear this kind of
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lipstick or this kind of perfume. And you know, before you know it, you’re just buying that stuff. That’s the way the advertisers do it. I got a letter the other day, and it was a new magazine coming out. And it opened up, “Dear Dr. King: As you know, you are on many mailing lists. And you are categorized as highly intelligent, progressive, a lover of the arts and the sciences, and I know you will want to read what I have to say.” Of course I did. After you said all of that and explained it to me so exactly, of course I wanted to read it. But very seriously, it goes through life; the drum major instinct is real. And you know what else it causes to happen? It often causes us to live above our means. It’s nothing but the drum major instinct. Do you ever see people buy cars that they can’t even begin to buy in terms of their income? You’ve seen people riding around in Cadillacs and Chryslers who don’t earn enough to have a good T-Model Ford. But it feeds a repressed ego. You know, economists tell us that your [See Drum Major, p. 9]
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RANDOMLetters Vaccinate Everyone Now
As LA County continues to vaccinate healthcare workers, this message needs to get out loud and clear: If a provider has unused vaccines at the end of the day and no healthcare workers are available, they can and SHOULD use them to vaccinate other people. Under no circumstance should a vaccine dose go to waste. I am advocating that LA County create a “standby list” for residents who are 65 and older. That way, if or when there are leftover doses, clinics can call these people and get them vaccinated as soon as possible. This past week, over 2,000 people died in LA County. The vast majority were over the age of 65. The best thing we can do for our healthcare workers and our overloaded hospitals is to vaccinate the general public as quickly as possible, starting with our most vulnerable residents. Janice Hahn District 4 Los Angeles County Supervisor
Cold War Red Baiting
If we are going to get to the “truth” about 1/6, we are going to have to look at our extremists Cold War politics over the past many decades. Besides Trump flags that day on the Capitol steps, there was one lone white sign. It read: “The true hidden enemy is Communism.” Trump fanatics are virulently anti-communist. They see it
everywhere, they will take up arms against it, they will lie about it, and they will decide for you that you are “Better dead than Red.” Has this not been actual U.S. policy for decades? I have been red-bated all my life. I believe in-and work forworld peace not world war, equality between the races, economic fairness and sustainability, education and healthcare for all, and a vibrant, intelligent culture. If those values are “communist”, then it would appear that the American “anti-communist” movement all these decades has a lot to answer for, not me or my “fellow travelers” in these causes. Our organization has sought justice for Latin America in the light of America’s violent “anticommunist” policies. We are now working on a Cold War Truth Commission. We seek to give voice through public Testimonials to those effected or traumatized by the U.S. Cold War, at home and abroad. This issue can no longer be ignored in America. It is literally on the steps of our Capitol. The question remains, of course, can Americans now handle the truth? Rachel Bruhnke Board President Witness for Peace Southwest San Pedro
Defending Sedition in D.C.
Does anyone else see what’s going on here? Hundreds of thousands of people flooded the
[Drum Major, from p. 8]
Drum Major
As the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Jr. once served, I know this: This MLK Day, more than anytime before, his teachings and the legacy he left behind for all of us is precisely what this nation needs to begin the difficult process of unifying. During this harrowing month, in which our democratic institutions were tested, we once again witnessed two vastly different systems of justice in action -- making this day for reflection, remembrance, and activism all the more important. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Well, we saw firsthand just how true that is not only a few weeks ago, but over these past four years. With the upcoming historic presidential inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, I hope that you will take a moment to reflect on the hard work that brought us to this moment. And I hope that you will remember that we all stand on the shoulders of giants like Martin Luther King Jr., who stood steadfast in his relentless pursuit of justice. Just two days from now, folks across the country and around the world will not only witness the swearing-in of Joe Biden -- but of Kamala Harris, the first AfricanAmerican and South-Asian female Vice President in the history of the United States of America. Soon after, we’ll get to work bringing compassion and justice back into
our policy and begin the hard work of building back better. On this critical day of reflection, reverence, and celebration, we must recommit to our fight to form a more perfect union. As Democrats and as Americans, we must also be relentless in our pursuit of justice and continue working to create an America that represents all of us. Today, and every day, our fight for justice continues. Rev. Raphael Warnock U.S. Senator-elect, Georgia
Community Alert COVID-19 Vaccinations Available to Residents 65 Years of Age and Older
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis, Supervisor to the First District, Jan. 18, signed an Executive Order directing the County’s Department of Public Health to make COVID-19 vaccinations appointments available to residents 65 years of age and older beginning on Jan. 21. Los Angeles County residents who are 65 years old and older can now register for COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Residents in this high-priority age group should visit, www. publichealth.lacounty.gov-vaccinate-la-county to schedule their appointments. Residents who don’t have computer access may call 833-540-0473 between 8 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. for assistance with reservations.
January 21 - February 3, 2021
Source: MLKEC, Martin Luther King, Jr. Estate Collection, In Private Hands.
I dare to say that your continued defense of these rebels is an act of treason in and of itself. And it is my deepest desire that all who knowingly acted to overthrow the government of the United States of America be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Although I am not a fan of capital punishment, I would make an exception in this case. James Preston Allen Publisher
Honoring King’s Legacy
And the other thing is that it causes one to engage ultimately in activities that are merely used to get attention. Criminologists tell us that some people are driven to crime because of this drum major instinct. They don’t feel that they are getting enough attention through the normal channels of social behavior, and so they turn to anti-social behavior in order to get attention, in order to feel important. And so they get that gun, and before they know it they robbed a bank in a quest for recognition, in a quest for importance. And then the final great tragedy of the distorted personality is the fact that when one fails to harness this instinct, he ends up trying to push others down in order to push himself up. And whenever you do that, you engage in some of the most vicious activities. You will spread evil, vicious, lying gossip on people, because you are trying to pull them down in order to push yourself up. And the great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct. Now the other problem is, when you don’t harness the drum major instinct—this uncontrolled aspect of it—is that it leads to snobbish exclusivism. And you know, this is the danger of social clubs and fraternities—I’m in a fraternity; I’m in two or three—for sororities and all of these, I’m not talking against them. I’m saying it’s the danger. The danger is that they can become forces of classism and exclusivism where somehow you get a degree of satisfaction because you are in something exclusive. And that’s fulfilling something, you know—that I’m in this fraternity, and it’s the best fraternity in the world, and everybody can’t get in this fraternity. So it ends up, you know, a very exclusive kind of thing.
violations”! Curfew violations! If you don’t believe that Americans are getting played by a massive power conglomerate, then you need to wake up now. Daniel Breckenridge Oklahoma Mr. Breckenridge, There was an attempt to steal this election and it is clear now that it was by your Dear Leader who was working to do this and inspiring his loyal followers, inciting them to acts of insurrection and sedition. If you haven’t read 18 U.S. Code CHAPTER 115— TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES I suggest you and your friends do so now. To which section 2383 reads: Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
automobile should not cost more than half of your annual income. So if you make an income of five thousand dollars, your car shouldn’t cost more than about $2,500. That’s just good economics. And if it’s a family of two, and both members of the family make $10,000, they would have to make out with one car. That would be good economics, although it’s often inconvenient. But so often, haven’t you seen people making $5,000 a year and driving a car that costs $6,000? And they wonder why their ends never meet. That’s a fact. Now the economists also say that your house shouldn’t cost—if you’re buying a house, it shouldn’t cost more than twice your income. That’s based on the economy and how you would make ends meet. So, if you have an income of five thousand dollars, it’s kind of difficult in this society. But say it’s a family with an income of ten thousand dollars, the house shouldn’t cost much more than $20,000. Well, I’ve seen folk making ten thousand dollars, living in a $40,000 and $50,000 house. And you know they just barely make it. They get a check every month somewhere, and they owe all of that out before it comes in. Never have anything to put away for rainy days... And then it does other things to the personality. It causes you to lie about who you know sometimes. There are some people who are influence peddlers. And in their attempt to deal with the drum major instinct, they have to try to identify with the so-called big-name people. And if you’re not careful, they will make you think they know somebody that they don’t really know. They know them well, they sip tea with them, and they do this-and-that. That happens to people.
streets of D.C. to demonstrate their outrage over credible concerns about our electoral processes. And what happens? A few hundred rush the steps of Congress to raise hell within the guts of our government. The outcome is that everyone in power, left and right, as well as their media pulpits and puppets unify in righteous outrage over the actions of those few hundred … while the protests of the remaining hundreds of thousands become completely ignored! As for the concerns over election issues … all gone. The storming of Congress dominates. The alarm has been raised, and it’s not Paul Revere alerting the colonists. It’s the other way around. Actions must be taken by all parties on both sides of the aisle to put an end to such an uprising. The status quo must be preserved! Allow the citizens to hold fast to their precious votes while the machine manipulates their thoughts and perhaps even the counts. This was a set up, plain and simple, orchestrated by powerful entities that have one agenda in mind, recovering power lost to the Trump presidency. It’s the only thing that makes sense. And if I’m wrong, millions are wrong with me. Even Fox news has joined the chorus of establishment caterwauling. Four dead in DC! Buried is the information that three out of the hundreds of thousands present succumbed to medical emergencies. And the woman shot was an apparently unjustified discharge of a DC police officer’s service pistol. And OMG! …”at least 70 unrest-related arrests were made” and “47 because of curfew
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support, which limited Republican support for impeachment to just 10 representatives, even after Liz Cheney, third in line of GOP House leadership, spoke out forcefully for impeachment the day before the vote.
[Coup, from p. 1]
The Coup That Failed
January 21 - February 3, 2021
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
old when Hitler came to power. How will Trump’s myth of victimhood function in American life 15 years from now? And to whose benefit?” He’s right to be worried: Both participants in the coup attempt and Trump’s approval ratings suggest frighteningly broad support for Trump’s “stolen election” lie, which he has refused to abandon, even after accepting he wouldn’t get a second term. “Today is the day Americans start taking down names and kicking ass,” Mississippi Rep. Mo Brooks exhorted the rally before it invaded the Capitol. “This insurrection wasn’t just redneck white supremacists and QAnon kooks,” historian Terry Bouton tweeted, as the first of “FIVE big takeaways” from the rally he attended as a seasoned observer of Washington protests: The people participating in, espousing, or cheering the violence cut across the different factions of the Republican Party and those factions were working in unison. Preppy looking “country club Republicans,” well-dressed social conservatives, and white Evangelicals in Jesus caps were standing shoulder to shoulder with QAnon cultists, Second Amendment cosplay commandos, and doughy, hardcore white nationalists. We eavesdropped on conversations for hours and no one expressed the slightest concern about the large number of white supremacists and para-military spewing violent rhetoric. Even the man in the “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirt wasn’t beyond the pale. They were all “patriots.”
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The January Insurrection
Pictured are Trump-supporting insurrectionists storming the nation’s capitol on Jan. 6. Photo by Joseph M. Giordano
Bouton went on to note that law enforcement was “purposefully understaffed” and that “There were also no clear crowd rules” unlike all other D.C. protests he’d attended, as well as noting that “The Trump rioters only supported law enforcement as long as they believed law enforcement was supporting them.” The indulgence of the almost-all-white mob continued even after its deadly consequences became known. “It’s rare that we get an opportunity to
see sedition for dummies live and acted out, but that’s what we witnessed,” said Mark Claxton, director of the Black Law Enforcement Alliance, after The New Yorker released a new video of the insurrection. “After watching the video — and most important, the audio — I’m convinced more than ever that many of these insurrectionists are being grossly under-charged. It’s obvious many of these terrorists are individually and collectively engaged in a course of conduct and criminal offenses that lead to the death of officer Sicknick and for that, all should have charges enhanced, and some should be charged with his murder.” But Bouton’s last big take-away was particularly chilling: These people are serious and they are going to keep escalating the violence until they are stopped by the force of law…. The most alarming part to me was the matter-of-fact, causal ways that people from all walks of life were talking about violence and even the execution of “traitors” in private conversations, like this was something normal that happened every day. I am convinced that if Congress doesn’t act to do something about this quickly, these people are going to keep going and the unrest and violence will get more widespread and more uncontrollable. This is a crisis. It’s real. It’s happening. It must be taken seriously. The insurrection rattled GOP lawmakers — a little. (Even Trump would eventually criticize the violence, albeit in the low-energy way that tells everyone he doesn’t really mean it.) They had planned to vote on objections to results in five states, but ended up only voting on two: Arizona and Pennsylvania. While a few changed their minds in light of the violence, eight senators and 139 representatives voted to sustain objections to one or both states — just shy of two-thirds of all GOP representatives. If the crowd’s attitude and actions were chilling, polling data should be concerning as well. Trump’s approval rating dropped sharply from 42.7% in 538’s polling average the day before the insurrection to 34% job approval rating for Trump in Gallup’s Jan. 4-15 poll, but that’s still rather robust compared to George W. Bush, who’s polling average for his last year was just 29.9% according to Real Clear Politics. It sometimes dipped to the low 20s. Trump is nowhere near that unpopular, thanks to still-broad Republican
“On January 6, 2021 a violent mob attacked the United States Capitol to obstruct the process of our democracy and stop the counting of presidential electoral votes,” Cheney said. “The president of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing. There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.” “No one is expected to be a lion day after day after day, but on this day, lions are required,” said Democrat Emanuel Cleaver II of Missouri, during the impeachment debate. But the GOP could barely muster a small pride. The overwhelming majority shrouded themselves in shame. The most common excuse they used to oppose impeachment was to label it divisive and call for “unity” but without disavowing their embrace of Trump’s ‘stolen election’ lie, the lie that has actually divided the nation and led to insurrection in the first place. A range of polls including Qunnipiac, CBS, the Washington Post/ABC, and Vox/Data For Progress all found that less than one in three Republican voters consider Joe Biden the legitimate winner.
The Big Lie
“Donald Trump incited the violent part of his base to harm people because he made them believe the Big Lie, that he won by a landslide,” Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu, of California, a House impeachment manager, tweeted on Jan. 16. “All Trump has to do to prevent further political violence is say one sentence: ‘The election was not stolen.’” To date he hasn’t backed off this allegation and has not provided any evidence of election fraud. Trump’s ‘stolen election’ lie qualifies as a ‘big lie,’ Snyder explained: It was significant — about the right to rule the world’s most powerful nation. It’s mendacity was profound — not only wrong, but made in bad faith. What’s more, “It challenged not just evidence but logic” by claiming it was rigged against him, but not against GOP senators and representatives. In addition, Snyder noted. “The force of a big lie resides in its demand that many other things must be believed or disbelieved.” So, everyone from bipartisan neighborhood poll workers all the way up to the Supreme Court must be tarred as either actively involved or criminally negligent lifelong Republicans. “On the surface, a conspiracy theory makes its victim look strong: It sees Trump as resisting the Democrats, the Republicans, the Deep State, the pedophiles, the Satanists,” but probe deeper, and “it inverts the position of the strong and the weak,” given where all the supposed “irregularities” are: “At bottom, the fantasy of fraud is that of a crime committed by Black people against white people,” which is “the very opposite of what happened, in 2020 and in every American election.” White nationalism is the key driving force, terrorism and extremism expert J. M. Berger explained in a twitter thread linked to supporting articles: If you’re wondering how we got here it’s a story that goes like this: [See Coup, p. 19]
Warner Grand Theater Slated for Big Renovations in Hopes for a Bright Future
A
rchitecture is always about faith. Inherent to the laying of every foundation, the wiring of every wall, the refurbishment of every façade is a faith that tomorrow people will walk through the doors of the new or improved building to take advantage of whatever it has to offer. The role of faith in such endeavors is most obvious when the work is done in dark times. So, it was when the port town of San Pedro was gifted with its architectural jewel, The Warner Grand Theatre. And so it is today, as the City of Los Angeles is set to move forward with the first major renovations in the theater’s 90-year history. Although it was the early days of the Great Depression, major movie studios banked on the idea that people would flock to theaters to forget about their troubles. Over the course of just seven months between 1930 and 1931, Warner Brothers opened three “movie palaces” in Los Angeles alone, including The Warner Grand. Dubbed “the Castle of Your Dreams” by studio head Jack Warner, the Warner Bros. Theatre (as it was originally called) was the first in the South Bay equipped to play “talkies,” an art form that was less than five years old. The gamble paid off huge for the next two decades, with cinema becoming a national obsession and Los Angeles being the living center of the film world.
By Greggory Moore, Columnist But with the ascendancy of television, the Golden Age of Hollywood fell into its twilight years, and by the mid-1950s half of Los Angeles’ movie theaters had closed. While the Warner Grand hung on (changing hands and names all the while), the decline was clear, bottoming out in the 1970s when it allegedly had a brief as life as a porno theater before being purchased by a Wilmington entrepreneur who renamed it Téatro Juarez to feature Spanish-language cinema, going as far as to reupholster the seats in red, green and gold to mimic colors of the Mexican flag. Designated a City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in the 1980s, The Warner Grand Theatre (as it had been rechristened) enjoyed a minor renaissance, featuring a greater variety of programming than at any point in its history. In addition to screening classic films, The Warner Grand was now the setting for stage and musical performances, including such well-known acts as The Ramones and Chaka Khan. But the renaissance was short-lived. In 1991 it was acquired by Lee Michaels, a one-hit wonder whose Do You Know What I Mean? made the Top Ten in 1971. He didn’t do much with the place once his plans to turn it into a dinner
theater fell through (it’s ‘90s star turn was doubling for Harlem’s Apollo Theater in the 1993 Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It?), and in 1995 the Warner Grand was up for sale yet again. Enter downtown property owners Gary Larson and Alan Johnson, who founded The Grand Vision Foundation to save the theater. In 1995, Michaels gave them 180 days to find a buyer who could meet his $1.2 million asking price — or else another interested party (a church and a swap meet were on the shortlist) would move in. After convincing Los Angeles City Councilman Rudy Svorinich Jr. that the theater would be a good investment in the area’s revitalization, Svorinich found the cash in Community Redevelopment Agency funds, and The Warner Grand was in the hands of city government. Over the next two decades the theater settled into a comfortable life as both an architectural treasure (it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999) and an active performing-arts center, providing a home for (among many others) the San Pedro City Ballet, the Encore Theatre Group, the Golden State Pops Orchestra, numerous youth [See Future, p. 13]
Real News, Real People, Really Effective January 21 - February 3, 2021
In front of The Warner Grand Theater, from left, manager Lee Sweet, Grand Vision Foundation staff member, Taran Schindler and member of the Grand Vision Foundation board of directors Fred Allen. Photo by Arturo Garcia-Ayala
11
A
s the dark days of the year chase us indoors, we look for ways to stay connected to the earth. Seed catalogs, house plants, frozen broccoli from last year’s garden– all reminders that life goes on, and will come back around. Let’s add mushrooms to the list of wintertime ways to plug into the cycle of life. They can be grown anywhere, which is why small mushroom farms are sprouting up everywhere, like mushrooms after a rain, connected via a large subterranean brain. At the farmer’s market a few months back, I bought mushrooms from a serious-looking grower with a stand full of differently shaped and colored shroomage. They were displayed in baskets like floral arrangements, each type of mushroom with a different shape and color, including lion’s mane, chestnut and several varieties of oyster. The mushroom grower was noticeably cleaner than the dirt farmers, and after I learned a bit more about mushroom farming, that made sense. Mushrooms, the fruiting bodies of underground fungal mycelia, don’t need light to grow, which makes them an obvious part of a well-rounded
The Dark Arts of Winter Mushroom Gardens By Ari LeVaux, Flash In the Pan Columnist
contamination, so the wrong spores don’t take hold. While a farmer plants seeds in dirt that is essentially an extension of the compost pile, a mushroom grower inoculates substrate under aseptic conditions.
Mushroom grow kits. Photos by Ari LeVaux.
winter garden, and also a bit more of a science project. Family farms, you could argue, are kind like a giant compost pile, where bacteria move freely from dirt to compost to crops. This is not an unsafe situation,
as bacteria and fungus spores are everywhere, and we live with them – a truth that is especially obvious on the farm. But mushroom growers, while riding the same chaotic lifeforces, must be vigilant against
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
A light sauteeing of mushrooms brings out their flavor and releases nutrients.
There is an important distinction, he shared, between commercial mushroom varieties like white button and portobello, which both belong to species agaricus, and the varieties that most small growers like himself prefer. Agaricus grows on compost, which could be made of a lot of different things, including manure, which raises the question of where the manure was collected. If it’s from the stable at a track where the racehorses do their business, there could be antibiotics, steroids and other chemicals. Whether the nitrogen comes from manure or chemical urea, using compost adds uncertainty. Our mushroom grower only works with mushrooms that grow on sawdust-based “woody substrates,” which are dirt free, which explains why he looked cleaner than his dirtfarming neighbors.
As we paid, my son asked if the mushrooms could be eaten raw. “I believe mushrooms should be cooked to do justice to their flavors, and also to make their nutrients more accessible,” said the grower. “Mushroom cells have rigid walls that keep the nutrients from being absorbed, but heat will break down these walls and release the nutrients.” He added, “If you want more of a raw feel to the mushrooms, he suggested, give them a light sauté in oil or butter with white wine or balsamic vinegar, and serve them on a salad, where you can still feel that raw freshness while also accessing all of the nutrients.” I was looking to serve my mushrooms with meat, so I wanted something lustier. I ended up cooking them in butter, with minced onions and nutmeg, deglazing alternatively with dry sherry and chicken stock, and finishing with a squeeze of lemon and some drops of cream. I cooked them with sliced button mushrooms to bulk it up, like I always do with precious or semiprecious fungal fruiting bodies. You end up with more and it won’t dilute the flavor. Last fall, he began selling mushroom growing kits at the indoor farmers market. The rough size and shape of a loaf of bread, these logs of compressed wood chips and mushroom mycelia are wrapped in plastic and ready to sprout when spritzed. They are fun and satisfying to grow, like any garden. You watch it develop and change, and you get so many mushrooms. We brainstormed for friends to give kits to as presents. Wherever you are, locally grown mushrooms and grow kits are probably available at the local farmers market. So keep your eyes peeled. They will brighten your winter. On the longest, darkest night of the year, we left grow kits on the doorsteps of friends. A few weeks later, a jar of mushroom pate showed up on our own doorstep, made by one friend who had successfully grown and harvested her own mushrooms from the kit. She said the recipe came to her in a dream, which seems fitting. These are, after all, the days of darkness. And these are the dark arts.
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January 21 - February 3, 2021
Smooth, thick and meaty without the aid of cream cheese, this pate is lovely on toast or crackers. If you don’t have a food processor and have to chop, you might not achieve pate status. In that case, call it a mushroom salad. Makes about a cup
12
½ pound of oyster or chestnut mushrooms 3 cloves of garlic, chopped coarsely ¼ cup olive oil ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest ½ cup chopped green onions
Toss the mushrooms in the olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic, and bake at 375˚ for 15 minutes. Let cool. Add the lemon and onion, and puree in a food processor or by chopping. The blender makes it too smooth.
[Future, from p. 11]
Bright Future
arts programs and five separate annual film festivals. Highlight performances from just the last few years include Jackson Browne, Band of Horses, and Long Beach Opera’s world premiere of The Central Park Five, winner of a 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Music. But age was taking its toll on the building, and many of its components were antiquated. The Grand Vision Foundation (incorporated as a 501(c)3 corporation in 1996 with a mission to preserve and promote the theater and arts programming) spearheaded several targeted refurbishments, including restoring the mezzanine ceiling, extending the stage, replacing the stage curtain and rigging, and installing bigger and better seats throughout the auditorium.
New stage lights at the Warner Grand Theatre. Photo by Arturo GarciaAyala
“It’s very complicated to figure out how to move the needle forward without having anyone actively utilizing the space,” he said. “As a city[-owned] venue, our goal is to be of service to as many arts organizations and civic organizations and social service organizations and educational organizations as possible. […] We hosted a big meeting with all of our users and said, ‘We will turn this facility into whatever you need it to be now for you. It won’t be about audiences, but you can do live streaming, rehearsals, socially-distanced early development work, [etc.]’ We want to do COVID-safe production rental for Netflix series. […] The space isn’t [confined to being] a traditional idea of what a venue should be; it should be whatever the community needs it to be.” In the meantime, on Jan. 23 the Grand Vision Foundation is hosting the Warner Grand’s 90th Birthday — A Virtual Party, “a livestream event featuring music and old-time style short film from Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys playing the vaudeville and ragtime hits of the 1910s, ‘20s & ‘30s plus an onscreen cocktail/ mocktail demo.” Tickets can be purchased with or without a party package that includes cocktail/mocktail ingredients, birthday cake, party favors, and sparkling wine options. The party is part of the GFV’s “Love the Lobby” campaign to restore the theater’s three lobbies, which so far is about halfway to its $250,000 goal.
Studio Gallery 345
Pat Woolley, Last of Summer’s Blooms
In an abundance of caution, Studio 345, which shows the works of Pat Woolley and Gloria D. Lee will be closed for First Thursdays until further notice. 345 W. 7th St., San Pedro. Take a virtual tour of Pat Woolley and Gloria Lee’s works at www. randomlengthsnews.com/art/first-thursday
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January 21 - February 3, 2021
But for its 90th birthday The Warner Grand is slated to undergo its first major renovation. Benjamin Johnson (no relation to either Alan or Liz), director of Performing Arts at Los Angeles’ Cultural Affairs Department, which manages the theater, said the city has allocated $5 million for the first stage of renovations, with hopes to secure an additional $4 million for further work. (Johnson says that a comprehensive renovation would cost $30 to $40 million, but that the city’s current financial crisis makes this unfeasible.) Among the renovations at the top of the list are restoring the main lobby, installing an elevator, expanding bathrooms (including bringing them into Americans with Disabilities Act compliance) and “completely overhaul[ing] the theater’s extremely outdated electrical and plumbing systems.” Budget permitting, additional items will include repainting the exterior, the relocation of manager offices to an adjoining storefront, and general décor upgrades. No refurbishment of the auditorium itself is planned at this time. The project is to be led by SPF:architects, a firm that previously completed other renovations of historic properties in Southern California, including refurbishment of Hollywood Pantages Theatre and conversion of the old Beverly Hills Post Office into the Wallace Theatre. According to Johnson, the plan is to close the theater for 12 to 15 months beginning in December or January. Why will it take so long when the theater took only six months to build from the ground up? Johnson says that, while he’s unfamiliar with all of the architectural logistics of such renovations, the timeline seems consistent with similar work in his experience with the city. Nonetheless, he understands frustration residents and arts organizations may have with the length of the process. “For us [i.e., the Cultural Affairs Department], too, it’s like: ‘Why does everything take so long?’ he says. “[…] Bureaucracy and red tape is a real thing. […] If we were a separate nonprofit and could get donors to donate millions of dollars, it could be done very quickly; but because we’re spending public funds, there are rules and regs with every single dime. […] It’s a highly managed process. […] But we actively push and push and push to get things done.” Grand Vision Foundation Executive Director Liz SchindlerJohnson (wife of Alan Johnson) said there is no such frustration at the GVF — and that 12–15 months may be an optimistic guess, as “building projects of all kinds usually take longer than anticipated,” especially historic renovations.
“Once we get into the walls, we do not know exactly what we will find; and the building must be brought up to every code to make it safe for public assembly,” she said. “[…] The fact that the theater was built quickly in the 1930s speaks to the lack of labor and workplace safety laws — things that we consider very important today — and other factors like private development versus public. […] We are not frustrated [with the timeline], because we have been at this [sort of work] for 25 years[,] and we know [from experience] the city works very slowly. […] There are far more rules and procedures in place than there were almost a century ago.” Schindler-Johnson says she believes the city has “been very attentive and respectful of Grand Vision Foundation’s recommendations, among which is for the project not to include a proposed digital marquee. “[I]t would not be in keeping with the historic fabric,” she notes. One obvious downside to the renovations is that, combined with the COVD-mandated closure of the theater last March, upon completion of the project in 2023, The Warner Grand will have sat mostly idle for well over two of the previous three years. But Johnson promises the Cultural Affairs Department is willing to do whatever it can to facilitate some sorts of use.
13
JAN 21 - FEB 3 • 2021
MUSIC
THEATER
Otmaro Ruiz Venezuelan pianist, keyboardist, composer, arranger and educator will be performing at the World Stage on the World Stage YouTube channel and Facebook Live. Time: 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Jan. 22 Details: www.youtube.com/channel/the-world-stage Facebook Live: facebook.com/ theworldstage
Shakespeare Aloud Join the next season of Shakespeare Aloud! on Zoom. In addition to reading the works of William Shakespeare, the readings will also cover his friends and contemporaries, like Christopher Marlow, John Fletcher, Thomas Kyd and others. Time: 4 p.m. Jan. 28 Details: https://ci.ovationtix.com/ Dido/production
Jan. 22
Feb. 2
Karaoke Night Sing your favorite tunes and enjoy peer concerts. Time: 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Feb. 2 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/karaoke-LBC Venue: BLACK. 1800 East Broadway, Long Beach
Jan. 28
ART
Jan. 21 Long Beach Bridge Project During the past three years, four painters were granted access to the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project construction site to document the dynamic building of the bridge on location
in oil, watercolor, charcoal, ink and pencil. The culmination of these painters’ works will be showcased in an exhibit entitled The Art of Infrastructure presented by SoLA Contemporary Gallery in Los Angeles. Due to COVID guidelines, limited space will be available for walk-in visitors. Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays, through Jan. 30 Details: info@solacontemporary. org. Venue: SoLA Contemporary Gallery, 3718 W. Slauson Ave., Los Angeles
Jan. 22
Behind The Mask Behind the Mask investigates the role of the mask in contemporary artistic explorations and understandings of race, gender, sexuality, mythology, histories and futures. Online. Time: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 22
Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/ Behind-the-mask-AGCC Borderline By occupying the in-between space that exists between two distinct conditions, this exhibition defiantly trespasses into adjacent space, breaks down conventional barriers, and explores new territories. Join the curators and artists for a live virtual tour, curator discussion and Q&A online. Time: 6:30 to 8 p.m. Jan. 22 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/borderlines-AGCC
FOOD
Jan. 23
Beer Yoga at Trademark Brewing Enjoy Saturday brewery yoga and namasté for a recovery beer at Trademark Brewing. Time: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Jan. 23 Cost: $15 Details: https://tinyurl.com/BeerYoga-trademarkbrewing Venue: Trademark Brewing. 233 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach
Jan. 24
Get Cooking, Shaking and Join favorite Long Beach chefs and bartenders for a virtual culinary and cocktail adventure. All classes are presented on Zoom, and are interactive, allowing viewers to cook, shake and stir along and ask questions during the class. Time: Various dates, Jan. 24 through Feb. 3 Details: https://tinyurl.com/interactive-cooking
LITERATURE
January 21 - February 3, 2021
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
Jan. 29
14
Music Stories From the Cosmic Barrio With discussion, anecdotes and music, San Jose Jazz’s Latin music coordinator Betto Arcos shines a spotlight on his new book. Stories From the Cosmic Barrio is a collection of more than 140 stories about music written for NPR, PRX’s The World, BBC and KPCC in Los Angeles. Time: 7 p.m. Jan. 29
Details: https://tinyurl.com/cosmic-barrio-book
COMMUNITY Jan. 23
The Art and Study of Taiko Students and instructors of Los Angeles Taiko Institute, housed under Asano Taiko US, present contemporary and traditionally inspired taiko repertoire in their annual recital. Time: 7 p.m. Jan. 23 Details: https://tinyurl.com/TaikoTorrance-Art-Center Venue: Torrance Cultural Arts Center. 3330 Civic Center Dr., Torrance In-Person Ocean View Tai Chi for Beginners Time: 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. Jan. 23 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/Asano-Taiko-Friends Venue: On the grass overlooking the ocean, across from 920 W. Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro
Jan. 24
Torrance Antique Street Faire Hunt for vintage treasure when 150 sellers transform the streets of downtown Torrance into an eclectic open-air antique flea market. Masks and social distancing are required. Time: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 24 Cost: Free admission; $3 for the antique appraisal booth Details: www.torranceca.gov Venue: Sartori Avenue between Post and Marcelina avenues, Torrance Carlos Cuervo’s “Hiker’s Guide to Landscape Photography” Carlos Cuervo, a globetrotting hiker with a passion for capturing the spectacle of nature, will show and tell how he does it at the PV-SB Sierra Club online meeting. Time: 3:30 p.m. Jan. 24 Details: www.tinyurl.com/scguide-landscape-photography
Jan. 25
Long Beach Virtual Speed Dating for Gay Men Meet your dream beau in a question of minutes. Time: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Jan. 25 Cost: $25 to $27
Details: https://tinyurl.com/ Speed-Dating-LBC Venue: Virtual Speed Dating., Long Beach One Team Scavenger Hunt Long Beach Puzzling Adventures™ are a cross between a scavenger hunt, an adventure race and an informative self-guided tour. Time: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Jan. 25 through 28, and 30 Cost: $19.99 Details: eventbrite.com Venue: 100 Pacific Ave,, Long Beach 21 Day Racial Equity Challenge Studies show that habits take twenty-one days to form and this challenge will help you develop equity based habits by incorporating different activities into your everyday life. Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 25 to 30 Details: www.pvld.org/racialequity Teen S.T.E.A.M. Craft: DIY Robot Hand S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) based projects for teens. Pick up kits at any Torrance Public Library location during curbside hours. Projects available while supplies last. Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan.25 Details: torranceca.gov Venue: All Torrance Libraries., Torrance
Feb. 5
Online Discovery Lecture The next Discovery Lecture features Dr. Andrew Leising of NOAA Southwest Fisheries. The marine heatwave of 2014-2015, aka “The Blob,” was an extreme event of high sea surface temperatures across a vast portion of the northeast Pacific ocean. Learn more about the biological impacts of marine heatwaves, their causal dynamics and their linkage to climate change. Please reserve a free ticket on Eventbrite to ensure you receive the Zoom link. Time: 7 p.m. Feb. 5 Cost: Free Details: www.eventbrite.com/e/ free-discovery-lecture-cma
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Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020213812 The following person is doing business as: (1) Livid Media, 29505 S Western Ave, Suite #104, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Kenneth Roy Brewer, 924 Wycliff Ave, San Pedro, CA 90732. Meri Gyetvay, 524 W Hamilton Ave., San Pedro, Ca 90731. This Business is conducted by a general partnership. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Kenneth Roy Brewer, General Partner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of
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[continued on p. 16]
“Shell Game”--maybe that’s why it’s green. © 2021 MATT JONES, Jonesin’ Crosswords
ACROSS
1 “Breaking Bad” sidekick 6 Written test format 11 Some mainframe computers 15 Follow, as an impulse 16 Pleas 18 QUESTION, PART 1 20 Cry bitterly 21 Blows away 22 ___ St. Soul (U.K. R&B/soul group) 23 Controversial ride-sharing app 25 Fall back, as a tide 26 ASPCA part 29 QUESTION, PART 2 34 “Forrest Gump” actor Gary 35 “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for ___” (1985 best-seller) 36 “Laugh-In” comedian Johnson 37 Like many indie films 38 “Buon giorno,” in Brisbane 39 Go over the limit 40 Green Day, e.g. 41 “Sorry if ___ you down” 42 NBA team formerly from Minneapolis 43 QUESTION, PART 3 46 Charlemagne’s realm, for short 47 Device program 48 Cranberry sources 49 Greek letter after zeta 50 “Battlefield Earth” author Hubbard
52 Director Van Sant 55 ANSWER TO THE QUESTION 61 Closest to the ground, staturewise 62 Otherworldly 63 Mgr.’s helper 64 Creator of Yertle the Turtle 65 Laundry cycle
DOWN
1 Movie score with a famous twonote motif 2 Bounce back 3 Aimless attempt 4 Imbiber 5 Grind to a halt 6 Milne’s mopey donkey 7 Flaky precipitation 8 Comedians Gilliam and Goldsmith, for two 9 Rainbow shape 10 “While that might be true ...” 11 “___ be here soon” 12 Took the bait 13 “I really don’t care” 14 157.5 degrees from N 17 It’s a likely story 19 “You ___ one” 23 Sleep aid brand 24 Like a shopping mall on Black Friday, ordinarily 25 Online selling site 26 Wall, for one 27 Playful aquatic animals
28 Dated term for college students 29 Site for reflection? 30 Prompt 31 Corvair investigator Ralph 32 “They went ___-way” 33 Actress Lauren of 2020’s “The Wrong Missy” 34 Louis Armstrong’s nickname 38 Unidentifiable cafeteria food 39 Did some karaoke 41 Repercussions 42 “Ghost Town” actress Tea 44 Irritate 45 Fastening bars shaped like letters 49 Louisiana, to Louis 50 In ___ of (replacing) 51 Monica Geller’s brother 52 Jack-o’-lantern look 53 College team from Salt Lake City 54 “Auld Lang ___” 55 “Don’t text and drive” ad, for short 56 Acuity measures that don’t really matter 57 Questionable, in “Among Us,” slangily 58 Hustle, quaintly 59 High-jump hurdle 60 Peyton’s sibling
January 21 - February 3, 2021
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Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020213812 The following person is doing business as: Blady’s Local Handyman, 242 W 11th StreetSan Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Bladimir Olando Diego Garcia, 242 W 11th StreetSan Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Bladimir Olando Diego Garcia, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 11/10/20. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name
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Don Marshall CPA, Inc.
PEDRO PET PALS is the only group that raises funds for the City Animal Shelter and FREE vaccines and spay or neuter for our community. 310-991-0012.
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020223575 The following person is doing business as:(1) Girls in Focus, 2039 Trudie Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Girls in Focus, 2039 Trudie Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275,. This Business is conducted by a corporation. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Dunja Merell Djordjevic, President. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 12/22/20. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 01/07/21, 01/21/21,
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FOR RENT
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LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE INVITING BIDS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Long Beach, California, acting by and through the City’s Board of Harbor Commissioners (“City”) will receive, before the Bid Deadline established below, Bids for the following Work: GERALD DESMOND BRIDGE DEMOLITION at LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA AS DESCRIBED IN SPECIFICATION NO. HD-S2556 Bid Deadline:
ness/permits. NIB -2 Pre-Bid Questions. All questions, including requests for interpretation or correction, or comments regarding the Contract Documents, must be submitted no later than March 23, 2021, at 5 p.m. Questions received after the pre-Bid question deadline will not be accepted. Questions must be submitted electronically through the PB System. Emails, phone calls, and faxes will not be accepted. Questions
Prior to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. Bids shall be submitted electronically via the Port of Long Beach PlanetBids (PB) System prior to 2:00 p.m.
Bid Opening:
Contract Documents Available:
Electronic Bid (eBid) results shall be viewable online in the PB System immediately after the Bid Deadline. Download Contract Documents from the Port of Long Beach PB System Vendor Portal: www.polb.com/sbe Click on the POLB Vendor Portal 1. Register and Log In 2. Click “Bid Opportunities” 3. Double-click on respective bid Project Title 4. Click on Document/Attachments tab 5. Double-Click on Title of Electronic Attachment 6. Click “Download Now” 7. Repeat for each attachment
January 21 - February 3, 2021
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For assistance in downloading these documents please contact Port of Long Beach Plans and Specs Desk at 562-283-7353.
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Pre-Bid Meeting:
No pre-bid meeting will be held for this Project. Please refer to Appendix OO for Project Supplementary Information.
Project Contact Person:
Deepen Upadhyay, deepen. upadhyay@polb.com
Please refer to the Port of Long Beach PB System for the most current information. NIB -1 Contract Documents. Contract Documents may be downloaded, at no cost, from the Port of Long Beach PB System Vendor Portal website. Bidders must first register as a vendor on the Port of Long Beach PB System website in order to view and download the Contract Documents, to be added to the prospective bidders list, and to receive addendum notifications when issued. For the link to the Port of Long Beach PB System and for information on this Project and other upcoming Port projects, you may view the Port website at www.polb. com/business/business-opportunities. Copies of all Port insurance endorsement forms, Harbor Development Permit Applications and other Port forms are available at w w w. p o l b. c o m / b u s i -
submitted to City staff will not be addressed and Bidder will be directed to the PB System. NIB -3 Pre-Bid Meetings and Site Visits. The engineering staff of the City’s Harbor Department will not conduct a pre-bid meeting for this Project. Additional reference information is provided in Appendix OO Project Supplementary Information. Site images are provided for in Appendix OO Project Supplementary Information for reference. Any site photographs, models, videos or maps included in the Contract Documents do not constitute a complete visual depiction of the site and should neither be considered nor are warranted as such. The City makes no guarantee that existing construction and site conditions matches construction depicted on record reference documents. It shall be the Bidder’s responsibility to identify existing conditions.
Note that downloading the photo images document(s) can be used to satisfy a portion of a Bidder’s good faith efforts to meet DBE participation goals listed in NIB-8. NIB -4 Summary Description of the Work. The Work required by this Contract includes, but is not limited to, the following: Furnish all labor, transportation, materials, equipment, design services, environmental controls and monitoring, but not limited to: mobilization, bridge demolition, removal, and disposal, including lead paint mitigation, temporary traffic control and maintenance, and other work as required. See Section 01 10 00, Summary of Work in the Technical Specifications. NIB -5 Contract Time and Liquidated Damages. The Contractor shall achieve Substantial Completion of Work within 733 calendar days and Affidavit of Final Completion of the Project within 838 calendar days as provided in Paragraph SC - 6.1 of the Special Conditions, from a date specified in a written “Notice to Proceed” issued by the City and subject to adjustment as provided in Section 8.2 of the General Conditions. FAILURE OF THE CONTRACTOR TO COMPLETE THE WORK WITHIN THE CONTRACT TIME AND OTHER MILESTONES SET FORTH IN THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING THE ENGINEER’S APPROVAL OF AFFIDAVIT OF FINAL COMPLETION, WILL RESULT IN ASSESSMENT OF LIQUIDATED DAMAGES IN THE AMOUNTS ESTABLISHED IN THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS. NIB -6 Contractor’s License. The Bidder shall hold a current and valid Class “A”, California Contractor’s License to construct this project. This Contract involves federal funds and, therefore, the Contractor’s Bid will not be invalidated by the failure to be licensed at the time of the Bid Deadline, but the Contractor must be properly licensed at the time of the award of the Contract. Failure to possess such license may render the Bid non-responsive and bar the award of the Contract to that non-responsive Bidder. NIB -7 Contractor Performed Work. The Contractor shall perform, with its own employees, Contract Work amounting to at least 30% of the Contract Price, except that any designated “Specialty Items” may be performed by subcontract. The amount of any such “Specialty Items” so performed may be deducted from the Contract Price before computing the amount required to be performed by the Contractor with its own employees. “Specialty Items” will be identified by the City on the Schedule of Bid Items. The bid price of any materials or equipment rental costs from vendors
who are solely furnishing materials or rental equipment and are not performing Work as a licensed subcontractor on this project shall also be deducted from the Contract Price before computing the amount required to be performed by the Contractor with its own employees. NIB -8 DBE. This project is subject to Caltrans Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program based on U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 49 CFR, Part 26 requirements. The DBE participation goal for this project is thirteen percent (13.0%). POLB expects all Bidders to achieve the DBE participation goal. Award of the Contract will be conditioned on the Bidder submitting LAPM Exhibit 15-G: Construction Contract DBE Commitment form included in the Bid Proposal Package. If the Bidder’s Commitment Plan does not demonstrate intent to meet the goal, the Bidder shall demonstrate that it made an adequate good faith effort to do so, as specified in the Instructions to Bidders. The Port’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Liaison Officer (DBELO) is available to provide information on the DBE program requirements. Please contact the DBELO at (562) 283-7595 or sashi. muralidharan@polb.com. NIB -9 Prevailing Wage Requirements per Department of Industrial Relations. This Project is a public work Contract as defined in Labor Code Section 1720. The Contractor receiving award of the Contract and Subcontractors of any tier shall pay not less than the prevailing wage rates to all workers employed in execution of the Contract. The Director of Industrial Relations of the State of California has determined the general prevailing rates of wages in the locality in which the Work is to be performed. The rate schedules are available on the internet at http://www. dir.c a .gov/dlsr/ D Pr eWageDetermination.htm and on file at the City, available upon request. Bidders are directed to Article 15 of the General Conditions for requirements concerning payment of prevailing wages, payroll records, hours of work and employment of apprentices. This Project is subject to compliance monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Industrial Relations. No Contractor or Subcontractor may be listed on a bid proposal for a public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5 (with limited exceptions from this requirement for bid purposes only under Labor Code Section 1771.1(a)). No Contractor or Subcontractor may be awarded a contract for public work on a public works project unless registered with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Labor Code Section 1725.5.
NIB -10 Project Labor Agreement. This project is subject to the requirements of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA), included as Appendix AA. The Contractor and all tier subcontractors must sign a Letter of Assent before commencement of construction and be bound by each and every provision of the PLA, including, but not limited to: payment of prevailing wages; payment of fringe benefit contributions to union trust funds on behalf of workers; use of union hiring halls as a source for workers; follow alternating referral procedures if employing Core Workers; and Local, Disadvantaged, and Veteran worker utilization goals. Per the Department of Industrial Relations, projects covered by a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) are exempt from the requirement to submit electronic CPRs directly to the Labor Commissioner’s Office. In lieu, the Contractor and all Subcontractors will be required to submit electronic or hardcopies of CPRs and labor compliance documentation to the Port of Long Beach. NIB -11 Trade Names and Substitution of Equals. With the exception of any sole source determination that may be identified in this paragraph, Bidders wishing to obtain City’s authorization for substitution of equivalent material, product, or equipment, are required to submit a written request for an Or Equal Substitution using the form included in Appendix A together with data substantiating Bidder’s representation that the non-specified item is of equal quality to the item specified, no later than fourteen (14) calendar days after City’s issuance of Notice to Proceed (NTP). Authorization of a substitution is solely within the discretion of the City. NIB -12
NOT USED
NIB -13 Bid Security, Signed Contract, Insurance and Bonds. Each Bid shall be accompanied by a satisfactory Bidder’s Bond or other acceptable Bid Security in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the Base Bid as a guarantee that the Bidder will, if Conditionally Awarded a Contract by the Board, within thirty (30) calendar days after the Contract is conditionally awarded to the Contractor by the City, execute and deliver such Contract to the Chief Harbor Engineer together with all required documents including insurance forms, a Payment Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price, and a Performance Bond for one hundred percent (100%) of the Contract Price. All Bonds shall be on forms provided by the City. NIB -14 C o n d i t i o n a l Award of Contract and Reservation of Rights. The Board, acting through the Executive Director, re-
serves the right at any time before the execution of the Contract by the City, to reject any or all Bids, and to waive any informality or irregularity. The Conditional Award of the Contract, if any, will be to the responsible Bidder submitting the lowest responsive and responsible Bid. If the lowest responsive responsible Bidder fails to submit the required documents including insurance forms, bonds and signed Contract within thirty (30) calendar days after Conditional Award of Contract, the Board reserves the right to rescind the Conditional Award and Conditionally Award the Contract to the next lowest responsive and responsible Bidder. NIB -15 Period of Bid Irrevocability. Bids shall remain open and valid and Bidder’s Bonds and other acceptable Bid Security shall be guaranteed and valid for ninety (90) calendar days after the Bid Deadline or until the Executive Director executes a Contract, whichever occurs first.
NIB -16 Substitution of Securities. Substitution of Securities for retainage is permitted in accordance with Section 22300 of the Public Contract Code. NIB -17 Iran Contracting Act of 2010. In accordance with Public Contract Code sections 2200-2208, every person who submits a bid or proposal for entering into or renewing contracts with the City for goods or services estimated at $1,000,000 or more are required to complete, sign, and submit the “Iran Contracting Act of 2010 Compliance Affidavit.” Issued at Long Beach, California, this 23 day of November, 2020. Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Harbor Department, City of Long Beach, California Note: For project updates after Bid Opening, please contact plans.specs@ polb.com.
DBA FILINGS [from p. 15] Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021004790 The following person is doing business as: (1) TL On Time Delivery Corp., 452 W. 21st Street, San Pedro, CA 907361-5510, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: TL On Time Delivery Corp., 452 W. 21st Street, San Pedro, CA 907361-551. This Business is conducted by a corporation. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 03/2020. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Thomas R. Lassiter, President. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 01/07/21. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 01/21/21, 02/03/21, 02/17/21, 03/04/21
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2021004783 The following person is doing business as: (1) Thats My Desi Life Shop, 850 E Ocean Blvd., Long Beach Ca 90802. Unit 1204, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: (1) Shiksha Arun Mahtani., 850 E Ocean Blvd., Long Beach Ca 90802. (2) Simran Arun Mahtani, 850 E Ocean Blvd., Long Beach Ca 90802. This Business is conducted by a copartners. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 09/2020. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Simran Arun Mahtani, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 01/07/21. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 01/21/21, 02/03/21, 02/17/21, 03/04/21
LEGAL NOTICES ORDINANCE NO. 20-2009 AN ORDINANCE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF CARSON ADDING CHAPTER 1.5 TO ARTICLE 6 OF THE CARSON MUNICIPAL CODE, THEREBY ESTABLISHING A GENERAL TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX AT THE RATE OF .75% WHEREAS, this measure would establish a general transactions and use tax under a new Chapter 1.5 of Article 6 of the Carson Municipal Code at the rate of 0.75%; and WHEREAS, Article XIIIC, Section 2, of the California Constitution provides that any general tax must be submitted to the electorate and approved by a majority vote of the electorate; and WHEREAS, Part 1.6 (commencing with Section 7251) of Division 2 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code, and Section 7285.9 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code, authorizes a city to adopt a transactions and use (sales) tax ordinance, which shall be operative if a majority of the electors voting on the measure vote to approve the imposition of the tax at an election called for that purpose; and WHEREAS, by its Resolution No. 20-120 adopted on August 4, 2020, the City Council submitted this Ordinance to the City’s voters at the November 3, 2020, election, approved this Ordinance, pursuant to Revenue & Taxation Code Section 7285.9, subject to the City’s voters’ approval, and approved this Ordinance’s submission to the City’s voters; and WHEREAS, this Ordinance imposes a general tax where generated revenues will be deposited in the City’s General Fund; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Carson is authorized and directed by statute to submit to the voters this Ordinance, and the City Council therefore wishes to have the voters consider the same at a General Municipal Election to be held on November 3, 2020; and WHEREAS, approving this proposed measure requires approval of the majority of voters at either a general or special municipal election; and NOW THEREFORE, ON THE BASIS OF THE FORGOING, THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF CARSON, AT THE NOVEMBER 3, 2020, GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION DO HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Chapter 1.5 (CARSON GENERAL TRANSACTIONS AND USE TAX) is hereby added to Article 6 of the Carson Municipal Code as follows: “Chapter 1.5 - Carson General Transactions and Use tax 61501. TITLE. This Ordinance shall be known as the “Carson General Transactions and Use Tax Ordinance”. The City of Carson hereinafter shall be called “City.” This Ordinance shall be applicable in the incorporated territory of the City. 61502. OPERATIVE DATE. “Operative Date” means the first day of the first calendar quarter commencing more than 110 days after the adoption of this Ordinance, the date of such adoption being as set forth below.
A. To impose a retail transactions and use tax in accordance with the provisions of Part 1.6 (commencing with Section 7251) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code and Section 7285.9 of Part 1.7 of Division 2 which authorizes the City to adopt this tax ordinance which shall be operative if a majority of the electors voting on the measure vote to approve the imposition of the tax at an election called for that purpose.
61506. PLACE OF SALE. For the purposes of this Ordinance, all retail sales are consummated at the place of business of the retailer unless the tangible personal property sold is delivered by the retailer or his agent to an out-of-state destination or to a common carrier for delivery to an out-of-state destination. The gross receipts from such sales shall include delivery charges, when such charges are subject to the state sales and use tax, regardless of the place to which delivery is made. In the event a retailer has no permanent place of business in the State or has more than one place of business, the place or places at which the retail sales are consummated shall be determined under rules and regulations to be prescribed and adopted by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. 61507. USE TAX RATE. An excise tax is hereby imposed on the storage, use or other consumption in the City of tangible personal property purchased from any retailer on and after the Operative Date of this Ordinance for storage, use or other consumption in said territory at the rate of three quarters of a cent per dollar (0.75%) of the sales price of the property. The sales price shall include delivery charges when such charges are subject to state sales or use tax regardless of the place to which delivery is made. 61508. ADOPTION OF PROVISIONS OF STATE LAW. Except as otherwise provided in this Ordinance and except insofar as they are inconsistent with the provisions of Part 1.6 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, all of the provisions of Part 1 (commencing with Section 6001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code are hereby adopted and made a part of this Ordinance as though fully set forth herein. 61509. LIMITATIONS ON ADOPTION OF STATE LAW AND COLLECTION OF USE TAXES. In adopting the provisions of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code: A. Wherever the State of California is named or referred to as the taxing agency, the name of this City shall be substituted therefor. However, the substitution shall not be made when: 1. The word “State” is used as a part of the title of the State Controller, State Treasurer, State Treasury, or the Constitution of the State of California; 2. The result of that substitution would require action to be taken by or against this City or any agency, officer, or employee thereof rather than by or against the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, in performing the functions incident to the administration or operation of this Ordinance. 3. In those sections, including, but not necessarily limited to sections referring to the exterior boundaries of the State of California, where the result of the substitution would be to: a. Provide an exemption from this tax with respect to certain sales, storage, use or other consumption of tangible personal property which would not otherwise be exempt from this tax while such sales, storage, use or other consumption remain subject to tax by the State under the provisions of Part 1 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, or; b. Impose this tax with respect to certain sales, storage, use or other consumption of tangible personal property which would not be subject to tax by the state under the said provision of that code. 4. In Sections 6701, 6702 (except in the last sentence thereof), 6711, 6715, 6737, 6797 or 6828 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
C. To adopt a retail transactions and use tax ordinance that imposes a tax and provides a measure therefore that can be administered and collected by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration in a manner that adapts itself as fully as practicable to, and requires the least possible deviation from, the existing statutory and administrative procedures followed by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration in administering and collecting the California State Sales and Use Taxes.
1. “A retailer engaged in business in the District” shall also include any retailer that, in the preceding calendar year or the current calendar year, has total combined sales of tangible personal property in this state or for delivery in the State by the retailer and all persons related to the retailer that exceeds five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). For purposes of this section, a person is related to another person if both persons are related to each other pursuant to Section 267(b) of Title 26 of the United States Code and the regulations thereunder.
D. To adopt a retail transactions and use tax ordinance that can be administered in a manner that will be, to the greatest degree possible, consistent with the provisions of Part 1.6 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, minimize the cost of collecting the transactions and use taxes, and at the same time, minimize the burden of record keeping upon persons subject to taxation under the provisions of this Ordinance.
61510. PERMIT NOT REQUIRED. If a seller’s permit has been issued to a retailer under Section 6067 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, an additional transactor’s permit shall not be required by this Ordinance.
61504. CONTRACT WITH STATE. Prior to the Operative Date, the City shall contract with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration to perform all functions incident to the administration and operation of this transactions and use tax ordinance; provided, that if the City shall not have contracted with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration prior to the Operative Date, it shall nevertheless so contract and in such a case the Operative Date shall be the first day of the first calendar quarter following the execution of such a contract. 61505. TRANSACTIONS TAX RATE. For the privilege of selling tangible personal property at retail, a tax is hereby imposed upon all retailers in the incorporated territory of the City at the rate of
61511. EXEMPTIONS AND EXCLUSIONS. A. There shall be excluded from the measure of the transactions tax and the use tax the amount of any sales tax or use tax imposed by the State of California or by any city, city and county, or county pursuant to the Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law or the amount of any state-administered transactions or use tax. B. There are exempted from the computation of the amount of transactions tax the gross receipts from: 1. Sales of tangible personal property, other than fuel or petroleum products, to operators of aircraft to be used or consumed principally outside the county in which the sale is made and directly and exclusively in the use of such aircraft as common carriers of persons or property under the authority
a. With respect to vehicles (other than commercial vehicles) subject to registration pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 4000) of Division 3 of the Vehicle Code, aircraft licensed in compliance with Section 21411 of the Public Utilities Code, and undocumented vessels registered under Division (commencing with Section 9840) of the Vehicle Code by registration to an out-of-City address and by a declaration under penalty of perjury, signed by the buyer, stating that such address is, in fact, his or her principal place of residence; and b. With respect to commercial vehicles, by registration to a place of business out-of-City and declaration under penalty of perjury, signed by the buyer, that the vehicle will be operated from that address. 3. The sale of tangible personal property if the seller is obligated to furnish the property for a fixed price pursuant to a contract entered into prior to the Operative Date of this Ordinance. 4. A lease of tangible personal property which is a continuing sale of such property, for any period of time for which the lessor is obligated to lease the property for an amount fixed by the lease prior to the Operative Date of this Ordinance. 5. For the purposes of subparagraphs (3) and (4) of this section, the sale or lease of tangible personal property shall be deemed not to be obligated pursuant to a contract or lease for any period of time for which any party to the contract or lease has the unconditional right to terminate the contract or lease upon notice, whether or not such right is exercised. C. There are exempted from the use tax imposed by this Ordinance, the storage, use or other consumption in this City of tangible personal property: 1. The gross receipts from the sale of which have been subject to a transactions tax under any state-administered transactions and use tax ordinance. 2. Other than fuel or petroleum products purchased by operators of aircraft and used or consumed by such operators directly and exclusively in the use of such aircraft as common carriers of persons or property for hire or compensation under a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued pursuant to the laws of this State, the United States, or any foreign government. This exemption is in addition to the exemptions provided in Sections 6366 and 6366.1 of the Revenue and Taxation Code of the State of California. 3. If the purchaser is obligated to purchase the property for a fixed price pursuant to a contract entered into prior to the Operative Date of this Ordinance. 4. If the possession of, or the exercise of any right or power over, the tangible personal property arises under a lease which is a continuing purchase of such property for any period of time for which the lessee is obligated to lease the property for an amount fixed by a lease prior to the Operative Date of this Ordinance. 5. For the purposes of subparagraphs (3) and (4) of this section, storage, use, or other consumption, or possession of, or exercise of any right or power over, tangible personal property shall be deemed not to be obligated pursuant to a contract or lease for any period of time for which any party to the contract or lease has the unconditional right to terminate the contract or lease upon notice, whether or not such right is exercised. 6. Except as provided in subparagraph (7), a retailer engaged in business in the City shall not be required to collect use tax from the purchaser of tangible personal property, unless the retailer ships or delivers the property into the City or participates within the City in making the sale of the property, including, but not limited to, soliciting or receiving the order, either directly or indirectly, at a place of business of the retailer in the City or through any representative, agent, canvasser, solicitor, subsidiary, or person in the City under the authority of the retailer. 7. “A retailer engaged in business in the City” shall also include any retailer of any of the following: vehicles subject to registration pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 4000) of Division 3 of the Vehicle Code, aircraft licensed in compliance with Section 21411 of the Public Utilities Code, or undocumented vessels registered under Division 3.5 (commencing with Section 9840) of the Vehicle Code. That retailer shall be required to collect use tax from any purchaser who registers or licenses the vehicle, vessel, or aircraft at an address in the City. D. Any person subject to use tax under this Ordinance may credit against that tax any transactions tax or reimbursement for transactions tax paid to a district imposing, or retailer liable for a transactions tax pursuant to Part 1.6 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code with respect to the sale to the
[continued on p. 18]
January 21 - February 3, 2021
B. The word “City” shall be substituted for the word “State” in the phrase “retailer engaged in business in this State” in Section 6203 and in the definition of that phrase in Section 6203.
2. Sales of property to be used outside the City which is shipped to a point outside the City, pursuant to the contract of sale, by delivery to such point by the retailer or his agent, or by delivery by the retailer to a carrier for shipment to a consignee at such point. For the purposes of this paragraph, delivery to a point outside the City shall be satisfied:
B. To adopt a retail transactions and use tax ordinance that incorporates provisions identical to those of the Sales and Use Tax Law of the State of California insofar as those provisions are not inconsistent with the requirements and limitations contained in Part 1.6 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
of the laws of this State, the United States, or any foreign government.
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61503. PURPOSE. This Ordinance is adopted to achieve the following, among other purposes, and directs that the provisions hereof be interpreted in order to accomplish those purposes:
three quarters of a cent per dollar (0.75%) of the gross receipts of any retailer from the sale of all tangible personal property sold at retail in said territory on and after the Operative Date of this Ordinance.
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Francis Joseph (Frank) Brown, 1932-2021 A Gentleman and an Officer
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by — And that has made all the difference
—Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken
The loving family of Frank Brown, a resident of the Palos Verdes Peninsula for 52 years, shares of Frank’s death in-mid January, 2021. His nearly 89 years of living were filled with raising a family, military and community service, worldwide travel, a love of humor, writing, singing and dancing. He was articulate, a master at public speaking, radio show broadcasting, producing films for the Air Force, and was always approachable and kind to those around him. He will be remembered as a devoted husband to his loving wife Pat Brown of almost 65 years and father to six children: Francine Howard (Jeff Howard & son Wil), Nicole Brown (Pat Shaw & daughters Callahan & Reilly Brown), Christine
2014. Frank is also predeceased by his father, Joseph Francis, mother Louise (McGonigle), brother Jack and sister, Mildred. Frank leaves behind many more close relatives and friends. Frank was born in Winthrop, Mass., and grew up in Boston. He graduated with an undergraduate degree from the school of public relations and communications at Boston University. He also made time for sports and lettered in crew at BU. Frank was the consummate gentleman learning Frank Brown at work. Photo courtesy of the Brown family. from his father early on to Brown, and James Brown. His grandchildren respect the ladies in his presence by tipping his are Rachael Eddy (Eric and children Ethan hat, opening doors, pulling out their chairs and and Logan), Matthew Ferris, Callahan Brown, assisting them with their coats. These practices Reilly Brown, and Wilson Howard. Daughters (save the hat tipping) continued even in his final Leslie Ferris passed away in 2001 and Louise in years with Alzheimer’s. It is how he was wired.
LEGAL NOTICES [from p. 17] person of the property the storage, use or other consumption of which is subject to the use tax. 61512. AMENDMENTS. All amendments subsequent to the effective date of this Ordinance to Part 1 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code relating to sales and use taxes and which are not inconsistent with Part 1.6 and Part 1.7 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, and all amendments to Part 1.6 and Part 1.7 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, shall automatically become a part of this Ordinance, provided however, that no such amendment shall operate so as to affect the rate of tax imposed by this Ordinance.
January 21 - February 3, 2021
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61513. ABILITY TO LOWER RATE. The tax rate in this Ordinance may only be increased by a vote of the people of the City of Carson; provided, however, that the City Council may amend this Ordinance to reduce the amount of the tax authorized herein or to otherwise implement or advance the purpose and intent of this Ordinance.
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61514. ENJOINING COLLECTION FORBIDDEN. No injunction or writ of mandate or other legal or equitable process shall issue in any suit, action or proceeding in any court against the State or the City, or against any officer of the State or the City, to prevent or enjoin the collection under this Ordinance, or Part 1.6 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, of any tax or any amount of tax required to be collected. 61515. ANNUAL AUDIT. The proceeds resulting from the Transactions and Use Tax established in this Ordinance shall be deposited into the City’s General Fund and become subject to the same independent annual audit requirements as other General Fund revenues. In addition, by December 31st of each year, the City shall cause an independent auditor to complete a “Carson General Transactions and Use Tax Ordinance Report,” provided that such report may be combined with the City’s report shall review whether the tax revenues collected pursuant to this Ordinance are collected, managed and expended in accordance with the requirements of this Ordinance. 61516. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the Ordinance and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby. 61517. COUNCIL AUTHORITY TO AMEND. Pursuant to Elections Code Section 9217, the City Council shall have and retain the right and authority to amend this Ordinance to further its purposes and intent (including but not limited to amendment for more efficient administration as determined by the City Council) in any manner that does not increase a tax rate, or otherwise constitute a tax increase for which voter approval is required by Article XIII C of the California Constitution.
61518. ADOPTION; EFFECTIVE DATE. If a majority of the voters of the City of Carson voting at the General Municipal Election of November 3, 2020, vote in favor of this Ordinance, then this Ordinance shall become a valid and binding ordinance of the City of Carson, and shall be considered as adopted upon the date that the vote is declared by the City Council of the City of Carson, and this Ordinance shall go into effect ten (10) days after that date, pursuant to Election Code section 9217. 61519. TERMINATION DATE. The authority to levy the tax imposed by this Ordinance shall not expire unless terminated by lawful vote of the electorate or as required or authorized by law. Section 2. Council Authority to Amend. This is a City Councilsponsored initiative Ordinance which otherwise would only be subject to amendment by the voters of the City. However, pursuant to Elections Code Section 9217, the City Council shall have and retain the right and authority to amend the Ordinance to further its purposes and intent (including but not limited to amendment for more efficient administration as determined by the City Council) in any manner that does not increase a tax rate, or otherwise constitute a tax increase for which voter approval is required by Article XIII C of the California Constitution. Section 3. CEQA Exemption. The adoption of this Ordinance is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Public Resources Code Section §§ 21000 et seq.). CEQA Guideline 15378(b)(4) provides that the creation of government funding mechanisms or other government fiscal activities that do not involve any commitment to a specific project that may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment are not projects subject to the requirements of CEQA. Section 4. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is for any reason held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The People of the City of Carson hereby declared that they would have passed each subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase be declared unconstitutional. Section 5. Appropriations Limit. Pursuant to Article XIIIB of the California Constitution, the appropriations limit for the City of Carson is increased to the maximum extent over the maximum period of time allowed under the law consistent with the revenues generated by this tax. Section 6. Adoption; Effective Date. If a majority of the voters of the City of Carson voting at the General Municipal Election of November 3, 2020, vote in favor of this Ordinance, then this Ordinance shall become a valid and binding ordinance of the City of Carson, and shall be considered as adopted upon the date that the vote is declared by the City Council of the City of Carson, and this Ordinance shall go into effect ten (10) days after that date, pursuant to Election Code section 9217. Section 7. Passage and Execution. The Mayor shall sign this
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At the same time, he recognized that all men (and women) are created equal and encouraged his five daughters and son to pursue whatever they wanted in life saying, “You can be anything you want to be.” He valued education and completed two master’s degrees from Boston University and a master’s degree from the USC film school all while on active duty with the Air Force and being a devoted husband and full-time father. His educational role modeling resulted in his own children excelling academically and many professionally as entrepreneurs. Residents of the Peninsula will remember Frank fondly as the Society Editor of the Palos Verdes Peninsula News where he and Pat, as a team, covered a wide variety of events on the Peninsula for many years and increased the community’s knowledge of programs available to those on the Hill. His wonderful wit came through in the numerous columns he wrote throughout the years which are available at the PV Library on microfiche. A memorial celebrating Frank’s life will be planned in the future.
Ordinance and the City Clerk shall attest and certify to the approval thereof and cause same to be published or posted pursuant to law. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the voters of the City of Carson at an election held on November 3, 2020. /s/ Albert Robles, Mayor ATTEST: /s/ Donesia Gause-Aldana, City Clerk ************* PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Carson, State of California, on January 12, 2021 by the following vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Robles, Dear, Davis-Holmes, Hilton, Hicks NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None RECUSED: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None /s/ Albert Robles, Mayor ATTEST: /s/ Donesia Gause-Aldana, City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: CITY OF CARSON: /s/ /s/ Sunny K. Soltani, City Attorney Albert Robles, Mayor ATTEST: /s/ Donesia Gause-Aldana, MMC, City Clerk STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss. CITY OF CARSON ) I, Donesia Gause-Aldana, City Clerk of the City of Carson, California, hereby attest to and certify that the foregoing ordinance, being Ordinance 20-2009 passed first reading on the 4th day of August, 2020, adopted by the Carson City Council at its meeting held on the 12th day of January, 2021, by the following roll call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Robles, Dear, Davis-Holmes, Hilton, Hicks NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None RECUSED: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None /s/ Donesia Gause-Aldana, MMC, City Clerk
[Coup, from p. 10]
Failed Coup
White nationalists looked at Republican Party demographics in 2012 and said “we have an opening here” On social media, they began to reach out and seek engagement with Republicans. Only one Republican was willing to really do the work of reaching back to white nationalists in an explicit way.
That, in a nutshell, is the untold backstory behind Trump’s campaign announcement speech, when he falsely cast Mexican immigrants as rapists and murderers. (Multiple studies show that immigrants are substantially more law-abiding than natural-born citizens.) The rest is more wellknown, if too often ignored or downplayed. But, as Berger summarized, “Once elected, he began to craft policies designed to keep and embolden that constituency.” The end result has been that the GOP “is
now more similar to autocratic ruling parties such as the Turkish AKP, and Fidesz in Hungary than to typical center-right governing parties in democracies such as the Conservatives in the UK or CDU in Germany,” according to the V-Dem Institute, which has compiled a database of 1,955 political parties across 1,560 elections since 1970. The white nationalists Trump has reached out to comprise a range of different groups, mostly formed during three different periods: first, armed militias (illegal in all 50 states since the early 1900s) initially organized as leading organizations in the 1990s “patriot movement;” second, a more specialized range of militialike groups founded in the “Tea Party” era, as described in David Neiwart’s informative book, Alt-America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump; and third, newer groups that emerged alongside Trump himself, such as the Proud Boys and QAnon. The specialized groups included ones oriented toward the military and law enforcement, such as Oath Keepers, a group “founded by
Stewart Rhodes in 2009, that was geared toward recruiting military and law enforcement veterans,” according to Neiwart, and a related group, the Three Percenters, founded by Mike Vanderboegh, focused on “ordinary civilian gun owners”... the name “an allusion to a myth that only 3 percent of the American colonists actually participated in the Revolutionary War as combatants.” Of the Trump-era groups, the Proud Boys are the most militantly confrontational, but the more amorphous QAnon, commonly described as a conspiracy theory, but perhaps more accurately a cult organized around a conspiracy theory, has enormous radicalizing potential according to those who’ve studied it closely. It might even be the ultimate information war weapon, at least so far. It has the potential to provide a lingua franca for expanding Trump’s reactionary base and a capacity to further fragment our shared civic reality, which will be the subject of part two, next issue. Understanding QAnon will help shed light on what Act Two of the Continuing Coup holds in store.
Real News, Real People, Really Effective January 21 - February 3, 2021
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January 21 - February 3, 2021
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant