LETTERS

Coronavirus by the numbers and local updates

Compiled by Kamala Kirk

Cases and deaths by neighborhood as of August 22:

Culver City: 2,666 (deaths 111); Del Rey: 39 (deaths 1); El Segundo: 933 (deaths 9); Marina del Rey: 597 (deaths 4); Mar Vista: 2,621 (deaths 37); Palms: 3,146 (deaths 61); Playa del Rey: 155 (deaths 1); Playa Vista: 772 (deaths 10); Santa Monica: 6,030 (deaths 183); Venice: 2,394 (deaths 15); Westchester: 3,219 (deaths 52) Total Westside cases: 21,572 Total Westside deaths: 484

Total confirmed cases in LA County:

1,383,186 Total deaths in LA County: 25,071 Total new cases as of August 22: 2,781 Total new deaths: 10 Hospitalizations: 1,746

Positivity rate (seven-day daily

average): 3.52%

Total number of people tested:

7,921,699

(Source: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health)

CREDIT: TIM TUNKS

Be sure to vote in this stupid but vitally important election Editor:

A hundred years ago California added a recall provision for elected office holders so that crooks could be thrown out if they were discovered to be unfit office holders. Unfortunately, the provision was poorly crafted and the result is that our elected state governor could easily be removed and replaced by a candidate with a much smaller share of the votes. If governor Newsom gets less than 50 percent of the cast votes, he must vacate his office. Then whichever of the 47 gets the most votes will be our governor — regardless of their qualifications or whatever actions they’d promote.

I can easily understand how many people have their own reasons not to love our governor, but that alone is no reason to vote “Yes, throw the bum out.” Even if you are a strongly partisan Republican who looks upon this as the only foreseeable chance for California to have a Republican governor, you should not risk the future of our state by placing an unqualified person in the driver’s seat of the very complex vehicle California has become. In Texas and Florida, we have already seen culture wars produce nutty government opposition to sensible Covid mitigation.

Voting “Yes” to replace Newsom without being entirely certain a fully qualified leader from the pack of 47 will replace him is the equivalent of cutting off your nose to spite your face. Even if one of the 47 could indeed do a better job (something I doubt with a high degree of certainty), how can you think your candidate will prevail over the 46 others? Even if you’ve carefully researched and picked the best of the 47 or if you’ve listened carefully to the radio and are convinced that your guy will “Own the Libs” better than anyone else, the Las Vegas odds are that someone else could well get the nod with their greater share of the votes.

The deck is somewhat stacked against Newsom because without non-partisan sensible voters voting “No” in this election, an election that looks mighty stupid, Newsom could be ejected. If not enough sensible people vote by September 14 with their ballots marked “No”, there will be no telling what sort of untested person will be elected to exercise the great

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power our Governor has to do whatever damage he chooses to do.

Voting “Yes” is you saying, “It is more important to have a Republican in the governor’s mansion — no matter who they are — than to have an experienced politician running the show.” If enough sensible folks don’t bother to vote, chances are that we’ll have a governor far worse than Newsom could possibly be.

Tim Tunks Santa Monica

Westchester/Playa del Rey neighborhood council Editor:

What is going on in the Westchester/Playa del Rey Neighborhood Council?

A shocking thing has just occurred.After decades as an important committee on our council, supporting both public and private schools, the Education Committee has been disbanded by the president of the Westchester/Playa del Rey Neighborhood Council.

Since its inception, the Education Committee has been the axis among all educators and families in our community, coordinating with ease with the Education Committee of the Chamber of Commerce in support of all schools in our boundaries, public and private.At the last Westchester/ Playa del Rey Neighborhood Council meeting, the president of the Council disbanded the Education Committee, a position that had been filled by an unopposed person.

The person who was unopposed happens to be a person of color. Was racism the motivation? It’s hard to imagine that a committee that has been a core component of work for our schools for decades would be erased if not for some insidious reason: racism or some political desire to change the balance of politics on the council.

This action displays that the current Neighborhood Council is a bad actor. They hold no power in our city, but act as a potential option for people to join forces for the good of our neighborhood as ideas are sent on to the City Council. Over the last few years, the council has allowed dangerous discussions such as the explosive arguments against creating more safety for Culver Boulevard. As was exhibited last night in a blazing automobile accident, this artery through our community does need the kinds of safety changes that were suggested, given the danger posed by a fire that blew up when a car ran into a wooden power pole.

I hope this action on the part of the council is a huge mirror reflecting the destructive nature of our current council and that our community will rise up in favor of our schools (public and private) serving our children and educators. Our children need our support now more than ever as we begin our path forward in the new year with many health challenges to boot. We, in addition, need to ask: What is going on? Is it time to disband the council and take another, harder look at how we garner leadership for our community?

Wendy Zacuto

Construction on Via Marina Editor:

The construction on Via Marina of the Courtyard Hotel and the LA City underground sewer project ended about three months Sunset off Santa Monica Beach.

ago, yet traffic on Via Marina is still restricted to one lane each way. My requests to the offices of Councilman Mike Bonin and Supervisor Janice Hahn to get the road opened were ignored.

It is this lack of a constructive dialog with their residents really reinforces the feeling that they just do not have time for us.

Unfortunately, we elected them, but now it most certainly appears time to replace both of them.

Susan Dingle Marina Peninsula

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