latimes--2020-07-11--Massive fire at historic San Gabriel Mission destroys roof and much of the interior

It was a wake without a body as hundreds of parishioners from the San Gabriel Mission Roman Catholic community gathered Saturday in the parking lot to cry , grieve and pray after a fire tore through the historic landmark .
Flames destroyed the roof , most of the just-refurbished church pews and portions of the interior , though some statues and other historic items survived .
The blaze came amid a backlash against California missions and other colonial monuments that for many serve as painful reminders of the nation ’ s racist history .
For that reason , investigators , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives , were looking into whether it was intentionally set , officials said .
“ My heart is full of sadness , ” said 70-year-old San Gabriel resident Anita Chavez , 70 , who calls herself a “ lifetime parishioner.
” “ This church has been at the center of my family , my world and my faith.
” Authorities received a call at 4:24 a.m. reporting that the mission ’ s fire alarm had been triggered , said Capt .
Antonio Negrete , public information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When an engine arrived to investigate , firefighters saw flames and smoke coming from the corner of the mission .
More units arrived on scene , and firefighters mounted an aggressive attack , fighting the flames from inside the church building .
But after about 15 minutes , portions of the structure started to fall on them and they made the decision to exit and move to a defensive attack position , battling the fire from outside , Negrete said .
The fire was eventually raised to four alarms , drawing 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other agencies .
They were able to knock down the fire at 6:48 a.m. No injuries were reported , but the damage to the building was extensive .
“ The roof of the mission is completely gone , and the interior up to the altar is completely destroyed , ” Negrete said .
The bell tower and museum remained intact , he said .
Still , most valuable artifacts escaped damage , said Terri Huerta , director of development and communications for the mission .
“ The altar is still intact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take a peek inside , ” she said .
“ It ’ s miraculously intact , including the historical wooden statues that were attached to the altar , and so we have a lot to be grateful for.
” A baptismal font consisting of a hammered copper basin and silver pieces donated by Spanish King Charles III in the late 18th century also survived , she said .
San Gabriel is considered to be one of the best-preserved missions , with the church building and altar dating to about 1805 , Huerta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along the Rio Hondo in present-day Montebello and then moved to its current location in May 1775 .
Along with the roof , the 107-year-old pews appeared to sustain the bulk of the damage , Huerta said .
They had just been refurbished two weeks before , with the final ones installed Friday .
“ It was a real labor of love to bring those pews back to life , ” Huerta said .
“ They looked beautiful.
” Paint peeled from the walls , and it was possible that water from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adobe , which could cause problems , Huerta said .
Still , she said , things could have been much worse .
“ It ’ s a resilient old building and we are a resilient mission community , ” she said .
“ We will find a way to rebuild and bring it back , absolutely.
” Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez toured the fire damage around 10:25 a.m. , while San Gabriel Valley regional Auxiliary Bishop David G. O ’ Connell met and spoke with distressed parishioners and visitors .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and this adds another trauma onto the present trauma of the coronavirus and everything else that ’ s happening , ” O ’ Connell said .
“ People love the mission , and many of these families have connections going back generations.
” O ’ Connell mentioned Friday that mission staffers had “ just … finished redoing the walls , getting them up to their original quality.
” He was thankful that because of the refurbishment , some of the mission ’ s statues and artwork had been removed and thus spared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that despite Saturday ’ s fire , normal Sunday Mass will continue at the mission ’ s chapel , with social distancing and COVID-19 limits holding attendance to 100 people .
It took about seven hours for hot spots to cool down enough for investigators to be able to enter the church and begin their probe , Negrete said .
Along with an ATF agent , they included a regional task force and a K-9 specially trained to detect accelerants , he said .
“ Just because it ’ s a church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re aware of the recent vandalism that ’ s been done to the mission churches and the statues of Junipero Serra , ” Negrete said .
“ So that ’ s part of the investigation.
” Founded by Franciscan Father Junipero Serra in 1771 , the San Gabriel Mission has long been seen as an essential link to California ’ s past , as well as to the brutality and racism on which the state was founded .
Considered by historians to be the most important base of operations for the Spanish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fourth of 21 missions established in the state , and one of the grandest .
At its height in 1829 , the mission had 50,000 livestock , 160,000 grapevines , and 2,300 fruit trees , said Philip Ethington , professor of history and political science and chair of the history department at USC .
But the church amassed those riches on the backs of the Tongva and other indigenous people , whom the friars forced into labor and coerced into converting to Catholicism and assimilating to their culture .
“ It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and stockades and lots of corporal punishment , ” Ethington said .
Thousands are estimated to have died after they were exposed to foreign diseases or suffered other “ comorbidities of conquest , ” said William Deverell , director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West and a professor of history at USC .
“ It ’ s still a site of faith and worship , but it ’ s also a site of great sadness , ” Deverell said .
“ Because in that parish ground , within the confines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of unnamed indigenous dead below what ’ s now a small Catholic cemetery.
” Yve Chavez , an assistant professor at UC Santa Cruz whose ancestors lived at the mission , helped build it and are buried in its cemetery , also described its legacy as complicated .
“ On the one hand , the news of today is quite devastating because this is something that our ancestors made , ” she said .
“ Some people might see these as monuments to Catholicism or Spain , but I think it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ product of Native labor.
” Still , she noted , that work was performed under duress and came at an unspeakably high cost .
“ The structure itself is a reminder of our ancestors who sacrificed their lives and their labor to make these missions possible , ” she said .
“ The missions in California are definitely an integral part of California history , and from that standpoint I regret destruction however it did happen , ” said Rick West , president and chief executive of the Autry Museum of the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is that … they ’ re very much an aspect of contested history because for Native peoples and Native communities , especially during the 18th and 19th centuries , the mission system does indeed represent a very unhappy chapter.
” The San Gabriel Mission , owned by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles , will probably have the funding to be rebuilt and restored , he said .
“ I hope that an aspect of their rebirth will be this multiple voices approach , telling what happened in those spaces … and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are many ways to incorporate the history of the harm that was done to Native communities and include their voices today , West said .
“ I would love to see missions reach out in their own storytelling to be inclusive of the breadth of the stories , including those stories that come out of the mouths of contemporary Native communities and people , ” he said .
The San Gabriel Mission was already doing that work , said Julia Bogany , a member of the Tongva tribe and Tongva cultural officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indians .
She has worked with the mission for the last half-dozen years to bring more indigenous history into the space .
“ I wanted to tell the truth so that our people can heal , ” Bogany said , adding that people have to know their history in order to be able to heal from it , work she now does with younger generations .
She has held ceremonies at the mission , including one to release her ancestors ’ spirits from the walls of the mission , and for years has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on tours in which she points out where and how her ancestors were mistreated and oppressed .
She convinced the church to include Tongva objects and culture in its museum .
Now the mission sells her book in its store , and and this year she held storytelling events to describe the killing of Native American people across California during its history .
Bogany was sad when she saw images of the damaged mission Saturday morning , she said .
“ A lot of work [ went into ] making that relationship that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have … with the mission , that we can eat and laugh together regardless of whatever happened , ” Bogany said .
“ I ’ ve been healed .
They understand that , they understand the bad stories , but that ’ s a relationship between human beings and we can go on and make things better.
” In addition to destroying the lives of Native Californians , the mission system has deeply tarnished the image of Serra , its architect , who has long been considered one of California ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saint by the Catholic Church in 2015 , fueling outrage from many indigenous activists and others .
Statues of Serra have been targets of vandalism in recent years by activists who point to how the mission system enslaved and killed off Native Californians .
Those protests grew in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd , which ignited a nationwide reckoning over racial justice .
A Serra statue at Olvera Street was toppled , and officials in Ventura pledged to move a statue of Serra that stands outside City Hall .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ statue of Serra , and officials stepped up security around its grounds about two weeks ago , Huerta said .
“ In light of what was happening in Ventura , we thought it prudent to alert the Police Department , and they put a decoy car in front of the statue as kind of a precaution , and they did extra patrolling , ” she said .
About a week after that , the mission decided to move the statue into its garden , away from public view , Huerta said .
Authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a possible link between the fire and the controversy surrounding the mission system and Serra ’ s legacy .
“ It ’ s too early to tell whether there was any criminal activity , ” Huerta said .
“ We will leave that up to the police and Fire Department and their investigation.
” Previously , the mission was damaged after two powerful earthquakes in the late 1980s .
The temblors showered the mission ’ s floor with mortar and caused religious statues , including a 200-year-old crucifix , to tumble to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the church over the years , including adjusting the size of the windows and moving the bell tower , Huerta said .
“ Through the years it stood as just a place of history and a place of tradition here in San Gabriel , ” Huerta said .
“ So many people have been baptized here , married here , buried here .
They have a real deep connection.
” Julie Sanchez Brehove has been going to the San Gabriel Mission all 27 years of her life .
In November , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. , they stood together from beyond the barrier set up by firefighters and watched their spiritual home smolder .
“ For all of us parishioners , it ’ s our gathering place , it ’ s the center of our spiritual lives , ” Sanchez Brehove said .
She recognizes , though , that it has a history of harm .
“ I understand that there is a lot of anger about the treatment of the indigenous people at the mission , ” Sanchez Brehove said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in my personal experience , it ’ s my gathering place and it ’ s a place where people are welcome , and we do try to live the way that Christ taught .
But I do understand … that people in the history of the church have acted unjustly , and that ’ s something that can be very difficult to reconcile.
” She remembers always knowing that the land on which the mission stands belonged to the indigenous people first , and as a Catholic high school English teacher she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themes in 19th century literature , she said .
Thinking of her community today , Sanchez Brehove is grateful no one was hurt in this fire .
“ We ’ ll probably still livestream Mass tomorrow , and we ’ re just praying for healing , praying for peace and praying and thanks-giving that no one was hurt.
” One of the more visible groups to arrive outside the church was a branch of the Knights on Bikes , a motorcycle group affiliated with the Knights of Columbus , a self-described fraternity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action.
” Paul Padilla , 50 , came from Fontana with a group of four other black-vested , blue-jeaned , masked members .
They assessed the situation , took photos , spoke with relatives and then pulled out rosaries and prayed .
“ We saw the reports on TV and had to stop by , ” Padilla said .
“ I grew up closer to the San Fernando Mission , but I had to come out and stand with the mission today and support my Catholic faith .
This place is a part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanchez , 59 , grew up in East Los Angeles and remembered field trips as a young student to the mission , while Enrique Bonilla , 39 , a Pasadena resident , said he had attended many mission services .
“ It ’ s sad this happened , ” Sanchez said .
“ This was a place of peace for so many people .
”

Alex Wigglesworth, Andrew J. Campa, Sonali Kohli

It was a wake without a body as hundreds of parishioners from the San Gabriel Mission Roman Catholic community gathered Saturday in the parking lot to cry, grieve and pray after a fire tore through the historic landmark.
Flames destroyed the roof, most of the just-refurbished church pews and portions of the interior, though some statues and other historic items survived.
The blaze came amid a backlash against California missions and other colonial monuments that for many serve as painful reminders of the nation’s racist history. For that reason, investigators, including a representative from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, were looking into whether it was intentionally set, officials said.
“My heart is full of sadness,” said 70-year-old San Gabriel resident Anita Chavez, who calls herself a “lifetime parishioner.”
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“This church has been at the center of my family, my world and my faith.”
Authorities received a call at 4:24 a.m. reporting that the mission’s fire alarm had been triggered, said Capt. Antonio Negrete, public information officer for the San Gabriel Fire Department. When an engine arrived to investigate, firefighters saw flames and smoke coming from the corner of the mission.
More units arrived on scene, and firefighters mounted an aggressive attack, fighting the flames from inside the church building. But after about 15 minutes, portions of the structure started to fall on them and they made the decision to exit and move to a defensive attack position, battling the fire from outside, Negrete said.
The fire was eventually raised to four alarms, drawing 50 firefighters from the San Gabriel Fire Department and other agencies. They were able to knock down the fire at 6:48 a.m. No injuries were reported, but the damage to the building was extensive.
“The roof of the mission is completely gone, and the interior up to the altar is completely destroyed,” Negrete said. The bell tower and museum remained intact, he said.
Damage to the roof of the historic San Gabriel Mission is seen after it caught fire overnight. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Still, most valuable artifacts escaped damage, said Terri Huerta, director of development and communications for the mission.
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“The altar is still intact, the last time that we were able to take a peek inside,” she said. “It’s miraculously intact, including the historical wooden statues that were attached to the altar, and so we have a lot to be grateful for.”
A baptismal font consisting of a hammered copper basin and silver pieces donated by Spanish King Charles III in the late 18th century also survived, she said.
San Gabriel is considered to be one of the best-preserved missions, with the church building and altar dating to about 1805, Huerta said. The mission was first formed along the Rio Hondo in present-day Montebello and then moved to its current location in May 1775.
Along with the roof, the 107-year-old pews appeared to sustain the bulk of the damage, Huerta said. They had just been refurbished two weeks before, with the final ones installed Friday.
“It was a real labor of love to bring those pews back to life,” Huerta said. “They looked beautiful.”
Paint peeled from the walls, and it was possible that water from the firefighting efforts might have seeped into the adobe, which could cause problems, Huerta said. Still, she said, things could have been much worse.
“It’s a resilient old building and we are a resilient mission community,” she said. “We will find a way to rebuild and bring it back, absolutely.”
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Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez toured the fire damage around 10:25 a.m., while San Gabriel Valley regional Auxiliary Bishop David G. O’Connell met and spoke with distressed parishioners and visitors.
“We’re all brokenhearted by this, and this adds another trauma onto the present trauma of the coronavirus and everything else that’s happening,” O’Connell said. “People love the mission, and many of these families have connections going back generations.”
O’Connell mentioned Friday that mission staffers had “just … finished redoing the walls, getting them up to their original quality.” He was thankful that because of the refurbishment, some of the mission’s statues and artwork had been removed and thus spared from the blaze.
O’Connell said that despite Saturday’s fire, normal Sunday Mass will continue at the mission’s chapel, with social distancing and COVID-19 limits holding attendance to 100 people.
Bishop David O’Connell leaves the San Gabriel Mission after seeing the damage caused by a fire overnight. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
It took about seven hours for hot spots to cool down enough for investigators to be able to enter the church and begin their probe, Negrete said. Along with an ATF agent, they included a regional task force and a K-9 specially trained to detect accelerants, he said.
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“Just because it’s a church, and I’m sure you’re aware of the recent vandalism that’s been done to the mission churches and the statues of Junipero Serra,” Negrete said. “So that’s part of the investigation.”
Founded by Franciscan Father Junipero Serra in 1771, the San Gabriel Mission has long been seen as an essential link to California’s past, as well as to the brutality and racism on which the state was founded.
Considered by historians to be the most important base of operations for the Spanish conquest of California, San Gabriel was the fourth of 21 missions established in the state, and one of the grandest. At its height in 1829, the mission had 50,000 livestock, 160,000 grapevines, and 2,300 fruit trees, said Philip Ethington, professor of history and political science and chair of the history department at USC.
But the church amassed those riches on the backs of the Tongva and other indigenous people, whom the friars forced into labor and coerced into converting to Catholicism and assimilating to their culture.
“It was really a labor camp enforced with whipping and stockades and lots of corporal punishment,” Ethington said.
Thousands are estimated to have died after they were exposed to foreign diseases or suffered other “comorbidities of conquest,” said William Deverell, director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West and a professor of history at USC.
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“It’s still a site of faith and worship, but it’s also a site of great sadness,” Deverell said. “Because in that parish ground, within the confines of the church, there are thousands of unnamed indigenous dead below what’s now a small Catholic cemetery.”
A fire truck sits outside the San Gabriel Mission. It took several hours to extinguish hot spots. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Yve Chavez, an assistant professor at UC Santa Cruz whose ancestors lived at the mission, helped build it and are buried in its cemetery, also described its legacy as complicated.
“On the one hand, the news of today is quite devastating because this is something that our ancestors made,” she said. “Some people might see these as monuments to Catholicism or Spain, but I think it’s important to recognize that this is the product of Native labor.”
Still, she noted, that work was performed under duress and came at an unspeakably high cost.
“The structure itself is a reminder of our ancestors who sacrificed their lives and their labor to make these missions possible,” she said.
Other experts shared similar assessments.
“The missions in California are definitely an integral part of California history, and from that standpoint I regret destruction however it did happen,” said Rick West, president and chief executive of the Autry Museum of the American West.
“The flip side of that is that … they’re very much an aspect of contested history because for Native peoples and Native communities, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries, the mission system does indeed represent a very unhappy chapter.”
Foam that firefighters used to extinguish the blaze falls on crucifixes on the grounds of the San Gabriel Mission on Saturday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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The San Gabriel Mission, owned by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, will probably have the funding to be rebuilt and restored, he said. “I hope that an aspect of their rebirth will be this multiple voices approach, telling what happened in those spaces … and that storytelling is inclusive of Native voices.”
There are many ways to incorporate the history of the harm that was done to Native communities and include their voices today, West said.
“I would love to see missions reach out in their own storytelling to be inclusive of the breadth of the stories, including those stories that come out of the mouths of contemporary Native communities and people,” he said.
The San Gabriel Mission was already doing that work, said Julia Bogany, a member of the Tongva tribe and Tongva cultural officer for the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians. She has worked with the mission for the last half-dozen years to bring more indigenous history into the space.
Sunlight beams through the destroyed roof onto charred pews inside the San Gabriel Mission. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
“I wanted to tell the truth so that our people can heal,” Bogany said, adding that people have to know their history in order to be able to heal from it, work she now does with younger generations.
She has held ceremonies at the mission, including one to release her ancestors’ spirits from the walls of the mission, and for years has taken children, college students and adults on tours in which she points out where and how her ancestors were mistreated and oppressed.
She convinced the church to include Tongva objects and culture in its museum. Now the mission sells her book in its store, and and this year she held storytelling events to describe the killing of Native American people across California during its history.
Bogany was sad when she saw images of the damaged mission Saturday morning, she said.
“A lot of work [went into] making that relationship that our tribe hasn’t been allowed to have … with the mission, that we can eat and laugh together regardless of whatever happened,” Bogany said. “I’ve been healed. They understand that, they understand the bad stories, but that’s a relationship between human beings and we can go on and make things better.”
San Gabriel Firefighter Hrag Jivalagian continues to work on hot spots after a fire severely damaged the San Gabriel Mission. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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In addition to destroying the lives of Native Californians, the mission system has deeply tarnished the image of Serra, its architect, who has long been considered one of California’s founding fathers. Serra was made a saint by the Catholic Church in 2015, fueling outrage from many indigenous activists and others.
Statues of Serra have been targets of vandalism in recent years by activists who point to how the mission system enslaved and killed off Native Californians. Those protests grew in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, which ignited a nationwide reckoning over racial justice. A Serra statue at Olvera Street was toppled, and officials in Ventura pledged to move a statue of Serra that stands outside City Hall.
The San Gabriel Mission also features a statue of Serra, and officials stepped up security around its grounds about two weeks ago, Huerta said.
“In light of what was happening in Ventura, we thought it prudent to alert the Police Department, and they put a decoy car in front of the statue as kind of a precaution, and they did extra patrolling,” she said.
About a week after that, the mission decided to move the statue into its garden, away from public view, Huerta said.
Authorities had not determined Saturday whether there was a possible link between the fire and the controversy surrounding the mission system and Serra’s legacy.
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“It’s too early to tell whether there was any criminal activity,” Huerta said. “We will leave that up to the police and Fire Department and their investigation.”
Caution tape blocks off the scene of the San Gabriel Mission fire. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Previously, the mission was damaged after two powerful earthquakes in the late 1980s. The temblors showered the mission’s floor with mortar and caused religious statues, including a 200-year-old crucifix, to tumble to the floor.
Some other modifications were made to the church over the years, including adjusting the size of the windows and moving the bell tower, Huerta said.
“Through the years it stood as just a place of history and a place of tradition here in San Gabriel,” Huerta said. “So many people have been baptized here, married here, buried here. They have a real deep connection.”
Julie Sanchez Brehove has been going to the San Gabriel Mission all 27 years of her life. In November, she and her husband were married there. On Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m., they stood together from beyond the barrier set up by firefighters and watched their spiritual home smolder.
“For all of us parishioners, it’s our gathering place, it’s the center of our spiritual lives,” Sanchez Brehove said. She recognizes, though, that it has a history of harm.
“I understand that there is a lot of anger about the treatment of the indigenous people at the mission,” Sanchez Brehove said. “When I think of the mission, in my personal experience, it’s my gathering place and it’s a place where people are welcome, and we do try to live the way that Christ taught. But I do understand … that people in the history of the church have acted unjustly, and that’s something that can be very difficult to reconcile.”
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She remembers always knowing that the land on which the mission stands belonged to the indigenous people first, and as a Catholic high school English teacher she discusses with her students the racist colonialist themes in 19th century literature, she said.
Thinking of her community today, Sanchez Brehove is grateful no one was hurt in this fire.
“We’ll probably still livestream Mass tomorrow, and we’re just praying for healing, praying for peace and praying and thanks-giving that no one was hurt.”
One of the more visible groups to arrive outside the church was a branch of the Knights on Bikes, a motorcycle group affiliated with the Knights of Columbus, a self-described fraternity of “Catholic men of faith and charitable action.”
Paul Padilla, 50, came from Fontana with a group of four other black-vested, blue-jeaned, masked members.
They assessed the situation, took photos, spoke with relatives and then pulled out rosaries and prayed.
“We saw the reports on TV and had to stop by,” Padilla said. “I grew up closer to the San Fernando Mission, but I had to come out and stand with the mission today and support my Catholic faith. This place is a part of our history.”
Fellow member David Sanchez, 59, grew up in East Los Angeles and remembered field trips as a young student to the mission, while Enrique Bonilla, 39, a Pasadena resident, said he had attended many mission services.
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“It’s sad this happened,” Sanchez said. “This was a place of peace for so many people.”


latimes--2020-07-11--'It takes 150 redials': Horror stories from Californians filing unemployment claims, getting no resu

'It takes 150 redials': Horror stories from Californians filing unemployment claims, getting no results

Barry Levine has blown through two-thirds of his life savings while waiting for his unemployment insurance claim to be processed .
He figures that , by sometime in September , he will have nothing left .
In the 10 weeks since the 52-year-old freelance ad copywriter and occasional actor applied for benefits , he has called the California Employment Development Department “ thousands of times , ” he said , just to reach a human being .
His application has gone missing in the overburdened state agency , which has processed 7.5 million unemployment claims since the pandemic sent the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number filed during the worst full year of the Great Recession .
“ It takes 150 redials before I get lucky and get someone on the phone , ” he said .
“ I would try when I had time , half an hour here , an hour there .
I ’ m not getting through , but I see no other way to contact these people , and I ’ m unemployed .
This sort of became my de facto job — trying to get in touch with them to follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filled with horror stories about women and men like Levine who ’ ve been thrown out of work by the coronavirus and are fighting to navigate the EDD .
They ’ ve peppered sites such as Reddit with hacks from the unemployment insurance battlefields on how to use the agency ’ s seemingly impenetrable phone system .
They ’ ve memorized customer service numbers and can recite chunks of EDD ’ s recorded messages verbatim .
They ’ ve sent and resent copies of their most important documents — passports , driver ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cards , birth certificates , apartment leases , utility bills — to verify their identities in hopes of speeding the process along .
But they ’ ve often been met with radio silence and left to wonder : “ Who was that guy who wouldn ’ t give me his last name or phone number and I just sent everything to ?
” Those who have filed unemployment claims in vain say dealing with the EDD feels like life with an emotionally abusive partner : They never know if their actions will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constant anxiety and fear .
The world is random , treacherous , without logic .
A single mistake could mean disaster .
And they can not imagine a way out .
EDD spokeswoman Loree Levy said a big part of the agency ’ s problem is “ an unprecedented volume of callers dialing in multiple times , which clogs the phone lines.
” In May , EDD reported receiving around 12 million calls a week from up to 645,000 individuals and was able to answer just 20 % to 23 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the agency recorded 11 million call attempts from 500,000 individuals and was able to answer 27 % of the calls with a live service representative .
That month , @ CaUnemployed cropped up on Twitter to highlight people ’ s struggles with the agency ; its creator is an unemployed hotel worker named Leah who called EDD 300 times in one day without ever getting through .
Leah doesn ’ t want her last name used .
She fears that it could jeopardize her claim .
Fifteen weeks have passed since she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Levine has received a penny from the state .
She likes to retweet Assemblyman David Chiu ( D-San Francisco ) , who has taken to posting his constituents ’ tales of woe under # EDDFailOfTheDay .
“ While I understand EDD is dealing with a large number of claims , it is long past time to see some improvement , ” Chiu told The Times on Wednesday , arguing for immediate , “ transformative ” change in the agency .
“ EDD ’ s actions have real consequences .
People are going into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families because EDD has not resolved these issues.
” Leah ’ s months-long EDD saga is replete with fax machines in the email era , a letter of response from the beleaguered agency in Spanish ( which she doesn ’ t speak ) , conflicting answers about her claim status and a cameo appearance by a California legislator .
Leah is 28 years old and lives with her sister in Studio City .
She had just started working at a Southern California hotel when the pandemic hit .
She was furloughed in late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first week in April .
Because she had worked out of state during the last 18 months , she said , she was given the option to either fax or mail her application .
She faxed it in .
Waited a couple of weeks .
Figured the EDD was overwhelmed .
Waited a while longer .
Then she started calling .
And calling .
And calling .
And no one ever answered the phone .
Three hundred redials in a single day .
Crickets .
Finally , in mid-May , a woman from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said Leah ’ s claim had been approved .
But when Leah hung up the phone , her elation fizzled .
She ’ d forgotten to ask for an account number .
The customer service rep did not offer it .
You can not access the EDD website without those crucial digits .
So she called and called and called again .
When she finally got through , she was told she hadn ’ t been approved after all .
A while later , the letter in Spanish arrived .
She used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It included her account number .
But she still could not log on .
So what did she do ?
Started calling yet again .
“ I finally get in touch with someone , ” Leah recounted .
“ They say I ’ ll get a call back from a supervisor in one to seven days .
That never happened .
I called back .
I was told that four to five times .
Nobody ever called me .
Ever .
“ Eventually she was able to sign on .
But “ everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help her pay the bills .
EDD needed to verify her identity .
She mailed in her documents again .
Then the agency needed to confirm her out-of-state wages .
Even though she ’ d already submitted that information , too .
“ I was told by someone last week not to expect anything for four to six weeks , ” she said Tuesday .
“ That will put us in August .
Throughout all of this , I just became more and more frustrated and upset .
My sister lost her job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to get unemployment easily .
I don ’ t know why .
We ’ ve been living on one person ’ s unemployment.
” And having hard conversations about maybe moving back home to live with their parents in Georgia .
But on Wednesday , Leah got some good news , the first in a while .
She ’ d emailed her state assemblyman , Adrin Nazarian ( D-North Hollywood ) , asking for help .
“ I got a call from EDD today because my assembly rep had my claim escalated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CaUnemployed .
On Thursday , her EDD account finally showed a balance , although she was still not able to access the money .
“ I know how everyone feels .
They feel like they ’ ve been left behind , ” Leah said .
“ You shouldn ’ t have to fight so hard .
… I understand the system is overwhelmed .
I totally get that .
But that ’ s not a good enough excuse at this point when this many people are this desperate.
” Lawmakers throughout the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
State Sen. John Moorlach ( R-Costa Mesa ) said his office has so far been able to get EDD to resolve 150 of some 600 cases where people were unable to get claims approved on their own .
Moorlach said he believes antiquated computers are holding up the processing of many complaints .
Callers have told his staff that EDD service representatives sometimes say they can not access automated files .
The technology problems extend to the agency ’ s call centers .
For years , the call center has operated from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic began , callers complained about the limited hours , so a second call center operating from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. was set up .
But many of the agency ’ s service representatives can not help resolve specific problems with people ’ s claims .
Callers complain they ’ ve repeatedly gotten recorded messages saying the system is overwhelmed .
Veronica Davidson , who works in television production , has been trying to get unemployment benefits for the last 13 weeks .
Any story about the EDD ’ s disastrous customer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ note the “ complete contradiction ” unemployed workers hear when they call .
“ As you know , the first sentence is ‘ Hello , at this time our representatives are here to assist you , ’ ” she said .
“ The next sentence is , ‘ We are experiencing a high volume of calls , try your call later.
’ Then when you call later , it says , ‘ Our business hours are 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. ’ ” The 64-year-old Redondo Beach resident sent flowers to the rare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She has called EDD 10 times a week for the last three months .
Finally , on Friday , the first unemployment money arrived in the mail , Davidson said — a fraction of what she is owed .
“ It ’ s a good start , ” she said , “ but where ’ s the back pay ?
” Gov .
Gavin Newsom was asked at a news conference Thursday what he would say to jobless Californians who are struggling to make ends meet because they have been unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entitled .
Newsom said the state faces a “ historic backlog ” of claims , but he noted that thousands of state employees have been retrained and transferred to help EDD with the deluge of claims , and he said more than $ 3.5 billion in benefits has been paid out in just the last week .
“ It ’ s $ 3.5 billion , but it ’ s not enough .
We ’ ve got to do more .
We ’ ve got to do better , ” Newsom said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the resolve to focus in , learn lessons and fix things as we work through this surge.
” That ’ s cold comfort for Polina Izotova , who worked at the front desk of a Santa Monica hotel until guests stopped arriving and the staff was furloughed .
She has been waiting for her claim to be approved for nearly four months .
She can afford to keep her apartment — but not to live in it .
She moved back to Houston and is staying with family .
She has called EDD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t help Dorian , who lives in Long Beach and hasn ’ t worked translating video game text into Spanish since March 16 .
He asked that his last name not be used because he doesn ’ t want to jeopardize future employment .
He applied for unemployment insurance , got two weeks of payments , then was told he had to verify his identity .
He figures he has called EDD 500 times .
He ’ s going for a teaching credential , is living off student loans and applied to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13-year-old son .
And Barry Levine ?
He ’ s still waiting .
He is grateful that the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program was expanded to include gig workers and freelancers like him .
But the system for delivering unemployment benefits in California , he said , must be fixed .
If it isn ’ t , Levine said , “ I have to imagine that thousands of additional people in California are going to go hungry and join the already catastrophic homeless crisis , and many may even die , making the worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality .
”

Barry Levine, a freelance copywriter, has been unemployed for the last 15 weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak. Levine turned in his application 10 weeks ago for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program with the EDD, but it still hasn’t been processed.
Barry Levine has blown through two-thirds of his life savings while waiting for his unemployment insurance claim to be processed. He figures that, by sometime in September, he will have nothing left.
In the 10 weeks since the 52-year-old freelance ad copywriter and occasional actor applied for benefits, he has called the California Employment Development Department “thousands of times,” he said, just to reach a human being.
His application has gone missing in the overburdened state agency, which has processed 7.5 million unemployment claims since the pandemic sent the economy reeling in March — nearly doubling the number filed during the worst full year of the Great Recession.
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“It takes 150 redials before I get lucky and get someone on the phone,” he said. “I would try when I had time, half an hour here, an hour there. I’m not getting through, but I see no other way to contact these people, and I’m unemployed. This sort of became my de facto job — trying to get in touch with them to follow up the claim.”
Social media platforms are filled with horror stories about women and men like Levine who’ve been thrown out of work by the coronavirus and are fighting to navigate the EDD. They’ve peppered sites such as Reddit with hacks from the unemployment insurance battlefields on how to use the agency’s seemingly impenetrable phone system. They’ve memorized customer service numbers and can recite chunks of EDD’s recorded messages verbatim.
They’ve sent and re-sent copies of their most important documents — passports, driver’s licenses, W-2 forms, green cards, birth certificates, apartment leases, utility bills — to verify their identities in hopes of speeding the process along. But they’ve often been met with radio silence and left to wonder: “Who was that guy who wouldn’t give me his last name or phone number and I just sent everything to?”
Those who have filed unemployment claims in vain say dealing with the EDD feels like life with an emotionally abusive partner: They never know if their actions will be rewarded or punished. They live in constant anxiety and fear. The world is random, treacherous, without logic. A single mistake could mean disaster. And they cannot imagine a way out.
“It takes 150 redials before I get lucky and get someone on the phone. This sort of became my de facto job — trying to get in touch with them to follow up the claim.” — Barry Levine, unemployed freelance copy writer
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EDD spokeswoman Loree Levy said a big part of the agency’s problem is “an unprecedented volume of callers dialing in multiple times, which clogs the phone lines.”
In May, EDD reported receiving around 12 million calls a week from up to 645,000 individuals and was able to answer just 20% to 23% of the unique calls each week. In June, the agency recorded 11 million call attempts from 500,000 individuals and was able to answer 27% of the calls with a live service representative.
That month, @CaUnemployed cropped up on Twitter to highlight people’s struggles with the agency; its creator is an unemployed hotel worker named Leah who called EDD 300 times in one day without ever getting through.
Leah doesn’t want her last name used. She fears that it could jeopardize her claim. Fifteen weeks have passed since she filed for benefits. Neither she nor Levine has received a penny from the state. She likes to retweet Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco), who has taken to posting his constituents’ tales of woe under #EDDFailOfTheDay.
“While I understand EDD is dealing with a large number of claims, it is long past time to see some improvement,” Chiu told The Times on Wednesday, arguing for immediate, “transformative” change in the agency. “EDD’s actions have real consequences. People are going into debt and are unable to feed their families because EDD has not resolved these issues.”
Leah’s months-long EDD saga is replete with fax machines in the email era, a letter of response from the beleaguered agency in Spanish (which she doesn’t speak), conflicting answers about her claim status and a cameo appearance by a California legislator.
Leah is 28 years old and lives with her sister in Studio City. She had just started working at a Southern California hotel when the pandemic hit. She was furloughed in late March and filed for unemployment benefits the first week in April. Because she had worked out of state during the last 18 months, she said, she was given the option to either fax or mail her application.
She faxed it in. Waited a couple of weeks. Figured the EDD was overwhelmed. Waited a while longer. Then she started calling. And calling. And calling. And no one ever answered the phone. Three hundred redials in a single day. Crickets. Finally, in mid-May, a woman from the agency called out of the blue and said Leah’s claim had been approved.
But when Leah hung up the phone, her elation fizzled. She’d forgotten to ask for an account number. The customer service rep did not offer it. You cannot access the EDD website without those crucial digits.
So she called and called and called again. When she finally got through, she was told she hadn’t been approved after all. A while later, the letter in Spanish arrived. She used Google Translate to decipher the document. It included her account number. But she still could not log on.
So what did she do? Started calling yet again.
“I finally get in touch with someone,” Leah recounted. “They say I’ll get a call back from a supervisor in one to seven days. That never happened. I called back. I was told that four to five times. Nobody ever called me. Ever. “
Eventually she was able to sign on. But “everything said zero.” Meaning no money to help her pay the bills. EDD needed to verify her identity. She mailed in her documents again. Then the agency needed to confirm her out-of-state wages. Even though she’d already submitted that information, too.
“I was told by someone last week not to expect anything for four to six weeks,” she said Tuesday. “That will put us in August. Throughout all of this, I just became more and more frustrated and upset. My sister lost her job at the same time. She was able to get unemployment easily. I don’t know why. We’ve been living on one person’s unemployment.”
And having hard conversations about maybe moving back home to live with their parents in Georgia. But on Wednesday, Leah got some good news, the first in a while. She’d emailed her state assemblyman, Adrin Nazarian (D-North Hollywood), asking for help. “I got a call from EDD today because my assembly rep had my claim escalated!!” she posted on @CaUnemployed.
On Thursday, her EDD account finally showed a balance, although she was still not able to access the money.
“I know how everyone feels. They feel like they’ve been left behind,” Leah said. “You shouldn’t have to fight so hard. … I understand the system is overwhelmed. I totally get that. But that’s not a good enough excuse at this point when this many people are this desperate.”
Lawmakers throughout the state have been intervening to help their constituents. State Sen. John Moorlach (R-Costa Mesa) said his office has so far been able to get EDD to resolve 150 of some 600 cases where people were unable to get claims approved on their own.
Moorlach said he believes antiquated computers are holding up the processing of many complaints. Callers have told his staff that EDD service representatives sometimes say they cannot access automated files. The technology problems extend to the agency’s call centers.
For years, the call center has operated from 8 a.m. until noon. After the pandemic began, callers complained about the limited hours, so a second call center operating from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. was set up. But many of the agency’s service representatives cannot help resolve specific problems with people’s claims. Callers complain they’ve repeatedly gotten recorded messages saying the system is overwhelmed.
And then they’re disconnected.
Veronica Davidson is an out-of-work freelance camera assistant who was gainfully employed until the industry shutdown and has still not received a penny from EDD. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Veronica Davidson, who works in television production, has been trying to get unemployment benefits for the last 13 weeks. Any story about the EDD’s disastrous customer service, she said, has to note the “complete contradiction” unemployed workers hear when they call.
“As you know, the first sentence is ‘Hello, at this time our representatives are here to assist you,’ ” she said. “The next sentence is, ‘We are experiencing a high volume of calls, try your call later.’ Then when you call later, it says, ‘Our business hours are 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.’”
The 64-year-old Redondo Beach resident sent flowers to the rare EDD service rep who actually helped her.
She has called EDD 10 times a week for the last three months.
Finally, on Friday, the first unemployment money arrived in the mail, Davidson said — a fraction of what she is owed.
“It’s a good start,” she said, “but where’s the back pay?”
Gov. Gavin Newsom was asked at a news conference Thursday what he would say to jobless Californians who are struggling to make ends meet because they have been unable to get unemployment benefits to which they are entitled.
Newsom said the state faces a “historic backlog” of claims, but he noted that thousands of state employees have been retrained and transferred to help EDD with the deluge of claims, and he said more than $3.5 billion in benefits has been paid out in just the last week.
“It’s $3.5 billion, but it’s not enough. We’ve got to do more. We’ve got to do better,” Newsom said. “We own the experience. We own the resolve to focus in, learn lessons and fix things as we work through this surge.”
That’s cold comfort for Polina Izotova, who worked at the front desk of a Santa Monica hotel until guests stopped arriving and the staff was furloughed. She has been waiting for her claim to be approved for nearly four months. She can afford to keep her apartment — but not to live in it. She moved back to Houston and is staying with family. She has called EDD more than 1,000 times.
It doesn’t help Dorian, who lives in Long Beach and hasn’t worked translating video game text into Spanish since March 16. He asked that his last name not be used because he doesn’t want to jeopardize future employment. He applied for unemployment insurance, got two weeks of payments, then was told he had to verify his identity. He figures he has called EDD 500 times. He’s going for a teaching credential, is living off student loans and applied to CalFresh so that he can feed his 13-year-old son.
And Barry Levine? He’s still waiting. He is grateful that the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program was expanded to include gig workers and freelancers like him. But the system for delivering unemployment benefits in California, he said, must be fixed.
If it isn’t, Levine said, “I have to imagine that thousands of additional people in California are going to go hungry and join the already catastrophic homeless crisis, and many may even die, making the worst possible versions of this pandemic a grim reality.”


latimes--2020-07-11--Coronavirus outbreak hits Los Angeles Apparel with more than 300 infections, 4 employee deaths

When the coronavirus began rapidly spreading in the spring , Los Angeles Apparel was one of many fashion brands that altered operations to make reusable masks .
The company ’ s flamboyant founder , Dov Charney , said in March that his 400 employees were trying to keep up with the desperate need for protection and that he hoped to eventually make 100,000 masks a week .
But authorities now say a coronavirus outbreak has struck Los Angeles Apparel , with more than 300 infections and four virus-related deaths among the manufacturer ’ s workers .
The Los Angeles County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first shut down operations at the South L.A. garment manufacturer June 27 after inspectors found “ flagrant violations ” of public health infection control orders and the company ’ s failure to cooperate with an investigation of a reported coronavirus outbreak .
On Thursday , the department ordered the continued suspension of Los Angeles Apparel ’ s operations , officials said Friday .
“ The death of four dedicated garment workers is heartbreaking and tragic , ” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement .
“ Business owners and operators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility to their employees and their families to provide a safe work environment that adheres to all of the health officer directives — this responsibility is important , now more than ever , as we continue to fight this deadly virus.
” In an interview , Charney said his company ’ s communications with the department have been “ a maze of conflicting directions ” and called its characterization of Los Angeles Apparel ’ s alleged negligence “ outrageous.
” He said that the company has worked to help all its workers get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months and that higher infection rates in communities such as South L.A. would naturally be reflected in a factory there .
“ We believe that at all times — since the launch of the epidemic — we ’ ve been doing our best in doing social distancing and following every directive we ’ re aware of , ” he said .
“ We ’ re dealing with a massive epidemic that has risen astronomically in our community , in South L.A. , and it ’ s manifested itself in our factory.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workplace reported so far in the county .
In May , health officials announced outbreaks of COVID-19 had struck nine industrial facilities in Vernon , including five meatpacking plants .
The largest outbreak occurred at the Smithfield Foods-owned Farmer John plant — producer of the Dodger Dog — where 153 of 1,837 employees tested positive for COVID-19 from March to May , the department said then .
Three of the coronavirus-related deaths among Los Angeles Apparel workers occurred in early June , and one occurred in early July , according to health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Department said a healthcare provider notified it June 19 of a potential outbreak .
As part of the department ’ s investigation , health officials asked the company for a list of all employees that they could then compare to testing results that the department had received .
The company , they said , failed to provide the list after multiple requests .
During a site visit June 26 , the department stated , inspectors observed multiple violations of social distancing requirements and infection control protocols , including the use of cardboard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on that visit and the company ’ s failure to provide a full list of employees , the department said it decided to shut down operations until safety standards were met .
In early July , health officials said they received an “ incomplete ” list of company employees and used it to help determine the scale of the outbreak .
The department stated that the company reopened with new employees in violation of its order .
Charney contested this , saying that the department told him this week that the company could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Garment Worker Center , said she began hearing in May from Los Angeles Apparel workers who had gotten sick from the coronavirus .
Some , she said , had voiced concern about social distancing standards being followed consistently .
“ With so many workers who are sick , with four deaths , with thwarted efforts , things need to be cleaned up and corrected there , ” she said .
“ It makes sense to us that DPH would take this action .
Clearly not enough is being done to protect workers.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued to spread across the state .
California exceeded 7,000 deaths Saturday .
Los Angeles County health officials on Saturday confirmed 2,916 new coronavirus cases and 57 more related deaths .
More than 2,000 people in the county are hospitalized with the virus , with 27 % of those confirmed cases in intensive care and 18 % on ventilators , officials said .
It ’ s a significant increase from the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen a month ago , according to the county Public Health Department .

When the coronavirus began rapidly spreading in the spring, Los Angeles Apparel was one of many fashion brands that altered operations to make reusable masks.
The company’s flamboyant founder, Dov Charney, said in March that his 400 employees were trying to keep up with the desperate need for protection and that he hoped to eventually make 100,000 masks a week.
But authorities now say a coronavirus outbreak has struck Los Angeles Apparel, with more than 300 infections and four virus-related deaths among the manufacturer’s workers.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said that it first shut down operations at the South L.A. garment manufacturer June 27 after inspectors found “flagrant violations” of public health infection control orders and said the company failed to cooperate with an investigation of a reported coronavirus outbreak. On Thursday, the department ordered the continued suspension of Los Angeles Apparel’s operations, officials said Friday.
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“The death of four dedicated garment workers is heartbreaking and tragic,” county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “Business owners and operators have a corporate, moral and social responsibility to their employees and their families to provide a safe work environment that adheres to all of the health officer directives — this responsibility is important, now more than ever, as we continue to fight this deadly virus.”
In an interview, Charney said his company’s communications with the department have been “a maze of conflicting directions” and called its characterization of Los Angeles Apparel’s alleged negligence “outrageous.” He said that the company has worked to help all its workers get tested several times over the last few months and that higher infection rates in communities such as South L.A. would naturally be reflected in a factory there.
“We believe that at all times — since the launch of the epidemic — we’ve been doing our best in doing social distancing and following every directive we’re aware of,” he said. “We’re dealing with a massive epidemic that has risen astronomically in our community, in South L.A., and it’s manifested itself in our factory.”
The outbreak is among the largest at a workplace reported so far in the county. In May, health officials announced outbreaks of COVID-19 had struck nine industrial facilities in Vernon, including five meatpacking plants. The largest outbreak occurred at the Smithfield Foods-owned Farmer John plant — producer of the Dodger Dog — where 153 of 1,837 employees tested positive for COVID-19 from March to May, the department said then.
Three of the coronavirus-related deaths among Los Angeles Apparel workers occurred in early June, and one occurred in early July, according to health officials.
In its statement, the Public Health Department said a healthcare provider notified it June 19 of a potential outbreak. As part of the department’s investigation, health officials asked the company for a list of all employees that they could then compare to testing results that the department had received. The company, they said, failed to provide the list after multiple requests.
During a site visit June 26, the department stated, inspectors observed multiple violations of social distancing requirements and infection control protocols, including the use of cardboard as a barrier between workers. Based on that visit and the company’s failure to provide a full list of employees, the department said it decided to shut down operations until safety standards were met.
In early July, health officials said they received an “incomplete” list of company employees and used it to help determine the scale of the outbreak. The department stated that the company reopened with new employees in violation of its order. Charney contested this, saying that the department told him this week that the company could reopen.
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Marissa Nuncio, director of the Garment Worker Center, said she began hearing in May from Los Angeles Apparel workers who had gotten sick from the coronavirus. Some, she said, had voiced concern about social distancing standards being followed consistently.
“With so many workers who are sick, with four deaths, with thwarted efforts, things need to be cleaned up and corrected there,” she said. “It makes sense to us that DPH would take this action. Clearly not enough is being done to protect workers.”
The news comes as coronavirus cases continued to spread across the state. California exceeded 7,000 deaths Saturday. Los Angeles County health officials on Saturday confirmed 2,916 new coronavirus cases and 57 more related deaths.
More than 2,000 people in the county are hospitalized with the virus, with 27% of those confirmed cases in intensive care and 18% on ventilators, officials said. It’s a significant increase from the 1,350 to 1,450 daily hospitalizations seen a month ago, according to the county Public Health Department.


latimes--2020-07-11--Column: California wants to make it legal to sue Karens. Why aren't we prosecuting them?

If there ’ s one thing I can count on as a Californian , it ’ s that every time there ’ s an injustice in society — especially if it stays in the news for more than a week — some lawmaker in Sacramento will propose a bill to try to fix it .
It ’ s the kind of thing that used to drive former Gov .
Jerry Brown nuts .
“ Not every human problem deserves a law , ” he once wrote in a veto message .
In other words , stop clogging the government code @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covered by existing laws .
In some ways , one could make that argument about a new bill from Assemblyman Rob Bonta ( D-Alameda ) .
His AB 1550 would , in essence , create new ways to punish ( mostly white ) people who call 911 on ( mostly Black ) people for doing innocuous , everyday activities .
“ We must not allow people to use our 911 and law enforcement systems as weapons for hate , ” he told The Times .
( To be clear , there are already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They just aren ’ t being used .
But I ’ ll come back to that . )
“ If you are afraid of a Black family barbecuing in the community park , ” Bonta continued , “ a man dancing and doing his normal exercise routine in the bike lane or someone who asks you to comply with dog leash laws in a park , and your immediate response is to call the police , the real problem is with your own personal prejudice.
” We ’ re looking at you , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gail and Cornerstore Caroline .
And Karens .
So many Karens .
In fact , Bonta ’ s bill , AB 1550 , is designed to work alongside the so-called CAREN Act — that ’ s the Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies Act — which was introduced this week by San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton .
I ’ ll admit , I ’ m a bit sad that he couldn ’ t come up with a word starting with “ k ” to officially make it the KAREN Act .
If passed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would make it a hate crime to summon cops to deal with a person who is only threatening because of their race , religion or sex or inclusion in a protected class .
And victims of such 911 calls would be allowed to sue for the “ infliction of emotional distress ” caused by the police officers responding , or receive an award of statutory damages between $ 250 and $ 10,000 , in addition to legal fees and costs .
“ Under existing laws , ” Walton said , “ there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency calls based on the perception of another individual to be a threat due to their race , religion , ethnicity , religious affiliation , gender , sexual orientation , gender identity , or outward appearance.
” He ’ s not wrong .
Making a false police report is a misdemeanor under the California Penal Code , but only the government agency that responded to the 911 call can pursue charges .
If convicted , the offender would face a fine up to $ 1,000 , up to one year behind bars , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penal code about what constitutes a false report is exceedingly clear .
And yet , so many of these cases never get prosecuted .
Instead , stories abound about people using the police to intimidate people of color .
Walton , in his statement announcing the CAREN Act , cited two recent examples , including a couple who called 911 about a Filipino man writing “ Black Lives Matter ” in chalk in front of his house in San Francisco ’ s Pacific Heights neighborhood .
Calling the cops on people of color @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadly consequences — even if the reason is legitimate .
George Floyd , who died after police were summoned to investigate whether he used a counterfeit $ 20 bill to buy cigarettes , is only the latest example of this .
For those reasons , being able to sue people who call 911 for malicious and ridiculous reasons isn ’ t a bad idea .
But it ’ s bound to have unintended consequences , given the shift in focus from treating these cases as civil matters rather than criminal matters .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act would , for example , create a convenient excuse for prosecutors to do a lot more of what they are doing now , which is not go after people who make false reports .
Perhaps even more troubling , it would put the onus on people of color to relive the trauma of being victimized .
I ’ m sure many people would leap at the opportunity to tell their story about someone who sent armed officers to their doorstep for no good reason .
But others would take a pass .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ birding in Central Park in May when a white woman , Amy Cooper , called 911 to claim that an “ African-American man ” was threatening her , simply because he made the reasonable request for her to put her dog on a leash .
As a result , she lost her job , her dog and her reputation amid a brutal campaign of public shaming on Twitter .
This week , Christian Cooper told prosecutors in New York , who finally got around to filing charges about the false police report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the case .
“ On the one hand , she ’ s already paid a steep price , ” he told the New York Times .
“ That ’ s not enough of a deterrent to others ?
Bringing her more misery just seems like piling on .
If the DA feels the need to pursue charges , he should pursue charges .
But he can do that without me.
” And , so far , it looks like prosecutors can — and they should .
It ’ s the right thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Christian Cooper ’ s decision , even among my own friends , has ranged from him being unnecessarily soft by choosing to turn the other cheek to him being a person of unusual strength , empathy and character .
Cooper , it seems from various interviews , doesn ’ t want the guilt of further ruining the life of someone whose life has already been ruined .
And why should he have to take on that guilt for a woman who forced herself into his life ?
This national reckoning has made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being the ones who are doing all the hard work of undoing systemic racism .
So , more than a new law to sue the Karens of California and declare their actions hate crimes , we need police departments that will flag these cases and district attorneys to prosecute them .
This is a human problem that can very much be solved using the laws that are already on the books .

Amy Cooper, shown in late May, is shown threatening to call the police on a black man, Christian Cooper, in Central Park in New York.
If there’s one thing I can count on as a Californian, it’s that every time there’s an injustice in society — especially if it stays in the news for more than a week — some lawmaker in Sacramento will propose a bill to try to fix it.
It’s the kind of thing that used to drive former Gov. Jerry Brown nuts. “Not every human problem deserves a law,” he once wrote in a veto message. In other words, stop clogging the government code with new laws that address problems already covered by existing laws.
In some ways, one could make that argument about a new bill from Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Alameda). His Assembly Bill 1550 would, in essence, create new ways to punish (mostly white) people who call 911 on (mostly Black) people for doing innocuous, everyday activities.
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“We must not allow people to use our 911 and law enforcement systems as weapons for hate,” he told The Times.
(To be clear, there are already laws on the books for this. They just aren’t being used. But I’ll come back to that.)
“If you are afraid of a Black family barbecuing in the community park,” Bonta continued, “a man dancing and doing his normal exercise routine in the bike lane or someone who asks you to comply with dog leash laws in a park, and your immediate response is to call the police, the real problem is with your own personal prejudice.”
We’re looking at you, BBQ Becky, Permit Patty, Golf Cart Gail and Corner Store Caroline. And Karens. So many Karens.
In fact, Bonta’s AB 1550 is designed to work alongside the so-called CAREN Act — that’s the Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies Act — which was introduced this week by San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton. I’ll admit, I’m a bit sad that he couldn’t come up with a word starting with “k” to officially make it the KAREN Act.
But I digress.
If passed, both the CAREN Act and AB 1550 would make it a hate crime to summon cops to deal with a person who is perceived to be threatening only because of their race, religion or sex or inclusion in a protected class.
And victims of such 911 calls would be allowed to sue for the “infliction of emotional distress” caused by the police officers responding, or receive an award of statutory damages between $250 and $10,000, in addition to legal fees and costs.
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“Under existing laws,” Walton said, “there are no consequences for people who make fraudulent emergency calls based on the perception of another individual to be a threat due to their race, religion, ethnicity, religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or outward appearance.”
He’s not wrong. Making a false police report is a misdemeanor under the California Penal Code, but only the government agency that responded to the 911 call can pursue charges. If convicted, the offender would face a fine up to $1,000, up to one year behind bars, or both.
The language in the penal code about what constitutes a false report is exceedingly clear. And yet, so many of these cases never get prosecuted.
Instead, stories abound about people using the police to intimidate people of color. Walton, in his statement announcing the CAREN Act, cited two recent examples, including a couple who called 911 about a Filipino man writing “Black Lives Matter” in chalk in front of his house in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood.
Calling the cops on people of color, especially Black people, can have deadly consequences — even if the reason is legitimate. George Floyd, who was killed after police were summoned to investigate whether he used a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes, is only the latest example of this.
For those reasons, being able to sue people who call 911 for malicious and ridiculous reasons isn’t a bad idea. But it’s bound to have unintended consequences, given the shift in focus from treating these cases as civil matters rather than criminal matters.
The passage of AB 1550 and the CAREN Act would, for example, create a convenient excuse for prosecutors to do a lot more of what they are doing now, which is not going after people who make false reports.
Perhaps even more troubling, it would put the onus on people of color to relive the trauma of being victimized. I’m sure many people would leap at the opportunity to tell their story about someone who sent armed officers to their doorstep for no good reason. But others would take a pass.
Take Christian Cooper.
He is the Black man who was birding in Central Park in May when a white woman, Amy Cooper, called 911 to claim that an “African American man” was threatening her, simply because he made the reasonable request for her to put her dog on a leash. As a result, she lost her job, her dog and her reputation amid a brutal campaign of public shaming on Twitter.
This week, Christian Cooper told prosecutors in New York, who finally got around to filing charges about the false police report, that he had no intention on cooperating in the case.
“On the one hand, she’s already paid a steep price,” he told the New York Times. “That’s not enough of a deterrent to others? Bringing her more misery just seems like piling on. If the D.A. feels the need to pursue charges, he should pursue charges. But he can do that without me.”
And, so far, it looks like prosecutors can — and they should. It’s the right thing to do.
Meanwhile, the reaction to Christian Cooper’s decision, even among my own friends, has ranged from him being unnecessarily soft by choosing to turn the other cheek to him being a person of unusual strength, empathy and character.
Cooper, it seems from various interviews, doesn’t want the guilt of further ruining the life of someone whose life has already been ruined. And why should he have to take on that guilt for a woman who forced herself into his life?
This national reckoning has made clear that Black people are sick of being the ones who are doing all the hard work of undoing systemic racism.
So, more than a new law to sue the Karens of California and declare their actions hate crimes, we need police departments that will flag these cases and district attorneys to prosecute them. This is a human problem that can very much be solved using the laws that are already on the books.


latimes--2020-07-11--Column: A retired teacher leads the masked resistance in Newport Beach

Lynn Lorenz , a retired teacher who lives on a bluff above the Newport Beach harbor , emerged from her home Thursday morning wearing a mask .
Nobody turned and stared , as if she were wearing a lampshade over her head .
But Lorenz definitely stood out .
On the first 15 minutes of her daily stroll , we saw more than a dozen people , and nobody was wearing a face covering .
Not walkers , not runners , not dog owners , not a woman headed to the park with three kids .
Lorenz said she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being masked .
As if she ’ s the one who ’ s a bad neighbor .
“ They ’ re thinking either that I ’ m a liberal , or that in Newport Beach , having to wear a mask is an infringement on their rights , ” Lorenz said .
Jumping into the fray is nothing new for Lorenz .
I met the former French and history teacher several years ago when she was one of the activists campaigning against a proposal to turn the open spaces of Newport Banning Ranch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drawn into the coronavirus culture wars from the beginning , fearing that residents would pay with their lives for a refusal to heed the warnings from experts about masking and distancing .
Lorenz told me that recently , in the post office near her house , she confronted two women for ignoring signs directing customers to mask up .
“ They kind of looked at me , stared at me , and I got out of there real fast , ” Lorenz said .
But in what feels at times like a lonely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a small measure of revenge .
Lorenz fires off scalding emails to public officials , and she is a prolific writer of letters to the editor .
“ As I look around our city and see the lack of social distancing and lack of serious concern for the coronavirus , I have become very fearful for our future , ” said a Lorenz letter to the Newport Beach Independent .
When the Orange County public health officer resigned after county supervisors rejected her call for people to wear masks in public , Lorenz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supervisors .
“ I am outraged , ” she said in a letter published by Stu News Newport , adding that she was taking her business from Ralphs in Newport Beach to the Ralphs in Costa Mesa because of a stricter mask policy at the latter supermarket .
“ I , for one , regrettably will not be doing business with any indoor environment that does not require masks and I urge others to do the same for their protection.
” I called Tom Johnson , publisher of Stu News Newport , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of his more prolific letter writers .
“ Lynn Lorenz , ” Johnson said before I could say her name .
Lorenz submits at least one letter a week to him , Johnson said , and she ’ s a good writer , though he sometimes has to trim a few words .
In Newport Beach , registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by about 2 to 1 .
( Lorenz is a “ D. ” ) Johnson said he tries to publish different views and appreciates Lorenz ’ s contributions .
Lorenz and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet between us — walked down the hill and past a park to a little shopping center across the street from the Rusty Pelican .
The mask wearing count was close to 50-50 in the shopping center , but at one restaurant with outdoor seating , tables and customers were far too close together , in my opinion .
In one storefront , a clerk told us she gets three or so customers a day who ignore posted signs and refuse to wear masks .
Sometimes , she said , masked and unmasked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In one case , said the clerk , a customer argued that she refused to cover her face because she wanted to build up her immunity .
That strategy , by the way , hasn ’ t worked too well in Sweden .
But everyone seems to be an epidemiologist these days .
As I read various letters to editors published in Orange County , I came upon one that reminded me of readers who have pushed back against columns in which I ’ ve suggested we ’ ll all get back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it smart .
“ What ’ s worse than an infection ?
” asked a letter to the editor published June 9 in the Register .
“ Government intervention.
” Hmm .
I thought the problem was the scandalous lack thereof , beginning at the top .
But for some people , it ’ s all about rights rather than responsibilities .
And for some , the right to resist trumps the right of others to not be needlessly infected .
Orange County isn ’ t the only place in California where there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even as the number of COVID-19 cases statewide has exploded following attempts to partially reopen for business .
But after weeks of going after her local public officials for underplaying the threat , Lorenz is looking like both a scold and a sage .
Orange County public health officials said Thursday that hospitalizations had surged 97 % in three weeks , and they predicted the toll on the healthcare system will get worse in coming days and weeks .
The number of confirmed cases is now doubling every 13 days , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beach on Thursday , I wandered beaches and the commercial strip near the pier , where some people wore masks and distanced while others did neither .
One young woman , visiting from Redlands with friends , told me she ’ ll wear a mask where it ’ s required .
But she doesn ’ t think they work , though she couldn ’ t explain how she arrived at that conclusion .
Lorenz blames some of the resistance on President Trump , who finally wore a mask Saturday after months of defiance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States .
But in her published letters , she goes after closer targets .
She did get attacked by another letter writer a while back for lauding Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s early attempts to corral the virus .
Her critic accused Lorenz of having fawned over Newsom while ignoring his failings .
Lorenz , undeterred , has kept her pen sharp , saving her sharpest critiques for Newport Beach city officials and county supervisors .
“ In this jabberwocky world of Orange County politics , where down is up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be surprised if our local leaders try to start blaming someone else for the upsurge in coronavirus cases .
They will undoubtedly shift the blame for opening the economy too soon , ” Lorenz wrote in a letter published July 6 by the Daily Pilot .
“ Let ’ s not forget their failure to support science and health leaders and their continuous rebellious nature against those who are working to do the right thing , ” Lorenz wrote .
“ Let ’ s not let them get away with it.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the end , enough people will heed her warnings .
But Lorenz , the masked crusader , said she intends to keep writing .

Lynn Lorenz, a retired teacher and prolific writer of letters to the editor, advocates for greater mask use and social distancing in Newport Beach.
Lynn Lorenz, a retired teacher who lives on a bluff above the Newport Beach harbor, emerged from her home Thursday morning wearing a mask.
Nobody turned and stared, as if she were wearing a lampshade over her head. But Lorenz definitely stood out. On the first 15 minutes of her daily stroll, we saw more than a dozen people, and nobody was wearing a face covering.
Not walkers, not runners, not dog owners, not a woman headed to the park with three kids.
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Lorenz said she’s gotten dirty looks from people for being masked. As if she’s the one who’s a bad neighbor.
“They’re thinking either that I’m a liberal, or that in Newport Beach, having to wear a mask is an infringement on their rights,” Lorenz said.
Jumping into the fray is nothing new for Lorenz. I met the former French and history teacher several years ago when she was one of the activists campaigning against a proposal to turn the open spaces of Newport Banning Ranch into a massive development.
She was drawn into the coronavirus culture wars from the beginning, fearing that residents would pay with their lives for a refusal to heed the warnings from experts about masking and distancing.
Lorenz told me that recently, in the post office near her house, she confronted two women for ignoring signs directing customers to mask up.
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“They kind of looked at me, stared at me, and I got out of there real fast,” Lorenz said.
But in what feels at times like a lonely crusade, she does manage to exact a small measure of revenge. Lorenz fires off scalding emails to public officials, and she is a prolific writer of letters to the editor.
“As I look around our city and see the lack of social distancing and lack of serious concern for the coronavirus, I have become very fearful for our future,” said a Lorenz letter to the Newport Beach Independent.
When the Orange County public health officer resigned after county supervisors rejected her call for people to wear masks in public, Lorenz went to her keyboard and blasted the supervisors.
“I am outraged,” she said in a letter published by Stu News Newport, adding that she was taking her business from Ralphs in Newport Beach to the Ralphs in Costa Mesa because of a stricter mask policy at the latter supermarket. “I, for one, regrettably will not be doing business with any indoor environment that does not require masks and I urge others to do the same for their protection.”
I called Tom Johnson, publisher of Stu News Newport, and told him I wanted to inquire about one of his more prolific letter writers.
“Lynn Lorenz,” Johnson said before I could say her name.
Lorenz submits at least one letter a week to him, Johnson said, and she’s a good writer, though he sometimes has to trim a few words. In Newport Beach, registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by about 2 to 1. (Lorenz is a “D.”) Johnson said he tries to publish different views and appreciates Lorenz’s contributions.
Lorenz and I — masked, and keeping six feet between us — walked down the hill and past a park to a little shopping center across the street from the Rusty Pelican. The mask wearing count was close to 50-50 in the shopping center, but at one restaurant with outdoor seating, tables and customers were far too close together, in my opinion.
In one storefront, a clerk told us she gets three or so customers a day who ignore posted signs and refuse to wear masks. Sometimes, she said, masked and unmasked patrons air their grievances with each other.
In one case, said the clerk, a customer argued that she refused to cover her face because she wanted to build up her immunity. That strategy, by the way, hasn’t worked too well in Sweden.
But everyone seems to be an epidemiologist these days. As I read various letters to editors published in Orange County, I came upon one that reminded me of readers who have pushed back against columns in which I’ve suggested we’ll all get back to normal much sooner if we play it smart.
“What’s worse than an infection?” asked a letter to the editor published June 9 in the Register. “Government intervention.”
Hmm. I thought the problem was the scandalous lack thereof, beginning at the top. But for some people, it’s all about rights rather than responsibilities. And for some, the right to resist trumps the right of others to not be needlessly infected.
Orange County isn’t the only place in California where there’s resistance to masks and distancing, even as the number of COVID-19 cases statewide has exploded following attempts to partially reopen for business. But after weeks of going after her local public officials for underplaying the threat, Lorenz is looking like both a scold and a sage.
Orange County public health officials said Thursday that hospitalizations had surged 97% in three weeks, and they predicted the toll on the healthcare system will get worse in coming days and weeks. The number of confirmed cases is now doubling every 13 days, according to a Times analysis.
In Newport Beach on Thursday, I wandered beaches and the commercial strip near the pier, where some people wore masks and distanced while others did neither. One young woman, visiting from Redlands with friends, told me she’ll wear a mask where it’s required. But she doesn’t think they work, though she couldn’t explain how she arrived at that conclusion.
Lorenz blames some of the resistance on President Trump, who finally wore a mask Saturday after months of defiance and more than 134,000 COVID-19 deaths in the United States. But in her published letters, she goes after closer targets.
She did get attacked by another letter writer a while back for lauding Gov. Gavin Newsom’s early attempts to corral the virus. Her critic accused Lorenz of having fawned over Newsom while ignoring his failings.
Lorenz, undeterred, has kept her pen sharp, saving her sharpest critiques for Newport Beach city officials and county supervisors.
“In this jabberwocky world of Orange County politics, where down is up and up is often down, don’t be surprised if our local leaders try to start blaming someone else for the upsurge in coronavirus cases. They will undoubtedly shift the blame for opening the economy too soon,” Lorenz wrote in a letter published July 6 by the Daily Pilot.
“Let’s not forget their failure to support science and health leaders and their continuous rebellious nature against those who are working to do the right thing,” Lorenz wrote. “Let’s not let them get away with it.”
I don’t know if, in the end, enough people will heed her warnings.
But Lorenz, the masked crusader, said she intends to keep writing.
steve.lopez@latimes.com