latimes--2020-05-11--L.A. animal shelters brace for influx of pets as people face financial hardships from coronavirus

When Los Angeles resident Paulina Valdivia scrolls through Snapchat and Instagram , she sees both heartwarming and troublesome posts about dogs and cats .
“ There ’ s a lot of people looking for pets or wanting to ditch their pets , ” said Valdivia , who was dropping off stray kittens she ’ d found in her yard at the city ’ s Chesterfield Square animal shelter Thursday .
Fosters of shelter animals are way up , both in Los Angeles and nationwide , as people seek out companions to ease the isolation of the coronavirus outbreak .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials are bracing for an influx of pets being dropped off at city animal shelters , predicting that people facing financial hardship after losing jobs or homes will have to surrender their animals .
That influx hasn ’ t happened yet , but Los Angeles Department of Animal Services general manager Brenda Barnette is warning that she expects to see more pets given up in the coming year than during the Great Recession .
“ If you want to know what keeps me up at night , it ’ s wondering how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animals who have been family members , as people start to have to surrender them , ” Barnette said in an interview .
The pandemic threatens to roll back progress at the city ’ s Animal Services Department , which has brought down the euthanasia rates of its shelter animals over the last decade .
In 2012 , about 18,000 cats and dogs were euthanized .
By 2016 , the number had dropped to 3,236 , an 82 % reduction .
Last year , 4,886 cats and dogs were euthanized at city shelters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a surge at shelters , the department is now asking people who call in to report a loose dog , for instance , to try to find the owner themselves or to foster the animal , if appropriate .
“ We do not want to go back to the days that the shelter is so crowded that we ’ re having to kill animals because of lack of space , ” Barnette said .
“ And so there ’ s a lot of ways to do that .
One is to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have big foster programs.
” Animal shelters across the county are facing “ an immense amount of stress ” because of COVID-19 , said Matt Bershadker , chief executive of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals .
“ Many shelters are facing reduced staff and volunteer support , which is putting animals in desperate need of temporary or permanent sheltering , ” Bershadker said .
The city of L.A. has temporarily closed two of its six animal shelters to help protect the health of its staff , while four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basis .
None of the Animal Services employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19 , Barnette said , but about 80 workers are out because of issues related to the virus or other reasons .
The shelter closures and appointment-only hours at the facilities alarm Lisa Lange , senior vice president at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals .
The city ’ s shelters “ need to be seen as the essential service that they are , ” Lange said .
PETA sent a letter last month to Mayor Eric Garcetti saying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turning away animals , including sick and injured ones , at its shelters .
In one instance , a staff member at the West L.A. shelter reportedly told a caller that even if an animal looks sick or starving , the facility would take the animal only if “ it was an emergency , ” according to the letter .
Agnes Sibal-von Debschitz , a spokeswoman for Animal Services , said the allegations in the letter “ were so generalized it appeared they had been taken directly off of Facebook .
We didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could even investigate.
” Lange also said she ’ s troubled by Garcetti ’ s proposed budget cuts to the department ’ s sterilization program .
“ That ’ s our biggest defense against overpopulation , ” Lange said .
“ It ’ ll cost the city more in the long run and will cost the animals their lives.
” Facing a dramatic loss in revenue , the mayor last month proposed slashing spending at departments and furloughing thousands of workers .
Garcetti ’ s budget , set to be debated this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Animal Services to $ 23 million , down from $ 27 million this year .
The proposed budget allocates $ 400,000 for animal sterilizations , nearly half of what the department received this fiscal year .
Barnette called the drop in funding for sterilization concerning .
The department is also asking that some types of Animal Services workers be exempted from the furloughs .
The city partners with Best Friends Animal Society , a national animal welfare group , on efforts to bring down euthanasia rates at shelters .
Best Friends Chief Executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programs and offering pet food to owners are going to be key to saving animals .
She ’ s also hopeful that the community continues to step up and foster .
“ It really is about keeping pets in the homes in the first case , ” Castle said .
“ That ’ s our entire focus right now.
” More than 545 dogs have been fostered this year from city shelters , compared with 134 at the same point in 2019 , according to the Animal Services Department .
At the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down 39 % at the city ’ s shelters in March compared with a year ago .
Fullerton resident Christine Gamez fostered Tyson , a pit bull mix , for the last few weeks but was forced to return him to L.A. ’ s Chesterfield Square shelter after neighbors in her apartment complex complained about his barks and cries .
Gamez , who attends Cal State Fullerton , was tearful as she dropped him off but hopeful that Tyson would soon be fostered again by someone she ’ d connected with on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get another dog out of the shelter , ” Gamez said .
“ There are probably more dogs being surrendered right now .
”

Carlos Stouffer and his daughter Paulina Valdivia bring stray kittens found near their home to the Los Angeles Animal Services shelter in Chesterfield Square on Thursday.
When Los Angeles resident Paulina Valdivia scrolls through Snapchat and Instagram, she sees both heartwarming and troublesome posts about dogs and cats.
“There’s a lot of people looking for pets or wanting to ditch their pets,” said Valdivia, who was dropping off stray kittens she’d found in her yard at the city’s Chesterfield Square animal shelter Thursday.
Fosters of shelter animals are way up, both in Los Angeles and nationwide, as people seek out companions to ease the isolation of the coronavirus outbreak.
At the same time, Los Angeles city officials are bracing for an influx of pets being dropped off at city animal shelters, predicting that people facing financial hardship after losing jobs or homes will have to surrender their animals.
That influx hasn’t happened yet, but Los Angeles Department of Animal Services general manager Brenda Barnette is warning that she expects to see more pets given up in the coming year than during the Great Recession.
Although many people are fostering and adopting shelter animals, Los Angeles officials fear that many more people who have lost a job or home will have to surrender their pets. Above, a litter of stray kittens. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
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“If you want to know what keeps me up at night, it’s wondering how we’re going to accommodate all those animals who have been family members, as people start to have to surrender them,” Barnette said in an interview.
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The pandemic threatens to roll back progress at the city’s Animal Services Department, which has brought down the euthanasia rates of its shelter animals over the last decade. In 2012, about 18,000 cats and dogs were euthanized. By 2016, the number had dropped to 3,236, an 82% reduction. Last year, 4,886 cats and dogs were euthanized at city shelters, according to city data.
Concerned about a surge at shelters, the department is now asking people who call in to report a loose dog, for instance, to try to find the owner themselves or to foster the animal, if appropriate.
“We do not want to go back to the days that the shelter is so crowded that we’re having to kill animals because of lack of space,” Barnette said. “And so there’s a lot of ways to do that. One is to have aggressive adoption programs; one is to have big foster programs.”
Christine Gamez returns Tyson, a fostered pit bull mix, to the Chesterfield Square animal shelter. Surrendering the dog was emotional for Gamez, who said her neighbors had complained about his barking and crying. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Animal shelters across the county are facing “an immense amount of stress” because of COVID-19, said Matt Bershadker, chief executive of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“Many shelters are facing reduced staff and volunteer support, which is putting animals in desperate need of temporary or permanent sheltering,” Bershadker said.
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The city of L.A. has temporarily closed two of its six animal shelters to help protect the health of its staff, while four remaining shelters are operating on an appointment-only basis. None of the Animal Services employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19, Barnette said, but about 80 workers are out because of issues related to the virus or other reasons.
The shelter closures and appointment-only hours at the facilities alarm Lisa Lange, senior vice president at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The city’s shelters “need to be seen as the essential service that they are,” Lange said.
PETA sent a letter last month to Mayor Eric Garcetti saying it had received complaints that the city was turning away animals, including sick and injured ones, at its shelters. In one instance, a staff member at the West L.A. shelter reportedly told a caller that even if an animal looks sick or starving, the facility would take the animal only if “it was an emergency,” according to the letter.
A man brings kittens to the animal shelter in Chesterfield Square. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Agnes Sibal-von Debschitz, a spokeswoman for Animal Services, said the allegations in the letter “were so generalized it appeared they had been taken directly off of Facebook. We didn’t have enough detail that we could even investigate.”
Lange also said she’s troubled by Garcetti’s proposed budget cuts to the department’s sterilization program. “That’s our biggest defense against overpopulation,” Lange said. “It’ll cost the city more in the long run and will cost the animals their lives.”
Facing a dramatic loss in revenue, the mayor last month proposed slashing spending at departments and furloughing thousands of workers.
Garcetti’s budget, set to be debated this week by council members, reduces funding for Animal Services to $23 million, down from $27 million this year. The proposed budget allocates $400,000 for animal sterilizations, nearly half of what the department received this fiscal year.
Barnette called the drop in funding for sterilization concerning. The department is also asking that some types of Animal Services workers be exempted from the furloughs.
The city partners with Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal welfare group, on efforts to bring down euthanasia rates at shelters. Best Friends Chief Executive Julie Castle said that investing in sterilization programs and offering pet food to owners are going to be key to saving animals.
She’s also hopeful that the community continues to step up and foster. “It really is about keeping pets in the homes in the first case,” Castle said. “That’s our entire focus right now.”
The city of Los Angeles has temporarily closed two of its six animal shelters, with the others open on an appointment-only basis. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
More than 545 dogs have been fostered this year from city shelters, compared with 134 at the same point in 2019, according to the Animal Services Department. At the same time, cat and dog intakes were down 39% at the city’s shelters in March compared with a year ago.
Fullerton resident Christine Gamez fostered Tyson, a pit bull mix, for the last few weeks but was forced to return him to L.A.’s Chesterfield Square shelter after neighbors in her apartment complex complained about his barks and cries.
Gamez, who attends Cal State Fullerton, was tearful as she dropped him off but hopeful that Tyson would soon be fostered again by someone she’d connected with on social media.
Fostering is a way “to get another dog out of the shelter,” Gamez said. “There are probably more dogs being surrendered right now.”


latimes--2020-05-11--Stir-crazy Californians are crowding Arizona's Lake Havasu

Every year , the seasons in Lake Havasu City , Ariz. , are marked by the arrival and departure of tourists .
The retirees with second homes fly down in the fall and leave in April , right around the time spring breakers descend upon Lake Havasu , the 19,300-acre turquoise oasis that straddles the California-Arizona border .
This spring , though , there were no college revelers shotgunning cans of beer on pontoon boats .
The lake was relatively quiet in March as the usual visitors self-quarantined at home .
The city ’ s economy , heavily reliant on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Californians .
“ Every weekend has been like a holiday weekend on the lake , ” said Robert Koerber , an air conditioning contractor in Lake Havasu City .
As much of California closed down its beaches in the face of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic , Golden Staters looking for freedom and respite from the heat have flocked to Lake Havasu .
Friday through Sunday , trucks hitched with boats have congested city streets , with as many as 70 boats waiting for a single ramp , locals said .
Gas stations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hotels have filled up .
While many locals are grateful for the tourism dollars amid a global downturn , some are worried that the crowds could cause a rise in coronavirus cases locally and overwhelm the city ’ s only hospital , which has just 16 ICU beds for its 55,000 residents .
“ I think people are getting bored of the shutdown so they think it should just be over , and they ’ re coming here to explore , ” said resident Cory Hall .
“ I really wish they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sheehy , the city ’ s mayor , on April 3 told visitors to do just that , three days after Arizona Gov .
Doug Ducey issued statewide stay-at-home orders .
“ Lake Havasu City has always been a special place for visitors , but we ask that you stay home to protect the safety of our citizens and you during the COVID-19 pandemic , ” Sheehy said in a statement .
That message has done little to deter tourists .
Sandbar Powersports manager Jason Melton said that the boat rental shop ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it reopened May 4 , when some businesses in Arizona were allowed to resume walk-up services .
The shop , which usually rents two or three boats a day in the spring , has more than doubled its business during the first week of May .
Most renters are from California .
“ A lot of our customers are freaking out because they need to get out of the house , ” Melton said .
“ They can ’ t take it anymore.
” Lars Negrette , a 30-year-old machinist in San Bernardino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other families at Lake Havasu for early June .
He visits the lake a few times each summer with his young daughter and girlfriend , and he doesn ’ t see why this year should be any different .
His family ’ s lake routine will be the same as always .
They ’ ll stay at their usual motel .
They ’ ll stop at Subway , gas up the boat and get on the water early .
They ’ ll wakeboard and tube .
Negrette believes he had the virus in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about potential exposure at the lake .
“ I ’ m over this whole thing , ” he said of the pandemic .
Residents were most concerned by the influx of tourists in early April , when more than 4,200 people signed a Change.org petition to close Lake Havasu .
Khamranie Persaud , a doctor , helped organize the petition after it became clear that the visitors weren ’ t just visiting the lake and going home .
They were staying overnight , buying ice at crowded launch ramps and stocking up at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies back to larger cities .
Persaud didn ’ t actually want the lake closed , she said .
She knows that the lake , fed by the Colorado River , is a federal waterway .
The city can ’ t restrict access to it .
And it ’ s easy enough for people to socially distance while recreating on the vast reservoir ; many people made this point in an opposing petition to keep the lake and channel accessible .
“ A lot of people don ’ t want visitors here , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should restrict movements of their fellow American citizens because they ’ re afraid , ” said Koerber , who signed the petition .
Ultimately , Persaud wanted to raise awareness about the potential danger of congregating in areas near the lake .
“ As a physician , I always err on the side of caution because at the end of the day , the worst-case outcome here is death , ” she said .
“ And you don ’ t want to put a large amount of people , especially our population , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” A third of Lake Havasu City ’ s population is 65 or older , compared with 18 % in all of Arizona , according to U.S. census data .
The conservative-leaning city hasn ’ t seen a spike in cases so far .
As of Sunday , 45 residents have tested positive for the virus and four have died of COVID-19 complications .
Few full-time residents go out to the lake on busy weekends , so Persaud speculates that they are somewhat insulated from the crowds .
“ Are these people on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state and testing positive there ?
” Persaud asked .
“ We don ’ t know.
” One of the lake ’ s most popular launch ramps is at Lake Havasu State Park , 2.5 miles of white-sand shoreline .
The park is admitting 2,500 people for day use , half of its usual capacity .
All visitors are given a handout reminding them of CDC guidelines : Limit groups to 10 people or fewer , socially distance , cover your face when sneezing and coughing .
“ We still have to ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager Dan Roddy .
“ It ’ s difficult because a lot of times they ’ re family members , three cars full who ’ ve come together in the park and you got ta split them up.
” Most are compliant , Roddy said .
But 20 or so have refused to disperse and were asked to leave the park .
The manager said he ’ s surprised by the number of visitors who don ’ t seem to understand why the rules are in place .
Sheehy , the mayor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more to keep visitors away , such as shutting the city-owned launch ramp or closing certain roads that lead to the lake , doing so would be a “ slippery slope.
” “ That ’ s not a direction I think we should take , ” said Sheehy , who is also the general manager of a lakefront hotel .
Sheehy closed the lake ’ s public restrooms for a few weeks and reopened them in early May .
Complicating the matter is that many of the visitors have second homes in Lake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents is Lara Martin of Riverside .
Lake Havasu is an escape for Martin , her husband and her 12-year-old daughter , particularly during the pandemic .
Arizona is a bit more “ laid back , ” the high school business teacher said .
For example , Riverside residents are required to wear masks when they go outside .
But Martin has noticed that hardly anyone in Lake Havasu City covers their face .
Martin said she won ’ t let fear keep her from enjoying the lake .
“ It can happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said of contracting the virus .
“ Anyone can also be hit by a car or drunk driver .
Life is not guaranteed at a certain age .
”

Boats pass through a channel in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., on May 9. The city has been crowded by an influx of Californians over the last few weekends.
Every year, the seasons in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., are marked by the arrival and departure of tourists.
The retirees with second homes fly down in the fall and leave in April, right around the time spring breakers descend upon Lake Havasu, the 19,300-acre turquoise oasis that straddles the California-Arizona border.
This spring, though, there were no college revelers shotgunning cans of beer on pontoon boats. The lake was relatively quiet in March as the usual visitors self-quarantined at home. The city’s economy, heavily reliant on tourism, suffered.
And then came the Californians.
“Every weekend has been like a holiday weekend on the lake,” said Robert Koerber, an air conditioning contractor in Lake Havasu City.
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As much of California closed down its beaches in the face of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, Golden Staters looking for freedom and respite from the heat have flocked to Lake Havasu.
Friday through Sunday, trucks hitched with boats have congested city streets, with as many as 70 boats waiting for a single ramp, locals said. Gas stations have sold out of fuel and beer. Hotels have filled up.
While many locals are grateful for the tourism dollars amid a global downturn, some are worried that the crowds could cause a rise in coronavirus cases locally and overwhelm the city’s only hospital, which has just 16 ICU beds for its 55,000 residents.
“I think people are getting bored of the shutdown so they think it should just be over, and they’re coming here to explore,” said resident Cory Hall. “I really wish they would stay away right now.”
Cal Sheehy, the city’s mayor, on April 3 told visitors to do just that, three days after Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey issued statewide stay-at-home orders.
“Lake Havasu City has always been a special place for visitors, but we ask that you stay home to protect the safety of our citizens and you during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sheehy said in a statement.
That message has done little to deter tourists.
Sandbar Powersports manager Jason Melton said that the boat rental shop’s phone has been ringing nonstop since it reopened May 4, when some businesses in Arizona were allowed to resume walk-up services.
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The shop, which usually rents two or three boats a day in the spring, has more than doubled its business during the first week of May. Most renters are from California.
“A lot of our customers are freaking out because they need to get out of the house,” Melton said. “They can’t take it anymore.”
Lars Negrette, a 30-year-old machinist in San Bernardino, has planned a vacation with two other families at Lake Havasu for early June. He visits the lake a few times each summer with his young daughter and girlfriend, and he doesn’t see why this year should be any different.
A boy takes a leap on a hot day in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. The tourist town has been crowded by Californians over the last few weekends, and residents are concerned about the cornavirus spreading. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
His family’s lake routine will be the same as always. They’ll stay at their usual motel. They’ll stop at Subway, gas up the boat and get on the water early. They’ll wakeboard and tube.
Negrette believes he had the virus in December. He’s not worried about potential exposure at the lake. “I’m over this whole thing,” he said of the pandemic.
Residents were most concerned by the influx of tourists in early April, when more than 4,200 people signed a Change.org petition to close Lake Havasu.
Khamranie Persaud, a doctor, helped organize the petition after it became clear that the visitors weren’t just visiting the lake and going home. They were staying overnight, buying ice at crowded launch ramps and stocking up at grocery stores, taking their food and supplies back to larger cities.
Persaud didn’t actually want the lake closed, she said. She knows that the lake, fed by the Colorado River, is a federal waterway. The city can’t restrict access to it. And it’s easy enough for people to socially distance while recreating on the vast reservoir; many people made this point in an opposing petition to keep the lake and channel accessible.
“A lot of people don’t want visitors here, but I don’t think they should restrict movements of their fellow American citizens because they’re afraid,” said Koerber, who signed the petition.
Ultimately, Persaud wanted to raise awareness about the potential danger of congregating in areas near the lake.
“As a physician, I always err on the side of caution because at the end of the day, the worst-case outcome here is death,” she said. “And you don’t want to put a large amount of people, especially our population, in a higher-risk situation than is necessary.”
A third of Lake Havasu City’s population is 65 or older, compared with 18% in all of Arizona, according to U.S. census data.
The conservative-leaning city hasn’t seen a spike in cases so far. As of Sunday, 45 residents have tested positive for the virus and four have died of COVID-19 complications.
Few full-time residents go out to the lake on busy weekends, so Persaud speculates that they are somewhat insulated from the crowds.
“Are these people on the lake going back to their home state and testing positive there?” Persaud asked. “We don’t know.”
People enjoy the water on a hot day in Lake Havasu City. Residents are concerned about the coronavirus, but they also want businesses reopened.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
One of the lake’s most popular launch ramps is at Lake Havasu State Park, 2.5 miles of white-sand shoreline. The park is admitting 2,500 people for day use, half of its usual capacity. All visitors are given a handout reminding them of CDC guidelines: Limit groups to 10 people or fewer, socially distance, cover your face when sneezing and coughing.
“We still have to ask people to separate,” said park manager Dan Roddy. “It’s difficult because a lot of times they’re family members, three cars full who’ve come together in the park and you gotta split them up.”
Most are compliant, Roddy said. But 20 or so have refused to disperse and were asked to leave the park. The manager said he’s surprised by the number of visitors who don’t seem to understand why the rules are in place.
Sheehy, the mayor, said that although he could have done more to keep visitors away, such as shutting the city-owned launch ramp or closing certain roads that lead to the lake, doing so would be a “slippery slope.”
“That’s not a direction I think we should take,” said Sheehy, who is also the general manager of a lakefront hotel. Sheehy closed the lake’s public restrooms for a few weeks and reopened them in early May.
Complicating the matter is that many of the visitors have second homes in Lake Havasu City.
One of those part-time residents is Lara Martin of Riverside. Lake Havasu is an escape for Martin, her husband and her 12-year-old daughter, particularly during the pandemic. Arizona is a bit more “laid back,” the high school business teacher said.
For example, Riverside residents are required to wear masks when they go outside. But Martin has noticed that hardly anyone in Lake Havasu City covers their face.
Martin said she won’t let fear keep her from enjoying the lake.
“It can happen to anyone, unfortunately,” she said of contracting the virus. “Anyone can also be hit by a car or drunk driver. Life is not guaranteed at a certain age.”


latimes--2020-05-11--California's coronavirus outlook worse than researchers expected, as cases and deaths rise

While California has avoided the grim death toll of coronavirus hot spots like New York , there are growing concerns that the state ’ s most populous regions have not yet seen the rapid decline in deaths and cases needed to significantly reopen the economy .
Cases and deaths in the state have remained relatively flat in recent weeks , with some areas , including Los Angeles County , continuing to see rapid growth , and some rural areas seeing much less .
California is one of a handful of states where are rising faster than researchers expected , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relied-upon model of the COVID-19 outbreak .
Christopher Murray , director of the University of Washington ’ s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation , said Sunday that the institute ’ s latest projections suggested the nationwide fatality count would reach 137,000 by Aug. 4 .
The current total is nearly 80,000 .
Researchers that California could see more than 6,000 COVID-19 deaths by the end of August , up about 1,420 from projections they released last Monday .
It ’ s the fifth-largest increase in projected death tolls among U.S. states , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida .
The upward revisions “ are a result of a combination of updated daily death and case data , recent actions to ease previously implemented social distancing measures and steadily rising levels of mobility in many places , ” the researchers said in notes released with the data .
The picture is mixed in some of the country ’ s most populous states , Murray said .
“ Some good-ish news coming out of New York and New Jersey and Michigan , where the death cases and death numbers are coming down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday on CBS ’ “ Face the Nation.
” “ Some other states where cases and deaths are going up more than we expected — Illinois and then Arizona , Florida , California as examples of that.
” California added 2,244 coronavirus cases and 64 related deaths on Saturday .
About 40 % of the new cases — 907 — were reported by Los Angeles County , as were 45 of the new deaths , or about 70 % of the statewide death toll .
The state recorded 826 more cases and 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its total to more than 67,500 cases and 2,700 deaths .
In L.A. County , the toll rose to and 1,531 related deaths .
The continued increase has prompted public health officials to urge caution even as some recreation areas and “ The virus has not changed , ” Barbara Ferrer , director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health , .
“ It can still spread easily , and it can still result in serious illness and death.
” State and local officials this weekend began to ease some stay-at-home restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it ’ s still not clear when many businesses will reopen .
Most big California counties are not close to meeting Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s strict standards that would allow a wider reopening of the economy , including dine-in restaurants and shopping malls , a Times data analysis found .
Newsom announced Thursday a series of benchmarks that each of California ’ s 58 counties would need to reach to significantly reopen faster than the statewide standard .
Can the county show that people have stopped dying from COVID-19 ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ level ?
Can officials adequately test people ?
Do they have enough detectives to track down newly infected people ?
And do they have enough medical supplies ?
About 95 % of Californians live in counties that don ’ t meet that standard , The Times ’ analysis found .
Not a single county in Southern California or the San Francisco Bay Area met the criteria .
Newsom suggested Friday that the guidelines would be later modified on a statewide basis , allowing the larger counties hit hardest by the outbreak to also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step toward easing restrictions , Long Beach will reopen beach bike and pedestrian paths , as well as tennis courts and the parking lots of public parks , on Monday .
Beaches and beach parking lots will remain closed .
People who use the parks , paths and tennis courts will be required to stay six feet apart and refrain from lingering or gathering in groups .
Gatherings and picnics remain prohibited .
reported its largest one-day increase in new cases Saturday , adding 273 cases and three deaths , for a total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some of the new cases are linked to an outbreak at the in Chino , where at least 386 inmates had been infected and four had died as of Sunday , according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation .
Case counts also have shot up in , where an outbreak at Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc has and 14 staff .
At a neighboring medium-security prison on the same grounds , 114 inmates and 20 staff have become infected , officials said .
Two inmates have died after contracting the virus there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Lompoc have 976 infected inmates , making it the largest outbreak at a federal penitentiary in the nation , according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons .
That accounts for roughly 75 % of the 1,308 cases reported by Santa Barbara County to date .
Of the 58 new cases the county reported on Sunday , 56 were associated with the federal prison complex in Lompoc , officials said .
The nation ’ s second-largest outbreak at a federal prison was at Terminal Island in San Pedro , where on Saturday a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ die after testing positive for the virus .
Scott Cutting , who was serving a 26-month sentence for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns , had been hospitalized since April 14 , officials said .
A total of 699 inmates and 15 staff members at the Terminal Island prison had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Sunday , according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons .
The virus continues to spread in Orange County , where the number of new cases is doubling every 18.5 days , compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County and every 24.3 days in Riverside County .
Orange County recorded 122 more cases and two new deaths Sunday , bringing its total to 3,502 cases and 76 deaths .
There were 178 COVID-19 patients in county hospitals , including 59 in intensive care .
The county has been the site of numerous acts of resistance against statewide stay-at-home orders since they were announced by Newsom on March 19 .
Demonstrators have been gathering regularly in Huntington Beach to most recently on Saturday , when a crowd of about 1,500 amassed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully reopen .
have taken place in San Clemente , Newport Beach and Laguna Beach .
Some businesses have chosen to reopen in defiance of the orders , including a surf-themed that reportedly became so busy that it The county ’ s beaches also became flashpoints for controversy last month , when Newsom ordered their temporary closure after some during a heat wave .
Many local officials saying beachgoers were following social distancing rules , and news photographs that showed crowding were misleading .
The beaches reopened last week after local officials agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city of Huntington Beach is challenging Newsom ’ s temporary closure .
The city of Newport Beach in support of the action .
Though urban and densely populated counties have been hit hardest by the virus , there were also signs it was spreading to some rural areas .
Trinity County reported its first case of the coronavirus on Friday , the county public health department said in a news release .
Officials released few details but said they were working on identifying other individuals who might have been exposed .

Alex Wigglesworth, Laura King, Richard Winton

While California has avoided the grim death toll of coronavirus hot spots like New York, there are growing concerns that the state’s most populous regions have not yet seen the rapid decline in deaths and cases needed to significantly reopen the economy.
Cases and deaths in the state have remained relatively flat in recent weeks, with some areas, including Los Angeles County, continuing to see rapid growth, and some rural areas seeing much less.
California is one of a handful of states where coronavirus cases and deaths are rising faster than researchers expected, according to the latest calculations in a widely relied-upon model of the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Christopher Murray, director of the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, said Sunday that the institute’s latest projections suggested the nationwide fatality count would reach 137,000 by Aug. 4. The current total is nearly 80,000.
Researchers are now predicting that California could see more than 6,000 COVID-19 deaths by the end of August, up about 1,420 from projections they released last Monday. It’s the fifth-largest increase in projected death tolls among U.S. states, after Pennsylvania, Illinois, Arizona and Florida.
The upward revisions “are a result of a combination of updated daily death and case data, recent actions to ease previously implemented social distancing measures and steadily rising levels of mobility in many places,” the researchers said in notes released with the data.
California Coronavirus updates: White House orders staff to wear masks after Pence aide is infected The Los Angeles Times will provide around-the-clock updates on COVID-19 from across Southern California and around the world.Tracking the coronavirus in California: latest numbers | Support our journalism with a subscriptionHave a question about coronavirus? Send us your questions here. | You also can sign up for our newsletterSee latest photo galleryCoronavirus updates for May 8-10 are here
The picture is mixed in some of the country’s most populous states, Murray said.
“Some good-ish news coming out of New York and New Jersey and Michigan, where the death cases and death numbers are coming down faster than expected,” he said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “Some other states where cases and deaths are going up more than we expected — Illinois and then Arizona, Florida, California as examples of that.”
California added 2,244 coronavirus cases and 64 related deaths on Saturday. About 40% of the new cases — 907 — were reported by Los Angeles County, as were 45 of the new deaths, or about 70% of the statewide death toll.
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The state recorded 826 more cases and 23 more deaths by Sunday afternoon, bringing its total to more than 67,500 cases and 2,700 deaths. In L.A. County, the toll rose to 31,703 coronavirus cases and 1,531 related deaths.
The continued increase has prompted public health officials to urge caution even as some recreation areas and businesses are permitted to reopen.
“The virus has not changed,” Barbara Ferrer, director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health, said Friday . “It can still spread easily, and it can still result in serious illness and death.”
State and local officials this weekend began to ease some stay-at-home restrictions, but most remain in place, and it’s still not clear when many businesses will reopen.
Most big California counties are not close to meeting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s strict standards that would allow a wider reopening of the economy, including dine-in restaurants and shopping malls, a Times data analysis found.
Newsom announced Thursday a series of benchmarks that each of California’s 58 counties would need to reach to significantly reopen faster than the statewide standard. Can the county show that people have stopped dying from COVID-19? Have new cases fallen to a manageable level? Can officials adequately test people? Do they have enough detectives to track down newly infected people? And do they have enough medical supplies?
About 95% of Californians live in counties that don’t meet that standard, The Times’ analysis found. Not a single county in Southern California or the San Francisco Bay Area met the criteria.
Newsom suggested Friday that the guidelines would be later modified on a statewide basis, allowing the larger counties hit hardest by the outbreak to also reopen more broadly.
In the latest step toward easing restrictions, Long Beach will reopen beach bike and pedestrian paths, as well as tennis courts and the parking lots of public parks, on Monday. Beaches and beach parking lots will remain closed.
People who use the parks, paths and tennis courts will be required to stay six feet apart and refrain from lingering or gathering in groups. Gatherings and picnics remain prohibited.
San Bernardino County reported its largest one-day increase in new cases Saturday, adding 273 cases and three deaths, for a total of 2,902 cases and 114 deaths. Some of the new cases are linked to an outbreak at the California Institution for Men in Chino, where at least 386 inmates had been infected and four had died as of Sunday, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Case counts also have shot up in Santa Barbara County , where an outbreak at Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc has sickened 862 inmates and 14 staff. At a neighboring medium-security prison on the same grounds, 114 inmates and 20 staff have become infected, officials said. Two inmates have died after contracting the virus there.
Combined, the two federal prisons in Lompoc have 976 infected inmates, making it the largest outbreak at a federal penitentiary in the nation, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. That accounts for roughly 75% of the 1,308 cases reported by Santa Barbara County to date. Of the 58 new cases the county reported on Sunday, 56 were associated with the federal prison complex in Lompoc, officials said.
The nation’s second-largest outbreak at a federal prison was at Terminal Island in San Pedro, where on Saturday a 70-year-old man became the seventh inmate to die after testing positive for the virus. Scott Cutting, who was serving a 26-month sentence for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, had been hospitalized since April 14, officials said.
A total of 699 inmates and 15 staff members at the Terminal Island prison had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Sunday, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The virus continues to spread in Orange County, where the number of new cases is doubling every 18.5 days, compared with every 22.8 days in Los Angeles County and every 24.3 days in Riverside County.
Orange County recorded 122 more cases and two new deaths Sunday, bringing its total to 3,502 cases and 76 deaths. There were 178 COVID-19 patients in county hospitals, including 59 in intensive care.
The county has been the site of numerous acts of resistance against statewide stay-at-home orders since they were announced by Newsom on March 19.
Demonstrators have been gathering regularly in Huntington Beach to protest the rules, most recently on Saturday, when a crowd of about 1,500 amassed to call for the state and nation to fully reopen. Similar protests have taken place in San Clemente, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach.
Some businesses have chosen to reopen in defiance of the orders, including a surf-themed restaurant in San Clemente that reportedly became so busy that it ran out of food.
The county’s beaches also became flashpoints for controversy last month, when Newsom ordered their temporary closure after some became crowded with visitors during a heat wave. Many local officials publicly challenged the decision, saying beachgoers were following social distancing rules, and news photographs that showed crowding were misleading.
The beaches reopened last week after local officials agreed to permit active recreation only, but the city of Huntington Beach is moving forward with a lawsuit challenging Newsom’s temporary closure. The city of Newport Beach filed an amicus brief in support of the action.
Though urban and densely populated counties have been hit hardest by the virus, there were also signs it was spreading to some rural areas.
Trinity County reported its first case of the coronavirus on Friday, the county public health department said in a news release. Officials released few details but said they were working on identifying other individuals who might have been exposed.


latimes--2020-05-11--Skelton: Newsom has gotten top marks during the coronavirus crisis. Battling California's deficit co

Skelton: Newsom has gotten top marks during the coronavirus crisis. Battling California's deficit could change that

The job is about to get a lot tougher for Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
He faces the certainty of whacking government services while raising taxes .
Newsom hasn ’ t uttered the feared “ T ” word publicly that I know of .
But jacking state taxes even higher in infamously tax-burdened California is inevitable .
Every governor who has faced a significant budget deficit for the last 60 years has reluctantly hiked taxes .
The COVID-19 pandemic — and the collapsed economy it created when many businesses were ordered closed and people told to stay home — will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut services .
It ’ s at the very time that increasing numbers of afflicted or laid-off Californians need assistance most .
Until now , Newsom has flourished politically in the crisis .
His performances in daily online briefings have portrayed him as a leader in the public ’ s eyes .
In a recent poll of California voters , his job approval rating had climbed to an astonishing 70 % .
Now comes the hard part .
He ’ s facing a budget deficit that his Finance Department estimates at $ 54.3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hole of red ink .
In January he proposed a $ 222-billion budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 .
That initial budget “ is no longer operational , ” Newsom says .
Like , no kidding .
He ’ ll offer a revised one on Thursday .
Steep taxes and deep cuts are the two main tools available to repair a bleeding state budget .
There also are other tools , none of which can do the job by themselves .
Fortunately there ’ s roughly $ 22 billion stashed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t last long .
Newsom and other governors are pleading for more federal help .
President Trump doesn ’ t sound enthusiastic .
But Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco has been pressing for $ 1 trillion to send states and local governments .
The governor could cut the pay of top state administrators .
That wouldn ’ t save a ton , but it would show that the Newsom administration is willing to share in the financial sacrifice .
“ There ’ s always a line of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” says David Doerr , chief tax consultant for the California Taxpayers Assn .
For decades , he was chief consultant for the state Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee and is generally considered Sacramento ’ s top tax guru .
In a budget balancing brawl , Doerr says , “ the first thing you look for is accounting ‘ reform , ’ which is a nice way to say ‘ gimmicks.
’ [ Gov . ]
Jerry Brown reversed most of them .
So use them again.
” Money can be “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — such as truck weight fee and fishing license stashes — to help bolster the general fund , the state ’ s main checking account .
“ It ’ s not a good policy move , ” Doerr concedes .
“ But what are you going to do in this kind of situation ?
You can ’ t let the state go under.
” Doerr says he would offer a tax amnesty program .
There ’ s bound to be lots of people who owe the state back taxes with mounting stiff penalties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Forgive the penalties for a short period and entice them to pay merely the delinquent taxes .
“ Use the slogan , ‘ Get to us before we get to you , ’ ” the Cal Tax consultant says .
“ There also are probably some programs around that were good once upon a time , but things have changed in the last 50 years , ” Doerr says .
Bury them .
That ’ s no doubt correct .
But everybody who opposes tax hikes — and that ’ s practically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the levies themselves — bellows about fabled “ waste , fraud and abuse.
” In 2004 , new Gov .
Arnold Schwarzenegger announced he would “ blow up the boxes ” of bureaucracy .
But his fuse fizzled .
He appointed a task force that recommended eliminating more than 100 boards and commissions and abolishing 12,000 state jobs .
Little came of it .
Doerr ’ s formula for digging out of a deficit hole : “ One-third revenue , one-third cuts , one-third accounting reform/gimmicks… .
“ You have to have taxes… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merksamer , who runs a successful law and lobbying firm in Sacramento and was Gov .
George Deukmejian ’ s chief of staff , says : “ Every governor who had a fiscal crisis has raised taxes .
That ’ s what we did , but we got lucky.
” In 1983 , Republican Deukmejian agreed to a “ trigger tax.
” If the economy continued to slump , that would trigger a sales tax hike .
But it rebounded and the tax wasn ’ t needed .
Brown ’ s father , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deficit in 1959 and raised taxes a record amount his first year as governor .
Pat Brown gimmicked the accounting system to escape raising taxes again before Republican Ronald Reagan ousted him in 1966 .
But Reagan then was drenched in red ink and had to raise taxes steeply .
Freshman Republican Gov .
Pete Wilson faced a monstrous black hole one-third the size of his general fund in 1991 .
He filled the gap half with spending cuts , half with tax hikes and lectured Republican lawmakers that they were bleeping “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for the taxes .
Schwarzenegger finally agreed to a huge tax increase in 2009 as the Great Recession shredded the budget .
But voters repealed half of it .
Then Brown , facing a $ 27-billion deficit , went to the ballot with an initiative to tax mainly rich people .
That sounded good to the middle class .
Newsom and legislators must choose their poison by June 15 , the constitutional deadline for budget passage .
Get ready for howls of public protest , political demagoguery and falling Newsom job ratings @

The job is about to get a lot tougher for Gov. Gavin Newsom. He faces the certainty of whacking government services while raising taxes.
Newsom hasn’t uttered the feared “T” word publicly that I know of. But jacking state taxes even higher in infamously tax-burdened California is inevitable.
Every governor who has faced a significant budget deficit for the last 60 years has reluctantly hiked taxes.
Advertisement
The COVID-19 pandemic — and the collapsed economy it created when many businesses were ordered closed and people told to stay home — will also force the governor and Legislature to cut services. It’s at the very time that increasing numbers of afflicted or laid-off Californians need assistance most.
Until now, Newsom has flourished politically in the crisis. His performances in daily online briefings have portrayed him as a leader in the public’s eyes. In a recent poll of California voters, his job approval rating had climbed to an astonishing 70%.
Now comes the hard part. He’s facing a budget deficit that his Finance Department estimates at $54.3 billion. That’s a colossal hole of red ink. In January he proposed a $222-billion budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.
That initial budget “is no longer operational,” Newsom says. Like, no kidding. He’ll offer a revised one on Thursday.
Steep taxes and deep cuts are the two main tools available to repair a bleeding state budget. There also are other tools, none of which can do the job by themselves.
Fortunately there’s roughly $22 billion stashed as a reserve and surplus, but it won’t last long.
Advertisement
Newsom and other governors are pleading for more federal help. President Trump doesn’t sound enthusiastic. But Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco has been pressing for $1 trillion to send states and local governments.
The governor could cut the pay of top state administrators. That wouldn’t save a ton, but it would show that the Newsom administration is willing to share in the financial sacrifice.
“There’s always a line of people standing up to be a department director,” says David Doerr, chief tax consultant for the California Taxpayers Assn. For decades, he was chief consultant for the state Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee and is generally considered Sacramento’s top tax guru.
In a budget balancing brawl, Doerr says, “the first thing you look for is accounting ‘reform,’ which is a nice way to say ‘gimmicks.’ [Gov.] Jerry Brown reversed most of them. So use them again.”
Money can be “borrowed” or pilfered from special funds — such as truck weight fee and fishing license stashes — to help bolster the general fund, the state’s main checking account.
“It’s not a good policy move,” Doerr concedes. “But what are you going to do in this kind of situation? You can’t let the state go under.”
Doerr says he would offer a tax amnesty program. There’s bound to be lots of people who owe the state back taxes with mounting stiff penalties they can’t afford to pay. Forgive the penalties for a short period and entice them to pay merely the delinquent taxes.
“Use the slogan, ‘Get to us before we get to you,’” the Cal Tax consultant says.
“There also are probably some programs around that were good once upon a time, but things have changed in the last 50 years,” Doerr says. Bury them.
That’s no doubt correct. But everybody who opposes tax hikes — and that’s practically anyone who’d have to pay the levies themselves — bellows about fabled “waste, fraud and abuse.”
In 2004, new Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced he would “blow up the boxes” of bureaucracy. But his fuse fizzled. He appointed a task force that recommended eliminating more than 100 boards and commissions and abolishing 12,000 state jobs. Little came of it.
Doerr’s formula for digging out of a deficit hole: “One-third revenue, one-third cuts, one-third accounting reform/gimmicks….
“You have to have taxes…. It takes leadership.”
Attorney Steve Merksamer, who runs a successful law and lobbying firm in Sacramento and was Gov. George Deukmejian’s chief of staff, says: “Every governor who had a fiscal crisis has raised taxes. That’s what we did, but we got lucky.”
In 1983, Republican Deukmejian agreed to a “trigger tax.” If the economy continued to slump, that would trigger a sales tax hike. But it rebounded and the tax wasn’t needed.
Brown’s father, Democrat Pat Brown, also faced a deficit in 1959 and raised taxes a record amount his first year as governor.
Pat Brown gimmicked the accounting system to escape raising taxes again before Republican Ronald Reagan ousted him in 1966. But Reagan then was drenched in red ink and had to raise taxes steeply.
Freshman Republican Gov. Pete Wilson faced a monstrous black hole one-third the size of his general fund in 1991. He filled the gap half with spending cuts, half with tax hikes and lectured Republican lawmakers that they were bleeping “irrelevant” if they didn’t vote for the taxes.
Schwarzenegger finally agreed to a huge tax increase in 2009 as the Great Recession shredded the budget. But voters repealed half of it.
Then Brown, facing a $27-billion deficit, went to the ballot with an initiative to tax mainly rich people. That sounded good to the middle class.
Newsom and legislators must choose their poison by June 15, the constitutional deadline for budget passage.
Get ready for howls of public protest, political demagoguery and falling Newsom job ratings.


latimes--2020-05-10--Column One: Clean up on aisle everywhere – a day in the life of supermarket workers during coronavir

Column One: Clean up on aisle everywhere – a day in the life of supermarket workers during coronavirus

They spotted the man ’ s naked face in the frozen food aisle .
And in the age of COVID-19 , it seemed positively indecent .
The way he perused the freezers , nose and mouth uncovered , as if a virus weren ’ t floating around , raring to kill .
Shoppers stared .
A worker who was guiding customers to each checkout lane rushed to tell the store director , who quickly found the outlier .
“ Excuse me , sir , but you need to have a mask to shop in this store , ” Dan Graves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one in his backpack , which he ’ d placed inside a shopping cart .
He pulled out his black mask , as if seeking absolution .
“ You need to put it on , ” Graves said firmly .
“ You know what , just forget it , ” the man snapped .
As he headed for the door , he tried to get in the final word : “ You must be a Democrat !
” For the last few months , grocery stores , deemed essential businesses , have served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consumer .
Thrust into the role of front-line soldiers amid a war against the coronavirus , employees have had to manage panic attacks , cursing , near-fights and counseling sessions at the checkout stand .
They ’ ve been threatened by customers who are angry about having to wear masks .
Some workers have received an hourly bump in appreciation pay .
A growing number across the U.S. have become ill .
Dozens have died .
At the Vons grocery store on Crenshaw Boulevard in Torrance , cashiers have watched the installation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that snake around the aisles .
They ’ ve seen people shove fellow customers ’ purchases back on the conveyor belt and then demand all new food because someone touched theirs .
Unlike the customers they serve at this 76,000-square-foot store , the 165 employees — who are dealing with some of the same feelings of uncertainty and anxiety — can not shelter at home .
On a recent Monday , under a muddy night sky , a cashier rang a doorbell at the front of the store , signaling her arrival .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to drop off its supplies .
It was 5 a.m. , and the store was already busy .
In the produce department , a worker picked out Gala apples , onions , Roma tomatoes and oranges and then piled them on a cart to fill half a dozen online delivery orders .
The store has hired 30 extra employees as demand for these deliveries has increased .
Sonia Burgos , the store ’ s inventory control clerk who ’ d started her day at 4 a.m. , waited for vendors and truck drivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every vendor review the same questions — Do you have any symptoms ?
Coughing , shortness of breath ?
Sore throat , chills or body aches ?
— before they signed in on a “ Vendor COVID-19 log.
” At checkout Lane 3 , Miyoshi Lampkin gripped a bottle of orange-colored disinfectant and coated the black conveyor belt , registers and separators .
Sanitizing her station has become as routine as brushing her teeth .
Lampkin , who has worked at the store for 21 years , prepared for the start of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Starbucks inside the store .
That ’ s all the caffeine she ’ d need for the day .
“ My adrenaline is off the people .
I love people , ” she said .
“ It keeps me going.
” Shortly before 6 a.m. , Capone , a front-end supervisor , positioned himself at the sliding front doors to welcome at-risk shoppers and seniors 60 and older .
“ Morning folks , how are we doing today ?
” Capone asked , speaking through a brown mask .
He recognized one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Two minutes , countdown , ” said DeWeese , who has been coming to this store for nearly two decades .
She was one of only two people waiting out front .
Just a few weeks ago , she recalled , the line stretched down the street .
When it was time , Capone welcomed the two customers inside and directed them to the sanitized carts .
“ One toilet paper , one paper towel , ” he reminded them .
“ You guys have an awesome day.
” It was Capone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that first hour , to make sure it was seniors entering .
Within 20 minutes , he had turned away two people .
He listened as customers echoed the same frustration the employees were experiencing .
“ Ugh , I ’ m so sick of this , ” Kathi Wilson groaned behind her floral mask , in response to Capone ’ s question about her day .
Wilson has asthma and has spent nearly every day at home since the beginning of the outbreak .
It ’ s hard , she said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in sight .
One of the first shoppers made a beeline to Aisle 11 , where at least 20 plastic-wrapped 12-packs of Charmin Ultra Soft and Cottonelle Ultra CleanCare toilet paper and dozens of rolls of Bounty and Viva paper towels graced the shelves , courtesy of a shipment the night before .
At checkout Lane 5 , soap opera digests gave no indication of a pandemic .
But the magazine rack to the left of the conveyor belt was filled with reminders .
Time announced that we are not alone , People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles magazine featured a woman in a blue medical mask with the words , “ Now what ?
” “ Hi , how are you ?
” Debbie Alexander asked , her voice bright , as she scanned a customer ’ s Scott toilet paper and paper towels .
After 40 years , Alexander knows exactly where every bar code is placed .
“ You found gold today , ” Alexander said , as she laughed through her mask , decorated with Disney ’ s Belle and her prince — after he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , after the nightmare ended .
Despite Alexander ’ s cheerful exterior , she says at times she uses breathing exercises to help keep herself calm .
Her husband has a heart condition , diabetes and high blood pressure .
She was terrified she might bring the virus home .
“ But it ’ s my job , ” Alexander said .
“ There ’ s nothing I can do.
” Work was already tough enough before the outbreak .
Many of the store ’ s nearly 200 employees are part time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimum wage to $ 21.42 an hour .
Cashiers who are constantly swiping bar-coded items sometimes suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome .
They rely on Dr. Scholl ’ s shoes and foam mats at their check stands to ease the aching in their knees .
But in March , when the orders to shelter at home were announced , cashiers started to suffer from panic attacks as customers flooded the store .
Alexander ’ s anxiety still flares up when she thinks back to March 13 — a day she calls “ apocalypse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines stretched back to the meat department and branched off into produce and the bakery .
It took 30 to 45 minutes for customers to reach the checkout lane .
One customer in the express lane placed $ 850 in groceries on the conveyor belt .
“ We had no idea this was going to happen , ” Alexander said .
“ People were just buying groceries like they were never going to see them again.
” She likened the aftermath of her 10-hour day to the scene in the movie “ A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the grasshoppers came “ and ravaged the place and there was nothing left.
” Alexander worked 19 days straight in March .
Albertsons Cos. , which owns Vons , announced a temporary $ 2-per-hour increase in pay , which started March 15 .
The Plexiglas didn ’ t go up until the end of the month .
“ People ’ s nerves were so on edge the first couple weeks , ” Alexander said .
But it wasn ’ t all bad .
There was the customer who paid for a woman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find her money .
The one who offered Alexander $ 20 as a thank you — which the cashier gently declined .
Local businesses bought lunches for employees or donated Starbucks gift cards .
Thank yous were not something cashiers heard all that often before the outbreak .
Now , Alexander said , she gets thanked every day .
Real thank yous that mean something at a time when she can ’ t hug her grandchildren or visit her 82-year-old father , who recently had a heart attack .
Still .
Every day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vons employees have slept apart from loved ones , stripped down before entering their homes and sprayed shoes with Lysol after their shifts .
They worry about elderly family members and children at home .
“ Being in here all day , you just don ’ t know who ’ s sick and who isn ’ t , ” Alexander said .
“ You do worry about what you ’ re bringing home and who you ’ re going to infect.
” In the middle of the morning , Lampkin walked into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can remove their masks to eat and heave deep sighs of relief .
It was time for her lunch , a temporary reprieve from the constant beep of the bar-code reader .
She washed her hands and popped two White Castle jalapeño cheese sliders into the microwave .
As she waited , Lampkin wiped down the table and seat .
“ Sonia , what do you got , ” Lampkin called out to Burgos , who sat across the room , alone .
“ Turkey sandwich with sourdough .
And fruit , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would have been sitting together .
But the seat across from Lampkin was blocked with a strip of caution tape , and a yellow sign on the wall read , “ One person per table social distancing.
” Nearby , Kelley Talleda , a courtesy clerk , waited in a booth for her shift to start .
When everything began , Talleda said , they worked longer shifts and had to guide the customers through all the new rules .
“ One of my customers said it best : ‘ Not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lampkin said .
“ If you have an earthquake , you get a crowd of people for three days .
But this has gone on and on and on.
” By 10:05 a.m. , Lampkin ’ s phone timer went off — her 30-minute lunch break was over .
She threw out her trash , washed her hands and went back to her register .
Burgos lingered a little longer and chatted with a co-worker at a neighboring table .
They wondered if Mother ’ s Day weekend would be busy .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyway , ” Burgos said .
In the middle of the afternoon , customers continued to wait in line , standing on red markers that thanked them for practicing social distancing and reminded them to stay two carts apart .
They were directed one way down the aisles to prevent crowding .
Customers included nurses , doctors and ambulance service workers .
Some of them wore plastic face shields and gloves ; others , just flimsy paper masks .
Antoinette Villegas directed a couple to checkout Lane 5 .
They glared at her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could wait at the front of the store while the other made their purchase .
She ’ s been cussed out a few times when she ’ s made the same request .
“ We sleep in the same bed , ” one man said .
“ Yeah , but we don ’ t sleep in the same bed , ” Villegas said .
Coldplay ’ s “ Clocks ” played on the store ’ s sound system , with lyrics that seemed especially relevant : “ Am I part of the cure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Later in the day , as the crowds diminished , all but two of the checkout stands were closed .
A customer who arrived with a coupon for a free four-pack of toilet paper was told the store had run out for the day .
The cheeses were gone too , as well as the pasta .
Frank Morisaki , who has worked at the store for 16 years , scanned items for one of the last customers .
Closing time was at 9 p.m. ; the following week , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guys take care , be careful , ” the customer said to Morisaki , before she stopped on the way out to grab a sanitizing wipe .
Morisaki tapped elbows with longtime customers and joked with them when he could .
He listened to shoppers who had lost jobs and offered sympathy .
And he was grateful for the customers who thanked him for his work , despite dealing with their own hardships .
“ That ’ s what keeps me thriving to keep coming and putting in overtime , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

They spotted the man’s naked face in the frozen food aisle.
And in the age of COVID-19, it seemed positively indecent.
The way he perused the freezers, nose and mouth uncovered, as if a virus weren’t floating around, raring to kill. Shoppers stared. A worker who was guiding customers to each checkout lane rushed to tell the store director, who quickly found the outlier.
“Excuse me, sir, but you need to have a mask to shop in this store,” Dan Graves said.
The man explained he had one in his backpack, which he’d placed inside a shopping cart. He pulled out his black mask, as if seeking absolution.
“You need to put it on,” Graves said firmly.
Dan Graves, store director of a Vons in Torrance, places signage describing new criteria for entry and requiring masks for shoppers. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
“You know what, just forget it,” the man snapped. As he headed for the door, he tried to get in the final word: “You must be a Democrat!”
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“Have a nice day,” Graves responded.
For the last few months, grocery stores, deemed essential businesses, have served as public theaters for the traumatized American consumer.
Thrust into the role of front-line soldiers amid a war against the coronavirus, employees have had to manage panic attacks, cursing, near-fights and counseling sessions at the checkout stand. They’ve been threatened by customers who are angry about having to wear masks.
Some workers have received an hourly bump in appreciation pay. A growing number across the U.S. have become ill. Dozens have died.
At the Vons grocery store on Crenshaw Boulevard in Torrance, cashiers have watched the installation of Plexiglas shields and the formation of lines that snake around the aisles. They’ve seen people shove fellow customers’ purchases back on the conveyor belt and then demand all new food because someone touched theirs.
Unlike the customers they serve at this 76,000-square-foot store, the 165 employees — who are dealing with some of the same feelings of uncertainty and anxiety — cannot shelter at home.
Jay Renteria, right, a vendor working for Snyder‘s Pretzels, signs in with Sonia Burgos, who works in receiving at a Vons in Torrance. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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On a recent Monday, under a muddy night sky, a cashier rang a doorbell at the front of the store, signaling her arrival. A Naked juice truck pulled around back to drop off its supplies. It was 5 a.m., and the store was already busy.
Anthony Capone wiped dozens of black shopping carts with disinfectant.
In the produce department, a worker picked out Gala apples, onions, Roma tomatoes and oranges and then piled them on a cart to fill half a dozen online delivery orders. The store has hired 30 extra employees as demand for these deliveries has increased.
Albertsons truck driver Kenneth Patterson moves produce in the receiving area at the Torrance Vons. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Sonia Burgos, the store’s inventory control clerk who’d started her day at 4 a.m., waited for vendors and truck drivers in the receiving zone. She had every vendor review the same questions — Do you have any symptoms? Coughing, shortness of breath? Sore throat, chills or body aches? — before they signed in on a “Vendor COVID-19 log.”
At checkout Lane 3, Miyoshi Lampkin gripped a bottle of orange-colored disinfectant and coated the black conveyor belt, registers and separators. Sanitizing her station has become as routine as brushing her teeth.
Lampkin, who has worked at the store for 21 years, prepared for the start of her shift with a tall coffee from the Starbucks inside the store. That’s all the caffeine she’d need for the day.
Vons checker cashier Miyoshi Lampkin, who has worked at Vons for 40 years, cleans and sanitizes her checkout lane. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
“My adrenaline is off the people. I love people,” she said. “It keeps me going.”
Shortly before 6 a.m., Capone, a front-end supervisor, positioned himself at the sliding front doors to welcome at-risk shoppers and seniors 60 and older.
“Morning folks, how are we doing today?” Capone asked, speaking through a brown mask. He recognized one of his regulars, 75-year-old Diane DeWeese.
“Two minutes, countdown,” said DeWeese, who has been coming to this store for nearly two decades. She was one of only two people waiting out front. Just a few weeks ago, she recalled, the line stretched down the street.
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When it was time, Capone welcomed the two customers inside and directed them to the sanitized carts.
“One toilet paper, one paper towel,” he reminded them. “You guys have an awesome day.”
It was Capone’s responsibility to check identification for that first hour, to make sure it was seniors entering. Within 20 minutes, he had turned away two people.
He listened as customers echoed the same frustration the employees were experiencing.
“Ugh, I’m so sick of this,” Kathi Wilson groaned behind her floral mask, in response to Capone’s question about her day.
Wilson has asthma and has spent nearly every day at home since the beginning of the outbreak. It’s hard, she said, to live through something with no end in sight.
“I know,” Capone responded. “Hang in there.”
One of the first shoppers made a beeline to Aisle 11, where at least 20 plastic-wrapped 12-packs of Charmin Ultra Soft and Cottonelle Ultra CleanCare toilet paper and dozens of rolls of Bounty and Viva paper towels graced the shelves, courtesy of a shipment the night before.
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Diane DeWeese, 75, walks the paper products aisle at Vons. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
A 93-year-old World War II veteran shops for produce at a Vons in Torrance. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
At checkout Lane 5, soap opera digests gave no indication of a pandemic. But the magazine rack to the left of the conveyor belt was filled with reminders. Time announced that we are not alone, People offered COVID-19-inspired acts of kindness, and Los Angeles magazine featured a woman in a blue medical mask with the words, “Now what?”
“Hi, how are you?” Debbie Alexander asked, her voice bright, as she scanned a customer’s Scott toilet paper and paper towels. After 40 years, Alexander knows exactly where every bar code is placed.
“Good,” her customer responded. “Better yet, I found paper towels.”
“You found gold today,” Alexander said, as she laughed through her mask, decorated with Disney’s Belle and her prince — after he’d transformed back into a human, after the nightmare ended.
Doors open at 6 a..m. for seniors and at-risk shoppers at a Vons in Torrance. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Despite Alexander’s cheerful exterior, she says at times she uses breathing exercises to help keep herself calm. Her husband has a heart condition, diabetes and high blood pressure. She was terrified she might bring the virus home.
“But it’s my job,” Alexander said. “There’s nothing I can do.”
Work was already tough enough before the outbreak. Many of the store’s nearly 200 employees are part time. The union pay scale goes from state minimum wage to $21.42 an hour. Cashiers who are constantly swiping bar-coded items sometimes suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. They rely on Dr. Scholl’s shoes and foam mats at their check stands to ease the aching in their knees.
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But in March, when the orders to shelter at home were announced, cashiers started to suffer from panic attacks as customers flooded the store. Alexander’s anxiety still flares up when she thinks back to March 13 — a day she calls “apocalypse Friday.”
Every register was open; lines stretched back to the meat department and branched off into produce and the bakery. It took 30 to 45 minutes for customers to reach the checkout lane. One customer in the express lane placed $850 in groceries on the conveyor belt.
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“We had no idea this was going to happen,” Alexander said. “People were just buying groceries like they were never going to see them again.”
She likened the aftermath of her 10-hour day to the scene in the movie “A Bug’s Life,” when the grasshoppers came “and ravaged the place and there was nothing left.”
Alexander worked 19 days straight in March. Albertsons Cos., which owns Vons, announced a temporary $2-per-hour increase in pay, which started March 15. The Plexiglas didn’t go up until the end of the month.
“People’s nerves were so on edge the first couple weeks,” Alexander said.
But it wasn’t all bad. There was the customer who paid for a woman in front of her after she struggled to find her money. The one who offered Alexander $20 as a thank you — which the cashier gently declined. Local businesses bought lunches for employees or donated Starbucks gift cards.
Thank yous were not something cashiers heard all that often before the outbreak. Now, Alexander said, she gets thanked every day. Real thank yous that mean something at a time when she can’t hug her grandchildren or visit her 82-year-old father, who recently had a heart attack.
Still. Every day is filled with stress and uncertainty.
Vons employees have slept apart from loved ones, stripped down before entering their homes and sprayed shoes with Lysol after their shifts. They worry about elderly family members and children at home.
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“Being in here all day, you just don’t know who’s sick and who isn’t,” Alexander said. “You do worry about what you’re bringing home and who you’re going to infect.”
Delivery driver James Hang prepares his orders. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
In the middle of the morning, Lampkin walked into the break room, the space where workers can remove their masks to eat and heave deep sighs of relief. It was time for her lunch, a temporary reprieve from the constant beep of the bar-code reader.
She washed her hands and popped two White Castle jalapeño cheese sliders into the microwave. As she waited, Lampkin wiped down the table and seat.
“Sonia, what do you got,” Lampkin called out to Burgos, who sat across the room, alone.
“Turkey sandwich with sourdough. And fruit,” Burgos said.
Before the outbreak, they would have been sitting together. But the seat across from Lampkin was blocked with a strip of caution tape, and a yellow sign on the wall read, “One person per table social distancing.”
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Nearby, Kelley Talleda, a courtesy clerk, waited in a booth for her shift to start.
Vons courtesy clerk Kelley Talleda waits before her shift in the break room, which has been altered to maintain social distancing. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
When everything began, Talleda said, they worked longer shifts and had to guide the customers through all the new rules.
“One of my customers said it best: ‘Not a pandemic — a panic,’” Lampkin said. “If you have an earthquake, you get a crowd of people for three days. But this has gone on and on and on.”
By 10:05 a.m., Lampkin’s phone timer went off — her 30-minute lunch break was over. She threw out her trash, washed her hands and went back to her register.
Burgos lingered a little longer and chatted with a co-worker at a neighboring table. They wondered if Mother’s Day weekend would be busy.
“Nobody’s going to be celebrating anyway,” Burgos said.
In the middle of the afternoon, customers continued to wait in line, standing on red markers that thanked them for practicing social distancing and reminded them to stay two carts apart. They were directed one way down the aisles to prevent crowding.
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Customers included nurses, doctors and ambulance service workers. Some of them wore plastic face shields and gloves; others, just flimsy paper masks.
Antoinette Villegas directed a couple to checkout Lane 5. They glared at her when she asked if one of them could wait at the front of the store while the other made their purchase. She’s been cussed out a few times when she’s made the same request.
“We sleep in the same bed,” one man said.
“Yeah, but we don’t sleep in the same bed,” Villegas said.
Coldplay’s “Clocks” played on the store’s sound system, with lyrics that seemed especially relevant: “Am I part of the cure or am I part of the disease?”
Later in the day, as the crowds diminished, all but two of the checkout stands were closed. A customer who arrived with a coupon for a free four-pack of toilet paper was told the store had run out for the day. The cheeses were gone too, as well as the pasta.
Frank Morisaki, who has worked at the store for 16 years, scanned items for one of the last customers. Closing time was at 9 p.m.; the following week, it extended another two hours.
“You guys take care, be careful,” the customer said to Morisaki, before she stopped on the way out to grab a sanitizing wipe.
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Morisaki tapped elbows with longtime customers and joked with them when he could. He listened to shoppers who had lost jobs and offered sympathy. And he was grateful for the customers who thanked him for his work, despite dealing with their own hardships.
“That’s what keeps me thriving to keep coming and putting in overtime,” he said. “I feel like a superhero.”


latimes--2020-05-12--California considers unprecedented $25-billion economy recovery fund, rental relief

Two unprecedented proposals to help Californians weather the fiscal storm unleashed by the coronavirus crisis are expected to be unveiled Tuesday by Democrats in the state Senate — one to help struggling renters , the other to create a $ 25-billion economic recovery fund by issuing long-term vouchers to those willing to prepay their future state income taxes .
Taken together , the ideas suggest lawmakers are willing to launch never-before-tried experiments to avoid the unpaid debts and deep cuts to government services that resulted from the Great Recession more than a decade ago .
“ We need some short-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tem Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego ) in an interview with The Times on Monday .
“ But we ’ ve got to be thinking long term on how to do this in a very strategic way.
” The proposals are scheduled to be formally unveiled Tuesday morning in Sacramento , two days before Gov .
Gavin Newsom sends lawmakers a plan to erase a short-term budget deficit that could total more than $ 54 billion .
Neither the renter-assistance program nor the economic recovery fund would have a direct effect on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months .
Still , lawmakers believe both ideas could boost California ’ s shattered economy .
The unconventional effort to help renters would ask landlords to forgive rent payments in exchange for equally sized tax credits spread out over a 10-year period starting in 2024 .
The tax credits would be transferable , meaning the property owner could sell them to an outside investor and get cash immediately .
“ This is a substantive proposal that protects those who are struggling to afford their rent and also keeps rental properties from going into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( D-Gardena ) said .
“ This equitable strategy will keep people housed.
” Some local governments have already stepped up to address concerns about renters being evicted during the public health crisis , promoting a variety of rental assistance programs .
Pending legislation at the state Capitol also seeks to prevent evictions during the coronavirus state of emergency , which was declared by Newsom in March and has no targeted end date .
The exact number of troubled renters is unclear .
As of 2018 , there were 17 million renters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them were rent-burdened .
Under the Senate proposal , tenants would agree to reimburse the state for the rent payments and would have 10 years to do so .
Some who could prove financial hardship could have the total amount forgiven — in effect , their rent would be covered by the state .
The idea will hinge on the willingness of rental property owners to cooperate , and whether they see the long-term tax break as worth the loss of short-term rental income .
Atkins said she is optimistic , arguing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ When you have to find a new tenant , that ’ s not an easy process , ” she said .
The economic stabilization plan crafted by Senate Democrats in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is even more ambitious .
It would offer any California taxpayer , from individuals to large corporations , a chance to prepay a decade ’ s worth of income taxes for a slight discount .
In total , the state would offer $ 30 billion in long-term tax credits for $ 25 billion in upfront cash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cash advance on long-term state tax revenues , using the money to fund short-term economic relief programs , which could include small-business assistance and relief for local governments .
“ It ’ s really a 21st-century New Deal , ” state Sen. Bob Hertzberg ( D-Van Nuys ) said .
“ We ’ ve got to get money into the system.
” Taxpayers could use the vouchers to cover taxes owed in those future years or sell them sooner to investors .
That could make the documents valuable to a variety of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the president of Raymond James Financial .
“ If the state were to issue such a security that could be bought and sold in the secondary market , we expect that there would be strong interest from institutions and other investors , ” he said in a statement .
By accelerating the collection of tax revenues that would otherwise be paid more slowly , the program would mean less government cash for future lawmakers to spend .
Senate budget staffers estimate a $ 3-billion-a-year decrease in available revenues from 2024 through 2033 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would affect tax dollars that are constitutionally guaranteed for public schools , because the vouchers would be counted as part of annual tax proceeds when cashed in .
Such a calculation could , however , direct a larger amount of actual tax revenue toward schools in those years and away from other programs .
Other key questions will need to be addressed .
It ’ s likely that it will be easier to create the $ 25 billion economic recovery fund — envisioned as being collected over as much as two years — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s many needs should get the help and which ones would be left out .
A document provided to The Times by Senate Democrats offers an early set of suggestions , including worker retraining , expedited infrastructure projects , wildfire prevention and homelessness assistance .
Atkins insisted the priorities would be clear .
“ It ’ s got to be tied to the economy and the critical needs , ” she said .
It is also unknown how the two relief proposals will play either with Newsom or in the state Assembly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have to be considered alongside a budget deficit plan that must be approved by the Legislature no later than June 15 .
Democrats hold a supermajority of seats in both houses and could , in theory , approve both plans without Republican votes .
For those legislators who were in office during the last recession or whose service began in its immediate aftermath , the idea of thinking outside the conventional world of government might hold a special appeal .
“ You have to think differently , ” Atkins said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be willing to adjust and consider new options , because the world is different .
The world has been upended .
”

Noah, who declined to give his last name, participates in an April 1 demonstration with the Los Angeles Tenants Union and its supporters in Boyle Heights. Democrats in the California Senate are proposing a plan to allow struggling tenants to pay their short-term rent over as long as a decade.
Two unprecedented proposals to help Californians weather the fiscal storm unleashed by the coronavirus crisis are expected to be unveiled Tuesday by Democrats in the state Senate — one to help struggling renters, the other to create a $25-billion economic recovery fund by issuing long-term vouchers to those willing to prepay their future state income taxes.
Taken together, the ideas suggest lawmakers are willing to launch never-before-tried experiments to avoid the unpaid debts and deep cuts to government services that resulted from the Great Recession more than a decade ago.
“We need some short-term assistance,” said Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) in an interview with The Times on Monday. “But we’ve got to be thinking long term on how to do this in a very strategic way.”
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The proposals are scheduled to be formally unveiled Tuesday morning in Sacramento, two days before Gov. Gavin Newsom sends lawmakers a plan to erase a short-term budget deficit that could total more than $54 billion.
Neither the renter-assistance program nor the economic recovery fund would have a direct effect on the state budget in the coming weeks and months. Still, lawmakers believe both ideas could boost California’s shattered economy.
The unconventional effort to help renters would ask landlords to forgive rent payments in exchange for equally sized tax credits spread out over a 10-year period starting in 2024. The tax credits would be transferable, meaning the property owner could sell them to an outside investor and get cash immediately.
“This is a substantive proposal that protects those who are struggling to afford their rent and also keeps rental properties from going into foreclosure,” state Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) said. “This equitable strategy will keep people housed.”
Some local governments have already stepped up to address concerns about renters being evicted during the public health crisis, promoting a variety of rental assistance programs. Pending legislation at the state Capitol also seeks to prevent evictions during the coronavirus state of emergency, which was declared by Newsom in March and has no targeted end date.
The exact number of troubled renters is unclear. As of 2018, there were 17 million renters in California, and more than half of them were rent-burdened.
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Under the Senate proposal, tenants would agree to reimburse the state for the rent payments and would have 10 years to do so. Some who could prove financial hardship could have the total amount forgiven — in effect, their rent would be covered by the state.
The idea will hinge on the willingness of rental property owners to cooperate, and whether they see the long-term tax break as worth the loss of short-term rental income. Atkins said she is optimistic, arguing that landlords benefit by keeping their properties occupied.
“When you have to find a new tenant, that’s not an easy process,” she said.
The economic stabilization plan crafted by Senate Democrats in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is even more ambitious. It would offer any California taxpayer, from individuals to large corporations, a chance to prepay a decade’s worth of income taxes for a slight discount. In total, the state would offer $30 billion in long-term tax credits for $25 billion in upfront cash.
In essence, it would be a cash advance on long-term state tax revenues, using the money to fund short-term economic relief programs, which could include small-business assistance and relief for local governments.
“It’s really a 21st-century New Deal,” state Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) said. “We’ve got to get money into the system.”
Taxpayers could use the vouchers to cover taxes owed in those future years or sell them sooner to investors. That could make the documents valuable to a variety of investors, said John C. Carson Jr., the president of Raymond James Financial.
“If the state were to issue such a security that could be bought and sold in the secondary market, we expect that there would be strong interest from institutions and other investors,” he said in a statement.
By accelerating the collection of tax revenues that would otherwise be paid more slowly, the program would mean less government cash for future lawmakers to spend. Senate budget staffers estimate a $3-billion-a-year decrease in available revenues from 2024 through 2033.
They do not believe the program would affect tax dollars that are constitutionally guaranteed for public schools, because the vouchers would be counted as part of annual tax proceeds when cashed in. Such a calculation could, however, direct a larger amount of actual tax revenue toward schools in those years and away from other programs.
Other key questions will need to be addressed. It’s likely that it will be easier to create the $25 billion economic recovery fund — envisioned as being collected over as much as two years — than determining which of the state’s many needs should get the help and which ones would be left out. A document provided to The Times by Senate Democrats offers an early set of suggestions, including worker retraining, expedited infrastructure projects, wildfire prevention and homelessness assistance.
Atkins insisted the priorities would be clear. “It’s got to be tied to the economy and the critical needs,” she said.
It is also unknown how the two relief proposals will play either with Newsom or in the state Assembly. To have an immediate effect, both will have to be considered alongside a budget deficit plan that must be approved by the Legislature no later than June 15. Democrats hold a supermajority of seats in both houses and could, in theory, approve both plans without Republican votes.
For those legislators who were in office during the last recession or whose service began in its immediate aftermath, the idea of thinking outside the conventional world of government might hold a special appeal.
“You have to think differently,” Atkins said. “You have to rethink, reshape and be willing to adjust and consider new options, because the world is different. The world has been upended.”


latimes--2020-05-12--Rodeo in Shasta County delays plans to reopen as many fans sidestep coronavirus guidelines

A day after crowds flocked to a rodeo in Cottonwood , a community of about 3,000 people in Shasta County , the county health officer said Monday that the rodeogoers — many of whom thronged the town ’ s livestock auction without masks or keeping a safe distance between one another — have delayed the county ’ s plans to reopen .
“ I am not happy and the state isn ’ t happy and it ’ s impacting the approval of our variance , ” Dr. Karen Ramstrom said in a news release .
Last week , Ramstrom said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would allow some storefronts , dine-in restaurants , childcare centers , shopping malls and office buildings to reopen — subject to approval by the state government .
In Shasta County , which has a population of about 180,000 , 32 people have tested positive for COVID-19 , the disease caused by the coronavirus .
Four people have died .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom took note of Sunday ’ s Cottonwood Rodeo , the county said Monday , and its reopening will be delayed .
Ramstrom blasted the rodeo-goers for potentially infecting not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not attend.
” And by delaying the opening of nonessential businesses , the attendees harmed the county ’ s economic recovery , Ramstrom added .
The rodeo ’ s organizers refused to cancel , according to the county , which said Monday that it is “ taking steps to investigate the event and will take action accordingly.
” Last week , Shasta County Sheriff Eric Magrini told the Redding Record Searchlight that his department didn ’ t condone the event but would “ work toward enforcement through education.
” Sitting and standing shoulder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the riding , roping and racing Sunday , according to local media reports .
Many wore cowboy hats ; far fewer wore masks .
One attendee told KRCR-TV Channel 7 : “ If you were worried about everybody that you came into contact with , why would you even bother to go outside ?
”

A day after crowds flocked to a rodeo in Cottonwood, a community of about 3,000 people in Shasta County, the county health officer said Monday that the rodeogoers — many of whom thronged the town’s livestock auction without masks or keeping a safe distance between one another — have delayed the county’s plans to reopen.
“I am not happy and the state isn’t happy and it’s impacting the approval of our variance,” Dr. Karen Ramstrom said in a news release.
Last week, Ramstrom said Shasta County had met certain requirements that would allow some storefronts, dine-in restaurants, childcare centers, shopping malls and office buildings to reopen — subject to approval by the state government.
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In Shasta County, which has a population of about 180,000, 32 people have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Four people have died.
Gov. Gavin Newsom took note of Sunday’s Cottonwood Rodeo, the county said Monday, and its reopening will be delayed.
Ramstrom blasted the rodeo-goers for potentially infecting not just themselves but “vulnerable people who did not attend.” And by delaying the opening of nonessential businesses, the attendees harmed the county’s economic recovery, Ramstrom added.
The rodeo’s organizers refused to cancel, according to the county, which said Monday that it is “taking steps to investigate the event and will take action accordingly.”
Last week, Shasta County Sheriff Eric Magrini told the Redding Record Searchlight that his department didn’t condone the event but would “work toward enforcement through education.”
Sitting and standing shoulder to shoulder, crowds of people took in the riding, roping and racing Sunday, according to local media reports. Many wore cowboy hats; far fewer wore masks.
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One attendee told KRCR-TV Channel 7: “If you were worried about everybody that you came into contact with, why would you even bother to go outside?”