latimes--2020-07-03--Consulting firm accuses city of L.A. of concealing evidence in DWP billing case

Consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers is seeking at least $ 8 million from the city of Los Angeles over what it alleges were the city ’ s efforts to conceal documents and other evidence during legal proceedings , according to a new court filing .
L.A. sued PricewaterhouseCoopers several years ago over a new Department of Water and Power billing system , but dropped its lawsuit last fall .
Now , PricewaterhouseCoopers is asking the court to impose sanctions for what it calls the city ’ s “ obstructionist discovery tactics , ” including lying to the court and giving false deposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week .
The firm alleges “ the city went far beyond the boundaries of legitimate adversarial conduct , consciously and persistently abusing the discovery process to hide its wrongdoing , ” according to the filing .
California law allows courts to impose sanctions over discovery misconduct .
A litigant who unsuccessfully asserts that another misused the discovery process can also face sanctions .
Rob Wilcox , spokesman for the city attorney ’ s office , called PricewaterhouseCoopers ’ motion “ as substantively defective as it is untimely .
The city will exercise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attorney ’ s fees it incurs in opposing the motion.
” In its motion , PricewaterhouseCoopers lays out a timeline of events going back to 2015 , the year the city sued the firm over a new , faulty billing system .
Separately , DWP customers filed a class-action lawsuit against the city the same year over the billing debacle .
PricewaterhouseCoopers was defending itself in the lawsuit brought by the city when lawyers for the consulting firm uncovered evidence in the DWP ratepayer case .
The firm alleged in court documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraudulent scheme to control the outcome of the class-action lawsuit .
City Atty .
Mike Feuer ’ s office has denied that it was involved in or aware of the alleged scheme and has blamed two outside attorneys it hired .
Those attorneys have denied wrongdoing , with one saying his work was done at the direction of the city attorney ’ s office , which Feuer ’ s office denies .
Meanwhile , FBI agents last summer raided the city attorney ’ s office and the DWP , seeking evidence related to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publicly announced .

The Department of Water and Power building in Los Angeles. PricewaterhouseCoopers is seeking at least $8 million from the city over what is alleges are discovery abuses during legal proceedings.
Consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers is seeking at least $8 million from the city of Los Angeles over what it alleges were the city’s efforts to conceal documents and other evidence during legal proceedings, according to a new court filing.
L.A. sued PricewaterhouseCoopers several years ago over a new Department of Water and Power billing system, but dropped its lawsuit last fall.
Now, PricewaterhouseCoopers is asking the court to impose sanctions for what it calls the city’s “obstructionist discovery tactics,” including lying to the court and giving false deposition testimony, according to its motion filed this week.
The firm alleges “the city went far beyond the boundaries of legitimate adversarial conduct, consciously and persistently abusing the discovery process to hide its wrongdoing,” according to the filing.
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California law allows courts to impose sanctions over discovery misconduct. A litigant who unsuccessfully asserts that another misused the discovery process can also face sanctions.
Rob Wilcox, spokesman for the city attorney’s office, called PricewaterhouseCoopers’ motion “as substantively defective as it is untimely. The city will exercise its statutory right to seek reimbursement of the attorney’s fees it incurs in opposing the motion.”
In its motion, PricewaterhouseCoopers lays out a timeline of events going back to 2015, the year the city sued the firm over a new, faulty billing system. Separately, DWP customers filed a class-action lawsuit against the city the same year over the billing debacle.
PricewaterhouseCoopers was defending itself in the lawsuit brought by the city when lawyers for the consulting firm uncovered evidence in the DWP ratepayer case. The firm alleged in court documents that the city took part in a fraudulent scheme to control the outcome of the class-action lawsuit.
City Atty. Mike Feuer’s office has denied that it was involved in or aware of the alleged scheme and has blamed two outside attorneys it hired. Those attorneys have denied wrongdoing, with one saying his work was done at the direction of the city attorney’s office, which Feuer’s office denies.
Meanwhile, FBI agents last summer raided the city attorney’s office and the DWP, seeking evidence related to both lawsuits. No charges have been publicly announced.


latimes--2020-07-03--Santa Barbara grand jury blasts county supervisors over marijuana industry

The Santa Barbara County grand jury criticized county supervisors this week for allowing “ unfettered access ” to marijuana lobbyists as the board voted to let cannabis cultivation explode in the Santa Ynez Valley region and Carpinteria with little regulation and a flimsy tax regime that has deprived the county of millions of dollars .
The 26-page report released Tuesday cited emails showing the close relationship that developed between the industry and two supervisors , along with a lead member of the county executive staff .
At times , the grand jury wrote , it seemed lobbyists were not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but trying to “ command ” them .
Normally , land-use policy starts with large public meetings and country planning staff , who then make recommendations to the board .
But in this case , the grand jury wrote , policy recommendations were hashed out by an ad hoc committee of two supervisors — Das Williams and Steve Lavagnino — which was not subject to open meeting laws .
The committee then directed staff on how it wanted the industry to be regulated .
The supervisors met frequently with lobbyists and big growers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before critical board hearings on cannabis .
“ The Board of Supervisors granted nearly unfettered access to cannabis growers and industry lobbyists that was undisclosed to the public during the creation of the cannabis ordinances , ” the jury wrote .
“ On March 20 , 2018 , the most extreme example was an email sent by a Board member to a lobbyist , during a Board meeting , asking the lobbyist if they agreed with a [ planning and development ] staff recommendation.
” Per its rules , the jury does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it focused on the two-person ad hoc committee , it was clear in many references that the individuals were Williams and Lavagnino .
The jury wrote that “ the governance in this matter took the form of some Supervisors aggressively pushing through their own agendas while other Supervisors meekly followed or resigned themselves to the inevitable.
” Lavagnino suggested on Thursday that the jury was biased against marijuana legalization .
“ The demographics of the grand jury are not reflective of the county as a whole , ” he said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a group of predominantly white senior citizens is uncomfortable accepting that cannabis is now mainstream .
We will review their recommendations and answer them as required.
” Williams said the jury pursued only “ one side of the story.
” The grand jury is composed of citizens tasked to serve as a watchdog for agencies within the county .
The report ’ s findings largely echo those in a Los Angeles Times investigation published in June 2019 .
At that point , Santa Barbara had licenses for 35 % of all cannabis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the historic hub of weed , had 22 % .
While the supervisors deferred to the industry , the jury found , they ignored complaints from residents , schools and wine tasting rooms about the pungent odor of the crop , and concerns that vintners and avocado growers would be unable to use pesticides on their crops for fear of tainting $ 10-million marijuana fields downwind .
“ The action taken by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to certify the development of a robust cannabis industry as the prime objective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality of life in Santa Barbara County , perhaps forever , ” the jury wrote .
The supervisors started the land rush for marijuana in 2017 when , unlike any other county in the state , they decided not to limit the size of marijuana grows and opened a back door for anyone who wanted to get in the business before the county came up with a licensing and tax regime .
All you had to do was claim on an affidavit that you had been growing medical cannabis on your property in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ check if your claim was true , or even that you had any connection to that property .
People from all over the state formed companies and filed affidavits saying they had been growing , when many clearly hadn ’ t .
Residents in the Santa Ynez Valley watched as long tunnels of hoop greenhouses began popping up for the first time .
One grower registered with the state as a limited liability company in Agoura Hills just three weeks after the supervisors voted to not have limits .
By the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grow on 60 acres .
“ Without question , one of the most perplexing decisions made by the Board was the utilization of an unverified affidavit system .
.
.. ” the jury wrote .
In Carpinteria , the old cut-flower greenhouses were soon releasing the skunky scent of marijuana all over town .
The Carpinteria School District sent two letters to the board saying the air quality at the high school “ was being compromised by strong cannabis odors to the point that by afternoon the students and staff were reporting ill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nauseating odor , ” according to the report .
The jury found no evidence that any board member contacted the district to discuss buffer zones between the schools and grows .
The jury questioned why the county ever thought the industry would be long term and viable , when its own hired expert warned there was a glut of cannabis in the state .
California consumed between 1.5 million and 2.5 million pounds but was producing 13.5 million .
The consultant stated : “ Santa Barbara is just one of 58 counties in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking as many as 1,365 separate cultivation permits , the county ’ s growers potentially could produce .
.
.
.more than double the legal amount of cannabis consumed by the entire state.
” State law prohibits transporting the crop out of state .
Williams and Lavagnino ignored such concerns and focused on the tax windfall they said the county would receive .
“ I ’ m trying to generate what could be $ 20 [ million ] to $ 40 million a year for the county , ” Lavagnino said at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he and Williams were pushing for a tax system that would make it easy for growers to avoid paying .
Most counties collected taxes based on the square foot of permitted cultivation .
It was a simple system that made cheating difficult .
Santa Barbara voted to collect on gross receipts , but the county had no way of checking those revenues to see if growers were truthfully reporting .
The jury noted that the county tax collector was not even brought into this discussion before the decision was made .
The results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million in tax revenue in the 2018-2019 fiscal year from its 217 permitted acres , the jury found .
In the same year , Monterey County collected $ 15.4 million , from 62 acres .
Per acre , Monterey was collecting eight times more than Santa Barbara .
“ The Jury believes the Board of Supervisors , in their hubris , failed the people of Santa Barbara County , ” the report says .
“ Now they must amend the cannabis ordinances to regain the people ’ s trust .
”

A grand jury said Santa Barbara County “opened the floodgates” to marijuana growers, such as this farm in a sprawling greenhouse complex in Carpinteria.
The Santa Barbara County grand jury criticized county supervisors this week for allowing “unfettered access” to marijuana lobbyists as the board voted to let cannabis cultivation explode in the Santa Ynez Valley region and Carpinteria with little regulation and a flimsy tax regime that has deprived the county of millions of dollars.
The 26-page report released Tuesday cited emails showing the close relationship that developed between the industry and two supervisors, along with a lead member of the county executive staff. At times, the grand jury wrote, it seemed lobbyists were not only recommending how the supervisors should vote, but trying to “command” them.
Normally, land-use policy starts with large public meetings and county planning staff, who then make recommendations to the board. But in this case, the grand jury wrote, policy recommendations were hashed out by an ad hoc committee of two supervisors — Das Williams and Steve Lavagnino — which was not subject to open meeting laws. The committee then directed staff on how it wanted the industry to be regulated.
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The supervisors met frequently with lobbyists and big growers, often just a day or two before critical board hearings on cannabis.
“The Board of Supervisors granted nearly unfettered access to cannabis growers and industry lobbyists that was undisclosed to the public during the creation of the cannabis ordinances,” the jury wrote.
“On March 20, 2018, the most extreme example was an email sent by a Board member to a lobbyist, during a Board meeting, asking the lobbyist if they agreed with a [planning and development] staff recommendation.”
Per its rules, the jury does not identify anyone by name, but since it focused on the two-person ad hoc committee, it was clear in many references that the individuals were Williams and Lavagnino.
The jury wrote that “the governance in this matter took the form of some Supervisors aggressively pushing through their own agendas while other Supervisors meekly followed or resigned themselves to the inevitable.”
Lavagnino suggested on Thursday that the jury was biased against marijuana legalization. “The demographics of the grand jury are not reflective of the county as a whole,” he said. “It is not at all surprising to me that a group of predominantly white senior citizens is uncomfortable accepting that cannabis is now mainstream. We will review their recommendations and answer them as required.”
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Williams said the jury pursued only “one side of the story.”
The grand jury is composed of citizens tasked to serve as a watchdog for agencies within the county. The report’s findings largely echo those in a Los Angeles Times investigation published in June 2019.
At that point, Santa Barbara had licenses for 35% of all cannabis acreage in California, while Humboldt County, the historic hub of weed, had 22%.
While the supervisors deferred to the industry, the jury found, they ignored complaints from residents, schools and wine tasting rooms about the pungent odor of the crop, and concerns that vintners and avocado growers would be unable to use pesticides on their crops for fear of tainting $10-million marijuana fields downwind.
“The action taken by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to certify the development of a robust cannabis industry as the prime objective of the cannabis ordinances has altered the quality of life in Santa Barbara County, perhaps forever,” the jury wrote.
The supervisors started the land rush for marijuana in 2017 when, unlike any other county in the state, they decided not to limit the size of marijuana grows and opened a back door for anyone who wanted to get in the business before the county came up with a licensing and tax regime.
All you had to do was claim on an affidavit that you had been growing medical cannabis on your property in January 2016. The county would not check if your claim was true, or even that you had any connection to that property.
People from all over the state formed companies and filed affidavits saying they had been growing, when many clearly hadn’t. Residents in the Santa Ynez Valley watched as long tunnels of hoop greenhouses began popping up for the first time. One grower registered with the state as a limited liability company in Agoura Hills just three weeks after the supervisors voted to not have limits. By the end of the year, it had permits to grow on 60 acres.
“Without question, one of the most perplexing decisions made by the Board was the utilization of an unverified affidavit system. . ..” the jury wrote.
In Carpinteria, the old cut-flower greenhouses were soon releasing the skunky scent of marijuana all over town.
The Carpinteria School District sent two letters to the board saying the air quality at the high school “was being compromised by strong cannabis odors to the point that by afternoon the students and staff were reporting ill effects, such as headaches from the nauseating odor,” according to the report. The jury found no evidence that any board member contacted the district to discuss buffer zones between the schools and grows.
The jury questioned why the county ever thought the industry would be long term and viable, when its own hired expert warned there was a glut of cannabis in the state. California consumed between 1.5 million and 2.5 million pounds but was producing 13.5 million.
The consultant stated: “Santa Barbara is just one of 58 counties in California, but with almost 500 registrants seeking as many as 1,365 separate cultivation permits, the county’s growers potentially could produce . . . .more than double the legal amount of cannabis consumed by the entire state.”
State law prohibits transporting the crop out of state.
Williams and Lavagnino ignored such concerns and focused on the tax windfall they said the county would receive.
“I’m trying to generate what could be $20 [million] to $40 million a year for the county,” Lavagnino said at a board meeting in February 2019.
But he and Williams were pushing for a tax system that would make it easy for growers to avoid paying. Most counties collected taxes based on the square foot of permitted cultivation. It was a simple system that made cheating difficult. Santa Barbara voted to collect on gross receipts, but the county had no way of checking those revenues to see if growers were truthfully reporting. The jury noted that the county tax collector was not even brought into this discussion before the decision was made.
The results: Santa Barbara County collected $6.8 million in tax revenue in the 2018-2019 fiscal year from its 217 permitted acres, the jury found. In the same year, Monterey County collected $15.4 million, from 62 acres.
Per acre, Monterey was collecting eight times more than Santa Barbara.
“The Jury believes the Board of Supervisors, in their hubris, failed the people of Santa Barbara County,” the report says. “Now they must amend the cannabis ordinances to regain the people’s trust.”


latimes--2020-07-03--COVID-19 silenced this singing activist, but not her spirit

The tiny woman with the big straw hat has spent the last 30 years doing a nearly impossible task : Fighting against any development that threatens the few small swaths of rural land that remain in the fast-growing Inland Empire .
Albia Miller — frail , 71 and barely 5 feet tall — has attended every city council meeting she could possibly get to in Murrieta , Menifee , Temecula , Lake Elsinore and other small , burgeoning towns in Riverside County .
In the process , she has wedded her passion for politics with a love for lyrics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with songs .
She ’ s the singing gadfly of Riverside County .
And government meetings were her stage .
Not only city council meetings but also board of supervisors meetings , planning commission meetings .
Miller would create videos highlighting the environment , filing lawsuits against developers , or going door to door to gather signatures on petitions she spearheaded .
Mondays were dedicated to polishing her public comment presentation .
Tuesdays and Thursdays were spent mapping out which meetings she would attend .
She would prepare a three-minute speech , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ group limousine ” otherwise known as the Route 61 RTA bus to various council chambers .
“ The look of open space is in your eyes , the look that bulldozing and grazing can not replace , ” she often sang at council meetings .
She moved her arms with precision to gesticulate and signal anger or disbelief , looking directly at each council member — many of whom looked down or avoided eye contact .
Before the pandemic started shutting things down , Miller would rehearse at grocery stores .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ perform songs about environmentalism accompanied by an electric keyboard outside Trader Joe ’ s and Organic Roots Natural Food Store .
In between sets she ’ d strike up a conversation with people and sell CDs of her songs , some of which had been performed in local meetings .
Since then , she stopped performing in front of Trader Joe ’ s in fear of catching the virus , which limited her income to government assistance .
And with most libraries closed , she no longer has a reliable place to spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locate city council agendas .
On a recent day , her voice rang out in an empty corridor of Mt .
San Jacinto College — a regular stage for her in normal times , but now locked up because of COVID-19 .
“ If we love as much as angels , ” she sang , holding the last note until chuckling over the hilarity of singing with a mask on .
“ These songs are my therapy , ” Miller said as she shuffled through piles of papers and compact discs on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in Menifee .
“ But recently , my life has been very hard , and I haven ’ t had the heart to sing.
” The coronavirus has taken a much larger toll on Miller than she could have imagined .
In March , city council meetings began closing their doors in an effort to keep the public safe from the virus .
The pandemic also cost her her home with her partner , who needed the spare room for a relative .
Miller was cast out with nothing more than an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an unrelenting desire to protect Earth .
She since moved into a bus she helped retrofit into a film editing space , but on some nights she can be found in a tent outside the college ’ s future $ 40-million stadium site — as an act of defiance .
COVID-19 threw a wrench into a schedule she perfected over the last 30 years .
Her activism “ runs through her blood ” as her grandmother inspired her to take action against developers .
After attending a Sierra Club meeting in San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hooked .
She then started an unofficial nonprofit Global Harmony Network and created an email list of 150 people to send updates about her work .
Her pre-COVID weekly routine was determined by council agendas .
On Friday , she began combing through agendas , researching development projects and , if needed , drafting 20-page letters .
Each day , she works five to eight hours , she said .
Now Miller ’ s days are filled with restlessness and a constant search for access to electricity .
“ Now I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few hours of access a day , and I don ’ t know if my letters are even read at the meetings , ” she said .
“ I didn ’ t realize the meetings were still going on , and they ’ re still voting on major developments .
How can our voice get out there when we can not attend meetings ?
” Meetings can be viewed online , but Miller said she has a hard time viewing them because of her limited Wi-Fi access .
As a result , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meetings as diligently and can send in comments only with the hope that they will be received .
She peered into the glass windows of the Mt .
San Jacinto College library , clutching a dead laptop by the arm and began to worry .
“ If you look at my arms , they ’ re so frail .
The air quality , the developments , the work .
It ’ s taken a toll on me , ” she said , wringing her hands .
Before the virus stifled public discourse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the legislative lectern .
Her meticulous supporting research , gesticulations and songs captivated council members — some of whom struggled not to crack a smile during Miller ’ s unconventional public comment .
Most comments started the same : a lengthy diatribe concerning the California Environmental Quality Act and the local effects of these projects followed by a brief pause and a 15-second rendition of either a song on the spot or one she ’ s memorized and reused .
As swiftly as she approached the stand , she ’ d slam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sound of the three-minute buzzer and proudly head back to her seat .
Though on occasion , Miller has been carried out of council chambers by force , Menifee Mayor Bill Zimmerman said .
“ I ’ m convinced Ms. Miller has a musical theater background .
She has the energy of a 16-year-old , ” said Murrieta Councilman Jonathan Ingram .
“ Sometimes meetings can be mundane , but she brings a lot to them.
” Wildomar Councilman Joseph Morabito met Miller at council meetings before he was elected .
Morabito @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting videos and recaps .
Many times , he captured Miller , dressed as a sunflower , “ playing to the camera.
” Despite his not-so-kind comments on his blog , he still described her as “ well-intentioned and fiery.
” Miller sang to the council at an October meeting endorsing Morabito for a council seat .
In the weeks leading up to the 2018 election , she went door to door to get Morabito elected .
Miller still prioritizes her advocacy work and has found a way to continue her letter-writing campaigns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ route , she spends her Tuesday nights frantically submitting her comments to be read aloud at the council meetings — comments devoid of her personal flair and theatrics .
“ All of my passions are squeezed out .
You can ’ t read parts of anyone ’ s statement and it won ’ t have the same meaning .
The inflection isn ’ t right , ” Miller said mimicking a robot .
Although many of Miller ’ s public comments in the past have targeted council members , some still missed hearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love for our Earth and I think she brings a unique perspective to the table , ” Ingram said .
“ I miss her , the public meetings and those interactions .
You never forget a meeting she ’ s been to.
” Her original dream of traveling across the country in an electric van with a large “ invest in sustainable living ” banner has been put on pause , but Miller is still waging legal war against new developments in Menifee .
She plans to spend the remainder of the week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID tore me to bits .
But it won ’ t stop my work , ” she said .

Activist Albia Miller sits under a canopy of shade trees at the Menifee Valley campus of Mt. San Jacinto College.
The tiny woman with the big straw hat has spent the last 30 years doing a nearly impossible task: Fighting against any development that threatens the few small swaths of rural land that remain in the fast-growing Inland Empire.
Albia Miller — frail, 71 and barely 5 feet tall — has attended every city council meeting she could possibly get to in Murrieta, Menifee, Temecula, Lake Elsinore and other small, burgeoning towns in Riverside County.
In the process, she has wedded her passion for politics with a love for lyrics, serenading local officials about municipal agenda items with songs.
Advertisement
She’s the singing gadfly of Riverside County. And government meetings were her stage. Not only city council meetings but also board of supervisors meetings, planning commission meetings.
Miller would create videos highlighting the environment, filing lawsuits against developers, or going door to door to gather signatures on petitions she spearheaded.
Mondays were dedicated to polishing her public comment presentation. Tuesdays and Thursdays were spent mapping out which meetings she would attend. She would prepare a three-minute speech, many times accompanied with song, and take a “group limousine” otherwise known as the Route 61 RTA bus to various council chambers.
“The look of open space is in your eyes, the look that bulldozing and grazing cannot replace,” she often sang at council meetings.
She moved her arms with precision to gesticulate and signal anger or disbelief, looking directly at each council member — many of whom looked down or avoided eye contact.
Before the pandemic started shutting things down, Miller would rehearse at grocery stores. On Sunday mornings, she’d perform songs about environmentalism accompanied by an electric keyboard outside Trader Joe’s and Organic Roots Natural Food Store. In between sets she’d strike up a conversation with people and sell CDs of her songs, some of which had been performed in local meetings.
Advertisement
Since then, she stopped performing in front of Trader Joe’s in fear of catching the virus, which limited her income to government assistance. And with most libraries closed, she no longer has a reliable place to spread her piles of environmental impact reports and locate city council agendas.
On a recent day, her voice rang out in an empty corridor of Mt. San Jacinto College — a regular stage for her in normal times, but now locked up because of COVID-19.
“If we love as much as angels,” she sang, holding the last note until chuckling over the hilarity of singing with a mask on.
“These songs are my therapy,” Miller said as she shuffled through piles of papers and compact discs on a grassy square outside her unofficial “office” in Menifee. “But recently, my life has been very hard, and I haven’t had the heart to sing.”
The coronavirus has taken a much larger toll on Miller than she could have imagined. In March, city council meetings began closing their doors in an effort to keep the public safe from the virus.
The pandemic also cost her her home with her partner, who needed the spare room for a relative. Miller was cast out with nothing more than an old car, a small storage unit and an unrelenting desire to protect Earth.
She since moved into a bus she helped retrofit into a film editing space, but on some nights she can be found in a tent outside the college’s future $40-million stadium site — as an act of defiance.
COVID-19 threw a wrench into a schedule she perfected over the last 30 years. Her activism “runs through her blood” as her grandmother inspired her to take action against developers. After attending a Sierra Club meeting in San Diego three decades ago, Miller was hooked. She then started an unofficial nonprofit Global Harmony Network and created an email list of 150 people to send updates about her work.
Her pre-COVID weekly routine was determined by council agendas. On Friday, she began combing through agendas, researching development projects and, if needed, drafting 20-page letters. Each day, she works five to eight hours, she said.
Now Miller’s days are filled with restlessness and a constant search for access to electricity.
“Now I’m totally lost. I only have a few hours of access a day, and I don’t know if my letters are even read at the meetings,” she said. “I didn’t realize the meetings were still going on, and they’re still voting on major developments. How can our voice get out there when we cannot attend meetings?”
Meetings can be viewed online, but Miller said she has a hard time viewing them because of her limited Wi-Fi access. As a result, she has not been able to follow council meetings as diligently and can send in comments only with the hope that they will be received.
Activist Albia Miller is reflected in the glass of the Mt. San Jacinto College library, now closed because of COVID-19. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
She peered into the glass windows of the Mt. San Jacinto College library, clutching a dead laptop by the arm and began to worry.
“If you look at my arms, they’re so frail. The air quality, the developments, the work. It’s taken a toll on me,” she said, wringing her hands.
Before the virus stifled public discourse, the tiny woman was a larger-than-life presence at the legislative lectern. Her meticulous supporting research, gesticulations and songs captivated council members — some of whom struggled not to crack a smile during Miller’s unconventional public comment.
Most comments started the same: a lengthy diatribe concerning the California Environmental Quality Act and the local effects of these projects followed by a brief pause and a 15-second rendition of either a song on the spot or one she’s memorized and reused.
As swiftly as she approached the stand, she’d slam the lectern, whisk her head at the sound of the three-minute buzzer and proudly head back to her seat.
Though on occasion, Miller has been carried out of council chambers by force, Menifee Mayor Bill Zimmerman said.
“I’m convinced Ms. Miller has a musical theater background. She has the energy of a 16-year-old,” said Murrieta Councilman Jonathan Ingram. “Sometimes meetings can be mundane, but she brings a lot to them.”
Wildomar Councilman Joseph Morabito met Miller at council meetings before he was elected.
Morabito ran a blog he used to post meeting videos and recaps. Many times, he captured Miller, dressed as a sunflower, “playing to the camera.” Despite his not-so-kind comments on his blog, he still described her as “well-intentioned and fiery.”
Miller sang to the council at an October meeting endorsing Morabito for a council seat. In the weeks leading up to the 2018 election, she went door to door to get Morabito elected.
Miller still prioritizes her advocacy work and has found a way to continue her letter-writing campaigns. Instead of plotting out her bus route, she spends her Tuesday nights frantically submitting her comments to be read aloud at the council meetings — comments devoid of her personal flair and theatrics.
“All of my passions are squeezed out. You can’t read parts of anyone’s statement and it won’t have the same meaning. The inflection isn’t right,” Miller said mimicking a robot.
Although many of Miller’s public comments in the past have targeted council members, some still missed hearing from her.
“She has a love for our Earth and I think she brings a unique perspective to the table,” Ingram said. “I miss her, the public meetings and those interactions. You never forget a meeting she’s been to.”
Her original dream of traveling across the country in an electric van with a large “invest in sustainable living” banner has been put on pause, but Miller is still waging legal war against new developments in Menifee. She plans to spend the remainder of the week preparing for a court hearing.
“COVID tore me to bits. But it won’t stop my work,” she said.


latimes--2020-07-03--California's July 4 coronavirus warning: 'Assume everyone around you is infectious'

California is entering a perilous Fourth of July holiday weekend : Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are continuing to surge even as officials beg the public to avoid crowds and keep physical distancing in hopes of preventing more outbreaks that could overwhelm the state ’ s hospitals .
Californians who hoped the Independence Day weekend would bring a return to some semblance of summer fun will instead find closed beaches , restaurants limited to outdoor service in most areas of the state and increased enforcement of the state ’ s order requiring people to wear face coverings in public places .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to work or going to the market , ” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti .
“ And you should assume everyone around you is infectious.
” The rate at which coronavirus tests in California are coming back positive continues its alarming climb — jumping 51 % over the last two weeks , a Los Angeles Times analysis found .
An increasing rate of positive test results is an indication disease transmission is worsening .
On Thursday , a Times analysis of state data showed that over the last seven days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive .
A week earlier , that number was 5.6 % ; and a week before that , it was 4.6 % .
The last time the so-called positivity rate was this high was May 1 , when the rate was 7 % .
Statewide , hospitalizations continued their upward march ; California has broken daily records for the number of people hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infections for 12 consecutive days , The Times ’ analysis found .
There has been a 58 % increase in hospitalizations in the last two weeks ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infections ; a week ago , there were 4,321 ; and two weeks ago , there were 3,398 .
There was also a 49 % jump in patients in intensive care units with confirmed coronavirus infections in the last two weeks ; there were 1,676 reported Wednesday , up from 1,127 two weeks ago .
To help with the surge , the state has announced the reactivation of four alternate care locations — the Imperial Field Medical Site , Seton Medical Center , Fairview Developmental Center and Porterville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will make hundreds of additional beds available to relieve stress on the healthcare system .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Thursday again urged residents to avoid gathering with people who don ’ t live in the same household .
“ We are not out of this crisis ; we ’ re still in the first wave of this crisis .
It requires some level of personal responsibility , ” Newsom said .
In a sign of the concern over more coronavirus spread , Orange County officials joined Los Angeles and Ventura counties in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some Orange County cities initially considered keeping beaches open but changed their position as conditions deteriorated .
Newport Beach decided to put its beaches under hard closure from 10 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Sunday after two lifeguards tested positive for COVID-19 and 23 were placed in quarantine .
“ I can not in good conscience add more onto our lifeguards , ” Mayor Will O ’ Neill said at an emergency City Council meeting Wednesday that approved the closure .
“ We just can ’ t responsibly ask our lifeguards to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t. ” Los Angeles has unveiled a new color-coded system to assess and report the risk of infection .
The , which Garcetti unveiled Wednesday , is broken into four categories — red , orange , yellow and green — each representing different threat levels .
“ Information and data on the threat helps us all inform our behavior , guides us to better days , ” Garcetti said .
As of Thursday , L.A. 's indicator was orange , meaning that the risk of infection remains very high , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level , would mean that “ residents must stay at home and take precautions and will likely be on a mandated safer-at-home order , ” Garcetti said .
Yellow means “ we ’ re successfully flattening the curve , ” and green “ will indicate that COVID-19 is mostly contained and presents a very low risk to Angelenos , ” he added .
In Silicon Valley , officials in Santa Clara County — one of California ’ s most cautious counties in restarting its economy — unveiled its reopening plan Thursday .
Santa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bars or indoor dining , and has now concluded that it won ’ t allow them to reopen for the foreseeable future .
Indoor swimming and saunas are also not allowed to reopen , as well as heated exercise rooms and smoking lounges .
These are “ indoor facilities where you ’ d necessarily have to take off your mask to engage in the activity .
Those will not be able to move forward , ” said James Williams , county counsel for Santa Clara County .
And because the county ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people separated from one another and away from crowded areas , other businesses that are unable to do that will also not be able to operate for the foreseeable future .
Those include nightclubs , theaters , stadiums , arenas , indoor playgrounds and amusement centers , the county said .
Businesses that will be allowed to resume in the coming weeks include hair salons , nail salons , massage parlors and gyms .
Smaller gatherings would also be allowed to resume when the new health order goes into effect , which could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be delayed .
The basic principles of the county ’ s new health order are that outdoors is safer than indoors ; more physical distance is safer ; fewer and briefer contacts are safer ; and face coverings should be worn consistently and be the new normal , Williams said .
Dr. Sara Cody , Santa Clara County ’ s health officer , said : “ This virus has proven time and again , in communities around the country and around the world , that it will come back with a vengeance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Although we ’ re testing much more than we have before , these numbers reflect a true increase in the prevalence of COVID-19 , ” Cody said .
“ And especially in Southern California , what we ’ re seeing reflects an exponential growth in transmission that will be extremely difficult to control , and bring back under control.
” Times staff writers Maura Dolan , Hannah Fry and Phil Willon and Times Community News staff writers Hillary Davis and Lilly Nguyen contributed to this report .

Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II, Iris Lee, Sean Greene

Scenes from Manhattan Beach on Thursday, the day before Los Angeles County beaches were closed for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
California is entering a perilous Fourth of July holiday weekend: Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are continuing to surge even as officials beg the public to avoid crowds and keep physical distancing in hopes of preventing more outbreaks that could overwhelm the state’s hospitals.
Californians who hoped the Independence Day weekend would bring a return to some semblance of summer fun will instead find closed beaches, restaurants limited to outdoor service in most areas of the state and increased enforcement of the state’s order requiring people to wear face coverings in public places.
“Only leave for essential activities like going to work or going to the market,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “And you should assume everyone around you is infectious.”
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The rate at which coronavirus tests in California are coming back positive continues its alarming climb — jumping 51% over the last two weeks, a Los Angeles Times analysis found.
An increasing rate of positive test results is an indication disease transmission is worsening.
On Thursday, a Times analysis of state data showed that over the last seven days, 6.9% of coronavirus tests came back positive. A week earlier, that number was 5.6%; and a week before that, it was 4.6%. The last time the so-called positivity rate was this high was May 1, when the rate was 7%.
Statewide, hospitalizations continued their upward march; California has broken daily records for the number of people hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infections for 12 consecutive days, The Times’ analysis found.
There has been a 58% increase in hospitalizations in the last two weeks; on Wednesday, the state reported 5,355 people hospitalized with confirmed coronavirus infections; a week ago, there were 4,321; and two weeks ago, there were 3,398.
There was also a 49% jump in patients in intensive care units with confirmed coronavirus infections in the last two weeks; there were 1,676 reported Wednesday, up from 1,127 two weeks ago.
To help with the surge, the state has announced the reactivation of four alternate care locations — the Imperial Field Medical Site, Seton Medical Center, Fairview Developmental Center and Porterville Developmental Center. Combined, those facilities will make hundreds of additional beds available to relieve stress on the healthcare system.
Advertisement
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday again urged residents to avoid gathering with people who don’t live in the same household.
“We are not out of this crisis; we’re still in the first wave of this crisis. It requires some level of personal responsibility,” Newsom said.
In a sign of the concern over more coronavirus spread, Orange County officials joined Los Angeles and Ventura counties in closing beaches for the holiday weekend. Some Orange County cities initially considered keeping beaches open but changed their position as conditions deteriorated.
Newport Beach decided to put its beaches under hard closure from 10 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Sunday after two lifeguards tested positive for COVID-19 and 23 were placed in quarantine.
“I cannot in good conscience add more onto our lifeguards,” Mayor Will O’Neill said at an emergency City Council meeting Wednesday that approved the closure. “We just can’t responsibly ask our lifeguards to do more with less. We just can’t.”
Los Angeles has unveiled a new color-coded system to assess and report the risk of infection.
The online indicator , which Garcetti unveiled Wednesday, is broken into four categories — red, orange, yellow and green — each representing different threat levels.
“Information and data on the threat helps us all inform our behavior, guides us to better days,” Garcetti said.
As of Thursday, L.A.’s indicator was orange, meaning that the risk of infection remains very high, according to Garcetti.
Red, the highest threat level, would mean that “residents must stay at home and take precautions and will likely be on a mandated safer-at-home order,” Garcetti said.
Yellow means “we’re successfully flattening the curve,” and green “will indicate that COVID-19 is mostly contained and presents a very low risk to Angelenos,” he added.
In Silicon Valley, officials in Santa Clara County — one of California’s most cautious counties in restarting its economy — unveiled its reopening plan Thursday.
Santa Clara County never allowed the reopening of bars or indoor dining, and has now concluded that it won’t allow them to reopen for the foreseeable future.
Indoor swimming and saunas are also not allowed to reopen, as well as heated exercise rooms and smoking lounges.
These are “indoor facilities where you’d necessarily have to take off your mask to engage in the activity. Those will not be able to move forward,” said James Williams, county counsel for Santa Clara County.
And because the county’s new planned health order wants to keep people separated from one another and away from crowded areas, other businesses that are unable to do that will also not be able to operate for the foreseeable future. Those include nightclubs, theaters, stadiums, arenas, indoor playgrounds and amusement centers, the county said.
Businesses that will be allowed to resume in the coming weeks include hair salons, nail salons, massage parlors and gyms. Smaller gatherings would also be allowed to resume when the new health order goes into effect, which could be as early as July 13 but could be delayed.
The basic principles of the county’s new health order are that outdoors is safer than indoors; more physical distance is safer; fewer and briefer contacts are safer; and face coverings should be worn consistently and be the new normal, Williams said.
Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s health officer, said: “This virus has proven time and again, in communities around the country and around the world, that it will come back with a vengeance if you let your guard down.
“Although we’re testing much more than we have before, these numbers reflect a true increase in the prevalence of COVID-19,” Cody said. “And especially in Southern California, what we’re seeing reflects an exponential growth in transmission that will be extremely difficult to control, and bring back under control.”
Times staff writers Maura Dolan, Hannah Fry and Phil Willon and Times Community News staff writers Hillary Davis and Lilly Nguyen contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-07-03--Under siege by a virus that thrives in crowds, L.A. swap meets face a reckoning

Elizabeth Vargas ’ phone rang as she helped a group of women find a first Communion dress at her Paramount Swap Meet stand .
“ How much ?
” one of the women asked , running her fingers along a white gown ’ s beaded lace .
“ $ 110 for the package .
Do you want to try it on ?
OK , go ahead , ” Vargas , 47 , told the women , bringing the phone to her ear .
After the women bought the dress , Vargas returned to her call .
The news was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security company told her it had found someone younger who would accept less pay to replace her as the company staffed newly opened clubs .
Vargas shrugged .
She had worked at the company for 22 years .
But as long as the swap meet remained open , she would work extra days to get by .
“ This is our daily bread , ” she said , gesturing toward the vacant land on the Paramount Swap Meet lot .
“ If you see all the empty spaces , it ’ s because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pay for the spaces.
” Though far removed from a heyday when they filled the parking lots of Southern California drive-in theaters and college campuses every weekend , swap meets remain vibrant hubs of commerce — a working-class , in-person EBay .
They ’ re the kind of place where a vintage Schwinn , a $ 4 hoodie , a leather suitcase filled with eight-tracks , Slipknot T-shirts , Aztec calendars and a live cockatiel are all within a short stroll of one another .
Though some swap meets that were shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back after reopening in early June , others appear close to meeting their demise .
About 50 swap meet vendors at the Los Amigos Mall in South Los Angeles were served with a 30-day eviction notice in May , ordering them to pack their merchandise and leave by June 19 .
On June 18 , a security guard rolled the swap meet ’ s metal gate open for vendors going in and out with their belongings .
Two U-Hauls waited outside as vendors loaded equipment , paperwork and merchandise .
One displayed children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sidewalk , a last-ditch effort to make sales before the eviction .
But during her visit to check on her stand , 61-year-old Rosa Maria Gonzalez had no intention of packing up her merchandise .
The stand has allowed her to raise four children since she opened in 1991 .
Gonzalez planned to stay put until forced to leave .
“ Why would I leave after 30 years of being there ?
” she said .
“ That ’ s an entire life .
I ’ ve dedicated more time to that business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my marriage .
It ’ s unfair.
” Paul Lanctot , an organizer with the L.A .
Tenants Union , said the organization is disputing the eviction notice and demanding a meeting to come up with a fair solution .
As of June 25 , many of the vendors hadn ’ t moved out .
“ It ’ s a historic swap meet that a lot of folks have been going to for years and years , ” Lanctot said .
“ What is going to replace it is unclear , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll be anything that will have the cultural importance that these businesses have given to the area.
” At the Paramount Swap Meet , Vargas said she guessed she was making about 60 % of the sales she made pre-pandemic .
With first Communion season around the corner , there ’ s hope of more sales .
“ It ’ s not back to normal , but people are coming to shop , ” said .
“ Catholics have faith.
” A few miles away at the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was also adjusting to getting back to business selling fruit .
He typically sells fruit on weekends .
The other days of the week , he drives up and down California — to Fresno , Santa Clarita and Santa Barbara , visiting farms and sometimes picking the fruit himself .
There ’ s no middleman , and he doesn ’ t take fruit that isn ’ t close to full ripeness .
On a recent weekend , though , his tables were a bit bare .
A strip of clear tape was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He asks customers to pick out the fruit they want , and he bags it for them .
Hand sanitizer and paper towels are placed front and center .
“ I love the swap meet , ” said Eclicerio , who has sold at the Santa Fe location for 28 years.
” “ It ’ s a great thing because I interact with so many people .
Every person I talk to has a story .
Thanks to them , I ’ m here.
” Like Vargas , Eclicerio has seen a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has kept many people away , he said .
“ Things are slow , ” he said .
“ It has affected us completely .
People are scared.
” At first blush , this isn ’ t necessarily apparent .
On this day , the 18-acre swap meet welcomed about 4,000 people , said Rick Landis , director of business development for the meet and incoming president of the National Flea Market Assn .
On the night before , a Friday , you wouldn ’ t have been able to hear your own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Music boomed from large speakers and crowds were much larger .
The swap meet owners had invested millions in a newly renovated stage and patio area with the idea of holding $ 15 concerts on weekends and free entertainment throughout the week .
It was part of a plan to keep the meet a viable business as rivals close down and the number of vendors slowly declines .
More than 50 years ago , Santa Fe Springs hosted 700 vendors , Landis said .
Today , it ’ s down to about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Landis estimated just about 75 % of vendors and 60 % of customers returned after reopening .
Still , Landis said he doesn ’ t think swap meets are going anywhere .
“ Interestingly , sometimes during a recession the business goes up , ” Landis said .
“ It ’ s counterintuitive .
When there ’ s a recession , people are more careful .
People are looking for bargains.
” For La Mirada resident Jesse Herrera , 50 , who owns food stands at several L.A. swap meets , business couldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrated to Los Angeles from Mexico as a teenager , he started off by working at a Vernon warehouse that made churros .
Noticing how profitable the business was , he decided to quit and run his own churro stand at the Santa Fe Springs meet .
The lone churro stand eventually multiplied to dozens of food stands across many swap meets in Los Angeles , as well as a restaurant business .
Herrera also books entertainment and runs concessions for some swap meets .
“ People thought I was crazy , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American dream at this swap meet.
” On Saturday at one of his hot dog stands , he had a healthy stream of customers who stood six feet apart on stickers marked for physical distancing .
In the outdoor seating area , tables were spaced out .
Herrera said that while the swap meet was closed , he spent more time with family than he had in years .
The unexpected break gave him time to reflect .
Rather than expanding his business as he had planned , Herrera said it may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While Herrera makes plans for early retirement , vendors in central Los Angeles are being forced to think about next steps as they face eviction by landlords .
At the Alameda Swap Meet , 200 vendors were told they have to pay the several months of missed rent or face eviction , said Alfredo Gama , president of the Central-Alameda Neighborhood Council .
Swap meet closures wouldn ’ t only affect the culture of a community ; they would mean one less place to purchase essential goods , Gama said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drive away , and the communities of Central-Alameda rely on the swap meets to find necessities like soap , clothing and food .
“ We ’ ve been having a lot of discussions about defunding the police .
This is where the money should go .
To small businesses in communities of color , ” he said .
For Reyna Pascual , a 37-year-old Long Beach resident , the Paramount Swap Meet was her first stop in finding a suit for her son ’ s and godson ’ s first Communions .
Pascual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanitizer and soaps .
But several of her co-workers have tested positive for the coronavirus .
She worried about infecting her son , who has asthma , so she decided to stop working .
Her husband , Saul Vasquez , 40 , who works in construction , is now the sole provider .
“ At the swap meet , we find things at a better price .
The economy is not so good , so we ’ re trying to save , ” she said .
On a recent weekend , Pascual went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vendor whom she had purchased from before .
When she arrived , the vendor ’ s spot was one of the many empty spaces in the lot .
She turned to Vargas .
Behind her friendly demeanor , Vargas worried about the rising number of COVID-19 infections in L.A. County and elsewhere in California .
She worried about another closure in the future .
“ Right now , people don ’ t want to waste money because of what ’ s going on , ” Vargas said .
“ With the second wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cautious.
” But those worries would have to wait .
At her stand , Vargas reached for a small black suit jacket and handed it to Pascual .
Behind stacks of merchandise , the woman helped her godson pull the slacks up over his jeans .
The boy smiled shyly at his godparents , swinging his hips .
The family walked away happily with two suits .

Elizabeth Vargas’ phone rang as she helped a group of women find a first Communion dress at her Paramount Swap Meet stand.
“How much?” one of the women asked, running her fingers along a white gown’s beaded lace.
“$110 for the package. Do you want to try it on? OK, go ahead,” Vargas, 47, told the women, bringing the phone to her ear.
After the women bought the dress, Vargas returned to her call. The news was not good: Her boss at a nightclub security company told her it had found someone younger who would accept less pay to replace her as the company staffed newly opened clubs.
Vargas shrugged. She had worked at the company for 22 years. But as long as the swap meet remained open, she would work extra days to get by.
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“This is our daily bread,” she said, gesturing toward the vacant land on the Paramount Swap Meet lot. “If you see all the empty spaces, it’s because people don’t have the money to pay for the spaces.”
A lone vendor is seen near the drive-in movie screen at the Paramount Swap Meet, which is normally packed with vendors and shoppers. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Though far removed from a heyday when they filled the parking lots of Southern California drive-in theaters and college campuses every weekend, swap meets remain vibrant hubs of commerce — a working-class, in-person EBay. They’re the kind of place where a vintage Schwinn, a $4 hoodie, a leather suitcase filled with eight-tracks, Slipknot T-shirts, Aztec calendars and a live cockatiel are all within a short stroll of one another.
Though some swap meets that were shut down by the pandemic began to bounce back after reopening in early June, others appear close to meeting their demise.
About 50 swap meet vendors at the Los Amigos Mall in South Los Angeles were served with a 30-day eviction notice in May, ordering them to pack their merchandise and leave by June 19.
On June 18, a security guard rolled the swap meet’s metal gate open for vendors going in and out with their belongings. Two U-Hauls waited outside as vendors loaded equipment, paperwork and merchandise. One displayed children’s toys and backpacks on the sidewalk, a last-ditch effort to make sales before the eviction.
A security guard checks the temperature of guests entering the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
But during her visit to check on her stand, 61-year-old Rosa Maria Gonzalez had no intention of packing up her merchandise. The stand has allowed her to raise four children since she opened in 1991. Gonzalez planned to stay put until forced to leave.
“Why would I leave after 30 years of being there?” she said. “That’s an entire life. I’ve dedicated more time to that business than my kids, my house and my marriage. It’s unfair.”
Advertisement
Paul Lanctot, an organizer with the L.A. Tenants Union, said the organization is disputing the eviction notice and demanding a meeting to come up with a fair solution. As of June 25, many of the vendors hadn’t moved out.
“It’s a historic swap meet that a lot of folks have been going to for years and years,” Lanctot said. “What is going to replace it is unclear, but it doesn’t seem like it’ll be anything that will have the cultural importance that these businesses have given to the area.”
At the Paramount Swap Meet, Vargas said she guessed she was making about 60% of the sales she made pre-pandemic. With first Communion season around the corner, there’s hope of more sales.
“It’s not back to normal, but people are coming to shop,” said. “Catholics have faith.”
PARAMOUNT, CA - JUNE 27: People walk past vendors at the Paramount Swap Meet on Saturday, June 27, 2020 in Paramount, CA. Swap Meets across the Southland are struggling to bounce back after finally re-opening amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)
A few miles away at the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet, Boyle Heights resident Claudio Eclicerio, 51, was also adjusting to getting back to business selling fruit.
He typically sells fruit on weekends. The other days of the week, he drives up and down California — to Fresno, Santa Clarita and Santa Barbara, visiting farms and sometimes picking the fruit himself. There’s no middleman, and he doesn’t take fruit that isn’t close to full ripeness.
Advertisement
On a recent weekend, though, his tables were a bit bare.
A strip of clear tape was wrapped around the stand to discourage touching. He asks customers to pick out the fruit they want, and he bags it for them. Hand sanitizer and paper towels are placed front and center.
“I love the swap meet,” said Eclicerio, who has sold at the Santa Fe location for 28 years.” “It’s a great thing because I interact with so many people. Every person I talk to has a story. Thanks to them, I’m here.”
Like Vargas, Eclicerio has seen a drop in sales. Fear of COVID-19 has kept many people away, he said.
“Things are slow,” he said. “It has affected us completely. People are scared.”
People walk past an open vendor with mannequins displaying clothes at the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet. Swap meets across the Southland are struggling to bounce back. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
At first blush, this isn’t necessarily apparent. On this day, the 18-acre swap meet welcomed about 4,000 people, said Rick Landis, director of business development for the meet and incoming president of the National Flea Market Assn.
On the night before, a Friday, you wouldn’t have been able to hear your own words in a conversation, he said. Music boomed from large speakers and crowds were much larger.
The swap meet owners had invested millions in a newly renovated stage and patio area with the idea of holding $15 concerts on weekends and free entertainment throughout the week. It was part of a plan to keep the meet a viable business as rivals close down and the number of vendors slowly declines. More than 50 years ago, Santa Fe Springs hosted 700 vendors, Landis said. Today, it’s down to about 450.
After the pandemic shutdown, Landis estimated just about 75% of vendors and 60% of customers returned after reopening.
Advertisement
Still, Landis said he doesn’t think swap meets are going anywhere.
“Interestingly, sometimes during a recession the business goes up,” Landis said. “It’s counterintuitive. When there’s a recession, people are more careful. People are looking for bargains.”
People visiting the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet are required to wear masks and maintain proper social distancing. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
For La Mirada resident Jesse Herrera, 50, who owns food stands at several L.A. swap meets, business couldn’t be better. When he immigrated to Los Angeles from Mexico as a teenager, he started off by working at a Vernon warehouse that made churros. Noticing how profitable the business was, he decided to quit and run his own churro stand at the Santa Fe Springs meet.
The lone churro stand eventually multiplied to dozens of food stands across many swap meets in Los Angeles, as well as a restaurant business. Herrera also books entertainment and runs concessions for some swap meets.
“People thought I was crazy, and here I am today. I achieved the American dream at this swap meet.”
On Saturday at one of his hot dog stands, he had a healthy stream of customers who stood six feet apart on stickers marked for physical distancing. In the outdoor seating area, tables were spaced out.
Herrera said that while the swap meet was closed, he spent more time with family than he had in years. The unexpected break gave him time to reflect. Rather than expanding his business as he had planned, Herrera said it may be time to step back from work.
While Herrera makes plans for early retirement, vendors in central Los Angeles are being forced to think about next steps as they face eviction by landlords.
At the Alameda Swap Meet, 200 vendors were told they have to pay the several months of missed rent or face eviction, said Alfredo Gama, president of the Central-Alameda Neighborhood Council.
Swap meet closures wouldn’t only affect the culture of a community; they would mean one less place to purchase essential goods, Gama said. The nearest Walmart or Target is a 30-minute drive away, and the communities of Central-Alameda rely on the swap meets to find necessities like soap, clothing and food.
Advertisement
“We’ve been having a lot of discussions about defunding the police. This is where the money should go. To small businesses in communities of color,” he said.
Elizabeth Vargas helps a customer with a fitting at her stall at the Paramount Swap Meet. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
For Reyna Pascual, a 37-year-old Long Beach resident, the Paramount Swap Meet was her first stop in finding a suit for her son’s and godson’s first Communions.
Pascual is a factory worker who packages hand sanitizer and soaps. But several of her co-workers have tested positive for the coronavirus. She worried about infecting her son, who has asthma, so she decided to stop working. Her husband, Saul Vasquez, 40, who works in construction, is now the sole provider.
“At the swap meet, we find things at a better price. The economy is not so good, so we’re trying to save,” she said.
On a recent weekend, Pascual went to the Paramount location looking for a vendor whom she had purchased from before. When she arrived, the vendor’s spot was one of the many empty spaces in the lot. She turned to Vargas.
Visitors walk past vendors at the Paramount Swap Meet. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Behind her friendly demeanor, Vargas worried about the rising number of COVID-19 infections in L.A. County and elsewhere in California. She worried about another closure in the future.
Advertisement
“Right now, people don’t want to waste money because of what’s going on,” Vargas said. “With the second wave, people are going to be more cautious.”
But those worries would have to wait. At her stand, Vargas reached for a small black suit jacket and handed it to Pascual. Behind stacks of merchandise, the woman helped her godson pull the slacks up over his jeans. The boy smiled shyly at his godparents, swinging his hips.
The family walked away happily with two suits.


latimes--2020-07-03--Former L.A. building official alleges he was ousted after blowing whistle on fraud

A former official at the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety alleges that he was ousted after raising concerns at the agency about a host of issues , including millions of dollars lost to fraud .
Steve Ongele , a former bureau chief with the building department , lodged a claim with the city seeking $ 1 million in damages , alleging that his termination was meant to send a message to other employees to “ not report wrongdoing by the city and its employees or you will be fired.
” His claim mentions former department head Frank Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supervised Ongele and replaced Bush after his retirement .
A Department of Building and Safety spokesman said the city does not comment on pending claims or litigation matters .
Representatives for the city attorney and the mayor also declined to comment .
Bush , now retired , said in an email that the claim from Ongele was “ full of inaccuracies , misrepresentations and bogus assumptions ” without elaborating on what those inaccuracies were .
Ongele ’ s claims are tied to an earlier scandal that revolved around improper purchases and falsified invoices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which procures and maintains computer software and equipment for the department .
The Times reported two years ago that the L.A. County district attorney was investigating the matter after the city quietly turned over its findings .
As of Wednesday , the D.A .
's office said the matter was still under review .
Ongele alleged in his claim that , despite initial findings of a nearly $ 4-million loss to waste , fraud and other financial misconduct , his supervisor Younan instructed him to indicate that only $ 300,000 was misappropriated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city controller alerting him to the issue .
Ongele said in his claim that top officials in the department initially told an auditor from the city controller ’ s office that the fraud was limited to a few employees before Ongele phoned her and told her there was more to probe .
Among the other issues that investigators ultimately discovered , according to Ongele : Money was illegally transferred from the building department to the mayor ’ s office at the direction of Raymond Chan , the former building department chief who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that as deputy mayor , Chan sought money from the building department for raises for his staff , an “ unnecessary ” marketing video to financially benefit one of his friends , and new furniture and computers — even though the special funds were meant to be used only for activities related to building permits and plan checks .
Ongele claimed that when he said there would be problems with spending those funds on the marketing video , Chan replied , “ Remember , I am the deputy mayor.
” The former bureau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not competitively bid .
Chan , who stopped working for the city three years ago , has been under scrutiny in an ongoing federal probe of City Hall corruption .
Federal prosecutors have not charged Chan or even named him , but a search warrant and details in their public filings make clear that he is one of numerous people under investigation .
His attorney Harland Braun has said that Chan did nothing wrong .
In addition , Braun stated that Ongele ’ s claims about the marketing video were “ 100 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have to be competitively bid .
“ Was Chan wrong in promoting billions of dollars of investment in L.A. including the new Lucas museum ?
” Braun asked , referring to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art , founded by filmmaker George Lucas , under construction in Exposition Park .
Ongele alleged that the final version of the audit was “ watered down , ” stripping out important findings such as $ 22 million being paid to unauthorized subcontractors .
In his claim , he said he began to face hostility as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharing information with The Times about issues in the department .
The former official said he also raised concerns about a nearly $ 300-million surplus in a special fund at the department , which he attributed to “ severely overcharging ” customers , but was brushed off .
Ongele also said that when he refused to approve a refund claim , Younan asked him to reconsider because it was for a “ friend of Chan ” and then approved it himself .
And Ongele claimed that before he was terminated , he raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his own son through an illegal contract .
The former building official also said he was subjected to racial and age discrimination , including racist statements by then-department head Bush about Mexican immigrants and Asian city employees .
Bush , who retired in March and was replaced by Younan , said in an email that he had never discriminated against or harassed anyone in the department , nor had he retaliated against anyone for reporting alleged misconduct .
Claims are typically submitted to the city before a lawsuit is filed and are lodged @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The city of Los Angeles’ Development Services Center, which houses the Department of Building and Safety.
A former official at the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety alleges that he was ousted after raising concerns at the agency about a host of issues, including millions of dollars lost to fraud.
Steve Ongele, a former bureau chief with the building department, lodged a claim with the city seeking $1 million in damages, alleging that his termination was meant to send a message to other employees to “not report wrongdoing by the city and its employees or you will be fired.”
His claim mentions former department head Frank Bush and new chief Osama Younan, who supervised Ongele and replaced Bush after his retirement.
A Department of Building and Safety spokesman said the city does not comment on pending claims or litigation matters. Representatives for the city attorney and the mayor also declined to comment.
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Bush, now retired, said in an email that the claim from Ongele was “full of inaccuracies, misrepresentations and bogus assumptions” without elaborating on what those inaccuracies were.
Ongele’s claims are tied to an earlier scandal that revolved around improper purchases and falsified invoices in the technology section of the agency, which procures and maintains computer software and equipment for the department.
The Times reported two years ago that the L.A. County district attorney was investigating the matter after the city quietly turned over its findings. As of Wednesday, the D.A.’s office said the matter was still under review.
Ongele alleged in his claim that, despite initial findings of a nearly $4-million loss to waste, fraud and other financial misconduct, his supervisor Younan instructed him to indicate that only $300,000 was misappropriated when he drafted a letter to the city controller alerting him to the issue.
Ongele said in his claim that top officials in the department initially told an auditor from the city controller’s office that the fraud was limited to a few employees before Ongele phoned her and told her there was more to probe.
Among the other issues that investigators ultimately discovered, according to Ongele: Money was illegally transferred from the building department to the mayor’s office at the direction of Raymond Chan, the former building department chief who had become a deputy mayor.
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Ongele alleged that as deputy mayor, Chan sought money from the building department for raises for his staff, an “unnecessary” marketing video to financially benefit one of his friends, and new furniture and computers — even though the special funds were meant to be used only for activities related to building permits and plan checks.
Ongele claimed that when he said there would be problems with spending those funds on the marketing video, Chan replied, “Remember, I am the deputy mayor.” The former bureau chief also complained that the video was not competitively bid.
Chan, who stopped working for the city three years ago, has been under scrutiny in an ongoing federal probe of City Hall corruption. Federal prosecutors have not charged Chan or even named him, but a search warrant and details in their public filings make clear that he is one of numerous people under investigation.
His attorney Harland Braun has said that Chan did nothing wrong. In addition, Braun stated that Ongele’s claims about the marketing video were “100% wrong” and that the contract did not have to be competitively bid.
“Was Chan wrong in promoting billions of dollars of investment in L.A. including the new Lucas museum?” Braun asked, referring to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, founded by filmmaker George Lucas, under construction in Exposition Park.
Ongele alleged that the final version of the audit was “watered down,” stripping out important findings such as $22 million being paid to unauthorized subcontractors. In his claim, he said he began to face hostility as his supervisors started to suspect he was sharing information with The Times about issues in the department.
The former official said he also raised concerns about a nearly $300-million surplus in a special fund at the department, which he attributed to “severely overcharging” customers, but was brushed off.
Ongele also said that when he refused to approve a refund claim, Younan asked him to reconsider because it was for a “friend of Chan” and then approved it himself. And Ongele claimed that before he was terminated, he raised concerns about Younan’s hiring of his own son through an illegal contract.
The former building official also said he was subjected to racial and age discrimination, including racist statements by then-department head Bush about Mexican immigrants and Asian city employees.
Bush, who retired in March and was replaced by Younan, said in an email that he had never discriminated against or harassed anyone in the department, nor had he retaliated against anyone for reporting alleged misconduct.
Claims are typically submitted to the city before a lawsuit is filed and are lodged to preserve the right to sue.


latimes--2020-07-04--Newsom vows crackdown on coronavirus scofflaws. Will law enforcement cooperate?

In April , Plumas County barber Steve Betts became one of the first Californians to face a criminal penalty for violating coronavirus health orders when he refused to close his two shops .
After local sheriff ’ s deputies warned him twice , they cited him on their third visit .
Now , due back in court in August , he faces six months in jail and a $ 1,000 fine for each day he refused to shut down , he said .
“ It just sucks , but at the same time I ’ m not sorry I did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses have since been legally allowed to open .
“ For them to just shut us down for no good reason other than ( Gov .
Gavin ) Newsom ... it was more or less just games being played.
” Wednesday , as hospitalizations and positive tests for the virus skyrocket in many parts of the state , Newsom announced that it was once again closing time for bars , restaurants and other high-traffic businesses in 19 counties .
And this time , he wasn ’ t playing games , though he acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a difficult one , and I am not naive about that ... not Pollyannish about it , ” Newsom said .
Unlike past orders , when the governor largely stressed civic duty as the motivating force for compliance and left enforcement decisions in the hands of local governments , he turned up rhetoric on possible state crackdowns .
He announced “ strike teams ” from agencies that license barbers and bars , and the California Highway Patrol — one of the only California law enforcement agencies directly controlled by the state .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... to go after people who are thumbing their noses , being aggressive , being reticent , ” Newsom said .
But exactly what would additional enforcement in California mean ?
It is not entirely clear , and it has raised questions for local law enforcement , who have grappled from the start of the pandemic on their role .
While some law enforcement leaders have been stalwart in enforcing health orders , others have flat out refused .
The variety of responses highlights the local nature of policing and creates a quandary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message is vital to focus public attention .
“ When it comes to something like this where it ’ s public-health related , that is new territory for law enforcement , ” said Ed Obayashi , a Plumas County deputy and statewide law enforcement legal consultant .
The novel coronavirus , he said , is “ like any other situation where we have discretion .
We have discretion on minor violations of the law.
” Some local law enforcement officials , even in places hit hard by the virus , said they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question whether intervention is needed .
“ It ’ s always better to have the local entities approach the local businesses or people here , ” said Imperial County Sheriff Raymond Loera .
Imperial County , in the southeast corner of the state , has seen an extreme outbreak in recent days and has had to transfer more than 500 patients to hospitals in other counties because of overload .
But Loera said that while he is uncertain why the virus has hit his region so hard , it is not because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local law enforcement ’ s reluctance to enforce rules .
Loera said his county borders both Mexico and Arizona , which lifted restrictions much earlier and has since seen a massive rise in cases , and sees large amounts of traffic from both .
It is also one of the poorest counties in the state , and is majority Latino — a demographic hit hard by the pandemic .
Wednesday evening , the county increased its shutdown orders to include in-person church services and parks .
Still , only one bar on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visited , Loera said .
“ We responded and they complied , ” he said .
“ None of this has been very confrontational.
” Now , Loera is uncertain what the new state efforts will mean .
He and other local law enforcement leaders throughout California said they were not informed of the state effort prior to the public announcement .
“ I anticipate that because we are one of the higher areas [ for cases ] , that they will be here or very close , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are doing.
” In San Bernardino County , also on the list of counties being watched by the state , Jodi Miller , spokesperson for the Sheriff ’ s Department , said her agency also has not faced compliance problems from local businesses .
“ That ’ s really never been an issue for us , ” Miller said .
“ We ’ ve been able to educate and get voluntary compliance.
” Ingrid Braun , the Mono County sheriff , whose county is not on the state watch list , said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to handle enforcement because they know their communities , which are often tightly knit .
Braun said that her county has also not seen mass defiance of orders , and like Imperial , had only a single bar that refused to close until deputies cited it .
Braun said she doesn ’ t write citations for health code violations such as not wearing a mask , but instead looks for more serious charges such as trespassing if a non-masked patron refuses to leave an establishment .
Braun said the state plan raised concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in people from out of the area , potentially exposing them to the virus or carrying it in .
“ It ’ s not like you are sending them into a firefight where lives are at stake , ” Braun said .
“ These are more theoretical lives ... and you are jeopardizing their lives by sending them in.
” But other agencies have taken a different tack , refusing to enforce orders .
Sheriffs in counties including Sacramento , Riverside and Los Angeles have said they didn ’ t intend to enforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s past orders .
“ It is time to reflect on decisions we have made under the pretext of this pandemic : Such as why we were forced to let over 1,100 inmates out of Sacramento ’ s COVID-free jail into a community where the law-abiding are still locked down ?
” wrote Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones on Facebook on May 6 .
“ It is time to recognize that We the People have willingly acquiesced to loss of freedoms , loss of income , and loss of social connection for the greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to responsibly get back to life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
” State Sen. Richard Pan ( D-Sacramento ) this week proposed a bill that would keep the addresses of public health directors private , because some have faced threats based on unpopular health orders .
Pan said sheriffs need to be active in backing public health orders because they represent authority in their communities , but thinks some don ’ t for political reasons .
Across the county , masks and business closures have become political causes , with President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We ’ ve politicized our public health response , ” said Pan .
“ You have sheriffs willing basically to not enforce the law.
” Some charge that politics are at play on all sides .
The new guidance does not include churches , except to discourage singing and chanting .
Houses of worship became flashpoints of defiance in California , including protests and the filing of lawsuits , after Newsom stopped in-person services for a time this spring .
While those types of gatherings still violate health orders in many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about them , while highlighting the dangers of gathering with family and friends .
Harmeet Dhillon , a lawyer who sued the administration about past closure orders , said via email Wednesday that the “ situational ethics on what kinds of protests and businesses are acceptable ” in California have given the orders “ little credibility.
” Brian Ferguson , spokesman for the state Office of Emergency Services , which is coordinating the strike teams , said many of those involved have been focused on enforcement since the start of the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the work of multiple agencies — not expand it .
“ This is really aimed at folks who are openly defiant , ” he said .
Ferguson said that businesses were the target of the effort , but didn ’ t rule out enforcement of the state ’ s mandate for mask-wearing in public spaces — which has yet to be legally enforced on a large scale .
He added that outreach to local agencies , “ is happening right now.
” But some see the tough talk as little more than that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compliance as the state teeters on the brink of an uncontrolled outbreak .
“ Really I think his agenda is to get the public ’ s attention because all of these things ultimately hinge on voluntary compliance , ” said Jack Pitney , a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College .
“ There just aren ’ t enough law enforcement [ officers ] in California to force people to behave responsibly .
”

Gov. Gavin Newsom wears a protective mask on his face while speaking to reporters at Miss Ollie’s restaurant during the coronavirus outbreak in Oakland, Calif on June 9, 2020.
In April, Plumas County barber Steve Betts became one of the first Californians to face a criminal penalty for violating coronavirus health orders when he refused to close his two shops.
After local sheriff’s deputies warned him twice, they cited him on their third visit. Now, due back in court in August, he faces six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for each day he refused to shut down, he said.
“It just sucks, but at the same time I’m not sorry I did it,” said Betts, whose businesses have since been legally allowed to open.
Advertisement
“For them to just shut us down for no good reason other than (Gov. Gavin) Newsom ... it was more or less just games being played.”
Wednesday, as hospitalizations and positive tests for the virus skyrocket in many parts of the state, Newsom announced that it was once again closing time for bars, restaurants and other high-traffic businesses in 19 counties. And this time, he wasn’t playing games, though he acknowledged the challenge was real.
“Enforcement is a difficult one, and I am not naive about that ... not Pollyannish about it,” Newsom said.
Unlike past orders, when the governor largely stressed civic duty as the motivating force for compliance and left enforcement decisions in the hands of local governments, he turned up rhetoric on possible state crackdowns.
He announced “strike teams” from agencies that license barbers and bars, and the California Highway Patrol — one of the only California law enforcement agencies directly controlled by the state.
Advertisement
“We have I think a responsibility ... to go after people who are thumbing their noses, being aggressive, being reticent,” Newsom said.
But exactly what would additional enforcement in California mean? It is not entirely clear, and it has raised questions for local law enforcement, who have grappled from the start of the pandemic on their role.
While some law enforcement leaders have been stalwart in enforcing health orders, others have flat out refused.
The variety of responses highlights the local nature of policing and creates a quandary for state leaders who agree a unified message is vital to focus public attention.
California California’s mask order tests the limits of Newsom’s executive power Since shortly after the coronavirus outbreak began, Gov. Gavin Newsom has faced criticism from some over his ample use of executive authority during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When it comes to something like this where it’s public-health related, that is new territory for law enforcement,” said Ed Obayashi, a Plumas County deputy and statewide law enforcement legal consultant.
The novel coronavirus, he said, is “like any other situation where we have discretion. We have discretion on minor violations of the law.”
Some local law enforcement officials, even in places hit hard by the virus, said they are doing fine without state help, and question whether intervention is needed.
“It’s always better to have the local entities approach the local businesses or people here,” said Imperial County Sheriff Raymond Loera.
Imperial County, in the southeast corner of the state, has seen an extreme outbreak in recent days and has had to transfer more than 500 patients to hospitals in other counties because of overload.
But Loera said that while he is uncertain why the virus has hit his region so hard, it is not because of local businesses’ lack of compliance or local law enforcement’s reluctance to enforce rules.
Loera said his county borders both Mexico and Arizona, which lifted restrictions much earlier and has since seen a massive rise in cases, and sees large amounts of traffic from both.
It is also one of the poorest counties in the state, and is majority Latino — a demographic hit hard by the pandemic. Wednesday evening, the county increased its shutdown orders to include in-person church services and parks.
Still, only one bar on the Arizona border refused to close until deputies visited, Loera said.
“We responded and they complied,” he said. “None of this has been very confrontational.”
Now, Loera is uncertain what the new state efforts will mean. He and other local law enforcement leaders throughout California said they were not informed of the state effort prior to the public announcement.
“I anticipate that because we are one of the higher areas [for cases], that they will be here or very close,” he said. “And we need to know what they are doing.”
World & Nation Scientists say WHO ignores the risk that coronavirus floats in air as aerosol More than 200 researchers worldwide sign an open letter saying current guidance ignores evidence that the coronavirus readily spreads on microscopic particles known as aerosols that can hang in the air for long periods and float dozens of feet.
In San Bernardino County, also on the list of counties being watched by the state, Jodi Miller, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department, said her agency also has not faced compliance problems from local businesses.
“That’s really never been an issue for us,” Miller said. “We’ve been able to educate and get voluntary compliance.”
Ingrid Braun, the Mono County sheriff, whose county is not on the state watch list, said she believes that local authorities are best suited to handle enforcement because they know their communities, which are often tightly knit. Braun said that her county has also not seen mass defiance of orders, and like Imperial, had only a single bar that refused to close until deputies cited it.
Braun said she doesn’t write citations for health code violations such as not wearing a mask, but instead looks for more serious charges such as trespassing if a non-masked patron refuses to leave an establishment.
Braun said the state plan raised concerns from her because it might involve sending in people from out of the area, potentially exposing them to the virus or carrying it in.
“It’s not like you are sending them into a firefight where lives are at stake,” Braun said. “These are more theoretical lives ... and you are jeopardizing their lives by sending them in.”
But other agencies have taken a different tack, refusing to enforce orders. Sheriffs in counties including Sacramento, Riverside and Los Angeles have said they didn’t intend to enforce restrictions, and balked at Newsom’s past orders.
“It is time to reflect on decisions we have made under the pretext of this pandemic: Such as why we were forced to let over 1,100 inmates out of Sacramento’s COVID-free jail into a community where the law-abiding are still locked down?” wrote Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones on Facebook on May 6.
“It is time to recognize that We the People have willingly acquiesced to loss of freedoms, loss of income, and loss of social connection for the greater good, but now we are ready to responsibly get back to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
State Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) this week proposed a bill that would keep the addresses of public health directors private, because some have faced threats based on unpopular health orders.
Pan said sheriffs need to be active in backing public health orders because they represent authority in their communities, but thinks some don’t for political reasons.
Across the county, masks and business closures have become political causes, with President Trump notably refusing to wear a mask.
“We’ve politicized our public health response,” said Pan. “You have sheriffs willing basically to not enforce the law.”
Some charge that politics are at play on all sides. The new guidance does not include churches, except to discourage singing and chanting. Houses of worship became flashpoints of defiance in California, including protests and the filing of lawsuits, after Newsom stopped in-person services for a time this spring. While those types of gatherings still violate health orders in many places, Newsom has been largely silent about them, while highlighting the dangers of gathering with family and friends.
Harmeet Dhillon, a lawyer who sued the administration about past closure orders, said via email Wednesday that the “situational ethics on what kinds of protests and businesses are acceptable” in California have given the orders “little credibility.”
Brian Ferguson, spokesman for the state Office of Emergency Services, which is coordinating the strike teams, said many of those involved have been focused on enforcement since the start of the pandemic, and the effort is meant to coordinate the work of multiple agencies — not expand it.
“This is really aimed at folks who are openly defiant,” he said. Ferguson said that businesses were the target of the effort, but didn’t rule out enforcement of the state’s mandate for mask-wearing in public spaces — which has yet to be legally enforced on a large scale. He added that outreach to local agencies, “is happening right now.”
But some see the tough talk as little more than that — an attempt by Newsom to scare compliance as the state teeters on the brink of an uncontrolled outbreak.
“Really I think his agenda is to get the public’s attention because all of these things ultimately hinge on voluntary compliance,” said Jack Pitney, a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College.
“There just aren’t enough law enforcement [officers] in California to force people to behave responsibly.”