A sham and a shame?
It is no surprise that a commission (the Advisory Commission on Election Integrity) founded on a lie of widespread voter fraud proved to be a fraud itself. This is why I, and so many other secretaries of state, refused to legitimize this sham commission by refusing to comply with its unprecedented request for private voter data. No taxpayer dollars should have been wasted on Mr. Trump’s voter-suppression crusade. Though the commission is being dissolved, it is clear this administration remains intent on rolling back voting rights. I will remain vigilant and continue to fight any effort to restrict access to voting.
• • •
After the inevitable failure of his voter-fraud commission, Trump is doubling down on his voter-suppression crusade by calling for oppressive and discriminatory voter ID laws.
The President’s support for voter ID laws is simply unconscionable. Voter ID laws disenfranchise American citizens, including the elderly, young, poor and persons of color, who are less likely to have a government-issued ID and are therefore prevented from casting a ballot. The President should address Russian interference in our elections rather than creating roadblocks for Americans to vote.
Alex Padilla
California Secretary of State
Parks and resignation
On Dec. 21, I resigned from my position on the [Signal Hill] Parks and Recreation Commission in protest to the city council’s refusal to censure Mayor Wilson’s involvement in alleged domestic-violence abuse. I understand that this is not his first such similar behavior.
I have lived in Signal Hill since 1990 and have contributed my time as a city volunteer since that time, [as well as] 24 years with the Parks Commission— a job I love dearly. But I cannot serve a city council that does not act on a member who does not show respect and embarrasses the city they are serving.
I hope that other community members who feel the same as I do will speak up at city council meetings or send an email or letter to their city council member.
Gary Dudley
Signal Hill
Trash talk
Trash disposal is a business as well as an environmental issue, and the public needs more specific information as to how to help the business succeed and thus support good ecological practices. [“Taking out the trash: EDCO officials urge residents to recycle conscientiously as Chinese markets impose waste restrictions,” Dec. 29, 2017] The recipient countries of our recyclable trash are becoming more selective, and we as good citizens must also be more selective in handling our trash. The companies handling our trash must know exactly what is acceptable to recycle, so it should be easy to receive that information, and the general guidelines on the containers are not sufficient and timely when the business is in such a flux currently.
The State is also being challenged to keep abreast of the current requirements, so the media, such as your publication, has to provide those updates.
The trash companies for each specific area that they serve have that information, so let’s have it!
Charles Laines
Long Beach
A beautiful day in this neighborhood
We want to say “thank you” to everyone who contributed to making Bixby Knolls an even better community this year and tip our hat to the Bixby Knolls businesses and wish them all success and prosperity in 2018. We also thank our community members for participating in our events [and]programs and supporting our business corridors.
Special thanks also goes to: the BKBIA Board of Directors and community liaisons; BKBIA staff Cait Yoshioka, Tokotah Ashcraft and Ronnie De Leon; Councilmembers Al Austin, Roberto Uranga and their staff; city managers Pat West and Tom Modica; Department of Development Services; Craig Beck, Art Cox and the Department of Public Works; LBPD and LBFD; all of our Bixby Knolls business owners; our Strollers, Supper Clubbers, Kidical Mass riders, Good Spirits Club members and Literary Society readers; CSI Patrol Service; Laserfische; Martin Howard; Kelly Bray; Commune Communication; Baskin Robbins; The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf; Orozco’s Auto Service; Law Office of Minh Nguyen; Bixby Knolls Mortgage and the Bixby Knolls Broker Tour; Fresh Prints Design; Tom Underhill; Sander, Sumako & Toaster Music; Cal Heights Clean Streets; Alissa and Marley Fay Cohn; Nash Jacquez; Andrew Schenker; the duke and duchess of Bixby Knolls; Ronald Jones, Sam Darnold, and Clay Helton; the musicians, artists, poets, performers and First Fridays enjoyers; local media partners; and all the general good-doers in the neighborhood.
Blair Cohn
Executive director
The Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association
Knowing the drill
Drilling off the shores of California’s coast is a non-starter. Our State has banned offshore drilling for a reason: because we don’t want it and because we know what happens when it goes wrong.
We are evaluating all of our options to protect our state’s pristine national resources. And it should be underscored that regulatory agencies in our state will have a say in whether any offshore drilling ultimately does occur. Irrespective of the Trump Administration’s backwards action [Jan. 4], California will continue to lead the way on reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
Xavier Becerra
Attorney General
