Key figures in the plot
I’ve been a member of the [Signal Hill community] garden since its inception and have never understood why we are not given reasonable access to our plots that we pay for, work for and enjoy immensely.
We are told Mr. Grumpy Neighbor would raise Hell if we had keys. So everyone, the city maintenance workers, the library employees, the park patrol, the police, the Community Services employees, and who knows who else (rumor has it the city council members, at least one, has a key) all have keys. But we are not given access to the gate with our own key. We have to wait for whomever to let us in, on certain days, and other days, if we ask.
What is particularly irksome is that they don’t lock the gates when they say they will. Sometimes the gates stay unlocked for days at a time. Sometimes they get locked only when we, the lowly poor-relation community gardeners, tell them that the gate has been left open. We would lock it, mind you, if they trusted us with a key.
You see, we are the ones that have the most to lose, but have no way of protecting our gardens. That’s up to all those other people, and they really don’t care.
Lyn Hutchison
Signal Hill
ID card… or race card?
I read the letter from California Secretary of State Alex Padilla you published Sept. 15, [2017] in the Signal Tribune.
It was a blend of demagoguery, obfuscation and delusion. I am embarassed to be from his state.
He asserts that President Trump, Kris Kobach and the Kobach Commission want to suppress the vote, undermine the voting rights of eligible American citizens and harm our democracy. Hogwash, three times.
He objected to the proposal of a “background check” for voters before being elibible to vote. No details were given. No insight into the terminology and analogy to restrictions Democrats favor for another right of American citizens, the 2nd Amendment. Does he object to a voter needing a valid, state-issued photo ID? If people in Mexico can get one to vote in Mexico, why is this a barrier to the eligible voter? If black people in Uganda can get an official government ID, then why is that requirement a racist barrier to voting?
The Democrat Party attacks the photo ID as an insurmountable barrier for the poor and for minorities. Democrats nod their heads in agreement without thinking. Another embarassment. Democrats pose as virtuous but this charge actually shows these Democrats as racists in the worst way, by implying that minorities and the poor are just too stupid and inept to not be able to get an official government-issued photo ID card.
He asserted that he will refuse to give California voter data (name, address, party affillation) to the Commission in order to protect the privacy of California voters. He doesn’t mention that these are public records, on display at each voting precinct on election day, and available at the county level for candidate research, precinct walking and polling-services companies. That data is not private. Mr. Padilla is a liar. He should resign from office.
Larry R. Holmgren
Long Beach
Protection rejection?
[Tuesday] night, the Long Beach City Council failed to pass the Ordinance to Protect Women from Physical and Sexual Abuse. Instead, they opted to, once again, delay taking action to protect hotel workers from sexual assault and inhumane workload conditions in Long Beach hotels.
Over 200 community members gathered in the council chamber and overflow room to demand that the council take action on the issue. Along with community supporters, hotel workers spoke with great courage, sharing their personal traumatic experiences with violence and overburdensome workloads.
Although the coalition and our partners feel betrayed and angered, we remain committed to ending sexual assault and inhumane workloads in the Long Beach hospitality industry.
We want to thank Councilmember Lena Gonzalez, who, along with Councilmembers Jeannine Pearce, Roberto Uranga and Vice Mayor Rex Richardson, showed tremendous leadership in putting the people of their city over politics.
We look forward to re-engaging the council on this crucial issue. Our commitment to these workers and to the community will not fade. We will continue to advocate and organize to ensure hotel workers in the City of Long Beach are able to live and work, free from the fear and burden of sexual assault and inhumane workloads in the workplace.
Gina Palencar and Victor Sanchez
The Long Beach Coalition for Good Jobs and a Healthy Community
