Citizen About Town

By Nancy C Arcuri, Editor and Publisher

Email: nancyarcuri@thecitizensvoice.net

During the July 13th Monterey Park City Council Meeting the Council discussed Agenda Item 4-B Phase 2 of Monterey Park’s 2020 Business Recovers Program that will allow the City Planner and the City Council to make temporary adjustments to our current ordinances.

The plans would allow businesses to set up tables in their parking lots, in their courtyards or on their sidewalks to allow outdoor dinning or sales of their products to the public.

The approval of this program will allow our businesses to survive in the COVID-19 virus situation.

Six speakers requested the Council to approve this agenda item to help our business and our city survive in this economic downturn.

The Council asked many questions that involved parking issues, noise issues, sale of alcoholic drinks issues and the floating zone issues.

City Manager Ron Bow, City Attorney Karl Berger and City Engineer Mark McAvoy answered their questions on each of their issues.

They asked Ron Bow for a monthly progress report on this program.

All of the Councilmembers agreed that they could makes changes to this program during a City Council Meeting if there were any problems.

All of the Councilmembers agreed that we need to help our businesses recover and voted to approve this recovery program that will sunset on December 31, 2020.

Most Monterey Park residents are very happy that our City Council has agreed to make these changes to help save our businesses and our hometown.

During the August 5th Monterey Park City Council Meeting two members of The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (Elizabeth and Jose) made a presentation to our elected officials, our city employees and our residents.

They are in the process of moving the homeless residents being housed in the Lincoln Plaza Hotel and the Garvey Inn into long term housing.  They are not sure how longer this project will take.  They are now in a month-to-month contract with the hotel owners.

I verified with Hilda Solis’ office that all of these guests are not paying anything towards their room and board.

Since these guests are 65 years and older they may have received their pensions, their Social Security benefits or their Rail Road benefits or their VA benefits.

I was not able to get my question answered at this time if these guests are moved into permanent housing if they will be paying towards their room and board.

They did admit that Los Angeles County is trying to purchase hotels and convert them into housing for the homeless. They will have to install kitchens in some of the hotels that do not have kitchens in their rooms.

They will not state if our two hotels are on their list to purchase until August 13th.

They said if your city manager and mayor have not been notified by that date then your hotels are not on their list to purchase.

Our City Manager Ron Bow said he has spoken with the owners of the Lincoln Plaza Hotel and the Garvey Inn about selling their businesses to Los Angeles County.

He said that neither owner is will to sell their business to the County.

I have been reading about all of the violence and destruction across our United States in the name of Social Justice.

The Police Departments, FBI, Department of Justice have arrested these thugs for their crimes.  These violent and out of control criminals are crying that they could be fined millions of dollars and may serve many years in prison for their actions.

They are whining that our Justice system is violating their First Amendment rights to free speech.

Our United States Constitution does not support their rights to destroy public or private property, or their rights to kill or main people in their quest.

Many residents in the Los Angeles area remember the Watts Riots and the Rodney King Riots where many parts of Los Angeles were looted, firebombed and people were killed by people seeking their brand of Social Justice.

Many business owners vowed never establish their businesses in these neighborhoods. It was a hardship for the good people living in these neighborhoods to lose their neighborhood shopping. They were very angry with the criminals who invaded their neighborhoods.

Members of our older generations remember these earlier riots and do not want these irrational thugs in their neighborhoods.

Why are some of our elected officials appearing to champion these criminals and saying that they are using their violent actions as their First Amendment rights?

If your elected officials are supporting this violence it is time for you to voted them out of office.

These criminals appear to have sold their souls to the Devil for 30 pieces of silver.

Our United States of America many not be a perfect country but it is the best country in the world to live in.

Just ask all of the immigrants and illegal immigrants who want to move into our America and enjoy our American dreams.