Waste, fraud and abuse

The article “Five held in COVID benefits fraud” (March 9) is a reminder of a colossal outrage: “Five people, one of them a CHP dispatcher, allegedly fraudulently obtained more than $3.3 million in COVID-19 government unemployment benefits using stolen identities.” From what I understand, this is only the tip of the iceberg. A simple Google search revealed “$20 billion an unemployment money was stolen from California by domestic and international criminals.”

That’s billion with a “B”, stolen from all of us taxpayers. Where in the hell was the oversight and security at the EDD? Are there enough EDD security watchdogs working there, or is security there on a shoestring budget for some reason? This is a monumental scandal, and heads should roll. I am a Democrat, but I wouldn’t mind seeing the governor recalled over this, and removing/prosecuting all the other incompetent officials allegedly overseeing our money at EDD.

— William Stremel, S. Pasadena

A California DOGE

In a recent editorial, the paper reported that Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas removed several Republicans from key posts in the Assembly (“Speaker Rivas’ curious committee changes,” March 5).

In what can only be described as retaliation, Rivas yanked Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, from the Assembly Budget Committee. Why? In his ongoing “DOGE” of the state budget, DeMaio allegedly discovered that $25 million in a so-called “COVID-19 Workplace Outreach Program” was actually a slush fund for far-left political organizations.

“Funds were allocated to 76 community-based organizations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,” he told the California Workforce Development Agency. “The fact that we have a COVID-19 outreach program past 2021 is a problem.”

Money laundering is indeed a problem. On “The Sopranos,” it’s called racketeering.

— Les Hammer, Pasadena

Unaccountable bureaucracy

Re “Trump is dismantling the unaccountable bureaucracy,” by Susan Shelley:

Readers must think that bureaucracy is a negative label applicable to all government entities that serve its citizens. The truth, which Shelley fails to mention, is that bureaucracy is a neutral term used to apply to all government departments and agencies, federal, state and city. Google defines bureaucracy as “a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives.” In other words, bureaucracies exist in every government throughout the globe to serve the needs of its citizens.

Shelley, in her misuse of the word bureaucracy, refuses to look at the end game of Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to terminate inspectors general and decimate agencies that are instrumental in enforcing worker rights and providing consumer protection. Doesn’t Shelley find it unusual that Musk and Trump terminated the same inspectors general investigating Musk’s companies for labor practices, 17 open investigations and additional opened investigations into Tesla and SpaceX?

Readers should not let Shelley obfuscate the truth by bringing up executive power issues when the real truth is Musk’s efforts to destroy the agencies that found his business practices to warrant investigation and possible violations of labor practices, auto safety issues and environmental pollution.

— Larry Naritomi, Monterey Park

Authoritarian regimes

I have seen many assemblies in authoritarian regimes. When the speaker proclaims, members stand and clap in unison. Otherwise one may become a missing person. During President Trump’s recent address, Republicans prostrated identically every time he made a point. Here the penalty might only be blackballing from the MAGA Republican party. Democrats followed a similar edict: don’t applaud even heart-warming comments by the president.

As a lifelong conservative Republican, I admire entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk and their enterprising spirit, which benefits us citizens and mankind as well. But Musk’s approach to reducing waste is throwing the baby out with the bath water! Taking precise cuts after detailed analysis would be far more effective than buckshot firing of our country’s patriotic and dedicated public servants — including even my granddaughter in his crosshairs as a creative intern with Tonto National Forest. Musk is far too intelligent to apply this approach with his own employees, but enjoys playing games with those we citizens employ!

Then there is the Zelenskyy matter where recently he was hammered by both president and vice president! We all want peace. But are we headed toward a Neville Chamberlain appeasement? And thoughtful citizens must not assume MAGA Republicans are like those of the past who nurtured the young ETA because they actually cared for the environment.

— Lee Willard, Whittier