ADA abuses

I was glad to see the editorial the other day regarding Senate Bill 84, a cure for ADA abuses. I own a small automotive business in Arcadia and know first-hand about the ADA abuse. Small business in California is having a hard enough time making ends meet and to have to pay $5,000-$20,000 for this legal extortion should be illegal.

Why would anyone in our state Senate vote against this common-sense bill? I guess that would be a question for Sen. Maria Elena Durazo since she opposed it.

Please, Gov. Newsom, sign this bill after the Assembly approves it.

— Jeff Stellern, Arcadia

The Sundance Kid

Fortunately for Southern California News Group readers, opinion columnist Susan Shelley does not review movies. Unfortunately for readers, she does reference a movie, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” in her June 29 column. In April 2024, Shelley used the same movie in a weak attempt to label Joe Biden as “lawless.”

Shelley’s recent column states, “California has turned into a remake of ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.’” She casts Butch and Sundance as “two outlaws struggling to understand changing times while they are chased by a super-posse over a cliff.” The “super-posse” is Donald Trump’s Department of Justice.

Audiences root for Butch and Sundance. The public does not root for or approve of the “super-posse” (bullies). Trump’s approval rating, which is historically low, hovers at around 40%.

With a “super-posse” led by Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, rooting for California/Butch is easy. Shelley notes that California filed 123 lawsuits in Trump’s first term. She failed to mention that California won over two-thirds of those lawsuits. Six months into Trump’s second term, California is on pace to exceed the number previously filed.

With a cabinet filled with incompetents, future Shelley columns could continue her movie theme by referencing “The Gang that Couldn’t Shoot Straight” (except for Kristi Noem using a rifle to kill her dog). Trump’s business dealings as president could easily be titled, “High Plains Grifter.” Just a thought.

— Robert Aragon, Duarte

The public feud

If the Democrats’ candidate for president in the 2028 election is Gavin Newsom it will clearly evidence how far the party has abandoned the mainstream electorate.

Newsom’s political record in California is abysmal. His progressive administration’s governance is disastrous. His only “qualification” is his public feud with President Trump. So what!

— Joseph F. Paggi Jr., Pasadena

CEQA

Note to readers: This letter was written before Gov. Gavin Newsom negotiated California Environmental Quality Act reform with the Legislature:

Dear Senators McGuire and Bob Archuleta, Assembly members Rivas and Calderon and Gov. Newsom:

As a lifelong legacy (non-MAGA) Republican in California, I was beginning to think that Newsom recently was making good progress defending us against the vast overreach of our federal administration as now headed by President Trump. But now I find that transparency of California governmental operations will be eliminated if Newsom and Sen. Scott Weiner have their way! It seems that these two are pushing to have CEQA greatly restrained by adverse legislation attached to the California budget bill. The normal process would be avoided, blindsiding we citizens of California who desire to retain the public hearings and democratic input that is typical and essential for full participation by California residents.

This bypassing of normal procedures, avoiding citizen participation, must be avoided. The California Environmental Quality Act has been essential for environmental progress here for many decades. This progress must not be halted! The back-door, back-room approach to avoiding public participation regarding this act must not be curtailed in California any more than similar actions currently attempted by the federal administration to thwart the will and expression of United States citizens are rightfully opposed by leaders of our state government. Do not allow this back-room budget approach to prevail, please!

— Lee M. Willard, Whittier