Comments to the Torrance City Council: January 12, 2021

 Dear Torrance City Council:

Here are my comments for the city council meeting:

6A. PROCLAMATION honoring Police Chief Eve R. Berg of the Torrance Police Department upon her retirement after thirty-eight years in law enforcement.

Police Chief Eve Berg could not be leaving sooner. The fact that she put excessive attention on the "Wilson Park Karen", even calling for a press conference, was just crass virtue-signaling without any virtue. In contrast, she did absolutely nothing while Black Lives Matter took over the Torrance City Council chambers numerous times for the last year and a half. She allowed them to over-run and block the streets in front of Torrance city hall on June 23, 2020. Her lack of judgment in these matters all demonstrated that she was not fit to lead. Her perverse decision not to issue CCW permits to those who applied for them (if the applicants were not prosecutors and judges), even when they met all the guidelines listed by state law, is also unconscionable.

Good riddance to Eve Berg.

9A. City Manager – Provide COVID-19 Recovery Update and Determine Direction on Orders from the County of Los Angeles and the State of California Regarding COVID-19. Expenditure: None.

Open up the city. The city of Torrance should issue a blanket proclamation in which they assure all business owners that they are essential, and that the city of Torrance will neither aid nor abet any crackdowns, fines, or forced closures against them. The city should not issue any orders which require businesses, large or small, to compel individual consumers to wear masks. The restaurant industries in the city should be allowed to decide for themselves whether they offer full service, patio dining, or take-out, or all of the above.

It's time for the city of Torrance to take the lead on pushing back on these unconstitutional, unethical lockdown orders.

9G. City Manager and Fire – Discuss and Approve Implementation of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Transportation Program. Expenditure: $715,200 (Non-General Fund).

Recommendation of the City Manager and Fire Chief that City Council discuss and approve the implementation of a City Emergency Medical Service (EMS) transportation program within the Fire Department's Emergency Medical Division.

I am not sure it's in the best interests of the city to take this program in-house. There may be cost savings now, but the city is already paying big money to pensions for retired city employees. More city employees mean more pensions, more cost, more debt that the city of Torrance cannot afford.

Saving a little money now, only to pay more money in the future? That is not a wise course of action.