Articles written by Alyssa Erdley
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SMMUSD's New Anti-Racism Curriculum May Do More Harm than Good
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Superintendent Ben Drati sent an email to parents and the public outlining the district's plans to combat racism, including a website of parent resources,...
The Illusion of a California Housing Crisis Versus the True Need for More Infrastructure, Including Water
The State Legislature has been working hard to attempt to squeeze 1.8 million more units of housing into the state before 2029 by producing at least nine land-use proposals this year, each of which...
Why California's No Cash Bail Covid-19 Experiment, Is a Complete Failure and a Woke Joke
In a preview of good times to come should voters fail in November to revoke SB 10, California's No-Cash Bail law, a Huntington Park man stole over a dozen cars in twelve separate incidents - after...
Goodbye, California Zoning Laws, as Legislature Makes Authoritarian Grab for Land Control with 9 Proposals
Between the State Senate and the State Assembly, nine bills are under consideration that would drastically change the balance of power regarding land use and zoning in California. Each bill seeks to...
Let's Use Covid-19 to Rethink America's Public Schools. They're Obsolete, Anyway
All over the United States, local and national leaders debate the possibility of opening school in the fall. In many areas, officials and teachers are reluctant to invite children to congregate and...
Covid-19: SMMUSD Staff Recommends Distance Learning Only When Schools Reopen in August
Today staff at the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District recommended learning occur solely from a distance when school reopens in August. The SMMUSD School Board will decide at their July 16...
County Re-Imposes Lockdown Effective Immediately, Despite Fall in Deaths and Hospitalizations
The County of Los Angeles has ordered the immediate closure of almost every type of business that had been allowed to reopen during June. All indoor operations of gyms and fitness centers, offices of...
Appeals Court Rules Santa Monica Can Keep City-Wide Elections in Voting Rights Act Case
Today the Second District Court of Appeal issued a ruling in favor of the City of Santa Monica in the California Voting Rights Act case brought by the Pico Neighborhood Association. The plaintiff had...
With Beach Restriction and Bar Closures Government Officials Are Creating a Recipe for More Violent Riots
In time for the Independence Day weekend, a time when citizens of this great nation celebrate the freedom of our constitutional republican form of government, local and state officials issued a...
Appeals Court Issues Tentative Ruling Favoring City-Wide Elections
Today the Second District Court of Appeal issued a tentative ruling in favor of the City of Santa Monica in the California Voting Rights Act case brought by the Pico Neighborhood Association. The...
Bar Owner Will Be Charged by County DA but Curfew-Breakers, Looters Get Off Free
The Los Angeles County District Attorney has made sure to tell the press that she is charging the owner of a South Pasadena bar with a misdemeanor for opening his pub on Saint Patrick's Day in...
Celebration of America Cancelled While Protests of America Proceed
The Ocean Park Association (OPA), which has run Santa Monica's Fourth of July parade for thirteen years, announced on Wednesday that they have cancelled this year's festivities. For over a decade,...
It is Premature to Recall Santa Monica Police Chief Cynthia Renaud, Due to George Floyd Riots
Close to 60,000 signatures have been gathered as of this writing asking for the recall of Santa Monica Police Chief Cynthia Renaud. Most residents of the city are furious about the wide-scale looting...
Los Angeles County Declines to File Charges for Curfew Violations or Failure to Disperse
In a County wracked by looting, arson, and rioting during the end of May and beginning of June; LA County's chief law enforcement officer, District Attorney Jackie Lacey, declined to file charges for...
438 People Arrested During Sunday's Santa Monica Riot, Only 17 Charged
On Sunday, a protest in Santa Monica regarding the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police shifted toward violence and looting later in the afternoon and on into evening. Fires were...
We Need a Lockdown Death Meter Beside the COVID-19 Death Meter
Ever since the COVID-19 disease began spreading through the world, countries and localities have been publicizing the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19. In Los Angeles County, this metric is up...
Santa Monica Officials Can Give No Good Reason for the Outdoor Face Mask Requirement
On May 14, the City sent out one of its dreaded "updates." This one required citizens to wear face masks when outdoors, even when exercising. Previously, masks had not been required while exercising....
Local Officials are Overdosing the Public with Their Stream of Irrational and Unsubstantiated Orders: e.g., Masks Outdoors
Every day, the city of Santa Monica sends out at least one "Covid-19 Update." The word 'update' is a euphemism for a new commandment. In fact, there is often more than one 'update' per day. These...
Officials are Looking at the Wrong Criteria for Reopening Businesses During Coronavirus Pandemic
On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he would conditionally allow the reopening of certain types of businesses in the state. Since March 19, only "essential" businesses have been allowed to...
"Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!" Santa Monica Residents Lose Patience With Irrational Continuing Shutdowns
Following the example of the state and county, Santa Monica is allowing certain types of businesses to reopen today in a limited fashion. The city began closing businesses during the third week of...
Let's Open Businesses on May 1 Instead of May 15, Governor Newsom
On March 16, the City of Santa Monica, the County of Los Angeles and the State of California almost simultaneously began shutting down businesses, beginning with bars and gyms. Within days, both local...
California to Give Disaster Relief to Undocumented Residents or "Illegal Aliens"
At his press conference today, April 15, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a plan to give $125 million in direct disaster relief to the undocumented aliens living in the state. $75 million...
#Covid-19? In 2018, there were 10 million cases of active TB which resulted in 1.5 million deaths.
The entire United States, with a population of 350 million, shut down nearly all economic activity on March 16, unwilling to expose its citizens to a disease estimated to kill approximately 2 percent...
California Recommends Releasing Defendants Without Bail During Coronavirus Emergency
On Monday the Judicial Council of California adopted new rules to lower jail populations in the name of stemming the spread of COVID-19. Chief among these is no-cash bail for certain non-serious, non-...
Covid-19? Meh. Home-Bound College Student Sisters Start Volunteer Food Delivery App
Sisters Leat and Kayla, 20 and 19 years old, were sent home from college as most other students were this semester because of COVID-19. These sisters, however, had as father Rabbi Sam Newman,...
