The Antelope Valley Times

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Business owners join forces, file lawsuit against L.A. County to reopen stores

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LOS ANGELES – A group of business owners have joined together to file a lawsuit claiming that Los Angeles County is hurting their ability to earn a living due to health regulations they claim arbitrarily target stores at indoor shopping malls while allowing other retailers, including hair and nail salons, to reopen.

The owner and operator of Pro Image Sports, Daisy Rivas, says regulations keeping her stores from accepting walk-in customers are unfair because virtually all other stores, including big box and department stores, barber shops and nail salons have been allowed to re-open under approved guidelines.

“We have operated safely and followed the government guidelines to the letter of the law, and we are prepared to be fully compliant with the new guidance announced by Governor Newsom last week, including operating at 25% capacity,” Rivas said. “Yet without a single word of explanation by the County, they continue to shut us down. We and many other small businesses need our stores open in order to survive. I’d like to know how they believe it’s safe to shop at a big box retailer or get a haircut, but I’m prevented from serving my customers and earning a living.”

The lawsuit points out that an Aug. 28 order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom through the state’s Department of Public Health allows Los Angeles County to reopen indoor malls and shopping centers, including retail businesses, with a maximum 25% capacity, with common areas closed, but Los Angeles County, without explanation, is the only county in the state to keep stores in indoor malls shuttered, the lawsuit alleged.

The owner of the Del Amo Fashion Center reopened malls in San Bernardino, Alameda and Santa Clara counties on Aug. 31. Each of those counties has the same coronavirus risk rating as Los Angeles County, the lawsuit stated.

The lawsuit was filed by Rivas on behalf of other retailers together with the owner and manager of Del Amo Fashion Center nearly a week after a request to modify the county order received no response from county officials, representatives for Rivas said.

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22 comments for "Business owners join forces, file lawsuit against L.A. County to reopen stores"

  1. The county the governors abd mayors of the state have way too much abusive tyranny power. Freedoms and liberties of the constitution are being completely violated and ignored.

    • Do you, John, think that Trump has too much abusive tyranny power?

      He has defecated all over the Constitution and every institution necessary to run the government effectivels including the United States Postal Service.

      Or, weren’t you aware of that? Or are you being sarcastic?

      • Exactly how has he defecated over the Constitution? Give me concrete examples and not talking points from your favorite shows.

        • Nah, Tony Banke.

          You are like a birther. No facts, evidence or documentation will you accept to show Trump has pooped all over the Constitution and every federal institution in his way’ FBI, DOJ, USPS, AG etc.

          But, try on the emolument clause for starters. He is using his office to enrich his own business interests.

          So, there’s that. Do you accept that he has violated the clause? Yes or no.

          The Trump Cult simply ignores facts and evidence that doesn’t support Trump. I suspect you are such a person.

          You are not to be taken seriously.

  2. Dems say: It’s okay to protest, loot, burn down businesses & churches without following covid guidelines. But we will arrest you and or take your biz license if dare to open until WE say you can! (After the election of course so we can force you to vote by mail)

    • Being Frank.

      Nearly every other country on the planet has managed COVID better than we have. They don’t have a Trump telling people like you and Dennis below that it’s a “hoax” and it will disappear in a few days “like a miracle”.

      Meanwhile, he pushed the responsibility onto the governors because , y’know, he banned travel from China in January then lied about the severity of the virus to the public but told the truth to Bob Woodward.

      How did that ban turn out now that we have almost 200,000 deaths?

      California like many other states are having to deal with a pandemic that the president has only made worse to this very minute.

      Some governors like the Republican ones in the Dakotas are following Trump’s lead with no mandatory masks and they are both seeing a rise in positive cases.

      So, wake up.

  3. every region on Earth that has reopened has had to close again. Humans need to figure out how to live with this virus, stop pretending it’s not there or will go away soon. those who adapt will thrive. Those kicking and screaming for things to be different need a reality check.

    • I agree KAY but Dennis below thinks it’s a liberal hoax.

      A hoax that killed almost 200,000 Americans, no less.

      Why does Dennis say things like that?

      As an aside, this is evolution at work, i.e., survival of the fittest (smartest in this case), failure to adapt to a changing environment and HOPEFULLY unable to reproduce themselves.

      We have enough Trump cultists and it looks like Trump himself is seeing to it that the herd is culled with no masks or distancing at his rallies. And they willingly submit themselves to their own death wishes. Trump doesn’t care. Those high risk rallies are good for his rotten ego.

    • The county the governors abd mayors of the state have way too much abusive tyranny power. Freedoms and liberties of the constitution are being completely violated and ignored.

      • The phony/fireman mayor of Palmdale should be doing more to reopen small buisness seeing how he is blowing threw the city reserves starting pet projects and now when we need those financial reserves to help they are not available. Not very Republican if you ask me.

  5. About time. Miss “Dreck” -Barbara Ferrer is exposed for the political stooge she is. Ban trick or treating, then immediate reversal when the People said shove it ( must have been an initial policy choice based on Science-right Dims?) Schools can’t open until after the election (so a virus responds to the calendar and Election Day? That’s not political stoogery-right Dims?) We live in LaLaLand Hollyweird County and the Mad political Hatters are having a 9 month convention, and the baby is ugly.

  7. Nail salons are not open.
    Per the Calif covid website, Los Angeles county:

    “Nail salons
    Can open outdoors only with modifications”

    Almost none of them are going to work outside in the AV.

    • The ones that think outside the box will do things like outdoor Night Nails, car to car and drive thru. Also single customer home and shop appointments.

      • Indoors is NOT allowed, whether single shop appointments or in home. Car to car or drive through? That’s just stupid, not going to happen.

    • Unless you are having Nancy in for a blow out and color. Then you can open for her. Imagine her being duped by a salon owner, Nancy, the smart one 3rd in line at the White House.