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Around a year ago a friend was suddenly terminated as a maintenance worker in an apartment complex in Garden Grove. The underlying reason of his firing was his health condition – his hands were increasingly trembling, his speech was getting slurred. He appealed, stating that he could perform his job in spite of the physical changes he was experiencing.
The apartment management company denied his appeal and the possibility of accommodating him working in another position. He was given a grace period to move out of the reduced rent apartment he had in the complex, and a modest financial settlement.
I contacted this blog’s in-house Worker’s Comp attorney requesting his assistance but our friend Greg was already dealing with his own health issues, and unfortunately could not help. [Ed. note: plus, I have never worked on Worker’s Comp anyway, so it wouldn’t have mattered! – GAD]
My friend moved to Riverside as he could not afford to rent a place in Orange County. He sold and donated most of his small family’s furniture, as they had to downsize. Their new place was a room in a house, sharing a bathroom and the kitchen. They enrolled in an affordable senior apartment building waiting list, which is two years.
He applied for unemployment benefits, as he insisted that he still could work, has participated in training programs but the worsening of his Parkinson-related disease has made it harder to obtain a job. He has started a new disability application, as a previous one had been denied.
Their living arrangement expired, so they have to move again, and their savings have dwindled. Unable to move them with me, I’ve been helping them looking for a place that fits their limited income. In my quest to do so, I looked up the most affordable places for people in their situation, mobile home parks.
I found free or inexpensive mobile homes for sale, not in Orange County, but they needed to be moved from distant locations, which is a costly expense. Browsing Craiglist I found an ad for a fairly decent looking trailer, at a reasonable low price, at a park with a rent space less than $400. I contacted the owner and he sent me pictures of the inside of the trailer.
We visited the park, which is in Yucaipa. The trailer was indeed nice but the park was a reflection of the bad rap that beautiful San Bernardino has these days. From there we traveled to Salton Sea, where my friend Dora has a lot, thinking that we could take the trailer over there but it is too far, especially taking into his medical needs.
Resigned that I may have to refer them to the Bridges at Kraemer, I sent a thank you message to the owner of the trailer. He had been kind enough to talk to me when I first contacted him, and listened to what I was trying to do. To my surprise, I got a call back from him and he asked me more details about my friends.
I told him that they are a husband and a wife, from El Salvador, both of them LPR (Legal Permanent Residents), their educational background and current situation. He told me that he may be able to help them, as he owns property near where my friends live, an area where they would like to stay, and that he speaks fluent Spanish.
We visited him; he owns a farm where peacocks roam next to chickens, turtles live with koi fish, horses running nearby. My friends may have an ideal place to stay for a while. He texted me later saying “ I will be carefully watching over your friends for you”
Before leaving his place I asked him about his last name, and he told me that GQ had published an article about him. Trump should have read it before rambling on about the wall, as shown in the video clip below.
Fog was his ally, but the rain was his best friend. It was 10 P.M. and drizzling, so Elden Kidd knew there would be nobody on the Tijuana beach to watch them leave: no bad guys, no policía. The rain shrouded them as they pulled on their wet suits, discarding their clothes on the sand and heading into the surf; it muffleed the tiny noises they made—the frightened gasps of the two Chinese teenage girls clinging to the boogie boards as the first waves reared up and smashed over them, the sound of Elden’s fins slicing the water as he headed out beyond the surf break. The colored lights from Tijuana’s dance clubs began to shimmer, then blur. The frenetic thumping of the bass line carried across the dark water like someone breathlessly chasing them. Soon that, too, would fade…
[Ed. Note 2: More people tend to read our Weekend Open Threads than the other average items, so I am pleased to change this fine post to have that status. — GAD]
Hey guys, im relatively new to your blog but I’m a big fan. My admittedly off topic question is this, have you posted about the Ca Democratic Delegate elections coming up and isn’t time running out to spread awareness about their immense importance?
Also a little but of bio information on candidates would be nice. Even if forcibly “neutral” due to the restrictions of your official position(s) in the OC democratic party.
In 6 of the 6-1/2 districts, the elections are in two weeks. I’ll be writing about them before then.
Thanks Greg. I know about 30-50% the candidates (big congrats to you) in my own district, which is surprising since other than the folks who were running for office, I would have expected to see them somewhere working/volunteering for one of the campaigns – or somehow contributing to flip red seats blue.
Not everyone needs to work as hard as you do, but they ought to at least say what they were doing in a forum where others can say, ‘yes,I saw that – good work’ – or not.
Thanks for your work and your advocacy, Ricardo. #respect
I wish we would not have this kind of issues.
Not my business, but wondering if the maintenance duties included landscape maintenance, perhaps with the herbicide Roundup ? I’m no doctor but two symptoms mentioned are also listed for ALS, mentioned in the glyphosate litigation. FWIW.
NHL and Parkinson’s are also on the list, overlooked on the first read.
Thanks for asking BBRW. He occasionally attended the landscaping and green areas of the complex. He was mostly responsible for the upkeep of the apartments (plumbing, roofing, electrical, walls/ appliance repairs).
As this is now a Weekend Open Thread, we bring you news from Brea! The Brea-Olinda Unified School Board started meeting tonight (1/14) at 6:00 to decide whether to rename Fanning Elementary School. The Rename Fanning group, which held a press conference at the Brea Civic Center at 5:30 p.m., as depicted below, has wanted the name changed since former Superintendent Fanning was revealed to have been a KKK member.
The outcome is unsure. The group’s efforts have faced substantial backlash online and are anticipating speakers opposing removing Fanning’s name. They have asking for as many folks as possible to come out, but the meeting room filled so quickly that many were denied admittance and are waiting outside. We’ll update this story when possible.
Yeah that GQ story is great, Ricardo. Did he tell you he grew up in HB?
His parents were long term HB residents ; they recently passed away. They lived in the neighborhood near the St Vincent De Paul church.
So he grew up a couple miles from me! And, close to Oak View (which we then called “Slater Slums.”)
“No good deed (to improve the quality, performance and legal results for the taxpayer) goes unpunished…”
That’s the quote the ethically challenged Michael E. Gates wrote above an article the LA Times published about a lawsuit filed against him by current and former long term employees in the city attorney office. The case is assigned to Judge Carter.
The Trump copycat (poor sentence structure, use of parentheses, ellipses) comment aside — why is he posting about an ongoing staff issue and lawsuit? Besides the obvious attention seeking and abuse of position he loves so much. He KNOWS all his obtuse, loyal followers will jump on board his approval seeking dispatch and bash the workers before their day in court. While also heaping undeserving Gates with praise.
He did not want to comment for the article. But yes, please. Social media all the way. Just a normal, healthy, mature, non ego driven “public servant” always showing that he is incapable of enduring any criticism or ever being the bigger, better person.
And how ’bout that possible voter fraud the Gates bragged about committing this past election? Maybe that should be reviewed in court next.
And… Gates deleted his post.
That’s his standard operating procedure.
Maybe it was brought to his always self focused attention that his post itself was further proof of the allegedly “hostile” work environment that he is accused of creating. Not too swift. Especially for an attorney. Huntington Beach deserves better.
Damn, and I was gonna look for it.
I wonder if Mike E. got some advice from a lawyer?
In Huntington Beach you need to do screen shots!
Kathryn Clark DID screenshot it. Then saw it on Gates page. Then Poof! Gone.
hahaha “advice from a lawyer” But for real. He prolly did.
Ms. Clark has it and it was in a thread on community voice forum.
To think that this guy could already have been designated as Racky’s designated successor by now had the votes gone the other way! Dodged a bullet!
Since this is an “Open Post” and the subject of the original article was the housing crisis, it should be mentioned that newly elected progressive Governor Gavin Newsom dropped $4 MILLION bucks on the most coveted property in Sacramento, the Wes Jones mansion.
It is 5 acres, has two pools, a tennis court and is more than 12,0000 square feet and has a 3,000 mancave/bar/basement with a 3,000 bottle wine cellar.
The Newsoms paid $710,000. OVER the asking price, in a transaction, laundered through an llc. Owned by Gavin’s cousin.
Newsom is a two faced scoundrel, I suppose he could donate the state owned Governs mansion to a homeless shelter (but the cold and hungry of Sacramento, might have to wait, Jenifer’ decorating is said to take FOUR MONTHS and $1 Million Dollars.
Just a regular guy like us right….
Thanks for sharing. There is still kindness out there,
[Transporting a couple of comments here from the Winships that were on an another post that needs its commentary to stay on track. — GAD]:
I think they saw “Weekend” in the title. No Open Thread this weekend.
Is this the “open thread”? You are right, Greg. Dodged a bullet with the needy HB city attorney achieving higher office, for sure/for now.
Kelly “possible voter fraud” Gates posted the saddest, most cloying, inorganic tribute to her husband on all the forums.
It is a too lengthy accolade about how hard he works. Apparently a hefty pay check is not enough for Michael. Citizens must express their adoration for Gates just doing his job. Aren’t these members of the same political party that constantly utilize that tired, unfunny, “participation trophy” criticism against everyone else?
It is pathetic how desperately the dude craves constant applause. And there’s an off putting and inappropriate chiding for those city elected and others who do not express their loyalty, admiration and unwavering support for Michael and all his hard, hard, work. Doing his job. For which he is highly compensated. And campaigned to retain.
IMO the Gates are unpleasantly weird, puerile, thirsty and lack professional boundaries.
It gives one the embarrassment shivers and a “get if off me!” ick reaction to witness.