At least it has been recently to the beleaguered LB restaurant owners -- before, that is, most were ordered to shut down their eateries except if their customers had access to patio seating.

This 300-strong organization under the directorship of someone named Kathy Colopy has become a vigilant coronavirus watchdog -- "Venue Task Force," is its official terminology -- making doubly sure the local businesses are in total compliance with the city's Covid-19 health orders.

In fact, Long Beach's management Joint Information Center revealed that the Venue Task Force -- which has added an untold number of newcomers to its mighty enforcement arm -- visited an incredible 655 locations in the period between July 2-4.

Wow!

A lot of lucrative overtime for a lot of people who didn't find one violation -- not one! -- after hours upon wasted hours looking to pinch our restaurateurs for doing something naughty in violation of the sacred decrees handed down by the dictatorial California governor, Generalissimo Gavin Newsome, and dutifully carried out by Kathy Colopy's minions.

But it's what this Venue Task Force did on at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30, at the Boathouse by the Bay that caused a seismic reaction among a lot of people around town, including the gentleman who oversees the popular establishment, John Morris.

"It was a Tuesday, and I was at home relaxing and taking my first day off in 90 days, and I knew it was trouble when my cell rang and I saw my daughter's Katie's name on it," says Mr. Morris. "And it was. She told me some assertive guy came in, and flashed his Health Department badge saying he wanted to inspect the place.

"And she said fine, go ahead. And the next thing the guy did was wave in a group of people -- there was at least 10 -- and they fanned out around the restaurant as though something seriously was wrong. Several people got up from their tables and left the premises. They thought there might be a coronavirus-related problem. It was just unbelievable. Katie was told the Heath Department received one social distance complaint about our restaurant, and were responding to it."

Mr. Morris, whose battles with such City Hall politicians as Jim Hankla, Hank Taboada, Jerry Miller and others throughout the 1990s and early part of this century were legendary, was furious.

"What a disproportionate response," he says. "Why would you send 10 people prowling around my restaurant looking for violations, which, by the way, they didn't find one. I don't understand it. I'm not battling with the mayor (Robert Garcia) or the City Manager (Tom Whateverislastnameis). This is something you would have expected back when the Berlin Wall separated East and West Germany and when the East Germany government employed a notorious task force to monitor its people and businesses. It was called Stasi, and now Long Beach has a group going around town employing similar tactics."

Omigod, what's happening in these parts?

A great airline, Jet Blue,soon will be gone, and Kathy Colopy's wildly overzealous Venue Task Force is actually drawing comparisons to the vile Stasi?

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