You would think someone in power in our beloved city -- and I discount the LB mayor, Robert Garcia, a fiercely loyal advocate of Newsom and Garcetti -- would come out and voice a strong opinion in opposition to the policies that are now creating so much disruption, heartache and financial misery.

I mean, you would think at least one member of the Long Beach Board of Education would come out and say the LBUSD superintendent, Jill Baker, has made a colossal mistake shutting down the local schools until January 29th of next year and forcing 70,000 K-12 students into a daily virtual on-line learning regimen that, by all accounts, has been a disaster in which it's estimated more than half are ignoring.

Of course, it was that stellar Board of Education that was responsible last March for giving Mrs. Baker not only her ridiculous raise, but also gave this brand new, untested leader the power to do whatever she saw fit to do and what she saw fit to do is to keep all the K-12 students out of the classroom for the rest of the year.

And, yet, across the Long Beach border in Orange County kids are back seamlessly attending schools as kids in America have done for the past couple of centuries.

Couldn't one person of political influence -- you know, someone like the 9th District Councilman, Rex Richardson -- come out and say to Jill Baker, "Enough is enough"?

I know from his record that Mr. Richardson is strong-willed and has political ambitions -- he's the current president of the Southern California Association of Governments' governing board and is being touted for board membership in the South Coast Air Quality Management District -- and also always has been a voice for equity and, according to his official City Hall bio, "wants to provide more opportunities to close the gap for our most vulnerable populations..."

Well, I'm sure Mr. Richardson realizes that Jill Baker's stay-at-home edict certainly isn't closing that gap -- and a gentleman who many say has mayoral aspirations could make quite an impact and enhance his public standing if he came out and actually spoke on this raging issue.

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Of course, it's just not the schools that are in a chaotic state these days.

What about fitness emporiums?

Why are they still all shut down when, well, you can make the brief drive to Orange County -- I work out regularly now at 24-Hour Fitness in Cypress -- and they all are open for business.

Why?

Is the Pandemic raging in Long Beach?

Oh, it is, well, I certainly haven't noticed---and neither has anyone else I know in these parts noticed.

I called the beleaguered owner of the Belmont Athletic Club, Mr. Jeff Cozart, Tuesday and asked him if he had heard any news about Gavin Newsom lifting his lockdown.

"Nothing," he said dishearteningly.

Why wouldn't the 3rd District Councilwoman, Suzi A. Price, finally discard her well-deserved reputation as being a political weathervane -- she too often tilts in the direction of a PC breeze -- and come out and say, "Enough is enough, Mr. Newsom."?

Of course, she could make the same statement to Mr. Newsom about all the restaurants in Long Beach still not able to serve customers inside their premises, which has been a serious hardship irrespective of outside dining because of the Parklets throughout the city.

"This has become a nightmare that never ends -- and probably won't until after the election," says Mike (The Miami Kid) Neufeld, owner of the Gaslamp nightclub on PCH which is now open only three days (Friday to Sunday) a week. "No one ever has tested positive who came to our place. Very frustrating. We just keep losing money, and if this keeps going there won't be any money left and I'll have to shut it down for good and I guess return to Miami."

Again, cross over into the OC -- and you can actually have a good old-fashioned dinner indoors and you also can go to a regular tavern and have a drink at the bar.

Not in Long Beach.

"I never thought they'd put me in San Quentin, but that's what Gavin Newsom and his henchmen have done to me," says Dickie (Too Fast, Too Furious) Babian, the colorful, 5-foot-3, 275-pound, 86-year-old owner of the sacred Naples dive bar Crow's. "I've been closed now for seven months -- and Newsom has cost me at least $200,000. What can I do? I want out of prison! This is cruel and unusual punishment."

And, yet, no one at City Hall in Long Beach these days is standing up for its citizens, so many of whom have been under continuing burdensome restrictions that cause so much harm and anguish. . .