LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Five local state legislators are calling on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to allow for the opening of outdoor cardrooms amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter to the board, Assemblymembers Mike Gipson, Patrick O'Donnell and Wendy Carrillo and Sens. Steven Bradford and Bob Archuleta ask for the opening of the businesses in Compton, Bell Gardens, Hawaiian Gardens, and Commerce.
“We must recognize the detriment to the cardrooms industry in our low-income communities. Los Angeles County must adapt to the industry in order for the industry to continue operations, even at an outdoor limited capacity, during the State of Emergency,'' the letter states.
“In Los Angeles County cardrooms account for 13,463 direct/indirect jobs and the total economic impact is $2.3 billion,'' the letter continues.
It further states that statewide Outdoor Operations of Cardrooms guidelines were released on Sept. 9.
“It is vital that the cardrooms industry be allowed to reopen as soon as possible, either in their traditional or modified outdoor operations, so that (1) our predominantly black and Latino residents can get back to work and not suffer the wide negative consequences from the federal benefits reductions and (2) restore our cities' major sales tax revenue source in order to solidify our position of being able to serve as the last safety net for our communities of color, with the ability to re-hire city staff safely and expand essential services in low-income communities.''