Shoppers mad at City Plastic Bag Ban

Okay so I am home today because I have an eye infection and pharyngitis.

I go to the pharmacy at my local grocery store. I am recognized even in my disguise of sunglasses. The pharmacist begins telling me that many, many of his customers have told him that when the plastic bag ban starts, they are going to Lakewood to shop.

Oh, great. At least I got a smile when I said I voted against the ban.

Report shows collapse risk of LB Memorial Hospital 9.8% vs LB Community Hospital Which Was not Assigned a Risk

Recently, Long Beach Community Hospital was taken over by Long Beach Memorial Medical Center due to financial troubles that largely included a projection of substantial costs related to earthquake retrofitting for LB Community Hospital. When LBCH was taken over, Memorial indicated that it would remain an ER and acute care hospital only if it was feasible for Memorial to retrofit LBCH.

Well, that is certainly interesting in light of a recent report found by clicking here from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development  that indicates Memorial Medical Center is in fact in need of earthquake retrofitting due to an estimated 9.8% risk of collapse of its main tower and additions should it be hit by an earthquake of 7.1 or greater, while Long Beach Community Hospital was not assigned a collapse risk. (St. Mary Medical Bauer Wing was assessed having a 4.6% risk of collapse. Its south wing was assigned a 3.6% risk, while Pacific Hospital was not assigned a risk percentage.)

Hospitals which have been assigned a collapse risk of 1.2 percent of more must retrofit, replace or remove patient care from those buildings by 2015.

The report is not clear as to whether or not LBCH (or Pacific Hospital) submitted itself for assessment of collapse risk. Hospitals can escape the mandates to retrofit if they undergo an assessment that results in less than a 1.2% risk of collapse.

Survey Shows Support to Ban Styrofoam -- Opposed to Banning Plastic Bags

You can click here and read the results of the survey I just ran asking people for their opinions on whether or not to support State Senator Alan Lowenthal's bill to ban styrofoam containers and whether or not they supported or opposed the City Council recent vote to ban plastic bags in grocery stores. (I voted against the ban.)

The survey runs along the lines of the emails  received before the vote on the plastic bag ban -- people oppose this ban and the fee -- while they support banning styrofoam.

The survey was sent to 3800 people.