A Los Angeles-area restaurant owner is going viral after she exposed the cruel hypocrisy of coronavirus-related restrictions imposed by Democratic leaders.
The viral rant comes as California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti enact new restrictions as COVID cases continue to surge in the Golden State.
What did the restaurant owner say?
Los Angeles County officials banned outdoor dining last month, one of the few lifelines afforded to restaurants, which have been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But according to Angela Marsden, owner of Pineapple Hill Saloon & Grill in Sherman Oaks, local officials permitted a TV production to skirt the rules. Shockingly, the Hollywood crew had set up outdoor eating areas just feet from Marsden’s restaurant.
In her blistering rant, Marsden blasted Garcetti and Newsom for prioritizing Hollywood over small businesses like hers.
“So this is my place, the Pineapple Hill Grill & Saloon. If you go to my page you can see all the work I did for outdoor dining, for tables being seven feet apart,” Marsden said. “And I come in today because I’m organizing a protest and I came in to get stuff for that.”
“And I walk into my parking lot — and obviously Mayor Garcetti has approved … this,” she continued, pointing to the production setup, including tables for outdoor dining to be used by the production crew, “has approved this being set up for…this being set up for…for a movie company.”
Bar owner in Los Angeles CA is livid to see that mayor Garcetti has approved an outdoor dining area for a movie com… https://t.co/mOAJ1on7ji
— Jake Coco ????? (@Jake Coco ?????)1607122317.0
Marsden continued:
I’m losing everything. Everything I own is being taken away from me and they set up a movie company right next to my outdoor patio, which is right over here. And people wonder why I’m protesting and why I have had enough.
They have not given us money and they have shut us down. We cannot survive, my staff cannot survive. Look at this. Tell me that this is dangerous, but right next to me, as a slap in my face, that’s safe. This is safe? Fifteen feet away?
This is dangerous. Mayor Garcetti and Gavin Newsom is [sic] responsible for every single person that doesn’t have unemployment, that does not have a job, and all the businesses that are going under.
We need your help. We need somebody to do something about this.
According to KCAL-TV, Marsden spent about $80,000 to make her restaurant safe and compliant with the new COVID-related regulations. Yet, she remains shut down.
Unfortunately, Marsden told KCAL that the restaurant — which has existed for more than 40 years — will be shut permanently if leaders do not allow her to reopen by February.
“If I’m not open by February, I will no longer be here,” Marsden said. “My restaurant can’t open for to-go, what little money we have I have to try to hold on to for the hopes that we’ll get to go to outdoor dining again, which is why I’m fighting so hard to get it open again.”
Is there some good news?
L.A. County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant ordered Los Angeles County public health officials this week to present him with scientific evidence proving why a ban on outdoor dining is necessary.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Chalfant is skeptical that such extreme measures are necessary to slow the spread of COVID.
“You have to do a risk-benefit analysis for public health. You don’t just talk about the risk of spreading disease. You have to talk about the benefit of keeping restaurants open,” Chalfant said.
