transcript
Speaker 1:
[00:00] And we continue at 2.05 in the afternoon on The John Phillips Show. Mr. Randy Wang's in Culver City.
Speaker 2:
[00:06] John, we have a new bombshell allegation from California Attorney General Bob Bonta.
Speaker 3:
[00:12] Bob Bonta.
Speaker 2:
[00:13] Bob Bonta says Amazon's been price fixing with its competitors and ripping you off.
Speaker 1:
[00:21] So the Village Idiot is gonna go to war with Jeff Bezos, huh?
Speaker 2:
[00:25] Yeah, I'm fine with that. Screw Bezos.
Speaker 3:
[00:27] Bob Bonta.
Speaker 1:
[00:29] Here's what I think is gonna happen. If Village Idiot keeps pushing, at some point, Jeff Bezos is gonna get him in a room and he's gonna say, let's hash these things out, just you and I. And he's gonna put Bob Bonta in a chair and he's gonna say, you know what? I've gotta take a call. I'll be right back. Bob Bonta is then gonna fall asleep in that chair with his head hanging off the backside of it. And then what I'd love to see happen is Lauren Sanchez just drop both of her breasts right on his head and snap it right off. Wow.
Speaker 3:
[01:10] Bob Bonta.
Speaker 2:
[01:13] I didn't know where you were going with that one.
Speaker 1:
[01:25] 800-222-5222 is the telephone number, 1-800-222-5222. Right now, it's time to open up the California Crime Blotter.
Speaker 4:
[01:34] It's happened yet again.
Speaker 2:
[01:38] I see.
Speaker 5:
[01:39] Time for the California Crime Blotter.
Speaker 1:
[01:44] And Randy, there's a bit of a theme to today's blotters.
Speaker 2:
[01:47] They all took place this weekend in the San Fernando Valley. Four different crime blotter stories in four different parts of the valley in this wave of burglaries and break-ins that yesterday, the LAPD Chief MacDonald and Karen Bass had a press conference where the best advice was, make sure your doors are locked. Let's start with a jewelry store in Sherman Oaks. Here is ABC 7.
Speaker 6:
[02:21] But first, a shocking jewelry store burglary in Sherman Oaks. New surveillance video showing the thieves making their way inside.
Speaker 1:
[02:29] And this is just one of several incidents in the San Fernando Valley.
Speaker 6:
[02:32] I'm Nico Ghazori, in for Liz Nagy.
Speaker 1:
[02:34] And I'm Jory Rand. This comes after the LA's mayor says she was going to ramp up police patrols across the area.
Speaker 2:
[02:41] Yeah, nobody's believing that.
Speaker 1:
[02:44] I went to news reporter Tim Pulliam, live in Sherman Oaks tonight, with the latest. Tim.
Speaker 7:
[02:51] Yeah, guys, I spoke with the business owner off camera, and he tells me he is emotional and upset. His business was burglarized just a few years ago, and he nearly lost everything.
Speaker 2:
[03:01] And you didn't move?
Speaker 1:
[03:05] It takes some people a little bit longer to learn than others.
Speaker 2:
[03:08] You don't hear of that many jewelry store robberies at South Coast Plaza.
Speaker 1:
[03:14] No, you don't.
Speaker 7:
[03:15] This weekend, thieves were back at it. Security video shows the thieves smashing items inside Nita Jewelry Store on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. LAPD says the thieves broke into a business next door to the jewelry store and then tore through this connecting wall inside a bathroom.
Speaker 2:
[03:35] This is the new trend. You don't break into the jewelry store. You break into whatever is next to the jewelry store in the strip mall and then you tunnel through the bathroom.
Speaker 1:
[03:44] And keep in mind, many of these jewelry stores don't have insurance.
Speaker 7:
[03:48] Look at this enormous hole left behind.
Speaker 2:
[03:51] I'm not saving that. We're just going to move on.
Speaker 7:
[04:02] This camera angle shows the moment the burglars slithered their way in. Police say the crooks were unable to get away with the owner's jewelry locked in a safe, but they created this mess while taking off with some of the owner's property.
Speaker 2:
[04:15] First time I've ever heard of a safe actually being safe.
Speaker 1:
[04:20] Well, there's a first for everything.
Speaker 2:
[04:21] But of course, his building is destroyed and probably needs to get red-tagged.
Speaker 1:
[04:27] Well, I'm sure it looks like a bomb went off in there.
Speaker 4:
[04:30] I heard for that guy, he's a good man.
Speaker 7:
[04:32] Matt Hock owns Sonny's handcrafted ice cream and shaved ice a few doors down.
Speaker 2:
[04:37] I wonder if he has a brother named Mike.
Speaker 1:
[04:40] It's possible.
Speaker 7:
[04:44] He too has been victimized by burglars. Three break-ins in 10 years.
Speaker 4:
[04:49] Ours was pretty brazen of a rock being thrown through the door. They get in, they look for something to steal.
Speaker 7:
[04:58] In North Hollywood, thieves hit Caravana coffee shop. It's the third time in five months.
Speaker 2:
[05:04] Crime is down everybody.
Speaker 1:
[05:06] If you were smart enough to understand statistics, you would know that too.
Speaker 2:
[05:10] The whole deal is the valley is supposed to be boring, but safe. Now the valley is boring and dangerous.
Speaker 7:
[05:22] In Granada Hills, neighbors have reported a rash of break-ins over the last several weeks. This week, several homes in Valley Village were targeted. Nina lives in Studio City, where she says her home was invaded back in January.
Speaker 8:
[05:35] After they were taking the report about my home invasion, they got another call of another home invasion within a mile away.
Speaker 2:
[05:47] The LAPD does more than anything else take reports of something that already happened.
Speaker 1:
[05:54] At what point do they just adopt the Oakland philosophy and tell these people to fill out a form online?
Speaker 8:
[06:00] So yeah, it's pretty scary.
Speaker 7:
[06:03] People living and working in the San Fernando Valley says something needs to be done to cut down on break-ins. In response, Mayor Karen Bass ordering LAPD to step up air and ground patrols along the busy Ventura Boulevard business and residential corridor.
Speaker 2:
[06:17] She even called for horse cops.
Speaker 1:
[06:21] Bring in the cavalry.
Speaker 7:
[06:23] An effort to make officers more visible in areas prone to burglaries, like the strip mall, where Matt runs his ice cream shop.
Speaker 4:
[06:30] I haven't seen any extra patrols in our neighborhood here, nor at home. So, I'll be looking to see if there is actually a follow up to, you know, The Promise.
Speaker 2:
[06:43] Of course not. We've been through this how many times?
Speaker 1:
[06:47] No, what they don't want is they don't want the local news to cover it, because if the local news covers it, then people will be aware of the fact that there's crime going on.
Speaker 4:
[06:56] And we'll see what happens. I want peace of mind. And I've had it. These stories are starting to invade, you know, my serenity.
Speaker 2:
[07:07] Serenity now. Let's move on to a CBS LA story about some burglaries in North Hollywood.
Speaker 9:
[07:15] Well, nearly every night for the last two weeks, burglars have broken into homes in the San Fernando Valley.
Speaker 10:
[07:21] It seems like a surge in police officers isn't stopping crimes either.
Speaker 1:
[07:26] You don't say.
Speaker 10:
[07:27] CBS LA's Zach Buehdeau live in North Hollywood where people are taking matters into their own hands, Zach.
Speaker 11:
[07:35] Hey, Gio Leslie, good evening. A man we talked to who's lived here in North Hollywood since the 70s says it's never been like this. And now he and his neighbors are leaning on each other after Mayor Karen Bass says that LAPD would be boosting patrols here in the valley.
Speaker 2:
[07:50] But you know, as much as people like Karen Bass and Garcetti before her love to say that, you know, crime is lower than it's been since the 1950s, there are plenty of people who have lived in the valley their entire lives who will disagree with that.
Speaker 1:
[08:05] They will not only disagree, they'll look at you like you're on drugs.
Speaker 11:
[08:09] A home here in North Hollywood still hit overnight. This neighborhood dog walk in North Hollywood Sunday is doubling as Neighborhood Watch.
Speaker 12:
[08:19] It's nice. It's very nice to have a community.
Speaker 8:
[08:23] We look out for each other.
Speaker 2:
[08:24] Sure, we pay taxes to have the police protect us, but because they're so understaffed and are mostly on the other side of the hill all the time, we're doing our own Neighborhood Watch with dog walking.
Speaker 1:
[08:35] You know, if you just voted differently, you wouldn't have to live like this.
Speaker 2:
[08:40] Yeah, we're not going to do that. This is Los Angeles.
Speaker 13:
[08:43] It's very important, right?
Speaker 2:
[08:44] How many points did Rick Calaruso lose by?
Speaker 1:
[08:47] A lot.
Speaker 14:
[08:48] It's very important right now.
Speaker 11:
[08:50] The group walks their neighborhood nightly, but tonight is different. After a home they walked by nearly every day was broken into less than 24 hours ago.
Speaker 15:
[08:59] It's disturbing.
Speaker 11:
[09:01] While LAPD says no one was home during the burglary, the department says the thieves did get away with cash and jewelry. Sky Cow was overhead as LAPD officers searched the home with guns drawn.
Speaker 2:
[09:14] They were long gone, guys.
Speaker 1:
[09:17] That's when they pull out their piece.
Speaker 2:
[09:19] Yes. It's all for show. It's just really... They know they're not allowed to do their job, so they're going to play the part. It's just really disturbing because there's been so many.
Speaker 8:
[09:29] You hear about them in Studio City and now here.
Speaker 2:
[09:32] It's like... Even the dog's pissed off.
Speaker 1:
[09:36] Wouldn't you be?
Speaker 8:
[09:37] Uncomfortable.
Speaker 11:
[09:38] The burglary comes just two days after Mayor Karen Bass said LAPD would be boosting patrols along Ventura Boulevard because of a rash of home break-ins in the San Fernando Valley. Just within the last week, break-ins also happening in Toluca Lake, Valley Village, Sherman Oaks, and Granada Hills.
Speaker 2:
[09:57] But one all over the valley.
Speaker 1:
[09:59] Well, wait a minute. Why not send in the social workers? I thought they were supposed to take care of all these problems.
Speaker 11:
[10:04] But one resident says it's going to take more than city resources to stop the crime.
Speaker 16:
[10:09] It's great if the community does stuff or attacks for sure, and that should be expected. But I think in the end, you should do what you need to do to protect yourself.
Speaker 17:
[10:18] Wow.
Speaker 2:
[10:18] I think that means get a gun.
Speaker 1:
[10:20] Yeah. Well, guess what? If you actually use it, you're going to be decried as a racist and put in prison.
Speaker 17:
[10:25] Wow.
Speaker 11:
[10:25] Home surveillance cameras and the neighborhood dogs can be strong deterrents for criminals looking for loot. These neighbors are banding together.
Speaker 2:
[10:34] By the way, the cameras are no deterrent whatsoever. This current crop of organized criminals, they cut your power, so all of the cameras are dead.
Speaker 1:
[10:44] I think part of the problem is that many of these organized, professionalized operations, they're from other countries. What is it? Chile?
Speaker 2:
[10:53] Some of them are from Chile, some of them are from Paraguay, some of them are from Uruguay.
Speaker 1:
[10:57] I think part of the issue is they really do not want to arrest them because then they'd have to deport them.
Speaker 2:
[11:03] Well, there is that. These, I mean, you could say the same exact thing about all the Honduran drug dealers in the Tenderloin who we don't want to deport.
Speaker 11:
[11:11] These neighbors are banding together, hoping their presence may give their streets another layer of protection.
Speaker 15:
[11:18] Luck has a lot to do with it at this point because there just can't be enough people out here patrolling all the homes and keeping an eye out for something that doesn't seem right. It just doesn't happen.
Speaker 2:
[11:29] It is such a small portion of the population that wants to victimize the rest of us. But of course, we don't want to put them in prison.
Speaker 1:
[11:36] We've handcuffed ourselves.
Speaker 11:
[11:38] Now, it was Friday that Bass's office had made the statement about boosting patrols here in the valley. We reached out to them today about two more burglaries that happened this weekend. I have not yet heard back. Geo Leslie?
Speaker 2:
[11:51] So that's what happened in North Hollywood. Now let's move to the northern part of the valley and go to Sylmar. Here's KTLA.
Speaker 18:
[11:58] Our top story tonight, a string of home burglaries across the San Fernando Valley, leaving residents on edge in the place they should feel the safest.
Speaker 19:
[12:07] Tonight, extra patrols are out there on the streets as residents.
Speaker 2:
[12:10] And by the way, if Karen Bass wasn't running for re-election, she would have not even said she was going to do anything or even held a press conference, because that's usually her move, is to ignore it and like every mayor before her, completely ignore the valley.
Speaker 1:
[12:27] And then to the extent that you acknowledge it at all, you claim that they're spreading misinformation.
Speaker 19:
[12:33] Tonight, extra patrols are out there on the streets as residents believe that the same crew has hit multiple homes in recent weeks. In fact, the thieves were caught on surveillance video in at least one of those break-ins. The suspects hitting a home in Sylmar earlier this week.
Speaker 18:
[12:48] KTLA's Chris Wolfe.
Speaker 2:
[12:49] Voting differently isn't even enough. These, all these neighborhoods should incorporate. Everyone thinks they're cities anyway.
Speaker 1:
[12:56] Yeah, as long as they remain part of the city of Los Angeles, they're not going to receive any legitimate services.
Speaker 18:
[13:04] KTLA's Chris Wolfe is live in...
Speaker 2:
[13:05] The dumbest thing that ever happened, and he can't blame me because I wasn't old enough to vote, was not going forward with the Valley Secession Movement in exchange for neighborhood councils that nobody pays attention to.
Speaker 1:
[13:17] No, but part of the problem is having a very large valley city would present its own problems. What they need to do is they need to break off into a bunch of little cities like they do in Orange County.
Speaker 2:
[13:29] Oh, yeah.
Speaker 18:
[13:30] KTLA's Chris Wolfe is...
Speaker 2:
[13:31] Panorama City should be a city.
Speaker 1:
[13:33] Yes.
Speaker 18:
[13:34] KTLA's Chris Wolfe is live in Selmar. That's where he spoke with some of the victims and has video you'll see only on Five. Hi, Chris.
Speaker 20:
[13:43] That's right. Good evening, Kareen and Rick. I can tell you we did see an LAPD patrol through the neighborhood tonight. As you said, this is Selmar. It is part of the San Fernando Valley. And sadly, this area has been a hotbed for residential crime lately. Home security cameras in Selmar capture intruders lurking around the property at about 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 15th. The hooded, masked and gloved figures don't seem to be in a hurry.
Speaker 2:
[14:19] About they're not going to get COVID.
Speaker 1:
[14:22] Well they're very concerned about slowing the spread.
Speaker 20:
[14:25] Or concerned that the homeowners may arrive at any moment. They made entry by smashing a sliding glass door. The house on Heron Street in the Whitehawk Estates was unoccupied at the time, and the thiefs spent nearly one hour at the location.
Speaker 2:
[14:43] An hour?
Speaker 1:
[14:45] I thought they were supposed to be in and out fast.
Speaker 2:
[14:49] Apparently these guys aren't in a rush. Really take their time.
Speaker 1:
[14:53] They watching Netflix?
Speaker 20:
[14:55] Searching for valuables and violating someone else's sacred space. They eventually disabled the surveillance cameras and tossed bedroom after bedroom after bedroom.
Speaker 21:
[15:08] Very concerning, alarming and...
Speaker 2:
[15:11] So the owners were at home, but none of the neighbors noticed all this ruckus going on for an hour?
Speaker 1:
[15:18] It's like institutionally everyone has given up. The cops have given up, the courts have given up, the neighbors have given up, even the dogs have given up.
Speaker 21:
[15:26] I feel like it's taking away my safety. I'm having a really hard time dealing with it, to be honest, and accepting the fact that this has happened.
Speaker 20:
[15:34] The victims report a loss of money and jewelry totaling about $300,000.
Speaker 2:
[15:41] Holy cow!
Speaker 1:
[15:42] That's a lot of money.
Speaker 20:
[15:44] They believe the same criminals are responsible for similar break-ins in the neighborhood within the past few weeks.
Speaker 21:
[15:50] I don't feel comfortable even being here in my own home.
Speaker 22:
[15:53] I'm not a gun person, but I do want to purchase a gun now.
Speaker 2:
[15:58] Yep.
Speaker 1:
[16:00] Okay, that's fine, but you also need to vote differently.
Speaker 2:
[16:04] No, they're not going to do that.
Speaker 22:
[16:05] It's scary. Like, I don't even want to leave my daughter by herself or my 14-year-old daughter by herself. So I'm not going to.
Speaker 20:
[16:15] This case is just one of the latest home break-ins in a rash of similar crimes across the San Fernando Valley, and homeowners are fed up.
Speaker 2:
[16:26] You know how irritating it was to fly back into LA, take a lift to the valley, and as I was scrolling through my phone to see, hey, what did I miss while I was on the plane? Valley burglary after valley burglary after valley burglary after valley burglary.
Speaker 1:
[16:42] I bet you wish that flight got canceled.
Speaker 2:
[16:44] Seriously, American, the one time you're on time.
Speaker 13:
[16:48] This is the Los Angeles Police Department.
Speaker 9:
[16:50] Everybody inside this building, come out with your hands up.
Speaker 2:
[16:53] They were long gone.
Speaker 20:
[16:56] Some properties have been targeted and hit multiple times. In Porter Ranch Friday night, April 17th, We've almost shouted out every neighborhood in the valley.
Speaker 1:
[17:06] Oh, we have one more to go.
Speaker 20:
[17:08] Thugs tried to cut power, jam the internet, and get inside with the homeowner there. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass just announced she's directed the LAPD to strategically deploy resources and patrols to keep valley residents safe.
Speaker 2:
[17:25] And it didn't work. Now let's move to a neighborhood that wishes they would be annexed by Burbank, Toluca Lake. Here's NBC LA.
Speaker 3:
[17:33] Tonight we continue to follow the latest in a string of home burglaries in and around the San Fernando Valley.
Speaker 2:
[17:38] It's actually a really good idea that I just came up with. Burbank, take Toluca Lake. They don't want to be part of LA anymore.
Speaker 1:
[17:46] Can you blame them?
Speaker 3:
[17:47] Around the San Fernando Valley.
Speaker 23:
[17:48] Police say the latest was early this morning in the Hollywood Hills at another last night in Toluca Lake. Mayor Bass has already prompted the LAPD to increase patrols along Ventura Boulevard. NBC 4 has reported on several other burglaries. You can see them here on this map all since last Friday.
Speaker 2:
[18:04] This is so embarrassing and any other mayor would not get away with it, but it is LA.
Speaker 1:
[18:09] Of course.
Speaker 3:
[18:11] NBC 4's Camilla Rambaldi joining us live right now from North Hollywood with more details. Camilla.
Speaker 6:
[18:18] Kathy and Jonathan, over the last week, we have learned about at least a dozen reported burglaries in and around the San Fernando Valley. Some neighbors that we spoke with tonight telling us they're on edge and now worried for their own safety. Police can be seen outside another home in the San Fernando Valley. This was last night in Toluca Lake off Strom Avenue. The LAPD says that about 945 officers responded to reports of a residential burglary here.
Speaker 17:
[18:46] It's actually really scary knowing that all these robberies are happening and I'm scared for the neighbors.
Speaker 6:
[18:51] Police say two men in dark clothing.
Speaker 2:
[18:53] Notice how Burbank's in the valley and none of these stories are in Burbank.
Speaker 1:
[18:58] Different city.
Speaker 6:
[18:59] Clothing, masks.
Speaker 2:
[19:00] Calabasas. No stories about Calabasas. There's lots of fancy homes there.
Speaker 1:
[19:07] You know, Bob Hope used to live in Toluca Lake.
Speaker 6:
[19:10] Clothing, masks and gloves appear to have used a ladder that was in the backyard to get in through an upstairs window. Police say the thieves took off with an estimated $200,000 worth of property. The LAPD says the people who live inside were not home at the time and no one was injured.
Speaker 13:
[19:26] That's got to be really scary because I don't know how I felt when I walked in.
Speaker 6:
[19:30] Ingrid Geyer lives in the neighborhood.
Speaker 13:
[19:33] I got burglary twice when I was in San Francisco, so I know what it's like. I walked in and they...
Speaker 2:
[19:39] And she shot, she was moving from the busy city to a safe, boring neighborhood and now it's all happening there. There you go, Johnny. How many neighborhoods were shouted out about burglaries that all have happened in the last week in the Valley?
Speaker 1:
[19:53] I think just about all of them.
Speaker 2:
[19:58] 818.
Speaker 1:
[20:00] Welcome home, Randy. 800-222-5222 is the telephone number. 1-800-222-5222. If you'd like to email the show, you can do so at johnnydontlikeshow.gmail.com That's johnnydontlikeshow.gmail.com. Randy, any emails catching your eye?
Speaker 2:
[20:23] Well, I'm responding to the one that's a woman asking me where to go in Santa Fe. But also, I can't even read this on the air, but somebody really liked the thing that you said about Bezos' wife at the top of the hour. If you missed it, you can listen to it on the podcast.
Speaker 1:
[20:41] Randy, now that we're about 25 minutes away from the end of the show, if you want to continue listening after we sign off at 3, that's easy to do.
Speaker 2:
[20:48] If you want to hear the inappropriate thing John said at the top of the hour at about 3.05, you'll see it on the podcast. Search for the John Philip Show wherever you get your podcast, whether it's the Apple Podcast app, I Heart Spotify, search for the John Philip Show, hit subscribe, you can download all the episodes, you can do a Google on the YouTube, get the free KABC app or the KSFO app or how about the KMJ Now app, we're on that station Saturdays at noon. So many different ways to listen live to this show wherever you are and listen whenever you want with podcasts and you can take them with you. Listen to the podcast while you're working out, while you're driving or while you're shopping at Target.
Speaker 4:
[21:23] How ghetto does this look? They have to lock up the socks.
Speaker 1:
[21:27] So every 4th of July since 2011, there's been an event in Long Beach called Long Beach's Big Bang on the Bay Firework Show. It's something that people in Long Beach love to see. Of course, it's a beautiful part of Long Beach right there downtown by the aquarium. You have the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean of downtown Long Beach. It's a nice spot to look at the fireworks when you celebrate Independence Day. However, this year, the California Coastal Commission has stepped in and denied a permit to the individuals who put the show on. The man who is behind the show is the proprietor of the restaurant Boathouse on the Bay. You can get it online at boathouseonthebay.com. He is the owner of Boathouse on the Bay, John Morris. John Morris, thanks so much for stopping by.
Speaker 5:
[22:28] My pleasure. My pleasure.
Speaker 1:
[22:31] So let's start out with the origins of the story. Just exactly when did you start doing this and what gave you the impetus to put on a firework show in Long Beach?
Speaker 5:
[22:43] Well, originally when I came here back in about 2010, I've been in the front business in Long Beach going on 50 years. And I've been in the Belmont Shore area, the downtown area. I'm known as like the pioneer of Long Beach. And throughout that process, holiday weekends have always been slow. And then when I came to this location, I was excited. I was on the water in my first July 4th here. Of course, we were very, very quiet. And then I realized still Long Beach, people leave the area to go to the beaches in Seal Beach. And I thought, what can I do to create something? And the city wouldn't let me do it on the fourth. And mainly it's because we really don't have the resources to do the Queen Mary fireworks and then do this fireworks. So I kind of fought back. And then I was approached by the fire marshal. And he said, they wanted the 10 year anniversary of 9-11 is coming up. And they wanted to do a celebration of life. Because they've never actually done that. And they asked me to organize an event. And he said, if you'll organize the event for us, and want to end it with fireworks, we'll do the fireworks. So the whole show, we did 3,000 motorcyclists from Cook's Corner in Orange County, Highway Patrol escort up Pacific Coast Highway, pulled into the parking lot. We had food vendors, stage music. It was unbelievable. And then it was set up with the fireworks. And the neighborhood did not know the fireworks were going to happen. And of course, they thought maybe the Long Beach Port just got blown up with the 10-year anniversary. But it was such a, it was, I knew it was going to be beautiful in Allardus Bay. But it was way beyond beautiful. It's unbelievable. And after the event with the massive success that it was, the Fire Chief came to me and said, the city had said, you can do any night you want for fireworks, but you can't do the fourth. Of course, I just said right away, we'll do the third because nobody has to wake up on the fourth. So that's how it started. And I started right away and we were raising money for the Firefighters, Widows and Orphans kind of fund they have here. And we raised money for them for a couple of years. And then I brought in the community charities thinking that that would help me with the buffer with this. At the first, I was thinking this could be the problem because I do have my relationship with the city. And it turns out it was the Coastal Commission that was the problem from day one. And they went after me. But we always, I hired an environmental company and we test the water before the fireworks. We test the water after the fireworks. We send a robo camera down into the bay to make sure there's no debris. And for 10 years, I've had environmental reports that have never once been questioned. Never once by the Coastal Commission did they write us up for anything. And for eight years, we did bird reports. And the same thing, squeaky clean, birds came back, not a problem with the nesting. And three years ago, they sued me, the surf organization sued me in federal court, spent three years in federal court, we proved in federal court we don't pollute and we don't affect the bird life. They appealed that decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. I won that case, two to one vote. They appealed that. And I won that appeal on a three zero vote. We spent $300,000 defending ourselves with the Coastal Commission, the surf organization. And we win all those cases. They still say we're polluting the water and affecting the bird life. It's a joke. It is a true. And last week, when they approved San Diego one hour before me, when I have a right in front of me here, that March of 2025, the surf organization, the Coastal Commission, they excited Seawater for polluting the water, which at that time, they were not doing any of the conditions that we have on our firework show. They could do anything they wanted. And they settled and wrote a check for 250 grand to that nonprofit down there. And then they issued them 40 firework shows this year. And then I go up 30 minutes later, and they go, no, by bringing up pollution, the environment, it's all bullsh**t.
Speaker 1:
[27:00] Really, you can't use that word, but... It's complete insanity, because you look at the professional firework shows that go on all the time, whether it's Disneyland, or The Angels, or The Dodgers, or Fill in the Blank. They go on all over the place. And they go on without a hitch. If you hire professionals, and you do it the right way, which clearly you were doing, this is something that goes on in every big city in America, every single year, it's no big deal. The fact that the California Coastal Commission would single you out, and would single your fireworks show out, while allowing everything else to go on in this state is beyond my ability to comprehend. I would also add, as someone who's lived in this state my entire life, and spent the Fourth of July in Orange County, in LA, in the Inland Empire, in San Francisco, and in Oakland, there are a gazillion illegal fireworks shows that go off on Fourth of July weekend, not just on the Fourth, but three or four days before, and three or four days after, all over the place, where they don't take any of the precautions that you take.
Speaker 5:
[28:16] No, none whatsoever. You know, they bring up the PTSD and animals, work with the VA hospital. We've had the VA, the veterans come over here for the firework shows. And again, the benefit of a schedule show, they know, okay, between 9 and 920, it's going to be banging. I'll put my headset on, I'll turn the stereo up, I'll drug my dog, I'll do what they need to do. But like you said, it's not about the fireworks show. They should be more worried about all the illegal fireworks that are going on for seven hours that night. But they can't separate it. It's their personal preference to drive drone shows down our throats. And drones have lithium batteries, they're plastic, they'll fall in the bay. The birds don't like the drones. We have video of the birds attacking the drones. But it's just, it's their personal preference that they're jamming down everybody's throat.
Speaker 1:
[29:08] In terms of a state that has extreme fire risk, I can't think of a safer place to do fireworks than at the beach. I mean, when you think about it, with the sand, it's just one big ashtray to begin with. Where do they want you to do the fireworks show? In the canyons where the fires can start?
Speaker 5:
[29:27] They don't want me to do fireworks, they want me to do drones, and the city has already informed them in three meetings we had, like in October, November, December, in Alamitos Bay, if I was to do, if I was to pull up a drone show, and did it the right way, take over a thousand drones, now you can't have any people in the bay, in the boats, you can't be underneath the drones, you can't have people on the beach underneath the drones, so then I go, well, who the hell is going to watch it? It's crazy. We don't have the capabilities of doing a drone show to that extent in Alamitos Bay, and the city told them that, but they didn't care. They told me I need to do a drone show.
Speaker 1:
[30:08] So what's the status as of now? As of now, this 4th of July or I guess the day before the 4th of July, there's going to be no fireworks because the Coastal Commission has put their foot down?
Speaker 5:
[30:19] As it stands today, that's where it's at, but last Friday, Gavin News Office came out and said he's looking into it. Yesterday, State Senator Elena Gonzalez, who in all honesty has been a great supporter of this event. I mean, we get over 130,000 people surrounding the Bay watching the fireworks. Seal Beach has 35,000 to 5,000 watching the same fireworks show. And she went to bat for us yesterday with Gavin Newsom. And I don't know what this is at this moment of the decision he's going to make. But it's, this thing has gone viral. It's truly gone viral. I mean, my own sister called me from Pennsylvania yesterday. I'm watching you on the news right now. So people are ticked. They really tick off because they see the bias against me. They don't like me because I won in court. So they just, they're very vindictive. The leaders, they are bullies. Police to the max.
Speaker 1:
[31:15] Well, and the Coastal Commission in particular has the absolute worst reputation. I have never spoken with a single individual who's ever done any work with the Coastal Commission, who has anything nice to say about them. It's like the world's worst HOA. They're all a bunch of neighborhood Napoleons.
Speaker 5:
[31:36] To me, it's dealing with the staff of the Coastal Commission is brutal. So then they write up the report and give it to the commissioners and then the commissioners just take their word for everything. But then they're in bed with the environmentalists. They're all collusion together. When I go to that hearing last week, it was like, wow, they're all here. All the environmental people. But we had a petition with 2,500 residents around the water in support of the firework. I mean, we had Congressman Garcia send in a letter in support of it. Elena Gonzalez, the state senator from this region, sent a letter of support. Assemblyman John Lowenthal sent a letter of support. The mayor of Long Beach sent in a letter of report. The city council sent a letter of report. 2,500 citizens in the petition. It didn't mean $%&.
Speaker 1:
[32:27] Nope, can't use that word either. But thank you so much for that. It's OK. Thank you so much for fighting the good fight and trying to make sure this fireworks show goes off this Independence Day weekend. We certainly hope that you're successful. You were successful in court. And I hope that Gavin Newsom and others continue to lean on the Coastal Commission so that they give you approval to make sure this fireworks show doesn't happen this year as it's happened every year since 2011. John Morris.
Speaker 5:
[32:59] On just a quick note.
Speaker 1:
[33:01] Yeah.
Speaker 5:
[33:01] Just a quick note. We've raised two million dollars on this fireworks show for kids' programs in Long Beach. Two million dollars.
Speaker 1:
[33:10] Well that is excellent, excellent work. John Morris, proprietor of Boathouse on the Bay. You can get them online at boathouseonthebay.com. And of course dine there whenever you're in Long Beach. Hopefully, you'll be able to go down there this July 4th weekend, see the fireworks, have a nice meal and enjoy yourself in a very cool location when it's hot everywhere else in Southern California. John Morris, thanks so much for stopping by.
Speaker 5:
[33:39] Thank you.
Speaker 1:
[33:41] 800-222-5222 is telephone number 1-800-222-5222. Well, there is a sneaky tax on the ballot in Los Angeles to pay for copper wire because so much copper wire is being stolen and the city is refusing to put anyone in jail over it. So instead of putting the crooks in jail, what they're doing is wanting to raise taxes on the homeowners so they can just buy more copper wire.
Speaker 2:
[34:10] I got the petition in my mailbox yesterday where I get to either vote yes or no on a property tax assessment jacking up the fees that I pay to the city because they can't keep the lights on.
Speaker 1:
[34:26] Great.
Speaker 2:
[34:27] And knowing how the city votes, we're probably going to say yes to it. But for more on the assessment in the city of LA to pay for all the broken street lights, here's Fox 11 and Matthew Seedorf. Got to turn off the music first. Now we can start.
Speaker 12:
[34:48] New tonight, a city in the dark with a costly plan to light it back up. The mayor now pushing voters to approve a fee increase estimated around 120% to pay for the city to replace more than 200,000 streetlights. Fox 11's Matthew Seedorf is in Cheviot Hills with details.
Speaker 2:
[35:06] I guess you could call this the bass tax.
Speaker 1:
[35:10] Oh, there are more on the way.
Speaker 24:
[35:13] Streetlights now flickering back on in Cheviot Hills, a road that just days ago was completely dark.
Speaker 8:
[35:19] So it's definitely a plus to have lights.
Speaker 24:
[35:21] Across LA, copper thieves continue striking, ripping wire from underground fiber lines and above ground knocking out streetlights for entire neighborhoods.
Speaker 2:
[35:31] And that's totally fine.
Speaker 1:
[35:33] Because it's anything goes here.
Speaker 2:
[35:35] Well, what are we going to do? Criminalize it?
Speaker 25:
[35:37] You know, let's criminalize catalytic converters. Let's criminalize copper.
Speaker 2:
[35:41] He's probably going to win re-election.
Speaker 1:
[35:44] Good Lord.
Speaker 24:
[35:46] More than 32,000 streetlight repair requests still pending citywide.
Speaker 14:
[35:50] We are going to install 60,000 new streetlights.
Speaker 2:
[35:54] If we can get the taxpayers to pony up the bill.
Speaker 1:
[36:00] It's so wild to me that from her point of view, the only people who are expected to follow the rules or pay the bills are the middle class. And we just can't expect anyone else to do that. So, stop asking.
Speaker 2:
[36:14] And what did we learn yesterday? Some of that stolen copper wire is in the homeless shelters that we're also paying for.
Speaker 14:
[36:22] That installation is already underway.
Speaker 24:
[36:24] But now a decision many voters may not know about. It's called Prop 218, a streetlight assessment. And it would raise fees to help replace the city's more than 200,000 streetlights. And for property owners, that means they could be paying about 120% more to fund the $125 million program currently generating $45 million. Ballots go out this week.
Speaker 14:
[36:46] As long as voters support the streetlight city, the streetlight.
Speaker 2:
[36:50] So because the city is bad at its job, I have to pay more money?
Speaker 1:
[36:55] Think about this. Think about the stories that we did earlier today. We are bending over backwards dealing with a completely polluted river in San Diego County because we can't tell the Mexicans to stop dumping raw sewage into it. We have to raise taxes on homeowners in Los Angeles because we can't tell the crackheads to stop stealing the copper wire.
Speaker 24:
[37:24] Ballots go out this week.
Speaker 14:
[37:25] As long as voters support the streetlighting assessment, we will be able to replace all 200,000 lights as needed.
Speaker 2:
[37:38] And then what happens when those get vandalized?
Speaker 1:
[37:40] Then she's going to need a new tax.
Speaker 14:
[37:43] In the city, something long, long.
Speaker 2:
[37:45] I don't know when taxes became piecemeal, but, oh, you like streetlights? You need a specific tax for that. Oh, you like firefighters? You need a specific tax for that. That's not how this is supposed to work.
Speaker 1:
[37:55] No, we pay a fortune to live here. They need to manage their budget better.
Speaker 14:
[38:01] In the city, something long, long, long overdue.
Speaker 25:
[38:04] So someone has pried this panel loose.
Speaker 24:
[38:06] Earlier this year, we did a ride along with LAPD looking at copper wire thefts. Homeless in this area are getting city power. Their task force designed to target these crooks essentially dismantled. What happened to it?
Speaker 25:
[38:19] So about two years ago, the last person from that unit retired, and we had to shutter that unit because of the lack of resources.
Speaker 1:
[38:27] So we're not even trying to arrest them anymore.
Speaker 2:
[38:30] No, we don't do that.
Speaker 24:
[38:31] For some, the wait for new lights has stretched more than a year.
Speaker 13:
[38:34] Solar is the move.
Speaker 24:
[38:35] While others are now seen on the street again.
Speaker 13:
[38:37] I'm glad the street is lit, but there are a lot of criminals now in West LA.
Speaker 3:
[38:40] They're stealing a lot.
Speaker 24:
[38:42] About 600,000 property owners across LA are going to be getting those ballots for Prop 218 sometime in the next couple of days. Reporting in Sheffield Hills, Matthew Seedorf, Fox 11 News.
Speaker 2:
[38:53] I think I'm voting no.
Speaker 1:
[38:56] Good. Tell your neighbors to vote no too.
Speaker 2:
[38:59] If you are a homeowner in the city of LA, check your mailbox. You may have just gotten this thing and they're counting on very few people even paying attention to it.
Speaker 1:
[39:10] All right, that's going to do it for us today, but we'll be back tomorrow at noon for another edition of The John Phillips Show.