To the editor: I was disappointed that The Times praised Lynda and Stewart Resnick in its… The Influential The series, without taking into account the couple's involvement in the business dealings that took control of California's precious water supply away from the public and put it in the hands of the Resnicks' agribusiness giant, is no wonder they have buckets of money to donate; their bucket is overflowing while others in the Central Valley are dying of thirst.
Patrick Nolan, Los Angeles
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To the editor: I was surprised by the absence of union leaders and the Los Angeles County Democratic Party at LA Influential. State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, the first woman to lead the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, and Yvonne Wheeler, the group’s current president, are at least as influential as Kris Jenner. Mark Gonzales and Mark Ramos lead the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, which spearheaded the campaign to elect Mayor Bass, thwarting the more than $100 million Rick Caruso spent to win. The Times loves the glitz and the money, but for most of the 10 million people who live in Los Angeles, minimum wage increases and health care matter more than Pom Wonderful.
John Gallogly, Los Angeles
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To the editor: Johnson and Alice Chen, the next generation of 99 Ranch leaders, were named to the Times’ list of Los Angeles influencers. It’s heartening to see an ethnic grocery chain receive recognition, as their hard work reflects the achievements of many Asian Americans.
Along those lines, I suggest they consider offering a 40-hour workweek instead of 36 to all of their store employees, not just managers and department heads, as well as offering some paid vacation days. Many store employees work a six-day workweek but are denied paid vacation days because they don’t work 40 hours. Thanks to California’s recent amendment, they now have five paid sick days a year. While offering paid vacation time may be costly, it could be the 1% improvement the Chens are looking for: taking care of their workers.
Jackie Furman, Yorba Linda
