Workers push for federal coronavirus relief at Trump golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes

A coalition of essential workers — doctors, nurses, sanitation employees and law enforcement officers — demanded Wednesday, May 6, that the latest U.S. coronavirus stimulus package include cities and counties.

The front line workers demonstrated outside Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles, in Rancho Palos Verdes, to draw attention to what they say is federal inaction on the issue. That message was unrelated to the golf course specifically. But its namesake is President Donald Trump, and so served as a symbolic backdrop against which the workers could plead for more help from the federal government.

Faced with shortfalls in tax revenues and an increased demand for services, local governments have been stretched thin, few more so than the city and county of Los Angeles, where more than half of the deaths in California related to the coronavirus have taken place.

Last month, Mayor Eric Garcetti urged furloughs for city workers, and county officials have indicated they will need to find some way to close a roughly $2 billion shortfall, mostly in projected sales tax revenue, with some proposals that could involve furloughs or cuts to retirement.

“It does feel like a slap in the face that we would potentially have cuts to our wages after all the sacrifices we’ve made,” said Tamerin Scott, a veterinarian with the LA County Department of Public Health. “We don’t need to deal with another economic crisis on top of this pandemic.”

The Democratic-led House of Representatives is working on another stimulus package, which could make it to the House floor next week.

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat, said he backs $500 billion in aid to state and local governments, with a supplemental aid package for smaller cities left out of previous aid bills.

But over in the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said Tuesday that it’s time to push “pause” on more aid legislation. And many Senate Republicans appear reluctant to unleash federal funds beyond the nearly $3 trillion Congress has already approved for virus relief.

At Wednesday’s demonstration, meanwhile, several essential workers shared the challenges they face and detailed the potential fallout from an economic recession if local governments don’t get help.

Tony Coleman, a custody assistant for LA County Sheriffs Department, said working in the jails was one of the most dangerous. As of Tuesday, there were 270 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county jails system — 180 inmates and 90 staff members testing positive.

“Despite the dangers we face, we show up and do our duties because we have an obligation to the residents of LA County,” Coleman said. “My fear is that this duty, this obligation to public safety that we take seriously may end up becoming collateral damage in the wake of COVID-19.”

Theresa Monroe, a nurse at LAC+USC Medical Center for the past 20 years, said she’s never been more proud to be a nurse, but at the same time, she and her colleagues are frustrated, angry and scared right now.

“Every day when I clock in, I wonder how much more we will be asked to sacrifice without adequate support from Washington D.C.,” Monroe said. “People call us heroes, but to be honest, without adequate support we feel like sacrificial lambs.”

As budget cuts take effect, several front line workers who gathered Wednesday worried that reduced staffing levels could result in a lack of access for people who rely on county services for a social safety net. And with more people losing their jobs — and with it, their health insurance — the demand on the county system could be even greater.

Julie Wu Hsieh, a staff psychiatrist at the county health department said temporary contracted doctors have already been released, causing an increased caseload for existing practitioners.

“Patient care is being impacted,” she said.

But Trump on Tuesday took to Twitter with a repackaged set of demands if states are to receive more federal help.

“Well run States should not be bailing out poorly run States, using CoronaVirus (sic) as the excuse!” Trump tweeted. “The elimination of Sanctuary Cities, Payroll Taxes, and perhaps Capital Gains Taxes, must be put on the table.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.