Frank Girardot: Imagining the San Gabriel Valley town of Santa Anita

Great story, but it doesn't matter, S. El Monte is just a name, but the character of the city and its resident tells much more. In time, the city will improve and who knows, our future city leaders may seek to change the name of the city. Either way, I'm happy to know the facts of S. El Monte.

You say "tomato," and I say, "tomato."

As Shakespeare once wrote, "South El Monte by any other name is still South El Monte."

If South El Monte had been named "Santa Anita," how would that have changed its current character and culture ?

Answer: It wouldn't have.

If South El Monte were currently named "Santa Anita," that would not elicit rainbows, butterflies, higher school test scores, lower crime, better maintained front lawns, lower unemployment, and less litter in the streets.

And if you believe that it would, Mr. Girardot, then maybe you should be a propagandist for Al Jazeera, or Pravda.
Or, perhaps you're merely a fictitious character from an Orwell novel.

Either way, it sounds like you live in a utopian world of fantasy, rather than the real world as it is.(Naturally, it makes sense, then, that you're a political left winger.)

Several months ago, you characterized Temple City as "Mayberry," with its "tree-lined streets," and Main Street storefronts, and it's park.
That was a real laugher...I don't think many people who've actually grown up in small towns in the USA have ever said, "Gee, pa, that smoggy Los Angeles suburb of Temple City really reminds me of back home in North Carolina, with its numerous unwatered lawns, litany of drive-thru fast food joints, and zillion wedding photography studios that have signs in a foreign language."

And just how is Temple City all that much different from most other Los Angeles suburbs of a similar size ?

Frank, it sounds like you have a sub-conscious yearning for a quaint small town livelihood.
Perhaps, LA is not the place for you.

Fortunately, as a journalist, you have the ability to apply your skills just about anywhere in the USA that you might consider relocating to.

Yes, Imagine a reporter who actually reports on something.

A city's name has no bearing on its future prospects (take the renaming of North Hollywood, for example). Barney Fife, I hope the etiquette you exhibit on the Internet doesn't extend to the real world.

Everything that Santa Anita would have been, South El monte is not.

If the pregnant lady who just died of Swine flu had been admitted and treated at Santa Anita community hospital instead of being turned away from South El Monte community would she and her baby be alive today?
Early tamiflu might have made all the difference
RIP

What's your point, Frank?

Jamal wrote:

What's your point, Frank?

Does this self-serving yahoo EVER have a point? I remember how the Trib trumpeted the return of Girardot to the SGVT. What a low-point. The Trib, which has been going downhill for years, is worse than ever with this dolt writing and editing for them.

He might be the worst newspaper journalist I've seen at the Trib....and the competition is extremely stiff.

Evidently the lady who died left a husband and child
Does South El Monte Community hospital not have an ER policy for pregnate women with this swine flu epidemic going on?
How many does of tamiflu could you buy with what a lawsuit is going to cost them?

Arguing about poor reporting, writing, or editing will not make the Star News or Tribune change. The bell has already rung on print media and the Newspaper Group is on life support. They hire people who could not get or keep a job with legitimate papers and Frank G. is without a doubt the biggest reporting imposter. Still the way to effect change is not to complain. That only makes the powers to be smile because they know we are at least looking at the dribble they report and write. Perhaps dropping a note to an advertiser that you will not use their product or service will get their attention. Let's face facts, if we had another alternative for local news we would dump this class project in a heartbeat. To make a change everyone who reads this comic book masquerading as a newspaper should hold their comments for two days. No blogging about what was or was not reported correctly, no nothing. If you subscribe to this bird cage liner, stop. After all the business of a newspaper is not news, it is advertising. Subscriber and reader numbers drive the advertising rates. Fewer subscribers equal less readers equals less revenue.

Send the message loud and clear that Frank G. and his fellow travelers should get right or get gone.

A good question is why the lady that died of swine flue was at the SEMCH EMERGENCY room and waited around a long time and then left instead of going to her pediatrician?
Was it after hours or a weekend?
There is no way hospital ER's can cope with routine medical care like colds and flu nor should they be requied to.
time for a triage system
Now its triage by waiting
dying by waiting

Next week, Frank Girardot will write a column hypothesizing how if "Death Valley" had only been named "Valley of Eternal Life," it would be a bustling suburb with a temperate climate and an abundance of water, green lawns, and rose gardens...rather than the desert that it is.

more than 3 kids a day are dying of swine flue here in the United States Alone
Many have an underlying medical condition such as Asthma
It should not be rocket science for the admitting or triage nurse to put these at risk patients ahead of the ear- aches and colic babies in the priority.
And the pregnant women also
This lady and her feotus did nto have to die.