Letters to the Editor: Asking Taylor Swift to postpone L.A. concerts? How about passing laws to support workers
To the editor: By my count, at least 14 of the politicians who signed the letter to Taylor Swift asking that she postpone concerts are elected California Legislature members.
This is how I see it: The people who actually have the power to make laws that ensure that lower-wage employees in California make a decent living are the very Assembly members who signed this letter and their Democratic colleagues. But these elected officials don’t pass legislation that sets a higher minimum wage and needed benefits package because they are cowards who are afraid to upset the business owners and corporations in the state who keep wages and benefits so low for workers while they and their shareholders reap the financial benefits.
Will politicians actively and publicly work with local organizations, media outlets (including newspapers) and everyday people to build momentum that will make change? This is not Taylor Swift’s job — it’s the job of our legislators, and so far you’ve all been MIA.
Carol J. Smith, Cerritos
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To the editor: Taylor Swift is a caring woman with a political conscience. But postponing her concerts at SoFi is not the right answer here because it is not fair to her fans who have focused their lives around these concerts.
How about a compromise, Taylor? Do the concerts and donate a huge amount of the proceeds from the shows to the Unite Here Local 11 strike and defense fund so that the workers who are not able to afford tickets to your concerts can at least have something to eat. Did I mention a “huge amount?” You can afford it and this kind of generosity may end up making you even more popular with your fans than you already are, if that is even possible.
Larry Weiner, Culver City
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To the editor: Thanks to Anita Chabria for laying out a thoughtful summary. Unite Here knew for a while that Taylor Swift was coming to L.A. and that it would be a huge money-making event for area hotels. A carefully planned public relations campaign would have enabled hotel workers to put their best foot forward to impress Swift and her legion of fans. The workers on the job could have passed out fliers and the union could have utilized social media, newspapers, television and radio spots to make their concerns for better working conditions and higher pay known to a generally sympathetic crowd of mostly women and girls and the wider public.
The pressure (bad press) from these nearly 500,000 Swifties generating free media presence during concert week could have compelled the hotel owners to reach a settlement with the union.
Rather than take some responsibility for approximately 30,000 union workers, politicos would like the voting public to believe it is up to a pop singer to disappoint heartbroken fans because they and their staff had no idea how to avert the strike.
Anthony Elia, Mission Viejo
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To the editor: I read with interest and a little amusement about how officials, including the lieutenant governor, want Taylor Swift to cancel her concerts in solidarity with hotel workers. I guess it’s easy for the lieutenant governor to say since she’s already seen Swift’s show. I wonder if it ever occurred to her to boycott the concert herself as a show of solidarity with the workers? I find it disgusting that government officials are asking Taylor Swift to do their bidding. Maybe the state should shut down for the duration of Swift’s California dates to show their solidarity with hotel workers instead. That’ll show them!
Cal Teraoka, Huntington Beach
