We Can Fight Fraud Without Scapegoating Our Neighbors

By any honest measure, health care fraud is a serious problem in California. Billions of taxpayer dollars are lost each year through abuse of Medi-Cal, Medicare and other programs that are poorly overseen and rarely audited transparently. All governmental leaders have an obligation to demand accountability, enforce the law and protect public funds.

But that effort collapses when it turns into ethnic scapegoating and political theater.

That is what happened when Dr. Mehmet Oz framed fraud concerns through the lens of the Armenian community in Los Angeles County. Rather than presenting specific cases, naming indicted individuals or outlining systemic failures, he relied on implication and innuendo, standing in front of what appeared to be lawful, community-oriented businesses while suggesting a broader conspiracy. That approach did nothing to advance accountability; it only inflamed tensions and distracted from real solutions.

Fraud thrives not because of ethnicity but because government systems are opaque, fragmented and rarely held to account. Oversight is weak, audits are delayed and enforcement is uneven.

When officials turn structural problems into ethnic narratives, attention shifts away from procurement practices and political favoritism – the very conditions that allow abuse to continue.

Glendale shows why this distinction matters. It is a diverse, hardworking city with deep immigrant roots and a strong small-business culture. Yet residents often struggle to get clear answers about contracts, enforcement decisions, development approvals and the flow of public money. Lack of transparency breeds mistrust and makes it harder to separate legitimate concerns from reckless accusations.

California needs better scrutiny – public audits, clear oversight, consistent enforcement and leaders willing to reject the politics of collective blame. 

That is what real leadership looks like.

Patrick Murphy
Glendale

Celebrating Washington’s Birthday – But Exactly When Is It?

On Monday we will enjoy Washington’s birthday, a moment when trivia lovers like to spring their favorite “gotcha” on friends and coworkers: “When was George Washington really born?” When someone confidently answers “Feb. 22,” the self-appointed historian savors the moment before explaining that Washington was actually born on Feb. 11 under the Julian calendar and then launches into the familiar story of Great Britain and the American Colonies adopting the Gregorian calendar in 1752. This pushed Washington’s birthday forward 11 days and moved New Year’s Day back from March 25 to Jan. 1, making his birthday Feb. 22.

And so, as the holiday arrives, Monday will be the federal observance officially designated as Washington’s birthday. Federal agencies do have administrative authority to use another name, but that’s a story for another day.

Lynn McGinnis
Glendale