12/8/2016 Here are your ‘Reading Heroes’ in Redlands

http://www.sbsun.com/social-affairs/20161207/here-are-your-reading-heroes-in-redlands&template=printart 1/2

San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Here are your ‘Reading Heroes’ in Redlands

Pamela Martinez, youth services librarian at the Smiley Library, and Lugonia first grade teacher DenisePerry among winners

By Kristina Hernandez, Redlands Daily Facts

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

REDLANDS >> San Bernardino County’s Vision2Read initiativenamed four Redlandsbased literacy advocates “Reading Heroes.”

Martha Kennedy and Sharon Regalado, retired teachers who workwith adult literacy learners at Lugonia Elementary; Pamela Martinez,youth services librarian at the A.K. Smiley Public Library; and DenisePerry, a firstgrade teacher at Lugonia, were among 35 honored by thecounty earlier this week.

Perry said Wednesday she was surprised by the nomination. WhileLugonia stresses the importance of reading campuswide, Perry

encourages her students and their parents to read at least 15 minutes a day together in the hopes of creating bothyounger and older lifelong learners, she said.

“If you can enjoy doing it, then you will work harder to do it,” she said.

Martinez, too, called the nomination a surprise.

At Smiley, she leads the annual Young Readers program, as well as the annual summer reading challenge, whichsees children of all ages participate each year.

“I was quite honored as I had no idea,” she said.

County officials held a reception to recognize literacy heroes on Tuesday. Martinez and Perry attended, as didothers nominated.

In February, the county launched the Vision2Read campaign, and asked for the public’s help to identify peoplein the community who “go above and beyond the call of duty to motivate others to read and improve literacy,”according to a news release. According to county data, 63 percent of San Bernardino County thirdgraders didnot meet 2016 California English language arts and literacy standards and 32 million adults across the nationcannot read.

In the release, James Ramos, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said those recognized come from privatebusiness, public schools, libraries and community organizations.

“Several of these reading heroes are spending their own personal time to make sure our children and adults arelearning what they need to succeed in life,” he said.

To learn more, go to www.vision2read.com.

People Magazine 12/7/16

B O R N I N S A N B E R N A R D I N O

Oldest Surviving Pearl Harbor Vet to Visit Base on 75th Anniversary: ‘I Hope People Never Forget’

B Y R O S E M I N U T A G L I O • @ R O S E M I N U T A G L I O

POSTED ON DECEMBER 7, 2016 AT 11:14AM EST

Every night before he falls asleep, Ray Chavez, 104, thinks about the traumatic events that took place on December 7, 1941.

“My life changed overnight,” Chavez, America’s oldest surviving Pearl Harbor veteran, tells PEOPLE of the Japanese attack on the Hawaiian naval base. “I was right in the middle of it.

“I’ll never forget.”

Seaman 1st class Chavez had just completed a minesweeping mission (during which his crew helped sink an enemy midget submarine) when the attack occurred. Chavez, who shies away from talking about the actual events that transpired that day, instead says he is “just simply incredibly proud” to have fought for his country in the 1940s.

On Wednesday, exactly 75 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Chavez will return to the base (now a National Historic Landmark) for the anniversary reunion, where he will be honored.

“I hope people never forget,” he says. “They can’t.”

Chavez, who now lives in San Diego, California, is the oldest surviving Pearl Harbor veteran in the U.S. — and he plans to keep it that way “for as long as I can!”

His daughter, Kathleeen Chavez, says her dad is in excellent health (he still works out with a personal trainer!) and couldn’t wait to return to Hawaii for the anniversary.

“For many years, he couldn’t return, because he couldn’t bear it. He never talked about that day,” Kathleen, 64, says of her father, who made his first trip back when the 50thanniversary arrived in 1991.

“But now, he is ready. And now he’s so proud to have survived this long and to tell his story so that people don’t forget about Pearl Harbor.

“He’s really worried about that.”

After the 1991 reunion, the father-daughter duo returned to Hawaii every few years on December 7 — but for the past couple of years, they’ve made the trip an annual one, not knowing if Chavez would live to see another anniversary.

“But I don’t drink and I don’t smoke and I eat a balanced diet!” Chavez says with a laugh. “That’s my trick. I spent all my life working outside on a farm and then worked out a lot in the Navy.”

He adds, “I can’t believe I’m still alive!”

Chavez was born in San Bernardino, California, in 1912 and worked on fields and nurseries growing up. He married in his early 20s to his wife, Margaret (who died in the 1980s), and had a baby girl, eventually joining the Navy at 27, where he was assigned to the minesweeper USS Condor at Pearl Harbor.

On the morning of December 7, 1941, he was asleep in his bed in nearby Ewa Beach when he heard the bomb raid start. The father immediately hitched a ride with a friend to the harbor where he spent the next nine days on duty — witnessing unimaginable tragedy.

“He will talk sometimes about what his ship did that day or what he saw,” says Kathleen. “He tells me that he thinks about it as he falls asleep every night. That he can see, smell and hear every second.”

The 104-year-old eventually moved up to the rank of chief and served on delivery ships bringing tanks to Marines in the Pacific. But he retired in 1945 after experiencing PTSD.

Unfortunately, tragedy seemed to follow Chavez back to the U.S. In 1955, he lost his daughter, son-in-law and baby granddaughter when the family was suddenly killed in a car crash. But, two years later, the couple brought home Kathleen from a San Diego orphanage, and their lives changed forever — Chavez was happy again.

“I admire my dad in every way, we’re so close even though it’s not by blood,” says Kathleen, who followed in her father’s footsteps and joined the Navy as a young women. “It’s funny, we actually found out something new about his background the other day!”

Chavez and his daughter, who were under the impression that he was of Mexican-American heritage, got the surprise of a lifetime after they submitted his DNA to Ancestry.com.

“I was totally taken by surprise to learn from Ancestry that my DNA results said I had 75 percent Native American in my ethnicity!” Chavez, who is featured in Ancestry’s Pearl Harbor Fold3 tribute honoring those who served at Pearl Harbor during the attack by showcasing the family and military history, says. “No one in my family ever told me that.

“But no matter whether I am Native American or Hispanic, I consider myself an American first.”

12/8/2016 Former chief of staff for San Bernardino Supervisor sentenced for driving under the influence of crystal meth

http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20161207/former-chief-of-staff-for-san-bernardino-supervisor-sentenced-for-driving-under-the-influence-of-crystal-meth&… 1/2

San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

Former chief of staff for San Bernardino Supervisor sentenced for dr iving under theinfluence of crystal meth

By Stephanie K. Baer, San Bernardino County Sun

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

WEST COVINA >> A judge ordered Councilman Mike Spence tothree years’ probation after he pleaded guilty Wednesday morning todriving under the influence of methamphetamine.

Spence, 50, was charged with one count of a misdemeanor DUI inconnection with a solo car crash in June that landed him in thehospital with serious injuries. In addition to probation, Los AngelesCounty Superior Court Judge Stacy Wiese ordered the councilman topay a fine of $2,047, enroll in a countyapproved alcohol program andattend 26 meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymousor Crystal Meth Anonymous.

Spence, who was elected to the council in 2013, has admitted tostruggling with alcohol and drug addiction and using both cocaine andmethamphetamine. He was fired from his chief of staff post in SanBernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman’s office last month.

On June 12, less than a week after losing the primary election for the55th State Assembly District seat, Spence was driving in the area ofAzusa Avenue and Cypress Street in Covina when he crashed his

rental car into a utility pole. Covina police Sgt. Gregg Peterson confirmed Wednesday that toxicology reportsrevealed Spence was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of his collision.

The reports have been unavailable to the public during the investigation and the court proceedings. Authoritiespreviously only said the drug he was under the influence of was an illegal stimulant or narcotic.

“The lab results showed that he had methamphetamine in his system, which leads us to believe that he ingestedmethamphetamine,” Peterson said.

Spence declined to comment after exiting the courtroom Wednesday, wearing a sling around his right shoulderas the result of his last surgery resulting from the accident.

He has said he will not resign from his position on the council as a result of the charge, but told his councilcolleagues and the public in a recent meeting that if it happened again he would resign.

“I have not let my struggles with addiction compromise my ability to fight for taxpayers,” he said during thecouncil’s Nov. 15 meeting.

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20161207/former-chief-of-staff-for-san -bernardino-supervisor-sentenced-for-driving-under-the-influence-of-crystal-meth

12/8/2016 L.A. Supervisor Kuehl appointed to air quality board, ending GOP control of smog rules - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-air-board-kuehl-20161206-story.html 1/4

T

L.A. Supervisor Kuehl appointed to air qualityboard, ending GOP control of smog rules

By Tony Barboza

DECEMBER 6, 2016, 5:10 PM

he Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors appointed liberal Democrat Sheila Kuehl to replace

conservative Republican Michael D. Antonovich on Southern California’s air quality board Tuesday,

ending GOP control over the panel and potentially shifting it back toward stricter regulation of

polluters.

Kuehl’s appointment comes 10 months after Republicans gained a seven-member majority on the 13-member

South Coast Air Quality Management District board in a push to make it more industry-friendly. Under

Republican control, the board fired longtime executive Barry Wallerstein, upheld oil industry-backed rules on

smog-forming pollution and took other steps aimed at easing burdens on businesses.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, seen at her oath of office ceremony in 2014, has been appointed to a seat on the region'sair quality board. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

ADVERTISING

12/8/2016 L.A. Supervisor Kuehl appointed to air quality board, ending GOP control of smog rules - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-air-board-kuehl-20161206-story.html 2/4

In an interview Tuesday, Kuehl described her approach as “strongly regulatory” and said “we need to pay

attention to any form of pollution that can be regulated.”

Kuehl, a former state legislator, is seen as a tough and savvy environmentalist and has previously expressed

concerns about the South Coast air board’s direction. Her appointment comes as the AQMD is making crucial

decisions about how to clean the nation’s smoggiest air to federal standards over the next 15 years.

A big pollution-reduction plan being finalized by the agency focuses heavily on voluntary measures favored by

industry that encourage polluters to clean up rather than imposing traditional emissions-cutting rules.

The approach relies on finding new funding sources to increase spending on clean-air incentive programs more

than 10-fold to $1 billion a year. Environmental and industry groups are wrangling over the details of the plan,

scheduled to go to a final vote in February.

Kuehl said Tuesday that the agency cannot rely solely on incentives, calling stronger regulations “an important

tool that has been underutilized by the AQMD.”

“I'll be interested in increasing clean energy in any way possible,” she added, noting that she hoped to pursue

more vehicle electrification, and perhaps, update rules mandating cleaner government fleets.

“I'll be interested in increasing clean energy in any

way possible.— Sheila Kuehl, newly appointed air quality board member

12/8/2016 L.A. Supervisor Kuehl appointed to air quality board, ending GOP control of smog rules - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-air-board-kuehl-20161206-story.html 3/4

Kuehl also vowed to reexamine the agency’s troubled cap-and-trade program for smog-forming emissions,

saying she wanted to “look at stronger use of safeguards and regulations.”

The Regional Clean Air Incentives Market, or RECLAIM program, has been under fire from state regulators,

politicians and environmentalists recently for failing to achieve promised emissions reductions from oil

refineries and other major polluters. In a report two months ago, the agency itself proposed giving “serious

consideration” to ending the program and adopting traditional regulations in its place.

Tracy Hernandez, chief executive of the Los Angeles County Business Federation, noted Kuehl’s “passion and

track record for supporting policies that advance cleaner air” and said she looks forward to working with

her “to achieve balanced policies and rule-making decisions at the air district that result in growing jobs and

keeping our air clean.”

Environmentalists welcomed the appointment of Kuehl but said they remain concerned about a business-

friendly tilt among both Democrats and Republican members on the panel.

“One shift on the board doesn't solve the problem,” said Adrian Martinez, staff attorney for the environmental

law nonprofit Earthjustice. “We need strong, clean air voices who are willing to roll up their sleeves and figure

out how we solve this air pollution crisis.”

The changes at the agency follow the worst summer smog season in years, as ozone pollution in Southern

California jumped to levels not seen since 2009 and brought an increase of patients seeking medical treatment

for respiratory illness. There were 132 bad air days across the ocean-to-mountains basin under

AQMD’s jurisdiction, up from 112 the previous year.

Activists and state legislators have also raised concerns about diversity on the panel, which has no Latino

members and few representatives from polluted, inland communities.

California Senate Leader Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) sought to shake up the air quality board this year by

proposing to add three state-appointed “environmental justice” members to represent low-income

communities. But his legislation failed in the state Assembly.

In a statement Tuesday, De León’s spokesman said the Senate leader called Kuehl’s appointment “an important

and welcome change … but it's unfortunate they didn't select an appointee to reflect the diversity of the region.”

Spokesman Anthony Reyes said De León is concerned that “many of the pro-polluter regulations since the

partisan takeover still remain in place” and that the lack of Latino representatives on the panel means “the

communities who suffer the most do not have a voice.”

The air quality board consists of elected officials and other appointees from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and

San Bernardino counties and is responsible for protecting the health of 17 million people across the region.

12/8/2016 L.A. Supervisor Kuehl appointed to air quality board, ending GOP control of smog rules - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-air-board-kuehl-20161206-story.html 4/4

On Friday, the AQMD board voted to formally appoint executive officer Wayne Nastri, a former industry

consultant and regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency who was hired to lead the

agency eight months ago on an interim basis.

Antonovich, who termed out, served as the L.A. County government’s representative on the AQMD board for

more than 28 years and was succeeded on the Board of Supervisors on Monday by Kathryn Barger.

Kuehl is expected to take the county’s seat on the air quality board in January.

tony.barboza@latimes.com

Twitter : @tonybarboza

For The Record

DEC. 6, 2016, 6:50 PM

Comments attributed to state Senate Leader Kevin de León in a previous version of this story were actually from

a statement by his spokesman.

Copyright © 2016, Los Angeles Times

This article is related to: Sheila Kuehl, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Republican Party

12/8/2016 Print Article: Inland economic forecast positive, but dark clouds loom

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=820383 1/2

Inland economic forecast positive, but dark clouds loomBy SAL RODRIGUEZ2016-12-07 17:30:29

The Inland Empire has seen significant economic growth since the Great Recession and it is likely the regionwill see sustained growth through 2017. That’s the conclusion of local economist John Husing, in a reportpresented at the Seventh Annual Southern California Economic Summit in Los Angeles

Husing, chief economist at the Inland Empire Economic Partnership, has written consistently in recent years ofthe long-term economic potential of the region. The numbers essentially tell the story.

The region is on track to create nearly 240,000 jobs in the period since 2011. More than 1 in 5 of those jobscomes from the unfortunately much maligned logistics sector. Most jobs in the logistics sector only require ahigh school diploma or less, while yielding a median income of $45,456.

As the fastest growing economic sector in the region, this means the industry is not only providing much neededwork, but will give less educated residents an opportunity at a middle-class lifestyle. This is critical, as accordingto American Community Survey from 2015, nearly half of all Inland residents 25 and older have attained aneducation of high school or less.

According to Husing’s report, five sectors — logistics, construction, health care, manufacturing andprofessional/management/scientific work — are driving economic growth in the region. Fortunately, growth todate has been reflected in significant drops in the region’s unemployment rates. In September 2016, the regionrecorded an unemployment rate of 6.2 percent, less than half of the 13.7 percent figures recorded in September2009 and 2010.

While it is important to reflect on the significant progress made in the region since the depths of the recession, itis perhaps even more important to consider the limitations and ongoing problems the region faces.

A key sector that is growing far short of its potential is the manufacturing sector. In part, this is due to the stateshooting itself in the foot as far as competitiveness on this front. Nationwide, between January 2010 andSeptember 2016, seasonally adjusted manufacturing employment has grown by 802,000, yet California onlyaccounted for 34,600 of those jobs.

At least part of this mismatch can be attributed to the state’s high energy costs — which have risen sharply asstate government continues its push for greater investments in renewable energy — and the overall regulatoryenvironment of California. Setting aside the merits of greater environmental regulations and renewable energy,a practical consequence so far has been the direct loss of jobs for many Californians and indirectly the loss ofopportunity for others.

“Given these facts, the prognosis for manufacturing job growth in the Inland Empire is unfortunately weak,”reported Husing.

Near-term, the Institute of Applied Research at Cal State San Bernardino recently reported in its monthly reporton business that the region’s purchasing manager’s index, which reflects the general state of the manufacturingsector, has remained below a score of 50 for two consecutive months. If this happens an additional month, itmay reflect a downturn in the regional manufacturing sector.

But in addition to the fairly limited prospects for manufacturing, Husing has also raised an alarm to theconsistently high level of poverty and the fairly low levels of educational attainment in the region.

12/8/2016 Print Article: Inland economic forecast positive, but dark clouds loom

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=820383 2/2

The Inland Empire is second only to the Central Valley in high levels of poverty in the state, with nearly one infive residents impoverished. With 47.5 percent of San Bernardino County residents and 46.4 percent ofRiverside County residents limited to a high school education or less, poverty is likely to remain a problem forsome time.

Thus, while it is important to reflect on all the progress that’s been made, the region must continue to addressits local challenges where it can, and encourage greater business friendliness at the state level. Reduction inpoverty and increases in educational outcomes must become a major focus for local policy makers.

Sal Rodriguez is a staff columnist. He may be reached at: salrodriguez@scng.com

© Copyright 2016 Freedom Communications. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service | Copyright | Site Map

12/8/2016 Print Article: New San Bernardino homeless center – approved once, then rejected – now back on path to construction

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=820366 1/2

New San Bernardino homeless center – approved once, thenrejected – now back on path to constructionBy RYAN HAGEN2016-12-07 15:44:17

SAN BERNARDINO >> A center aiming to reintegrate homeless meninto society through a 12-to-18-month live-in program is back on the pathto construction, after the City Council previously voted for and thenagainst the project.

The City Council voted 4-3 Monday to amend the general plan and allowthe center, which, when complete, would fill an 11-acre parcel and houseas many as 115 previously homeless men.

Official approval will come after a second vote in 30 days, if councilmembers do not change their mind again.

The project, known as Mary’s Village, would be built and run by the group responsible for Mary’s Table andVeronica’s Home of Mercy, two other centers on San Bernardino’s Westside that also assist the homeless.

Mary’s Village would be most similar to Veronica’s Home, with some differences — the existing home, originallyopened in 1985, serves women and children, while the new project will be limited to homeless men.

But the principle is the same: a rigorous, long-term program to help people who have fallen into homelessnessfix the issues that got them there — drug use or lack of education, for instance — through comprehensive on-site medical, behavioral health, job training and support services.

The success rate is 75 percent to 80 percent, according to Michael Hein, vice president and administrator ofMary’s Mercy Center.

Those who opposed the project said they worried about people who don’t make it through the programsuccessfully and about a potential “magnet effect.”

The concern — warned about in the city’s existing homelessness plan — is that homeless people from otherparts of the county will be drawn to San Bernardino because of the services the city offers, then will live on thecity’s streets and drive out businesses and visitors.

Many residents have seen the city’s generosity result in more homeless people here, said Councilman HenryNickel.

“I have to represent the taxpayers, the homeowners. When they go downtown, they’re accosted, and they seethe numbers (of homeless people) are disproportionate to the rest of the county,” Nickel said. “I don’t want us tobe the homeless ghetto of the county.”

Indeed, while roughly one-tenth of the county’s residents live in the city, 564 of the 1,440 homeless countedcountywide in the 2016 point-in-time count were in the city of San Bernardino.

Advocates for Mary’s Village said that while a magnet effect is possible with shelters that provide a meal and abed for a night, that’s not what this is. Homeless people can’t just drop by and must commit to be part of aregimented program for a year or more.

12/8/2016 Print Article: New San Bernardino homeless center – approved once, then rejected – now back on path to construction

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=820366 2/2

Hein said the program would prioritize homeless people already living in San Bernardino, but it could not legallyrestrict access to residents.

And in the case of Veronica’s Home, people who do have to drop out are driven somewhere they already havea connection, such as a family member’s home, said director Debra Olguin.

“I’ve been there for 22 years and I can tell you, we never kicked someone into the streets, never,” Olguin said.

The City Council first voted 4-2 in July to approve the project.

Councilman John Valdivia, who represents the area where the project will be built, voted against it. And whenthe project came for its second vote, he convinced Councilman Benito Barrios to change his vote.

Barrios later requested a reconsideration, and after extensive pleas from government and faith-based groupsthat work with the homeless, he voted for the project Monday.

"It’s a tough one," Barrios, who didn’t explain his vote Monday, said earlier. "We have to think long term."

Contact the writer: rhagen@scng.comTwitter: @rmhagen

© Copyright 2016 Freedom Communications. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service | Copyright | Site Map

12/8/2016 San Diego’s Homeless Senior Population Has More Than Doubled | PublicCEO

http://www.publicceo.com/2016/12/san-diegos-homeless-senior-population-has-more-than-doubled/ 1/4

HOME ABOUT PUBLICCEO JOB BOARD GRANTS SUBSCRIBE

Individual Health Plans

1,2Disclosure

San Diego’s Homeless SeniorPopulation Has More Than Doubled

POSTED BY : VOICE OF SAN DIEGO DECEMBER 7, 2016

THE NUMBER OF ADULTS OVER 55 LIVING ON STREETSCOUNTYWIDE MORE THAN DOUBLED FROM 2015 TO 2016 – AND

THE PROBLEM IS ONLY EXPECTED TO GET WORSE. EXPERTSEMPHASIZE BOTH THE MORAL AND SYSTEMIC COSTS LIKELY TO

COME WITH THAT UPTICK.

BY LISA HALVERSTADT.

Teri Petersen never thought she’d end up living on the street.

The petite 65-year-old worked for years. She’s a former PTA president.

Yet there she was on a rainy day this September, confronting a reality she’d never imagined for the

second time in a few years.

This time, a case manager told her she might be forced to wait up to three months to get into

temporary housing. Fear set in.

“It was like, ‘Oh God, what else could go wrong?’” Petersen recalled.

Petersen spent days and nights on public transit, pulling a hooded sweatshirt over her face to sleep.

She downloaded Netflix shows at a coffee shop to watch on the road and visited a friend’s East County

home twice a week to shower.

LATEST HEADLINES

Recovery Complete in Deadly OaklandWarehouse Blaze

Battered San Bernardino is one stepcloser to exiting years-long bankruptcy

Families struggle to pay the high cost ofchild care in San Mateo County

Restructuring retiree benefits will saveShasta County in the long run

Oxnard hires assistant city manager

Click here for more headlines

SIGN UP FOR OUR DAILY

NEWSLETTER!

Name: Name...

Email: Email Address...

Submit

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

12/8/2016 San Diego’s Homeless Senior Population Has More Than Doubled | PublicCEO

http://www.publicceo.com/2016/12/san-diegos-homeless-senior-population-has-more-than-doubled/ 2/4

“I’d always try and not look homeless,” Petersen said.

Advocates for the homeless and nonprofits that serve seniors say such stories are increasingly

common. The number of adults over 55 living on streets countywide more than doubled from 2015 to

2016, according to the annual January census by the Regional Task Force on the Homeless.

2-1-1 San Diego, which refers callers to services, reported a 64 percent spike in calls from seniors

seeking help with housing needs between November 2015 and October 2016 – though it also saw

similar increases across all age groups. Nonprofits that serve seniors say they’re hearing more

concerns about housing costs and requests for housing aid.

But what further distinguishes San Diego’s senior homelessness problem from the broader challenge

is that San Diego County’s overall senior population is poised to boom. SANDAG, the regional planning

agency, has predicted the number of San Diegans over 55 will rise 55 percent between 2012 and 2035.

A decade ago, less than a quarter of clients sleeping in temporary beds downtown at Father Joe’s

Villages were over 50. Today, the region’s largest homeless-serving nonprofit reports 42 percent of

those clients are seniors. Nearby PATH San Diego’s Connections Housing, which operates permanent

units and an interim shelter downtown, says about half its clients are seniors. Just a few years ago,

seniors made up about a third of the nonprofit’s clientele.

National studies predict further increases in senior homelessness. The National Alliance to End

Homelessness, a D.C.-based policy group, has estimated the senior homeless population could rise 33

percent nationally between 2010 and 2020 – and more than double by 2050.

Experts emphasize both the moral and systemic costs likely to come with that uptick.

A UC San Francisco study of 350 homeless seniors in Oakland has revealed homeless adults in their

late 50s often face health issues similar to those in their 70s or 80s.

They can struggle to walk or get dressed or become more easily disoriented, said Margot Kushel, a

UCSF medical school professor leading the research. “In the homeless population, 50 is the new 75.”

Indeed, health conditions are aggravated by life on the streets.

Just ask 64-year-old Harry Payne, who until recently spent his nights in a tent in East Village. He’d been

there since last July, after he said county health workers condemned a $500-a-month trailer he’d been

living in.

Payne, a veteran who served in both the Army and the Air Force, listed health problems that worsened

on the street: a bad ankle that needs to be operated on, arthritis in his shoulders, asthma, high blood

pressure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Before police helped him get a bed at Father Joe’s interim shelter, Payne said thieves often stole his

pain medication. Anxiety about those who might prey upon him kept him up at night. The cold, hard

concrete only added to his troubles.

“I need to be indoors,” said Payne, who’s now trying to find an apartment with the help of a housing

voucher for veterans.

Kushel and others say health and homeless services will need to adjust to better serve clients like

Payne.

The challenge is complicated, Kushel said, by both a lack of affordable housing and two differing

populations of homeless seniors: a cohort of chronically homeless baby boomers who’ve aged on the

streets, and folks like Payne and Peterson, who became homeless as seniors.

FOLLOW PUBLICCEO

3,149Followers

0Fans

SubscribeRss

12/8/2016 San Diego’s Homeless Senior Population Has More Than Doubled | PublicCEO

http://www.publicceo.com/2016/12/san-diegos-homeless-senior-population-has-more-than-doubled/ 3/4

The latter group is significant, Kushel said.

Nearly 45 percent of participants in the Oakland study became homeless after age 50 and often

struggled to navigate a complex homeless-serving system with limited resources.

“Folks who are losing their house late are winding up unsheltered,” Kushel said. “They’re totally

disoriented.”

Paul Downey, CEO of nonprofit Serving Seniors, is all too familiar with those stories. His group offers a

slew of services to low-income seniors countywide, including a homeless prevention program that

usually has a two-to-three month waiting list.

He said the organization is racing to keep up with an increasing volume of seniors set back by financial

challenges.

Serving Seniors helped Petersen move into a temporary room at a downtown single-room occupancy

hotel – after she spent six weeks on the street. Now she’s preparing to search for a permanent home.

Downey’s convinced the region and the state must do more to address the increasing affordability

challenges for seniors like Payne and Petersen.

“In my mind, the alarm bells and red lights are flashing,” Downey said.

Officials with Jewish Family Service and ElderHelp, which both devote significant resources to senior

services, are worried, too.

In a single month earlier this year, ElderHelp said it fielded 320 calls from seniors who needed help

coping with rising rents or finding more affordable housing options.

Many seniors are finding common monthly Social Security incomes between $800 and $1,000 aren’t

cutting it in today’s housing market.

“To live in San Diego just isn’t possible,” said Shanika Webb of ElderHelp.

Jane, a 65-year-old Mira Mesa woman who asked that I not use her last name, is one of the seniors

devastated by San Diego’s tightening rental market and rising costs. The single mother spent a career

working in human resources and later caregiving, sometimes working two jobs at once, before back

pain and a series of surgeries forced her to retire.

At the time, she received just under $1,100 per month in Social Security income, about $50 more than

the monthly rent for her Mira Mesa condo.

That wasn’t enough to cover Jane’s car payment or grocery bills. She ended up leaving her condo

behind.

A friend invited Jane to move in with her while she awaits a spot in Serving Senior’s homeless

prevention program. Now she’s constantly thinking about others who didn’t have that option – and

hoping for the best for herself.

“We have very, very little in San Diego County to help,” Jane said.

Dolores Diaz, who leads the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, said she hopes the region will

prioritize discussions about supports and services for seniors in light of the massive uptick her group

found during last year’s homeless census.

“This data screamed at us, ‘Your unsheltered population is aging,’” Diaz said. “’What are you going to do

about it?’”

Search Search

12/8/2016 Judge Authorizes San Bernardino to Exit Bankruptcy - WSJ

http://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-authorizes-san-bernardino-to-exit-bankruptcy-1481068914 1/2

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that San Bernardino, Calif., can leave bankruptcy eventhough city leaders said they won’t have enough money to fully fund a policedepartment that is fighting a rise in violent crime after last year’s terror attack.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Jury cleared the 200,000-resident city to emerge frombankruptcy after more than four years with a plan to eliminate millions of dollars indebt. The plan, however, would pay just a portion of the $56.5 million sought by thepolice department for the next five years.

“The city infinitely could use more funds” for its police department, Judge Jury said.“Anybody who lives in the area knows that the crime problem in San Bernardino issubstantial.”

San Bernardino police officers were lauded for their response to the Dec. 2, 2015, attackin which Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik shot and killed 14 people, injuring 22 others,at a gathering of county workers.

Now the same department is battling a crime wave with 220 officers, down nearly 40%from before the bankruptcy.

“It wasn’t like crime decided to take a vacation when we lost those positions,” said Lt.Mike Madden. “We’re chasing our tails; we’re not being as proactive and stopping crimebefore it’s committed.”

The city outside of Los Angeles has recorded 60 homicides so far this year, Lt. Maddensaid. There were 44 murders last year, including the 14 people killed in the attack at theInland Regional Center.

“If the homicide rate continues, the city will have more murders this year than in anyyear since 1995,” Chief of Police Jarrod Burguan warned in papers filed in the city’sbankruptcy case.

Gary Saenz, the city’s lawyer, said that while the restructuring will balance the city’sbudget for the next 20 years, the city plans to pay only about 40% of what is necessary tofund the city’s police needs. The city won’t be able to provide all of the services thatcitizens need, he said.

“Given where we are financially, this is what we can afford,” Mr. Saenz said, adding thatthe plan will provide an “adequate” level of public safety.

During the bankruptcy, the city’s staffing fell to 600 people from 1,140. Its financedepartment can’t recruit workers to work at below-market wages, city officials said incourt papers.

The city also won’t be able to fund the $180 million needed for street repairs and $130million for building repairs. It can’t afford to replace the 60 public computersat its library system that are all more than seven years old.

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visithttp://www.djreprints.com.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-authorizes-san-bernardino-to-exit-bankruptcy-1481068914

U.S.

Judge Authorizes San Bernardino toExit BankruptcyCalifornia city to emerge from bankruptcy after more than four years with a plan to eliminatemillions of dollars in debt

Dec. 6, 2016 7:01 p.m. ETBy KATY STECH and ZUSHA ELINSON

12/8/2016 Judge Authorizes San Bernardino to Exit Bankruptcy - WSJ

http://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-authorizes-san-bernardino-to-exit-bankruptcy-1481068914 2/2

San Bernardino filed for bankruptcy on Aug. 1, 2012, projecting it would run out ofmoney in less than two months. The city that sits about 60 miles east of Los Angeles hassuffered from double-digit unemployment and lower tax revenue from fallen propertyvalues.

Throughout the case, San Bernardino officials found ways to save money aside fromcutting the amount of debt it faced. The city began using county-employed firefightersinstead of its own and contracted out solid-waste disposal, recycling and sweepingservices.

City leaders stopped paying retiree health benefits, though they will continue makingfull payments into the pension fund run by California Public Employees’ RetirementSystem, also known as Calpers. The system distributes payments to thousands of retiredcity workers—often their lone source of income, court papers said.

The city decided to make pension payments even though federal judges in charge ofother large municipal bankruptcy cases ruled that pensions could indeed be cut.

The restructuring plan also doesn’t call for any immediate tax increases on its residents.

“The city came in in financial chaos, and it’s leaving in much better shape,” Judge Jurysaid Tuesday.

The plan aims to pay 1% of $209.3 million owed to retirees for health-care claims,families who have won police brutality lawsuits and other unsecured debts.

A European bank owed $51 million in bond debt will be paid 40% of its claim over 30years. The bank’s lawyers argued that, by law, the bonds should be paid at a higher rate.City officials disagreed.

Lawyers who handled the bankruptcy of Detroit, the largest city in U.S. history to file forchapter 9 municipal bankruptcy, had to similarly balance cutting debts between retireesand certain Wall Street firms who stood, by law, to be paid a better rate. Detroit leadersreached a deal with all of the major creditors before emerging from bankruptcy inDecember 2014.

Write to Katy Stech at katherine.stech@wsj.com and Zusha Elinson atzusha.elinson@wsj.com

Copyright 2014 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law.For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.

12/8/2016 Battered San Bernardino is one step closer to exiting years-long bankruptcy - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-san-bernardino-bankruptcy-20161206-story.html 1/5

A

Battered San Bernardino is one step closer toexiting years-long bankruptcy

By Paloma Esquivel

DECEMBER 6, 2016, 6:20 PM

fter four long, painful years, San Bernardino will soon emerge from bankruptcy.

A federal judge on Tuesday said she would approve the city’s plan to exit bankruptcy, marking a

major step toward the end of the process for San Bernardino.

“This is a very important day for the city,” U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Jury said. “The city came in in

financial chaos and it’s leaving in a much better place.”

A federal judge said Tuesday that she would approve San Bernardino's bankruptcy plan, meaning that the city can begin the process ofemerging from four years of bankruptcy. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

12/8/2016 Battered San Bernardino is one step closer to exiting years-long bankruptcy - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-san-bernardino-bankruptcy-20161206-story.html 2/5

FROM OURPARTNERS:

Kim Kardashian's denim line makes history

Approval of the city’s plan to pay its creditors and restructure its finances was touted by officials as the start of

a new era for the battered Inland Empire city, even as it faces a daunting list of challenges to truly right itself.

“We want our residents to know, and we want people who would invest in the city ... to know we’ve cleared this

burden and we’re ready to do business,” City Manager Mark Scott said.

The plan includes a list of agreements with employees, retirees, municipal bondholders and many others.

The confirmation order is tentative until being made official, which Jury said would be done within 30 days.

“Nobody is walking away from this proceeding without having taken some kind of hit,” Jury said.

The plan, the broad outlines of which have been known for some time, preserves pension benefits for employees

and retirees, though employees will have to contribute more to their pension plans and benefits were modified

for new employees.

Retirees will lose some health benefits they were promised.

Meanwhile, some bondholders and unsecured creditors will be paid only 1% of what they were owed.

The vast majority of the city’s creditors have agreed to the plan.

12/8/2016 Battered San Bernardino is one step closer to exiting years-long bankruptcy - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-san-bernardino-bankruptcy-20161206-story.html 3/5

But during Tuesday’s hearing, a number of lawyers for clients with federal civil rights lawsuits against the city

that allege police abuse argued forcefully against it.

Those clients stand to get 1 cent on the dollar for the first $1 million in judgments if the city is found liable.

Insurance would cover the remaining amount.

City representatives have argued that any savings from their compromises with creditors would go to rebuilding

the city’s depleted infrastructure and improving municipal services.

In issuing her ruling, Jury noted that the city must be able to offer adequate services — particularly those for

public safety — if it is to improve.

“Anybody who lives in this area knows that the crime problem in San Bernardino is significant,” she said. “They

have to be able to get safe in order for people to want to live there.”

City Atty. Gary Saenz said the city’s creditors, employees and others made significant compromises for the plan

to move forward.

They “realized that the city is in bankruptcy, has no money, and is in an extremely difficult situation,” he said.

And they “gave up much to help the city get to a place where we could have a plan that would help the city

survive.”

San Bernardino has been in bankruptcy since summer 2012. Over the last four years, other municipalities have

entered and emerged. Stockton filed bankruptcy in 2012 and exited last year. Detroit filed in 2013 and exited

the following year.

Years of cuts to public services and struggles to raise revenue in the impoverished city have battered its

infrastructure and taken a heavy toll on its ability to meet basic public needs and attract new economic

opportunities.

The bankruptcy process and cost-cutting efforts in years prior mean the city is now a very different place than it

was just a few years ago.

Its storied Fire Department has been outsourced to the county and trash collection, recycling and street

sweeping services have been contracted out.

City staff has been cut by hundreds, while street repair, libraries, parks, community centers and other services

have been severely neglected. The Police Department’s staffing has been cut 30%, hampering its ability to deal

with a recent surge in homicides.

“The public has had to put up with a lot,” Scott said. “Nothing would make us happier than to get back to

where we’re serving them at a higher level.”

12/8/2016 Battered San Bernardino is one step closer to exiting years-long bankruptcy - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-san-bernardino-bankruptcy-20161206-story.html 4/5

But in a city that is among the poorest in the nation, officials say raising revenue will continue to be a major

challenge.

The city declared bankruptcy having been devastated by the effects of the Great Recession and housing crisis,

which left it grappling with huge unemployment rates, one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation and

plummeting property and sales tax revenues.

Those tax revenues have improved moderately in recent years but are unlikely to do so significantly in the near

future, officials have said.

Although city officials have explored raising various sales and other taxes to increase revenue, they concluded

that the city’s poor residents could be overly burdened by such increases and voters may not approve them. The

city has taken steps to raise fees, which do not require voter approval.

To boost the city’s economic foundation, officials hope to attract new development. But challenges including

the city’s high violent crime rate, difficulty in providing needed services and the well-publicized bankruptcy

itself have made that difficult.

On Tuesday, officials expressed hope that the impending exit from bankruptcy would help it begin to address

some of those issues.

Voters also recently approved a new charter that restructured the city’s complex governmental structure.

In issuing her ruling, Jury sounded an optimistic note and congratulated the city’s leadership. The city’s top

positions are now filled by different people from when the bankruptcy process started. Four years ago, she said,

city officials appeared to be working at odds with each other.

“I’ve lived in this community for 40 years,” Jury told the packed room of attorneys and city officials who

gathered for the momentous hearing. “I’ve always said, ‘that city needs help.’ And it got it.”

paloma.esquive l@latimes.com

Twitter : @palomaesquive l

ALSO

Oakland warehouse manager mournful but defiant after 36 die in fire at ar tists co llective

Califo rnia KKK leader arrested in North Caro lina stabbing before pro-Trump Klan parade

L.A. subway commuters encounter bag searches, heavily armed deputies as city responds toterror ism threat

12/8/2016 What San Bernardino did during its 4-year bankruptcy

http://www.sbsun.com/government-and-politics/20161207/what-san-bernardino-did-during-its-4-year-bankruptcy&template=printart 1/2

San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

What San Bernardino did dur ing its 4-year bankruptcy

As the city exits bankruptcy, a report details recovery efforts over the past 53 months

By Ryan Hagen, The Sun

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

SAN BERNARDINO >> A day after the city emerged from its 53month bankruptcy, city officials marked the“watershed moment” with a detailed statement on what they’ve done since filing for bankruptcy and their plansfor the future.

In numerical terms, the city’s statement says the city has implemented about 70 percent of its recovery plan.

That’s turned oncedire projections for the future upside down.

For instance, the city’s financial analysts projected in 2013 that at the end of 10 years — fiscal year 202223 —it would have a deficit of $360 million if dramatic changes weren’t made. Now, with most of those changesfinished or underway, it projects an unallocated cash balance in 202223 of $9.5 million.

“Now, the city is on the cusp of emerging from bankruptcy as a changed city with a brighter future,” thestatement says.

The fivepage statement focuses mostly on what’s changed since the emergency bankruptcy filing in August2012, painting a picture of a city that was on the brink of disaster but put itself on a firm foundation.

“Given the emergency nature of its filing, it took the city several months to assess its financial condition — untilApril 2013, at which time the city adopted a final budget for fiscal years 201213 and 201314,” the statementreminds the public. “The city’s initial financial assessment, however, only reflected further concern over itsfinancial future. In September 2013, Mayor [Pat] Morris announced that absent fundamental modernization andchange the city faced a 10year deficit of a staggering $360 million. The future of San Bernardino lookedbleak.”

REFORM EFFORTS

The city points to efforts since then on multiple fronts:

• Reaching agreements with labor unions to save more than $100 million. By ending almost all its subsidies ofhealth insurance coverage for employees and retirees, the city calculates savings of about $44 million for retireesand $51 million for current employees.

Other changes to pensions and other benefits will save about $56 million.

• Contracting out for many services that were once done by city employees.

Annexing itself into the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, which put the county in charge of fireand emergency medical response, is projected to aid the city’s bottom line by $65.6 million over the next 20fiscal years just in pension savings, and an improved financial position in excess of about $5 million to $6million annually.

12/8/2016 What San Bernardino did during its 4-year bankruptcy

http://www.sbsun.com/government-and-politics/20161207/what-san-bernardino-did-during-its-4-year-bankruptcy&template=printart 2/2

The annexation also included a parcel tax that property owners now pay to the county.

In addition, the city contracted for trash and recycling collection, resulting in a onetime franchise payment of $5million and increased estimated annual revenues of approximately $5 million to $7.6 million per year.

On top of that, the city has made contracts for everything from operating its soccer complex to sweeping rightsof way and streets.

“Modern cities deliver many services via contracts with thirdparty providers, using competition to get the bestterms and price for services,” the city says. “The city has entered into a number of such contracts under theRecovery Plan.”

• Changing the city charter

Voters’ approval of a new city charter will allow the city to cut out ambiguous lines of authority that created alack of authority, according to the city.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Jury also praised that change at Tuesday’s bankruptcy hearing.

“(City officials) successfully amended their charter, which will give them modernday, reallife flexibility inmaking decisions that need to be made,” Jury said. “There was too much political power and not enoughmanagement under their charter, to be frank, compared to most cities in California.”

OPTIMISM FOR THE FUTURE

The city’s recovery plan calls for increasing investment into the Police Department through a fiveyear PolicePlan.

“The mayor, Common Council and San Bernardino’s residents agree that crime is the most important issue thecity faces,” the city says in the Police Plan, submitted to the bankruptcy court as part of the plan confirmedTuesday.

The plan calls for $56 million over five years to add more police, update technology and replace many of thePolice Department’s aging vehicles.

Despite enumerating that need, however, the city’s plan only sets aside about 40 percent of the $56 million.

The city’s bankruptcy hasn’t been cheap: Attorneys and consultants will cost at least $25 million by the time theit’s over, probably in March, the city estimates.

But that’s dwarfed by the $350 million in savings the bankruptcy allowed, according to the city. Much of thatsavings comes from paying creditors far less than they would have been entitled to without the bankruptcy — aslittle as 1 cent for every dollar owed, in many cases.

“In addition, the city’s bankruptcy has allowed the city a reprieve during which it was able to shore up itsfinances, find greater cost and organizational efficiencies and improve its governance functions,” the statementconcludes. “Thus, all told, while the city’s exit from bankruptcy will have been a hardfought victory, it was onethat was critical and necessary to the city’s continued viability for the future.”

URL: http://www.sbsun.com/government-an d-politics/20161207/what-san -bernardino-did-during-its-4-year-ban kruptcy

© 2016 San Bernardino County Sun (http://www.sbsun.com)

12/8/2016 With Harry Reid’s retirement, will the Yucca Mountain plan be revived? - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-yucca-mountain-restarted-20161207-story.html 1/3

W

Editorial With Harry Reid’s retirement, will theYucca Mountain plan be revived?

By The Times Editorial Board

DECEMBER 8, 2016, 5:00 AM

ith the decommissioning of Diablo Canyon, the state’s last active nuclear power plant, looming

in 2025, it might appear that the end of the nuclear age is in sight for California.

But sorry, no such luck. Not until the federal government makes good on its responsibility to

find a permanent repository for spent nuclear fuel.

More than 70,000 tons of nuclear waste sit waiting at about 120 facilities across the nation, including more

than 1,600 tons at the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and tons more at Diablo Canyon. It’s

safe enough for the moment, but it is not an acceptable long-term solution.

Things may start to change as soon as next month for two reasons. First, Sen. Harry Reid is retiring. For two

decades, Reid has been the chief opponent of siting a permanent underground nuclear waste dump at Yucca

Mountain in his home state of Nevada. As leader of the Senate’s Democrats he had the power to cut funding for

A group walks through the Yucca Mountain project site in Nevada in 2004. (Los Angeles Times)

12/8/2016 With Harry Reid’s retirement, will the Yucca Mountain plan be revived? - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-yucca-mountain-restarted-20161207-story.html 2/3

the project, and the support of President Barack Obama. As a result, the already slow permitting process for

Yucca Mountain has been stalled since 2010.

The second change is that President-elect Donald Trump is apparently open to the idea of restarting the

permitting process for the storage site. Although Reid’s replacement in the Senate, Sen.-elect Catherine Cortez

Masto (D-Nev.), opposes Yucca Mountain, as does Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), they don’t have the sway needed

to stall the project if the Trump administration chooses to reinstate it. With the support of the Republican-

controlled federal government, the process could move fairly quickly, though it’s unlikely it would open next

year as had been planned.

Not to be insensitive to Nevadans, but thank goodness for that.

Of course, their concerns are understandable. No one wants tens of thousands of tons of radioactive garbage

dumped nearby, especially given fears that it may someday leak into the groundwater. But for all its flaws,

Yucca Mountain probably still represents the safest place in the country for a nuclear repository. It is dry,

remote and stable, and it sits at the edge of a 1950s-era atomic testing site. More than $10 billion has already

been spent developing the repository there. The fact is, no preferable alternative anywhere in the country has

been identified, yet the waste has to go somewhere. That, in a nutshell, is the problem with nuclear power.

While the spent fuel is relatively safe for the moment being stored in casks or pools on the sites where it was

generated, it’s not secure or cost-effective to keep the waste stored there forever. Ratepayers who have already

paid fees to fund waste facilities are being asked to keep paying to babysit the waste long after some of the

plants that generated it have been decommissioned and demolished, and when there’s more than $30 billion in

ratepayer fees in a federal Nuclear Waste Fund available to spend on nuclear storage.

That’s not to say the government shouldn’t be developing other options for radioactive storage. It should. Even

if Yucca Mountain is eventually opened for business, it won’t be sufficient to meet the current need. Although

the proposal to use privately run consolidated interim waste storage dumps until longer-term facilities open

raises some security and safety concerns (moving nuclear waste across the country even once is bad enough),

it’s wise to explore all storage options because it will take years to open any new facility.

The feds have not fulfilled their side of the bargain to safely and permanently store nuclear waste, and it is high

time for them to do so. Then we can move on to the next fraught nuclear waste debate: How to transport it to

the dump.

Fo llow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook

Copyright © 2016, Los Angeles Times

This article is related to: Harry Reid, Donald Trump, San Onofre Nuclear Plant, Dean Heller

12/8/2016 Print Article: How to stop an Oakland-level tragedy from happening here?

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=820305 1/3

How to stop an Oaklandlevel tragedy from happening here?By BRIAN ROKOS2016-12-06 19:14:35

The fire in an Oakland warehouse that killed at least 36 people during anelectronic dance music party Friday shocked the Inland arts communityand has prompted proactive inspections and spurred discussions at cityhalls, fire departments and code enforcement agencies.

The warehouse, known as the Ghost Ship, was converted into artiststudios and live-in lofts in violation of city-issued permits, Oakland cityofficials have said, and a permit had not been issued for the dance party.

On Tuesday, Dec. 6, the Riverside Community Arts Association held amoment of silence at the behest of one of its members, a dancer from the

Bay Area.

“This could happen anywhere,” Mark Schooley, the association’s executive director, said in the association’sgallery on Lemon Street.

RELATED Here's how to help Oakland fire victims

He said cash-strapped artists gravitate toward economically distressed areas, and a community forms.“Suddenly, you have a coffee shop,” Schooley said, the area is developed and it becomes too expensive for theartists. So they hunt for cheaper digs.

None of the Riverside or San Bernardino county officials interviewed this week knew of any buildings beingused for non-permitted entertainment or artists’ studios – but that lack of knowledge makes them nervous.

“Our concern is, how do we find out these types of situations if there isn’t a complaint? I don’t have an answer,”said Riverside City Manager John Russo, who was city attorney in Oakland from 2000 to 2011. “This gruesometragedy, it’s an alarm bell that we should take a look at what we are doing and are we doing it properly.”

Riverside City Councilman Jim Perry said he planned to ask at Tuesday’s council meeting for a futurediscussion of that question.

“Let’s take some proactive steps now,” said Perry, who discussed his concerns with Russo and Riverside FireMarshal Jennifer McDowell.

“There’s plenty of abandoned buildings that we probably need to go out and see what they are doing,”McDowell said Tuesday.

Mike Horton, San Bernardino County’s fire marshal, said that as a result of the Oakland fire, he recommendedMonday that his assistant chiefs have their engine companies do “familiarization inspections.” Firefighters willknock on doors of sites of their choosing to check for proper exits, access and fire extinguishers.

The Oakland tragedy, Horton said, is “an eye-opener for everyone.”

Riverside County Fire Marshal James Frater likewise said the fire prompted discussions about enforcement ofconstruction codes and annual inspections.

12/8/2016 Print Article: How to stop an Oakland-level tragedy from happening here?

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=820305 2/3

OTHER DANGERS

It’s not just the underground entertainment activities at warehouses that concern officials.

Buildings and homes abandoned by their owners during and since the Great Recession are tempting targets forsquatters and homeless people. Attempts to cook and stay warm through theft of utilities or fire put themselves,firefighters and police at risk, officials say.

Banning city officials have been trying to take control of and raze such a business park on West Lincoln Street.Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim Chavez said this fall that the buildings therehave burned at least a dozen times in the past two years, including a blaze in September that destroyed a30,000-square-foot structure. Most were caused by homeless people, he said.

Andy Wingert, chief of the code enforcement division in San Bernardino County, said unsecured homes are themost typical threat to public safety.

“About once every 18 months somewhere in the nation, a firefighter dies trying to pull a transient out of anabandoned, burning structure,” he said.

The county just boarded up homes in the San Bernardino area and in Yermo, Wingert said.

Horton said boarding up homes doesn’t always stop squatters “and we have incidents as a result. We havebeen fortunate that we have not had mass-casualty incidents. We work very closely with code enforcement todo active abatement of properties and require owners to do immediate board-ups.”

If they don’t, the Fire Department begins the process to demolish the property, Horton said.

AFFORDABLE SPACE

Schooley, the Riverside Community Arts Association’s executive director, said even in areas such as the InlandEmpire that are less pricey than the Bay Area, finding affordable spaces to live and work can be challenging forartists.

Some of them wind up in the 107-year-old Life Arts Center on University Avenue in downtown Riverside.Schooley said he believes artists pay $200-$300 a month to rent one of the approximately 20 studios.

Painter and musician Alex Howard, 29, is one such artist. The 12-by-15-foot space he has occupied since 2013is located up the creaky, wooden stairs and through a narrow door. Howard once sold his art on the street untilsomeone recommended the Life Arts Center.

Howard had not heard about the Oakland fire, but he said he considers himself safe in a building with labyrinthsof hallways and uneven surfaces in some places upstairs.

“We’ve got the Fire Department next door,” he noted Tuesday.

McDowell, the city fire marshal, said the Life Arts Center meets all code requirements – a far cry from how theOakland warehouse has been described. One former resident described it as a “death trap” crammed withclutter and often lacking utilities. A staircase to the second floor was constructed from wooden pallets.

‘CONFLICT OF VALUES’

Officials commenting for this story repeatedly used the word “process” to describe how code violations areresolved and squatters are evicted. Only in cases of imminent danger – locked exits, lack of fire-suppressionsystems, for example – can a place immediately be shuttered.

In Oakland, The Associated Press reported, the city’s Planning Department opened an investigation last monthinto the Ghost Ship warehouse after receiving complaints. An inspector went to the site but couldn’t get inside.

Russo, the Riverside city manager, said there is an “embedded conflict of values” in enforcing code restrictions.

“When you find a building that’s problematic, unless you can show there is an imminent safety hazard, there’s alegal process you have to follow. While the public clearly wants us to mind the store as far as code regulations,framed differently, no one wants an overleaning government to take private property,” he said.

12/8/2016 Print Article: How to stop an Oakland-level tragedy from happening here?

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=820305 3/3

Wingert, of San Bernardino County code enforcement, said the Oakland fire has prompted discussions amongcounty staff. He said there are properties that by regulation are defined as dangerous – most often unsecuredhomes. Property owners must be given time to fix the problems, however.

Wingert said while he would not hesitate to “summarily vacate” a structure described in the Oakland case –people living in a building with a lack of required exits, illegal electrical wiring, heat supplied by gasolinegenerators – even then the order would be subject to appeal.

Horton, the San Bernardino County fire marshal, said it is important that anyone seeing conditions similar tothose in Oakland say something.

“It’s not being the whistle blower – it’s going to be the person who saves somebody’s life,” he said. “Then wecan take action on these facilities.”

RELATED

Riverside native planned to attend Oakland party

UCR grad lost in Oakland fire was just beginning life anew

Contact the writer: brokos@scng.com or 951-368-9569

© Copyright 2016 Freedom Communications. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service | Copyright | Site Map

12/8/2016 Building inspectors had not been inside Oakland warehouse in 30 years, officials say - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-oakland-fire-inspections-20161207-story.html 1/4

O

Building inspectors had not been inside Oaklandwarehouse in 30 years, officials say

By Phil Willon and Matt Hamilton

DECEMBER 7, 2016, 6:55 PM | REPORTING FROM OAKLAND

akland officials revealed Thursday that no building code enforcement inspector has been inside the

warehouse where 36 people died in at least 30 years, raising new questions about government

oversight of the property.

The interim director of the city's planning and building department said the agency only goes into buildings

when the owner seeks a permit or if officials receive a complaint.

At the time of the fire, the city was investigating complaints of safety problems at the warehouse. But for

reasons that are not entirely clear, an inspector had not yet actually entered the building to examine it.

At least 36 people died when a fire raced through an Oakland warehouse crowded with people attending a Friday night concert, officialssaid. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

12/8/2016 Building inspectors had not been inside Oakland warehouse in 30 years, officials say - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-oakland-fire-inspections-20161207-story.html 2/4

FROM OURPARTNERS:

Blake Lively's relatable New Years resolution

It remains unclear, however, whether a fire inspector — who works for a separate city agency — had been inside

the building. The city has yet to release any fire inspection reports regarding the warehouse.

The Oakland warehouse, where a catastrophic fire broke out during a concert Friday night, was the focus of

nearly two dozen building code complaints or other city actions over the past 30 years, documents released

Wednesday showed.

At least three of the complaints appeared to assert that structures had been built inside the warehouse without

permits or that the property was being used as a residence. Others cited illegal parking and mounds of debris

piled up on the sidewalk and in an adjoining vacant lot.

An inspector who visited the warehouse 15 days before the fire to investigate a possible “illegal interior building

structure” was unable to get inside.

According to Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, the city followed up by sending a request to the warehouse owner

to gain entry. Planning and building department reports released Wednesday, however, indicate only that the

city sent a violation notice demanding debris outside the building be cleaned up.

Schaaf said the city eventually would release records of all violations and other actions related to the

warehouse, documents requested by numerous news outlets under California’s public records laws.

12/8/2016 Building inspectors had not been inside Oakland warehouse in 30 years, officials say - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-oakland-fire-inspections-20161207-story.html 3/4

“No one wants to ever see a tragedy like this in their community,” Schaaf told reporters at a news conference

outside the charred and gutted warehouse Tuesday evening. “But when one strikes, it is our responsibility to

take aggressive and quick action to avoid any future tragedies.”

As part of that effort, the mayor said she planned to form a task force to review and improve enforcement of

city building and fire codes.

The Ghost Ship warehouse, owned by Oakland resident Chor N. Ng, was zoned exclusively for commercial

use. It housed an artists collective and, according to former residents and those who frequented the building,

had unpermitted living quarters inside and hosted numerous concerts and other events.

In October 2014, the city investigated a report of “constructing house/structure without permits” at the

warehouse address. During the visit, an inspector found no violation, according to city records.

“On site inspection, structure was removed before inspection. No violations,” the report stated.

According to building department records, a city inspector went to the warehouse on Nov. 17 to investigate

another possible illegal interior structure but was unable to gain access the property.

“Complainant needs to provide access, cannot see if there is an illegal building from the sidewalk (property has

a chain link fence in front),” the inspector wrote in a report.

During the same visit, the inspector apparently looked into a separate complaint by a neighbor who reported a

“ton of garbage piling up on the property.” The complaint alleged that the “main building was remodel[ed] for

residential” and said the situation “causes our neighborhood looks very bad and creates health issue.”

According to city records, a violation was verified and a notice was sent to Ng. However, that notice addressed

only the debris and construction material piled outside the warehouse.

Schaaf said the city building inspector had followed correct procedures during that visit. In the records made

public Wednesday, the city redacted the names of inspectors who had been to the warehouse, as well as the

resident who filed a complaint. Officials did not explain why that information was withheld.

Schaaf said Wednesday that the National Fire Protection Association was assisting the city in a review of

building and event safety as well as improvements to the building complaint system.

Officials plan to assemble a “fire safety task force,” and Schaaf said experts would examine existing regulations

for fire inspections, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide monitors, event permitting and emergency exit

requirements.

The city was also examining how city officials can report potentially dangerous living conditions or illegal

events.

12/8/2016 Building inspectors had not been inside Oakland warehouse in 30 years, officials say - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-oakland-fire-inspections-20161207-story.html 4/4

“I want to be clear we will not scapegoat city employees in the wake of this disaster,” Schaaf said. “Rather, we

will provide them the guidance, clarity and support they need and deserve to do their jobs.”

Schaaf also said her office would reconvene the city’s Artist Housing and Workspace Task Force as a way to

promote safe, affordable homes and workspaces in the Bay Area city.

phil.w illon@latimes.com

Twitter : @philw illon

ALSO

Emergency declaration sought in Oakland after deadly warehouse fire

How to help Oakland warehouse survivors and the families of those killed

A narcissist or an eccentr ic? Der ick Almena, the man behind the Ghost Ship, le ft conflictingimpressions

Oakland fire : How civil and cr iminal cases might play out

UPDATES:

7 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information.

6:15 p.m.: This article was updated with more information about inspections and more comments from

Oakland’s mayor.

This article was originally posted at 12:20 p.m.

Copyright © 2016, Los Angeles Times

12/8/2016 L.A. plans crackdown on unsafe warehouses in wake of Oakland tragedy - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-oakland-la-warehouses-20161207-story.html 1/3

I

L.A. plans crackdown on unsafe warehouses inwake of Oakland tragedy

By Joseph Serna

DECEMBER 7, 2016, 1:55 PM

n the wake of Oakland’s devastating warehouse fire that killed 36 people last week, Los Angeles city

officials will meet next week to determine how to address the city’s own unpermitted housing issues, the

city attorney’s office said.

Using a building at 931 E. Pico Blvd. as an example of hazards tenants can face, City Atty. Mike Feuer said in

an interview that Los Angeles needs to address its housing shortage and crack down on illegal and

unmaintained residences.

Feuer, the fire chief and superintendent of the city’s building and safety department will meet to discuss an

“aggressive response” to commercial spaces that have been converted into apartments or lofts, he said.

Debris inside a warehouse where a fire killed at least 24 people during a club-style party. (David Butow / For The Times)

12/8/2016 L.A. plans crackdown on unsafe warehouses in wake of Oakland tragedy - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-oakland-la-warehouses-20161207-story.html 2/3

FROM OURPARTNERS:

Lauren Graham on relationship with Peter Krause

“In the wake of the tragedy in Oakland, I think it’s especially important that we be vigilant,” Feuer said. “What

we’re trying to do in the filing in the 931 Pico case and convening this meeting is to avoid a tragedy here.”

The building on Pico downtown includes, according to a criminal complaint filed by the city attorney’s office,

unlawfully constructed residences that had no smoke alarms and inaccessible fire escapes.

The owner, Morad “Ben” Neman, was charged Monday with several misdemeanors and faces up to $9,000 in

fines and 4 1/2 years in jail, Feuer said. He is scheduled to be arraigned in January and was not immediately

available for comment. He previously was ensnared in a 2014 Fashion District raid by federal agents

investigating suspected money laundering for the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico. That case is pending.

In Oakland, tenants of the Ghost Ship warehouse that burned Friday night said that they were left with no

other housing options in a city that has rapidly become unaffordable to many.

It’s a symptom that city leaders find in Los Angeles too, Feuer said.

“There’s a broader issue: How is the city going to grapple with other commercial properties that house

tenants?” Feuer said. “The city must continue to do a better job of increasing our stock of affordable housing.”

ALSO

Near ly two dozen complaints had been filed against site of deadly Oakland fire , records show

12/8/2016 Marijuana mixer invades old Mavericks Stadium

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20161207/marijuana-mixer-invades-old-mavericks-stadium 1/2

WednesdayPosted Dec 7, 2016 at 5:42 PMUpdated Dec 7, 2016 at 5:50 PM

By Rene Ray De La Cruz Staff Writer

Follow

ADELANTO - The aroma of marijuana is expected to fill the former home ofthe High Desert Mavericks as the High Desert Cannabis Association hosts its 1stAnnual High Desert Fall Mixer on Thursday night.

Billed as the HDCA's first health and wellness cannabis event in Adelanto, themixer is scheduled from 6 to 11 p.m. and will include an address by legal analystLetitia Pepper, who will speak on "Life With Prop. 64."

Visitors at the mixer will have the opportunity to learn more about the cannabislifestyle when they attend one of three "Toke" classes, including Cannabis 101,Concentrates 101 and How to Roll a Joint.

The event, where visitors are invited to "Smoke your cannabis on theConcourse" and enjoy "Free Dabs," will include Harley bike and 420 raffle prizes,the Best of Harvest silent auction, live paintings by Christian Munoz and $50medical recommendations through SB Medical, according to HDCA organizers.

Tim Graston, president and founder of HDCA, told the Daily Press the eventwas planned as an "intimate mixer," that has grown into an event where 300people are expected to attend.

"The main focus of the mixer is for patients to come and talk face-to-face and getinformation about cannabis," said Diana Esmeralda, a HDCA board member."We're raffling off a Harley Davidson and Swapping Mamas will be there

Marijuana mixer invades old Mavericks Stadium

12/8/2016 Marijuana mixer invades old Mavericks Stadium

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20161207/marijuana-mixer-invades-old-mavericks-stadium 2/2

collecting for their toy drive."

Tickets range from $5 to $20 and discounts of $5 are available for seniors 62 andolder, veterans, or individuals who donate a bag of dry dog/cat food or a newand unwrapped toy.

The High Desert Fall Mixer is scheduled at Adelanto Stadium, located at 12000Stadium Way. For tickets and more information, call 760-217-3577 or visit

.

Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227, RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com or on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

12/8/2016 Print Article: Riverside County faces decision: ban or regulate marijuana?

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=820289 1/2

Riverside County faces decision: ban or regulate marijuana?By JEFF HORSEMAN2016-12-06 17:00:59

Do they let it grow or nip it in the bud?

That’s the question facing Riverside County supervisors after Californiavoters last month legalized the recreational use of marijuana. The countyBoard of Supervisors will have to decide whether to continue a ban onmarijuana cultivation or allow pot-related businesses to operate legallyand under what conditions.

On Tuesday, Dec. 6, supervisors received a report on the legal stepsneeded to keep the ban or allow pot commerce. A discussion ofmarijuana’s financial effect on county government – supervisors asked fora report back in September – could resume in March.

Prop. 64 allows Californians to possess and grow marijuana for recreational purposes, subject to certain rules.Medical marijuana has been legal in the state since the mid-1990s.

While Prop. 64 allows those 21 and older to smoke marijuana and keep plants in their homes, cities andcounties are allowed to ban dispensaries, grow operations and similar businesses within their jurisdictions.Riverside County has direct land-use authority over unincorporated areas that aren’t part of a city.

In 2015, supervisors clarified and strengthened an existing zoning ban on marijuana cultivation inunincorporated communities. Supervisor Kevin Jeffries spearheaded the changes to crack down on open-airmarijuana grows causing problems in the county’s rural areas.

With Prop. 64 on the books, the county’s legal team wrote that supervisors will have to decide if they want toamend the ban to clarify that it applies to medical and non-medical marijuana. The ban also would have toincorporate Prop. 64’s provisions, such as one allowing adult to grow up to six plants in their home.

If supervisors go the other way, the ban would have to be changed or repealed and development standards andconditions for land-use permits need to be created, the county’s lawyers said. Supervisors also would have toconsider whether to impose a local tax on marijuana sales, and that tax requires voter approval.

It’s a lot to consider for the five supervisors, several of whom have expressed misgivings about legalized pot.

“I don’t think we need another intoxicant in our society,” Supervisor John Benoit said in September.

Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. And Jeffries noted that Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, who is DonaldTrump’s pick for U.S. attorney general, might crack down on the drug. Sessions has reportedly said “Goodpeople don’t smoke marijuana.”

At least one group wants the county to embrace a legal marijuana business model.

Anthony Wagner, executive director of the Southern California Responsible Growers Council, a group of about30 farmers and business owners that advocates for a properly regulated and taxed marijuana industry,appeared before the board Tuesday to ask for “a path forward” to grow marijuana in rural residential andagricultural areas.

12/8/2016 Print Article: Riverside County faces decision: ban or regulate marijuana?

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=820289 2/2

The council issued a news release that included comments from Micah Anderson, who hopes to growmarijuana in Riverside County.

“The bottom line is that the farming aspect of this industry is evolving fast,” Anderson is quoted as saying. “Andwe want to ensure that it does so in a way that is acceptable and beneficial to communities – and that ourfarmers are afforded the same opportunities as other agricultural enterprises.”

Supervisor Marion Ashley said he’s considering “all available information, including the voice of the voters” indeciding how the county should address Prop. 64.

“If we proceed to allow marijuana cultivation and businesses in the unincorporated area of the county, I feel weshould give consideration to a countywide plan where the county and all cities who wish to be participate beincluded in the ‘circle,’” Ashley said. “There should be common rules, ordinances and revenue sharing amongthe participating governments.”

“If we use an ‘everyone on their own’ approach, some cities will be be overloaded with businesses and otherswill be the recipient of the impacts, good or bad,” Ashley added.

Between now and March, Riverside County could learn from cities and counties in California that are furtheralong their responses to Prop. 64, County Counsel Greg Priamos told supervisors.

Supervisor Chuck Washington cautioned against taking too long in addressing the new law.

“I’m concerned maybe a genie is getting out of the bottle before we get started,” he said.

The county’s existing ban will remain in effect while the board considers its options, Priamos replied.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9547 orjhorseman@scng.comTwitter: @JeffHorseman

© Copyright 2016 Freedom Communications. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service | Copyright | Site Map

12/8/2016 Lynwood moves closer to legalizing commercial cannabis manufacturing - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-lynwood-marijuana-20161207-story.html 1/3

T

Lynwood moves closer to legalizing commercialcannabis manufacturing

By Angel Jennings

DECEMBER 7, 2016, 7:55 PM

he city of Lynwood is close to approving a measure that would allow businesses to grow

medical marijuana within city limits. If it gains final passage, the southeast city of 70,000 would be

among the first in Los Angeles County to issue such permits.

On a 3-1 vote, the City Council on Tuesday approved the first reading of an ordinance that would amend the

zoning code to allow commercial cannabis producers to cultivate and manufacture marijuana in industrial

zones.

“As a responsible city government, it is incumbent on us to issue strict controls, regulations and license the

growing and manufacturing of cannabis,” Lynwood spokesman Robert Alaniz said in a statement Wednesday.

If passed, Lynwood’s law would allow the licensing of up to five businesses to grow or manufacture marijuana at any given time. (CarlCostas / For The Times)

12/8/2016 Lynwood moves closer to legalizing commercial cannabis manufacturing - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-lynwood-marijuana-20161207-story.html 2/3

“And that we set the standard for local municipal regulation of California’s newest and voter approved

industry.”

FROM OURPARTNERS:

These States Just Legalized Marijuana

In November, California voters approved Proposition 64, which legalized the recreational use of marijuana. The

new law allows Californians who are 21 and older to possess, transport, buy and use up to an ounce of cannabis

for recreational purposes and allows individuals to grow as many as six plants. The measure would also allow

retail sales of marijuana and impose a 15% tax.

If passed, Lynwood’s law would allow the licensing of up to five businesses to grow or manufacture marijuana

at any given time. Those properties cannot be within 600 feet of a school or daycare facility or within 50 feet of

a residential zone.

The proposed ordinance was drafted before passage of Proposition 64. City officials said the measure could be

amended to include manufacture of recreational marijuana, but Alaniz said no decision on whether to seek

that change has been made.

The ordinance will need at least one more reading before it becomes law. The measure is scheduled to be heard

again at the Dec. 20 council meeting.

Aaron Herzberg of CalCann Holdings, a marijuana real estate company, said Lynwood would be among the

first cities in Los Angeles County to license the growing, manufacture and extraction of cannabis. Herzberg

12/8/2016 Lynwood moves closer to legalizing commercial cannabis manufacturing - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-lynwood-marijuana-20161207-story.html 3/3

estimates that locally produced cannabis could generate as much as $5 million in annual tax revenue for the

city.

City officials said they want to regulate cannabis-related businesses to protect the safety of residents and

generate much-needed revenue to maintain the city.

“We anticipate that our rigorous rules will ensure public safety, generate local jobs and stimulate the local

economy while generating substantial revenue for the city to pay for critically needed city services,” Alaniz said.

The proposed law will not change the city’s stance on medical marijuana dispensaries, which would still be

banned, officials said.

For more Califo rnia breaking news, fo llow @AngelJennings. She can also be reached atangel.jennings@latimes.com.

Copyright © 2016, Los Angeles Times

12/8/2016 Print Article: Here's why a tight Inland Assembly race won't have a recount

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=820347 1/1

Here's why a tight Inland Assembly race won't have arecountBy JEFF HORSEMAN2016-12-07 13:45:04

Despite losing her Assembly race by fewer than 2,000 votes, DemocratAbigail Medina on Tuesday, Dec. 6, conceded and said she would notpursue a recount.

Medina, a San Bernardino school board member, lost to RanchoCucamonga Republican Marc Steinorth, 51 to 49 percent, in the race forthe 40th Assembly District, which includes most of the cities of SanBernardino and Rancho Cucamonga and all of Highland, Loma Linda andRedlands.

Just 1,948 votes separated Steinorth, the incumbent, from Medina in thefinal certified election results posted by the San Bernardino County registrar’s office.

“While the vote tally is incredibly close, it is clear that my opponent will be victorious by the narrowest ofmargins,” Medina said in a statement issued Wednesday evening.

“Although many residents and community leaders throughout the 40th Assembly District have urged me toundertake a recount, I do not want to put the state – and particularly the residents of San Bernardino County –through such a costly and time-consuming process.”

Medina wished Steinorth luck, thanked her family and supporters and promised to remain an active communityleader.

“Now more than ever we must continue to stand up and fight for the values that we believe in and give a voiceto those who have been overlooked for far too long,” she said.

Steinorth, who was first elected in 2014, was a prime target for Democrats seeking to pad their Assemblymajority. The district has more registered Democratic voters than Republicans, and higher voter turnout in apresidential election year was seen as a boon to Medina.

Independent expenditure groups spent millions in the district, and Medina won a rare endorsement of a statelegislative candidate from President Barack Obama. The race took a negative turn, with Medina trying to linkSteinorth to Donald Trump and Steinorth’s allies portraying Medina as fiscally reckless.

Steinorth, a former Rancho Cucamonga councilman, touted his bevy of endorsements from elected leaders inlocal cities as well as county government.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9547 or jhorseman@scng.com

© Copyright 2016 Freedom Communications. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service | Copyright | Site Map

12/8/2016 Print Article: Here's what Riverside County supervisors might do with their raises

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=820368 1/2

Here's what Riverside County supervisors might do withtheir raisesBy JEFF HORSEMAN2016-12-07 15:59:36

Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley wants his peers to defer theautomatic pay raises they received over the summer to show empathywith union employees, who also are being asked to forgo raises.

Ashley made the suggestion during the Board of Supervisors’ meetingTuesday, Dec. 6. The proposal came during a budget discussion thatincluded troubling news about revenue used to fund public safetyactivities.

On July 1, the five elected supervisors got a 1.36 percent pay hike,boosting their annual base salaries to $153,289 with the exception of

Kevin Jeffries, who regularly declines pay raises and earns $143,031 a year.

Supervisors also received a 2.4 percent raise in 2015. The raises kick without board action because in 2014,supervisors decided to permanently tie their base pay to 80 percent of what a superior court judge makes.

When the state gives judges a raise, the supervisors get a boost, too. The past two raises have come withoutany public announcement.

This year’s raise came just as the cash-strapped county was trying to get union members to go withoutsignificant raises.

A regional director for one of those labor groups, Service Employees International Union Local 721, criticizedsupervisors for taking a raise while demanding cuts from union workers.

On Wednesday, Ashley defended the raise supervisors received in 2015, saying unionized workers got raisesthat went “far beyond” that year’s pay bump for supervisors.

Ashley will bring the supervisors’ raise-deferral issue back to the board next Tuesday, according to countyspokesman Ray Smith.

“It’s not a lot of money,” said Ashley, who has said he would donate his raise to charity. “But the way it looks isvery important. And if we’re going to be lobbying for no (cost-of-living) increases (for unions), we shouldn’t betaking (cost-of-living raises) either.”

Supervisor John Benoit, who was recently diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer, was absent for thediscussion.

He had planned to participate via teleconference as he reduces his workload to focus on his health. But in astatement read by Supervisor John Tavaglione, Benoit, who underwent surgery to put a stent in his bile duct,said liver problems have delayed the start of his chemotherapy.

REDUCED FUNDS

12/8/2016 Print Article: Here's what Riverside County supervisors might do with their raises

http://www.pe.com/common/printer/view.php?db=pressenterprise&id=820368 2/2

Also Tuesday, the board got some bad news during an update on the county budget for the current fiscal year,which started July 1.

The county will receive $22 million less than expected from Prop. 172, a voter-approved half-cent sales tax thatpays for police, firefighters and other public safety operations.

County officials expect to cover the shortfall through cost savings and by shifting money around within thebudget. They expect Prop. 172 revenue to rebound over time.

Still, County Executive Officer Jay Orr used the Prop. 172 news to remind the board of other pitfalls facing thefive-year budget plan, including higher public employee pension costs. The county belongs to the CaliforniaEmployees’ Retirement System, which could lean on cities and counties to make up what the stock market failsto produce to cover pension liabilities.

“For the past eight years, this storm has been going on,” Orr said Tuesday. “It’s going to be going on for a fewmore years. We need a course correction. We realize that.”

Budget relief also depends on hiring only for vital positions, eliminating unneeded vacant jobs and savings andefficiencies identified through consulting firm KPMG, which is getting roughly $18 million for its work.

As he’s done before, Ashley expressed optimism the county would weather its budget storm.

“That battleship is turned, and we’re starting to turn it in the right direction,” he said. “You just hope we don’t runit into the shore before we get it turned around.”

RELATED

Riverside County supervisors get another automatic raise

Riverside County supervisors should not accept raises

Here's how supervisors plan to close $60.9 million budget gap

Contact the writer: 951-368-9547 or jhorseman@scng.com

© Copyright 2016 Freedom Communications. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service | Copyright | Site Map

12/8/2016 Gomez sworn into Victorville City Council; Garcia and Cox re-elected as mayor, mayor pro tem

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20161207/gomez-sworn-into-victorville-city-council-garcia-and-cox-re-elected-as-mayor-mayor-pro-tem 1/3

WednesdayPosted Dec 7, 2016 at 4:02 PMUpdated Dec 7, 2016 at 5:49 PM

By Monica Solano Staff Writer

Follow

VICTORVILLE - A packed house celebrated newly appointed CouncilwomanBlanca Gomez as she officially joined the Victorville City Council on Tuesdaynight.

Joining Gomez in taking the oath of office were Mayor Gloria Garcia and MayorPro Tem Jim Cox, who both won their re-election bids in November. Garcia andCox were then re-elected by their colleagues as mayor and mayor pro tem,respectively, on 3-2 votes, with Gomez and Councilman Eric Negrete casting thedissenting votes for both.

Gomez, who finished third behind Garcia (16 percent) and Cox (15 percent)with 14 percent of the vote on Nov. 8, was sworn in by former Victorville CityCouncil member and San Bernardino County 1st District Supervisor candidateAngela Valles as all three winners were presented with a certificate of election.

"As a new official, I thank the Council for their support and look forward to theopportunity to work together and enrich the lives of our citizens," Gomez toldthe crowd. "I'm going to work tirelessly on your behalf and in the best interestfor the residents of Victorville."

Gomez sworn into Victorville City Council; Garciaand Cox re-elected as mayor, mayor pro tem

12/8/2016 Gomez sworn into Victorville City Council; Garcia and Cox re-elected as mayor, mayor pro tem

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20161207/gomez-sworn-into-victorville-city-council-garcia-and-cox-re-elected-as-mayor-mayor-pro-tem 2/3

Outgoing Councilman Ryan McEachron was the lone incumbent not to get re-elected. Radio ads paid for by McEachron even promoted him, Garcia and Cox asa collective, but Gomez beat out McEachron and Planning Commissioner LionelDew for the third open seat on the Council.

McEachron, who served nearly a decade on the dais, received recognition fromGarcia for his service while representatives from the office of Assemblyman JayObernolte and Rep. Paul Cook each presented him with a plaque as he made hisfinale remarks to the crowd.

"It's a been a pleasure to have served in this city and be in this position and tohave had the opportunity to change your lives and I think there are so manygreat things to come," McEachron said as he held back tears.

"This is a part of the process when you have democratic elections and things goon like this, but with that said there are a lot of great things to come. It is with ahumble heart I step down now as I leave the dais with great leadership, greatmanagement and a great staff."

McEachron also said that he plans to remain involved in the community, albeitin an unofficial capacity.

Garcia pointed to the progress the city has seen during the last four years, such asa balanced budget and maintaining roads, and said the Council is looking towork with 1st District Supervisor Robert Lovingood regarding the homelesssituation in the city.

"It's humbling to have been re-elected for a second term. Helping others is mypassion and I love this city and the people," Garcia said. "My family was born andraised here and have lived in the High Desert for the past 150 years and it is apleasure to continue to help this city."

Cox, who has been involved in local government for nearly 40 years, told theDaily Press he is looking forward to the next four years and said "big things areon the horizon" for Victorville.

"We have a good team with great people on board who will work hard to ensurewe will do everything we can to continue to make this city great," Cox said. "Ittakes three council people to accomplish anything for the city and we have a

12/8/2016 Gomez sworn into Victorville City Council; Garcia and Cox re-elected as mayor, mayor pro tem

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20161207/gomez-sworn-into-victorville-city-council-garcia-and-cox-re-elected-as-mayor-mayor-pro-tem 3/3

great team because we remind each other what's important and hold each otheraccountable. What's important is we're here to serve the people."

Monica Solano can be reached at MSolano@VVDailyPress.com or at 760-951-6231. Follow her on Twitter @DP_MonicaInes.

12/8/2016 Restructuring retiree benefits will save Shasta County in the long run

http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=Restructuring+retiree+benefits+will+save+Shasta+County+in+the+long+run&urlID=550282246&actio... 1/3

(

LOCAL NEWS

Restructuring retiree bene ts willsave Shasta County in the long run

By Nathan Solis of the Redding Record SearchlightPosted: Dec. 05, 2016

In a move to get ahead of rising costs, Shasta County will restructureits retiree health plan starting in 2017.

The county's unfunded liability for retiree healthcare is $222 million,according to County AuditorController Brian Muir. There is $42million set aside by the county in trusts, but that leaves about $180million unfunded.

"And it keeps growing," Muir said. "The issue is how do you stop thistrend?"

Muir said the county will start to see the savings in about 10 to 20years.

Projections show in 25 years the $181 million amount will double if thecounty makes no changes. The new plan will alleviate that largeportion the county will pay and eventually will zero out costs, saidMuir.

This new plan will create a second tier of county employees that willreceive a contribution to a 401(a) or pension plan that will fund theirhealth benefits after retirement.

County officials say the new plan will give the county — and itsemployees — more flexibility with their healthcare benefits on top of

12/8/2016 Restructuring retiree benefits will save Shasta County in the long run

http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=Restructuring+retiree+benefits+will+save+Shasta+County+in+the+long+run&urlID=550282246&actio... 2/3

CalPERS contribution.

In order to implement its costsaving plan, Shasta County needed torevise its program through the California Public Employees' RetirementSystem and its contracts with employee unions. Several unions haveagreed to the new plan, but a few are still in negotiations.

Steve Allen, labor representative who has negotiated for Shasta Countyemployee unions, said the 401(a) plan was presented as nonnegotiable.

"The county would not negotiate (costofliving), pay raises withoutaddressing the 401(a) plan," Allen said.

Union representatives did recognize the need to address rising costsand Muir met with county employees to discuss the 401(a) plan andhealth benefits moving forward.

Employees hired before the new agreement becomes effective can optinto the 401(a) plan if they want and the county will match theircontributions by up to 3 percent.

There are approximately 1,700 fulltime employees in the ShastaCounty workforce and the county collects dental and vision premiumsfrom about 900 retirees.

Muir said the cost of all healthcare benefits for retirees is $7.95 milliona year.

Shasta County Executive Officer Larry Lees has worried about thisdebt looming over the county and how it would balloon over time. Hedoes not think it will deter new hires from choosing Shasta County foremployment.

"I believe just the opposite," Lees said. "With this (plan) we wouldshow we're a county that is fiscally responsible and concerned aboutour future."

12/8/2016 Restructuring retiree benefits will save Shasta County in the long run

http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&title=Restructuring+retiree+benefits+will+save+Shasta+County+in+the+long+run&urlID=550282246&actio... 3/3

The Shasta County Employees Association was the first to accept thenew terms of the retiree healthcare plan earlier this year. A midmanagement employee unit is expected to accept the terms at Tuesday'sShasta County Board of Supervisors meeting.

About Nathan SolisMultimedia reporter Nathan Solis has been telling stories througharticles and photographs for 9 years as both a freelance writer andbeat reporter in Los Angeles. Most recently he has relocated toNorthern California where he reports on county issues for theRecord Searchlight/Redding.com. He engages the general ShastaCounty community through social media, video, photographs andarticles.

Facebook @njsolis_rs nathan.solis@redding.com

530-225-8238

Find this article at: http://archive.redding.com/news/local/restructuring-retiree-benefits-will-save-shasta-county-in-the-long-run-4278bd66-1d6b-4fa7-e053-01000-404875046.html

Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article.

📞

12/8/2016 Print Article: Law that lets police seize assets - $2.6 billion in 2015 - raises questions

http://www.ocregister.com/common/printer/view.php?db=ocregister&id=737639 1/4

Law that lets police seize assets $2.6 billion in 2015 raisesquestionsBy TERI SFORZA2016-12-06 20:46:53

Law enforcement seized nearly $2.6 billion worth of airplanes, houses,cash, jewelry, cars and other items from suspected wrongdoers last year,according to data from the U.S. Department of Justice.

It was the biggest one-year haul by federal, state and local policeagencies since 2011, and it occurred even as the practice is coming undergrowing criticism.

The program – technically known as asset forfeiture – was created amidthe 1980s’ “war on drugs” with the best of intentions: to reduce crime bydepriving drug traffickers, racketeers and criminal syndicates of their ill-gotten gains.

But critics charge that allowing law enforcement to reap financial reward from such seizures creates perverseincentives, encouraging the pursuit of property over the impartial administration of justice.

Reformers have described the practice with pejoratives like “policing for profit” and “theft by cop.”

After expenses are deducted, much of the proceeds from seized and forfeited booty wind up in the coffers ofstate and local police departments, sometimes even when the owners were never convicted of crimes. Themoney helps pay police salaries, fund operations and investigations, and buy equipment.

Deposits in: Over five years, seizures in states working with the federal government’s asset forfeiture programpumped nearly $14.2 billion into the fund. Operations in California contributed $854.5 million.

Money out: Over those same five years, the states’ “equitable share” of the booty was $2.5 billion. California’scut: $410.9 million.

Here in the Golden State, police agencies in Southern California got the most money back from the federalgovernment. Agencies in Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties topped the list.

That’s not coincidence, said Cindy Bachman of the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner’s office. “Illicitproceeds are funneled south to Mexico by drug trafficking organizations, and it is routinely consolidated in thegreater Los Angeles area before making its way out of the country,” she said by email.

Soon, that could change. A new state law seeks to choke off more seizure money, reducing police incentives toseize property, as do bills pending in Congress. More on that in a minute.

GUILTY UNTIL ...

Landlord Tony Jalali owned a commercial building in Anaheim. He rented space to a dental office, an insurancecompany and two medical marijuana dispensaries.

The dispensaries were legal under state law, but unwelcome in the city. In 2012, Anaheim police teamed upwith federal prosecutors and seized Jalali’s building, saying it was linked to criminal activity.

12/8/2016 Print Article: Law that lets police seize assets - $2.6 billion in 2015 - raises questions

http://www.ocregister.com/common/printer/view.php?db=ocregister&id=737639 2/4

A suspected link – not proof of guilt in a court of law – can be enough under federal civil forfeiture law. Jalalifaced the loss of his property, worth some $1.5 million, despite never being charged with a crime. The nonprofitInstitute for Justice in Virginia took up Jalali’s case pro bono, and after more than a year in federal court, thegovernment dropped the case.

But not everyone who gets caught in the system is so lucky.

“People need to understand that civil forfeiture occurs without any criminal charges or convictions,” said DickCarpenter, director of strategic research for the Institute for Justice, which is pushing for reforms.

“People just lose their property through seizure. Unless you’re well-versed in the details of forfeiture law, youhave to hire a lawyer to get your property back, and that requires time and money that many people just don’thave.”

The burden rests on the property owner to prove the negative – that the cash or car or jewelry or house wasnot linked to crime – which is a distortion of due process, Carpenter and the Institute of Justice said.

In some years, the value of property seized by law enforcement exceeded the value of what was stolen inburglaries, according to FBI statistics. Discussion of that data point frustrates law enforcement.

FIGHTING CRIME

Officials say officers do not seize property in a quest for profit. Instead, they say, they do so in the course ofcareful criminal investigations into illegal enterprises, most often drug dealing involving violent internationalcartels.

“The primary mission of the program is to employ asset-forfeiture powers in a manner that enhances publicsafety and security,” the Department of Justice says on its website.

And while the billions distributed to local law enforcement agencies are substantial, officials said, they pale inrelation to the street value of drugs seized.

“You might look at that list and say, ‘Wow, the Regional Narcotics Suppression Program got $33 million. That’sa lot of money,’” said Capt. Ken Burmood of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s special investigationsunit.

“But just last year, we seized 382 kilos of cocaine with a street value of about $14 million, and 195 kilos ofheroin worth $12 million, and 207 kilos of meth – that’s about $30 million street value, just with those threenarcotics, in a single year.

“Look at all the agencies. Look at all the drugs they’ve seized. These cartels are running multibillion-dollarbusinesses. The street value of what we’re seizing is a lot higher than the currency.”

There was consternation among local law enforcement in January after the U.S. Department of Justicesuspended equitable-sharing payments to local police agencies. But payments resumed in March, andobservers expect many agencies may be emboldened going forward.

The incoming president’s choice for attorney general – Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama – supportscivil asset forfeiture and opposes reform. Police groups across the country said it’s an important lawenforcement tool, Sessions told The Washington Post, and ending the sharing of seized cash with localdepartments “would be a huge detriment to law enforcement.”

As attorney general, Sessions would oversee the Department of Justice and the asset forfeiture program.

REFORM?

California’s laws governing when police can seize private property are more stringent than the federalgovernment’s. As a result, many local agencies partner directly with the U.S. Department of Justice in asset-forfeiture cases.

U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, explains it this way: In 1994, California tried to rein in forfeiture abuse bypassing a law requiring a criminal conviction before police can seize assets worth less than $25,000, andcapping the amount of money police can keep at no more than 65 percent of the total.

12/8/2016 Print Article: Law that lets police seize assets - $2.6 billion in 2015 - raises questions

http://www.ocregister.com/common/printer/view.php?db=ocregister&id=737639 3/4

But there’s been a simple way around those rules. Local police departments seized assets under federal, ratherthan state, law, which allows them to keep 80 percent of the proceeds and doesn’t require criminal convictions.

So California is trying again. Beginning Jan. 1, assets valued at less than $40,000 can be seized only after acriminal conviction, according to a new law by state Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles. And local agencieswon’t be able to get around that by partnering with federal agencies.

The law is hailed by civil rights champions as one of the most comprehensive reforms in the nation.

Still, local law enforcement doesn’t expect much of an impact. Larger assets – those worth more than $40,000 –can still be seized if officials believe they are linked to crime, even without a conviction. It’s why somelawmakers believe reform must come at the federal level.

There are several bills in Congress trying to attack this from different angles.

The Due Process Act, introduced by a bipartisan congressional roster, was approved by the House JudiciaryCommittee in May and may come to the full House for a vote before the end of the year. It would require thegovernment to prove the connection between the seized property and the criminal offense, create a right tocounsel for Americans ensnared in forfeiture proceedings, provide for recovery of attorney’s fees whenchallenges are victorious, and increase transparency and oversight with the creation of federal databases onforfeitures so the information is more readily available to the public.

Prospects for passage are uncertain if Sessions wins confirmation as attorney general, but the across-the-aisleunity of reform efforts could provide a potent counterpunch to law enforcement lobbying.

“I don’t want to disparage law enforcement because these laws are being used properly most of the time,” Issasaid in a statement. “The problem is, ‘most of the time’ isn’t good enough when it’s your civil rights.”

POLICING FOR PROFIT?

Twenty-three California law enforcement agencies received more than $4 million each over the past five years,working with the federal government on asset seizures. Asset-seizure programs are controversial, becausecash, cars and property can often be kept even if there is no criminal conviction.

Southern California agencies received more through such "sharing" than did those in Northern California.

A new law is aimed at reducing the incentive to seize in the Golden State, even as law enforcement agencieselsewhere get renewed license to use them.

Agency name Total

Orange County Regional Narcotics Suppression Program $33,504,782

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department $28,075,397

Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force (L.A. IMPACT) $27,925,021

Inland Regional Narcotics Enforcement Team (IRNET) $25,402,381

Los Angeles Police Department $14,405,499

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department $12,538,850

Anaheim Police Department $12,376,517

12/8/2016 Print Article: Law that lets police seize assets - $2.6 billion in 2015 - raises questions

http://www.ocregister.com/common/printer/view.php?db=ocregister&id=737639 4/4

West Covina Police Department $10,977,302

California Highway Patrol $ 9,279,178

Fontana Police Department $ 8,706,178

San Francisco Police Department $ 7,585,106

San Diego County Sheriff's Department $ 7,231,692

Pomona Police Department $ 7,197,999

Costa Mesa Police Department $ 6,540,594

La Verne Police Department $ 6,476,359

Beverly Hills Police Department $ 5,835,872

South Gate Police Department $ 5,695,775

Santa Ana Police Department $ 5,631,567

San Diego Police Department $ 5,529,804

Beverly Hills Police Department $ 4,642,306

Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement – Caifornia Dept. of Justice $ 4,511,921

Riverside County Sheriff's Department $ 4,083,479

SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Contact the writer: tsforza@scng.com

© Copyright 2016 Freedom Communications. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service | Copyright | Site Map

12/8/2016 Janice Hahn, Kathryn Barger give LA County Board of Supervisors historic female supermajority

http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20161205/janice-hahn-kathryn-barger-give-la-county-board-of-supervisors-historic-female-supermajority&... 1/3

LA Daily News (http://www.dailynews.com)

Janice Hahn, Kathryn Barger give LA County Board of Supervisors histor ic femalesupermajor ity

By Susan Abram, Los Angeles Daily News

Monday, December 5, 2016

Two newly elected Los Angeles County supervisors brought historicchanges to local politics Monday when they became part of asupermajority of women to serve on the largest local governmentalbody in the nation.

Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger were formally sworn in during twoceremonies at L.A.’s County Hall of Administration downtown. Theyjoin Hilda Solis, Sheila Kuehl and Mark RidleyThomas, the only manon the board, to oversee a $28 billion budget as well as several of thelargest departments in the United States, including the Sheriff’sDepartment.

They replace Supervisors Michael Antonovich and Don Knabe to represent the 4th and 5th districts. Both menhad more than 55 years of service between them but were forced out by term limits passed in 2002.

In separate ceremonies marked with tears, prayers, songs and some comic jabs at RidleyThomas for being theonly man, Hahn and Barger took the oath of office in the board hearing room filled with constituents and staffand promised to serve 10 million residents who call Los Angeles County their home.

For Hahn, the morning ceremony became a tribute to her father, Kenneth Hahn, who served on the board for 40years and whose name is on the Hall of Administration. The lineage of public service in her family was evidentwhen Hahn was sworn into office by her brother, former Mayor James Hahn, who is a Los Angeles SuperiorCourt judge.

“As a I stand here today in this building, I’m thinking about my father,” said Hahn, a former Los Angeles citycouncilwoman who gave up her seat in the House of Representatives to run for the powerful county board. LosAngeles Mayor Eric Garcetti helped introduce her.

“My father taught me that a county supervisor is truly at his, or her, best when they leverage their influence tobring everyone together to solve problems.”

Later in the day, Barger was sworn in by her former boss, Antonovich. Barger was his top aide for 15 years.

She said for her, being a supervisor means balancing the needs of the county’s most needy with theresponsibility of balancing a budget.

“I look forward to finding the balance with my colleagues,” Barger said. “I will not forget that I serve all ofyou.”

She and Hahn, both elected on Nov. 8, listed several legislative interests while campaigning, including jobcreation, more oversight of the foster care system, and support for Measure M, a voterapproved initiative that

12/8/2016 Janice Hahn, Kathryn Barger give LA County Board of Supervisors historic female supermajority

http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20161205/janice-hahn-kathryn-barger-give-la-county-board-of-supervisors-historic-female-supermajority&... 2/3

allows a halfcent salestax hike to pay for regional transportation improvements.

Funds to help homeless

Both will vote in their first board meeting Tuesday, which includes two weighty issues now facing the county: asales tax to raise funds for homeless services and a proposal to create an immigrant affairs department.

Barger and Hahn already have partnered with RidleyThomas to introduce two motions to fund effort to help thehomeless.

Hahn joined RidleyThomas in support of a quartercent sales tax measure to be placed on the March ballot. Themotion follows passage of Proposition HHH, a property tax measure approved by voters in November that willallow the city of Los Angeles to build 8,000 to 10,000 units of supportive permanent housing for the next 10years. But it’s the county that needs to step in and provide the supportive social services component.

In their joint resolution, RidleyThomas and Hahn said the quartercent sales tax is needed to ensure the successof these permanent supportive housing units.

“There is an urgent need to provide prevention, crisis, and support services, including health care, mental healthservices, and substance abuse treatment for homeless children, families, foster youth, seniors, battered women,disabled individuals, veterans, and other homeless adults,” they wrote.

The sales tax measure will be levied for a period of 10 years. About 75 organizations support the motion andtheir members are expected to attended Tuesday’s meeting.

Also, Barger joined RidleyThomas on a proposal to have homelessness declared a county emergency. Theirmotion claims tens of thousands of people are affected.

“The tremendous scale of homelessness in the county threatens the economic stability of the region byburdening emergency medical services and the social services infrastructure,” the motion states.

Immigrant affair s depar tment?

Meanwhile, Solis is hopeful the board will support her motion to create an immigrant affairs department toprotect the county’s undocumented residents as well as 70,000 young people enrolled into the Deferred Actionfor Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, which allows those brought illegally to the country aschildren to legally hold jobs.

Solis said such a department is necessary given Presidentelect Donald Trump’s proposals to deportundocumented immigrants. Though Trump has said deportation would involve only those who are in the U.S.illegally and who commit crimes, Solis said his focus on immigration has raised anxiety in the community.

“We can’t afford to go backwards, and that’s exactly what will happen if we don’t have this in place,” Solis saidin an interview Friday. If passed, the motion will ask county staff to look into how such a department would becreated and to return with a plan by the date Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

Trump also has threatened to pull federal funding from sanctuary cities such as Los Angeles, which havepolicies in place that protect undocumented individuals.

“In the state of California, where we have the largest population, you bet we’re going to be a target,” Solis said.“Many people have residency and legal status, but they are very fearful they might be deported.”

URL: http://www.dailynews.com/government-an d-politics/20161205/jan ice-hah n-kathryn-barger-give-la-county-board-of-supervisors-historic-female-supermajority

12/8/2016 CalPERS Knocked for Missing Wells Fargo Warning Signs | PublicCEO

http://www.publicceo.com/2016/12/calpers-knocked-for-missing-wells-fargo-warning-signs/ 1/3

HOME ABOUT PUBLICCEO JOB BOARD GRANTS SUBSCRIBE

CalPERS Knocked for Missing WellsFargo Warning Signs

POSTED BY : CAL WATCHDOG DECEMBER 6, 2016

By Chris Reed.

Critics of Wells Fargo’s scandal are raising questions about why the California Public Employees’

Retirement System — which for three decades has demanded that corporations it invests in must

operate under a clear ethical code — didn’t question illicit banking practices by the San Francisco-

based banking giant that were first revealed in 2013 and which resulted in huge federal sanctions in

September.

Wells Fargo has been one of CalPERS’ largest holdings in recent years. According to Bloomberg

financial records, CalPERS’ $950 million-plus stake in the bank is its fourth biggest holding after Apple,

ExxonMobil and Microsoft.

A member of the CalPERS board — state Treasurer John Chiang — says it’s unfair to expect CalPERS to

be a corporate watchdog in addition to all its other duties. While the Wells Fargo stake may seem large,

it amounts to one-third of 1 percent of CalPERS’ $289 billion portfolio.

In a San Francisco Chronicle report earlier this month, CalPERS was also defended on the grounds that

many investigators and watchdogs also didn’t do their due diligence.

“It’s something that should have been caught. … It surprises me the fraud went on as long as it did,”

former Citigroup risk officer Clifford Rossi told the newspaper.

LATEST HEADLINES

Recovery Complete in Deadly OaklandWarehouse Blaze

Battered San Bernardino is one stepcloser to exiting years-long bankruptcy

Families struggle to pay the high cost ofchild care in San Mateo County

Restructuring retiree benefits will saveShasta County in the long run

Oxnard hires assistant city manager

Click here for more headlines

SIGN UP FOR OUR DAILY

NEWSLETTER!

Name: Name...

Email: Email Address...

Submit

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

12/8/2016 CalPERS Knocked for Missing Wells Fargo Warning Signs | PublicCEO

http://www.publicceo.com/2016/12/calpers-knocked-for-missing-wells-fargo-warning-signs/ 2/3

The Wells Fargo scandal involved bank employees establishing up to 2 million new accounts and credit

cards in the name of customers. The employees faced quotas on how many new sign-ups from

existing account holders they were expected to get and had financial incentives to create accounts

without customers’ knowledge.

Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf resigned this fall after federal regulators fined the company $185 million

in September, forfeiting $41 million in bonuses he stood to make. The company also said that more

than 5,000 employees who created the unwanted accounts had been fired.

CalPERS began demanding best practices in 1980s

Despite the strong defense of CalPERS offered by Chiang and finance industry figures, others say that

criticism is inevitable because of CalPERS’ long history of demanding corporate accountability.

Beginning in the 1980s, CalPERS began compiling a list of “target” companies with issues of concern —

ranging from acting in ways that didn’t benefit the environment or were abusive to stockholder

interests, such as overpaying CEOs or board members, or not taking shareholder and regulatory

complaints with the seriousness they deserved.

This has led to national coverage of CalPERS, the largest U.S. government pension fund.

In 2004, The New York Times noted an internal power struggle over how hard CalPERS should go after

such entities as Disney, Safeway, the New York Stock Exchange and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. It led to

the ouster of CalPERS board President Sean Harrigan. A union official, Harrigan was particularly

aggressive about going after what he saw as extreme pay and poor oversight by corporate boards. But

he also raised eyebrows when urging CalPERS to criticize hospital pricing tactics and getting CalPERS to

support a health insurance reform ballot initiative that failed.

At the time, this was depicted as an anti-oversight coup by business-friendly board appointments

made by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But that claim was belied by the board’s actions in 2006 when it and other groups sued UnitedHealth

Corp. over its decision to sweeten the compensation of CEO William McGuire by allowing him to

backdate his stock options to a more favorable point in time.

In 2011 and 2012, CalPERS lobbied and eventually succeeded in getting Apple’s board to be more

responsive and open to shareholders’ concerns about corporate governance, such as presenting

comprehensive decisions about stock categories and dividends as yes-or-no proposals. It has

remained critical of Apple in the years since.

In 2013, CalPERS led the successful push to force Ray Lane out as chairman of struggling Hewlett-

Packard.

But there is no evidence that CalPERS followed up on the 2013 Los Angeles Times’ story that broke

open the Wells Fargo scandal. The September announcement that federal regulators had fined the

bank $185 million had far more information about the extent of the scandal, but its basic parameters

were established by the original Times story. It noted that senior Wells Fargo officials had been aware

for years of many accounts being opened without authorization but had done little to address the

fraud, which came in an era in which the financial services firm’s stock price was soaring.

There is also no documentation that CalPERS, formally or informally, complained about Stumpf’s

compensation — which was $19.3 million in 2015 — until Chiang’s fall critique.

Originally posted at Cal Watchdog.

Comments

FOLLOW PUBLICCEO

3,149Followers

0Fans

SubscribeRss

12/8/2016 California has good reasons to secede, but a noble reason to stay - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-california-secede-20161206-story.html 1/3

A

California has good reasons to secede, but a noblereason to stay

By David Horsey

DECEMBER 7, 2016, 5:00 AM

s early as 1803, Federalists in the New England states were talking seriously about breaking off from

the fledgling United States. They were alarmed by what they characterized as the “oppression and

barbarity” of the federal government under the leadership of President Thomas Jefferson.

On Dec. 20, 1860, shortly after the election of Abraham Lincoln, South Carolina became the first state to go

beyond talk and actually secede from the Union. Within months, 10 other slave-holding Southern states

followed South Carolina’s example. Secession did not turn out so well for the South and no one has made a

serious effort to disunite the states since.

That does not mean people in certain states do not still mull over the idea of secession when the powers-that-be

in Washington are not to their liking. Early on in Barack Obama’s presidency, Texas Gov. Rick Perry half-

jokingly talked about taking the independence road, while other Obama-hating Texans much more seriously

pushed for secession.

Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times)

12/8/2016 California has good reasons to secede, but a noble reason to stay - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/topoftheticket/la-na-tt-california-secede-20161206-story.html 2/3

Now, with the prospect of Donald Trump’s reign at hand, the secessionist talk has moved to the Left Coast. A

group of activists has begun gathering voter signatures to put a measure on the 2018 state ballot that would

ask, “Should California become a free, sovereign, and independent country?”

One of the groups backing the proposal is the newly formed California National Party. In a letter to the editor

of the Los Angeles Times, Kerry Cox, a party member, said his organization “is dedicated to liberating California

from a union that is no longer reflective of our values, and from two political parties that either treat us with

scorn and ridicule, or use us as a cash cow to finance elections.”

Cox said California’s share of U.S. defense expenditures is greater than the entire defense budget of Russia.

“We’re already a country,” he said. “It’s time to make it official.”

Not many people think California’s secessionists have the slightest chance of success. Still, there are plenty of

folks in the Golden State who dearly wish they could be liberated from the coming Trump regime. In the Nov. 8

election, Californians voted heavily in favor of Hillary Clinton, while also passing measures to legalize the

recreational use of marijuana, bolster already tough gun laws and extend taxes on the wealthy. Each of those

choices put the state at odds with Trump and with members of the Cabinet he is assembling.

California’s leadership on climate change, support of environmental regulations and opposition to new offshore

oil drilling schemes is very likely to run afoul of the policies of the new administration and the Republican-

controlled Congress. And California cities and universities are already going on record to say they will fight any

Trump-led scheme to round up and deport undocumented immigrants, especially the thousands who are

students in the state’s colleges.

Like the revolutionaries of 1776, Californians could base their case for independence on a complaint of

“taxation without representation.” The state sends far more tax money to Washington than it gets back. At the

same time, the votes of its 39 million people are dramatically underrepresented in the Senate and the electoral

college due to the Constitution’s built-in bias that favors sparsely populated Trump-loving states such as

Wyoming, Alaska and the Dakotas.

As the sixth-largest economy in the world, a place where 2 million new jobs have been created in the last five

years, California could do just fine on its own and might find people in the like-minded blue states further up

the coast — Oregon and Washington — clamoring to join a progressive California confederacy. However, that

truly is an ecotopian pipe dream (despite the fact that the stuff to induce pipe dreams is now legal in these

parts).

What is much more likely to happen is that the West Coast will provide a counterweight to any Trump

administration overreach and extremism. The best-case scenario: California will not split the country, it will

save the country.

Da vid.Horsey@la times.com

Follow me at @davidhorsey on Twitter

12/8/2016 The First Amendment is Not the Last Word at Public Meetings | PublicCEO

http://www.publicceo.com/2016/12/the-first-amendment-is-not-the-last-word-at-public-meetings/ 1/3

HOME ABOUT PUBLICCEO JOB BOARD GRANTS SUBSCRIBE

The First Amendment is Not the LastWord at Public Meetings

POSTED BY : CITIES SPEAK DECEMBER 6, 2016

Managing public comment at city council meetings isn’t easy.Review this framework to be prepared for disruptions.

This is a guest post by Ann G. MacFarlane.

In this country today, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is the foundation of our civil liberty.

The freedoms that it lists are crucial to our society. When we read accounts of how these freedoms can

be abridged, limited or ignored, we react with horror. And yet it is also important to acknowledge that,

in the matter of free speech, the First Amendment is not the last word.

“Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech…”

These 10 words have been interpreted to allow words and actions of an extraordinary breadth and

variety. In public meetings, people sometimes engage in hateful, vicious, personal and wide-ranging

attacks on institutions and individuals, waving the banner of free speech. Here’s how to manage these

disruptions and keep the meeting on track.

A Framework for Free Speech

We would like to offer a framework for consideration of free speech at public meetings, in the hope

that it will be helpful to elected officials and local governments struggling with these First Amendment

issues.

LATEST HEADLINES

Recovery Complete in Deadly OaklandWarehouse Blaze

Battered San Bernardino is one stepcloser to exiting years-long bankruptcy

Families struggle to pay the high cost ofchild care in San Mateo County

Restructuring retiree benefits will saveShasta County in the long run

Oxnard hires assistant city manager

Click here for more headlines

SIGN UP FOR OUR DAILY

NEWSLETTER!

Name: Name...

Email: Email Address...

Submit

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

12/8/2016 The First Amendment is Not the Last Word at Public Meetings | PublicCEO

http://www.publicceo.com/2016/12/the-first-amendment-is-not-the-last-word-at-public-meetings/ 2/3

1. A governing body has the right to establish rules for the conduct of its business. This principle is

enshrined in state law (for example, see my home state of Washington’s RCW 35A.12.120), in Robert’s

Rules of Order, and in common parliamentary law as affirmed by the courts.

2. We recommend that every council, commission, or other public body establish its own rules of

procedure. From our perspective, it makes sense to adopt Robert’s Rules of Order, and then add your

own special additional rules that meet the requirements of your particular situation.

3. Including a time limit on remarks is essential if a body is to conduct its business effectively.

4. A governing body may prohibit offensive speech, personal attacks, insult, etc. by its own members.

5. A member who breaks this rule may be reprimanded, censured, or asked to leave the meeting.

Such punishment can be inflicted only by the body itself, not by the chair acting alone. Including such

consequences in the rules of procedure, though it may not seem necessary when you adopt them,

can prove very helpful if your situation changes.

6. Know what your state law says about public input. In my home state of Washington, for example,

the public has the right to attend meetings, but does not have the right under the state constitution

or by statute to speak at them. However, most public bodies have created this right by consistently

giving the public an opportunity to speak.

7. In its rules, the body may authorize the chair to make a brief response to a speaker. The chair may

state that the body will take the views into consideration during its discussion and may offer to

provide information or a response later. (Of course, if you say this, be sure to follow up!)

8. However, the right to speak and ask questions does not, in and of itself, include the right to an

answer. It is important for the chair not to get involved in a back-and-forth exchange with members

of the public. We all have a natural impulse to defend ourselves when attacked, but remaining calm

and moving on the next item of business may be the most prudent and appropriate response. This

also prevents the unfortunate situation wherein the chair makes statements that are then

interpreted as the position of the whole body when perhaps they have not been adopted by the

body, leading to further wrangling and recrimination.

9. In general, in creating its rules, a council may impose restrictions pertaining to the way in which

public comment is offered. It is fine to impose time limits, or to require that remarks be germane

(relevant) to the subject at hand. In some states the body may confine public comment to specified

topics.

Also important:

While the body may request that speakers refrain from profanity, personal attacks, and so on,

caution should be taken before requiring the removal of an individual whose speech is not creating

an actual disruption.

It is important to distinguish between speech and disruption. In Washington State, if members of

the public who are present actually disrupt the meeting, or physical violence is threatened, they can

be ordered to leave, the meeting room may be cleared, or the body itself can adjourn the meeting

and reconvene in a different place, without the presence of the public but with the presence of the

media (RCW 42.30.050.) If you are confronted with actions that seem questionable, your attorney can

provide more details of how the courts define “disruption.”

Please note: it is important to distinguish between legal concerns and parliamentary procedure. I am

not an attorney and this article does not constitute legal advice. These thoughts are offered from the

point of view of parliamentary procedure, which is a part of the common law with its own special

history and perspective. Taking the parliamentary view into consideration, you will want to be guided

by your attorney.

Honor the First Amendment, Establish Rules, Be Prepared to Act

Angry emotions and disruptive actions can have the effect of hijacking a meeting – and sometimes

that’s what protesters at public meetings want. It means, though, that those same protesters are

stealing from the public. They are preventing our officials from doing the work that they were elected

or appointed to do. We encourage you to be proactive and definite. Honor the First Amendment,

FOLLOW PUBLICCEO

3,149Followers

0Fans

SubscribeRss

12/8/2016 The First Amendment is Not the Last Word at Public Meetings | PublicCEO

http://www.publicceo.com/2016/12/the-first-amendment-is-not-the-last-word-at-public-meetings/ 3/3

SHARE THIS STORY

Previous Post

California Housing Crisis: Manufactured HomesCould Be Part of the Solution

Next Post Oakland Reaffirms Sanctuary City Status; Urges

for Statewide Designation

ABOUT CITIES SPEAK

Cities Speak is the official blog of the National League of Cities.

RELATED POSTS

establish rules that will protect your group to the best of your legal ability, and be prepared to act

when disruption threatens. To do otherwise is to run the risk of wasting your time and the public’s

resources.

Have you had to deal with disruptive members of your governing body, or of the public? We invite you

to share your experiences.

Originally posted at Cities Speak.

Comments

0 comments

New Legislative Session PutsBail-Bonds Industry Under

MicroscopeDecember 7, 2016

Union Training PartnershipAims to Give Formerly

Incarcerated More than a JobDecember 7, 2016

San Diego’s Homeless SeniorPopulation Has More Than

DoubledDecember 7, 2016

Search Search

Copyright ©PublicCEO. All Rights Reserved.