Joey Williams spoke at the Orange Grove Friends Meeting House  on Sunday November 10, 2018. Speaking on behalf of  PICO California, part of the Faith In Action Network,  he described the process of gathering and submitting over 870,000 signatures to the 58 County Registrars to qualify the California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act for the November 2020 ballot. This will be the first commercial property tax reform initiative to qualify for the ballot in 40 years since Proposition 13 passed in 1978.

This initiative is also supported by  League of Women Voters of California, California Calls, Advancement Project California, Evolve California, Common Sense Kids Action, Alliance San Diego, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of California (CHIRLA), ACLU SoCal, and the California Federation of Teachers.

Schools and Communities First, a coalition of nearly 300 groups and leaders, has qualified an initiative for the Nov. 2020 ballot that would lift Prop 13 caps on property taxes for commercial and industrial properties.  (Proposition 13 limits property taxes for both homes and businesses to 1% of the property’s taxable value and prohibits the taxes from going up more than 2% per year until the property is sold.)

The initiative would create a “split roll” system, leaving in place the caps on home property taxes while removing the protections for commercial and business properties.  Commercial and business properties could be taxed at fair market value.

California Secretary of State has ( 24,312 of 24,312 ) precincts partially
reporting as of November 7, 2018, 11:27 a.m.

                                                                     Votes               Percent

Governor

☑ Gavin Newsom (Party Preference: DEM)      4,227,735          59.3%
John H. Cox (Party Preference: REP)              2,896,411         40.7%

Lieutenant Governor
Ed Hernandez (Party Preference: DEM)        2,614,679         44.3%
☑ Eleni Kounalakis (Party Preference: DEM)   3,291,408        55.7%

Secretary of State
☑ Alex Padilla (Party Preference: DEM)           4,333,888          61.7%
Mark P. Meuser (Party Preference: REP)      2,691,757         38.3%

Controller
☑ Betty T. Yee (Party Preference: DEM)                  4,404,698   62.9%
Konstantinos Roditis (Party Preference: REP)   2,603,061   37.1%

Treasurer
☑ Fiona Ma (Party Preference: DEM)               4,273,754         61.2%
Greg Conlon (Party Preference: REP)           2,713,348        38.8%

Attorney General
☑ Xavier Becerra (Party Preference: DEM)      4,259,636       60.7%
Steven C Bailey (Party Preference: REP)       2,758,602       39.3%

Insurance Commissioner
☑ Ricardo Lara (Party Preference: DEM)          3,393,189      50.8%
Steve Poizner (Party Preference: NPP)         3,287,452      49.2%

Superintendent of Public Instruction
Close Contest
Tony K. Thurmond                                            3,004,259   49.3%
☑Marshall Tuck                                                    3,090,707   50.7%

U.S. Senate
Kevin De Leon (Party Preference: DEM)      2,871,488    45.7%
☑Dianne Feinstein (Party Preference: DEM)  3,413,859    54.3%
Proposition Title

Yes Votes %            No Votes %
☑ Yes 1 Bonds to Fund Veteran & Affordable Housing.
3,713,218    54.1%                 3,154,381    45.9%
☑Yes 2 Amend Existing Housing Program for Mental Illness.
4,216,221    61.1%                  2,680,442    38.9%
☑No 3 Bond for Water and Environmental Projects.
3,248,415    47.7%                    3,568,010    52.3%
☑Yes 4 Bond for Children’s Hospital Construction.
4,175,910    60.6%                       2,718,855    39.4%
☑No 5 Senior Property Reduction.
2,873,484    41.9%                          3,979,530    58.1%
☑No 6 Repeal of Fuel Tax Approved by Voters.
3,141,881    44.9%                       3,857,819    55.1%
☑Yes 7 Change Daylight Saving Time Period.
4,098,868    59.9%                         2,740,645    40.1%
☑No 8 Regulates Kidney Dialysis Treatment Charges.
2,660,633    38.4%                           4,260,758    61.6%
☑No 10 Rental Control on Residential Property.
2,675,378    38.3%                           4,310,298    61.7%
☑Yes 11 Emergency Ambulance Employees on-call.
4,096,948    59.4%                       2,796,915    40.6%

☑Yes 12 Farm Animals Confinement Standards.
4,202,724    61.0%                    2,688,382    39.0%

U.S. Representative District 39

Gil Cisneros (Party Preference: DEM) 73,077    48.7%
☑Young Kim (Party Preference: REP) 76,956    51.3%

U.S. Representative District 25

☑Katie Hill (Party Preference: DEM) 83,662    51.3%
Steve Knight (Party Preference: REP) 79,545    48.7%

U.S. Representative District 45

Katie Porter (Party Preference: DEM) 88,765    48.3%
☑Mimi Walters (Party Preference: REP) 94,998    51.7%

U.S. Representative District 48
Close Contest
☑Harley Rouda (Party Preference: DEM) 91,750    50.7%
Dana Rohrabacher (Party Preference: REP) 89,068    49.3%

U.S. Representative District 49

☑Mike Levin (Party Preference: DEM) 94,579    53.5%
Diane L. Harkey (Party Preference: REP) 82,095    46.5%

U.S. Representative District 50

Ammar Campa-Najjar (Party Preference: DEM) 69,244    45.7%
☑Duncan Hunter (Party Preference: REP) 82,379   54.3%

Los Angeles County Registrar has 100% of 4,728 precincts reporting

From 5,200,514 total registrations, 1,975,855 (37%) total votes were cast in LA County.

Judy Chu, Adam Schiff, Ted Lieu, Maxine Waters and other local Members of Congress won reelection with comfortable margins.

Laura Friedman, running unopposed for our Assembly District, won.

Luz Rivas, our club-endorsed Candidate for Sunland Tujunga, won her race against Benito Ramirez.

Los Angeles County Flood Control District Measure W to capture storm water passed.

Jeffrey Prang, Club endorsed candidate for Country Tax Assessor won 60/40. Alex Villanueva, club endorsed candidate for Los Angeles County Sheriff, held a 0.3% margin with a 4,927 vote advantage.

All 4 judges who sought the endorsement of Canada Crescenta Democratic Club won their elections.

Local Cities passed sales tax measures to fund public services. In Los Angeles, the Public Bank Measure failed.

So long as Republicans maintain their grasp on power, they can enforce the Supreme court’s decisions through legislation, executive orders, and, if necessary, the National Guard.

If Democrats control both houses of congress, they can bring impeachment charges against justices, strip the court of jurisdiction to hear particular cases, change the size of the court to ensure favorable majorities, and even freeze the justices’ salaries out of spite.

States may refuse to comply with Court Decisions, claiming that the court’s current majority is illegitimate.

Constitutional Hardball

Opinion _ The Coming Storm Over the Supreme Court – The New York Times

Brett Kavanaugh_s confirmation will pave the way for a constitutional crisis.

Washington Monthly _ With Kavanaugh, Republicans Secure An Unjust and Unsustainable Minority Rule

Resisting the Juristocracy _ Boston Review

Brett Kavanaugh_ Impeaching a Supreme Court justice, explained – Vox

Notice of October General Meeting

Please join us
Sunday, Oct. 21
from 3 PM to 5 PM
at the Center for Spiritual Living
4845 Dunsmore Ave., La Crescenta.

Guest Speaker
on Water Bonds, Prop. 3

Jonathan Parfrey,
Executive Director of Climate Resolve and formerly a commissioner at the LADWP, will share his take on the Water Bonds, Prop 3, which he supports.

We have also asked the Sierra Club, which opposes Prop. 3, to speak about it as well.

With an admirable resume in environmental organizations including CicLAvia, Parfrey was also at one time the Los Angeles director of Physicians for Social Responsibility. He is currently a fellow at the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities; a member of the State of California Climate Adaptation Technical Advisory Committee (2016) and a member of the steering committee for the US Climate and Health Alliance (2016).
http://climateresolve.org/2018/staff/jonathan-parfrey/

Know Your Ballot

We will review Nov. 6 Ballot. Bring your sample ballot or print the PDF we sent this week “Know Your Ballot…the Endorsements”
Endorsements Guide

Last night the Board additionally endorsed
Rep. Adam Schiff (CA-28)
Assemblyperson Laura Friedman (AD43)
and Assemblyperson Luz Rivas (AD39)

Feel heartsick about the Brett Kavanaugh debacle? Our V.P. Susan Mastrodemos will present “There’s Hope in Face of the Kavanaugh Appointment!”

Club Officers 2019
The nominees for 2019 offices will be presented at the October Meeting. Election takes place at the November meeting.

President: Lora De La Portilla
Vice President: Susan Mastrodemos
Controller: Robert “Bud” Slotky
Meetings Secretary: Carolyn Young
Board Secretary: Heidi Aspaturian

PLEASE NOTE: Additional nominations can be taken at the Oct. meeting (nominee must be there to accept nomination or have sent a letter to our Secretary prior to the meeting (email Carolyn at cjymesalila@gmail.com).

Midterms “Watch Party” Nov. 6

We’re in for a Wonderful Victory, don’t you think? And if we lose a few, at least you’ll have your fellow Dems to commiserate with.

Join us on Election Night Nov. 6 for a Watch Party at Joselito’s Montrose where we’ll have an upstairs table. You can order food and drink and watch the returns on TV. Come join us 6 PM to 10 PM, at 2345 Honolulu Ave., Montrose. Parking in the back or on the street.

Click here to RSVP by Fri, Nov. 2 to Leslie.
RSVP for Watch Party Nov. 6

LAST MONTH OF CAMPAIGNING

If you haven’t connected with any other group, the best way to roll up your sleeves and help Get Out the Vote for the midterms is through the United Democratic Headquarters in Pasadena.

They have a full calendar of canvassing, postcard writing, text- banking, and phoning.

UDH
1487 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91106
Do not park behind building
—best to park in $2 PCC lot at Holliston and Green Street
Call or Text – (626) 808-8493
Email – PasadenaUDH@gmail.com

http://www.pasadenademocrats.com/get-involved.html

Pictured above is one of the types of postcards you hear Susan and Suzanne promoting. More help with hand-writing and coloring of cards always appreciated! Contact Suzanne directly– goldbergsm@aol.com

Printable PDF here November Ballot
CCDC Endorsements November 2018 Ballot

Reference Materials

Los Angeles County Ballot: Candidates
11062018_final-list-qualified-candidates-to-appear-on-ballot

Los Angeles County Ballot: Propositions
11062018_measures-appearing-on-ballot

Pasadena Area League of Women Voters: Pros and Cons
Pros and Cons November 2018 3.1

CalMatters Voters’ Guide

CalMatters Proposition 3: Commentary
PRO & CON on Proposition 3

(NEW) Proposition recommendations from a dozen organizations
Recommendations2018

(NEW) Swing SoCal Left statewide organizations’ endorsements of candidates and propositions
SSCL-Endoresment-Comp-Chart-v6

(NEW) FINAL REPORT OF THE 2018 JUDICIAL ELECTIONS EVALUATION COMMITTEE OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
jeec-report-2018

(NEW) Background information on Supreme Court and Court of Appeals retention. 

LA TIMES: California Supreme Court and Court of Appeal justices face simple up-or-down votes, with no challengers.   State voters must retain or reject each justice in the first gubernatorial election after their appointment, and then again every 12 years.

Public Safety Panel Discussion:

Prop 47 & 57, and Assembly Bill 109
Thursday March 1, Monrovia Community Center Monrovia CA

More than 100 people attended, including  Law Enforcement Officers from nearby jurisdictions, as well as City Councilmembers and mayors.

Major takeaways:

Absence of crime ≠ Presence of well-being.

Policing is local, but criminals roam between jurisdictions.

When police, probation, public health, and community groups work together, recidivism is sharply decreased.

Some offenders are not amenable to rehabilitation. Need to lock up repeat offenders and “predators.”

AB109 only considers most recent felony, does not review history of possible violent felonies.

Under Prop 57, property theft of value less than $950 is a misdemeanor. Acts as a revolving door. Previously “Theft with prior” allowed prosecutors to incarcerate repeat offenders.

Convicted felons face multiple challenges to reintegration:

• Housing is barred to felons
• Probation and parole have scheduled appointments and random drug test requirements which conflict with regular work hours.
• Mental illness and homelessness are huge problems for released offenders
• Convicted felons are barred from 4800 professions in California.

UPDATED JUNE 2018 WITH NEW LEGISLATION

Assembly Bills 2138, 2293, and 3039 would affect the nearly 8 million Californians with non-violent arrest or conviction records and help reduce the barriers they face in receiving a professional license, which is required for 30 percent of jobs in the State of California.  

AB 2138, authored by Assemblymembers Chiu and Low, will prohibit the Department of Consumer Affairs from denying or revoking licenses under its issuing authority unless the conviction is directly and adversely related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of the business or profession.

Assemblymember Holden has authored AB 3039, which will enact similar provisions for all licenses issued by the Department of Social Services (DSS), to ensure all Californians are able to access employment in community care facilities.

AB 2293 by Assemblymember Reyes will similarly affect licenses as in the previous two bills but will apply to EMS licenses issued by the Emergency Medical Services Authority.

“If a person is good enough to risk their life fighting fires for the state of California as an inmate, and as long as they meet the standards of the program and maintain good behavior, their previous actions should not prevent them from having a job utilizing the skill set they have learned,” said Assemblymember Reyes.

Sponsor

Assemblymember Chris Holden

Decades of tough-on-crime laws, including determinate sentencing and the three-strikes law, filled California’s prisons and burdened the state budget with skyrocketing costs.

AB 109

Criminal Justice Realignment (2011) transferred certain felons from state prisons to county jails or rehabilitation programs.

Proposition 47

“The Safe Neighborhood and Schools Act” (2014) Classified “non-serious, nonviolent crimes” as misdemeanors instead of felonies unless the defendant has prior convictions for murder, rape, certain sex offenses or certain gun crimes.

From Nov-Dec 2014 to July-Sept 2017, re-sentencing petitions, reclassification applications, and juvenile petitions under Prop 47 totaled 325,766.

Proposition 57

allows parole consideration for people with nonviolent convictions,

gives corrections officials the power to grant inmates credits for good behavior

requires judges, instead of prosecutors, to decide whether a minor should be tried as an adult.

Authority over early release remains with California’s parole board, consisting of 12 full-time commissioners appointed by the governor and a group of deputy commissioners.

Moderator

Phlunté Riddle, Psy. D, Assembly District 41 District Director, than 25 years at Pasadena Police Department.

Panelists:

Reaver Bingham
Los Angeles County Probation Department Deputy Chief, oversees AB 109 for the LA County Probation Department

Bob Guthrie
Police Chief for the Arcadia Police Department and President of the Los Angeles County Police Chiefs’ Association

Daniel Torres
Reintegration Specialist Flintridge Center

Flintridge Center named Non-Profit of the Year for Assembly District.

Not present due to high wind conditions etc:

Secretary Scott Kernan,

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Stephen Walker, Director, Governmental Affairs in California California Correctional Peace Officers Association

Speakers

Oliver Chi
City Manager, Monrovia Taking Back Our Community

Philip L. Sanchez
Chief of Police for the City of Pasadena

Marisa Arrona
Local Safety Solutions Project Director Californians for Safety and Justice

https://safeandjust.org/wp-content/uploads/CSJSafeSound-Dec4-online_2.pdf