Usually, I don’t recommend elected officials serving in the same office for 24 years, such as Joel Keller, who was elected to the BART Board on the same night in November 1994 that I was elected to the Antioch City Council. That’s because elected representatives tend to become complacent or arrogant in office and stop listening to their constituents, and end up doing the bidding of the powerful, special interests who support them and contribute to their re-election campaigns.
However, Joel is different. Having served on the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and three of the four transportation boards in East County, including as Chairman of the Bypass Authority in 1998 when we purchased the right-of-way for the State Route 4 extension (aka The Bypass) from Lone Tree Way to Balfour Road, I’ve learned the difficult lesson that infrastructure projects can take a long time. Too much time for most all of our liking. But, that’s another issue. My point is, it’s taken that time for Joel to get BART extended to Antioch.
Although it’s not full or “real” BART, as we Antioch residents would have preferred, the bottom line is Joel was able to wade through the funding limitations from BART and the federal government, as well as the opposition by other regions in the BART District and directors who represent those regions and make his promise and commitment a reality. Antioch has a BART station. During his next four years, if re-elected, I believe Joel will be able to help deliver further extensions in East County, first to Laurel Road – which will benefit Antioch’s economic development area for job creation and serve the residents of Oakley – then to Brentwood near Sand Creek Road.
Joel has done what he said he would do, and he listens to his constituents. Most recently, Joel heard the complaints about safety on the BART system. In order to ensure the rest of the board members heard the complaints from the people in his district who can’t attend their normal day time meetings in Oakland, had the board hold a night time meeting in Pittsburg. Then, due to the overwhelming response by riders to the opening of the Antioch BART Station, Joel heard the outcry for more parking spaces, and he delivered by getting the other BART Board Members to join him in voting to fund 800 more spaces.
I believe Joel has earned one more term on the BART Board, which most likely will be his last, and recommend we re-elect him.
Read MoreBy Jimmy Lee, Public Affairs Director, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
This morning at about 11:03, Danville Police Officers responded to a report from a citizen of a suspicious person near Cottage Place and Laurel Drive in Danville.
As officers arrived, the suspect fled, leading officers on a pursuit. At the intersection of Front Street and Diablo Road, the suspect attempted to run over an officer, who fired his weapon at the vehicle.
The suspect was shot and transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. The suspect is not being identified at this time. The officer sustained a minor injury.
The county officer-involved protocol has been invoked. This incident is being jointly investigated by the Danville Police Department, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff, and D.A.’s Office.
More details are pending
Read MoreAB-1, Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (The Gas Tax Increase) was introduced by Assemblyman Jim Frazier (District 11). His press release stated, “My commitment to passing a comprehensive funding plan that addresses California’s failing transportation system will not waiver.” He was right in identifying California’s system as failing, but how could he expect that more of the same failed treatment would help?
California is rated 46 comparing all states for pavement condition and congestion. While Caltrans spends 4.7 times as much per mile as average of 49 other states, why did Mr. Frazier plan a tax increase? If he had worked to decrease the ludicrous waste of Caltrans, no tax increase would be necessary.
The people knew better so the legislature panicked and developed Prop 69 to improve their image. If you believe that is a cure, I want to sell you my bridge in Brooklyn. Be aware that it directs fuel tax not to only roads but to any form of public transportation. It forces 50% to cities which is good because cities will spend it wisely, but where will the other 50% go? Will bridges and broken pavement be improved? Taxpayer advocates have offered an alternative solution to fix our roads without a tax hike – the Road Repair Accountability Initiative.
Why didn’t Mr. Frazier’s Transportation Committee research the absurd waste of Caltrans? If Caltrans is unable to become 400% more efficient, why not outsource road repairs or experiment with turnpikes? Some states outsource 50-85% of their work, California does 10%. A contractor under competitive bidding will provide quality roads and control maintenance cost for fear of losing his contract.
Mr. Frazier is graded letter “F” by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers. Is it not time to get a legislator who understands business principles. Elect Lisa Romero. See www.electlisaromero.com.
Earl Heal
Vacaville
Read MoreBy Ryan Hughes (@RyanHughesCA), DollarDollarBill.com (republished with permission)
Oct. 24, 2018
In American political campaigns, cash rules everything. Candidates and elected officials spend countless hours raising money to pay for their commercials, mailers, and door hangers. But candidates differ in how they raise enough money to be competitive.
Dollar Dollar Bill wanted to find out who 2018’s biggest—and smallest—grassroots fundraisers were. Our full methodology is explained below, but the short version is this: we calculated the percentage of each candidate’s donors who gave $200 or less, but excluded any candidate who had not raised at least $100,000.
So whose campaign is raising the most grassroots money in 2018?
Candidate | District | Total Raised | Grassroots ($) | Grassroots (%) |
Mark Meuser (R) | SOS | $ 261,187.46 | $ 128,800.74 | 49.31% |
Jovanka Beckles (D) | AD15 | $ 350,499.34 | $ 99,997.20 | 28.53% |
William Ostrander (D) | AD35 | $ 109,049.90 | $ 28,446.06 | 26.09% |
Jacalyn Smith (D) | AD06 | $ 135,137.29 | $ 31,991.51 | 23.67% |
Joy Silver (D) | SD28 | $ 509,409.42 | $ 71,888.03 | 14.11% |
Steven Bailey (R) | AG | $ 501,228.98 | $ 56,053.61 | 11.18% |
Buffy Wicks (D) | AD15 | $ 1,134,729.48 | $ 90,251.91 | 7.95% |
John Cox (R) | CAGOV | $ 12,145,288.73 | $ 878,300.09 | 7.23% |
Cottie Petrie-Norris (D) | AD74 | $ 435,364.07 | $ 31,213.18 | 7.17% |
Alexandria Coronado (R) | AD65 | $ 199,364.08 | $ 13,874.00 | 6.96% |
At the top of the list is Mark Meuser, the Republican candidate for Secretary of State. He attributed his grassroots fundraising success to his campaign’s considerable travels throughout the state to speak to political and civic groups—and he has numbers: 825 events, 92,500 miles driven, a 58-county bike tour over 46 days, and air travel on top of all that. “We’ve been very good at handing out campaign contribution envelopes right there when I’m speaking,” said Meuser. During our interview, Meuser was southbound on I-5 to headline an event that night for a Republican congressional candidate.
Joy Silver, the Democratic candidate for Senate District 28, attributed her success in grassroots fundraising to her having been an organizer before she began running for office. “I am a grassroots candidate because I was working as a grassroots organizer,” explained Silver. Following the 2018 election, she helped organize a group to oppose Trump Administration policies. “They wanted me to run, so I became the voice of those people.”
Asked how much time she spends fundraising, Silver paused and joked, “I’m trying to think of what else I do.”
On the other end of the spectrum are candidates who raised almost no money from grassroots sources. California has ten candidates who raised less than one tenth of one percent of their campaign funds from grassroots donors:
Candidate | District | Total Raised | Grassroots ($) | Grassroots (%) |
Miguel Santiago (D) | AD53 | $ 1,238,791.76 | $ 1,125.00 | 0.09% |
Wendy Carrillo (D) | AD51 | $ 448,769.86 | $ 375.50 | 0.08% |
Blanca Rubio (D) | AD48 | $ 1,074,290.57 | $ 880.50 | 0.08% |
Lorena Gonzalez (D) | AD80 | $ 1,724,427.89 | $ 1,403.00 | 0.08% |
Ken Cooley (D) | AD08 | $ 625,057.51 | $ 450.00 | 0.07% |
Ian Calderon (D) | AD57 | $ 1,145,958.17 | $ 736.00 | 0.06% |
Jim Cooper (D) | AD09 | $ 2,002,785.01 | $ 1,210.00 | 0.06% |
Joel Anderson (R) | BOE04 | $ 449,001.08 | $ 235.00 | 0.05% |
Marie Waldron (R) | AD75 | $ 544,437.22 | $ 189.97 | 0.03% |
Mike Gipson (D) | AD64 | $ 981,334.48 | $ 102.20 | 0.01% |
All of these candidates are incumbent members of the Legislature, and only one of them is seeking higher office: Joel Anderson for Board of Equalization.
At the very bottom of grassroots fundraising this cycle is Mike Gipson, a Democratic Assemblymember from South Los Angeles, who raised 0.01% of his campaign contributions from grassroots sources. Of the nearly $1 million he raised, only $102.20 came from grassroots sources.
How much have your local candidates raised in grassroots contributions? All candidates for the 2018 General Election who raised at least $100,000:
Candidate | District | Total Raised | Grassroots ($) | Grassroots (%) |
Mark Meuser (R) | SOS | $ 261,187.46 | $ 128,800.74 | 49.31% |
Jovanka Beckles (D) | AD15 | $ 350,499.34 | $ 99,997.20 | 28.53% |
William Ostrander (D) | AD35 | $ 109,049.90 | $ 28,446.06 | 26.09% |
Jacalyn Smith (D) | AD06 | $ 135,137.29 | $ 31,991.51 | 23.67% |
Joy Silver (D) | SD28 | $ 509,409.42 | $ 71,888.03 | 14.11% |
Steven Bailey (R) | AG | $ 501,228.98 | $ 56,053.61 | 11.18% |
Buffy Wicks (D) | AD15 | $ 1,134,729.48 | $ 90,251.91 | 7.95% |
John Cox (R) | CAGOV | $ 12,145,288.73 | $ 878,300.09 | 7.23% |
Cottie Petrie-Norris (D) | AD74 | $ 435,364.07 | $ 31,213.18 | 7.17% |
Alexandria Coronado (R) | AD65 | $ 199,364.08 | $ 13,874.00 | 6.96% |
Mike Mc Guire (D) | SD02 | $ 1,541,581.86 | $ 102,039.18 | 6.62% |
Sunday Gover (D) | AD77 | $ 471,297.26 | $ 30,756.22 | 6.53% |
Tasha Boerner Horvath (D) | AD76 | $ 412,747.96 | $ 24,435.96 | 5.92% |
Tepring Michelle Piquado (D) | AD54 | $ 168,735.08 | $ 9,959.58 | 5.90% |
Alan Geraci (D) | AD75 | $ 142,171.37 | $ 7,736.44 | 5.44% |
Gavin Newsom (D) | CAGOV | $ 41,931,831.24 | $ 2,160,446.32 | 5.15% |
Janet Nguyen (R) | SD34 | $ 1,947,105.29 | $ 96,779.01 | 4.97% |
Mark Stone (D) | AD29 | $ 468,134.57 | $ 20,875.94 | 4.46% |
Konstantinos Roditis (R) | CON | $ 117,214.99 | $ 5,114.99 | 4.36% |
Michael Eng (D) | SD22 | $ 2,449,071.73 | $ 101,798.46 | 4.16% |
Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D) | AD16 | $ 958,349.83 | $ 39,094.37 | 4.08% |
Xavier Becerra (D) | AG | $ 6,798,507.78 | $ 266,470.77 | 3.92% |
Jesse Gabriel (D) | AD45 | $ 947,466.05 | $ 36,115.36 | 3.81% |
Frank Scotto (R) | AD66 | $ 725,034.58 | $ 27,107.00 | 3.74% |
Marshall Tuck (D) | SPI | $ 4,276,700.13 | $ 126,421.19 | 2.96% |
Brian Jones (R) | SD38 | $ 926,033.24 | $ 24,481.00 | 2.64% |
Richard Pan (D) | SD06 | $ 1,331,028.76 | $ 33,510.67 | 2.52% |
James Gallagher (R) | AD03 | $ 1,126,179.33 | $ 28,326.88 | 2.52% |
Malia Cohen (D) | BOE02 | $ 909,361.61 | $ 22,467.00 | 2.47% |
Kevin Kiley (R) | AD06 | $ 676,588.65 | $ 16,004.98 | 2.37% |
Maria Elena Durazo (D) | SD24 | $ 1,206,722.95 | $ 28,406.00 | 2.35% |
Fiona Ma (D) | TREAS | $ 3,454,286.07 | $ 77,226.71 | 2.24% |
Ash Kalra (D) | AD27 | $ 482,134.00 | $ 10,114.00 | 2.10% |
Robert Rivas (D) | AD30 | $ 702,549.27 | $ 14,390.00 | 2.05% |
Josh Lowenthal (D) | AD72 | $ 1,340,146.42 | $ 26,857.17 | 2.00% |
Catharine Baker (R) | AD16 | $ 2,043,507.26 | $ 38,367.27 | 1.88% |
Al Muratsuchi (D) | AD66 | $ 1,354,823.00 | $ 25,039.53 | 1.85% |
Melissa Hurtado (D) | SD14 | $ 653,284.33 | $ 11,939.18 | 1.83% |
S. Monique Limon (D) | AD37 | $ 876,953.00 | $ 15,135.49 | 1.73% |
Andreas Borgeas (R) | SD08 | $ 894,384.98 | $ 15,412.19 | 1.72% |
Edwin Chau (D) | AD49 | $ 596,739.75 | $ 9,950.00 | 1.67% |
Bob Archuleta (D) | SD32 | $ 518,724.83 | $ 8,602.00 | 1.66% |
Kevin Mullin (D) | AD22 | $ 844,571.10 | $ 13,634.00 | 1.61% |
Susan Rubio (D) | SD22 | $ 837,248.66 | $ 13,356.00 | 1.60% |
Betty Yee (D) | CON | $ 2,194,307.05 | $ 34,581.43 | 1.58% |
Melissa Melendez (R) | AD67 | $ 401,288.04 | $ 6,075.00 | 1.51% |
Jordan Cunningham (R) | AD35 | $ 1,020,896.61 | $ 15,126.66 | 1.48% |
Laura Friedman (D) | AD43 | $ 748,804.12 | $ 11,013.08 | 1.47% |
Bob Wieckowski (D) | SD10 | $ 946,622.22 | $ 13,881.14 | 1.47% |
Shannon Grove (R) | SD16 | $ 1,512,205.91 | $ 21,661.76 | 1.43% |
Kansen Chu (D) | AD25 | $ 449,819.16 | $ 6,436.31 | 1.43% |
Christy Smith (D) | AD38 | $ 1,275,279.76 | $ 18,227.72 | 1.43% |
James Wood (D) | AD02 | $ 1,103,126.85 | $ 15,259.91 | 1.38% |
Devon Mathis (R) | AD26 | $ 441,166.09 | $ 6,049.92 | 1.37% |
Connie Leyva (D) | SD20 | $ 1,301,747.12 | $ 17,835.00 | 1.37% |
Tyler Diep (R) | AD72 | $ 907,191.79 | $ 12,187.00 | 1.34% |
Henry Nickel (R) | AD40 | $ 282,813.12 | $ 3,787.68 | 1.34% |
Bill Quirk (D) | AD20 | $ 643,019.42 | $ 8,534.00 | 1.33% |
Steven Choi (R) | AD68 | $ 245,853.00 | $ 3,203.00 | 1.30% |
Ben Allen (D) | SD26 | $ 1,690,309.04 | $ 21,782.00 | 1.29% |
Thomas Umberg (D) | SD34 | $ 1,085,928.14 | $ 13,193.17 | 1.21% |
David Chiu (D) | AD17 | $ 1,395,785.39 | $ 16,769.01 | 1.20% |
Patrick O’Donnell (D) | AD70 | $ 1,030,713.79 | $ 12,294.00 | 1.19% |
Susan Eggman (D) | AD13 | $ 1,023,635.71 | $ 12,056.19 | 1.18% |
Evan Low (D) | AD28 | $ 2,040,144.24 | $ 24,026.25 | 1.18% |
Edward Hernandez (D) | LG | $ 3,672,188.78 | $ 42,041.00 | 1.14% |
Todd Gloria (D) | AD78 | $ 866,625.10 | $ 9,730.00 | 1.12% |
Sharon Quirk-Silva (D) | AD65 | $ 1,676,466.92 | $ 18,797.97 | 1.12% |
Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D) | AD04 | $ 788,054.20 | $ 8,676.69 | 1.10% |
Vincent Fong (R) | AD34 | $ 1,071,066.11 | $ 11,237.98 | 1.05% |
Marc Berman (D) | AD24 | $ 715,198.24 | $ 7,456.20 | 1.04% |
Sydney Kamlager (D) | AD54 | $ 571,669.75 | $ 5,880.00 | 1.03% |
Joaquin Arambula (D) | AD31 | $ 898,302.70 | $ 8,899.31 | 0.99% |
Justin Mendes (R) | AD32 | $ 653,832.91 | $ 6,085.00 | 0.93% |
Jacqui Irwin (D) | AD44 | $ 1,233,253.50 | $ 11,356.00 | 0.92% |
Cristina Garcia (D) | AD58 | $ 807,374.70 | $ 7,318.69 | 0.91% |
Mohammad-Ali Mazarei (R) | AD61 | $ 114,356.04 | $ 1,035.54 | 0.91% |
Eloise Gomez Reyes (D) | AD47 | $ 681,258.32 | $ 6,144.70 | 0.90% |
Bill Essayli (R) | AD60 | $ 629,253.31 | $ 5,626.17 | 0.89% |
Shirley Weber (D) | AD79 | $ 719,040.24 | $ 6,394.00 | 0.89% |
Randy Voepel (R) | AD71 | $ 162,010.00 | $ 1,400.00 | 0.86% |
Jim Frazier (D) | AD11 | $ 1,071,153.60 | $ 9,248.99 | 0.86% |
Adrin Nazarian (D) | AD46 | $ 827,127.82 | $ 7,127.99 | 0.86% |
Alex Padilla (D) | SOS | $ 1,769,469.14 | $ 14,767.13 | 0.83% |
Tim Grayson (D) | AD14 | $ 1,089,670.33 | $ 8,911.04 | 0.82% |
Eleni Kounalakis (D) | LG | $ 6,948,261.57 | $ 54,581.58 | 0.79% |
James Ramos (D) | AD40 | $ 1,561,945.06 | $ 11,711.32 | 0.75% |
Andy Vidak (R) | SD14 | $ 1,786,180.52 | $ 12,895.00 | 0.72% |
Ted Gaines (R) | BOE01 | $ 840,303.33 | $ 6,015.00 | 0.72% |
Jim Nielsen (R) | SD04 | $ 997,447.79 | $ 7,115.00 | 0.71% |
Tony Vazquez (D) | BOE03 | $ 358,674.35 | $ 2,501.11 | 0.70% |
Pat Bates (R) | SD36 | $ 1,540,644.65 | $ 10,658.45 | 0.69% |
Dante Acosta (R) | AD38 | $ 914,428.76 | $ 6,162.00 | 0.67% |
Luz Rivas (D) | AD39 | $ 334,456.14 | $ 2,108.03 | 0.63% |
Chad Mayes (R) | AD42 | $ 1,213,756.31 | $ 7,576.30 | 0.62% |
Rob Bonta (D) | AD18 | $ 2,628,260.37 | $ 15,647.88 | 0.60% |
Brian Dahle (R) | AD01 | $ 1,437,744.65 | $ 8,493.84 | 0.59% |
Eduardo Garcia (D) | AD56 | $ 747,383.28 | $ 4,298.00 | 0.58% |
Heath Flora (R) | AD12 | $ 490,837.33 | $ 2,772.25 | 0.56% |
Ricardo Lara (D) | IC | $ 2,065,769.09 | $ 11,560.35 | 0.56% |
Sabrina Cervantes (D) | AD60 | $ 1,748,736.69 | $ 9,754.70 | 0.56% |
Jose Medina (D) | AD61 | $ 615,600.64 | $ 3,386.32 | 0.55% |
Marc Levine (D) | AD10 | $ 1,755,336.86 | $ 9,509.85 | 0.54% |
Jeffrey Stone (R) | SD28 | $ 537,258.00 | $ 2,769.00 | 0.52% |
Holly Mitchell (D) | SD30 | $ 1,279,003.18 | $ 6,305.96 | 0.49% |
Jim Patterson (R) | AD23 | $ 784,863.17 | $ 3,800.00 | 0.48% |
Robert Poythress (R) | SD12 | $ 1,812,471.53 | $ 8,620.00 | 0.48% |
Frank Bigelow (R) | AD05 | $ 1,413,518.61 | $ 6,460.00 | 0.46% |
Bill Brough (R) | AD73 | $ 623,975.43 | $ 2,823.00 | 0.45% |
Tony Thurmond (D) | SPI | $ 702,140.37 | $ 3,097.22 | 0.44% |
Anna Caballero (D) | SD12 | $ 2,114,695.50 | $ 9,109.16 | 0.43% |
Phillip Chen (R) | AD55 | $ 669,264.64 | $ 2,697.24 | 0.40% |
Kevin Mc Carty (D) | AD07 | $ 737,720.29 | $ 2,896.98 | 0.39% |
Jay Obernolte (R) | AD33 | $ 503,331.01 | $ 1,962.72 | 0.39% |
Phil Ting (D) | AD19 | $ 1,753,400.32 | $ 6,723.66 | 0.38% |
Matthew Harper (R) | AD74 | $ 264,870.98 | $ 999.00 | 0.38% |
Richard Bloom (D) | AD50 | $ 579,022.28 | $ 2,130.00 | 0.37% |
Thomas Lackey (R) | AD36 | $ 629,275.51 | $ 2,225.59 | 0.35% |
Adam Gray (D) | AD21 | $ 1,352,561.49 | $ 4,321.34 | 0.32% |
Brian Maienschein (R) | AD77 | $ 1,768,749.36 | $ 4,794.00 | 0.27% |
Steve Poizner (N) | IC | $ 2,051,395.50 | $ 5,052.18 | 0.25% |
Robert Hertzberg (D) | SD18 | $ 2,023,911.11 | $ 4,933.66 | 0.24% |
Freddie Rodriguez (D) | AD52 | $ 890,116.53 | $ 1,668.81 | 0.19% |
Reggie Jones-Sawyer Sr. (D) | AD59 | $ 486,944.48 | $ 800.00 | 0.16% |
Autumn Burke (D) | AD62 | $ 1,218,879.76 | $ 1,726.19 | 0.14% |
Chris Holden (D) | AD41 | $ 931,964.47 | $ 1,295.36 | 0.14% |
Rudy Salas Jr. (D) | AD32 | $ 1,390,765.38 | $ 1,897.00 | 0.14% |
Tom Daly (D) | AD69 | $ 1,513,510.53 | $ 1,993.00 | 0.13% |
Ben Hueso (D) | SD40 | $ 1,114,985.56 | $ 1,350.00 | 0.12% |
Anthony Rendon (D) | AD63 | $ 2,901,621.03 | $ 3,230.41 | 0.11% |
Miguel Santiago (D) | AD53 | $ 1,238,791.76 | $ 1,125.00 | 0.09% |
Wendy Carrillo (D) | AD51 | $ 448,769.86 | $ 375.50 | 0.08% |
Blanca Rubio (D) | AD48 | $ 1,074,290.57 | $ 880.50 | 0.08% |
Lorena Gonzalez (D) | AD80 | $ 1,724,427.89 | $ 1,403.00 | 0.08% |
Ken Cooley (D) | AD08 | $ 625,057.51 | $ 450.00 | 0.07% |
Ian Calderon (D) | AD57 | $ 1,145,958.17 | $ 736.00 | 0.06% |
Jim Cooper (D) | AD09 | $ 2,002,785.01 | $ 1,210.00 | 0.06% |
Joel Anderson (R) | BOE04 | $ 449,001.08 | $ 235.00 | 0.05% |
Marie Waldron (R) | AD75 | $ 544,437.22 | $ 189.97 | 0.03% |
Mike Gipson (D) | AD64 | $ 981,334.48 | $ 102.20 | 0.01% |
Methodology
All data for this analysis comes from campaign reports filed through the last Form 460 reporting date, September 22, 2018.
We summed each candidate’s contributions less than $100 (reported as a lump sum on Form 460, Schedule A, Line 2). Then we added to that total each candidate’s contributions this cycle that were $200 or less, but excluded any contributor who donated multiple times for a sum exceeding $200. That figure is “Grassroots ($)”, above.
Then we summed up the total number of contributions and the net of loans made to a campaign (loans received less loans repaid). That figure is “Total Raised”, above.
We removed any candidate who had not raised at least $100,000 as a means to control for data skewing by candidates who are not viable. We then calculated the portion of a candidate’s funds that are grassroots, i.e., from contributors giving $200 or less. We used a percentage in our rankings instead of total grassroots dollars in order to compare districts that are geographically and economically diverse.
To note, it is not possible to calculate the average contribution for California candidates from publicly available information. As noted above, all contributions less than $100 are reported as a lump sum without reporting the number of people contributing under $100. For example, if a candidate reports $1,000 worth of contributions under $100, that may have come from 11 people contributing $90.91 or 1,000 people contributing $1. Without knowing how many people actually contributed, calculating an average contribution amount is not possible.
NOTE: The publisher of the Herald is the campaign manager for Mark Meuser for Secretary of State.
Read MoreBy Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County Office of the District Attorney
On October 31, a Contra Costa County jury found defendant Vinicio Santos of Antioch guilty of three misdemeanors, including animal cruelty. On December 1, 2017, Santos’ dog attacked the three calves owned by grazer Paul Daysh. The brutal attack left the three calves permanently injured.
Santos now faces a sentence of up to three years in county jail. Sentencing for Santos will occur on November 30 by the Honorable Leonard Marquez in Department 34 at the Contra Costa County Superior Court in Pittsburg. Restitution for Daysh will also be decided on November 30. Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney Whitnee Goins prosecuted the case on behalf of the People for this misdemeanor jury trial.
“I am grateful the jury held the defendant accountable for his crimes. He ignored repeated orders from East Bay Regional Parks Rangers to control his dog. Consequently, these calves needlessly suffered serious injuries. We will continue to prosecute animal cruelty cases to ensure the public is protected and animals are cared for in a humane manner,” DDA Goins stated.
Santos and his dog were at the Contra Loma Regional Park in Antioch on December 1, 2017. Santos’ dog was not on leash when spotted by park rangers. After rangers saw Santos, they heard animals in distress. When the rangers connected again with Santos they saw the white Husky mix dog viciously attacking one calf, then moving to attack two more calves. Santos was told repeatedly to leash his dog and bring the dog under control. Santos ignored the rangers’ commands.
Santos was found guilty of the following misdemeanor offenses:
· Animal Cruelty
· Vandalism Over $400 Damage
· Resist, Obstruct, Delay of Peace Officer
Case information: People v. Vinicio Arturo Santos, Docket Number 04-193968-5.
Read MoreBy Paul Burgarino, Community Education and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department
Current law allows voters who are issued a Vote-By-Mail ballot to turn it in and vote at the polls on Election Day. Besides being a waste of taxpayer dollars, it has resulted in the possibility of a voter casting more than one ballot without immediate detection.
With many recent reports of voters across the state receiving multiple ballots, the Contra Costa Elections Division has reviewed and updated its processes at polling places to ensure election integrity and prevent double voting.
“We encourage all voters who have been sent a Vote-By-Mail ballot to vote and return that ballot either through the mail, using one of our 23 drop boxes, or at any polling place on Election Day,” said Joe Canciamilla, Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder-Registrar of Voters. “Requesting a second ballot on Election Day contributes to lines, delays, unnecessary costs as well as security concerns.”
Here how it works: Vote-By-Mail voters who show up at their home polling place to vote need to bring the ballot return envelope addressed to them as well as all six cards that comprise the ballot. Upon confirmation that the voter is in the right location and verification of the envelope and ballot cards, the voter signs a declaration and is offered a non-provisional ballot.
If a Vote-By-Mail voter is in the wrong location or cannot provide all of those items, the voter is issued a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is the same as a “regular” ballot. The difference is that the Elections Division verifies that the voter has not already voted before the ballot is counted. In June 2018, 90 percent of the provisional ballots were counted after this review.
If a voter who previously requested to be mailed a ballot prefers to vote at the polls on Election Day in the future, we encourage them to cancel their permanent vote by mail status by calling our office or re-registering.
For more information, contact the Elections Division at 925-335-7800 or go to www.cocovote.us.
Read MoreBy Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
The suspect in an attempted murder/domestic violence incident in unincorporated Oakley early Tuesday morning, October 30, 2018, was pronounced deceased at the hospital yesterday. The 34-year-old Oakley resident is not being identified. An autopsy is scheduled for today.
On Tuesday, at about 3:26 AM, Delta Station Deputy Sheriffs responded to a report of a female screaming for help on the 3500 block of Wells Road in unincorporated Oakley. One person reported seeing a naked man holding an infant. The man was struggling with a female for control of the infant. Additional callers reported the female had passed the infant over to them and they had secured the infant in a nearby condominium.
The female continued to struggle with the male, who was attempting to throw her off of the balcony. Four neighbors arrived and were able to control the male after a struggle. The female fled to safety.
Deputies arrived on scene seeing a person on the ground who was being held down by others. After securing the person in handcuffs, Deputies found that he was unresponsive. Deputies unhandcuffed the person and began CPR. AMR arrived on scene and performed life-saving measures for approximately 10 minutes. The man was transported to a local hospital. The infant was also taken to the hospital as a precaution.
The investigation is ongoing. This case is being investigated as an officer-involved incident. Per the officer-involved protocol, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Sheriff are jointly investigating this incident.
Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, please email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call 866-846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.
Read MoreAntioch, Richmond and Walnut Creek locations
The voter registration deadline has passed, but you can still register and vote in one transaction. Several convenient locations will be available leading up to and during Election Day for you to register to vote and cast your ballot.
Contra Costa Elections Division offers Conditional Voter Registration as a safety net for those who were unable to complete or update their voter registration before the deadline.
“We want to make sure that everybody who is eligible to register to vote has ample opportunity to cast their ballot,” said Joe Canciamilla, Contra Costa Registrar of Voters.
The Conditional Registration steps include going to an eligible county location, filling out a form that includes your name, address, date of birth and either the last four digits of your Social Security Number or your driver’s license number, and casting your ballot.
Conditionally voted ballots are processed once our office completes the verification of the voter registrations and confirms no ballot has already been voted.
This service will be available starting today at the Elections Office during normal business hours and on Election Day from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.
Conditional Voter Registration will also be available at the following Regional Early Voting locations on November 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th:
- Antioch: Antioch Community Center, 4703 Lone Tree Way
- Richmond: Bay Hill Community Church, 4000 Klose Way
- Walnut Creek: Walnut Creek City Hall, 1666 North Main Street.
Regional Early Voting will be available from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm on the weekdays and 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday, November 3rd. These locations are available to all Contra Costa voters looking to cast their ballot ahead of time and avoid the Election Day rush. Any Contra Costa voter can vote at any one of the Regional Early Voting locations.
For more information, call 925-335-7800.
Read MoreBy Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
Tuesday morning at about 3:26 a.m., Delta Station Deputy Sheriffs responded to a report of a female screaming for help on the 3500 block of Wells Road in unincorporated Oakley.
One person reported seeing a naked man holding an infant. The man was struggling with a female for control of the infant. Additional callers reported the female had passed the infant over to them and they had secured the infant in a nearby condominium.
The female continued to struggle with the male, who was attempting to throw her off of the balcony. Four neighbors arrived and were able to control the male after a struggle. The female fled to safety.
Deputies arrived on scene seeing a person on the ground who was being held down by others. After securing the person in handcuffs, Deputies found that he was unresponsive. Deputies unhandcuffed the subject and began CPR. AMR arrived on scene and performed life-saving measures for approximately 10 minutes. The subject was transported to a local hospital. The infant was also transported to the hospital as a precaution.
The investigation is ongoing. The subject is not being identified at this time. Additional details are pending.
Read MoreOn Thursday October 25, 2018, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office charged 21-year-old Martinez resident Aaron Kurtis Mikkelsen with multiple felony violations including committing lewd acts with a minor under 13, producing child pornography, as well as selling and distributing child sexual abuse material online.
On October 23, 2018, the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a search warrant in Martinez related to Mikkelsen selling child pornography on social media. During the search, investigators located evidence that Mikkelsen had sexually abused a child under 13 years old. Investigators located a significant amount of child sexual abuse material on his cell phone and in various social media accounts.
Mikkelsen will be arraigned in Martinez at the Contra Costa County Superior Courthouse this morning. Mikkelsen remains in the custody of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office on $500,000 bail. Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey Kolko is prosecuting the case on behalf of the People.
The investigation was conducted by a multi-agency Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is managed by the San Jose Police Department. In Contra Costa County, detectives and investigators from the Walnut Creek, Martinez, San Ramon, Concord and Moraga Police Departments, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, United States Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Contra Costa County Probation Department, and Inspectors from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office participate in the task force.
Parents are encouraged to discuss online safety with their children, and can visit the website www.kidsmartz.org or our website for further information.
Case information: People v. Mikkelsen, Dockett Number 01-187610-1
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