About 1.2 million signatures needed by February 5th to qualify the Repeal the Death Tax Act for November’s ballot
Download your petition below to help
By Katy Grimes
This article was first by the California Globe. Republished with permission.
Last week when Gov. Gavin Newsom was sharing his proposed 2024-2025 budget, he insisted that he was opposed to a proposed wealth tax. And sure enough, Assembly Bill 259 by Assemblyman Alex Lee (D-Palo Alto), which will impose an annual “worldwide net worth” tax of 1 percent on net worth above $50 million, rising to 1.5 percent on net worth over $1.0 billion, was killed in committee that afternoon.
However, the governor has been mum about another type of wealth tax – California’s sneaky Death Tax, which adds a new tax on property inherited by a family member, which was already was taxed over the years of ownership.
In 2020, Proposition 19 resurrected the Death Tax on families whose property is left to loved ones when they die, putting their homes, property and businesses at significant risk. While the initiative was cleverly disguised as a benefit for the elderly and disabled communities, Proposition 19 caused far more harm than good.
In May, Senator Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) introduced Senate Constitutional Amendment 4, to restore taxpayers’ property rights by reversing the state’s “death tax” written into in Proposition 19. Deviously titled “the Property Tax Transfers, Exemptions, and Revenue for Wildfire Agencies and Counties Amendment,”
SCA 4 would have reversed one of the largest property tax increases in state history, a little-noticed provision of Proposition 19 that revoked the ability of families and parents to pass property to their children without any change to the property tax bill, according to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
However, Democrats killed Seyarto’s SCA 4 in a legislative committee.
I remember when the Death Tax was first slayed.
“It was 1986 when the parent-child exclusion from reassessment was first added to the state constitution,” Susan Shelly recently wrote. “A growing number of Californians were angry to discover that state law treated death and inheritance as a “change of ownership” under Prop. 13, triggering reassessment to current market value just as if it was a sale. The legislature proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow parent-child transfers of a home and a limited amount of other property, such as a small business or a rental property, without reassessment.”
“The parent-child transfer protection passed by a unanimous vote in both houses of the legislature, and then was approved by 75% of voters statewide.”
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association elaborates on how Proposition 19 hurts taxpayers:
Proposition 19, had two main elements. The first was expanded “portability” of base-year property taxes. Homeowners who are 55 years of age or older, who are victims of a wildfire, or who are disabled may now move to a replacement home anywhere in the state, of any value, and take the base-year property tax assessment of the old home with them to a new home up to three times.
Now to the other part of Proposition 19. Previously under the state constitution, property transfers between parents and children, and sometimes grandparents and grandchildren, were excluded from reassessment. These family members could transfer a home of any value and up to $1 million of assessed value of other property, such as a small business property, a vacation cabin, or a rental property, without any increase in the property tax bill. This taxpayer protection was added to the state constitution in 1986 by Proposition 58 (parents and children) and in 1996 by Proposition 193 (grandparents and grandchildren) with overwhelming public support.
Proposition 58 was approved by more than 75% of California voters, and Proposition 193 was approved by nearly the same margin. Now, these taxpayer protections are gone.
Proposition 19 has replaced 58 and 193 with a very narrow exclusion for family transfers of property. Only a principal residence that the inheriting child occupies as his or her permanent primary residence is eligible for an exclusion from reassessment. Unless the new owner can move in within one year, the property is reassessed to market value. Business properties and rental properties lose the protection entirely.
So, what can be done?
Susan Shelly continues, “the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, where I am on staff as VP of Communications, is collecting signatures to put an initiative on the ballot that would repeal the tax increase that was hidden in Prop. 19, without touching the other provisions in it. The official petition is available at RepealTheDeathTax.com and can be downloaded and printed on one sheet of ordinary letter-size paper. This enables instant distribution of the petition throughout the state. Theoretically, a million people could download the petition at the same time, fill it out and sign it, and have one other registered voter in the household also sign it.”
It’s easy. Click on RepealTheDeathTax.com and/or
Click here to DOWNLOAD the official petition RIGHT NOW
RepealTheDeathTax.com has more details HERE:
Please note: You must print and sign the petition with paper and ink. It’s not electronic.
Follow the easy instructions. And please note:
DEADLINE EXTENDED! Return signed petitions to HJTA postmarked by FEBRUARY 5
Download the official, legal petition to put the REPEAL THE DEATH TAX initiative on the November 2024 ballot.
Complete instructions are included in the pdf file.
Get your petition in the mail ASAP – before February 5th.
Katy Grimes, the Editor in Chief of the California Globe, is a long-time Investigative Journalist covering the California State Capitol, and the co-author of California’s War Against Donald Trump: Who Wins? Who Loses?
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The National Committee for Quality Assurance recognizes Kaiser Permanente Northern California for working to reduce health care disparities by providing high-quality, equitable care
By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 16, 2024 – Kaiser Permanente Northern California is being recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for providing high-quality, equitable care.
The NCQA awarded Kaiser Permanente Northern California the Health Equity Accreditation, which focuses on building an internal culture that supports the organization’s external health equity work; collecting data that helps the organization create and offer language services and provider networks mindful of individuals’ cultural and linguistic needs; and identifying opportunities to reduce health inequities and improve care.
Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Health Equity accreditation covers all lines of business including its Commercial HMO, Exchange HMO, Medicaid HMO, and Medicare HMO health care plans.
“As a health care organization, we are committed to providing culturally responsive, equitable care to our members, patients and the communities we serve,” said Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, president of Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region. “We believe everyone should have access to high-quality, affordable health care. This is core to our mission, and we are continually working to reduce barriers and eliminate health care inequities.”
Some of these efforts include:
- In 2022, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that Kaiser Permanente Northern California has eliminated colorectal cancer disparities between Black and white adults. This study looked at colorectal cancer screening participation, incidence, and death rates for Black and white KP Northern California members ages 50 to 75. The study covered a 19-year period in which our screening rate increased from approximately 40% to 80%.
- In 2022, Kaiser Permanente Northern California invested $1.1 billion in the health of the communities it serves in Northern California. A significant part of the investments supported access to quality care through participation in the Medi-Cal program and Medical Financial Assistance.
- Kaiser Permanente Northern California remains focused on addressing the root causes of health disparities, such as economic opportunity, affordable housing, health and wellness in schools, and a healthy environment.
- Kaiser Permanente embeds practices to identify and eliminate inequities across operations — from how we design buildings to how we conduct research and deliver care. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to delivering culturally responsive care, with multi-language outreach, call center staff fluent in more than 140 languages, and medical facilities uniquely focused on the needs of specific communities.
- Kaiser Permanente’s integrated care model, which provides both care and coverage, and our coordinated approach to delivering care make us a leader in addressing health disparities among our members and communities. Because Kaiser Permanente takes care of nearly all our members’ needs and records all patient care interactions in an electronic health record, Kaiser Permanente can identify health disparities among different groups.
- Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians reflect and embrace the diverse communities we serve. This allows Kaiser Permanente to provide culturally responsive, equitable care for our members and patients.
“Advancing health equity is a foundational commitment of Kaiser Permanente, because everyone deserves access to high-quality health care,” said Maria Ansari, MD, FACC, chief executive officer and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group. “This NCQA accreditation reflects our ongoing commitment to creating and maintaining a culture focused on providing equitable care to our members and patients, which is essential to improving the health and well-being of the communities we serve.”
According to the NCQA, having health care organizations that are committed to eliminating health disparities in underserved populations will lead to better health outcomes and reduce overall treatment costs. NCQA’s Health Equity Accreditation program offers an actionable framework for helping health systems continuously improve—and prioritize—health equity for the patients and communities they serve.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.6 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org
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News from the East Bay Regional Park District
By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, East Bay Regional Park District
Welcome to the East Bay Regional Park District’s 90th Anniversary year. Established in 1934, the Park District has grown to be the largest regional park district of its kind in the nation, with 73 regional parks available for hiking, biking, swimming, horseback riding, boating, fishing, picnicking, camping, and nature discovery. Wherever you live in the East Bay, there is a beautiful regional park close to you.
We will be hosting numerous special events and programs throughout the year to commemorate our anniversary, including a community birthday celebration on May 11 and monthly naturalist-led “Explore Your Parks” adventure programs. Join us for the next “Explore Your Parks” adventure program, Community Science Bio Blitz at Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve in Sunol on Saturday, January 27, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. For more information about the Park District’s 90th Anniversary, including events and activities, visit www.ebparks.org/celebrating-90-years.
The East Bay Regional Park District’s 2024 Trails Challenge program is underway, offering 20 new trails for the new year. In its 31st year, the annual Trails Challenge program encourages the public to explore and enjoy their Regional Parks. The free guide provides 20 designated trails for all levels, ranging from easy and moderate to challenging and is open to hikers, bicyclists, dogs, and equestrians. The 2024 Trails Challenge program also offers increased accessibility with trails that have been evaluated and identified as usable by persons with mobility limitations. The trail guide is available online at www.ebparks.org/TrailsChallenge
To complete the challenge, hike five of the 20 trails, or 26.2 miles (the distance of a marathon) of trails within the East Bay Regional Park District. The Trails Challenge program is made possible with help from the Regional Parks Foundation and Kaiser Permanente. To get started, visit www.ebparks.org/TrailsChallenge.
Celebrate the fruits of winter at the Tilden Fungus Fair! View hundreds of local mushroom specimens, mingle with the mycological community, and enjoy presentations by guest speakers at this two-day special event, Saturday, January 20, and Sunday, January 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area. For more information, visit www.ebparks.org/events/tilden-fungus-fair.
Black Diamond Mines has begun offering weekend Mining History Tours and Hazel-Atlas Mine Tours again, in addition to their Coal Mine Experience tours. From the mid-1920s to the mid-1940s, the Hazel-Atlas Mine produced silica sand to make jars, bottles, and other glass items. Tour participants can now take a walk into the mine to see mine workings, ore chutes, the shifter’s office, and ancient geological features. For safety reasons, you may tour the mine only as part of a guided tour, and all participants must be at least seven years old. For more information, visit www.ebparks.org/calendar and search “Mine Tours.”
Water’s Amazing Journey at Coyote Hills! Water surrounds Coyote Hills, but where does it come from, and where does it go? In winter, we expect rain to fall from the clouds (precipitation) and land on mountains, lakes, and rivers. Some of this water is soaked up by plants and seeps into the ground, replenishing groundwater. Explore the Coyote Hills watershed, discover where your water comes from, and learn how we are connected and responsible for our watersheds at the Water, Water, Everywhere program on Saturday, January 27, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Coyote Hills Visitor Center. For more information, visit www.ebparks.org/calendar and search “Water, Water, Everywhere.”
The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,330 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives an estimated 30 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area
Read MoreBy Kelly Kalfsbeek, Community & Media Relations Coordinator, PIO, Contra Costa County Public Works
Contra Costa County Public Works will be upgrading traffic signal hardware to improve pedestrian safety at nine (9) intersections on San Pablo Dam Road between El Portal Drive and Castro Ranch Road. Work will begin on Monday, January 22, 2024, and continue through Friday, June 21, 2024, barring unforeseen circumstances. Work will take place between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), weather permitting. Restrictions will be in place to minimize impacts to drivers during commute hours.
Funding for this project is provided by Gas Tax (SB1 Road Repair and Accountability Act) and Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). For more information regarding this work, visit: www.contracosta.ca.gov/San-Pablo-Dam-Road-and-Bailey-Road-Signal-Hardware-Upgrades
About Contra Costa County Public Works Department:
Contra Costa County Public Works Department (CCCPWD) maintains over 660 miles of roads, 150 miles of streams, channels, and other drainage and over 150 County buildings throughout Contra Costa County. CCCPWD provides services such as Parks and Recreation, Sandbag Distribution and Flood Control throughout unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County. CCCPWD operates two airports, Buchanan Field Airport in Concord, and Byron Airport in Byron. For more information about CCCPWD, please visit us at: www.cccpublicworks.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X @cccpublicworks.
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![](http://contracostaherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Dr.-King-I-Have-A-Dream-Speech-277x300.png)
Dr, King delivering the speech on Aug. 28, 1963. Photo: National Archives and Records Administration.
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, today, following is the complete text of his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. (Listen to the audio, by clicking here.)
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whites Only”. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
Read MoreStudents ages 11-17 selected from over 300 applicants
Finalist pitch event February 6th at Lafayette library will determine $1,000 winner
MORAGA, CALIFORNIA –Ten students in Contra Costa County have been selected as finalists for the first Contra Costa Shark Tank Youth Competition (www.contracostasharktank.org).
The competition, open to all Contra Costa County students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade, is a fun way to promote youth entrepreneurship. When young people succeed as entrepreneurs, they improve their own lives while also contributing to the economic development of their local communities.
“The best way to learn about entrepreneurship is by starting a business,” explains high school junior Maya Hammerman, the competition founder and one of the judges. “My journey as an entrepreneur started in elementary school. I created the competition to inspire kids in Contra Costa County to start or grow any type of business from traditional ones such as lemonade stands, to innovative new products or services that they create.”
The ten finalists listed below were selected by members of the Campolindo High School Entrepreneurship Club from over 300 applicants.
- SportzCity, Hunter Smith (5th Grade, Burton Valley Elementary, Lafayette)
- Experimental Kids, Archit Kundu (5th Grade, Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon)
- Lydia’s Soap, Lydia Stewart (7th Grade, Homeschool, Antioch)
- Loonies, Valerie Castellanos, Angie Alvarenga, Giovanny Perez (7th, Summit Tamalpais, Richmond)
- Tied Up in a Bow, Himna Imam & Mahum Malik (9th Grade, Venture & Dougherty Valley, San Ramon)
- ElderSafe, Ronen Jain (10th Grade, Monte Vista High, Danville)
- MiracleAlgae, Nicolas Angel-Ordonez & Shashank Koundinya (11th Grade, San Ramon Valley, Danville)
- Synchroma Studio, Hector Espinoza (12th Grade, Freedom High, Oakley)
- ScrubWoofer™, Beatrice Roberge (12th Grade, Campolindo High, Moraga)
- Workout Wizard, Fatimah Hussain (12th Grade, Dougherty Valley High, San Ramon)
Winners will receive $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third place. Sponsors for the competition include Chevron, Visa, PG&E, Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, and Campolindo Parents Club. Winners will be chosen by a panel of five judges at the Finalist Pitch Event at the Lafayette library on Tuesday February 6, 2024 at 7pm. For ticket information visit www.contracostasharktank.org
Contact Information:
Contra Costa Shark Tank Youth Competition
Maya Hammerman, Founder
Email: contracostasharktank@gmail.com
Website: www.contracostasharktank.org
Instagram: www.instagram.com/contracostasharktank
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550742340795
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contracostasharktank
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By Concord Police Department
Responding to a felony vehicle alert, a graveyard officer located the suspect’s vehicle near our downtown area. Following a high-risk stop, the driver was taken into custody.
But the story doesn’t end there! During the arrest, officers uncovered a stolen, loaded firearm with extended magazines. This quick and decisive action undoubtedly prevented a potential threat to our community.
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By Pittsburg Police Department
In the early morning hours of Saturday, January 6th, Pittsburg Officers responded to the 1200 block of Railroad Avenue for a report of a pedestrian down in the roadway. Upon arrival, a 36-year-old male, later identified as Tony Weems, was located who was suffering from major injuries. Medical personnel provided medical aid to the victim, unfortunately he succumbed to his injuries while enroute to the hospital. It was quickly determined that the victim was struck by a vehicle and the driver and vehicle had fled the scene prior to officers’ arrival.
The traffic division and detectives responded and over the next several hours were able to identify the responsible vehicle as well as the driver. The vehicle was located and collected to be processed for evidence and the responsible driver was taken into custody. The driver, a 42-year-old female Pittsburg resident, has been booked and transported to the Martinez Detention Facility.
The case was presented to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office this week requesting formal charges. This is still an active investigation, and anyone who has additional information related to the case should contact Detective Gutierrez at 925-252-4095
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The largest program expansion in its history: EBB now available in 815 high-risk ZIP Codes
EBB Program Celebrates 10th Anniversary with more than 23,000 homeowners receiving seismic retrofit grants over the past decade
Sacramento, CA – 30 years after the devastating Northridge Earthquake, new retrofit opportunities are available. Thousands of California homeowners are now eligible to apply for Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) seismic retrofit grants as approximately 300 new ZIP Codes have been added to the program. Starting today, January 10 and continuing until February 21st, eligible homeowners in 815 ZIP Codes can apply for $3,000 seismic retrofit grants to help strengthen their homes against earthquake damage.
Eligible Contra Costa ZIP Codes are located in Bay Point, Brentwood, Byron, Clayton, Concord, Danville, El Sobrante, Hercules, Lafayette, Orinda, Pinole, Pleasant Hill, Rodeo and Walnut Creek.
More than $20 million in grant funding will be available to help offset the cost of seismic retrofits that brace the crawl space walls of older homes, when present, and bolt houses to their foundations, making them less vulnerable to earthquake damage. In the ten years since it began, the EBB program has assisted more than 23,000 homeowners in strengthening their homes against earthquake damage. The EBB grant program is administered by the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP) a Joint Powers Authority between the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
“California has an ever-present risk of earthquakes and no one knows when or where the next Big One might hit. But we know older homes near faults are at greater risk if they haven’t been strengthened with a seismic retrofit,” said Janiele Maffei, the Chief Mitigation Officer of CEA and Executive Director of CRMP. “By expanding to 815 ZIP Codes, we’re broadening our reach to help more homeowners safeguard their families and properties. I strongly encourage homeowners to seize this opportunity and join the growing community of Californians who’ve taken this vital step towards resilience.”
Income-eligible homeowners may also qualify for supplemental grants. Up to $7,000 in additional grant funds are available for households with an annual income at or below $87,360, which may be able to provide up to 100% of the funds needed to cover a seismic retrofit. Grants are contingent upon meeting eligibility requirements and available funds.
There are more than 1.2 million houses in California built before 1980 in high-hazard areas that are vulnerable to collapse or destruction by sliding off the foundation during a strong earthquake.
“The memorable earthquake that shook the Northridge area in 1994 is a profound reminder for Californians to check if their homes qualify for the EBB grant,” said Glenn Pomeroy, Chief Executive Officer of the California Earthquake Authority. “Given the unpredictable nature of earthquakes and the possibility of a life-altering seismic event, it’s crucial for homeowners – especially those with older homes – to take proactive steps that can lessen the potential for earthquake damage. At CEA, we are reinforcing our commitment to support California homeowners in these seismic mitigation efforts with more access and funding.”
Beginning January 10 through February 21, 2024, eligible homeowners can apply for a retrofit grant at EarthquakeBraceBolt.com, where they can also find detailed program information, select a trained, California-licensed general contractor and view the full list of eligible ZIP Codes and program areas. The EBB program added ZIP Codes in new areas including areas in and around Eureka, San Francisco/San Jose/Oakland, Monterey/Salinas, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Palm Springs and San Diego.
The new EBB registration period coincides with the 30th Anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake, a damaging 6.7 magnitude earthquake that struck early in the morning of January 17th, 1994. It caused an estimated $20 billion dollars in damages and 57 deaths and led to the State legislature creating the CEA in 1996.
About Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB)
Established by the California Residential Mitigation Program, EBB offers up to $3,000 to help California homeowners retrofit their house to reduce potential damage from earthquakes. A residential seismic retrofit makes a house more resistant to earthquake activity, such as ground shaking and soil failure, by bolting the house to its foundation and adding bracing around the perimeter of the crawl space. For more information, including an online media kit, please visit http://www.EarthquakeBrace Bolt.com.
About the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP)
CRMP was established in 2011 to help Californians strengthen their homes against damage from earthquakes. CRMP is a joint powers authority created by the California Earthquake Authority and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. For more information, please visit https://www.CaliforniaResidentialMitigationProgram.com/About-CRMP
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Read MoreThe Lafayette City Council announced an upcoming vacancy on the City Council and laid out the process for filling the vacancy at their January 8, 2024 meeting.
On December 15, 2023, Councilmember Teresa Gerringer announced her plan to resign from the Council effective Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Gerringer has served on the Lafayette City Council since 2018 and previously served for 18 years on the Lafayette School Board. The announcement coincided with Gerringer’s retirement as District III Chief of Staff for Contra Costa Supervisor Diane Burgis in December.
“I’m looking forward to a happy, healthy next chapter of life with my family in the Pacific Northwest,” Gerringer said. “In the meantime, I will continue to fulfill my duties as a Lafayette City Councilmember.”
The Lafayette City Council is obligated to fill the vacancy by March 23, 2024. The appointed person will serve on the City Council until the next regularly scheduled municipal election in November 2024.
Applicants must be a resident of the City of Lafayette and registered to vote. Applicants will be interviewed on Monday, January 29th and Wednesday January 31st (if necessary).
Click here for the application.
Applications must be received by 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 25, 2024.
Completed applications can be submitted to the City Clerk via email at JRobbins@lovelafayette.org, mail or in-person at 3675 Mt. Diablo Blvd., #210, Lafayette CA 94549.
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