Sacramento, CA – For the first time in more than a decade, California voters would have the opportunity to approve higher education bonds to improve facilities on California State University and University of California campuses under legislation introduced Thursday by joint authors Sens. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, and Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica.
The bill, SB 483, would authorize the statewide sale of $2 billion in general obligation bonds earmarked for higher education facilities at CSU and UC campuses. The bonds would go before voters in the 2018 general election.
“For many generations, California taxpayers have been proud supporters of the greatest higher education system in America,” Glazer said. “Unfortunately, we have allowed classrooms and libraries to deteriorate, affecting our ability to educate our students. Without public support, the burden of financing facilities will be borne by students and their families through higher tuition and fees.
The most recent such bond, which provided $1.6 billion to improve higher education facilities at CSU and UC, was approved by voters in 2006. All those funds have since been depleted. The last higher education-specific bond was passed in 1994.
“California’s public colleges and universities are a source of great pride to our state, but unfortunately we’ve allowed their physical facilities to fall into disrepair,” said Allen, who chairs the Senate Education Committee. “This bond measure will provide a much-needed and overdue investment in our higher education infrastructure.”
According to CSU and UC, the two systems have capital needs of $7 billion and $10 billion, respectively, for short-term and long-term projects. The CSU and UC are able to provide their own funding for some construction programs through system-wide revenue bonds, though only half of their capital needs are met.
“We appreciate Senator Glazer’s work to secure funding for necessary repair and replacement of aging higher education buildings and infrastructure,” said CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White. “More than $2 billion in deferred maintenance – due to lack of investment during the previous recession – left our campuses vulnerable to potential failures of critical systems. Safe and up-to-date classrooms, research labs and work spaces are essential to the success of our students, faculty and staff.”
SB 483 would require universities or colleges to submit five-year capital outlay plans that prioritize seismic retrofitting needed to reduce seismic hazards in buildings identified as high priority.
David Lopez, president of the California State Student Association, said the legislation addresses the issues about needed classroom repairs that students have been talking about for years.
“We keep hearing stories of students in classrooms that need major repair,” Lopez said. “Buildings that need to be closed for safety reasons. Our campus infrastructure needs have never been greater than they are today.”
Spending choices will emerge through recommendations from governing boards for both CSU and UC systems and will be reviewed in public hearings during the legislative process, Glazer said.
“The state has failed to provide the funds needed for public higher education faculty, student services and infrastructure,” said Mel Levine, Co-chair of the California Coalition for Public Higher Education. “We can’t take in more California students without restoring and improving our classrooms and labs.”
Last November, voters approved Proposition 51, a $9 billion education facilities bond, but did not include any money for the CSU or UC.
“This measure provides important financial backing for critical upgrades to our libraries and classrooms on college campuses,” Glazer added. “And I believe voters should be given a chance to continue the proud legacy of supporting our universities and colleges.”
A December 2016 survey on higher education by Public Policy Institute of California showed broad support – 65 percent – for higher education construction projects. It represented an 11 percentage point increase in support since December, 2014 and was the highest level of support since PPIC first began asking the question in 2007. http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/survey/S_1216MBS.pdf
Read MoreBy Sean Wherley
State Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) introduced legislation, on Wednesday, to improve staffing at more than 550 dialysis clinics in California.
SB 349, the Dialysis Patient Safety Act, would mandate annual inspections of dialysis clinics and safer staffing levels. Current law requires inspections of dialysis clinics every six years, while nursing homes in California must be inspected every year, and hospitals every two years.
This legislation would affect 15 dialysis clinics in Contra Costa County: three each in Antioch and Walnut Creek; two each in Pittsburg and San Pablo; and one each in Brentwood, Concord, El Cerrito, Pleasant Hill and Richmond.
“Dialysis patients are grandparents, children and siblings not numbers on a balance sheet,” said Lara. “It’s time to fix the dialysis industry and improve patient care for the more than 63,000 Californians who rely on this life-saving treatment in clinics daily.”
Dialysis is necessary for people with kidney failure, who must have their blood removed, cleaned, and put back into their bodies. A typical treatment lasts three hours, and must be conducted three days a week for the rest of the patient’s life.
The two largest dialysis corporations – DaVita and Fresenius – make $2.9 billion a year in profits from their dialysis operations in the United States, but workers say the companies pocket the money rather than improve patient care or provide adequate staffing in their clinics.
Dialysis workers regularly report staffing levels so low that it threatens patient care. One worker cited an incident last March at a dialysis clinic in Anaheim, Calif. in which a patient collapsed in the parking lot. The worker said it could have been prevented if more staff were onsite at the time. Seven states already have minimum staffing levels in dialysis clinics: Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.
Dialysis workers in California have been organizing into a union, SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), for safer working conditions and stronger worker and patient protections. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.morethannumbers.org.
Wherley is the Media Relations Specialist with SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West.
Read MoreMorgan Territory Road open to local traffic only, expected to reopen Feb. 23; Alhambra Valley Road remains closed
Contra Costa County Public Works crews have been working steadily during the break in the rain to clear mud-covered roads and make repairs where flood and storm damage caused problems. On Thursday, January 26, the Board of Supervisors ratified a proclamation of local emergency stemming from storm damage that took place during the first two weeks of January. High winds coupled with continued rains over a short timeframe led to an estimated $18 million in damage in a number of unincorporated areas of the County, within our cities, and at water, park and sanitation district facilities. The proclamation, along with the State’s declaration of a State of Emergency, will put the County and local jurisdictions in line for potential recovery funding.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, (FEMA,) and the State Office of Emergency Services have made site visits throughout the County. It will take several months for the County, working with State and Federal authorities, to get a more firm total on the damages and what costs can be covered.
Two road closures are still in effect in Contra Costa County:
- Morgan Territory Road is closed between Marsh Creek Road and Manning Road. The road is open to local traffic and emergency vehicles only and is anticipated to reopen to through traffic on Thursday, February 23.
- Alhambra Valley Road between Bear Creek and Castro Ranch Roads is closed indefinitely.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors declared an emergency for the repair of Alhambra Valley Road washout and authorized the Public Works Director to proceed with emergency repairs. The emergency authorization allows the Public Works Department to expedite the repair of this road. The Board of Supervisors also adopted a new resolution to proclaim a local emergency arising out of the damage caused by the series of storms in January and February 2017. This allows the County to potentially seek funding relief for response and damage repairs for emergency responses to the continuing storms during this time period.
Alternate routes for closure of Alhambra Valley Road
With more rain expected late this week, this is a good time to prepare for the next wave, checking rain gutters and storm drains for blockage. If you’re concerned about potential flooding at your home or business, it’s not too late to visit one of the sandbag stations located throughout the county. Please note that you’ll need to bring a shovel, but bags and sand are available for free. Find out details regarding County sandbag sites at www.cccounty.us/sandbags.
County Public Works Maintenance road crews maintain the storm drain inlets through a program of annual inspection and cleaning. To report a clogged catch basin or drainage inlet please call the Public Works Maintenance Division at 925-313-7000 during work hours and after hours call Sheriff’s Dispatch at 925-646-2441.
Read MoreIn a move that would take a major step forward in addressing accountability for cases of election fraud perpetrated by candidates, Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D – Discovery Bay) announced on Thursday the introduction of AB 894, which will increase penalties in cases that determine a willful misrepresentation was made on a candidate statement.
“I introduced AB 894 in an effort to make sure voters are not deceived by candidates fabricating their accomplishments and misleading the public,” said Frazier. “We saw this occur in Contra Costa County. It is not fair and I will do everything in my power to make sure the residents I represent are protected from this injustice in the future.”
Frazier is referring to the case of Contra Costa County School Board Member Jeff Belle, who was prosecuted by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office for lying on his ballot statement during his 2014 campaign, about earning a college degree. The DA settled the case in December, with Belle agreeing to perform community service, in order to avoid facing trial and a maximum penalty of $1,000. (See related article, here).
Currently, the penalties for a candidate lying on his or her nomination papers, which are not public documents and remain within a county’s elections office, are much greater at a maximum of $1,000 and three years in prison. Frazier became aware of that fact last year, didn’t think it made sense and decided to do something about it.
AB 894 will strengthen penalties for candidates who misrepresent facts on a ballot statement, which is public and is sent out to all the voters in a district. Specifically, this bill raises penalties to include forfeiture of office and reimbursement of all costs for the election.
“Misleading the voters about a candidate’s background on ballot statements has been a problem in our county in recent years,” said Joe Canciamilla, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar. “Assemblymember Frazier’s bill is a good start in helping to ensure transparency and accountability to the voters.”
This bill is currently awaiting assignment to policy committee in the California State Assembly.
Frazier represents the 11th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Antioch, Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, Discovery Bay, Knightsen,, Oakley and portions of Pittsburg in Contra Costa County, as well as Birds Landing, Collinsville, Fairfield, Isleton, Locke, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Travis AFB, Vacaville and Walnut Grove in Solano County.
Allen Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreCongressman Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) will host a general town hall meeting on Thursday, February 23rd at 6:30 p.m. in Pleasant Hill. Since his election to Congress, Mark has hosted 33 town hall meetings and mobile district office hours throughout California’s Eleventh Congressional District.
Representative DeSaulnier invites residents of Contra Costa County to join him to listen to a presentation and legislative update. During the town hall constituents will have an opportunity to ask questions and share thoughts on key policy issues and actions taken under the new Administration.
Pleasant Hill Town Hall
Thursday, February 23, 2017
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Diablo Valley College Cafeteria
321 Golf Club Rd
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Details: Parking Available in Lot 8
For more information or to request ADA accommodations, please email CA11.RSVP@mail.house.gov or call (925) 933-2660.
Read More(SACRAMENTO) – On Monday, February 13, 2017, members of the Delta Caucus of the California state legislature, including three representing Contra Costa County, released the following statement regarding the hazardous situation at Oroville Dam after news reports that previous concerns about the safety of the dam’s current infrastructure were ignored:
“We are concerned that a clear alarm raised 12 years ago about the state of the Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway was discounted. There has been more than enough time since then for upgrades and maintenance to the structure. Instead, nearly 185,000 people have been displaced, and there are still people in harm’s way. A catastrophic failure at Oroville would result in uncontrolled releases that do considerably more harm to the surrounding communities, and threaten those further downstream, including levee-protected communities in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. For now, we have a collective responsibility to ensure that people are safe and that necessary steps are taken to prevent further compromise of the entire Oroville facility. When the immediate threats have subsided, we need to clearly assess this disaster and its causes. We have a duty to ensure California’s existing infrastructure is maintained and upgraded, and not sacrificed in favor of conveyance projects.”
Caucus Co-Chair Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Oakley) and Assemblymembers Tim Grayson (D-Concord) and Catharine Baker (R-San Ramon) are members of the Delta Caucus, a bipartisan group of legislators whose districts include portions of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. The caucus works to keep their colleagues updated on the latest scientific data, economic developments, and actions taken by the state agencies responsible for the Delta, including the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Water Resources, and the Delta Stewardship Council.
They and the following legislators issued the statement: Co-Chair Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa), Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) and Assemblymenbers Susan Eggman (D-Stockton) and Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove).
Read MoreAccording to the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff, Diablo Road between Green Valley Road and Mt. Diablo Scenic Boulevard remains closed after a fallen tree took down power lines and blocked the road early this morning. That section of Diablo Road is expected to be shut for much of today as repairs are made and the tree removed.
Local traffic will be diverted. Motorists heading to Blackhawk are advised to use Camino Tassajara.
Read MoreMorgan Territory Road is closed between Marsh Creek Road and Manning Road. The road is open to local traffic and emergency vehicles only and is anticipated to reopen to through traffic on Thursday, February 9.
Alhambra Valley Road between Bear Creek Road and Castro Ranch Roadremains closed indefinitely.Signs and message boards alert drivers of the closure. There is not an estimated timeframe for reopening Alhambra Valley Road at this time.
The amount of rain received has saturated the soil which makes it more difficult to remove the mudslides and clean the roadways. Crews are monitoring County roads during the storms and additional closures may be necessary for public safety. The County will continue to provide updates as conditions change.
If you’re concerned about flooding at your home or business, it’s not too late to visit one of the free sandbag stations located throughout the county. Please note that you’ll need to bring a shovel, but bags and sand are available for free. Find out details regarding County sandbag sites at www.cccounty.us/sandbags.
County Public Works Maintenance road crews maintain the storm drain inlets through a program of annual inspection and cleaning. To report a clogged catch basin or drainage inlet please call the Public Works Maintenance Division at 925-313-7000 during work hours and after hours call Sheriff’s Dispatch at 925-646-2441.
Read MoreCake sells for $2,000 during live auction
By Allen Payton
Hundreds of supporters of the Contra Costa County Fair came out for the 3rd Annual Heritage Foundation Membership Dinner on Saturday night, January 28, 2017 and contributed thousands of dollars toward a new, digital livestock scale and operations for the year. The scale is used during the fair for the animal auctions and the current one is 30 years old.
Folks enjoyed a dinner of tri-tip, beef brisket, tasty chili and baked potatoes with all the fixings, cooked by Tom Hartrick and a team of volunteers and served by young people who are members of Contra Costa County 4H clubs and Brentwood Future Farmers of America (FFA).
The foundation’s goal has been to raise $7,000 by March 1, 2017 for the new scale and they more than met their goal with $16,695 raised, that night alone.
The most generous supporters of the fundraiser were the folks at the table hosted by Les Schwab Tires of Martinez. They not only outbid many others during the lively cake auction led by auctioneer and Fair Board Member Steve Limrite, but one of them donated back the $520 he won during one of the 50-50 playing card raffles. Plus, they donated a set of four tires as an auction item, which was won for a price of $800 by outgoing Foundation Board President Jeff Warrenburg.
But, the most generous, individual contributor of the night was Bob Sherwood who out bid the competition in the most exciting part of the cake auction, spending $2,000 for a peanut butter cup cake. Other cakes, like a gluten free cake with the Heritage Foundation logo on it sold for $90 and the carrot cake, also with the Heritage Foundation logo on it donated by Warrenburg, went for $200.
Another $1,500 was raised when one of the Platinum Tables for next year’s dinner was auctioned off to a guest sitting at one of those special table, at this year’s dinner. Platinum Table guests get to served appetizers, unlimited drinks and dinner service without standing in line.
Warrenburg thanked his officers and board members for their service over the past year, including Vice President Bill Chivers, Secretary Tami Daniels, Treasurer Laurie Limrite and Board Members Tom Hartrick, Laura Glass and Felicia Cursi.
He then introduced Cursi as the new Board President for 2017, handing her an oversized gavel to help her in running the meetings. Warrenburg also introduced Joe Brengle, the new Chief Executive Officer for the County Fair.
Also announced was the winner of the winner of the Heritage Foundation’s 2017 Scholarship award, Bailey Newlin of Tassajara Valley 4H. She has been an active member of 4H since she was nine years old and this year marks her ninth year involved in horse, market lamb, market goat, market hog, CCC Camp leadership and finance, with the organization.
Next year Newlin will use her scholarship funds to attend the University of Tennessee at Martin where she will be studying veteran science. She plans to specialize in large animal care and nutrition. Newlin is also excited that she will be a member of the NCAA Equestrian team and competing in western horsemanship and reining, against top, Division 1 schools in the country.
Membership in the foundation is available for as little as $125 per year. Download the form, here. For more information about the foundation, visit www.ccheritage.net. For more information about the Contra Costa County Fair, visit www.contracostafair.com. This year’s fair will be held May 18-21.
Read MoreThe Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff announced, on Friday, that a suspect wanted in connection with a murder committed in North Richmond on November 26, 2015 is now in custody.
Guillermo Sanchez was wanted for the killing of 23-year-old Isela Moreno of North Richmond. On Thanksgiving Day 2015, Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to a re-port of an unknown problem/disturbance at a residence on the 400 block of Market Avenue in North Richmond. The caller advised that there was an injured person. Deputies arrived on scene and found a female who was bleeding from multiple stab wounds. The fire department and an ambulance were called. The victim was later pronounced deceased at the scene. The victim was later identified as Moreno.
Homicide Detectives from the Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division identi-fied the suspect as Sanchez, who fled to Mexico. Detectives worked closely with the U.S. Marshals Service and on January 24, 2017, the U.S. Marshals San Diego Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Northern District of California in coordination with the government of Mexico effected the arrest of Sanchez in Guadalajara. He was returned to California.
The 22-year-old Sanchez was booked for murder at the Martinez Detention Facility. He is being held in lieu of $2,050,000 bail.
Read More