Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Congressman DeSaulnier to host Tax Town Hall in El Cerrito Saturday

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Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) will host a tax-focused town hall meeting in El Cerrito on Saturday, January 13th at 2:00 p.m. This town hall was originally scheduled in December, but was postponed when Republican Leadership changed the voting schedule to rush the tax bill through Congress.

Since taking office in 2015, the Congressman has hosted 53 town halls and mobile district office hours throughout Contra Costa County. In his first town hall of 2018, DeSaulnier invites residents to participate in a discussion of the new Republican tax law, which was passed by Congressional Republicans and signed into law by President Trump last month. The law increases taxes on more than 5.5 million California families. Bay Area residents who own or are interested in purchasing a home, in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country, are particularly impacted by the law. New home purchasers are subject to limits on the mortgage interest deduction and current homeowners have lost the ability to fully deduct state and local taxes (SALT). It is DeSaulnier’s opinion that “the bill was jammed through Congress with little debate and no Democratic amendments in an effort to deliver a massive tax cut to corporations and the wealthiest 1%.”

During the town hall constituents will be provided with an overview of the legislation and its potential impact on Bay Area residents, and will have an opportunity to ask questions or share comments about the new law.

El Cerrito Town Hall
Saturday, January 13, 2018
2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
El Cerrito Community Center
7007 Moeser Lane
El Cerrito, CA 94530

Please RSVP by visiting https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or calling (925) 933-2660. For more information or to request ADA accommodations, contact Congressman DeSaulnier’s office in either Walnut Creek or Richmond.

College district admits to overreporting employee retirement to state pension fund

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Outside investigation to begin

The Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) has contacted CalPERS, the state government employee pension fund, to determine what actions, if any, are required to address a situation impacting some district retirees who are CalPERS members.

The district has identified a long-standing practice of converting unused vacation to sick leave which in some cases led to retirees receiving excess service credit upon retirement.  An initial review indicates that corrections may be needed for a small subset of CalPERS retirees who retired after 2000.  An external firm will be hired to investigate this matter including the extent of the reporting errors, what corrections are required, and how the corrections should be accomplished.

The district is working to mitigate any impact on the district’s CalPERS retirees, and is taking steps to ensure this problem does not happen again.

The CCCCD is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California serving a population of 1,019,640 people. Its boundaries encompass all but 48 of the 734-square-mile land area of Contra Costa County. The district is home to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, as well as educational centers in Brentwood and San Ramon.  The district headquarters is located in downtown Martinez.

Rep. DeSaulnier hosts End of the Year Town Hall in El Cerrito Mon. Dec. 4

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Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) announced he will host an End of the Year town hall meeting in El Cerrito on Monday, December 4th at 6:00 p.m. Since taking office in 2015, Mark has hosted 53 town halls and mobile district office hours throughout Contra Costa County, interacting with over 17,500 constituents.

Following a busy year filled with controversial actions by the Trump Administration and Republican Leadership, Congressman DeSaulnier invites residents to attend his final town hall of 2017. During the town hall constituents will be provided with a legislative update, and have an opportunity to ask questions or share their thoughts on issues of importance.

El Cerrito Town Hall
Monday, December 4, 2017
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Harding Elementary
Auditorium
7230 Fairmont Avenue
El Cerrito, CA 94530

Please RSVP by visiting https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or calling (925) 933-2660. For more information or to request ADA accommodations, contact Congressman DeSaulnier’s office in either Walnut Creek or Richmond.

Rep. DeSaulnier to hold Town Hall on GOP Tax Plan Monday, Nov. 20 in Orinda

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Washington, DC – Monday night, Nov. 20th Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) will host a town hall meeting on the Republican tax plan. Since coming to Congress in January 2015, Mark has hosted 50 town halls and mobile district office hours throughout Contra Costa County.

Congressman DeSaulnier will host two town halls. Details are below:

 ORINDA IN PERSON TAX TOWN HALL

Monday, November 20th

6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. PST

Miramonte High School, Theater

750 Moraga Way

Orinda, CA 94563

RSVP Using the Link Below:

https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp

 For more information on these events or to request ADA accommodations contact Congressman DeSaulnier’s offices in either Walnut Creek, Richmond, or Washington, DC. 

East County leaders meet at EC2 Summit to discuss plans for local job creation

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By John Crowder

On Friday, October 20, representatives of four cities and the County came together to discuss economic development for the East County region.  The annual EC2 (EC Squared, which stands for East County Economic Collaborative) Summit, the brainchild of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, is designed to promote job growth and economic opportunity in the region.  The event was held at the Antioch Community Center.

Moderated by Antioch Mayor Sean Wright, attendees heard from representatives from each of four cities; Antioch, Pittsburg, Brentwood, and Oakley, as well as a representative from the Contra Costa County Transportation Agency.

Presenters from each city highlighted resources and programs that are designed to stimulate economic activity.  Antioch’s presentation focused on the development of the waterfront, light industrial space, and the upcoming BART extension to the city.

The City of Pittsburg presentation highlighted a desire to move beyond heavy industry by shifting focus to manufacturing and their involvement in the Bay Area Manufacturing Initiative.  Also mentioned were marketing initiatives for the City, including the use of social media.

Oakley’s talk discussed how residential development is driving growth.  According to their presentation, they have over 5000 entitled residential lots, along with over 300 acres of industrial zoned land.  Emphasizing that as a city they are, “development friendly,” they noted a reduction in commercial impact fees of 40% and a streamlined project approval process.

The City of Brentwood touted their Economic Development Action Plan.  Some of their “game changers” include a business development center, full scale hospital, a Next Generation Technology Business Park, and a Farm to Fork program.

Contra Costa Transportation Authority Executive Director Randy Iwasaki discussed the East Bay as a “Corridor of Opportunity,” with a broad overview of how voter approved transportation initiative funds are being used.  The projects he mentioned included work on Highway 4, BART expansion to Antioch, and the Highway 160/Highway 4 Connector Ramps.  He also discussed future projects under consideration.

Antioch Mayor Sean Wright commented on the event, saying, “It was awesome to see all four cities and the County coming together to discuss strategies and work being done to bring jobs to East Contra Costa County.  Too many of our residents are spending too much of their lives commuting and we must double our efforts to bring those good paying jobs here to our region.”

His sentiments were echoed by Richard Pagano, CEO of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce.  He said the important question is, “How do we work regionally to bring jobs to the entire area? A job in Antioch helps Oakley, and vice-versa.  That’s the paradigm shift we’re trying to effect.”

The television broadcast of EC2 can be seen on the following channels in November: CCTV – Wednesday November 15 at 12 pm and Delta TV – Thursday November 16 at 10 am.

Desaulnier, Oversight Committee Members demand answers about DEA’s relationship with Big Pharma

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Washington, DC – On Thursday, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) and Democratic Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Representatives, Jim Cooper (TN-05), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), and Matt Cartwright (PA-17), sent a letter to the Acting Director of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) demanding answers about the agency’s failure to disclose its concerns about efforts that would make it easier for drug distributors to break the law. The letter comes on the heels of the troubling reports by The Washington Post and 60 Minutes that former high-ranking DEA officials authored and deceptively marketed legislation that undermines the agency’s ability to prevent companies from filling suspicious orders for large quantities of opioids.

“The DEA, charged with enforcing our nation’s drug laws, has not prevented the flow of opioids that posed an ‘imminent danger’ to communities across the country. This was due in large part to former DEA officials who left the agency, went to work for pharmaceutical companies manufacturing opioids, and launched a lobbying effort to slow DEA enforcement of these narcotics. Congress has a duty and obligation to fully investigate what happened, and we are calling on DEA to produce information detailing its interactions with Congress and the Administration, and disclose all ‘revolving door’ relationships between DEA and the pharmaceutical industry over the last 10 years,” said DeSaulnier.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

Rep. DeSaulnier to host 50th Town Hall and Mobile District Office Hour, Mon. Oct. 16

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Walnut Creek, CA – Today, Wednesday, October 11, 2017, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-11) announced he will host his 50th town hall and mobile district office hour since coming to Congress in January of 2015. The town hall meeting will be held at the Shadelands Art Center on Monday, October 16th at 6:00 p.m. in Walnut Creek.

“Town halls are one of my favorite ways to interact with constituents,” said DeSaulnier. “There is something special about traveling the district and hearing directly from residents in their neighborhoods—it is a direct display of democracy at work.”

Residents are invited to join the Congressman to listen to a presentation and legislative update. During the town hall constituents will have an opportunity to ask questions, share their opinions on actions taken by this Administration, and discuss issues import to our community.

Walnut Creek Town Hall

Shadelands Arts Center

111 North Wiget Lane

Walnut Creek, CA 94598

6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

(Door Open at 5:30 p.m.)

Please RSVP online at www.desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or call 925-933-2660. For more information or to request ADA accommodations contact Congressman DeSaulnier’s office in either Walnut Creek or Richmond.

Supervisors honor county accountant Ayore Riaunda for 20 years of service

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At the presentation were, from left, Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, Riaunda, Supervisors Diane Burgis and John Gioia, Contra Costa County Health Services Director Dr. William Walker and Supervisor Candace Andersen. Photo by Daniel Borsuk

By Daniel Borsuk

At their meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26 the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors recognized Ayore Riaunda, an accountant with the Contra Costa County Health Services Department, for 20 years of service.

At the presentation were Supervisor Karen Mitchoff,  Riaunda, Supervisors Diane Burgis and John Gioia, Contra Costa County Health Services Director Dr. William Walker and Supervisor Candace Andersen.

Since 2004 Riaunda has been a Certified Government Financial Manager by Association of Government Accountants, and has over 30 years of fiscal management and best practices experience. He earned a Master’s of Business Administration degree from Montclair State University, New Jersey, 1990.

Riaunda is a decorated military veteran serving honorably in the U.S. Navy, including as an Action Officer, Fleet Marine Force Warfare Specialist, and a Navy Reservist. He was awarded with four Navy Reserve Meritorious Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and five other Navy Medals.

Riaunda has lived in the county and Bay Area for 25 years. He ran unsuccessfully for Contra Costa County Auditor-Controller in 2014 against the incumbent, Robert Campbell.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Americans are poorly informed about basic constitutional provisions

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Constitution Day is September 17 – Take the Preamble Challenge

PHILADELPHIA –– Many Americans are poorly informed about basic constitutional provisions, according to a new national survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

The annual Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey finds that:

  • More than half of Americans (53 percent) incorrectly think it is accurate to say that immigrants who are here illegally do not have any rights under the U.S. Constitution;
  • More than a third of those surveyed (37 percent) can’t name any of the rights guaranteed under the First Amendment;
  • Only a quarter of Americans (26 percent) can name all three branches of government.

“Protecting the rights guaranteed by the Constitution presupposes that we know what they are.

The fact that many don’t is worrisome,” said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania. “These results emphasize the need for high-quality civics education in the schools and for press reporting that underscores the existence of constitutional protections.”

Illegal immigration and constitutional rights

The APPC survey, conducted Aug. 9-13 among 1,013 adults in the United States, finds that 53 percent think that people who are here illegally do not have any rights under the Constitution. That incorrect belief is especially strong among self-identified political conservatives – 67 percent think it is accurate, compared with 48 percent of moderates and 46 percent of liberals.

In fact, immigrants who are in the United States illegally share some constitutional protections with U.S. citizens. More than a century ago, in Yick Wo v. Hopkins (1886), a case involving an undocumented Chinese immigrant, the Supreme Court ruled that non-citizens were entitled to due process rights under the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. Other cases have expanded upon those rights. (For more on Yick Wo, see this video on Annenberg Classroom’s website.)

Most respondents, though not all, know that under the Constitution, U.S. citizens who are atheists or Muslim have the same rights as all other citizens. Seventy-nine percent of respondents know it is accurate to say that U.S. citizens who are atheists have the same rights as other citizens, and 76 percent know it is accurate to say that citizens who are Muslim have the same rights as other citizens.

What does the First Amendment say? 

Nearly half of those surveyed (48 percent) say that freedom of speech is a right guaranteed by the First Amendment. But, unprompted, 37 percent could not name any First Amendment rights. And far fewer people could name the other First Amendment rights: 15 percent of respondents say freedom of religion; 14 percent say freedom of the press; 10 percent say the right of assembly; and only 3 percent say the right to petition the government.

The First Amendment reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Contrary to the First Amendment, 39 percent of Americans support allowing Congress to stop the news media from reporting on any issue of national security without government approval. That was essentially unchanged from last year. But the survey, which followed a year of attacks on the news media, found less opposition to prior restraint (49 percent) than in 2016 (55 percent).

Many don’t know the branches of government 

Only 26 percent of respondents can name the three branches of government (executive, judicial, and legislative), the same as last year. People who identified themselves as conservatives were significantly more likely to name all three branches correctly than liberals and moderates. The 26 percent total was down significantly from APPC’s first survey on this question, in 2011, when 38 percent could name all three.

In the current survey, 33 percent could not name any of the three branches, the same as in 2011.

The phone survey, conducted for APPC by the research firm SSRS, has a margin of error of ±3.7 percent. For more on the methodology and questions click here.

Constitution Day and the Civics Renewal Network

APPC’s Annenberg Classroom, presented by the Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics, has created a series of free, award-winning videos for educators and the public, including Yick Wo and the Equal Protection Clause, The Role of the Courts, and Freedom of the Press: New York Times v. United States.

Annenberg Classroom has joined with 30 other nonpartisan organizations to create the Civics Renewal Network, which offers free, high-quality educational materials online. Among CRN’s partners are the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the National Constitution Center, the U.S. Courts, the NEH’s EDSITEment Project and iCivics.

Constitution Day (Sept. 17) will be observed Monday, Sept. 18. To mark it, the U.S. Courts are holding naturalization ceremonies nationwide and educators will lead students in the “Preamble Challenge,” celebrating the Preamble to the Constitution.

The Annenberg Public Policy Center was established in 1994 to educate the public and policy makers about the media’s role in advancing public understanding of political, health and science issues at the local, state and federal levels. Find APPC on Facebook and Twitter: @APPCPenn. Follow the Civics Renewal Network: @CivicsRenewal.

Contra Costa Supervisors select first African-American and female District Attorney Diana Becton

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Retired Judge Diane Becton. Courtesy of CCLawyer.cccba.org.

By Daniel Borsuk

On an initial split vote, Contra Costa County Supervisors picked Superior Court Judge Diana Becton to complete the nine remaining months of former Contra Costa County District Attorney Mark Peterson on Tuesday.

Supervisors initially made their preferences known on a 3-2 split vote, to pick Becton from a field of five well-qualified competitors, for the top county criminal prosecutor post that pays $21,415 a month. Supervisors John Gioia of Richmond who represents District 1 and Diane Burgis chose Becton, while Candace Andersen and Karen Mitchoff chose Senior Deputy District Attorney Paul Graves. Board Chair Federal Glover broke the tie and stated his preference for Becton.

A few minutes later, supervisors voted to unanimously approve the selection of Becton as interim DA.

She has announced her retirement as judge in order to assume the DA position next Monday.

Becton, the first African American female judge to be selected by former California Republican Gov. Pete Wilson, will now become the first African American and first female in history to be in charge of the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, an office marred by scandal, most recently the June resignation of Peterson for illegally spending of $66,000 of his campaign funds over a five-year period for personal use, then not disclosing it on finance reports.  In 2008, the county DA office was rocked when deputy prosecutor Michael Gressett was charged with allegedly raping a female DA colleague.

Graves, who had won the endorsement from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Association and most all of the police officers associations in the county, has already announced his candidacy to run for the DA office in the June election. Santa Clara County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Patrick Vanier, another applicant for the interim post, has also announced his candidacy.  Vanier, who is running on a campaign of conducting a “comprehensive audit” of the department, did not draw a vote from any supervisor.

In addition to Vanier, Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Danielle Douglas, a former San Francisco prosecutor, did not attract any votes from supervisors, either.  Douglas portrayed a conservative management “if it isn’t broken don’t fix it” style that may have turned off supervisors.

During the public hearing prior to the supervisors’ vote, Becton had scored the most support from 20 out of 40 speakers, many who had acknowledged the judge’s 22 years of criminal courtroom experience and progressive views about bail reform and the need to decrease the rising number of BART crimes, gang and freeway shootings.  Becton also earned the endorsement of the NAACP clergy, following the East County Branch’s public interview of the five applicants, last Saturday.

On the topic of plagiarizing material for her application for the post Becton admitted, “I did liberally copy from all sorts of sources.  I own those mistakes. But you have to look at my 22 years of service in this county of working with integrity to improve our criminal justice system.”

She also stated that she didn’t think U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) would have a problem with Becton’s use of her words.

Under questioning from supervisor Andersen, Contra Costa County Assistant District Attorney Thomas Kensok, a 30-year veteran of the DA office, also admitted he had copied material in his application without identifying his sources.

“I should have put in quotation marks, but I did not think of it,” he said. “There was no intent to deceive.  I’m sorry for the way it came out.”

So far Becton has not stated whether she will run in the 2018 election campaign for the full-time position.

Sheriff David Livingston chipped in a recommendation that supervisors might want to develop a duo DA position with Beckton/Kensok holding the post in a caretaking status until the June election. That idea did not draw any reaction from supervisors.

“There is need for change.  The department needs to be transparent,” said Glover of Pittsburg, who represents District 5. “We want the department to think differently, and Judge Beckton can bring that.”

On the initial vote, District 4 Supervisor Mitchoff voted for Graves because of his “integrity and extensive prosecution experience.” Later on the supervisor joined her colleagues to make the appointment of Becton unanimous on a second vote.

Andersen of Danville, who represents District 2, had also initially voted for Graves, but later voted to support Judge Becton. “We need to have a person who can restore public trust, public safety, and protect the mentally ill who enter our criminal justice system,” she said in support of Graves.

District 5 Supervisor Burgis of Oakley said, “My first choice is Judge Diane Becton.”  Burgis said Becton will promote diversity and that “she’s earned the trust of our community.”

Supervisors to Consider Rubicon Contract

In a related matter, supervisors will get an update at their Tuesday, Sept. 19 meeting on the status of a $408,750 contract with the non-profit ex-felon organization Rubicon Programs, Inc.

With the contract expiring at the end of September, a political tiff has developed between Livingston and Gioia, who had opposed the recently approved $70 million West County Detention Jail expansion in north Richmond, a major project of the sheriff.

The problem is the CCP panel is not scheduled to convene until November, too late to renew the Rubicon Contract for the West County Reentry Success Center.