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Brentwood

Brentwood: Four Stabbed During Bowling Alley Brawl

by ECT
written by ECT

At 1:30 AM this morning, Brentwood Police responded to a call involving a large fight at Harvest Park Bowl. Officers arrived to find three victims that had been stabbed and had to be transported via medical helicopter to John Muir Medical Center.

The three victims on scene were all stabbed in their back area according to Brentwood PD. The cause of the incident is still under investigation, but as of now, there is no indication that this incident was gang related.

  • Victim 1: male, 23, Brentwood resident
  • Victim 2: Male, 27, Antioch resident
  • Victim 3: Female, 23, Antioch resident
  • Victim 4: Male, 23 Brentwood Resident was later identified at Sutter Delta Hospital

Along with police response, the incident required two fire engines, three AMR vehicles, and two medical helicopters.

According to police, two large groups of people at Harvest Park Bowl were involved in the brawl. Officers on scene quickly cleared the scene and worked diligently to make sure all parties involved were safe and receiving the medical attention they needed while determining who the responsible parties were. Officers did retrieve a gun from one of the victim’s vehicles.

Officers are currently investigating leads, but it appears those responsible for the stabbing fled the scene before police arrived. If you have any information about this morning’s incident, please contact Brentwood PD investigations Borough or contact Todd Orlando (925) 809-7759

On a side note:
Kudos go out to Brentwood Police and emergency personnel for preventing an even worse incident from occurring as with such a large number of people involved, this could have been a lot bigger problem than four victims. Within minutes, officers arrived on scene and quickly broke up the nonsense.

Update Via Brentwood PD Press Release:

On 7/23/2012 at 0133 hours officers were dispatched to Harvest Park Bowl regarding a fight.  When officers arrived they found 3 victims who had been stabbed.  Later a fourth victim arrived at the hospital also suffering from a stab wound sustained during the fight.  All of the victims who are from the Antioch and Brentwood area sustained non-life threatening injuries.  The victims who are all in their early 20’s were at Harvest Park Bowl when an argument started with another group.  The argument escalated into a physical fight and that is when the four victims were stabbed.  The Brentwood Police Department Investigation Unit is currently following up on information obtained by witnesses to the stabbing.

Anyone with information regarding who the responsible(s) are in this case are encouraged to contact Detective Todd Orlando at 925-809-7759. 

Author Sgt Tim Herbert – 925-809-7737

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ECCFPD

ECCFPD Fails to Win SAFER Grant

by ECT
written by ECT

In a last ditch effort to hire back it’s 15 laid-off firefighters and re-open the three closed stations, the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) applied for a SAFER Grant from FEMA. I received word over the weekend the District did not receive the grant.

This morning,  Chief Hugh Henderson confirmed the bad news as the grant was written to get all six fire stations fully staffed with three personnel on duty.

The district applied for the grant in February and would have ultimately increased the staffing level from 9 firefighters on duty to 18

According to the Chief, he was told by FEMA that ECCFPD was competing with over 1,900 other applicants that had applied and the competition was very high.  The 2012/2013 safer grant cycle opened last Monday and the District will be for preparing to reapply during the new grant round.

“My hopes with our current reduction in staffing and station closures that we will be high on FEMA’s priority list for the next go-round of grants,” stated Chief Henderson.

Thoughts

While I understand that this grant would have provided immediate benefits to the District, there were a lot of caveats with the biggest being during the grant period, the District cannot reduce the workforce of firefighters as it provides funds to pay for firefighter positions, but the District must pay for all equipment and training—I believe the District also has 90-days to hire from time the Grant is awarded.

I am torn because I want our firefighters back, but this could have created a more long term problems as clearly the District has a revenue problem. When the grant expires, we would have been right back where we are today because the revenue problem will not have been solved.  It also would have meant a problem on the next layoff go around in the future for our firefighters with seniority!

In this situation, the District is pretty much damned if you do, damned if you don’t. With that said, we need the bodies on duty!

According to the 62-page Program Guide, here are some interesting facts on this grant:

Deadlines

  • Application Start Date: 7/16/12 (8:00 a.m. EDT)
  • Application Submission Date: 8/10/12 (5:00 p.m. EDT)

Career Fire Departments may apply for funding in the following category:

  • Hiring of New Firefighters Activity
  • Rehiring of Firefighters

Hierarchy of Priorities

  • First priority: Rehiring laid-off firefighters
  • Second priorities: Retention of firefighters who face imminent layoff and/or filling positions vacated through attrition but not filled due to economic circumstances
  • Third priority: Hiring new firefighters The exceptions to these priorities are the requirements that no less than 15 percent of available funds be awarded to new hire applicants as discussed in the Hiring of New Firefighters Activity (See Part IV. Funding Restrictions), and the statutory requirement to award no less than 10 percent of available funds to volunteer and mostly volunteer departments.

Eligible Expenses

The only eligible costs under the Hiring of Firefighters Category for new or rehired firefighters activity are the following:

  •  Salary
  • Associated benefits (actual payroll expenses)

SAFER Funding will pay for the total salary and benefit costs for each funded position.

  • Firefighters that are employees at time of and/or hired prior to the award date, except if applying under the retention activity, are not eligible under the Hiring of Firefighters Category.
  • Overtime costs are not eligible. However, costs for overtime fire departments routinely pay as a part of the base salary or the firefighter’s regularly scheduled and contracted shift hours are eligible in order to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • Federal employees are prohibited from serving in any capacity (paid or unpaid) on any proposal submitted for this grant opportunity. Federal employees may not receive funds under this award.
  • Only full-time positions will be funded. A full-time position is one position that is funded for at least 2,080 hours per year, i.e., 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. However, recognizing many departments have shifts exceeding a 40-hour workweek, FEMA also will consider funding the job-sharing of a full-time position if the grantee has sufficient justification. A job-share position is a full-time position occupied by more than one person.

Ineligible expenses

  • Pre-application costs, such as grant writer fees, administrative costs, and indirect costs associated with hiring of firefighters
  • Costs for training and equipping firefighters (however, the salaries and benefits of firefighters hired under the SAFER Grants while they are engaged in training are eligible.)
  • Costs for uniforms and physicals • Funds to support additional hired positions or funds received from federal, state, or local sources cannot be used to supplant normal operating budgets unless a waiver has been granted.

Volunteer and mostly volunteer fire departments may hire individuals to fill officer-level positions such as chief, fire inspector, training officer, safety officer, etc. However, since the purpose of SAFER Grants is to enhance incident scene safety, all applicants must certify the primary assignment of all SAFER-funded firefighters will be an operational assignment (e.g., fire suppression) regardless of collateral duties.

Recruitment & Retention Category

Eligible Expenses

Applicants who propose to initiate a recruitment and retention plan as a part of their application receive equal consideration. Proposals for this category may include providing incentives for volunteer firefighter members to continue service in a fire department.

Examples of initiatives that may receive funding include, but are not limited to:

  • Insurance packages such as accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D), disability, health, dental, life
  • Reimbursement to the member while attending required basic training (e.g., compensation for lost wages, mileage, lodging, per diem)
  • Marketing costs to recruit new volunteer members
  • Station internet access
  • Computers in common areas
  • LED/electronic signs (note: 75 percent of usage must be dedicated to Recruitment & Retention Activities – additional restrictions apply; see Appendix I, Part III, Section B, Other Allowable Costs’)
  • Station duty uniforms for new recruits (pants, shirts, hats)
  • Non-uniform clothing (t-shirts, jackets, pullovers, etc.) when as part of an award program
  • Station modifications (e.g., converting space into bunkroom – restrictions apply; see the Environmental Historic Preservation (EHP) section under Appendix I, Part III, Section B, Other Allowable Costs’)
  • Salary and benefits for a recruitment and retention coordinator
  • Physicals (consistent with NFPA 1582) for new recruits only
  • Explorer, cadet, and mentoring programs (See “Appendix I, Part III, Section B, Other Allowable Costs” for additional information on these programs)
  • Staffing needs assessment
  • Administrative costs up to 3 percent of the awarded amount
  • Tuition assistance for higher education (including college tuition and not limited to firefighter training or education) and professional certifications (Note: Coursework or certifications in this category should be above and beyond what the department typically funds for required minimum-staffing firefighter certification. Books and lab fees are eligible, but computers are not)
  • Costs for training not regularly covered under the department’s operating budget
  • Awards Program for participation in operational activities (e.g., length of service plaques, gift cards, non-uniform clothing, etc. for responding to incidents, attending operational training – however, payments may not be retroactive for service prior to award)
  • Establish a new Length of Service Award Programs (LOSAP) (funding of existing programs or retroactive payments are not eligible)
  • Mileage reimbursement for operational activities (e.g., responding to incidents, attending training)
  • Turnout gear after the new recruit undergoes a physical
  • With proper justification, applications for funding in the Recruitment & Retention Activity could include activities requiring up to four years to complete
  • For each activity requested, the applicant must establish the link between the activities for which funding is being requested and the identified recruitment and/or retention problems or issues to be addressed. FEMA will not fund activities without the applicant having made a sufficient correlation between the activity and its positive effect on the recruitment and/or retention of volunteer firefighters
  • All funded activities under Recruitment & Retention must be governed by formally adopted standard operating procedures (SOPs). Minimally, these SOPs should specify who qualifies for each of the incentives, specific requirements for earning the incentives, and the disposition of the awarded incentives if an individual fails to fulfill the stipulations
  • The limited funding available for SAFER Activities precludes the award of funding for operational activities, such as the purchase of firefighting equipment and vehicles. Personal protective clothing may be funded for newly recruited firefighters, but personal protective equipment for other types of members or existing members is not eligible

Ineligible Expenses

  • Costs incurred prior to award
  • Fire suppression equipment/vehicles
  • Communication equipment including portable radios or computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems
  • Payments or recognition for service prior to award (i.e., no retroactive payments)
  • Cash payments for non-operational activities
  • Payments for travel to and/ or participation in leisure activities such as theatre tickets, entertainment tickets and trips (professional ball games, etc.)
  • Costs associated with award banquets, such as food, refreshments, entertainment, or rental facilities. Reimbursement for actual awards (e.g., plaques, and trophies) is eligible
  • Costs for training regularly covered under the department’s operating budget, such as tuition or instructor fees for department-mandated, basic-level training
  • Services at a member’s personal residence (e.g., internet access, plowing of driveways, etc.)
  • Furniture, TVs, fixtures, appliances (refrigerators, etc.), entertainment equipment (Exception: furniture for newly converted bunkrooms is eligible)
  • “Giveaways” such as pencils, pens, t-shirts, cups, mugs, balloons, etc. for recruitment events •
  • Fees for courses and training that are also available free of charge on the internet or at a state/local training facilities (NIMS 100, 700, 800, etc.)

 

http://www.fema.gov/welcome-assistance-firefighters-grant-program

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CONFIREECCFPD

ECCFPD Saves Two Condo’s on Sandmound Blvd.

by ECT
written by ECT

An electrical fire started by a dryer put an apartment complex in jeopardy yesterday afternoon as fire crews rushed to save the structures and the people in the complex.

According to one firefighter on scene, “we got very lucky that the structure was still standing”.

Engine 93 (Oakley) was first to arrive on scene followed by Engine 88, then Engine 59 (Discovery Bay), then Engine 52 (Brentwood), then Engine 81 (Antioch) , then Engine 82 (Antioch) and finally Quint 83.

According to a firefighter on Engine 59,  they were all the way out near Byron School responding to a call when the call was dispatched—about 15 miles away.  With all three engines on scene, this meant CONFIRE assistance once again.

When Engine 93 arrived on scene, they found smoke coming from the door way of the second floor apartment with victims in the apartment.  The fire was apparently going up the wall and into the adjacent apartment.

When the second engine arrived, they attacked the fire from both apartments having to put a hole in the wall between the two apartments as the electrical fire moved within the walls. The  Damage was ultimately limited to the fire wall and the attic space between the apartments.

The fire, reported at about 1:47 p.m. and was extinguished by about 2:04 p.m.

One civilian was transported to Sutter Delta Hospital with no injury’s reported to fire district personnel.

Side Note:
With all three of our engines at this location along with CONFIRE back up, this left our District uncovered during the time of this incident in which two calls came in. CONFIRE was forced to send additional engines to East County to cover these calls.

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Non-ProfitOakley

Updated: H.A.L.O. Votes to Remove President

by ECT
written by ECT

The H.A.L.O. Board of Directors voted out Tamera Reed as its president earlier this week with little details being given as to why the removal was made.  The move has upset some Oakley residents who have adopted pets form the organization calling the move “a terrible decision”.

I caught up with Tamera Reed early Sunday afternoon and received some additional details on what had occurred.

According to Ms. Reed, the reason the board gave her for letting her go was they had “lost confidence in her as President.” However, two weeks earlier they had told her she was doing a good job.

“Two weeks prior to that we had a meeting in which we reviewed the finance of HALO and I was applauded,” explained Reed. “Since the opening of HALO house we had brought in $40,000 more in a 6 month period then ever before in the life of HALO. They said the credit was owed to me for running HALO house and doing such a great job with the community and volunteers and rescuing of the animals.”

According to Ms. Reed, Wayne Sanderson is the new President of HALO. Oddly enough, he is also HALO’s Treasure and CPA while his wife Joyce Sanderson is also one of the Board members. It appears they now have a majority stake in the organization and control of the finances.

Ms. Reed also explained that of the board members left, just two of them helped get HALO House up and running, but stopped coming to meetings in January.  One board member who was against voting her out had helped work for the organization in picking up shifts. Another board member who voted against voting her off resigned the moment the vote took place.

According to Reed, none of the remaining other board members were ever involved in the day to day operations of HALO house.

I sent an email to the Vice President of H.A.L.O. and it’s Board of Directors on July 20 and have not received a response.

If you recall, H.A.L.O. made an agreement last year to take over the old Station 93 in Oakley off  Second Street and it was a year ago come August where they moved into their new building with essentially a no-rent agreement as it’s just $100 per month for 18 months.

Last year, HALO adopted out 449 dogs and 237 cats. Dogs and cats in the care of volunteers are groomed, receive medical treatment and are taught to socialize with other animals.

As of this morning, Ms. Reed is still listed as President of the organization on it’s website. Here is a list of their Board of Directors as shown on their website:

  • Gigi Boss – Vice President
  • Andrea Stuart – Public Relations / Board of Directors
  • Joyce Sanderson – Adoption Manager/Board of Directors
  • Normajean Cohn – Board of Directors
  • Ken Gove – Board of Directors
  • BJ Lauver – Board of Directors
  • Treasure Carlson – Board of Directors

“My heart has always been with the animals not with any status,” said Reed. “I went back on Friday after being voted off and adopted thee dogs. Then Saturday adopted two more. Now all I can say is Saturday after I left they took all the dogs from HALO house and they have them all on Joyce’s (Sanderson) property.”

HALO Website
http://www.eccchalo.org/

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Local Business

Delta Living Magazine Launched in East County

by ECT
written by ECT

Delta Living Magazine is a new lifestyle magazine that was launched this week in East County thanks to the efforts of Charleen Earley who hopes its readers will be inspired, educated, motivated and entertained.  I reached out to Ms. Earley in finding out more about her and her goals with the magazine.

Ms. Earley is no stranger to journalism as she has been a veteran freelance writer for 13 years where she worked for the San Francisco Chronicle for five years. She also worked for the River News Herald in Rio Vista and even wrote a column for the Brentwood Press. She is currently teaching journalism at Deer Valley High School.

Earley admits she has always loved writing, teaching, inspiring, publishing and telling other peoples stories through articles—so she moved forward with the magazine idea.   The concept of the magazine is straight forward as it’s a lifestyle magazine about living around the Delta with a target audience of 30 and older.

“I came up with the name Delta Living Magazine because of the area I currently live in. It felt like a perfect fit. Not all the articles though, are tied to the Delta per se. It also includes travel and interesting, inspiring people who don’t live around here,” said Earley.

The lead story for the first issue is a sit down interview with funny guy Johnny Steele. I am not familiar with the comedy industry so I thought it was informative, interesting, and an eye opener.   As a stand-up comedienne herself, it seemed like a perfect fit as she admitted her personality shined throughout the entire issue.

“Always lead with laughter,” explained Earley. “Johnny Steele grew up in the Delta Region and has reached a level of “fame” that many of us only dream of. When passing out this issue to those around me, many said “I know that guy!” One man was his childhood neighbor in Pittsburg.”

In looking through the magazine, it has a nice layout and flow. I especially enjoyed her story about hoarding—her comedy side really does come through. Going forward, she has big plans for the magazine and where she wants to take it.

“Up into the clear blue skies, both figuratively and logistically. I want to ultimately see this could-eventually-be “global” magazine on all Delta Airline flights! Go big or go home, right,” said Earley.

Currently the magazine is a quarterly publication with 5,000 copies printed.  Subscriptions are $4 per copy or $15 per year.

“I plan to go bi-monthly after our second year, monthly the third year. We currently have 24, full-color pages, but I already see that increasing to 28 for the next, October issue,” said Earley.

Although she is excited by the launch, it has not come without push back she admits. I can feel her on that one as my blog experiences this as well.

“I get push back from those asking me if I’m insane! From a couple of my current editors who told me to “run-don’t-walk” away from this crazy notion of mine. They know and I know that there’s no money in it, but I’m not doing it for the money, I’m doing it for the love and passion of it. This is in my blood and I can’t deny it or squash it. Cue song, “I’ve gotta be me, just gotta be me,” explained Earley. “I also got negativity from some of my competitors in publishing. I won’t say who, but they weren’t exactly jumping up and down with glee over my new magazine. My philosophy is … there’s plenty of stories and advertising to go around! And being the middle-child-with-syndrome, I always say, “why can’t we all just get along?”

You have to respect someone who wants to do what they love and will make it happen.  I admire that.

Delta Living will be Ms. Earley’s second attempt at a magazine as she created and produced a comedy magazine back in 2006 which she admitted was such a narrow market that it “fizzled”. She learned that to be successful, a magazine needs to have broad appeal like Delta Living.

From what I’ve seen from the online version, this magazine is a good first issue and should evolve into something great!

You can follow Delta Living Magazine via their Facebook Page.

Here is a list of the 75 DROP OFF LOCATIONS to pick up your copy.

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Delta

Restore the Delta: July 25 State Capital Rally

by ECT
written by ECT

There will be a rally at noon on July 25 in preparation to the Governor and Secretary Ken Salazar  from the Department of the Interior on Brown’s plan to build the peripheral canal/tunnel.  If you are interested in participating, you should contact Restore the Delta so that you can coordinate with their efforts.

“The Governor claims California is on his side on this issue and they’re not. Our coalition of farmers, environmentalists, fishermen, business people, local elected officials concerned citizens is diverse. And yet, all these different people know that the proposed project will destroy the Delta’s ecosystem and the economy,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla.

She is hoping for a big turnout to let the Governor know he is wrong.

It should be noted that more and more facts are coming out that their are better options than a canal in terms of cost which Restore the Delta stated May 11, 2012. I listened to their audio summarized the key points. Its stunning to me how the Governor can even continue to push this project when its significantly cheaper and more cost effective to simply invest in updating the levees.

Here is a Press Release from Restore the Delta.

Dear Friends,

We understand that Governor Brown will be making an announcement on July 25th, 2012 with Secretary Ken Salazar from the Department of the Interior on Brown’s plan to build the peripheral canal/tunnel.

Please join us for our response to his announcement with your homemade signs on the West Steps of the Capitol at noon on  Wednesday, July 25, 2012.

Governor Brown’s plan, an enormous mistake, would exterminate salmon runs, destroy sustainable Delta family farms and saddle taxpayers with tens of billions in debt, mainly to benefit a small number of huge corporate agribusinesses on the west side of the Central Valley.

Ironically, we anticipate that he will try to sell his plan to California water rate payers and tax payers as a new “process” to save and restore the Delta.  Join us as we let him know that the best way to restore the Delta is to fix the levees, reduce water exports, restore flows through the Delta, and support water projects throughout California that will make all regions water self sufficient.

Featured speakers:

  • U.S. Rep. John Garamendi
  • Sen. Lois Wolk
  • Assemblymember Bill Berryhill
  • Mayor Ann Johnston, Stockton
  • Jim Metropulos, Sierra Club
  • Jonas Minton, Planning and Conservation League
  • Zeke Grader, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations
  • Bill Jennings, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance
  • Kristin Lynch, Food & Water Watch
  • Nick di Croce, Environmental Water Caucus
  • Conner Everts, Southern California Watershed Alliance
  • John Herrick, South Delta Water Agency
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CONFIRE

CCCFPD Fallen Firefighter Memorial Ceremony

by ECT
written by ECT

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District will hold a public ceremony on Saturday, July 21st at 9:30 am to remember and honor all of those of our Fire District family lost in the line of duty that are commemorated on the memorial wall at the Training Division at 2945 Treat Blvd. in Concord.

The memorial wall contains the names of 16 firefighters lost in the line of duty in the Fire District since 1969. Those individuals identified on our memorial wall were committed to serving our citizens unselfishly and ultimately they gave their lives to the pursuit of public safety for their community.

This July 21st marks the fifth anniversary of the line of duty deaths of Captain Matt Burton and Engineer Scott Desmond in a residential structure fire on Michele Drive in unincorporated San Pablo. Both firefighters were fighting a house fire and actively involved in an interior search for two elderly residents of the home when they lost their lives to a phenomenon known as “flashover.” The two residents of the home also perished in the fire.

The ceremony will include several speakers, the Contra Costa County Professional Firefighters Local 1230 Honor Guard, as well as access to the memorial rose garden at the facility.

The event is open to members of the public.

I spoke to Vince Wells upon reading the announcement and he had the following to add to this.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. It still hurts and our department is still trying to recover from losing them, ” said Vince Wells. “After their deaths, we did everything to prepare for their memorial. After that,  the wall was inspired by the death five years ago, but we wanted to acknowledge everyone on the wall and their families. Names have been added of those who died previous and after their deaths.”

MEDIA CONTACT
LEWIS BROSCHARD, FIRE MARSHAL/PIO
925-383-5017

Source:  http://contracostafirefighters.wordpress.com/

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California

Poll Results: November Ballot Positions

by ECT
written by ECT

For those of you interested in many Propositions on the Novembers Ballot, check out a poll that was provided in todays “Nooner” by Scott Lay.   It provides a decent preview of what we may expect come November.  Typically I am not a fan of polling this early as their is plenty of time to swing votes, but some of these Propositions are clearly doomed.

Here is what Scott Lay had to say along with the results.

POLL POSITION: I’ll be candid that I was skeptical when I received the e-mail announcing a new poll conducted online by the California Business Roundtable and the Pepperdine School of Public Policy. Heck, I’m skeptical about any poll these days, particularly those where there is not a human-to-human contact. Nevertheless, I think the datapoints are pretty interesting and, I would bet, not too far off from where likely voters really are.

  • Proposition 30: Temporary Taxes to Fund Education. Guaranteed Local Public Safety Funding. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
    • Strongly Yes: 20.2%
    • Somewhat Yes: 17.3%
    • Leaning Yes: 18.7%
    • Leaning No: 10.1%
    • Somewhat No: 5.4%
    • Strongly No: 23.6%
    • TOTAL YES: 56.2%
    • TOTAL NO: 39.2%

  • Proposition 31: State Budget. State and Local Government. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
    • Strongly Yes: 7.9%
    • Somewhat Yes: 13.6%
    • Leaning Yes: 29.5%
    • Leaning No: 20.0%
    • Somewhat No: 5.7%
    • Strongly No: 7.9%
    • TOTAL YES: 51.0%
    • TOTAL NO: 33.5%

  • Proposition 32: Prohibits Political Contributions by Payroll Deduction. Prohibitions on Contributions to Candidates. Initiative Statute.
    • Strongly Yes: 23.2%
    • Somewhat Yes: 18.2%
    • Leaning Yes: 18.6%
    • Leaning No: 10.3%
    • Somewhat No: 7.0%
    • Strongly No: 11.6%
    • TOTAL YES: 60.0%
    • TOTAL NO: 28.9%

  • Proposition 33: Changes Law to Allow Auto Insurance Companies to Set Prices Based on a Driver’s History of Insurance Coverage. Initiative Statute.
    • Strongly Yes: 16.5%
    • Somewhat Yes: 18.7%
    • Leaning Yes: 24.0%
    • Leaning No: 10.7%
    • Somewhat No: 6.1%
    • Strongly No: 11.9%
    • TOTAL YES: 59.3%
    • TOTAL NO: 28.7%

  • Proposition 34: Death Penalty Repeal. Initiative Statute.
    • Strongly Yes: 19.7%
    • Somewhat Yes: 11.8%
    • Leaning Yes: 14.1%
    • Leaning No: 10.7%
    • Somewhat No: 7.1%
    • Strongly No: 28.9%
    • TOTAL YES: 45.5%
    • TOTAL NO: 46.7%

  • Proposition 35: Human Trafficking. Penalties. Sex Offender Registration. Initiative Statute.
    • Strongly Yes: 49.3%
    • Somewhat Yes: 20.2%
    • Leaning Yes: 18.7%
    • Leaning No: 3.6%
    • Somewhat No: 1.8%
    • Strongly No: 1.0%
    • TOTAL YES: 88.2%
    • TOTAL NO: 6.4%

  • Proposition 36: Three Strikes Law. Sentencing for Repeat Felony Offenders. Initiative Statute.
    • Strongly Yes: 23.1%
    • Somewhat Yes: 23.4%
    • Leaning Yes: 25.3%
    • Leaning No: 7.3%
    • Somewhat No: 4.5%
    • Strongly No: 7.2%
    • TOTAL YES: 71.7%
    • TOTAL NO: 19.0%

  • Proposition 37: Genetically Engineered Foods. Mandatory Labeling. Initiative Statute.
    • Strongly Yes: 27.2%
    • Somewhat Yes: 19.6%
    • Leaning Yes: 18.1%
    • Leaning No: 10.1%
    • Somewhat No: 7.6%
    • Strongly No: 6.2%
    • TOTAL YES: 64.9%
    • TOTAL NO: 23.9%

  • Proposition 38: Tax for Education and Early Childhood Programs. Initiative Statute.
    • Strongly Yes: 7.2%
    • Somewhat Yes: 10.5%
    • Leaning Yes: 17.3%
    • Leaning No: 12.1%
    • Somewhat No: 14.0%
    • Strongly No: 28.1%
    • TOTAL YES: 35.0%
    • TOTAL NO: 54.2%

  • Proposition 39: Tax Treatment for Multistate Businesses. Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Funding. Initiative Statute.
    • Strongly Yes: 18.4%
    • Somewhat Yes: 14.0%
    • Leaning Yes: 23.0%
    • Leaning No: 9.1%
    • Somewhat No: 5.4%
    • Strongly No: 12.8%
    • TOTAL YES: 55.4%
    • TOTAL NO: 27.2%

  • Proposition 40: Redistricting. State Senate Districts. Referendum.
    • Strongly Yes: 19.7%
    • Somewhat Yes: 16.0%
    • Leaning Yes: 19.9%
    • Leaning No: 10.6%
    • Somewhat No: 4.2%
    • Strongly No: 6.8%
    • TOTAL YES: 55.7%
    • TOTAL NO: 21.5%

Remember, on that last one that “yes means no,” and the lines would not be redrawn.
Source:
http://www.aroundthecapitol.com/

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Antioch

Agopian’s Meeting Request Undermined Councilmembers

by ECT
written by ECT

This whole idea of a parcel tax to fund police is good in theory, but undermining one’s fellow councilmembers and residents of Antioch in the process is never a good idea. As the council rejected Councilmember Gary Agopian’s plea, there was an obvious agenda at play for his mayoral run.

To make a long story short, a week after he brings this parcel tax idea up during council, he pulls papers to run for mayor. He now can claim he brought this up to the council and was rejected. He can now run as the “candidate who will bring more police officers to Antioch”.

The truth is, this was a “secret committee” which left the rest of the council in the dark of what was transpiring and what the agenda would be.  No one representing any city by going rogue and leaving others in the dark of such a huge item that would affect every single parcel owner in Antioch—especially when it raises taxes.

I was ready to let this issue go, but when I started hearing rumblings based off the Brentwood Press article yesterday that Antioch isn’t interested in solving its crime problem or adding more officers, some clearly do not understand the process of what adding officers via new revenue stream consist of nor what actually transpired leading up to the Council meeting.

If you recall, I wrote on July 9 that a survey was making rounds in Antioch about a proposed parcel tax to fund officers which was a day before the council meeting.  This poll was somewhat flying under the radar and it was clear it would be a very fast process if it was to make it onto the November ballot.

Based off watching the council meeting, clearly other councilmembers were blindsided by Agopians plea.  Typically, parcel tax take months if not a year to plan with much transparency involved at each step. This proposal would have occurred in less than 30-days, held special meetings, and after reading the survey, it lacked in professionalism and likely show an accurate opinion.

 

The whole thing did not pass the smell test because this was a political ploy at best.

If Agopian truly wants to run for Mayor, he would have known about the timing issue and deadlines needed. He would have given the item much public attention, and been honest with the council he serves with.

Instead, July 10 turns into a “what just happened moment” by the rest of the council as Mr. Agopian held all the information about this proposed parcel tax while his fellow councilmembers were in the dark. You don’t do that.

A councilmember especially lets the mayor know what you are working on if it involves a special group of concerned citizens wanting to bring a parcel tax to the ballot. This was simply a blindside move for political gain and it stinks!

You put the other councilmembers in a terrible position because they are forced to vote no due to lack of information, lack of clarity, and the group had not technically been identified. For all they knew it could have been a few Antioch citizens with outside help from another community.

While it pains me to say the proposal was rejected, the council did make the right decision by rejecting a special meeting—they had to!

Based off his comments during the meeting, he proved it when he stated, “loop that back to the committee who may still want to do the poll with the understanding this information may be used for future efforts.”

The call for a special meeting and rejection by the council was first reported by Paul Burgarino of the Contra Costa Times on July 10 in real-time via his Twitter account–end of story right?

Not a chance because today we now get a story from the Brentwood Press nearly 9-days later which didn’t tell the entire story.

While the story focused on Agopian bringing up the item and this new group called “Citizens for a Safe Antioch”. It ignored the political ploy to gain mayoral votes based off of how the vote looked in the eyes of the public.

The truth is, had Mr. Agopian worked with his council and kept them in the loop like he did his “private committee”, I have no doubt more positive would have come out of Agopians proposal and the council would be willing to work towards a June initiative in 2013. This could have gotten the ball rolling towards finding a solution to bring on more police officers.

Instead, Agopian decided to cut his fellow councilmembers necks politically.

While details of who was involved in the polling on my July 9 piece was unknown along with the city council and Contra Costa Times, the Brentwood Press is reporting this community group is called “Citizens for Safe Antioch” which planned to have the results by July 17—still; it’s still unclear who is a part of this group or if Agopian is tied in or simply pushing their agenda onto the council via request.

Names mentioned in the Brentwood Press include Crime Prevention Commissioner Bill Cook, Antioch Crime Prevention Commission Coordinator Hans Ho, retired Antioch Police Lt. Rick Marchoke and resident Terry Ramus.

The work of this group should been applauded, but the secrecy should be chastised starting with Agopian because he should know better.  It was a selfish move to put his personal interest above others and could be argued his actions killed this parcel attempt for good under this council.

This botched attempt should serve as a lesson that one man acting alone cannot get anything done. Going rogue is never a good idea when you need multiple votes!

Since Mr. Agopian is running for Mayor, hopefully he learned the lesson you don’t get anywhere when you try and make others look bad.

 

Below is the dialogue that occurred at the Antioch City Council Meeting under Council Communications:

Gary Agopian: asking forthe councils indulgence for a special meeting next week and the reason is that their has been efforts on the part of local citizens that were interested in putting forward the concept of a parcel tax for enhancing police service and that committee worked diligently to find funding for the poll. They found the funding and the poll is going to be done and should be done in time for a special meeting next week for a presentation to the council if the council so desires. If not, we will miss the opportunity to consider it and to take action because we would have to do it by our regular meeting on the 24th. I think we should at least discuss it because we have a fairly substantial issue we have to deal with in Antioch. Just the timing is such that in order to consider it appropriately we need two meetings. And the pollster has assured me that they would have it in time for a Tuesday meeting which we would have to issue by Thursday. If it can’t happen then it won’t, then it can I wanted to find out the flexibility on part of the council to receive input.

It was told by legal that any final vote on this matter would have to occur on a regular scheduled meeting which

Gary Agopian: then stated based off that information, the timing doesn’t work and that he would “loop that back to the committee who may still want to do the poll with the understanding this information may be used for future efforts.”

Wade Harper: What committee is this?

Gary Agopian:  It’s just a local committee. Residents were formed that had been pushing forward trying to see this happen.

Wade Harper: Does this committee have a name? No?

Gary Agopian: I don’t have it on the tip of my tongue.

Brian Kalinowski: I have a comment, take a deep breath, so we as councilmembers should be very careful about the transparency of the business we conduct being part of groups doing polling because although I support the revenue stream for the police. But if something is occurring and members of a subcommittee I am not aware of are participating I am a little concerned that its occurring without some briefing or knowledge or subcommittee report of why we have it on the agenda and like items. We went down this road in a very transparent way of doing the last poll although people felt they needed to see the polling in advance who were against the tax to work against the tax but nevertheless this council engaged in that business and was criticized. And so I don’t see this process being any cleaner at a minimum of the previous process so if there is a subcommittee that is working I would hope they have a spokesperson if its Take Back Antioch, UCBN or Friday Morning Breakfast Club… then let’s hear from that community group and their concerns and what they want to do so there is transparency.  Cause I feel caught a little off guard, its election season, and I am a little caught off guard about special meetings and things that are quite frankly near and dear to my hard. And I don’t like the feeling of not having the knowledge of those types of issues.

City Council Meeting Video
http://www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CityGov/CouncilMeetings/071012/

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California

Congressman McNerney Introduces “Fast Help For Homeowners Act”

by ECT
written by ECT

Some good news came today that could help the East County housing market as Rep. Jerry McNerney introduced a bipartisan bill called the “Fast Help For Homeowners Act,” H.R. 6153 designed to break the logjam of foreclosures choking the housing market by speeding up the short sale process.

“For far too long, the housing downturn has challenged our region. My bill is one commonsense step we can take to help shore up the housing market and provide much-needed relief for homeowners,” Mr. McNerney says.

It requires a lender that holds a second mortgage on a property with a federally related mortgage loan to review and make a decision on a short sale agreement within 45 days. If the lender does not make a decision within that time frame, the short sale will be deemed approved on the 46th day.

“Struggling homeowners have heard a lot of talk about addressing the issue and want to see real action, and my bill will do just that,” says Mr. McNerney.

His bill has the support of the National Association of Realtors; the California Association of Realtors; the Central Valley Association of Realtors; NeighborWorks Home Ownership Center, Sacramento Region; California Association of Real Estate Brokers (CAREB); and Stockton NID Housing Counseling Agency.

Mr. McNerney’s bill is cosponsored by Reps. Dennis Cardoza, D-Modesto; Tom Rooney, R-Fla.; George Miller, D-Martinez; Jim Costa, D-Fresno; Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; and Richard Nugent, R-Fla.

Sources:

http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=21508

http://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/12/07/b2759558/california-realtors-urge-passage-of-the-fast-help-for-homeowners-fhfh-a

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Antioch

Letter: Pinto for Antioch City Council

by ECT
written by ECT

Antioch City Council Candidate Noel Pinto submitted this letter to the Editor announcing his candidacy this week. While Pinto pulled papers on Monday, this letter outlines his many goals and his experience that he believes will be an asset to the City of Antioch.

Editor:

I am writing to announce my candidacy for Antioch City Council 2012.

I have been a resident of this diverse Antioch community for over eight years and I truly enjoy living in this city that has the unique potential of again becoming the desired location to own a home, raise a family and retire comfortably.

In order to get Antioch back on track, we need leadership who has the vision for beneficial growth, is willing to think outside the box, has the courage to be transparent, is creative and inclusive, who understands the complexities of fiscal responsibilities and who is committed to being held accountable. I believe I am that leader.

While I have tremendous respect for our City Council members currently serving, I sincerely believe that I bring new vision, energy, commitment, intensity, integrity, work experience and a strong desire to take on new challenges. I will reach out to developers to invest in Antioch, introduce a Five-Year City-wide Business Plan with pre-established milestones and initiate the creation of a Finance and Budget Committee with at least two members from the business community. Fully funding the police department (PD) is my number-one priority; we cannot afford to understaff the PD, for our safety and the safety of our children are at risk and this is unacceptable.

I have a degree in civil engineering and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. I have more than 31 years of management experience working for the Port of Oakland, City and County of San Francisco, University of California, Berkeley and the City of Oakland (my current employer). I intimately understand the inner workings of city government and the complexities of governance.

My work experience has focused on management of municipal facilities; project funding, project management, contract negotiation, labor relations, multimillion-dollar fiscal budgeting, multimillion-dollar revenue generation, developing efficiencies through lean processes, conflict resolution and team building, and developing strong community relations. I have years of hands-on experience working with various community groups, news media, state and county offices, city commissions and boards, city council, mayor’s office, police, fire and city agencies and departments.

I have served as a member of my homeowner’s association for four years, of which two years were as the president of the board. My wife and I have been members of United Citizens for Better Neighborhoods (UCBN) since its inception.

My humble goal is to serve all the citizens of the City of Antioch with dedication, integrity, fairness, transparency and full accountability. I will represent all city residents without bias and will involve the community in the decision-making process. I will listen to you by hosting community meetings on a regular basis at key locations and times convenient to you.

I encourage you to get to know me better by visiting my website, www.noelpinto.com, and communicate with me via e-mail at [email protected] Please support my campaign.

It is my privilege to have this opportunity to serve you.

Noel Pinto

Antioch

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California

DeSaulnier Calls for Creation of Transportation Inspector General

by ECT
written by ECT

Today Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) announced that he is pursuing the creation of a State Office of Inspector General to oversee transportation agencies with projects funded with state dollars.  His bill, Senate Bill 878, has already been approved by the Assembly Transportation Committee and would require the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to study the issue and then submit a report making a recommendation on whether the position should be created.

“Billions of dollars are spent each year on California’s transportation infrastructure,” said DeSaulnier.  “We are operating in a challenging world of shrinking transportation revenues and increasing demands  It is imperative that we make every transportation dollar go as far as possible.  This bill is a modest first step to assure that we are getting the most out of our transportation dollars.”

The CTC is responsible for adopting the five-year State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which is the funding plan for future expansion projects on the state highway system. The most recent STIP consists of more than $3 billion to be allocated and spent over the next five years.  These funds, once allocated, are spent by various state and regional entities with relatively little oversight.

SB 878 asks the CTC to look into the best practices of various other offices of inspectors general (OIGs), such as the office for US Department of Transportation (USDOT), New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and California’s Inspector General.  The federal government employs OIGs in most of its departments and agencies, charging them with identifying fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement within its parent agency.  The USDOT relies heavily on its OIG to ferret out fraud as well as recommend areas of improvement and efficiencies.   Many states have also successfully adopted the OIG model, including Pennsylvania and New York and several local transportation agencies.

The CTC report will be due by January 31, 2014.  At that time, the Legislature and the Governor would consider the CTC’s recommendations.   SB 878 will be heard next by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

# # #

Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) is the Chair of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee and

represents the Seventh Senate District, which includes most of Contra Costa County.

http://sd07.senate.ca.gov/news/2012-07-19-desaulnier-calls-creation-transportation-inspector-general

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Delta

Restore the Delta: BDCP Proposal “Fatally Flawed”

by ECT
written by ECT

Restore the Delta put out a nice Press Release yesterday with a nice summary of their Delta Experts Briefing on May 11, 2012. While the summary and audio may be old, it’s timely considering the draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) that was recently released.

Before I get to the Press Release, I want to pull out some of the information  from the 48-minute audio discussion that I found very interesting and make a lot of sense against a canal being built.

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Deltaspoke at the (32:50) and made some nice points. She stated Restore the Delta is opposed to the BDCP plan and peripheral canal because it’s too expensive and proposes to ship millions of acre feet of water that do not exist. Drains the delta and floods prime delta farmland to make up for habitat loss.

“We cannot fix that communities problem by destroying our own,” stated Barrigan-Parrilla.

Within the audio, some of her high points included, Economic Sustainability published by the Delta Protection Commission shows that a more modest investment of $1-2 billion will bring levees up to robust standards and protecting water for the stat.

Most important point she wanted to leave people with is that the delta is durable and sustainable. It is a jewel in the rough and it definitely needs some polishing. What the delta needs to become that polished gem is restored water flow and levee improvements.

According to Barrigan-Parrilla, she informed me last night that after the Governor’s announcement on the July 25th, new audio will be made live.

I want to bring attention to the discussion by Dr. Jeff Michael who had the best points of the entire audio. While the Press Release hit on it briefly, I thought he gave the most concrete reasons against a peripheral canal.

  • The Draft BDCP document said to finance would be $1.1 billion over 40-years paid back by rate payers plus $100 million in operating costs.
  • Cost is about $1,000 to $1,200 per acre foot which gets water to Tracy. Still needs to get exported after that. This cost is comparable to desalination and more expensive than water recycling and conservation.
  • The problem with funding this project according to Dr. Michael is a vast majority of the water from the Delta goes to agriculture. This means that in the end, the cost of financing costs far exceed value of crops grown for it. It’s not affordable for agriculture use. This means their will need to be some sort of cross subsidy of urban rate papers and taxpayers—no details have been released on this tax.
  • Earthquake used as an example as to why a canal is needed. It’s Important to understand the economics of a Delta earthquake. Claim is it’s a $40 million disaster to flood 10-30 Delta islands. People need to understand the content of that $40 million disaster.
    • The State study says water exports are only 20% of that disaster scenario while 80% is in other Delta loss including infrastructure such as highways and roads—which is not protected by a peripheral canal. Water exports are less than 2% of cost of flood scenarios.
    • Water experts are less than 0% of loss of life in the scenario. None of this is in economic calculation. Same study says levee upgrades have higher economic benefit cost ratios than a canal at a rate of $4 billion vs. $14 billion canal.
    • Bottom line, a canal does not solve Earthquake risk in the Delta as its much more than water and water is just a very small part of it.

Below is a graphic of the proposed plan along with the Restore the Delta Press Release.


(Click to Enlarge)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546 [email protected]; Twitter: @shopcraft;

Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla 209/479-2053 [email protected]; @RestoretheDelta

BDCP PROPOSAL “FATALLY FLAWED”

Water Exporters Control Process, Costs Far Outweigh Benefits, Would Exterminate Salmon, Drain Delta for Special Interests

SACRAMENTO – A panel of experts today presented the case against building Peripheral Tunnels to export Sacramento/San Joaquin/San Francisco Bay Delta water mainly to benefit unsustainable mega-farms on the west side of the Central Valley. Dr. Jeffrey Michael, director of the Eberhardt Business Forecasting Center at the University of the Pacific, told news media representatives that his benefit cost analysis, the only one conducted to date, found that the project the governor is expected to announce next week would cost $2.50 in cost for every $1 in benefits, a total of $7 billion in cost above benefits.

Jonas Minton of the Planning and Conservation League analyzed a draft of the proposed project that was circulated yesterday by the administration. Mr. Minton said, “The administration’s proposal fails to incorporate what’s now the overwhelming scientific consensus that fish in the Estuary need more fresh water. The proposal includes virtually nothing about the need for adequate freshwater inflows and outflows. Even though the number of intakes has been reduced from 5 to 3, the total amount of water that can be pumped from the Delta is virtually the same. In this proposal, water exporters have key control over hiring, budget, science program, and even a veto power over improvements to biological goals and objectives. Decisions on how much water would be pumped would be made only after tens of billions of dollars are spent on the intakes and tunnels. Pressure would be unstoppable to over-pump the Delta. There is no funding for the habitat restoration. There is no cost-benefit analysis for this project that would cost taxpayers and water customers in the tens of billions of dollars.”

Bill Jennings, executive director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, said, “BDCP is a recipe for ecological disaster. California is in a water crisis because the State has over-promised, over-allocated, wasted and inequitably distributed scarce water resources. The Delta is in a biological meltdown because the estuary has been deprived of more than half of its historical water flow; its hydrograph has been turned on its head and its waterways used as sewers. This project threatens the collapse of Delta and longfin smelt; American and threadfin shad; split tail; Fall, late-Fall, Winter and Spring runs of salmon; steelhead, green and white sturgeon, striped and large mouth bass; as well the lower tropic levels that comprise the food chain. BDCP is predicated on taking more water from or around the estuary. And taking more water from it cannot restore an ecosystem that is hemorrhaging because of a lack of flow. The National Research Council, the Independent Science Board, NGO scientists and the fishery agencies agree that the project would hasten extinction rather than restoring species. Faced with overwhelming criticism, BDCP went back to the drawing boards and came forth with the desperate idea of building it now and figuring out how to operate it later. As presently outlined, BDCP is not a path to restoration – it’s a death sentence for one of the world’s great estuaries.”

Kristin Lynch, Pacific Region Director for Food & Water Watch, said, “Resource that should be kept under public control for the public good. This project would cost tens of billions of dollars to give ever-increasing amounts of taxpayer and ratepayer subsidized water to corporate agriculture and real estate developers to make millions in profits. It is the ultimate fleecing of ratepayers and taxpayers. This is not the only way to secure reliable water for southern California. There are many 21st century alternative means by which we can ensure reliable drinking water that are cost effective, create local jobs, are environmentally sound and would permanently reduce the need for water to be imported and would not cost LA rate payers alone between $2.5 – 16 billion in rate increases.”

“The governor and Obama administration will announce the largest public works project in our history,” said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta. “Why the rush to build a project that would exterminate salmon runs, destroy sustainable family farms and saddle taxpayers with tens of billions in debt, mainly to benefit a small number of huge corporate agribusinesses on the west side of the Central Valley?”

Restore the Delta Website
Note: on their website, you can also link to the 48-minute audio and see additional information on this topic.

Bay Delta Conservation Plan website

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California

McNerney vs. Gill Named 59th Most Competitive Race

by ECT
written by ECT

There is an interesting piece out of the National Journal today where it stated the Jerry McNerney vs. Ricky Gill race was the 59th ranked race that was likely to change partisan control.


(Ricky Gill at the Brentwood CornFest)

Here is what the article stated:

59. CA-09 (D, Rep. Jerry McNerney): McNerney has a lot of new territory to cover, but he’s used to toughing out swing-seat races. Republican Ricky Gill, who is 25 years old, is already outraising the incumbent and painting McNerney as an outsider to the new district.

The article claims the 75 races chosen were based off they consider the candidates’ fundraising ability; public and private polling; months of our cumulative reporting and analysis; and, of course, our own gut feelings.

No doubt that raising over a million dollars for a 25 year old is very impressive on a resume, but the fact remains he has never been elected to office–he has only been appointed to positions. While I think Gill does have a outside shot of an upset, experience will prevail and come November it will show McNerney really was never in any real trouble despite the hype.

Other California Races listed include:

  • #15: CA-07: Dan Lungren vs. Ami Bera
  • #26: CA-26: Tony Strickland vs. Julia Brownley
  • #59: CA-10: Jeff Denham vs. Jose Hernandez
  • #63: CA-24: Lois Capps vs. Abel Maldonado
  • #65: CA-03: John Garamendi vs. Kim Vann
  • #67: CA-36: Mary Bono Mack vs. Raul Ruiz
  • #72: CA-47: Gary DeLong vs. Alan Lowenthal
  • #73: CA-41: Mark Takano vs. John Tavaglione

Campaign Websites

Jerry Mcnerney for Congress

Rick Gill For Congress

 

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Oakley

Mayor Kevin Romick Seeks Re-Election

by ECT
written by ECT

First elected in 2004, Mayor Kevin Romick has decided to pull papers for a third term for Oakley City Council. He is so far joined by Doug Hardcastle and Michael Dupray who have also pulled papers in the first 48-hours.

 

I caught up with the Mayor when he was pulling his papers yesterday. I asked him why he was running for a third term.

“The great recession we are experiencing and the State’s insatiable appetite for other agency’s dollars in their attempt to balance their budget will have a profound effect on the City of Oakley now and for the foreseeable future,” said Romick. “The heydays of the 2000s when local budgets swelled with the revenue from ever increasing property taxes are gone. The ability to use Redevelopment as tool to create local jobs and to rebuild communities has been eliminated. The state has assumed the ultimate authority to borrow and raid from budgets at all levels of government.”

He added, “There will be growing, and shrinking, pains as Oakley and other cities discover what the “new normal” will be. I believe that my experiences as a Planning Commissioner, City Council member and Mayor and the relationships that I have made locally, regionally and statewide will be a benefit for Oakley as we forge a new normal and move forward.”

Some of the work Romick stated he wanted to continue working on Savings Oakley’s vineyard heritage. 

According to Romick, there are roughly 500 acres of vineyards in Oakley being sold to multiple vintners that include: such as Cline, Bogel, Bonnie Dunes, Gallo and Rosenblum Cellars. As the city grows we would like to preserve and possible enhance what we have. A substantial amount of the vineyards are classified as ancient vines (80 – 120 years old).

“Last year we moved 7 acres of ancient vines to land owned by the city to preserver them from development.  We are currently working Agricultural/Natural Resource Trust to identify and provide additional protection or mitigation. We are working with vineyard owners to establish wine tasting facilities within the City,” explained Romick.

He would also like to continue promoting the Oakley First Program to ensure residents know the value in buying local.

“Buying local keeps money local,” said Romick. “Not only does 1% of the total state sales tax come back to our fair city to be used locally, when you buy locally, but it is the primary source for making our community a great place in which to live providing us with: police services, street and landscaping maintenance, senior services, youth activities, parks, arts and community events and much, much more.”

Romick also stated he wants to attract new businesses to Oakley. He stated he wants to see busy shopping cents which will create a thriving community. Essentially he wanted to focus on economic development where he pointed out six bullet point topics of how to implement.

  • Job creation;
  • Business retention and expansion;
  • Attract and retain leading retailers, specialty stores and expand tax base;
  • Creating the infrastructure framework that supports economic development activities;
  • Developing and improving areas for tourism
  • Redeveloping Downtown.

Doug Hardcastle is owner of Hardcastles RV Center located on Main Street. He currently serves as President of the Ironhouse Sanitary District Board of Directors where his term expires this November.

Michael Dupray is a Radiation Protection Technician at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

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Antioch

Three Way Mayor’s Race in Antioch

by ECT
written by ECT

It looks like it may be a crowded race for Antioch Mayor as Donald P. Freitas, Mayor Pro Term Wade Harper, and Councilman Gary Agopian have all pulled papers.


(Jerry McNerney with Wade Harper)

For both Harper and Agopian, they are running from safe seats as their terms do not expire until 2014. If neither win the mayor’s race, they can still serve their remaining two years of their council term. It is unclear at this time if current Mayor James Davis will run for re-election as Mayor or run for council.

With two seats up for City Council, Walter Ruehlig and Victor Noel have pulled papers while its expected Monica Wilson who was in the Antioch City Parade will also pull papers shortly. Both Brian Kalinowski and Mary Helen Rocha terms are up in November.

For City Treasurer Donna Conley has pulled papers.

The official candidate filing period for the Nov. 6 general election opens Monday, July 16, and runs through Aug. 10.

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Brentwood

Four Brentwood Candidates Pull Papers

by ECT
written by ECT

With the Mayor seat and two council seats up for grabs this November, a total four Brentwood candidates pulled papers on Day 1. The official candidate filing period for the Nov. 6 general election opens Monday, July 16, and runs through Aug. 10.

Steve Barr pulled papers to run for Mayor which is currently occupied by Mayor Bob Taylor.  Barr announced last October that he had an interest in running for Mayor and that he was “for sure” going to run. It looks like he kept his word.

For the two council seats available, current Councilmember Erick Stonebarger who is up for re-election pulled papers along with council hopefuls Carissa Pillow and Gene Clare. Robert Brockman is also up for re-election, but has yet to pull papers.

Clare stated that he has the experience and Brentwood needs new folks on the Council.

“I love Brentwood and we need a new face on the City Council that will listen to your voice. I am that person, Trusted Leadership for over twenty-two years in our community,” said Clare.

Meanwhile, his opponent felt honored to run and has a deep respect for the potential seat.

“Today, I was honored to receive nomination forms for City Council in Brentwood. It will be my honor to help our community through dedicated public service. As we go forward, I hope that anyone with concerns about Brentwood’s future will feel free to connect with me, as I strive to represent our community with an open mind and a fresh perspective. Thank you, Brentwood for all of your generous support,” said Pillows.


Gene Clare & Carissa Pillow at the 2012 Brentwood CornFest


Zeigler (left), Supervisor Mary Piepho and Congressman Jerry McNerney at CornFest

Dirk Zeigler has announced he is running and is expected to pull papers in the near future.

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Board of SupervisorsCONFIREContra Costa CountyECCFPD

CoCo Tax Exposed as Hypocrites by Board of Supervisors

by ECT
written by ECT

This is part-two of my two-part series from last Tuesdays Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors meeting.  This piece focuses on the exchange between the County Board of Supervisors and Kris Hunt of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association (CoCo Tax) which was entertaining to say the least.

This exchange which begins at the 57:00 minute mark lasts about 20-minutes where it clearly shows that CoCo Tax is not interested in finding a solution nor working with CCCFPD, but rather they have become the organization of “no” to a parcel tax at any cost.

Listening (in this case reading) to the transcript, CoCo Tax is actually advocating for an entirely new service model which ironically would be a lot more expensive to the taxpayer which shows how illogical they really are—and Ms. Hunt calls herself an a trained cost analyst?

This was the same tone the “gang of six” as I call them in East County behaved. This group includes Kris Hunt, Dave Roberts, Dan Borenstein (Times Editorial), John Gonzales, Walter MacVittie and Jeff Barber who fought hardest against East County’s parcel tax using silly rhetoric.

This would be like spending a dollar to save a penny, it’s not very bright.

I give major kudos to Supervisor Piepho, Supervisor Gioia, and Supervisor Glover for putting Ms. Hunt in her place and making her out to be a hypocrite and trying to have her argument both ways. They proved this woman is a disaster for not only firefighters, but to residents of Contra Costa County as she is jeopardizing public safety with her nonsense.

I also give Federal Glover kudos for bringing up the fact he gave her “homework” at the last meeting and she failed to follow up. That portion of the dialogue is priceless.  The woman is full of excuses and complains she needs the entire package—which she has!

In fact, while I typed out the exchange below, it really doesn’t do Ms. Hunt much justice because I removed her many “ums” and starting of sentences which she cuts off and starts over like a blabbering fool—I made her sound better than she really did. I think I should get a thank you!

It’s a shame no one in the media reported how contradictory the CoCo Tax Association sounds when comparing East County’s parcel tax to this one. Or the fact Ms. Hunt for a minute there was actually making the argument for a higher parcel tax.

Here is the transcript I’ve typed out. It may be long, but it really does provide details of just how the CoCo Tax is delaying, making excuses, and complaining about arguments that do not apply to this parcel tax as they did in East County. Don’t take my word for it, it’s all on tape!

D.1 Receiving report, tiered tax rate structure for a proposed special tax measure

Kris Hunt, Executive Director of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association: After the presentation by Chief Louder, the CoCo Tax met with several members of the union as well as their rep and we ask what were we looking for in a tax in terms of CoCo Tax and we said something that made sense. Something that makes this entity sustainable because that is where you need to go in the long run and as it stands now based on the numbers we saw previously this simply doesn’t work. Even using the numbers from the fire chief presentation, if you take them at face value, by year 17 or 18, you are $2 million in the hole.  You don’t have a reserve and you are $2 million in the hole.

Secondly, we even disagree as I printed out last time with the numbers these pension numbers are to low and are going to go high and I believe Supervisor Gioia pointed that out that it was realistic.  And it was mentioned before there is a real concern inadequate monies in place for those million dollar rolling stock, those trucks that wear out after 15-years and for buildings which 12 of them are 50 years old. In one of them just had to close because of mold and rodent. There is obviously a maintenance problem is how I would introduce it.

A third issue was brought to my attention as I believe it was to the board and I haven’t had a chance to look at the legalities, but apparently when the pension obligation bonds were established there is a component in there that said they had to have a reserve policy provision that had 10% of the General Fund for budgeted expenditures. That has not been maintained so the question is what is going to happen with that? And it’s certainly there is no provision for that if these numbers hold. So that’s another concern.

When we met with Vince Wells and several of the others, a subset of the board of who was available yesterday and their consultant. What they admitted was, because when they pointed this out, what they admitted was, that when I pointed this out they admitted this wasn’t enough. The $75 rate which would now be $72. But this is what the people are willing to vote for, that does not make something sustainable. That does not create a credible argument for going forward with this. So it’s time to be realistic. I can’t count something that isn’t realistic. So we need to take a good look with what’s going on here and we need to have a realistic budget and realistic numbers or be realistic about what services can be provided.  Thank you.

Supervisor Piepho: Kris, I have a couple of questions for you.  The Contra Costa Taxpayers Association opposed the East County Fire Protection Measure. Can you define what your reasoning’s were for opposing that were?

Kris Hunt: (laughing) There were many. One of the largest concerns was they were expanding services and doubling the amount the poll showed people would vote for.  That was a real concern. They had not dealt with their pension problem and in fact they put off the negotiations until after the election. And that was a real concern in terms of viability. I was personally shocked and I have mentioned to others when I went out to Trilogy and Summerset and I assumed it was going to be people that really want this tax cause of you know, the adding, the emergency techs and all that. They did not.

Supervisor Piepho: Well Kris, I am asking what the Taxpayers opposed.

They both proceeded to talk over one another before Piepho shut her off.

Supervisor PIepho: Expanded Services (Kris Hunt cuts off Piepho)

Kris Hunt:  (expanded services) that couldn’t be paid for and within 5-years they were going to be in the negative situation. Again, this meant this did not solve the financial problem. So those are the basic arguments against this tax and they are in fact on our website and all the backup material.

Supervisor Piepho: okay that’s fine, but I am talking about here so the public can hear and understand. Now with this measure you are saying the same thing. The number we are looking at doesn’t provide sustainability. You are saying it’s an inadequate amount but that it meets the needs of the polling that has been done that the public has expressed their tolerance of.

So I am asking you not a rhetorical question, a question to help dig deeper so that we can have a constructive effort that between these two recent proposals. The one before us today and the one that just failed in East County, as I said to you at the last meeting two weeks ago, I am having a hard time seeing as what I would call a conflict.

As the tolerance in East County, let me try and state my case here, the tolerance in East County in the poll was much lower than the ultimate measure was put out to be because the measure the polling amount was not enough to sustain the district or provide the levels of service needed to just maintain current operations. The public said they wanted a paramedic service so that was built into the Measure and it did not create sustainability. So everybody knew that, maybe property values would increase over the couple of years, the economy may improve, redevelopment dollars may come back to the District, that future is uncertain.

But in the meantime today, to keep doors open and people safe that is what they determined was needed and necessary and yet the taxpayer association opposed it because it doubled what the public poll would suggest. But your suggestion here today that this is an inadequate amount measure that we are only going for because it’s what the poll suggest they would tolerate. So I am confused.

Kris Hunt: Alright, I’d be happy to clarify. The problem was that they increased staffing which is what drove up the cost. They didn’t listen to the public. If people were told you could have all these things free and then the cost came out it was very different. But we can’t count what was being told to the people.  So they could have stayed were they were. Originally I went out to meet with the Chief, Chief Henderson to look at supporting a measure that they were gonna have. We knew they had problems. You and I have talked about this in the past they have a weird little financing glitch because of what they were. But they decided to go their own way and to increase staff by 30% and in a few years and they were going to be out of money.

Supervisor Piepho: Oaky, but that is what the public had asked for so I am not hear to defend that measure that is what the public had asked for and that is what the governing board listened to. But what you are saying hear today on this measure is that it’s not sustainable. It’s an inadequate amount of money and it’s not enough short term and long term.

So are you suggesting Kris, or that the taxpayer association, suggesting that we go out for a higher amount? Is that what would get the taxpayer association on board? That is what I am asking, how do we get you on board?

Kris Hunt:  I can’t tell you without looking at the whole package

Supervisor Piepho: You have it; you just looked at the numbers.

Kris Hunt: We would suggest that maybe you look at a different delivery model because there are other ways to deal with this. You have an ongoing pension problem that is in mends. You apparently haven’t met the requirement that’s in the pension obligation model. You can’t tell without looking at the whole package. What I am raising are the concerns we see here to tell, maybe your numbers will change when we get the report from what you are charging at different levels. I was going on what was in the presentation, the previous presentation. But if you look at it, it doesn’t meet, it doesn’t balance and sending that out to the public seems inordinately unfair

Supervisor Gioia:  In a way I see this tax, not unlike the measure the taxpayer association was neutral on the Contra Costa Healthcare District tax which got 74% of the vote and passed.  That there was a lot of work done to identify what the gap was today and then there was a measure put on the ballot that didn’t close the whole gap, but this was, how do I say this, to lessen the gap knowing that we were going to close the gap the rest of the way through internal steps taken which would take time to implement and in that case there was a sunset  that the tax would go away if the hospital closes. Here we have a sunset by number of years so that the idea was there was a shared responsibility. We were going to take responsibility as an agency, in that case the healthcare district, here would be the fire district and then the public would chip in to close the gap part of the way. So I see this very similar to that. It’s a two-step process. Internal work which is being done and will continue to get done and then shared responsibility by working with the taxpayers because I think under your comment your just saying it’s not enough.

It’s only not enough If we don’t go the rest of the way and close the gap which is what we are fully intended to do so we would close the gap again through our internal work as well as through the additional tax measure. Interestingly that was the same philosophy the taxpayers association used to be neutral on the healthcare tax.

Kris Hunt: I believe this is different and we are looking at long term systemic failures to replace trucks and things like that and waiting to the last minute then trying to do negotiations and seeing what can be fixed. There are a lot more problems here that we would liked fixed.

Supervisor Gioia: Uh Kris, actually that’s the same situation we were at with the hospital. Let me finish. There was a lot of internal, systemic, structural issues that are being addressed. I am headed to a meeting actually about that in an hour from now regarding the hospital. It’s exactly the same situation. How do we look at the structure? How do we look at the system? How do we close the gap? How do we have shared responsibility with residents ? It’s exactly the same.

Supervisor Anderson spoke for a few minutes about how voters want to vote for something that won’t fail in a few years and when it sunsets we are back in the same problem.

Supervisor Piepho (69:14): Director Anderson brings up some valid questions and I think having lived through the experience in East County, the reality is the public is not paying attention to the short term impacts. Long term sustainability is a very important question but come December 1st, if this measure  fails , a number neighborhood fire stations will be closed and the public will be put more at risk. That is sustainability. It’s sustainability in the short term. I am happy to acknowledge that. It’s not sustainable in the long term. In the short term, it keeps people safer, the properties protected and it is an economic savings to the residents and business owners of this district because it mitigates the financial impact from not having the stations.

The Brentwood Press has  a front page article from last week, business owner from Bethel Island who lost a fire station from a week ago, says I should have gotten more involved in the effort to pass Measure S  said Donna Simon, owner of Island Joes Restaurant on Bethel Island after she was informed her policy was jumping from $200 to $489 per month. I don’t know what I am going to do next now.

That is the reality that the taxpayers in this District are going to have to face. Sustainability is very important, but it also relates to short term solutions and long term and has John (Gioia) said, this board, these employees, this chief and his staff, we all have a responsibility to that.

But this is emergency, this is triage, this is how we get over this hump and hopefully the economy does improve. And pension and wages and all those other important components of the cost of the District do improve, but this is a level of insurance that we pay for everyday in public safety.

It is an integrated system and if you investigate it thoroughly you will understand it’s a very efficient and cost effective system. Firefighters need to be there no matter what.  If they are out making medical calls it’s because they are there first. That saves lives. That is an important component to what they do. It improves maintenance on engines because they are running an operating an engine, they are not parked in a firehouse and firefighters sitting around twiddling their thumbs. They are out doing something. The public likes to see their public servants working.    Making medical calls they are out working, not just waiting for that fire because they are going to be there no matter what. Sorry!

Supervisor Glover:  You know, on two occasions at our last hearing I requested that the Taxpayers Association would come back with what would it take for you to support this and I am hearing nothing.  I am hearing nothing,

Supervisor Piepho: Kris, not from the audience.

Supervisor Glover: She can come back up, but I would like a response.

Supervisor Piepho: You are invited back up Kris to make a brief response to Director Glover’s question.

Kris Hunt: We would have to see a whole workable package. You can’t just have one thing. That is part of it. You have to see what is long-term, you have to see a budget with what you are going to do in terms of replacing those vehicles. I am a trained cost analyst. We want to see the whole picture. It can’t be just one tiny thing because they are moving parts. But it needs to be sustainable.

Supervisor Glover:  And my request was that you do that analysis. That if you are going to say its something that you can’t support , then do the analysis and tells us what you can support, and that is not what you have done and you have had the time to do it. It’s not enough to say that we are being responsible and telling the taxpayers not to support an item that is so very important, but to say that we cannot support it and will not support it and put people’s lives at risk.

Kris Hunt: But first of all, we haven’t had time. We didn’t even know what the ultimate proposal was going to be because they were going to come back and answer questions.

Supervisor Glover: You understood what was before you at the last meeting. You understood what the issues were that you were concerned about and you had plenty of time to do the analysis in terms of coming back and saying these are the things that we can and cannot support.

Kris Hunt: We told you we couldn’t support a senior exemption, we are glad that’s gone, but we are working on it. I am putting it together white paper now. This is a complicated issue and we will have some suggestions on other things. We have talked with Vince and the other group on the things we are concerned about and we will come back with something.

Supervisor Glover: You know, you said that the fact that they did not listen to the voters and the poll results for East County and hear clearly shows we are listening to what the poll results are and yet you are saying we can’t support it.

Kris Hunt: The problem is you are staying with the same model and that may not be serviceable with this as it stands. If you are talking about fixing things, they haven’t fixed the pension problem. Even if you do another tier that’s years away from solving that. We haven’t seen a long term plan for fixing buildings, there is a lot of stuff that isn’t there and if people say they can’t support it, maybe you guys need to look at alternative delivery systems

Note: Rollie Katz, public employees local 1, made some very nice comments following this exchange at the 74:30 minute mark . If you have time I urge you to go watch his comments as he started off by stating , “First, I have to say I am utterly confused a few minutes ago. I thought for a moment that the Executive Director of the So Called Taxpayer Association was actually going to endorse a higher parcel tax than what you are suggesting and I think we could have had a first where labor and the taxpayer association could have agreed on that.”

You can watch the video by going to the Board of Supervisors page on the County Website http://www.pbtech.org/clients/CCBOS/agenda/cccfpd07102012.html

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American Medical ResponseBethel IslandECCFPD

24 Hour Ambulance Moved Off Bethel Island

by ECT
written by ECT

For you folks on Bethel Island, you have officially been duped. It appears the decision has been made to pull ambulance  off the Island and  station it at 200 W. Cypress in the trailer park behind Rositas in Oakley.

The move is being deemed “temporary” which is now the second time that word has been used in 3-weeks. AMR apparently wants to see if the new location can still allow AMR to make their response times.

If you recall, a few weeks back this 24-hour ambulance was deemed an “upgrade” which the Contra Costa Times took the bait as opposed to seeing the obvious that this was a bait and switch and shifting of folks. Here is what the Times reported.

“This is not a take-away — this is a substitution,” said Pat Frost, director of Contra Costa Emergency Medical Services, which oversees the county’s contract with AMR.

She emphasized that the change actually will provide Bethel Island residents with better service, not only because there will be two paramedics instead of one, but because those first responders will be able to transport victims to the hospital.

Ben Whitener had pointed out on this site last week this was a flaw and he saw this coming as the word temporary was used. He was right. Now folks are left without a fire station and an ambulance. Bethel Island officially been given the step-child treatment of East County.

The map below shows where the ambulance was stationed in Bethel Island (on the right side) and it’s new location in Oakley (on the left side). It’s a difference of about 5-miles.

The move was actually pretty predictable and you can’t really blame AMR and the County EMS for such a move based off the call volume in Oakley, although it doesn’t make it right. Station 93 has actually had triple the amount of calls it normally would have had to answer. From that standpoint, the move does make sense.

Honsty is the best policy and it’s time for the County EMS, AMR and ECCFPD need to be honest with folks so we can be prepared going forward. Slowly making these changes only makes it worse and confuses people.

Stay tuned over the next couple of days, I am waiting for the spin control police to come out to say this is another substitution and not a take away.

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Brentwood

World Record Set for Shucking Corn

by ECT
written by ECT

659 folks came together Saturday to set a new world record for shucking corn at the same time during Brentwood’s CornFest.  Having been one of 659, I must admit the event was pretty awesome! Kudos go out to Cornfest chairman Dirk Zeigler and to everyone who participated as new world record holders once its officially confirmed.

Congressman Jerry McNerney and Supervisor Mary Piepho also participated in the World Record and served as designated witnesses as they handed out corn to each participate.

Rick Lemyre of the Brentwood Press said it best in his article on the event by stating “it should soon be back on American soil” in his reference to the previous record of a July 10 event in British Columbia.

Meanwhile, the Contra Costa Times provided some nice pictures of the event on their website. Below are ones I took while in the pin and after the event.

[slideshow]

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Contra Costa County

Oops, Public Employee Salaries Database Vilified Firefighters

by ECT
written by ECT

In the first of a two-part series based off the last Tuesdays Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors meeting, we learned a lot of information about how screwed up the pensions database is and it’s now being asked to be corrected.  While it may or may not be corrected, what is clear is the numbers are wrong and firefighters are not the enemy.

The first part of this series will focus on the pension database based off Vince Wells, President, Local 1230 Contra Costa Professional Firefighters, exchange with the Board of Supervisors. The second part of the series, which will be put out tomorrow will focus on the Board of Directors exchange with Kris Hunt, executive director of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association.

What is so important for the public to know is that the numbers Kris Hunt has provided over the last few months to the public were based off fudged numbers. It was finally brought to the BOS attention and they wanted to fix this immediately—this is all on video.

One thing is clear; Ms. Hunt and the Contra Costa Times owe a big apology to East County and to all the firefighters who have been vilified in this process.

Here is what transpired during public comments in an exchange with Vince Wells and the Board of Supervisors with my comments following:

Public Comments Vince Wells, President of firefighters union 1230

Vince Wells: I just wanted to bring up that I was given a document the other day and have had several references to this document in regarding to firefighter pensions and pension contributions. I’ve been told this information is on the website (county website). I haven’t been able to research it yet but I wanted to take the opportunity today to bring it up and clarify some critical piece of information of this document that is real important that the public not to be misled and misinformed.

This particular document states the entity you work for, your name, your title, and it has your base pay, what you make from overtime, and what you make from other costs. Then it has the county contribution for medical, dental, vision, and then the other one.  The one that is more concerning is it says employer contribution to pension and then employees contribution to pension and for us, its listing our contribution to as zero.

As you all know, we pay more than anybody in the county as well as the state into our pensions as well. In my case, its one-fourth of my paycheck and It says zero.

When the first person had mentioned this on one of the websites, I challenged that and went and did some research to show what it’s supposed to mean is what the county is supposed to pay for us and it shows zero but it’s clearly labeled as employer contribution to the pension and lists us as zero.

I don’t know who here would police that particular website as far from the county or if that is through the newspaper where all the county employees are.


(Click image to enlarge)

Supervisor Mary Piepho: Thank you Vince for bringing that up and you are right that it doesn’t educate the public as much as it could if it showed both contributions. There may be a privacy component to being able to disclose with the employees contribution is to their own retirement. I don’t know but the government portion you said very clearly is the disclosure to the public what government is paying to their employees for wages and benefits…. It does deserve some clarification in light of the public’s concern.

Paraphrasing Supervisor Mitchoff:  She thanked Mr. Wells for bringing this issue up while was looking for clarification on which website this information as published on. She was trying to figure out if it was the county website or another one. She was seeking more information.

Vince Wells: This was presented to me by the taxpayers board (CoCoTax.org) members yesterday and I’ve had other members get on public websites and social media saying that I don’t pay anything into my pension as union president. So the information is out there and I want to make sure it’s corrected or simply needs a note to explain what that column means. And I am not 100% sure it’s the county’s.

Supervisor Mitchoff: I don’t think it’s the county website because I had some questions on the category of what the compensation was and I communicated with our auditor controller’s office and they told me that, oh and Kris (Hunt) is here and she can answer this, but they told me that the numbers were pushed together, or calculated and analyzed by another entity and the auditor controller wasn’t even in agreement with some of the numbers.

Vince Wells: maybe Kris can answer where these numbers came from?

Supervisor Piepho: And your second point Vince?

Vince Wells: The other point I was going to make was in reference to the overtime just to inform the public that the thing I have is the “top 50 wage earners”. I just wanted to make sure that overtime, that everyone understood that within the fire district, there is two things. One that overtime isn’t compensable to retirement.  It’s not compensable. The other part is that what we have is called minimum staffing overtime.

We have two categories of overtime. We have program overtime which backfills for personnel who go to class, training or other things like that which we have pretty much eliminated through our budget cuts. We are probably down 95% of the overtime budget, pretty much eliminated it and trying to do everything on duty to cut cost. But then the staffing, the minimum staffing overtime is after closing or de-staffing the crew from Concord on the 5th.

We are down to 28-stations and that’s 84-firefighters on duty per day. We are currently staffed at 230 firefighters which leaves us with about 75-per day because of the 3-shifts. So you are going to have 9 overtimes regardless just based on our staffing level and then the workers compensation, vacation, sick leave so that adds up but we keep 84-firefighters, we don’t close stations because people don’t show up to work.

There is a lot of people who like to work more overtime than others but some of us who don’t like to work overtime appreciate that, but the other point to that is it’s mandatory.

So for my example, my shifts were July 3 and July 4 and I get held. I wanted to go home on July 5 and I couldn’t because there was no one who was interested in volunteering to work. So I just wanted to make sure that those points were out there.

That one, it’s not compensable in retirement. And two, the only overtime we are getting now minimum staffing overtime which is to keep all 28-egine companies in service.

Supervisor Piepho: And Vince, when you are working overtime, where are you?

Vince wells: You are at work

Supervisor Mitchoff:  It’s the Public Employee’s Database that is on the Contra Costa Times but I know the Times doesn’t put it, it’s the Public Employees Salary Database and I brought up Mr. Wells and it does show EE as zero.  So whoever feeds the information into this database which I understand is a separate entity, we just publish it or make it available on their website, they need to get that correction.

Supervisor Piepho:  Mr. Twa, did you have any additional input since Supervisor Mitchoff became the super sleuth to find out which website it is and we don’t have any control over it, maybe we can send them a letter.

David Twa:  Madam Chair, obviously I think that clarified it. It’s not on the County website, but we provide the data that gets downloaded onto the system so we can check and see if there is any issues there but it’s not our data (corrected himself to say it’s not our website)

Supervisor Piepho: Would the county have a problem disclosing what the employees contribution is to their retirement?

 David Twa:  I don’t believe so but the issue is we are required to submit the data in a particular format which we do so that it can be consistent across all the jurisdictions and that may be part of the problem.

End of public comments

What disgusts me about what transpired Tuesday is that all the lies and exaggerations about pensions that were being used by Kris Hunt, Dave Roberts and many others during the Measure S campaign and now being used against CONFIRE are given a free pass by the Contra Costa Times and other local media. These folks have been exposed as liars and no one has made an attempt to correct them.

While I understand the Times do not want to expose the fraud of their own database being incorrect, one would think they would work to correct the problem or post a note on their website.

But what boggles my mind is that those who are supposed to be paying attention to this stuff, chose to remain silent. These are important facts for the public that went uncorrected while many on the Times Editorial Board slammed pensions, they were using exaggerated numbers. They tied overtime to pension figures in order to vilify firefighters.

The numbers were fudged and according to Supervisor Mitchoff, the numbers were pushed together—making them larger than reality—while the county auditor controller wasn’t even in agreement with some of the numbers.

Now that the Public Employee Salaries Database been now been proven to be fudged numbers and a fraud, neither Ms. Hunt, Mr. Roberts, and others who repeat the lies should be given a free pass any longer. They attacked on a lie and now they are the liars.

If you recall, Ms. Hunt wrote a letter to the editor in the Brentwood Press on May 10 which discussed pensions. She can now be dismissed as a fibber.

If you recall, Dave Roberts wrong an article on May 31 about $100,000 pensions—it should be noted none of these $100,000 pensions are from firefighters in East County. He also wrote on retirement costs where he was also wrong. Using his proclaimed award winning journalism skills, I guess that makes him a “double fibber”.

What people need to realize here is when the information is made available, once the county hands off the data, the county really does not have control of how the data is produced. Supervisor Piepho and Supervisor Mitchoff is correct in their statements above and the Board should write a letter to the Contra Costa Times to request they fix this so that they are on record they do not agree with this database.

I’ve spoken to many folks (many firefighters, folks in other departments and even Board of Supervisors themselves) who are listed on the database and let me tell you something, it’s not just their pensions that are wrong, its most of the data listed that is wrong. They all come back stating something similar which is, “I wish I made that.”

For East County, exposing these lies about the list came to late, but at least for CONFIRE’s sake, there is time to correct the message.

You don’t have to take my word for it, it’s all on video on the County website. The good thing is the lies over the last few months have now been exposed and has finally caught up with the fibbers.

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Oakley

Oakley Neighborhood Watch Helps Catch Vandals

by ECT
written by ECT

The residents in the Magnolia Park area experienced nearly 30 cases of vandalism of roll up garage doors over the past month. After a neighborhood watch program was set up, the suspects were caught earlier this week.

“Juveniles would drive up and a passenger would exit the vehicle, run up to the roll up door and kick a dent in it. The suspect would flee via vehicle,” explained Bani Kollo, Oakley Chief of Police.

The vandalism starting in early June and continued.

After many residents experienced damage, the neighborhood organized and implemented a Neighborhood Watch Program with the assistance of Oakley PD.  The residents forwarded the police information to use regarding suspect descriptions and vehicles.

“Our graveyard shift conducted two undercover operations with no results,” explained Kollo.

He went onto to explain that while the activity stopped, Oakley PD continued to watch the “suspect vehicle” which was reported by the residents of the neighborhood. Eventually, contact was made with the owner.

The investigation resulted in two juvenile arrests which their names cannot be released due to their age. There is still work to be done at the investigation level but the Chief states they have a clear understanding of the facts in the case.

There is also information that there are similar cases in Brentwood and Oakley detectives will be working with Brentwood to exchange information in the near future.

“This is the perfect example that demonstrates the importance of Neighborhood Watch and great results we can have by neighborhood organizing,” said Kollo. “Had it not been for the efforts the group made, I am not convinced the responsible subjects would have been caught.”

According to the Chief, Oakley has a number of neighborhood watch programs set up throughout the City and in this case, the result of such a program resulted in a case closure.

If you are interested in setting up a neighborhood watch program, you can contact the Oakley Police Department at (925) 625-8855 or go down to the station next to City Hall for more details and set up a meeting. They have flyers available and attend the first meeting to help organize the group.

I am a firm believer in letting the Oakley PD do their job and not second guess them–they know their limits. This is a perfect example of how a Neighborhood Watch program is supposed to work and kudos go out to everyone who participated. When Oakley PD is given the tools to succeed, they exceed expectations and we do not need this type of riff-raff in the City or the area.

Photo is of Officer Riddle from the World of Discovery opening in January.

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Brentwood

CornFest to Attempt Corn Shucking Record Today

by ECT
written by ECT

The Brentwood CornFest was officially yesterday underway  and will run through Sunday with a list of events throughout the weekend . Today though, offers something exciting as organizers of the festival will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for Most People Husking Corns at one Time with the help of those in attendance.

If you are going to participate, you are being asked to pre-register and show up early (suggested 12:30) on Saturday.

Congressman Jerry McNerny and Supervisor Mary Piepho will be standing by as designated witness’s, and another 14 people are stewards (to help witness and watch everyone). The entire effort will be video recorded and photographed.

Break the Guinness World Record for Most People Husking Corn at One Time Sponsored by Sutter Delta Medical Center
Sat. July 14 at 1pm in front of East Stage

SATURDAY, JULY 14
East Stage:
10:30am – 12:30pm —  THE CITATIONS
1:30pm –- 3:30pm  —  CHEATING DAYLIGHT   
4:00pm —  5:30pm   —  THE GROOVE KINGS  Classic Rock & R&B)
6:00pm –   7:30pm  —  AC/DSHE (Female tribute To AC/DC)
8:25pm  —   NATALIE JORDAN (National Anthem)
8:30pm – 10:00pm  —   PABLO CRUISE

West Stage:
10:30am – 12:30pm – BIERNACKI & THE ILLUSION  
1:00pm –  3:00pm –  DAWG LIPPS
3:30pm – 5:30pm -–   RODEO HOUSE (Country)
6:00pm – 7:30pm   —   SOUTHERN COMFORT (A Strong Shot Of Southern Hits)
8:00pm – 10:00 pm –  BRIEFCASE FULL OF BLUES (Blues Bros.)

SUNDAY, JULY 15
East Stage:
10:30am – 12:30pm  —  BAYOU BOYS (Cajun/ Zydeco)
1:00pm —  3:00pm   —  BRAATA (Female-Fronted Reggae)
4:00pm   —  6:00pm  —  MALO (Latin Old School Rock)

West Stage:
11:00am – 1:00pm  —  RUCKATAN (Latin Rock)
1:30pm – 4:00pm   —   BANDA 110 Ballet Folklorico Jaraque, Hispanic Equestrian Show Riders
4:00pm  —  6:00pm  —  BUMP CITY (Trib. Tower Of Power)

 

Parking:

General $5
Preferred $10

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Delta

The Egeria Densa Treatment That Almost Never Was

by ECT
written by ECT

While it’s great the treatment to eradicate the egeria densa in the Delta has begun, we must remember the fight that seems to reoccur each year to ensure a treatment even takes places. Without a strong advocate for the Delta in Supervisor Mary Nejedly Piepho, the ramifications of non-treatment would cause a disaster on local the local economy and recreation activities.

Since 2010, Supervisor Piepho and others have been working (some may call it fighting) with the State to ensure the Delta receive its much needed treatment. Each year, the state decides it wants to play games where it takes many additional meetings and negotiations to ensure the treatment occurs.

If you ask me, it’s a waste of time when the state could simply issue the permit and treatment can occur without hesitation. Over the past few years, Supervisor Piepho and others have had a number of meetings just to bring attention to this local issue in order to get the state to act.

Last year, it was decided this year was the year the Delta was not going to even receive treatment thanks to the state’s budget. Led by Supervisor Piepho and others, they worked diligently with the State to ensure funding and permits were made available.

“We are thrilled to finally get a permit. We would have liked to have seen the treatment in March or April before the boating season is underway, but there was a permit issue. That has now been straightened out,” said Supervisor Piepho. “A permit would not have been allowed this late in the year if it would have not been safe to people and the Delta. This was our window of opportunity and is the best option for our community.”

While the State was being stingy (my words, not the Supervisor’s), Piepho explained the treatment couldn’t have happened without the support of Lucia Becerra, Acting Director at the California Department of Boating and Waterways.

An agreement was worked out this spring with other lawmakers to allow the treatment to move forward, but the permit was on hold which finally was approved.

“We hit the jackpot with Lucia Becerra helping us. She has been our hero and has never given up the fight. She has been so supportive in helping the Delta,” stated Supervisor Piepho. “We had such a great benefit to the treatment last year that leadership at the Department of Boating and Waterways feels it’s a two-step process to keep weeds in the bends.”

The egeria densa is a shallow-water submerged aquatic plant from Brazil that was introduced into the Delta 40 years ago which now effects 6,000 surface areas or roughly 12% of the Delta. This fast growing plant has spread at a rate of approximately 100 acres each year depending on environmental conditions which is why it raised resident concerns two-years ago.

At a cost of roughly $2,000 an acre, the treatment of this plant is not an easy task as the roots stick to rocks and silt at depths of eight to ten feet. When one tries to remove the plant by hand, it causes particles to break away and multiple other plants to be formed—it causes clogged bays and water ways. While the treatment program was added in 1997, it did not actually begin until 2001 due to litigation.

Due to the significant infestation, the state operates a “control” program as opposed to an “eradication” program. It is not expected that Water Hyacinth and Egeria Densa will ever be eradicated from the Delta area.

It’s no secret that it appears next year’s treatment could be in serious jeopardy if Governor Brown’s proposal is accepted. In the 378-page proposal (GRP#2), it would enact a number of eliminations, reorganizations and consolidations of state agencies and departments. The key provisions for boating would merge the Department of Boating and Waterways into the Department of Parks and Recreation and eliminate the Boating and Waterways Commission.

Supervisor Piepho believes the best way to help reduce the egeria densa problem is to have local control to allow for treatments, but admits it’s a long process and a long shot.

“There is no local authority to treat the waterway. I am working to get control from the State so we can have more local control, but it is a long process and takes time,” said Supervisor Piepho.

She explained that while there is no local control, it has to be a collaborative effort by many so that local commerce is not affected in the area. She does not want to see weeds create significant havoc for boaters, fisherman and those who rely on summer recreation for their livelihood.

She is right, without local control, the folks of Discovery Bay, Bethel Island and other areas along the Delta will continue to feel the pain of the state and federal bureaucratic processes.  It’s been explained many times over the last few years that there is just more plant than there is funding available.

In the meantime, she will continue to the Federal and State Governments on the proper permits for Water Hyacinth treatment and other invasive species while continuing to work on preventative measures through public education outreach and possible legislation.

So while folks are made aware the treatment has begun, it’s a treatment that would have not occurred had Supervisor Piepho not been focused on this issue and given it the attention it deserves.

Areas to be treated include:

  • Bethel Island – Taylor Slough, Piper Slough, Dutch Slough and Sand Mound Slough
  • Coney Island – Rivers End
  • Wright’s Tract – 14 Mile Slough and Village West
  • King Island – Honker Cut, White Slough, Disappointment Slough and Bishop Cut
  • Lower Jones Tract – Whisky Slough
  • Steamboat Slough
  • Sycamore Slough.
  • Orwood Island and Byron Tract – Discovery Bay (west side and portions of the East side, Beaver Bay, Harbor Bay and Indian Bay)

Here is last years 14-week treatment provided by Supervisor Piepho’s staff. Click the image to enlarge.

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Delta

Restore the Delta Announces Release of Over Troubled Waters

by ECT
written by ECT

For those waiting for the release of “Over Troubled Waters”, the wait is over come Aug. 8 with the premier in Sacramento. The documentary is about the Peripheral Canal and why it must be stopped.

Regardless of if you are a canal supporter or not, the film should cause one to stop, pause, and think about this project a bit longer and realize its a bad idea.

You can view the trailer for the film by visiting their website:

Here is the official press release that went out today.

STOCKTON, CA – Restore the Delta (RTD) announced today its release of “Over Troubled Waters,” a documentary film narrated by Ed Begley, Jr. RTD announced an Aug. 8 Sacramento premier and screenings in Northern and Southern California.

“Governor Brown is about to reignite California’s water war, and it appears we’ll be refighting the old battle over a Peripheral Canal, but this time it’s a tunnel. The governor is set to propose two 33-foot-diameter peripheral tunnels that would carry part of the Sacramento River’s flow underneath the Delta for 37 miles to the California Aqueduct. The total cost is unknown; the financing unsecured, and the only certainty is water customers will pay billions and billions in increased rates,” said Restore the Delta Executive Director Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla. “It is disappointing that the governor is preparing to throw himself behind a 19th century approach to a 21st century water problem. Gov. Brown lost this battle when voters rejected the canal in 1982. His retooled peripheral canal, now costing more than $50 billion in today’s dollars, would likely meet the same fate. There’s a better solution. California can divert less water from the Delta and still meet its water needs by investing in water efficiency, water recycling, new technologies, and improved groundwater and storm water management.”

“Over Troubled Waters,” Restore the Delta’s long-awaited documentary, narrated by Ed Begley Jr., will have its premier at Sacramento’s Crest Theater on August 8, 2012.  Many special guests will be in attendance. A second Northern California screening will be held on August 20, 2012 at the Empire Theater in Stockton.  Congressman Jerry McNerney will kick off that evening’s festivities.

The Southern California premiere will be held on August 28th at the Landmark Theater in Westwood.  Ed Begley Jr. will be the honored special guest at this first Southern California screening.

Tickets will be on sale via the Restore the Delta website starting July 17, 2012 for $10.00.  DVD’s will be made available to community groups for screenings over the next few weeks, and will be made available for sale shortly thereafter.

Restore the Delta is a 7000-member grassroots organization committed to making the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta fishable, swimmable, drinkable, and farmable to benefit all of California. Restore the Delta works to improve water quality so that fisheries and farming can thrive together again in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla
Restore the Delta
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.restorethedelta.org

 

Film synopsis according to their website 

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the largest estuary on the west coast of the Americas, is a national treasure being squandered by greed. In this visually rich documentary, Ed Begley, Jr. narrates the story of the battle being fought by the people of the Delta to protect the region they love and to encourage saner water policies for the Golden State and all the people of California. Here you will see the powerful forces arrayed against the Delta and the history of promises broken by the government. Here you will see the habitat, fisheries, farming, and communities that are threatened by the mistaken ideas that drive California’s water policy today. And here you will see common-sense, affordable solutions that can lead to true water security for California in the 21st century.

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Brentwood

Congressman McNerney to Host Brentwood Fundraiser

by ECT
written by ECT

Congressman Jerry McNerney is coming to Brentwood on July 15 for a campaign fundraiser as he hopes to meet with constituents while raising some cash for his race for Congress against his Republican opponent Ricky Gill.

The event is being hosted by Lucia and Monte Albers and Jack and Jennifer Kline.  If you have never been to theAlbers ranch, it’s a fabulous place to be with breathtaking scenery and views. I was very impressed when I was there a few months back.

Suggested Contributions:

  • Host: $500
  • Sponsor: $250
  • Supporter: $100
  • Guest: $25

The address and full details will be provided upon registration. You can register for the event or make a contribution by visiting the Congressman’s website.

 

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Antioch

Agopian To Run For Antioch Mayor

by ECT
written by ECT

Antioch Councilman Gary Agopian confirmed that he will be running for the City of Antioch Mayor position this November via a Facebook post in the Take Back Antioch group. While this is not a formal announcement by any means, it does look like he will be throwing his name into the hat.

The discussion occurred as  a group of Antioch residents are conducting a survey to see the amount of support Antioch residents would have for a parcel tax on the November ballot.  Agopian stated he tried to fast track it for November, but there was not enough support at the last council meeting. Agopian has stated he would support the parcel tax to fund additional police officers.

In his post, Agopian stated, “I promise that I will, as Mayor, advocate for sane and fair practices. By the way, I brought up the poll at this weeks council meeting and there was not adequate support to fast track it so we can make the Nov. ballot. I will continue to advocate for resourcing police so we can reduce crime and make Antioch a MUCH safer city for all. I welcome all comments and thoughts. Thank you!”

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Bethel Island

Residents Seek Historical Building Status for Station 95

by ECT
written by ECT

Residents of Bethel Island have submitted their “application for nomination” to preserve the Bethel Island Fire station as a historical building. While I can appreciate the gesture, this really isn’t a good idea because the station needs to be replaced with a true working station.

The other reality facing Bethel Island is they likely have lost any form of a working station. Any new station or re-opened one will likely be placed on the other side of the bridge in Oakley to cover Oakley, Knightsen and Bethel Island–but much closer than Station 93.

Here is what Christine Thresh wrote about in her blog:

Heather Campbell and I (Christine Thresh) took our “Application for Nomination” to Martinez yesterday. We are hoping to get the Bethel Island Fire Station approved as a historical building by the County’s Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee, and then by the Board of Supervisors. If the building is chosen, we can refurbish it and have it ready as a command center and gathering place for paid-on-call firefighters and emergency medical responders here on Bethel Island.

East Contra Costa Fire Protection District (ECCFPD) could not fix up the building because it was in a floodplain and had to be raised up in the air if they worked on it. However, there is an exemption from the FEMA floodplain rules if a building is a Historic Structure it does NOT have to be raised above the mean flood height.

The BIMAC approved the application at Tuesday night’s meeting and put up some money for the application fee. Islanders also contributed for the fee. Thanks to Page Pratt, Grant, Dori Anderson, and Marguerite Lawry we could pay the $500 application fee yesterday!

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California

Meet with Senator Mark DeSaulnier

by ECT
written by ECT

State Senator Mark DeSaulnier is hosting an opportunity to meet with him One-On-One to share ideas and talk legislation on July 28, 2012 in Clayton between 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. The event will take place at the Clayton Library.
See the flyer below for details.

Click Image to Enlarge

You can find out more of what Senator DeSaulnier is up to by visiting his website.

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