Edition 5 June - September 2024
Register to Vote Interview with Ruby Rodriquez By: K Wine
You can apply to register to vote right now by filling in the online application. The application is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. https://registertovote.ca.gov
Ways of Voting
Interviewer: Official 24-Hour Ballot Drop Boxes Can you tell me about your role at St Mary’s Drop your ballot off at a 24-Hour Drop Box. Center? Remember to sign the back of your return enveRuby Rodriguez: lope. Open until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. As the Hope and Justice Organizer, my focus is to empower seniors who have experienced Drop Box Near You: https://alamedacountyca.gov/ rovapps/maps/ballotdropbox_map.htm homelessness to become advocates and leaders in our community. Working closely with these individuals, I aim to amplify their PROP 5: Allows Local Bonds for Affordable voices through storytelling, leadership train- Housing and Public Infrastructure With 55% ing and development, political education, Voter Approval. Legislative Constitutional and advocacy efforts, to have leaders be at Amendment. the forefront of crafting policy solutions that address homelessness, housing, and racial Prop 5 would lower the voter approval requirement from two-thirds to 55% for local bonds inequities. funding affordable housing, supportive housing, and public infrastructure projects. These bonds Interviewer: help cities and counties raise money to build Can you tell us about some of the initiatives things like housing for low-income residents, or projects you’ve been involved in this past roads, and fire stations. If approved, it could make year and more recently? it easier to pass local funding measures, but may lead to increased property taxes to repay the borrowed money. “By amplifying the voices of seniors with lived experiences of homelessness to be at the decision-making table advocating for policy reforms, we can move toward JUSTICE.
Ruby Rodriguez: Certainly. One of our significant initiatives this past year was organizing an Equity Forum in January where seven seniors with lived experience of homelessness engaged in a dialogue with city officials, including Chris Norman from the City of Oakland and Michelle Starratt from Alameda now known as Regional Measure 4, ensuring that the needs of those most affected by homelessness were prioritized in the discussion. In partnership with Courtney Welch, the Advocacy Manager, we have also organized and led eight community speaker trainings since late March. These sessions have been attended by over 40
Yes/No Statement: A YES vote on this measure means: Certain local bonds and related property taxes could be approved with a 55 percent vote of the local electorate, rather than the current two-thirds approval requirement. These bonds would have to fund affordable housing, supportive housing, or public infrastructure. A NO vote on this measure means: Certain local bonds and related property taxes would continue to need approval by a two-thirds vote of the local electorate.
Vote Center Locations Vote in-person at any vote center.
View a list of near by Vote Centers San Pablo Avenue community voting Locations. St Mary’s Center, 925 Brockhurst St. St Columba Catholic Church, 6401 San Pablo Av. Prescott School, 920 Campbell St. Greater St. John Missionary Baptist, 1909 Market. Sankofa United Elem School, 581 61st St. West Oakland Public Library, 1801 Adeline St. For more locations visit: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place
An Oakland Girl for President? Born in Oakland, California, Harris graduated from Howard University and the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. She began her law career in the office of the district attorney (DA) of Alameda County, before being recruited to the San Francisco DA’s Office and later the city attorney of San Francisco’s office. In 2003, she was elected DA of San Francisco. She was elected attorney general of California in 2010 and reelected in 2014. Harris served as the junior U.S. senator from California from 2017 to 2021. She defeated Loretta Sanchez in the 2016 Senate election to become the second Black woman and the first South Asian American to serve in the U.S. Senate.