The Bay Area Review, October 28, 2020

Volume 2 • Issue 21

October 28, 2020

Earthquakes, Hunger at Home Partner to Distribute Meals

TBAR Home Delivers Papers To These ZIP CODES 95008 95032 95037 95051 95118 95119 95123 95124 95125 95126 95128

Dinari Brown, CEO Hunger at Home, Andrew Le, Donna Le, Christian Le (oldest son), Ethan Le (youngest son), and Ewell Sterner, Founder of Hunger at Home

The San Jose Earthquakes has partnered with Hunger at Home to help feed those in need here in Silicon Valley.

Hunger at Home is a leader in food collection and distribution, working with local convention centers, hotels, and sports stadiums to collect excess food and goods and distribute through its

large network of nonprofit partners. To date, Hunger at Home has distributed more than 3.5 million meals as well as various important household items.

“We are extremely proud and excited to continue building on our partnership with Hunger at Home,” said Earthquakes Director of

Community Relations Rahul Devaskar. “They have a longstanding reputation of keeping food out of landfills and supporting inneed members of our community. Hunger at Home is also a founding member of our Pledge 74 campaign and have helped us identify the areas where our efforts would

Proud Sponsor, Chuck Toeniskoetter points out his support

make the most impact.”

The partnership was kicked off last week with ~120 families picking up semi-prepared meals in a COVID-compliant, drive-through format on Earthquakes Way, immediately adjacent to Earthquakes Stadium.

In addition to serving as the host venue for the

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event, the Earthquakes also provided volunteers through their Pledge 74 campaign, which has contributed more than $100,000 and 500 hours of community service in the fight against food insecurity.

[Continued on Page 4]

October 28, 2020

When..Where..What?

Minority Owned Business Publisher: Brigitte Jones Brigitte@thebayareareview.com Graphic Design Director: Amanda McElroy Graphics@thebayareareview.com Editor at Large: Pearl Baeni Editor - public Affairs Liaison: Pamela Gustava Curry Photographer: Andy Nguyen http://intramuralaffairs.wixsite.com/andyphoto

TBAR welcomes letters to the Editor Please limit content to 200 words or less.

Submissions are subject to scrutiny for content and grammar but all effort will be made to retain intended meaning of such letters.

Anonymous letters will not be printed.

Articles so published reflect the views of the authors - not necessarily those of The Bay Area Review.

All submissions become the property of Triple e Media Group, LLC and cannot be acknowledged.

It pays to be kind.

Westfield is hosting a nationwide campaign to drive customers to shop, while simultaneously supporting local and national non -profit organizations like Downtown Streets Team.

Westfield will be awarding an additional donation to the charity

who sells the most tickets at each center! The organization who sells the most tickets per center will win.

ABOUT THE EVENT This 10-day community program offers guests access to exclusive offers from multiple retailers throughout our centers,

from discounted sales, to gifts with purchase, and more.

To participate, guests will purchase tickets online at their preferred Westfield shopping center’s website like Westfield Valley Fair for a minimum of $10 and select Downtown Streets Team to support. Tickets

will be sold online only, and all proceeds will benefit the participating community partners.

During the 10-day event, guests will simply show their digital ticket in order to access these offers at participating retailers within their preferred Westfield shopping center.

Follow these easy steps to start!

1) Go to https://shopyourheartout.westfield.com/?utm_ campaign=shopyourheartout&utm_source=partner&utm_ medium=digital&utm_term=multiple&utm_ content=DowntownStreetsTeam 2) Choose your prefered Westfield Shopping Center at the top of the page.

3) Select Downtown Streets Team as your Charity 4) Download your VIP Kind Pass 5) Start Shopping!

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October 28, 2020

Page 3

Public Safety

City of Santa Clara Receives Award for Pedestrian and Safety Improvements Near Local Elementary Schools The City of Santa Clara has been awarded an American Public Works Association (APWA) Silicon Valley Chapter 2020 Honor Award for the City’s Santa Clara Safe Routes to Schools Pedestrian Improvement Project.

The City of Santa Clara is committed to creating a safe, accessible environment for all members of the community. This award from the Silicon Valley Chapter of the APWA recognizes the City’s dedication to enhancing safe routes to school and removing pedestrian mobility barriers. This recognition confirms the City’s commitment to using infrastructure and public works projects to improve health, safety and environmental outcomes in the Santa Clara community.

“The safety of our children, and all residents, is paramount in Santa Clara,” said City Manager Deanna J. Santana, “This award is recognition of the City’s intentional efforts to use infrastructure improvements to protect schoolchildren in our community, as well as promote alternative mobility options and healthier choices.

Council’s 2020 priorities directly support the Safe Routes to Schools Pedestrian Improvement Project.”

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a nationwide program that the City has participated in since 2004. SRTS benefits communities by enhancing children’s health and well-being, easing traffic congestion, improving air quality near schools, and increasing the overall health of the community and the built environment. Over the years, the City engaged those involved with its Safe Routes to School Education program to provide input on potential infrastructure improvements that would increase safety for students walking and biking to school. The City conducted walk and bike audits in areas surrounding schools and hosted outreach to gather input from children, parents and staff in the Santa Clara School District.

Using Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) grant funding and a City funding match, the City used the feedback from the community to design and implement pedestrian and safety-

related improvements near the following four local elementary schools: Scott Lane Elementary School, Briarwood Elementary School, Bowers Elementary School, and Montague Elementary School.

Improvements included pedestrian beacons at crosswalks, American with Disabilities Act (ADA) curb ramps, and signage and striping improvements at select intersections near these schools.

Local recognition of these efforts emphasizes that the City of Santa Clara is on the right track in creating safe, accessible options for walking and

biking for the community. The City will continue to pursue sustainable improvements that encourage healthy choices and support mobility alternatives for all Santa Clara residents.

About the City of Santa Clara Located at the heart of Silicon Valley about 45 miles south of San Francisco, the City of Santa Clara truly is “The Center of What’s Possible.” Incorporated in 1852, Santa Clara covers an area of 19.3 square miles with an estimated population of 129,498.

Santa Clara is home to an extraordinary array of high-tech companies, including Applied

Materials, HewlettPackard, Intel, Nvidia, Oracle, and Ericsson. The City of Santa Clara is also home to Santa Clara University, California’s Great America Theme Park, and Levi’s® Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers and SB50.

For more information, go to SantaClaraCA.gov.

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October 28, 2020

Coming Together

Earthquakes, Hunger at Home Partner to Distribute Meals [Continued From Page 1] wine.

The pandemic crisis Last week served as has severely impacted a pilot for future events many Silicon Valley at Earthquakes Stadium, businesses, leaving which is expected to host hundreds of thousands two distribution events of workers jobless. In per month that may response, Hunger at accommodate as many as Home has modified 200 families each. its business model, When fans can safely using its extensive food return to watch the team production experience play at Earthquakes and distribution capacity Stadium, Hunger at Home to provide meals and will become the official groceries directly to gleaner of the Quakes, those who are newly food collecting unused food insecure as well as local following each match and nonprofits. redistributing to those in Hunger at Home is need. best known for partnering Hunger at Home also with convention centers, hosted their Bridge the hotels, stadiums, Gap Gala: Drive Thru entertainment venues and Edition at Earthquakes high-end tech company Stadium on Saturday, cafeterias to distribute October 24. The event surplus food and supplies ran from 2-5 p.m. and to charitable organizations featurd many familyto feed those in need. In friendly activities, such as response to the crisis, magicians and live bands, professional chefs and with all families taking hospitality executives home a ready-to-cook from such Bay Area gourmet meal and paired entertainment venues

Loading Up

as Oracle Park, Levi’s Stadium, and Chase Center are transforming tons of donated food items into delicious, healthy, balanced meals for those in need.

“It’s like Iron Chef,” says Paul Bernardt, executive chef for The Lodge at Pebble Beach.

“We don’t know what’s going to be donated, so our job is to look through what we have and compose a well-balanced dish with protein, starch, and a vegetable — something that is nutritional and also tastes great.” Due to a decline in donations, Hunger at Home must purchase food to supplement its food production. Chef Bernardt and his fellow

culinary crew members volunteered at Hunger at Home for years. Today, their delicious food is available directly to anyone in need.

As the COVID-19 crisis hit, Hunger at Home took over a restaurant catering facility adjacent to its distribution headquarters in San Jose.

“We immediately pivoted from food distribution to production,” says Hunger at Home founder and CEO Ewell Sterner. Since March 19th, Hunger at Home has produced and distributed well over 2 million meals. Twice a week, a line of cars, often

stretching a mile long, forms at the organization’s San Jose distribution center, where families can receive meals, bags of groceries, and Shelter in Place Kits from SHIP (a local nonprofit) containing essentials such as toilet

Earthquakes Stadium drive through

October 28, 2020

Page 5

Coming Together

Happy Yappy Supporters

paper, paper towels, and canned goods as well as puzzles, games, and other items for kids.

The need is immense and growing, and there is no end in sight. Hunger at Home, however, offers a ray of hope, with an existing infrastructure that is only operating at a fraction of its capacity. r months, Hunger at Home predicts the need for support will increase and stretch well into 2021.

About Hunger at Home: Each day in Silicon Valley, tens of thousands of pounds of excess food and surplus goods are dumped in our landfills and go to waste. In a Valley where one in three people experience

food insecurity, Hunger at Home was created to connect this food and goods to those in need.

Hunger at Home partners with local convention centers, hotels, and sports stadiums to collect excess food and goods to distribute to the homeless and hungry through a robust nonprofit network.

To date, Hunger at Home

has donated 3 million meals locally and helped distribute much needed goods like towels, blankets, kitchen items, and hygiene kits. Hunger at Home also proudly assists its charity and nonprofit partners with job placement and equipment needs. To donate, go to www.hungerathome.org.

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October 28, 2020

COVID-19 News

SF Moves Into CA’s Least Restrictive Reopening Tier Courtesy of Mission Local Mayor London Breed announced last week that the city will reopen “non-essential” offices at limited capacity and indoor climbing gyms with the same capacity as fitness centers.

An employee at the Mission’s rock-climbing gym, Mission Cliffs, said he “is excited, but doesn’t want to get his hopes up.” He declined to say more, or to give his name, explaining that the gym’s headquarters told employees to refrain from talking to the press until it is officially open.

Mission Cliffs, which combines wall climbing with physical fitness, had previously reopened for 10 days about a month ago, but then had to shut again.

The new openings came after San Francisco reduced the rate of covid infection enough to enter into California’s yellowtier status, which signifies

“minimal” spread of the virus, and is the lowest of the state’s four tiers.

To enter that status a county must report 1 new case per 100,000 each day. San Francisco’s rate is 2.5 cases per 100,000, but the state gives it bonus points for doing more testing than elsewhere, plus a low positivity rate.

Its adjusted case rate is 1.5 cases per 100,000 and its positivity rate is .8 percent.

Dr. Grant Colfax, the city’s director of health, congratulated the city on beating back the virus. “We will continue to monitor our health indicators and impacts of reopening, which will help guide us in future planning,” he said.

Personal services, such as lip waxing, will allow limited mask removal.

Previously, services requiring mask removal were not allowed.

Swasti Thata, the

owner of Eyebrow Queen Salon on 24th Street near South Van Ness Avenue, was unaware San Francisco had moved into the yellow tier.

Her shop has only been open for two weeks. “It may be better to wait a little longer to remove masks, because they protect both me and my customer,” she said.

By November 3, San Francisco expects to reopen indoor pools and bowling alleys – also with required safety protocols.

AMC Theatres is excited to announce the reopening of theatres in Northern California, including San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. Starting Friday, October 30, moviegoers can once again enjoy the magic of the big screen at the following 8 locations:

The list, timetable and requirements can be found here.

Also by November 3, hotels, shopping centers, museums and indoor worship can also increase their indoor capacity to 50 percent. Outdoor worship or political protests can expand to 300 people, with face coverings and distancing.

Indoor museums, zoos, movie theaters and aquariums can increase their capacity to 50 percent. Some types of

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live performances with up to six performers to take place in a drive-in setting and film productions can expand both indoor and outdoor activities with some limitations.

Schools will continue to reopen and some high schools are on track to return to limited in-person learning at the end of November if they have approved safety plans.

SFUSD will continue distance learning.

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October 28, 2020

Judge Denies Uber and Lyft Appeal; Companies’ Last Chance on Prop 22 Falls to Voters Quinci LeGardye | California Black Media The legal push-andpull over whether ridehailing company drivers in California will maintain their status as independent contractors or become W-2 employees continued last week.

On Oct. 22, the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco upheld the injunction issued against Uber and Lyft last August that those companies’ app-based drivers are employees.

In its ruling, the court said there was an “overwhelming likelihood” that Uber and Lyft are violating AB 5. The law that has driven a wedge between opponents and supporters across the state requires that employers classify workers who meet certain criteria as employees instead of independent contractors. It also states that those hiring firms must provide all worker benefits to employees that California’s labor laws mandate.

The appellate court sided with Judge Ethan Schulman of the San Francisco Superior Court.

That jurist ordered Uber and Lyft to classify their California drivers as employees.

Reacting to the ruling, Uber spokesperson Matt Kallman said he’s considering other options

but the best chance for drivers to remain contractors now falls to voters when they decide on Proposition 22 next week.

“If the voters don’t say Yes on Proposition 22, rideshare drivers will be prevented from continuing to work as independent contractors, putting hundreds of thousands of Californians out of work and likely shutting down ridesharing throughout much of the state,” he said.

If voters approve the ballot measure, which Uber and Lyft are sponsoring, the gig economy companies will be able to continue classifying their employees as independent contractors.

The injunction resulted from a lawsuit that California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed in May in conjunction with the city attorneys of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. The suit argued that Uber and Lyft violated AB 5 by classifying drivers as independent contractors after AB 5 took effect in January.

“Uber and Lyft have used their muscle and clout to resist treating their drivers as workers entitled to those paycheck

and benefit protections.

The courts saw right through their arguments.

It’s time for Uber and Lyft to play by the rules,” said Becerra in a statement after the ruling.

Uber, Lyft and other gig economy companies have been fighting against AB 5 since Gov. Newsom signed it into law in August 2019. While the state’s lawsuit has worked its way through the courts, Uber and Lyft, along with other gig economy companies, have pumped nearly $200 million into the Yes on Prop 22 campaign so far.

Lyft spokesperson Julie Wood said in a statement, “This ruling makes it more urgent than ever for voters to stand with drivers and vote yes on Prop 22.”

The gig economy companies are also facing another legal battle.

On Oct. 22, a group of California gig workers sued Uber for penalties totaling up to $260 million. The workers

Page 7

Extra Fare argue that Uber’s use of aggressive inapp messages urging the workers to support Prop 22 violated their employment rights. They are seeking an injunction to prevent Uber from showing any more Prop 22 messages in the app.

“Uber’s threats and constant barrage of Prop 22 propaganda on an app the drivers must use to do their work have one purpose: to coerce the drivers to support Uber’s political battle to strip them of workplace protections,” said attorney David Lowe of Rudy, Exelrod, Zieff & Lowe in a statement announcing the lawsuit.

There have been numerous reports on social media of the Uber app’s messages, which

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read “Prop 22 is progress” and “Prop 22 will provide guaranteed earnings and a healthcare stipend.”

Drivers then had to click either “Yes on Prop 22” or “OK” to proceed in the app. Uber spokesman Matthew Wing said that specific language is no longer used, and now drivers are occasionally shown a pop up that says “Drivers deserve better” and offers the option to click through to see more facts.

An Uber spokesperson called the lawsuit “without merit, filed solely for press attention and without regard for the facts.”

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October 28, 2020

Announcement

LATINA Style Congratulates Dr. Betty Uribe Courtesy of LATINA Style Inc. JPMorgan Chase has announced Dr. Betty Uribe as the new Consumer Bank Divisional Director for California! Betty joins JPMorgan Chase from California Bank & Trust where she was an EVP of Business & Personal Banking. In this role, she and her team significantly improved employee and community engagement, through building a culture where everyone felt valued and respected.

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Betty is a true culture carrier, spending the past two and a half decades focused on transforming business, culture and people. She blends academic theory with her own experience and strategic insight to impact positive change.

Her entrepreneurial and corporate experience has given her a unique understanding of various industries and businesses within the U.S. and international markets. She was also the first woman at California Bank & Trust to hold an Executive role leading a line of business.

She holds four

advanced degrees, including a Doctorate and Masters degrees from Pepperdine University and an advanced degree from University of Virginia. She was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate from St. Mary’s University.

Betty and her husband, Juan Carlos have five children and reside in Southern California.

Please join us in congratulating Betty!

About LATINA Style Inc. 2020 marks our 26th year of publication.

LATINA Style Magazine is the most influential publication reaching the contemporary Hispanic woman.

LATINA Style broke new ground in 1994 by launching the first national magazine dedicated to the needs and concerns of the contemporary Latina professional working woman and the Latina business owner in the United States. With a national circulation of 150,000 and a readership of nearly 600,000, LATINA Style reaches both the seasoned professional and the young Latina entering the workforce for the first time. The culturally sensitive editorial environment we provide showcases Latina achievements in all areas, including business,

science, civic affairs, education, entertainment, sports, and the arts. We also offer technology tips and reviews, entertainment reviews, travel recommendations, investment guidance, beauty tips, food and drink recipes, automotive updates, and career advice—in summary, all of the things that impact the quality of life.

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I would like to invite you to my special Mental Health Town Hall on Thursday Nov. 5th from 11-12 noon! The event is co-sponsored by the Healthier Kids Foundation and the Behavioral Health Contractors’ Association of Santa Clara. Together we’ll highlight this year’s groundbreaking mental health bills, and answer your questions on the next steps in California’s mental health advocacy.

Please register through this link, and feel free to share widely: https://zoom.us/ meeting/register/tJYrde2urDIiEteHHHw8sTvSiiNfOMaOLab8 I hope to see you there!

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October 28, 2020

VICTORY: Governor Newsom Signs Historic Passage of AB-1185 That Strengthens Oversight of California’s Sheriff Department’s Historic win in the state of California after months of countless efforts, Governor Newsom has signed the passage of AB1185 to authorize Sheriff oversight at a statewide level and ensure civilian oversight commissions have the authority to investigate local matters.

The successful passing of Measure R in Los Angeles by the Reform LA Jails campaign and the nationwide political uprising led to the reintroduction of AB 1185

by Assemblymember McCarty (D-Sacramento) and Senator Holly Mitchell . The call for oversight and authority comes as the LA County Sheriff Department continues to fail in providing transparency and accountability regarding the conditions inside LA County Jails.

Measure R granted

the Civilian Oversight Commission subpoena power over the LA County Sheriff department and has consistently worked to investigate rogue antics led by Sheriff Villanueva.

With the passage of AB1185, a Sheriff like Alex Villanueva, who has attempted to subvert the power of civilian oversight in Los Angeles County will no longer be able to contest the legitimacy of oversight bodies or their power to subpoena.

Mariela Alburgues, ReformLA Jail Director of Implementation issued the following response: We applaud Governor Newsom for standing on the side of justice and signing AB1185 that is long over due for California residents. The city of Los Angeles has set a prime example of what a form of justice looks like to hold Sheriff

Villanueva accountable with the historic passing of Measure R and now the State of California could lead our nation. Now, we have the backing of the State of California to hold accountable any Sheriff who abuses their power and attempts to undermine local efforts to bring transparency.

We thank Assemblymember McCarty for his leadership in introducing this bill. We especially

Page 11

A Step Forward

want to thank all of the community members and organizations who have worked endlessly to make this all happen.

Some Important Policy Background of this bill include AB1185: Officer Oversight – Sheriff Oversight Board: • clarify state law as to a county’s authority to establish a sheriff oversight board by either appointment or vote of county residents.

• authorize a sheriff oversight board to issue a subpoena or subpoena duces tecum when

deemed necessary to investigate a matter within the jurisdiction of the board.

• authorize a county to establish an office of the inspector general to assist the board with its supervisory duties, as provided.school.

However, this year, with COVID-19, there are other creative ways to participate virtually.

Visit https://www. redribbon.org/ virtual-activities for the Reb Ribbon Week Virtual

Now, we have the backing of the State of California to hold accountable any Sheriff who abuses their power and attempts to undermine local efforts to bring transparency.

Get your own before it’s too late!

Let your voice be heard on November 3rd!

Page 12

October 28, 2020

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Be Happy. Be Brave. Be Drug Free.

It is Red Ribbon Week.

Join me in taking a stand against drugs and take the pledge to be drug-free at www.redribbon.org/ pledge and share it with others to do the same.

The Red Ribbon Week (October 23 through October 31) is a great awareness campaign to educate children on the dangers of drug use.

The program includes a variety of ways students can learn and participate in spreading the message.

Most years, students would take a day and do an activity at their school.

It could be planting a garden or wear red to school. However, this year, with COVID-19, there are other creative ways to participate virtually. Visit https:// www.redribbon.org/ virtual-activities for the Reb Ribbon Week Virtual

Activity guide. It could be everyone wearing red when they are zooming or create an activity in which kids wear red masks while social distancing.

Even in this limited COVID-19 world, children can still participate in Red Ribbon Week!

Be Happy. Be Brave. Be Drug Free.

Take the pledge: www.redribbon.org/ pledge.

Sincerely, KANSEN CHU Assemblymember, 25th District

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October 28, 2020

#ProgressNotPrisons Launches Ad Campaign in San Jose as part of SixFigure Statewide Initiative Exposing High Costs of Prison Spending across California On October 21, 2020, Today, Californians for Safety and Justice, the lead organizing group of the #ProgressNotPrisons campaign, announced a major bilingual advertising effort to help educate Californians about the effect of excessive prison spending on their communities and encourage them to vote in the 2020 election.

Through billboards, digital advertising, mobile billboards and food trucks, the ad campaign will highlight the $100 billion California spent on prisons in the last 10 years and $50 billion it spends each year on its criminal justice system, while simultaneously denying communities much-needed investment in schools, affordable housing, health care, and more.

The billboards appear outside of nearly all of

the state’s prisons, as well as in high-traffic areas of San Jose, and other cities across the state. The initiative highlights the need for investment in critical community resources, rather than in prisons – something California voters overwhelmingly support. The ad campaign seeks to raise awareness and generate conversation among the public and government officials about how to solve the state’s greatest challenges.

The billboard design is as shown.

The digital video advertisement is available at https:// youtu.be/sWI7e9hy4kg.

“The staggering $100 billion California spent on prisons since 2010 has robbed communities of the investments they need to be healthy and safe - the types of investments that can

prevent crime in the first place,” said Jay Jordan, Executive Director of Californians for Safety and Justice, who served time in prison as a teenager. “We cannot let extreme prison spending continue to eclipse our investments in schools, jobs, housing, healthcare, and other solutions vital to the progress of our communities.”

Redirecting a fraction of the state’s annual spending on the criminal justice system could alleviate a host of challenges in the state, including the COVID-19 pandemic. California has more prison beds available (128,000) than hospital beds (78,000) despite the devastating number of total virus cases in the state.

If the state redirected just one percent of its annual spending on the criminal justice system,

Page 13

Making a Difference

it could: • Provide shelter for nearly half of all homeless Californians • Cover more than one million people who’ve lost healthcare coverage during several months of the pandemic • Pay salaries for 4,000 nurses and 11,000 EMT’S • Pay salaries for 6,000 elementary school teachers • Cover 16,000 COVID-19 treatments, including hospital stays The Progress Not Prisons campaign is grounded in the belief that the best way for California communities, like in San Jose, to progress is to prioritize investments in schools, health care, mental health, addiction

treatment, affordable housing, and jobs— rather than spending so much tax revenue on prisons. By targeting local communities, the campaign seeks to ensure that neighbors, colleagues, friends, and family know what’s at stake.

The public education campaign’s advertising effort follows the state’s recent announcement of plans to close the Deuel Vocational Institution by next fall. Governor Newsom pledged to close two state prisons in May, and this November voters will decide on an array of criminal justice-related ballot measures.

About Californians for Safety and Justice Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ) is a nonprofit working with Californians from all walks of life to replace prison and justice system waste with common sense solutions that create safe neighborhoods and save public dollars.

Through policy advocacy, grassroots mobilization, public education, alliances and support for local best practices, we promote strategies to stop the cycle of crime, reduce reliance on incarceration and build healthy communities. For more information, please visit: safeandjust.org Progressnotprisons.com

Page 14

October 18, 2020

People Power

Early Voter Turnout Smashing California Election Records Oct 21, 2020 | Cal Matters More than 4.5 million Californians have already cast ballots in the 2020 general election — and there’re still 12 days to go.

Roughly one-fifth of the 21.5 million ballots mailed to registered voters had been processed as of Tuesday evening, blowing away previous election totals.

About three times as many California residents have participated in early voting so far this year compared to the same period in the 2016 presidential election, according to Paul Mitchell, Vice President of Political Data, Inc. The pace of returns has been extraordinary, Mitchell said. “It’s nothing close to anything we’ve ever seen.”

While there’s no clear-cut reason for the increase, experts have their theories. Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at USC, said she sees three reasons

0

why California’s early turnout is so high: voter enthusiasm, ballot and personal safety concerns, and a sense of relief.

“A lot of the voters, I think, are excited or nervous about the election and want to know that their vote is in,” Romero said.

Still, the unprecedented early voting doesn’t necessarily mean an increase in turnout, Mitchell noted, though he’s optimistic that might end up being the case.

“It doesn’t look like it’s, definitively, a surge electorate, where we have more young people, Latinos and low socioeconomic voters participating,” he said.

“Just because somebody votes early doesn’t mean their vote counts for more.”

High-propensity voters—that is, voters generally expected to turn out in an election—

have made up the overwhelming majority of the electorate so far.

Late last week, about 99 percent of ballots returned were from those voters, who tend to skew older and whiter, according to Mitchell.

Mitchell predicts that relatively more lowpropensity voters will cast their ballots in the coming days, boosting the final tally.

Votebeat is a national media collaboration about the administration and integrity of, and issues regarding, the unprecedented 2020 election. In California, CalMatters is hosting the collaboration with the Fresno Bee, the Long Beach Post and the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

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October 18, 2020

Page 15

District 3 News At two recent Board of Supervisors meetings, students from high schools and colleges courageously told us that their reports of sexual assaults and harassment were being ignored or not taken seriously even though administrators are bound by Title IX, a federal civil rights law, to follow policies and procedures for handling their complaints.

At my request, the County is embarking on a review of how Title IX mandates are being followed and the impact of recent changes by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos that sexual assault survivors believe weaken protections and discourage students from filing complaints. The Board voted unanimously for the review, which will be conducted in phases over the next 12 to 18 months and include K-12 schools, colleges and vocational centers.

Santa Clara County will be the first in the nation to conduct a study of this kind. Thank you to all the community members who helped me bring this issue to the Board.

The Board approved the scope and timeline of the review outlined in a report presented at the October 20 meeting. This review will be housed in the the County’s Office of Gender Violence Prevention.

Also, at the October 20 meeting, the Board approved my request that construction of the new jail facility replacing the old Main Jail South be suspended. Instead, the County will move forward with re-envisioning the facility as a mental health treatment center overseen by the Public Health Department and staffed by the County’s Behavioral Health Department.

With a low jail population caused

by COVID-19 prevention and the growing need for mental health services for inmates, the County has the opportunity to shift its emphasis from punishment to treatment and focus on rehabilitation instead of incarceration.

I believe it wouldn’t be wise to go forward with the original scope of the new Main Jail South when we have the opportunity to address the need for mental health services.

The Board will discuss this again at the November 17 meeting.

I’ve asked for a report on the existing inmate population, where they are housed, the number of inmates with diagnosed mental health illnesses, the number of inmates that could be best served through outpatient or residential treatment or permanent supportive housing, and how many would still need to be housed in a more

restrictive setting.

As always, you can reach my office at 408299-5030, email me at dave.cortese@bos. sccgov.org or visit the District 3 webpage at supervisorcortese.org.

Stay safe, Dave Cortese County Supervisor, Third District

COVID-19 Dashboards Update

According to County Public Health Dashboards, as of Wednesday, October 21, there were 23,591 reported COVID-19 cases in Santa Clara County, an increase of 236 cases Monday, October 19. These are cumulative numbers and don’t reflect the number of people who have recovered or those who may have COVID-19 but have not been tested; 385 people have died, an increase of 7 since Monday, and 96 are now

in hospitals, an increase of 9 since Monday; 933,962 people have been tested, with a seven-day average positivity rate of 1.7%.

The cumulative total of cases in California is 880,724 and 17,189 people have died; 17.3 million have been tested, with an average 14-day positivity rate of 2.6%.

In the U.S., there were 8,450,135 million cases and 225,678 deaths.

Globally, there are 40.6 million cases and 1,122,036 deaths.

Virtual Boat Tour of the South Bay

More than 1,100 people so far have joined Our Day on the Bay boat tour along the Alviso Slough from the Alviso Marina County Park, which was launched on October 11.

You can be the next!

Because COVID-19 prevents us from having our traditional Day on the Bay multicultural festival at the Alviso Marina

County Park, which has drawn 10,000 guests to the park, I teamed up with the County Parks Department to produce this video tour.

The tour is a truly an educational experience providing a history of the Alviso area, the variety of plants, birds and mammals that live in the wetlands, and how the wetlands support flood

control and the impacts of climate change. That’s why my office is sharing the tour with teachers to share with their students.

The tour is available to anyone at anytime at this link: http://www.tinyurl. com/VirtualDOB. Hop aboard and enjoy the beauty of the wetlands!

Page 16

October 18, 2020

Leadership

For First Time, Heads of All California’s Public Education Systems Are Black or Latino All face challenges, and opportunities, in moving forward on racial equity

California is the most diverse state in the nation, so having a diverse leadership of its schools and colleges shouldn’t be that notable.

But it is. Even for California.

This January when Joseph Castro, a MexicanAmerican and native Californian, becomes chancellor of the 23-campus California State University system, for the first time, leaders of color will head up all four systems of public education in the state.

All will have an impact by being powerful role models for the millions of students, faculty and staff in the systems they lead.

A fundamental question, however, is whether the new leadership will translate into concrete changes that create more equitable institutions and contribute to improved education outcomes.

Leaders in the field think it is more likely that it will.

“Diversification of leadership is quite important and significant to meeting the goals of racial equity,” said Adrianna Kezar, director of the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the University of Southern California. “Certainly others are capable of such

leadership, but the ability to speak from your heart and authentically about this issue and to have a vision for a direction forward is much more likely to happen with leaders of color.”

In addition to Castro, Dr. Michael Drake, who is African American, became president of the nine-campus University of California system in August. Eloy Ortiz Oakley, who is Latino, is chancellor of the 116 colleges that make up the California community colleges.

Then there is State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who was elected in 2018 to oversee the state’s vast K-12 public education system. Of mixed African American and Panamanian background, he is only the second African American schools chief since the legendary Wilson Riles occupied the post for a dozen years until 1982. Out of 50 state schools chiefs, only one other is Black and a half dozen are Latinos or Latinas.

Together the four Californians — all of them men — oversee institutions with enrollments of nine million students, more

than the enrollments in most countries. Their student bodies are extraordinarily diverse, with white students comprising 26 percent or less of their enrollments, depending on the system (see graphic below).

If this new generation of leaders is able to improve the educational success of their students, they will have an outsize impact not only on California’s future, but on the nation as a whole. How they work together will also make a difference as the state attempts to create a more unified “cradle to career” system of education.

What’s also notable is that they are leading their institutions at a time of extraordinary activism and ferment around a

California Community Colleges’ Eloy Ortiz Oakley (left), Tony Thurmond, state supt. of public instruction, CSU’s Joseph I. Castro and UC’s Michael Drake.

range of issues related to racial equity. With that energy and momentum behind them, that could help them move forward on these issues within their institutions. It could also make running them more complicated.

One reality that all four systems of education face is the impact of the pandemic on their budgets, exacerbated

by Congress’ inability so far to come up with any additional funds for education, which will trigger huge state funding reductions as well. That could place additional limits on launching any major initiatives on the

race and ethnicity front.

Another constraining factor may be whether voters approve Proposition 16, the initiative on the November ballot intended to undo the 25-year-old ban on affirmative action in the state. The outcome of the election could make a difference in whether education leaders will have an additional tool to use in making headway on racial and ethnic inequities.

To varying degrees, the four leaders won’t be taking on entirely new issues on the race and ethnicity front. These include introducing

October 18, 2020 policies for improved education outcomes for all students, but especially for Black and Latino students who may lag behind their peers, and equally importantly diversifying the teaching force and the professoriate which is still largely white.

They will also have to confront emerging controversies, such as the tougher issues regarding implicit bias and institutional or structural racism, and pressures to offer curricula and courses that more directly reflect the nation’s racial and ethnic history. They will face pressures to change the names of buildings, programs or schools named after historical figures with unacceptable racial views or pasts. Police violence, along with the question of the role of police on campuses themselves, is likely to be an ongoing focus of student activism, including on high school campuses.

“This is a tough period to be a leader of any of our educational institutions,” said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, the coordinating body for higher education in the United States. “I don’t envy the four leaders that we’re talking about today, and the tasks that are ahead.”

He acknowledged that there may be “heightened expectations” of the new leaders, perhaps precisely because they come from the communities who have been on the receiving end of racial injustices.

“Some might be tempted to say, ‘Oh, they’ll fix it,’” said Mitchell, who is a former undersecretary of education and has deep roots in California as an education leader at both the K-12 and higher education.

But he cautioned that this is not a one-person job.

“This is going take all of us,” he said. “It always needed to take all of us, and we need to rally to their support to make sure that they are as successful as we need them to be.”

It’s also the case that many education leaders in California, including those who don’t come from diverse backgrounds have for decades attempted, to varying degrees, to address the reverberations of racial and ethnic inequality in their institutions.

Two years ago, for example, UC president Janet Napolitano launched an expanded initiative on faculty diversity, pledging $7 million to the task. That was only the latest of multiple efforts going back many years.

Those efforts have put UC ahead of the 65 other comparable institutions represented by the American Association of Universities. But much remains to be done. Only 10% of UC’s tenured or tenure track faculty were Black, Latino or Native American in the fall of 2017, compared to 8% at public AAU universities and 7% at private ones, according to a recent UC report.

At CSU, Chancellor Tim White launched the

Graduation Initiative 2025, whose goal is to radically boost graduation rates. If successful, Black, Latino and NativeAmerican students would be major beneficiaries because their graduation rates continue to lag white and Asian students.

Earlier this year in an op-article White pledged to take “deeper, systemic action to promote social justice in its full breadth and to re-evaluate the structures that constrain us from becoming the full embodiment of our core values.”

Yet the power of the lived experiences of leaders of color can’t be underestimated, says the ACE’s Mitchell.

“What diverse leadership brings is critically a diversity of experience,” he said.

“These new leaders have grown up in a system that was stacked against them, and so they know what it takes to succeed and thrive in those institutions.

And they will bring that experience to bear when they are thinking about faculty recruitment, about the recruitment of presidents and chancellors on their campuses, about high stakes testing in the K-12 schools. It’s those experiences that we count to help us really make diversity, equity and inclusion work.” [...]

Continue reading at https://edsource. org/2020/for-the-firsttime-in-history-headsof-all-californias-publiceducation-systems-areblack-or-latino/640753

Page 17

Leadership

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October 18, 2020

OP ED

Breaking-up with Wells Fargo

By William Matthews

As if we haven’t suffered enough already in 2020, the Chief Executive Officer of the nation’s largest commercial bank, Wells Fargo, decided to make racist and distasteful remarks. Charles Scharf recently exasperated Black employees in a Zoom meeting this past summer by saying that there aren’t enough qualified minority applicants available to achieve the company’s diversity goals. “While it might sound like an excuse, the unfortunate reality is that there is a very limited pool of black talent to recruit from,” Scharf wrote in the June 18 memo. I called bullsh#t on this statement and I’m disgusted by Scharf.

I have banked with Wells Fargo since 2018 and have multiple

accounts with them, but I no longer want to keep my money in an institution that does not value me or other members of the African American race.

For years, I have applied for jobs with Wells Fargo in their community affairs department. I have never even received an interview, phone screening, or faceto-face. Here I am, a talented individual with two degrees in business, three licenses, four certifications, and a damn leadership certificate from Harvard University! Mr. Scharf, are you referring to me? Do you see my hand in the air asking for Wells Fargo to call on me?

I didn’t think so.

Upset and speechless with the outpouring of racial injustice in this country that has shown up on my front door this year along with COVID-19.

I decided to place a phone call to Wells Fargo corporate office in San Francisco to file a formal complaint. I spoke to a pleasant representative on the phone that carefully listened to my concern, took notes, asked questions, and apologized profoundly; however, that was not enough for me. I requested someone from management or leadership to contact me directly.

After six days, another representative called me and apologized. She read off Charles Scharf’s weak apology and said if there was anything needed. Uh, yeah! Where is the action that will be taken so black talent is hired? Why wasn’t this apology emailed to all customers? Why can’t I find the apology on the Wells Fargo website? I had so many questions for this lady that she was stuttering, breaking up vows and verbs and flabbergasted. I told her to go back and try again!

I requested someone from leadership, which she was not. I requested someone

to answer why I should continue with Wells Fargo, she didn’t know.

Why couldn’t someone from the Diversity & Inclusion Dept. contact me? What programs in my region and nationally are Wells Fargo implementing to combat systematic racism and economic equality?

What I did not want was for a customer service agent to call me reading off talking points and a weak ass Twitter apology.

I pressed the resend button on my executive complaint. I have given Wells Fargo ten business days to contact me or I’m closing several accounts, and I’m telling everyone I know to follow my lead.

Will S. Matthews is a modern-day renaissance man. With interests in philanthropy, event planning, real estate, and marketing, his unique blend of skills and characteristics makes for a powerful offering to his clientele, business associates, and the community. A native of Houston, Texas, Matthews

operates in a variety of arenas in service to both nonprofit and corporate entities. His work includes community outreach, project management, workshop facilitation, fundraising, and keynote speaking. He is also an author, multiple award recipient, and was named in the 40 Under 40 by the Houston Business Journal (2019). As a socially conscious community leader, Matthews eagerly lends his resources to many community and civic organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lone Star, Leadership Houston, METRO, and the Greater Houston Partnership.

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