Prop 14- YES. Funding future cures is precisely the sort of thing bonds are appropriate for, by spreading the cost between present and future, as the benefit is heavily future-weighted.

Prop 15- YES. Commercial properties should not be able to remain effectively indefinitely at the same assessed value through tricks of transfer. Regular reassessment will help fund community needs and schools, the same as any other property tax revenue. Entities (like your average small business) that own commercial property less than $3 million in value won’t be affected.

Prop 16- YES. In the interest of equity, the state should be able to conduct affirmative action to aid those that were discriminated against.

Prop 17- YES. We want to reintegrate people on parole into society, and voting is one of the most fundamental ways to do that.

Prop 18- YES. I don’t see any good reason that someone shouldn’t be able to vote in a primary election for a general election that they would be 18 for.

Prop 19- YES. This future-shifts property tax gains to communities, by increasing present exemptions (allowing for more transfers of property without reassessment within someone’s lifetime) and reducing future ones (by reassessing properties on death, except when the heir takes residence or the property’s value is less than $1 million). Far too often we’ve gone for present benefits and future costs- this is the other way around, and should be supported for that alone.

Prop 20- NO. We shouldn’t require DNA collection for any misdemeanors.

Prop 21- YES. Local governments should have the power to set rent controls relevant for their conditions. This doesn’t require anyone to create rent controls- it merely makes the option available.

Prop 22- NO. No paying for exemptions from the law. An industrial sector buying an initiative to buy exemption from a general law for that sector alone is an abomination.

Prop 23- YES. Most of the time a doctor won’t be needed- but when one is, time will be critical. Also, prevents mass closures to get around intent of law.

Prop 24- NO. I’m nowhere near confident enough in any improvements this initiative makes to support a 7/8^th majority requirement in the legislature to change it. That’s absurdly high.

Prop 25- YES. The algorithms are imperfect- but better than cash bail.

Proposition X- YES. The overwhelming majority of Contra Costa County’s tax revenue is from property tax, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in the property market. Increasing the county’s sales tax will mitigate that vulnerability.

President: Joe Biden/Kamala Harris. He’s not perfect, but he’s been willing to adopt better policies as the world changes, which earns him points in my book.

US Representative: Mike Thompson. He’s done a good job communicating about attempts to get Covid relief through congress, and just as importantly voted for that relief.

State Senator: Nancy Skinner. My opinion of her hasn’t changed- she continues to do good work in Sacramento.

Member of the State Assembly District 15: Buffy Wicks. I’m changing my position from the primary here because her opponent has conceded on her own campaign webpage. While I may not agree with Buffy on every issue, I admire her dedication towards equity for child care.

Contra Costa County Board of Education District 1: Consuelo Lara. She’s done good work on the WCCUSD board, and is against charter schools.

West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) District 1: Jamela Smith-Folds. She’s a good person, a long-time teacher and someone who has clearly been dedicated to the district.

Supervisor District 5: Federal Glover. Gus Kramer continues to be just as unacceptable to me as he was in the primary. We should not reward questionable conduct in an official role by electing that person to another official role.

Pinole City Councilmember: Maureen Toms and Devin Murphy. Maureen brings years of experience working with the county, as well as her prior work on the city council. Her intellect and knowledge will make her an asset to the council.

Devin is a small business owner who is going to bring his experience there and on the planning commission to help everyone thrive in Pinole. I like his commitment to participatory budgeting and focusing on youth engagement in Pinole in particular.

Pinole City Treasurer: Rafael Menis. I have the skills and experience to make the city’s budget and investments clear to everyone. Vote for me to be your eyes on your money.

East Bay Regional Park District Ward 1: Elizabeth Echols. She’s done a fine job expanding access to the parks while maintaining the environment- not an easy balance to keep.

BART District 7: Lateefah Simon. She’s gone out of her way to communicate with Pinole much more than past directors, and actively uses transit so she has skin in the game.

National

President: Bernie Sanders. Bernie is the only candidate who both recognizes the critical issues facing our nation and is building a movement to combat it. From climate change to health care, war to education, Bernie has and has always had the right positions. But those positions are meaningless without a popular movement to back them. Bernie is building that movement. Finally, his personal character is above reproach.

Regional

US Representative, District 5: Jason Kishineff. I like his core priorities (criminal justice reform, dealing with climate change, removing corporate money from politics), and more broadly he’s pushing for the same platform as Sanders is.

State Senator, District 9: Nancy Skinner. She’s the only candidate on the ballot, and well-qualified for it.

State Assembly-member, District 15: Sara Brink. I like Sara Brink’s focus on returning power to the community.

Judge of the Superior Court: Susanne M. Fenstermacher. She hasn’t done anything wrong as a judge, and I would rather not vote to remove a judge without that.

County Supervisor, District 5: Sean Trambley. He supports affordable housing, and has taken the time to campaign in Pinole and ask for our opinions. Federal Glover (or possibly a PAC supporting him, it’s been a few years) ran ads against his opponent in the last election, attacking her for calling for more housing. And Gus Kramer is notorious for his creating a hostile workplace environment as assessor, and for engaging in self-dealing in his role as assessor and as a private party.

Democratic County Central Committee: Ryan H. Apperson, Anamarie Avila Farias, Nadine Grace Peyrucain, John Stevens. They all have good platforms. Courtney Masella-O’Brien’s core priorities list is inadequate. Richard Verrilli doesn’t even have one on votersedge.

There are 2 local propositions on the ballot in Pinole this primary- Measure R from the West Contra Costa Unified School District, a bond measure to fund school renovations in WCCUSD; and Measure J from Contra Costa county, a sales tax increase of 1/2 cent for 30 years to fund various transportation projects.

I support Measure R and Measure J.

The reason why I support Measure R is simple. Pinole has benefited disproportionately from the last school bond measure to pass- it funded the construction of the new Pinole Valley High School,at double the expected cost. Those funds were not available to go to the last projects on the reconstruction list, which just happened to be concentrated in Richmond, in historically disadvantaged areas. Without Measure R, those projects will continue to not be completed, and if Proposition 13 passes, WCCUSD will be less able to access funds from it. As a resident of Pinole, we owe the rest of the district the chance to do better than we did.

Measure J has a good balance of transit measures across the county. While I would like to see a BART extension towards Hercules prioritized, failing that the measures taken in Measure J are a good mitigation step. It would increase funding for roadway repairs across the county (which Pinole certainly needs). It would also dedicate a significant amount of money ($250 million) to improving bus service frequency and lowering cost of use in West County, which is key to having buses be accepted as a transit alternative (https://ccta.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CCTA_TEP_Draft24_final3_102319.pdf, the 2020 Transportation Expenditure Plan, page 22).

Proposition 13- School rebuilding bonds. Yes.

One of the core problems in California’s post Proposition 13 (1978) system is that some local school systems can raise bonds to rebuild their schools much more easily than others. This Proposition 13 grants an increased share of cost to the state for worse-off districts, and prioritizes those projects higher than they currently are through linked legislation. (see https://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2020/primary/pdf/prop13-title-summ-analysis.pdf, page 14). In addition, the state is running out of money to fund any new school bond projects (ibid, page 12), and those projects are of substantial, long-term importance.

I have agreed to abide by the city of Pinole’s Local Campaign Contribution Limits, and California’s Code of Fair Campaign Practices.

The Local Campaign Contribution Limits caps the amount I can raise from any single person at $500 dollars, from any political committee at $1000 dollars, and the overall amount I can raise at $12,000 dollars.

The Code of Fair Campaign Practices is worth quoting in full. It says-

CODE OF FAIR CAMPAIGN PRACTICES

There are basic principles of decency, honesty, and fair play which every candidate for public office in the State of California has a moral obligation to observe and uphold in order that, after vigorously contested but fairly conducted campaigns, our citizens may exercise their constitutional right to a free and untrammeled choice and the will of the people may be fully and clearly expressed on the issues.

THEREFORE:

(1) I SHALL CONDUCT my campaign openly and publicly, discussing the issues as I see them, presenting my record and policies with sincerity and frankness, and criticizing without fear or favor the record and policies of my opponents or political parties that merit this criticism.

(2) I SHALL NOT USE OR PERMIT the use of character defamation, whispering campaigns, libel, slander, or scurrilous attacks on any candidate or his or her personal or family life.

(3) I SHALL NOT USE OR PERMIT any appeal to negative prejudice based on a candidate’s actual or perceived race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, age, sexual orientation, sex, including gender identity, or any other characteristic set forth in Section 12940 of the Government Code, or association with another person who has any of the actual or perceived characteristics set forth in Section 12940 of the Government Code.

(4) I SHALL NOT USE OR PERMIT any dishonest or unethical practice that tends to corrupt or undermine our American system of free elections, or that hampers or prevents the full and free expression of the will of the voters including acts intended to hinder or prevent any eligible person from registering to vote, enrolling to vote, or voting.

(5) I SHALL NOT coerce election help or campaign contributions for myself or for any other candidate from my employees.

(6) I SHALL IMMEDIATELY AND PUBLICLY REPUDIATE support deriving from any individual or group that resorts, on behalf of my candidacy or in opposition to that of my opponent, to the methods and tactics that I condemn. I shall accept responsibility to take firm action against any subordinate who violates any provision of this code or the laws governing elections.

(7) I SHALL DEFEND AND UPHOLD the right of every qualified American voter to full and equal participation in the electoral process.

I, the undersigned, candidate for election to public office in the State of California or treasurer or chairperson of a committee making any independent expenditures, hereby voluntarily endorse, subscribe to, and solemnly pledge myself to conduct my campaign in accordance with the above principles and practices.

That means I will be honest about what I see as the issues facing Pinole, that I will criticize policies that deserve criticism without fear or favor. I will not use attacks on other candidate’s character by any means, and I will repudiate any support or endorsement I have received from anyone else if they do so. I will not appeal to prejudice or bigotry (which I would never do in any case- I abhor bigotry of all kinds). I will not undertake any dishonest or unethical practice to corrupt the elections or stop people from voting (unlike many actions of the Republican party over the last decade). I won’t coerce contributions or help from anyone, not just my employees (since I don’t have any). I will repudiate any support I have received from a person or group if they do any of those things. And I will fight to make sure that everyone who is allowed to vote can vote.

I think a good city councilor above all else needs to be able to Listen. If you can’t listen to your constituents, you can’t understand their concerns. If you can’t listen to your fellow council-members, you don’t know what their goals and concerns are, or what their objections might be to your goals and concerns. If there’s any one thing I’ve learned from working as a home healthcare aide, it’s how to listen. Listening isn’t just about hearing the words that are said, though that’s definitely important. Body language, tone, which words in particular are used, and what is not said are all important parts of listening as well.

Second, you need to be Persuasive. You need to be able to persuade the electorate to be elected at all, of course, but you also need to be able to persuade your fellow Council-members and anyone you’re working with on the various boards you’re assigned to. If you can’t persuade people, you can be a great listener and problem solver and have exactly the right vision- but you won’t be able to use those strengths to accomplish your vision. It’s difficult to prove that you’re persuasive in the abstract, so I’ll refer to my speech on the Library at the May 15th meeting (video, go to 1:09 for the core of the argument).

Third, you need to be a good problem solver. This is relatively broad- you need to be open-minded, to have access to the broadest possible range of ideas, be good at analyzing things, so you can get rid of the ideas that don’t work, and be able to implement your chosen solution. You also need to be able to learn things quickly. Some of these attributes I’ll only be able to demonstrate over time, through actions- but I’ve already demonstrated them in one instance. I went to the University of Chicago and graduated with a BA in Political Science with general honors. I did that by learning ideas from a broad range of sources- ancient writers, modern ones, activists, and through my work in a community non-profit; synthesizing them together in various different ways as the situation required, and implementing my understanding of those ideas through writing and action.

Fourth, you need to be Dedicated. I have demonstrated and will continue to demonstrate this dedication by attending city council meetings, and urge my fellow candidates to join me. Being on the city council is a significant ongoing time requirement. You are, at a minimum going to be spending ten hours a month at city council meetings, and at least that much again on various committees and regional boards. Based on my discussions with city staff, being on the City Council, if you don’t interact with the community at all outside of meetings, is a 40-hour workweek at below minimum wage levels. If elected, my work as a home healthcare aide allows me schedule flexibility to meet the needs of the city, above and beyond the minimum requirement. As I’ve stated in my platform, I intend to do outreach on social media and via flyers to make the city’s information more accessible to the general public- both before and after the election.

Finally, you need to have a vision. Your job as a city council member isn’t to do nuts and bolts implementation of city policy- that’s the city staff’s job. Your job is to provide direction. My vision for Pinole is a city where there’s a thriving community that is engaged with its government, which in turn provides the services and spaces to help the community thrive.

I’ve been living in Pinole since 2011, helping with my mother’s daylily business for all of that time and working as a licensed home healthcare aide since 2016. For a while, I was disengaged from politics- but Bernie Sanders’ campaign in 2016 got me back into political action. I joined the Pinole Progressive Alliance in 2017, and have been working with them to try and get the library running at full hours. After going to all but one of the city council meetings since May, I saw that there was a marked disconnect between Pinole’s city government and the community, that there was significant division within the community, and that there were not really any community gathering spaces for working-age adults in Pinole. After talking with city staff, I realized the long-term threats to Pinole’s financial stability. Without better engagement and communication between city government and the community, Pinole will decline. But working together, we can renew Pinole.

My Platform

Securing Pinole’s financial future

I’m running because I think Pinole needs to secure it’s financial future. While Pinole’s budget is in balance now, there are future threats which will need to be addressed. Since propositions 13 and 218 sharply limit how much revenue Pinole can raise from property taxes, the city has relied on Sales tax as the city’s largest revenue source (by far, over 40% of unbound revenue) (budget, pages B-1 and B-2), and the Utility User Tax (UUT) as a significant source of income (10.29% of this year’s unbound revenue, as noted on page B-1). When times are good, like they are now, this isn’t a huge problem. An influx of customers keeps most of the chains open and sales tax revenues high. But when they go bad, the city doesn’t have many counter-cyclical revenue sources. Furthermore, in the city’s own 5-year projection for the general fund, it anticipates significant deficits every single year from 2019 onwards, ranging from $397,603 in the 2019-20 budget year to -$1,539,485 in the 2022-23 budget year, primarily due to marked increases in benefits and insurance costs (City budget, B-10).

In the long term, the big box mall store model is going out of favor, and as the mega-chains collapse (like Toys R Us and OSH), the tenants that replace them might not provide sales tax revenue at all. Finally, the utility user tax (UUT) has been declining over time with the phasing out of landlines, and could potentially drop precipitously if there’s widespread solar installation. I think the city should investigate new counter-cyclical revenue sources.

That said, if the UUT fails the city will immediately face a 1.9 million dollar deficit. I will be campaigning for the UUT measure on this fall’s ballot, Measure C, and urge all voters in Pinole to vote for it. But right now, people are disinclined to vote for it because they don’t see the concrete benefits the government provides. That’s why I’m working on:

Reconnecting Pinole with its government

People feel out of touch with the city government, and vice versa. Even though there’s lots of information that the public can access, people don’t necessarily know that. The city’s website redesign might mitigate some of this, but the city needs to do more direct outreach via social media, mailings and postings at popular community gathering places. I will be doing some of this outreach as part of my campaign, and will continue to do so if elected.

City documents aren’t always easy to understand. Take the city’s budget. The budget proper, while it goes to some lengths to explain items to the public, has no graphs in it whatsoever. You can watch the video of the presentation on the budget which does have graphs, but I wouldn’t call that accessible. I made some graphs from the city’s budget, which you can find here. In addition, I will write a detailed as well as top-level analysis of this year’s budget as I understand it in another blog post. You can find the top-level analysis here.

Finally, most working-age adults cannot attend Tuesday night council meetings to give their input on the city’s agenda items after Citizens to be Heard. I am going to ask the public what meeting times would be easiest to attend, so it would be easier for members of the public to give their input. If the Council is unwilling to change meeting times, at the very least it should have Citizens to be Heard immediately after closed session.

But even if all of these things are done, there’s not necessarily concrete things that the government can point to within the operating budget. That’s why I think we need to work towards having concrete things to point to- like having the library be open every day of the week, and in the longer term reopening the Pinole Valley Fire Station.

Renewing the Library and reopening the Pinole Valley Fire Station

I think one of the major challenges we face as a community is that we lack community institutions for families and non-senior adults. Certainly, there’s the senior center for seniors, and the youth center for youth. But for working-age adults and families as a whole, there isn’t a natural community gathering place.

I think the Library can and should become that place. There’s already a large space separate from the library proper that is used for community events, and it could easily be converted into a community center outright. The problem is that the city of Pinole hasn’t funded maintenance of the library for years, and so it’s only open every other weekday. I would work to have the city take control of the library, fund it so that it can be open every weekday, and create a community gathering space there. This would strengthen the community as well as the library.

Doing this would make it clear that government can bring benefits to the community. On the basis of this, it would be possible to start working towards more ambitious projects, like reopening the Pinole Valley Fire Station. The city has never had the necessary revenue stream to keep that station open, but in rush hour it’s a public safety risk having the only station be on the other side of the high school. While the city is limited in what revenue sources it can seek by state law, I believe that keeping a fire station open is a classic community benefit for a parcel tax levy. I would prefer to adjust the property tax rate directly, but Proposition 13 bars that. Of course right now, the community is divided enough that even existing tax measures draw opposition when they are up for renewal.

Bringing Pinole together

And so, finally, I think we need to come together as a community. That starts with my listening to as many people as I can reach from all walks of life- from the Labor Council to the Rotary Club, from the Police Department to the Pinole Progressive Alliance. I will listen to all sides so that I can represent everyone, and so that I can understand everyone’s perspectives. I will be open minded, because it’s the right thing to do, and because representing the community is impossible with a closed mind. If you can’t understand other people’s perspectives, you can’t represent them properly.

Pinole can be better- a city where there’s a thriving community that’s engaged with its government, which in turn provides the services and spaces to help the community thrive. But by default, this will not happen. Inertia in the structures of government and the challenges people face in their everyday lives has lead to disengagement with government, which will lead to a backlash against government revenue sources, which will lead to fewer services and on in a cycle of decline.

I plan to break that cycle at the root, by getting information on what the government does out to the community. The Pinole Library would be an ideal space for that, but it’s only open every other weekday because the city doesn’t pay for its maintenance. I think the city should fully fund the library’s maintenance so it can act as the heart of the community once again.