Happily Divorced And After

NATIONWIDE—- The ASCAP Foundation introduces The ASCAP Foundation HBCU Scholarship to provide financial assistance for students who are enrolled at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and have an interest in pursuing careers in music. Two recipients will be selected for the scholarship, and each will receive $2,500.

The scholarship was announced on Monday, October 10 at a special ASCAP Homecoming SZN: Meet the Graduates event at Clark Atlanta University, hosted by ASCAP’s Rhythm & Soul Membership team. Students enrolled at various HBCUs attended a panel discussion with music executives, who have graduated from HBCUs, including songwriter and producer Khari “Needlz” Cain; Fox Rothschild Associate John Rose; Atlantic Records Director of A&R Sammye Scott; and Quality Control Music Operations Manager / Investment Portfolio Manager Dazayah E. Walker. During the event, the HBCU alums detailed their journey to success from student to professional and shared their favorite HBCU memories and advice for students to take with them as they pursue their entertainment careers.

ASCAP’s Homecoming SZN series celebrates the impact HBCU alumni have made in the entertainment industry – specifically in music. Next year, scholarship recipients will be invited to attend an event hosted by ASCAP Rhythm & Soul with students from ASCAP Aspire, ASCAP’s paid internship program for HBCU students

“The ASCAP Foundation HBCU Scholarship is a natural extension of our efforts to help foster and encourage diversity throughout the music industry,” said The ASCAP Foundation Executive Director, Nicole George-Middleton. “We hope this will be the beginning of an amazing musical future for the selected students.”

The ASCAP Foundation HBCU Scholarship is accepting applications until 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on November 10. Entrants must write a 250-500 word essay describing their music career goals and how an ASCAP Foundation scholarship can help support those goals. Applicants will be judged by a panel of industry professionals on a specific set of criteria which will include the relevance of the essay response to the topic provided, a unique and creative writing style, and organization and clarity of goal. The rules and application process can be found at www.ascapfoundation.org/HBCU.

For further information, please email foundation@ascap.com.

(L-R) ASCAP Director, Rhythm & Soul Membership Jason Reddick, Khari “Needlz” Cain,
Dazayah E. Walker, Sammye Scott, John Rose and ASCAP Manager, Rhythm & Soul Membership
Jennifer Wilson Walker at ASCAP’s “Homecoming SZN: Meet The Graduates” event
at Clark Atlanta University on October 10, 2022. (Photo Credit: Paras Griffin for ASCAP)

Sammye Scott answers a question from an HBCU student during ASCAP’s “Homecoming SZN: Meet The Graduates” panel at Clark Atlanta University on October 10, 2022. (Photo Credit: Paras Griffin for ASCAP)

(L-R) Khari “Needlz” Cain, Sammye Scott, John Rose, Esq., Dazayah E. Walker and ASCAP Manager, Rhythm & Soul Membership Jennifer Wilson Walker take a photo together on-stage following ASCAP’s “Homecoming SZN: Meet The Graduates” panel at Clark Atlanta University on October 10, 2022.
(Photo Credit: Paras Griffin for ASCAP)

By McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media

As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, California Black Media writer McKenzie Jackson takes a look at the lives and accomplishments of some people of Hispanic heritage in California.

Dayane Mendoza Solis considered throwing her hat in the ring for a trustee seat on the Sonoma Valley Unified School District’s board in the upcoming November election.

The 28-year-old accountant, a graduate of the Wine Country’s public school system, says more Latino representation is needed on school boards and in government, more broadly.

In the end, Solis decided not to run. Instead, she chose to focus on her budding career as an accountant. Still, Solis said, she would like to see more Latinos in prominent positions across the Golden State.

“People were so happy to know that I, a Latina, was ready to step into a leadership role,” said Solis, an admirer of New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. “More Latino leaders are needed to step up and guide younger generations because there are so many people of Mexican and other Latin American descents in California.”

Solis hopes Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, shines a light on that.

“The Latino community is made up of hard workers, who are willing to thrive and help others in need,” Solis told California Black Media (CBM). “We have a strong presence in the state.”

Hispanic Heritage Month places that work ethic front and center. The monthlong national recognition is held annually to celebrate the diverse cultures, contributions, and extensive histories of the U.S. Latino community, the second largest racial or ethnic group in the country

Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) says the occasion is an opportunity to acknowledge and uplift the voices and experiences of Latinos in America.

 “We are still living in a time and place where we need to make sure we elevate the experiences of Latinos,” Bonta who is a Black Latina (or Afro Latina) said to CBM. “Having a month dedicated to telling their stories, focusing on their legacies and the everyday heroes who make a difference is very important.”

According to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), Latinos are largest ethnic group in the state. They are about 39.4% of the state’s population or about 15.7 million people. Non-Hispanic Whites are 34.7% and African Americans are 5.4% of the population.

The largest concentration of people of Hispanic Heritage in California lives in Imperial County (79.6%), which is adjacent to San Diego County along the southern border of California. Latinos make up 48% of Los Angeles County’s population and over 50% of the population in San Bernardino and Fresno counties. One in every four Hispanic American call California home.

Among Latinos in California, Mexican Americans account for the largest number of people of Hispanic origin in the state (30.7%) followed by Hispanics originating from the Caribbean (0.8%) and people of Central American descent (3.0%).

Throughout California’s 170-year history Latinos have contributed to every aspect of life including agriculture, construction, entertainment, health care, hospitality, sports, and politics. In fact, people of Hispanic Heritage have been living in California since the 1600s, according to some reports.

California has been home to a number of national heroes of Hispanic heritage including labor leaders Cesar Chavez and Delores Huerta, cofounders of the organization that became the United Farmworkers Union; former and current United States Poet Laureates Juan Felipe Herrera (2015-2017) and Ada Limón; and American civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez.

The economic impact Latinos have on the state and nation was celebrated at the L’ATTITUDE conference from Sept. 22-25 in San Diego. The event allowed Latino professionals to network and share ideas. It attracted business and political leaders and celebrities like former President Barack Obama and Cuban American singer Gloria Estefan.

Obama said, “Success of the country economically is going to depend on how well the Latino community does and other quote unquote minority groups because they’re growing in importance and in strength.”

Alex Padilla, who became California’s first Latino U.S. Senator when Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed him to replace Vice President Kamala Harris, appeared at L’ATTITUDE for a conversation titled “Public Policy Imperatives for the 21st Century America.” Padilla, the son of Mexican immigrants, introduced the Senate bill, “The Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929” to expand a pathway to permanency for millions of long-term U.S. residents three days after the event.

According to PPIC, one-fourth of the undocumented immigrants in the United States (between 2.35 and 2.6 million people) live in California.

The Senate bill Sen. Padilla introduced would allow an immigrant to qualify for lawful permanent resident status if they have lived in the U.S. continuously for at least seven years before filing an application for lawful permanent resident status and are of good moral character. It provides a pathway to a green card for up to eight million people.

The undocumented individuals covered in Padilla’s bill after they become citizens, potentially would contribute about $83 billion to the U.S. economy annually and about $27 billion in taxes according to FWD.us, a bipartisan political organization advocating for immigration reform.

According to Padilla, America’s outdated immigration system is holding back the economy and hurting an unnumberable number of individuals.

“This could have a profound impact on millions of immigrants, some who have been living, working, and contributing to the United States for decades, by allowing them to live freely without the fear of an uncertain future,” he said.

One immigrant the Padilla bill could help in the future is Yenny Soto, a 31-year-old immigrant from Venezuela. Soto crossed the Arizona border last December. She spoke with CBM about her odyssey from Panama to the U.S.

Soto’s journey included multiple plane and bus rides before she and nine other Latin Americans entered the U.S. The band walked through crop fields and barren lands until they met with a group of around 50 other migrants fleeing unstable countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.  Seeking asylum, they called law enforcement and were all arrested.

Soto was held in the custody for over a week and after being assigned a court date for her asylum plea, she landed in New York City where she has been working as a waitress and bartender in clubs and restaurants.

“I knew I had to come and work a lot since I had been told the American Dream was to work and work,” said Soto, who jokes about becoming U.S. president one day.

Ninety-nine percent of Hispanic immigrants in California come from Latin America, with 77% coming from Mexico.

Solis, whose family immigrated legally from Mexico, said immigrants need help getting acclimated to America.

“Families are moving to find a better life,” she said. “Mexico, in particular, has a lot of violence.”

However, Bonta said it is a misconception that immigration concerns are exclusively about Latinos. She said California’s Latino community is not monolithic.

“There is very diverse Latino community — from Central and South America, the Caribbean and people that have been in California for generations,” said Bonta. “Latinos have an incredible history of contributing to the economy of the state.”

Solis hopes all Californians can enjoy Latino culture.

“I think it’s beautiful that it is being celebrated — our diversity, our cultures,” she said. “I find it innovative, but at the same time I would like everyone to question what they are celebrating. Are they going to take the time to learn about Latino cultures? Are they going to make an effort?”

“This publication/project was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— On Saturday, September 24, Michael Torres was crowned Mr. Cardinal City and Anne Martinez was crowned Miss Cardinal City during the combined pageant held at Sturges Center for the Fine Arts.

The Mr. and Miss Cardinal City pageant is the brainchild of Bilingual School Outreach Worker Jaime Rios, who wanted to bring positive attention to both San Bernardino High School (SBHS) and the entire San Bernardino community. He also wanted to build confidence and inspire positive values in the young men and women of SBHS, home of the Cardinals, which is why the focus of the entire process is on academics, social skills, and community service.

“Every one of the contestants, no matter how they placed, proved they are fit to represent Cardinal City and have demonstrated they are role models for the students and adults in our community,” Rios said. “These students dedicated more than 40 hours to practicing for the pageant and 25 hours of community service in addition to their schoolwork, after-school clubs, sports, music, and a host of other activities.

Other big winners were Jamie Lusung, who was crowned Teen International Beauty 2022–2023, and Raven Solar, who was crowned Miss International Beauty 2022–2023. Both will be part of Miss Cardinal City’s court. Jasmine Toolan was awarded a full scholarship, excluding the cost of equipment, to attend the JA School of Hairdressing in Corona to pursue her dream of becoming a cosmetologist or aesthetician. Karina Roldan was awarded a $3,000 scholarship from Dr. Sam Nguyen’s SAM Foundation and also earned recognition for being the contestant with the highest GPA at 4.89.

Rounding out the Miss Cardinal City Court are first runner-up Rachelle Hutto and second runner-up Anitzia Garcia. The Mr. Cardinal City Court includes first runner-up Freddy Martias and second runner-up Anthony Arias.

Other award winners included Mr. Photogenic Freddy Matias, Miss Photogenic Anne Martinez, People’s Choice Award winners Michael Torres and Jamie Lusung, and Director’s Award winners Jasmine Toolan and Rachelle Hutto.

Mr. and Miss Cardinal City and their Courts will represent Cardinal City, which is an official chartered city that encompasses the SBHS campus and all of its current students and staff, at various in-person and virtual functions.

Miss International Beauty and Teen International Beauty are owned by Ms. America Pageant Inc. and are registered federal trademarks. Both titles focus on using the exhilaration of pageantry to teach women and girls important life skills, encourage involvement in community service, and use their Crown for a Purpose, while shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

Louise Madlin founded Miss International Beauty in 1970, and Susan Irvine founded the Teen International Pageant in 2020. The titles are donated to the Miss Cardinal Pageant to give more students the ability to be out and serve in their community. Miss International Beauty and Teen International Beauty are eligible for scholarships based on meeting required appearances and volunteer work during their reign.

Mr. and Miss Cardinal City are eligible for college scholarships when they graduate from SBHS. To donate to the Cardinal Scholarship fund, contact Communications/Community Relations secretary Susan Zavala at (909) 381-1250.

YUCAIPA, CA—- Crafton Hills College (CHC) Theatre Program presents its fall 2022 production “Open”, written by Melissa Harkness and directed by Paul Jacques.

Judy has her Hollywood life all figured out. She just landed the role of her dreams in a big movie. She has an awesome best friend, Natalie, who always supports her. She has a great husband, Gil, who is a production designer and is about to jump onto a new movie with Marcus, a hotshot Director. She’s even finally figured out how to navigate the ins and outs of her open marriage with Gil, coming up with rules and boundaries that both he and she can live with. However, problems arise when a pregnant set dresser shows up to work on Gil’s new film. As Judy becomes more and more suspicious of her husband, her whole world begins to unravel.

WHEN:

Friday, Oct. 7 at 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 9 at 2 p.m.

WHERE:

Finkelstein Performing Arts Center

Crafton Hills College

11711 Sand Canyon Road

Yucaipa, Calif. 92399

TICKETS: 

Tickets are available at craftonhills.edu/tickets and at the Finkelstein Performing Arts Center Box Office. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for General Admission.

CAST:

Judy: Sophie Ball

Gil: Sebastian Hernandez

Marcus: Jacob Brantmeyer

Natalie: Bella Sequeira

Please note: This production is for mature audiences only and includes mature language and adult topics.  

Check out the release of “Waking Up to my Purpose” Memoirs by Kim Cartert his week on the Jennifer Hudson Show on Thursday, October 6.

By Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media

The NAACP commissioned the leading millennial and minority-owned public opinion research company HIT Strategies to analyze Black voter engagement and explore trends and devise strategies to reach voters on the issues that they care about. They found that Black voters are far from being a monolith – though they have many similarities.

However, critical nuances contribute to creating diverging trends among Black voters, particularly when researchers factor in sex and age.

The 2020 election cycle had historic turnout among people of color. HIT Strategies found that 14% of Black voters, 31% of Latino voters, and 39% of Asian American or Pacific Islander voters were new voters. Joe Biden did worse with all three of these demographics than Hillary Clinton did in 2016, though he did significantly better with White seniors, White men, and White college-educated voters.

The Democratic Party had one of the most diverse tickets ever. Candidates of color like Stacy Abrams and Raphael Warnock are supported by significantly different coalitions from Joe Biden. They may not do as well with White voters, thus it is imperative to increase their support among Black voters to succeed, according to the report.

Gender Gap

The research showed that the “Trump Bump,” where Donald Trump’s support increased among Black men voters, affected down ballot elections as well.  Tom Tillis (R-NC), who beat Cal Cunningham by just 95,000 votes, would have lost if Black men were voting for Cunningham at the same rate as Black women.  Though the Trump bump is not unique among Black men, since polls find men are generally more conservative than women, it was unique because they voted Democratic during Barack Obama’s election. In order for Democrats to succeed, they will need to reach voting Black men at the same rate as former President Obama did.

Pain – Power – Progress

In 2020, among Black voters polled in Georgia, 73% said that they felt extremely powerful and 71% turned out to vote.  HIT Strategies determined there was a direct correlation between perceived political power and voter participation. Astonishingly, in 2022 this perception of power has dropped by almost 30%.  If this leads to an equivalent decline in Black voter participation, in any state, HIT Strategies believe that it is likely that the candidates at the top of the ticket are much less likely to succeed. From these results, the NAACP found that in order to increase political participation, they must make Black voters feel powerful, knowing that if they feel powerful that they will not waste that power.

Understanding that Black voters are not a monolith, the research group conducted a combination of high propensity surveys and low propensity focus groups in different battleground states where Black voters could be the margin of difference for a winning candidate.  The goal of the high propensity surveys was to see how voters’ views changed over time, while the focus groups allowed researchers to dive more into the nuances of people’s views.

They found that, consistent with other groups, Black voters were deeply concerned about the economy, probably driven by anxieties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The voters also expressed that they want solutions for gun violence – encompassing mass shootings and gang violence.

“They do not want a gun violence reaction that lends to further mass incarceration, but they do want to see more sophisticated reforms and more aggressive regulation, that is not just criminalizing those that are perpetrating this violence but preventing the violence from happening in the first place,” Terrance Woodburry, CEO and founder of HIT Strategies said.  “Just like the economy, they are not separating gun violence from racism.”

The Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade caused abortion access to surge as an issue, especially among Black voters under 50 years old. “There is no gender gap in support for abortion, it is constant across all young Black voters,” Woodbury said.

The Generational Gap

 HIT Strategies uncovered a potentially threatening generation gap as they conducted their research.

“Young Black voters are extremely cynical, extremely frustrated — not just with Democrats, not just with Republicans, not even just with politics,” Woodbury said. “They are cynical towards institutions that they feel like have failed them.”

“When Black voters were asked if their lives had improved since Joe Biden was elected, 73% said that their lives had not improved, including 21% who said that their lives had gotten worse.  When young Black voters were isolated, 28% said their lives had gotten worse. That’s where the erosion happens, both the erosion in turnout and the erosion of support for these candidates,” said Woodbury.

Though these same voters felt empowered in 2020, many of them don’t think that there has been enough progress.  The critical challenge in future elections is “activating those young people, keeping them engaged in the process and making them feel that their votes are powerful enough to make a difference,” Woodbury concluded.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

On Sept. 29, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill (AB) 2296 authored by Assembly member Reggie Jones-Sawyer.

The bill proposed extending the term for the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans by an additional year until July 1, 2024.

“I am returning Assembly Bill 2296 without my signature,” Newsom said in a written statement. “At the request of the author of the original legislation that created this task force, I am vetoing this bill.”

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber authored AB 3121 the legislation establishing the task force in 2020 – while serving in the Assembly. The task force was formed to study slavery and its lingering effects on African Americans with a “special consideration” for descendants of persons enslaved in the United States.

Jones-Sawyer is a member of the Task Force.

As written, AB 2296 would “remove the specified term of office for appointees and, instead, subject the appointees to removal at the pleasure of their appointing authority.”

That action would authorize the Task Force, by majority vote, to elect officers and create advisory bodies and subcommittees to accomplish its duties.

Currently, Los Angeles attorney Kamilah Moore is the task force chair and civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown of San Francisco serves as vice chair.

The Task Force consists of nine members. Five of them are appointed by the Governor, two members are appointed by the President pro Tempore of the Senate, and another two are appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.

The Assembly passed AB 2296 with a 59-13 majority vote. In the Senate, it passed 32-6 at the end of August. It was sent to the Governor on Sept. 9 for his signature.

Jones-Sawyer avoided making any public comment about AB 2296 since introducing the bill in the Assembly on Feb. 16, 2022.

At a two-day meeting in Los Angeles on Sept. 23 and Sept. 24 at the California Science Center and the Wallis Annenberg Building in Exposition Park, Jones-Sawyer made a public statement about the bill.

“The Task Force report will be completed on time as richly envisioned by Dr. Shirley Weber. It will not be delayed and will be done (July 1, 2023) whether the governor signs my bill or not,” Sawyer said. However, he avoided commenting on the removal of members mentioned in the bill.

Many speakers during public comment at the first day of the meeting voiced concerns about extending the Reparations Task Force sunset date for an additional year.

Jones-Sawyer said his intention to extend the task force was to allow members to lobby the Assembly and Senate legislators who may not be in favor of the recommendations or “dollar amount.”

“That is the purpose why I wanted this group to stay together, not to hold up part of the report, but to keep this group together so they can lobby our colleagues and other individuals who may not be in line or in lockstep with what we want to do. And there are several of them who are not in line with what we want to do,” Sawyer said.

The members of the Coalition of a Just and Equity California (CJEC) and other advocate groups for reparations conducted a month-long continuous social media campaign on all platforms and made pleas to the public to call the governor’s office urging Newsom to veto AB 2296.

“The Governor made the right decision. As Reparations advocates, our job is to make sure the Reparations development process is open, transparent, led by the descendant community, and free from political influence,” said Chris Lodgson, a member of CJEC. “We are thankful to Governor Newsom and Secretary Weber for agreeing with us, as well as everyone who reached out to the Governor or encouraged people to reach out to the Governor to help achieve this victory. AB 2296 was a bad bill and deserved to be vetoed.”

The San Francisco Black and Jewish Unity Coalition offered its support against the bill when it was asked by Rev. Brown and Weber to “reach out” to all the participants in the “Teach-In on Reparations: for African Americans in California and San Francisco.”

Brown and Weber were guest speakers at the teach-in held in San Francisco on Sept. 18 at the Congregation Sherith Israel. The Unity Coalition is a grassroots organization, made up of people of faith and/or social activists, committed to the causes of racial, social, and economic justice and to dismantling systemic racism at the local, regional and national levels.

“Please immediately contact Governor Gavin Newsom’s office and ask him to veto the Jones-Sawyer legislation — AB 2296 — that would extend the term of the (California) State Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans and open up the opportunity to remove and replace members,” the coalition said in a statement to the teach-in participants. “The work of the Task Force is on track and on schedule, and we need to stay the course. The Task Force has not asked for an extension.”

On June 1, the Task Force submitted its interim report to the California Legislature. The interim report covers the ongoing and compounding harms experienced by African Americans as a result of slavery and its lingering effects on American society today.

A final report will be issued before July 1, 2023.

By Lou Yeboah

Well so be it, have it your way, but I tell you; you will be sorry because there are consequence to pay when one does not heed My warnings. Disobedience brings My punishment. Disobedience attracts My Judgment. Disobedience attracts My Wrath. Disobedience damns you in Hell. But you don’t want to listen, well so be it, because it is what it is, and it will be what it will be.

I am going to appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume your eyes, and cause sorrow of your heart: I am going to set my face against you, that ye shall be slain before your enemies: and those that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when no one pursueth you.

And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

And if ye walk contrary unto me and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your highways shall be desolate. And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things but will walk contrary unto me. Then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.

And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest and enjoy her sabbaths. [Leviticus 26:14-34]. It is what it is, and it will be what it will be!

Cursed shall you be in the city and cursed shall you be in the country. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Cursed shall you be when you come in and cursed shall you be when you go out. For the Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Him. [Deuteronomy 28:15-21].

Second the motion. If you will not hear, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to My name, I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed you already because you do not take it to heart. [Malachi 2:2].

It is what it Is and It will be what It will be! You don’t want to listen!

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office released a statement last week announcing that Senate Bill (SB) 457 was among a slew of bills sent back to the Legislature without his signature.

SB 457 proposed a $1000 tax credit to California households with zero registered vehicles.

“Addressing climate change is one of our state ‘s highest priorities. We have made historic investments in programs to reduce emissions and improve public transportation. I support approaches to incentivize a transition from vehicles to more sustainable transportation, however the estimated cost to implement this bill is nearly one billion dollars per year and is not accounted for in the budget,” Newsom said in a statement.

Often, when the Governor vetoes a bill it’s because its financial viability is questionable.

Supporters of SB 457 say the legislation was written to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. With around 28 million vehicles on the road in California, the bill’s author, Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank), saw a need to incentivize change.

Transportation accounts for 41% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions, more than any other sector of society, according to the California Air Resources Board. The state offers tax rebates of up to $7,000 for purchases of electric vehicles or plug in hybrids.

This bill would have required the Department of Motor Vehicles to provide necessary taxpayer and vehicle information to the Franchise Tax Board for administration of the credit. Built into the legislation was an income limitation of $40,000 for single filers and $60,000 for joint filers.

“We are disappointed to see Newsom veto SB 457, Streets for All’s bill with Senator Portantino to create a $1000 refundable tax credit for low income, car-free families,” said Bubba Fish, legislative advocate for Streets for All. “Newsom argued that the rebate was not fiscally responsible just months after proposing to spend hundreds of millions to pay families for each car they own and suspend the diesel gas tax. The state also rewards EV buyers up to $9500, but gives nothing to families who don’t drive at all. Families that don’t contribute to traffic, traffic violence, or pollution. Where is their rebate? Until the Governor replaces automobile subsidies with real support for alternative modes, his aggressive rhetoric on fighting climate change rings hollow.”

A fiscal analysis initially estimated the bill would cost $900 million in its first year of implementation and $950 million in the second year.

However, updated scrutiny from the Franchise Tax Board shared with Streets For All shows that the first year of implementation would cost $16 million, followed by $900 million in the second year and $950 million in the third year. While it is unclear if these updated numbers would have made a difference in Newsom’s decision, Fish remains hopeful in the future a similar bill will pass.

“We are especially grateful for our coalition of supporters, Senator Portantino, and his staff for all their hard work on this bill,” Fish said. Despite the Governor’s bewildering decision, we are proud of this bill for the conversation it sparked about how to invest in a greener, safer future while centering those who need the most support. We won’t give up on that.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Who’s ready for change? Special Ed teacher Mary Ellen Abilez Grande would leave teaching to serve students in San Bernardino another way should she slip in a win over any incumbents, who voters may decide they want to change.

A Candidate for San Bernardino City Unified School Board Member, Mary Ellen has been endorsed by the Inland Empire Labor Council and COPE. At The Chicago NEA Convention this past July, David Goldberg, CTA Vice President said just one word to Mary Ellen after she shared her plans with him to run against well-established incumbents- “Gutsy!” She raised 3 daughters as a single mom, all graduates of SBCUSD.

Mary Ellen Abilez Grande is a seasoned educator dedicated to all students, and a creative team leader with the ability to inspire efficacy in others. As an advocate for students and peers, in the community and in the K12 system, she actively engaged in promoting contemporary solutions for education.

“My resume includes academic and professional degrees and credentials, reflects training in the current issues of today, and many other roles within our community. I believe I have always been in service of inspiring students within the educational environment. My now twenty years of serving students in the K-12 classroom, has given me a personal perspective, understanding, empathy and knowledge of students, their parents, and the home,” says Mary Ellen.  “I have also been directly impacted by board policies, and while I honor those efforts, I believe that I and my skill set in collaboration, empathy, and mind for efficacy is an asset.”

Not being afraid to share the platform, Mary Ellen will be holding a meet and greet Wednesday, October 19, 2022, for all candidates to be able to introduce themselves to community members and share remarks. The meet and greet will be held at the Downtown bar located at 123 N. E Street, San Bernardino, CA starting at 7:00 pm ending at 9:00 pm. Light refreshments will be provided along with live jazz music from the house band. For more information on how to participate please visit website listed below.

The elections will take place on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Vote Mary Ellen Abilez Grande, A WOMAN FOR CHANGE.

For more information on Mary Ellen Abilez Grande visit Maryellenabilezgrande.Democrat.