By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

Last week, in Redlands — a San Bernardino County city about 63 miles east of Los Angeles — U.S. military vets joined Assemblymember James Ramos (D-Highland) at a rally in support of Assembly Bill (AB) 1623.

The legislation would implement a statewide tax exemption for military retirees.

Jeff Breiten, a Marine Corps veteran who lives in Redlands, says this bill would be a way to give back to service members.

“California’s military retirees appreciate the fact that Assemblyman Ramos has stepped forward to carry this bill,” said Breiten. “This legislation will not only provide a well-earned benefit to those who served our country for 20 years or more, it will also help retain and attract to California these retirees who will lend their skills during second careers in a variety of key industries and professions across the great state of California.”

Ramos, who is the only Native American in the California Assembly, introduced the bill in January along with Assemblymember Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta).

“Military retirees bring benefits to our state such as stability, job skills used in second careers, and federal funding,” said Ramos. “These men and women have served our nation in a variety of valuable capacities, and they and their families have frequently done so at great personal sacrifice. California needs to acknowledge the contributions more fully they make.”

AB 1623 would “require the Legislative Analyst and state Department of Veterans Affairs to produce an analysis of the tax exemption based on the number of retirees claiming it and to determine whether the tax relief has aided in the retirees’ financial security and increased the numbers of retirees choosing to remain in California,” according to the bill’s text.

Ramos noted that California is one of only nine states that fully taxes the pay of its 146,000 former service members who are military retirees.

Ramos says that he hopes AB 1623 will make California more appealing to vets, incentivizing them to move to the state and boost its economy.

The California Council of Chapters of the Military Officers Association of America (CALMOAA) has expressed support for the bill.

“Military retirees have a steady income and bring stability to the community,” said Fred Green, president of CALMOAA and a retired Navy lieutenant commander. “It should be noted that not all military retirees collect their retirement immediately. Reservists and National Guard members collect retirement at age 60. Regardless, we continue to support our community and our economy after our retirement from the military.”

As the bill is currently written, California Assembly would have until Jan. 2033 to implement the tax exemption.

California’s Personal Income Tax Law currently only excludes combat-related compensation.

“We contribute to job growth and boost sales tax revenues. Thirty states understand this and do not tax military retirement income,” Green continued. “Most military retirees pursue second careers where they utilize their training, technical skills, leadership, and knowledge. After my service in the Navy as an engineer, I became an elementary school teacher and adjunct college professor to give back to my community.”

San Bernardino County’s unemployment rate dropped to pre-pandemic levels in March, as payrolls increased by nearly 10,000 during the month to a record 976,000, the County’s Workforce Development Board reported Friday.

Newly released data from the California Employment Development Department showed unemployment dropping to 4.3% in March, the lowest level since February 2020 and down from 5% in February. Led by continued growth in the region’s supply chain industry and a resurgence in hospitality-related businesses, payrolls across the County are now 24,000 above where they were before the COVID-19 lockdown – one of the strongest recovery rates in California.
Meanwhile, the total number of eligible workers also reached all-time high – 1.02 million. The labor pool in San Bernardino County has now exceeded 1 million five months in a row.

“These numbers continue to underscore the strength of our labor force here in San Bernardino County as we fortify our role as one of the fastest-growing economic and population centers in the United States,” said Curt Hagman, Chairman of the County Board of Supervisors.

The surge in payrolls and labor force align with recent studies that have have shown a dramatic migration of residents from Los Angeles and Orange counties into the Inland Empire. Newly released Census data show the IE recording the fifth fastest population growth among metro areas in the U.S. during the 12 months ending July 31, 2021.

“Families and young professionals are coming to San Bernardino County in record numbers to pursue career opportunities and enjoy a quality of life they can’t get elsewhere. All of this great news for employers and the regional economy as we build on this remarkable period of growth for our County,” said Phil Cothran, Chairman of the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board.

Cothran encouraged job seekers to check out the services and resources WDD offers. Information on those services – including the three America’s Job Centers of California across the county – is available at: https://wp.sbcounty.gov/workforce.

SACRAMENTO, CA— Due to the success of last year’s inaugural program, the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF) has partnered again with California’s energy companies to provide $3,000 grants to independent restaurant owners and their staff through the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund. The nonprofit, known for investing in and empowering California restaurants and their workforce, received nearly $1,500,000 for this year’s fund. SoCalGas provided the lead gift of $525,000, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) returned with contributions of $500,000 and $175,000, respectively. Rounding out the fund is a $250,000 donation from Wells Fargo, which will power support services and resources to assist Resilience Fund grant recipients in improving their business for the long-term.

“We’re thrilled to partner with CRF again and continue helping California’s restaurant community build back stronger and better than ever,” said David Barrett, Vice President and General Counsel at SoCalGas, the Resilience Fund’s lead sponsor. “It was incredibly inspiring to read the stories of resilience from last year’s recipients and help them keep their doors open. This time around, we’re addressing longer term investments that will build a strong, stable foundation for our independent restaurant owners.”

While last year’s Resilience Fund grants were intended to be used on payroll and ‘survival’ expenses – in fact, 73 percent of recipients used the grants to cover labor – this year’s Resilience Fund program is focused on investing and recovering California’s restaurant community. Grant recipients can use this year’s funds for equipment upgrades and employee retention bonuses to alleviate industry-wide staffing issues and deferred maintenance caused by two years of incurring debt, losses and rising costs. The one-year of support services will help restaurants build back and thrive.

“Of last year’s cohort, 64 percent of our grant recipients said conditions are still difficult but improving, and 90 percent said the grant was ‘very important’ to the survival of their restaurant,” said Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of CRF. “It will take years for the industry to fully recover, which is why we are extremely grateful that SoCalGas, PG&E, SDG&E and Wells Fargo have partnered with us again to invest in our state’s eclectic and extremely resilient restaurant community.”

Resilience Fund applications will be open from April 15-30, 2022 and can be found at www.restaurantscare.org/resilience. Grants will be available to all California-based restaurant owners with less than three units and less than $3 million in revenue. Priority will be given to restaurants owned by women and people of color. Last year, the Resilience Fund awarded 318 grants to independent restaurant owners, 65 percent of which were women-owned and 83 percent color-owned.

The Resilience Fund is currently accepting additional support from corporations, foundations, and individuals who want to invest in California’s restaurant recovery. Donations of all sizes are accepted and celebrated at www.restaurantscare.org/resilience.

For more information about the California Restaurant Foundation, Restaurants Care, or the Resilience Fund, please visit www.restaurantscare.org.

About the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF):
California is home to more than 90,000 eating and drinking places that ring up more than $72 billion in sales and employ more than 1.6 million workers, making restaurants an indisputable driving force in the state’s economy. The California Restaurant Foundation is a non-profit that empowers and invests in California’s restaurant workforce. Founded in 1981, CRF supports the restaurant community through relief grants for restaurant workers facing a hardship, job and life skills training for 13,500 high school students each year, and scholarships. For more information visit www.calrestfoundation.org.

Swearing-in Ceremony held for County Superintendent of Schools and Arrowhead United Way President

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- First 5 San Bernardino is pleased to announce Ted Alejandre and Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers, EdD, have been appointed as new commissioners with the organization whose sole purpose is to help young children ages prenatal to 5 years old get a quality start in life.  Two commission seats were vacated recently after the passing of longtime community leader Dr. Margaret Hill who served the organization as a commissioner for eight years, and with the January 2022 term end for Jorge Escalante after serving for over two years.

These appointments were approved by San Bernardino County’s Board of Supervisors on March 29, 2022.  At First 5 San Bernardino’s first in-person commission meeting in over two years, Alejandre and Dowdy-Rodgers were sworn in by the organization’s Executive Director Karen E. Scott during the April 6, 2022, monthly meeting.

Alejandre is the San Bernardino County superintendent of schools who provides advocacy, leadership and services for and on behalf of more than 406,000 K-12 students attending public schools in San Bernardino County.  A retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, Alejandre is nearing the end of his second four-year term, serving as the county’s 34th superintendent after being elected to office in June 2014.

Dr. Dowdy-Rodgers currently serves as a community development specialist for Pacific Clinics (formerly known as Uplift Family Services), advocating for mental health services and resources on behalf of foster youth.  She also is the president and CEO of Arrowhead United Way, a member of San Bernardino City Unified’s board of education and is a delegate for the California School Board Association serving on the legislative committee.  Dowdy-Rodgers founded the Young Women’s Empowerment Foundation, an organization who mentors young women ages 12-21 to reach their highest aspirations.

“I am thrilled that the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has selected Ted and Gwen to serve on the Children and Families Commission – First 5 San Bernardino,” stated Scott.  “Their knowledge of the community and experience with children brings invaluable expertise to our Commission.  We look forward to collaborating as we work to improve the health and development of young children and their families,” Scott concluded.

The First 5 San Bernardino Commission is comprised of seven members and includes a San Bernardino County Supervisor (Joe Baca, Jr.), the San Bernardino County Public Health Director (Joshua Dugas), San Bernardino County’s Assistant Executive Officer for Human Services (Diana Alexander) and four at large members from the community (Elliot Weinstein, MD, and Gary Ovitt).  The commission meets the first Wednesday of each month at 3:30 pm (unless otherwise noted).

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

Last week, California Attorney General Rob Bonta called on the federal government to outlaw additional fees companies charge homeowners for paying their mortgages.

California is joining 20 other states and the District of Columbia in the effort.

“Some financial service providers charge fees if a consumer decides to use a certain type of payment method, such as making a payment over the telephone, through a website, or through a third-party service,” Bonta and other attorneys general wrote in a letter they co-signed addressed to Rohit Chopra, Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection also signed the letter.

“While these type of “pay to pay” fees are charged by service providers in several different markets, the issues raised by these fees are particularly insidious in the mortgage industry because, unlike most marketplaces, homeowners have no choice in their mortgage servicer,” the letter continued.

When homeowners decide to take out a mortgage, many believe that they are entering into a long-term relationship with a specific financial institution. That is not always the case, according to the California Department of Justice (DOJ).

After origination “many mortgage loans and their servicing rights are sold in secondary markets,” and could be “sold many times over the course of the loan,” the DOJ states.

“This means that homeowners don’t and can’t know who will service their mortgage loan and are therefore unable to avoid ‘pay to pay’ fees by taking their business elsewhere,” The DOJ explained.

Bonta said the problem is critical in California because the state is already facing a housing affordability problem.

“As costs of living continue to rise, the last thing Californians need is mortgage servicers taking advantage of this captive market in order to pad their bottom lines,” Bonta said. “I urge CFPB to put a stop to these abusive junk fees.”

Homeowners and renters in California struggle with the costs of housing costs and taxes. Additional fees companies tack onto payments increase those burdens on consumers in the Golden State, where only about 31 % of households can afford to buy a median priced home, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

African American homeowners in California also potentially face increased costs due to documented discriminatory practices common in the homebuying and selling processes.

Last year, Gov. Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 948 after several reports revealed home appraisers valued homes owned by Blacks and other minorities at much lower prices than ones owned by Whites.

Wells Fargo has come under fire more than once for its discriminatory lending and banking services. According to findings of a Bloomberg News analysis released last month, the global San Francisco-based financial services company rejected 53 % of Black homeowners who applied for refinancing loans during the pandemic in 2020. It only rejected 28 % of White applicants.

The board of the California-Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP met this weekend to discuss Wells Fargo’s record on providing its services to African American customers.

Among the country’s major lenders, Wells Fargo’s gap between Whites and Blacks the company approved for loans was the widest.

According to Zillow’s Consumer Housing Trends Report released last year, Black and other minority renters pay more in application fees and security deposits when renting apartments. They also fill out more rental applications, on average, before finding a place to live than White renters.

The multistate coalition’s letter says, “There is no uniformity in convenience fees among mortgage servicers. Some charge them and some don’t.”

And the charges can add up.

For example, the letter spotlights one servicer that currently charges its borrowers $7.50 to make an online payment or pay via telephone through an automated service. If consumers want to speak to a live operator to make their payment, they will be charged $17.50.

Based out of New Jersey, the mortgage company that provides this service calls the process “SpeedPay,” which is one of the “one-time payment options” that a borrower may use to make his or her monthly mortgage payment, as stated on the company’s website.

States joining the initiative are Illinois, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington.

Bonta agrees, adding that the payments are “one example of junk fees charged to consumers in a multitude of financial products and services” offered by some banks, credit card companies, pre-paid debit card providers and others.

“For struggling homeowners trying to make their monthly mortgage payment, ‘pay to pay’ fees only rub salt in the wound,” said the California Attorney General.

NATIONAL NEWS—- Director Lee Daniels and Mo’Nique have moved on from their longtime feud.

Daniels and Mo’Nique famously collaborated on the 2009 film Precious, with the latter landing an Oscar for her turn as the title character’s abusive mother; in the 13 years that followed, they did not speak. The feud stemmed from Mo’Nique’s public accusation that Daniels, Oprah Winfrey, and Tyler Perry blackballed her for refusing to promote the film during awards season. She explained that it wasn’t in her contract at the time, and she simply didn’t want to spend time away from her family.

In a recent social media posting, Mo’Nique was on stage during a comedy event in New York when Daniels joined her and offered a public apology in front of the crowd.

I am so sorry for hurting you in any way I did,” Daniels said to the comedian, leading her to put her hand to her heart and appear emotional. “Y’all, and she was my best friend — my best friend. Y’all think that Precious was just — that was God working, through both of us.”

He continued, “And we’re gonna fk*ing do it again!” as the two then briefly danced onstage. Daniels concluded his onstage moment by telling the star, “I love you,” she also told him she loved him.

Deadline has reported that Mo’Nique will star in Daniels’ Demon House for Netflix, joining the previously cast Andra Day, Glenn Close, and Aunjanue Ellis. She is replacing Octavia Spencer, who had to bow out of the film because of a scheduling conflict with her Apple TV + television show Truth Be Told.

Offering Early Literacy Software for Ages 2 to 8

Early Literacy Stations (ELS) are now available at each of four City of San Bernardino Public Library facilities with a wide variety of learning software to promote early literacy for youth ages primarily 2 to 8.

There are three ELS in tablet form in the Children’s Department at Feldheym Central Library (555 W. Sixth St.) and one ELS in desktop form at each of the three branch libraries: Rowe at 108 E. Marshall Blvd., Inghram at 1505 W. Highland Ave. and Villaseñor at 525 N. Mt. Vernon Ave.

The service days and hours are the same for all four locations:
• Monday & Tuesday: Noon to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday & Thursdays: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Friday: Closed.
• Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Information is available at 909-381-8201.

They also offer various online resources for library cardholders via their library website at www.sbpl.org including Overdrive eBooks and eAudiobooks and Brainfuse Live Homework Help with subject experts via chat from 1 to 10 p.m. daily except major holidays. Patrons who don’t already have a library card can also sign up at their website for an online library card to use the digital resources. Information about library programs and activities is also available at our website.

With their performance season now underway, the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra is currently preparing for the first of their Intimate Evening Series concerts.  On May 14th at 7:30 p.m., the Orchestra will present An Evening of Chamber Music featuring The Lyris Quartet as well as a performance by members of the Orchestra’s string section.

Noted Music Director and Conductor Anthony Parnther, “The Lyris Quartet is one of the foremost string quartets in the United States and has garnered an international reputation for their innovation and their frequent collaborations with the most highly regarded composers in the world.”

Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times agrees, describing the ensemble as “radiant… excellent… and powerfully engaged.”

Members of the quartet have won top prizes at the Tchaikovsky International Competition and at the Aspen Music Festival, and the quartet has collaborated closely with composers Krystof Penderecki, Andrew Norman, Oliver Knussen, Steven Mackey, John Adams, Bruce Broughton, Peter Knell, Kurt Rohde, Paquito D’Rivera, Wadada Leo Smith, and Gerard Schurmann. Lyris has appeared throughout North America, Europe, and Asia in a diverse range of ensembles including Grammy nominated groups Absolute Ensemble, and Southwest Chamber Music, as well as in various festivals such as Ravinia, Brahms Festival in Madrid, Music Academy of the West, Banff Centre for the Arts, Czech SommerFest, and the Oregon Festival of American Music.

This season, Lyris was invited by the LA Philharmonic to perform on their Green Umbrella series and on their tribute concert to composer Steven Stucky. They also gave the west coast premiere of David Lang’s “The Difficulty of Crossing a Field”. This year will mark their fifth season as the resident ensemble for the critically acclaimed series Jacaranda: Music at the Edge, and they have recorded for Toccata Classics, ARS, and Naxos. The Lyris Quartet is also the founding resident ensemble of the Hear Now Music Festival which focuses on the music of living Los Angeles composers. As part of this series, they have collaborated with and premiered works by Stephen Hartke, Don Davis, Arturo Cardélus, and Veronika Krausas.

For the Orchestra’s 93rd year, Maestro Parnther created the concept of an expanded subscription season inclusive of three traditional large orchestral concerts at the historic California Theatre, a summer outdoor community concert, and three performances on a smaller stage where patrons can more fully immerse themselves in a single genre of music. These immersive events will be performed at the historic San Bernardino Valley College Auditorium.

The May 14th performance was curated to provide an eclectic and engaging blend of chamber music.

“We collaborated on finding the right program for this occasion and balanced it out to include Classical icons Beethoven and Ravel but also extending into living artists like Billy Childs, James Newton (who will join us at the concert) and Imogen Heap,” explained Parnther.

The Lyris Quartet will open the concert with Billy Childs’ Unrequited. The group previously appeared alongside Childs as part of the LA Phil’s Jazz and World music series at Disney Hall and with Steve Reich at LACMA’s Bing Hall. Lyris will then proceed into Beethoven’s Cavatina from String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat, Op. 130. Following will be Ravel’s four-movement String Quartet in F Major and Imogen Heap’s Hide and Seek, as arranged by Niall Ferguson. Then, under the baton of Maestro Parnther, members of the Symphony’s strings section will perform James Newton’s arrangement of Amazing Grace which was motivated by and dedicated to President Barack Obama and the lives taken in Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Lyris will close the concert with Beethoven’s Allegro Molto from String Quartet No. 9 in C. Major, Op. 59, No. 3.

The addition of composer James Newton, whose work encompasses chamber, symphonic, and electronic music genres, compositions for ballet and modern dance, and numerous jazz and world music contexts, is of particular note. Newton has been the recipient of many awards, fellowships, and grants, including the Ford Foundation, Guggenheim, National Endowment of the Arts and Rockefeller Fellowships, Montreux Grande Prix Du Disque and Downbeat International Critics Jazz Album of the Year, as well as being voted the top flutist for a record-breaking 23 consecutive years in Downbeat Magazine’s International Critics Poll. Newton is also a distinguished professor emeritus at the Herb Alpert School of Music, at the University of California at Los Angeles.

The specific concert venue was selected for a number of reasons. First, the Valley College Auditorium was designed by the same architect – John Paxton Perrine – who conceived the historic California Theatre of the Performing Arts where the Symphony generally performs. Second, like the California Theatre, it is also designated a National Registry of Historic Places site; however, many in the region have not had the opportunity to experience a performance there. Third, the venue’s smaller seating capacity makes it perfect for audience members to experience the music as it was originally designed.

In line with the Orchestra’s mission to provide accessible music and music education, Maestro Parnther sees this as an opportunity fulfill the Orchestra’s decades-old commitment, adding, “Valley College is one of the cornerstones of our community and we are always excited about the opportunity to combine our resources to the benefit of our students.”

Two more such performances will follow this season, each also bringing similarly notable artists to the Inland Empire.
“I am fortunate to have some of the finest musicians in the world as close friends and colleagues,” shared Parnther. “Concerts like these allow us to continue to bring world class talent to San Bernardino to perform for our audiences and collaborate with our great orchestra.”
Observed Orchestra Board of Directors President Dean McVay, “As we anticipate a performance by this very popular quartet will sell out quickly, we encourage everyone to purchase their tickets now while you can.”

Single tickets are available online at www.sanbernardinosymphony.org or by calling the box office at (909) 381-5388. Money-saving five-concert season subscriptions are also available. Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Five Season Concerts Remain
A Classical piano event featuring Robert Thies is scheduled for June 11 and a September 10 jazz concert with the Josh Nelson Jazz Quartet will both be performed at the San Bernardino Valley College Auditorium. In between, a community-wide patriotic concert is also planned July 2 outdoors at the Valley College football stadium.
The Orchestra will return to the California Theatre on October 29, 2022 for “Movies with the Maestro” featuring cinema scores including John Williams’ iconic music from E.T. and Star Wars and the Alfred Hitchcock film scores of Bernard Herrmann (Psycho, The Birds, North by Northwest). The season will end December 17, 2022 with Cirque de Noel featuring the internationally renowned Cirque de la Symphonie troupe performing to orchestral holiday classics.

By Lou Yeboah

I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle. [Jeremiah 4:19]. Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation, and destruction. [Lamentations 3:47; Jeremiah 50:22]. “I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.” The four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, day, month, and year, to kill a third of mankind. I also heard the number of the horsemen to be two hundred million” [Revelation 9:13-16]. My Anguish, My Anguish! I cannot be silent.

“For the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the Lord” [Jeremiah 51:48]. They themselves will be terrorized by the destruction and havoc they unleashed upon the earth. “The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth. He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strong hold thereof [Isaiah 23:9,11]. Soon, very soon, a nightmare will explode into reality. It will come suddenly and without warning. [Jeremiah 51:13] and few will escape. In one hour, it will all be over! Our days are numbered. Judgment is at the door!” And the church is asleep, the congregations are at ease, and the shepherds slumber. Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle.

“The Second Woe is past, and behold, the Third Woe is coming quickly. Once the seventh seal is opened the trumpet judgments begin. These seven trumpets are “The Day of the Lord.” They are God’s wrath on mankind for refusing to believe. “Then I looked and heard an Eagle flying in mid-heaven saying with a loud voice, woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth because of the remaining blast of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound [Revelation 8:13]. Open your ears. The trumpet is blowing!

For it is a matter of God’s judgment that this world has been given more than enough time and information to know and to understand what is about to come upon it in the form of a final war. But how will they scoff and laugh at this message. Theologians will reject it because they can’t fit it into their doctrine. The pillow prophets of peace and prosperity will publicly denounce it. I no longer care. God has made my face like flint and put steel in my backbone. I am blowing the Lord’s trumpet with all my might. Believe it or not, the world is about to be shaken and set aside by swift and horrible judgments. Judgment is at the door! Prepare, awaken!

But He said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, but he that is able to receive it, let him receive it. [Revelation 19:11-12].

Perhaps only the overcomers will accept and hear the sound of this trumpet blast, but I proceed with these warnings because God called me to be a watchman. I hear the Word of God to Ezekiel ringing in my ears, “[Daughter] of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts and set him as their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blows the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood will be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come and blow not the trumpet. and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; So, thou, O [daughter] of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore, thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me” [Ezekiel 33:2-7]. My Anguish, My Anguish! I writhe in pain!

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media

Some California legislators want to shorten the standard American workweek from 40 hours to 32.

But critics of the proposed law say it will hurt productivity and slash business’ revenues.

Assemblymembers Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) and Evan Low (D-San Jose) introduced Assembly Bill 2932 in February. The legislation aims to limit the work to eight-hour days and 32 hours per week for companies with 500 or employees. However, the bill forbids companies from reducing workers’ pay.

If lawmakers approve the legislation, it will affect 50.4% of California businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy. The other 49.6 % of business in the state have between 1 and 499 employees.

According to the proposed bill, which is currently under review in the Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment, work above 32 hours per week would count as overtime.

“Any work in excess of eight hours in one workday and any work in excess of 32 hours in any one workweek and the first eight hours worked on the seventh day of work in any one workweek shall be compensated at the rate of no less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay for an employee,” the bill language reads. “Any work in excess of 12 hours in one day shall be compensated at the rate of no less than twice the regular rate of pay for an employee.”

Last year, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA-41) introduced a similar federal bill.

Takano says a 32-hour workweek would improve worker productivity and reduce employer premiums spent on healthcare.

“I am introducing this legislation to reduce the standard workweek to 32 hours because — now more than ever — people continue to work longer hours while their pay remains stagnant,” said Takano. “We cannot continue to accept this as our reality. Many countries and businesses that have experimented with a four-day workweek found it to be an overwhelming success as productivity grew and wages increased.”

“After the COVID-19 pandemic left so many millions of Americans unemployed or underemployed, a shorter workweek will allow more people to participate in the labor market at better wages,” the lawmaker continued.

The 32-hour workweek has been experimented with in Iceland, where it was deemed a success. According to the Association for Sustainable Democracy in Iceland, workers who tried the new workweek format reported less burnout, improved productivity and health, and less stress.

The proposed shorter workweek has also been tried in the U.S. at Kickstarter, a global crowdfunding platform, and D’Youville College, a private school in Buffalo, N.Y.

However, some members of the business community in California have already criticized the proposed law, saying it is one more burden that lawmakers are placing on the back of businessowners in the state.

Ashley Hoffman, a policy advocate with the California Chamber of Commerce, described the bill as “a job killer” in a letter to Low.

“This significant rise in labor costs will not be sustainable for many businesses. Labor costs are often one of the highest costs a business faces. Such a large increase in labor costs will reduce businesses’ ability to hire or create new positions and will therefore limit job growth in California,” said Hoffman.

American workers are infamous for working long hours and taking shorter vacations according to workers in other industrialized nations. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the average American worker put in 1,770 hours a year. OECD also stated that American workers labor longer than all workers living in the world’s largest economies.