SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The San Bernardino City Council approved the third phase of a four phase, 53-street plan to repave and resurface streets and repair sidewalks throughout San Bernardino. The most recent contract, approved on March 16, was awarded to the Matich Corporation in the amount of $6.4 million. It will encompass segments of fourteen streets in the city. Work on this phase, which will also include ADA accessible ramps, drainage, sidewalk installation, signage, and curb/gutter improvements, will begin in early May and should be completed by October 2022.

Funding for this project will come from Measure S funds as well as budgetary savings from other projects within the City’s 2021/2022 Capital Improvement Plan.

“This is another example of San Bernardino continuing to upgrade our city’s infrastructure,” said City Manager Robert D. Field. “There is a lot more work to do, but our residents are already noticing a difference.”

Streets that will be improved in this phase are:

• Temple Street – from J Street to Perris Street (Ward 1)
• Acacia Street – from 10th Street to Baseline Street (Ward 2)
• Prospect Avenue – from Congress Street to Flood Control (Ward 3)
• Ralston Avenue – from Mt. View to Waterman Avenue (Ward 4)
• Dover Drive – from Mountain Drive to I Street (Ward 5)
• Meridian Avenue – from Foothill Blvd. to 7th Street (Ward 6)
• Parkside Avenue – from 30th Street to Parkdale Avenue (Ward 7)
• Congress Street – from Mt. Vernon to K Street (Ward 3)
• Virginia Street – from E Street to F Street and G Street to H Street (Ward 2)
• Niles Street – from San Gabriel Street to Crestview Street (Ward 2)
• Trenton Street – from Crestview Avenue to Valencia Avenue (Ward 2)
• Cedar Street – from Highland Avenue to 29th Street (Ward 2)
• Arden Street – from Highland Avenue to Pacific Street (Wards 2,7)
• Country Club Lane – from Waterman Avenue to Fremontia Drive (Ward 7)

In December 2021, a contract was awarded to Onyx Paving Company for work on seven streets across town. In February 2022, the City Council awarded a contract for nine streets to All-American Asphalt. Work on those phases is currently underway. Bidding for the final phase, which will encompass twenty-three additional street segments, will be held in May.

The streets identified for rehabilitation work were prioritized through a March 2020 pavement management analysis completed by the Public Works Department, which used scientific methods to rate the condition of all public streets in San Bernardino and to prioritize their rehabilitation.

In 2021, the City of San Bernardino Public Works Department improved and rehabilitated over 3.8 million square feet of roadway, 37,000 square feet of curb, gutter, and sidewalk, and 119 ADA accessible ramps throughout the city.

By Lou Yeboah

Today, all the antagonists are in place. The Antichrist is about to arise, and the infighting among the prophesied 10 Super Nations is about to begin. Pay attention and listen carefully! God issued one of His most startling prophecies in all of Scripture. He foretold, in [Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39], that in the end times, RIGHT BEFORE the return of Jesus, the greatest political leader in history of Mankind will emerge from Europe. After taking over that area by diplomatic cunning and deceit, he will launch a military campaign that will result in his acquiring “authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation” [Revelation 13:7]. His empire will be the most extensive in all of history, encompassing the entire world, and his rule will be the most demonic the world has ever experienced.

The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones. Pay attention and listen carefully!

Russia is diplomatically moving into the Middle East, coalescing Israel’s implacable enemies. Once the regional war erupts in which Israel will annihilate the “House of Esau”, the Syrians, the Jordanians, and the Egyptians, the Antichrist will arise just as the Bible foretells. He will begin his rise to power as a dynamic, charismatic, insightful, visionary leader who will astound the world with the cleverness of his solutions to world problems. He will appear to be the savior of the world. But as he consolidates his power, his true nature will be revealed. He will emerge as a Satan possessed and empowered person who hates God and is determined to annihilate both Christianity and Judaism.

To anyone who is aware and watching and knows the Bible, it is evident that the world is moving toward the mark of the beast at an incredible rate. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.” [Revelation 13:16-18].

I tell you, “End times prophecy is rapidly being fulfilled.” [Revelation 3:10] and all who are not firmly established upon God’s Word and the righteousness of Jesus Christ will be deceived and overcome. For Satan “works with all power and signs and lying wonders with all deceivableness of unrighteousness” [2 Thessalonians 2:9-10] to gain control of mankind, and his deceptions will increase right up to the very end. Please surrender your life to Christ because we are in the last hour, the day of the Lord is at hand, and it is time to get ready. “The warning is going out to the world!” Time is so short. The headlines which you read each day, regarding the Middle East, are simply God’s prophetic Word being fulfilled. No one knows the hour!

By Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced California awarded $38 million in grants to 12 community-based organizations working to combat homelessness among youths and young adults in the state. The governor’s office says the grants are part of a $14 billion ongoing commitment to end homelessness in the state.

The funds, distributed through the Homeless Youth Emergency Services and Housing Program, will be used to assist young people who are facing housing insecurity or are currently unhoused in 12 different counties.

“These grants will provide relief and emergency support to young people across California experiencing homelessness, who are too often left in dire situations to fend for themselves,” said Newsom.

“We’re providing immediate aid for those living on our streets – bringing resources and services directly to young people in need and helping them onto a path towards a stable future,” the governor continued.

The funds will also go toward providing “mental health support with crisis intervention and stabilization services,” according to Newsom’s office.

About a quarter of California’s Homeless population suffers from severe mental illness, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Newsom is also proposing special courts to adjudicate cases involving mental health involving unhoused people across the state.

“There’s no compassion stepping over people in the streets and sidewalks,” Newsom said at a press briefing earlier this month. “We could hold hands, have a candlelight vigil, talk about the way the world should be, or we could take some responsibility to implement our ideas. That’s what we’re doing differently here.”

“This funding represents an important lifeline in protecting some of the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) Director Mark Ghilarducci. “Through the partnership with these community-based organizations we are able to provide meaningful support and change lives.”

According to the California Homeless Youth Project, 200,000 Californians under the age of 18 are homeless for one or more days during the year.

“Addressing youth homelessness takes a village,” said Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez. “This is why this investment in community-based organizations that make up the village and provide bridges of support to young people is an important part of our efforts to prevent and end homelessness.”

Advocates for homeless youth say there are many factors that can lead to youth homelessness, including addiction and hostile reactions from community members about a young person’s social identity.

“Youth overwhelmingly cite family conflict and breakdown — commonly abuse or neglect, alcohol or drug addiction of a family member, pregnancy, and rejection over sexual orientation — as the major reasons for their homelessness or episodes of running away,” reads the California Coalition for Youth website.

The organizations receiving the funds are: Bill Wilson Center (Santa Clara County); Center for Human Services ( Stanislaus County); Community Human Services (Monterey County); Interface Children & Family Services (Ventura County); Larkin Street Youth Services (San Francisco County); Orangewood Foundation (Orange County); Redwood Community Action Agency (Humboldt County); Ruby’s Place (Alameda County); San Diego Youth Services (San Diego County); Volunteers of America Los Angeles (Los Angeles County).Waking the Village (Sacramento County); and Women’s Center – Youth & Family Services (San Joaquin County)

Newsom also announced his administration is allocating more than $116 million in funding to seven different “Homekey” projects as a part of the governor’s effort to provide housing for homeless people.

Newsom’s pandemic-oriented homelessness program, called Project Roomkey, will continue to receive support from the federal government as well. The state-run initiative converts hotels and other facilities into temporary housing for homeless people.

A companion program, Project Homekey, provides funding to create permanent housing for formerly unhoused people to counties, cities, local councils and other government authorities.

“Continued support from FEMA will allow us to extend Project Roomkey to get more people off the streets and into shelter,” the governor said. “Since the start of the pandemic, California has moved with unprecedented speed, helping more than 50,000 homeless individuals.”

Last month, California’s junior U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla introduced a bill proposing a nearly $532 billion federal investment over 10 years into tackling California’s and the nation’s twin homelessness and housing affordability crises.

Speaking at a Project Homekey site in Sacramento called La Mancha Way Apartments, Padilla, a Democrat, said, the legislation titled “The Housing Act for All” would provide funding for both existing programs and experimental initiatives.

“Every person has a right to the dignity and security of housing,” said Padilla. “It’s going to take all levels of government working together to rebuild a more inclusive and equitable society for all. The legislation is an opportunity to invest and align resources in expanding affordable housing and strengthening proven solutions.”

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

California’s junior United States Sen. Alex Padilla says he is as excited as he is honored to be serving on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary as he and his colleagues conduct hearings to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman nominated to the United States Supreme Court in the judicial branch’s 233-year history.

On February 25, President Joe Biden nominated Jackson, a Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, to become the 116th Justice on the highest court in the nation.

If Jackson is confirmed, she will replace Justice Stephen Breyer, one of her mentors, who announced his retirement in January.

“I’m honored to be sharing in this historic and significant moment in our nation’s history,” Padilla told California Black Media (CBM) in a telephone interview.

The first Latino to represent California in the upper house of the United States Congress, Padilla spoke with CBM while taking a short break from a daylong hearing March 23. During that session, lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans, cross examined Jackson.

“I am optimistic about Judge Jackson’s confirmation process. She is an outstanding nominee. She has the qualifications, and she has the experience,” Padilla continued. “If she is confirmed, she will bring a much-needed perspective to the Supreme Court.”

In January 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom nominated Padilla to replace current Vice President Kamala Harris in the United States Senate. Before that, he served as Secretary of State of California for six years.

Jackson met with Padilla at his office at the U.S. Capitol prior to her confirmation hearings last week.

“I’m impressed by Judge Jackson’s commitment to the rule of law, her long record of public service, and her clear understanding of how the law affects people’s everyday lives,” Padilla said after that meeting.

Because of the even 50-50 split of Democrats and Republicans currently elected to the United States Senate, no one party has a majority of members on any committee. So, there are six members from both parties serving on the Committee on the Judiciary.

Padilla says the upcoming vote on Jackson presents an opportunity for members of the Committee on the Judiciary – and the Senate, more broadly — to put the extreme partisanship and rancor that has characterized the U.S. Congress in recent years behind them.

California’s senior Sen. Dianne Feinstein, also a Democrat, serves on the committee as well.

Last week, some Republican members of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary were questioned in the media about the truthfulness of some of their claims about Jackson and the overall nature and tenor of their questioning during the hearings.

For example, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) portrayed Jackson as soft on sex offenders, calling up sentences she handed down in seven cases.

“Judge Jackson’s views on this matter are not only mainstream; they are correct in my view. Undoubtedly, Jackson — a progressive who worked as a criminal-defense lawyer — is more sympathetic to criminals than I am,” wrote Andrew McCarthy, a senior fellow at the conservative National Review Institute, disagreeing with Hawley’s assertion.

“If I were a judge, I’m sure I’d impose at least marginally more severe sentences than she has. (Contrary to Hawley’s suggestion, however, she appears to have followed the guidelines, at the low end of the sentencing range, as most judges do.),” McCarthy continued.

Charlie Savage, the New York Times Legal Policy and National Security correspondent wrote, “Senator Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee, ripped into Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on Monday during her Supreme Court confirmation hearing, tying the nominee to a wide range of conservative grievances. But the lawmaker’s accusations appeared to often be based on quotes taken out of context.”

Savage examined statements and accusations Blackburn made about Jackson on a range of issues, including parental rights, critical race theory, transgender athletes and criminal sentencing.

Before serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals, Jackson was a federal judge on the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia and Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She has also worked in private practice and as a clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court.

An alum of Harvard College, where she studied government, and Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, Jackson graduated from Palmetto Senior High School before that in Florida’s Miami-Dade County, where she grew up.

Jackson is close to her parents, Johnny and Ellery Brown and her brother, Ketajh Brown, a former Baltimore City police officer and soldier in the United States Army. All three of them attended Jackson’s confirmation hearings last week.

Both of her parents, HBCU graduates, are educators (her dad is an attorney, too).

Jackson is married to surgeon Patrick Graves Jackson, who she met in college. The couple has two daughters. One of them, attending her mom’s hearings last week, was captured in photos watching the proceedings in rapt attention, beaming with pride.

“We know that progress doesn’t come easily.

Breaking barriers and being the first means not just significant opportunity, but also tremendous responsibility,” said Padilla in his opening statement last week when the hearings began.

“But Judge Jackson, I also know that you are equipped with a tremendous record of experience and accomplishment, and you are ready to blaze this trail,” Padilla continued. “Judge Jackson, even before your next opinion or dissent, your appearance before us today already begins a new chapter in our nation’s history.”

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed an $11 billion relief package to assist Californians struggling with the skyrocketing costs of gas, food and other commodities.

The plan includes a mix of direct payments to individuals; suspension of public transportation fares tax rebates; and support for state, county and municipal programs that align with the governor’s goal to make California a zero-emissions state by 2035.

The state will provide about $9 billion in funding to cover $400 direct payments to car owners whose vehicles are registered in the state — with a limit of two rebates per person. The payments will be sent to car owners on debit cards.

“We’re taking immediate action to get money directly into the pockets of Californians who are facing higher gas prices as a direct result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,” said Newsom.

“But this package is also focused on protecting people from volatile gas prices and advancing clean transportation – providing three months of free public transportation, fast-tracking electric vehicle incentives and charging stations, and new funding for local biking and walking projects,” he added.

The plan includes nearly $500 million in funding for clean transportation alternatives and supporting pedestrian and bicycle-rider safety programs.

Shortly after Newsom announced his plan, Republicans slammed it, calling it “out of touch,” pointing out oversights and explaining why they think their proposal is better.

Last week, California Assembly Republicans introduced legislation that would temporarily suspend the state’s 51-cent-per-gallon gas tax. Democrats unanimously voted against the bill 40-18, arguing that, if the legislation passed, funding would be taken away from important transportation projects without a guarantee from gas stations that they would lower prices.

“You can’t make this stuff up,” tweeted Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher, whose district includes Yuba County and other Sacramento Valley counties, including all of Glenn and Tehama and parts of Butte and Colusa.

“I’m losing count … is this now the 5^th plan from Capitol Democrats in the past couple of weeks? Why not take #50centsoffnow?” Gallagher’s tweet continued.

Gallagher also found fault with the governor’s plan for providing relief to people who own electric vehicles and leaving out military personnel who live and serve in California but whose cars may not be registered in the state.

California has the highest number of active-duty military personnel in the country.

Assemblymember Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) said, “Corrupt politicians will always prefer ‘rebates’ to actual tax relief because that keeps them in charge of who gets the money and when it’s delivered.”

Kiley who refers to Assembly Democrats as “the Supermajority” said the Republican proposal to cut the gas tax “entirely” wouldn’t cost the state “any loss of funding for roads.”

“That money would be backfilled from the state’s general fund, and we are said to have a $45 billion – maybe as high as $60 billion surplus right now,” Kiley told “The Issue Is,” a Fox 11 Los Angles news show that covers “the most controversial and interesting issues impacting California.”

Newsom says his plan, which could go into effect by July after the state Assembly and Senate approve it, would bring relief to tens of millions of Californians.

“This direct relief is on top of the $10-plus billion we have distributed over the last year with the Golden State Stimulus,” said Newsom. “All told, close to $20 billion in direct tax relief here in the state of California.

Publisher’s Commentary by Wallace Allen IV

I think that the ‘slap heard round the world’ was a skit. The sports’ world use of instant replay has demonstrated the importance of the angle that you see from. We had a bad angle! Actors throw fake punches for a living! It looked real, except for Chris’ reaction. He said, “Wow, Will Smith just smacked the s#@% out of me!”, and was moving on until Will yelled out from his seat that he had quickly returned to. Chris gave him a few more seconds to get his clown on, as Will screamed out several times about ‘My wife’!  Then, on with the show!

Will had delivered what appeared to be a wind-up slap that should have at least knocked Chris down! Chris didn’t fall, though he did stumble backward, as his script would call for to make the slap look real. I think that Will did not slap the s— out of Chris! I think the joke was missed by an audience that was ready to accept some Negro shenanigans as part of the ‘coloring of the Oscars’…causing the joke to be taken seriously, giving the Smiths’ a ton of chaos-based publicity that they feed on, so well!

The above opinions are not fact based and neither are any of my interesting observations below.

• Will Smith would not have slapped Wesley Snipes! (Or anybody else that wasn’t in on the joke!)
• Which is true?  Will’s slap is weak, or Chris’ jaw is a rock, or the slap wasn’t real!
• No joke steals Jada’s Beauty!
• Shaved headed men are constant joke butts
• Chris did not make fun of alopecia, he made fun of a beautiful woman who has a shaved head.
• Will knows how to throw a straight powerful punch, he learned that in preparing for the Muhammed Ali role. Will did not throw a true angry punch! Therefore, I think his defending-my-family speech is whack!
• Chris Rock could be considered the good guy because he did not press charges… or he may simply remember what happened to the guy who made a false police report in Chicago.
• The real untold Oscars story is about the Regina Hall skit… she spoke of swabbing the back of a group of men’s throats with her tongue as her method of COVID’19 testing… and then she groped two men on her way off the stage. Rampant sexism ignored!

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The Westside Story Newspaper extends a congratulations to Lucretia Dowdy for being pinned as the President for the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce. The ceremony took place on Monday, March 28 at 555 N. Arrowhead Avenue in San Bernardino. This was a great way to end Women’s History Month.

Other women that were honored at the event included: Keyona Dawson, Assemblywoman Elose Reyes Gomez, Krissy Harper, Manal Iskander, Rev. Bronica Martindale, and Robin Mckinnon.

“I know my Creator is ordering my steps!” Dowdy states. “Our chapter is doing a new and different thing. Thank you to my children for attending, my king, family, and friends.”

REDLANDS, CA—- On Sunday, March 27, 2022, Empire Talks Back (ETB) included an interview with the NAACP San Bernardino Chapter President, Cha Che Wright. Westside Story Newspaper Entertainment Writer, Lou Dowdy, brought poetess Moena (see profile below) and singer Ke LaRae to the ETB audience. Both young ladies shared their talent and passion. If you would like to be an ETB guest or to suggest one, send an email to walleniv@yahoo.com.

Moena is a 20-year-old poetess and musician who currently attends California Baptist University in pursuit of her Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition. She has been writing poetry and playing music since the age of 7. From starting to write poetry and her first song in elementary school, the seed of artistic inspiration was already sown in her heart. It was later afternoons spent exploring artistic ideas in her dad’s barbershop that really allowed her to become the artist that she is today.

One of Moena’s first notable poems was about being bored; however, her journey has been anything but boring. Pursuing music has been such an exciting journey for her. It has been her deepest passion since her first piano lesson to now, composing full orchestrated works of music for various musicians to play in many genres.

It was in her middle school band program that Moena found a passion for playing woodwind instruments, and later in high school, when writing melodies became a passion for her. The clarinet, saxophone, and flute are the three woodwind instruments that Moena has focused on in the past nine years of her life and is planning on incorporating them heavily in her music for her debut album.

Moena believes that poetry and music are deeply intertwined, and both complement each other in characterizing her unique artistry. Ultimately, they are the tools that God has given her, to express her destined purpose through. Since Moena is only at the start of her career, she knows that her future is only but a blank canvas of opportunity.

Follow her on Instagram @artxmoena.

Come and Take Part in Makerspace Event at Feldheym Central Library

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Young adults ages 12 – 18 are welcome to learn Cricut basics and make a cute sticker or die cut on Saturday, March 26 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Feldheym Central Library at 555 W. Sixth St., which is part of the City of San Bernardino Public Library system.

Young adults are encourage to bring their creativity. Supplies will be provided.

A Cricut machine is a digital die-cutting machine that is able to make precision cuts on many different types of materials, which you can use in a variety of craft projects.

The Cricut machine is part of our Makerspace area where people can build, design, and create projects.

The maker machines also have the capability to draw simple designs and lettering. With some computer skill, people can design from scratch or use pre-existing designs.  Information is available at www.sbpl.org or 909-381-8235.

By McKenzie Jackson ?|? ?California? ?Black? ?Media?

Blondy B. is an Uber driver and budding social media content creator in West Los Angeles. When he first started seeing the high cost of gas posted on service station pylon signs in his neighborhood, he says his frustration was met with a sense of disbelief at how fast prices were shooting up.

“I was like, ‘Yo, what the …,” said the 31-year-old, adding an expletive for emphasis. “It has been mind-blowing,” he said.

Blondy B. says it used to take $75 to fill his SUV’s tank. Now, it costs nearly $110.

He says dollars he was stacking to pursue his California Dream are now being poured into his gas tank.

The average cost of a gallon of gas in the Golden State has increased over $1 during the last month, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).

“Sometimes with Uber, you wait five, 15, or even 30 minutes to get a ride,” he said. “Now, whenever I’m done with a ride, I park right there, shutdown the car, and wait for the next call.”

Uber and Lyft are both tacking on a surcharge of 55-cents per ride paid to drivers to offset the high costs of gas.

Santa Monica resident Clint Thompson, an avid cyclist, has spent more time walking and riding his bicycle than driving this month. He says the cost to fill his car’s tank is $120.

“It’s horrible,” he told California Black Media.

Like Blondy B. and Thompson, millions of drivers across the Golden State and around the U.S. are feeling the pain of record high prices at the gas pump. According to AAA, the average cost of regular gas per gallon in California was 5.847 on Sunday. The national average for regular gas was $4.30 per gallon.

On March 18, Democrats in the California Senate and Assembly presented a plan to provide $200 payments to each taxpayer in the state and their dependents. Under the plan, the state will send out the rebates to households with incomes of up to $250,000 to offset the costs of food, gas and other services family need.

Based on initial estimates, the plan could cost the state $6.8 billion.

“Speaker Rendon and I made a commitment to the people of California that we would find a solution to help people get through the financial hardships imposed by the rising cost of fuel and consumer goods,” said California Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego).

“We’re holding true to that promise and have developed a proposal that would help a vast majority of Californians,” she added.

Before that, on March 14, California Assembly Democrats unanimously voted 40-18 against a proposal their Republican colleagues pushed to suspend California’s 51-cent per gallon gas tax.

“Wow. Every @AsmRepublicans lawmaker voted to take 50 cents off the gallon of gas. Not a single Democrat Assemblymember supported this effort to lower gas prices,” Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) tweeted.

Then, on March 16, Assembly Democrats announced a proposal for a $400 tax rebate that would be sent to every California taxpayer — whether they drive or own an automobile or not – to offset the high price of gas. The $400 amount is based on an estimate of what the total annual cost would be to cover the .51-cent-per-gallon tax for the average driver.

 “A rebate is a better approach than suspending the gas tax — which would severely impact funding for important transportation projects and offers no guarantee that oil companies would pass on the savings to consumers,” said Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach) in a statement.

The Rev. Shane Harris, the president of the People’s Association of Justice Advocates (PAJA) in San Diego, said the $400 rebate doesn’t help enough.

On March 17, he sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators. In it, Harris proposed what he called the Golden State Gas Stimulus, which asks that $1,200 be given to every Californian who has a registered vehicle and makes up to $75,000 annually. State registered vehicle owners that earn between $75,000 and $95,000 would receive $600, according to Harris’ plan.

“A stimulus is extra money, a rebate is essentially giving me back what I own anyway,” Harris said. “My argument is that we need more resources, not money that is already ours. The $400 just does not meet this moment from my perspective.”

Across California, there are 15 refineries supplying gas for transportation to all regions of the state, according to the California Air Resources Board.

On top of that, Californians pay an average of about $1.27 more than the rest of the country per gallon in taxes and fees, including a 51.1 cent excise tax that goes toward road repairs. Other fees included in that amount are climate program costs and local taxes.

PAJA teamed up with several groups — many who share his view about the Dems’ $400 gas rebate plan — to hold a gas giveaway at an Arco gas station in San Diego on March 14. The organizations used $15,000 worth of donated funds to put up to $50 of gas in the tanks of over 320 people’s cars.

Harris said drivers told him that without the donated gasoline they would not have been able to meet routine obligations like getting to work or taking their children to school.

“We were trying to meet a critical need for working class and low-income people,” Harris said. “One mother handed me a card and was crying. She didn’t know if she would be able to pay for her medication or gas this week. Her medication was $70. Meeting this need was critical for those most impacted by the prices at the pump.”

A lot of individuals, Harris noted, are terrified of high gas prices, and those telling people to take a bus or trolley or buy an electric car instead of driving their current automobile are in the wrong.

“I don’t know how you tell a low-income person or a working-class person they should buy a $50,000 electric car in the spur of a moment when gas prices are at an all-time high,” Harris said. “It is very elitist to tell working class people to get on the bus when the bus takes three hours to get from one location to the next.”

Blondy B. said California’s leaders need to realize if individuals like him, who have service jobs, are priced out of driving their automobiles the whole state will pay.

“They aren’t going to listen to me,” Blondy B. said of elected officials. “They need to help out. If prices keep going up, people are going to suffer.”