Runyon Saltzman, Inc., an integrated communication agency located in Midtown Sacramento, (currently working remotely) is looking for a Media Planner. The Media Planner will be responsible for analyzing data, thinking creatively and dreaming up innovative strategies to make sure marketing campaigns reach the right target audience in the most effective way possible. The ideal candidate will have incredible communication skills and a strong passion for the advertising business.
Responsibilities:
Creation of media plans for a variety of clients, utilizing both traditional and non-traditional media
Generates insight from a multitude of data sources and communicates actionable recommendations to clients
Maximize returns on advertising and promotional activities across different media channels.
Analysis of media plan performance
Management of client budgets
Works on new business development
Requirements:
Previous media planning experience (including online/digital)
Intimate knowledge of all forms of media including television, radio, digital, outdoor and print
Familiarity with syndicated research
Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook)
Convincing presentation skills
Strong organizational, mathematical, problem solving and analytical skills
Able to handle multiple projects and meet deadlines
Works well in a fast-paced team environment and thrives on collaborating with team members
RSE is an equal opportunity employer (women/minorities/disabled/veterans).
RSE offers a rich variety of benefits to its employees.
Medical – there are three HMO medical benefits to choose from:
Dental
Vision
Voluntary Hyatt Legal Plan
Life, AD&D and Long-Term Disability Insurance
Voluntary Life Insurance
401k retirement savings benefit
FSA – Flexible Spending Accounts – employees make pre-tax contributions to use against expenditures for out of pocket expenses for both medical and childcare
HRA – Health Reimbursement Account, offering direct reimbursement for several out of pocket medical costs
Vacation Time – New hires accrue up to 80 hours of vacation per year upon beginning work.
Sick Time
Holiday Time – RSE offers nine paid company holidays off annually.
EAP – Employee Assistance Program, and Worldwide Travel Assistance Benefit
Aflac and Pet Insurance – Voluntary Plans
Two Discretionary Annual Profit-Sharing Plans.
Company Paid Parking! Free on-Site Gym!
Saltzman School of Excellence (SSE) and a Wellness Committee – (WOW).
POMONA, CA— Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today released a Congressional report prepared by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties outlining key ways a full Census count is vital for Inland Empire residents.
Data collected by the Census is used to determine how much funding the district receives for critical services like education, medical care, foster care, roads, public transit, and job programs. Census data also helps local governments enhance public safety and prepare for emergencies.
Inland Empire households can fill out their Census forms right now—in the comfort of their own homes—by going online at https://2020census.gov/, calling 844-330-2020, or filling out the forms they received in the mail. The 2020 Census has only 12 questions and does not ask about citizenship.
“This new report makes one thing clear – Inland Empire residents benefit tremendously from a full census count, and it’s entirely within our power to do so,” Rep. Torres said. “Even a 1 percent undercount will mean we lose nearly $500,000 in federal school funding for low income students, and nearly $200,000 in federal funding for job training and career counseling. As we face a public health crisis and global economic downturn, it is crucial for our community to secure the funding we are entitled to for critical services like education, medical care, and job programs. These dollars maintain our quality of life in the Inland Empire, so do your part – make sure you’re counted!”
SACRAMENTO, CA—- AB 685, by Assemblymember Eloise Reyes (D-San Bernardino) was signed into law by Governor Newsom in Sacramento. AB 685 requires employers to provide a notice within one business day to employees who have been exposed to COVID-19 at their worksite, and report to the California Department of Public Health if an outbreak occurs. Current law does not require employers to notify their employees that they have been exposed to someone with Covid-19 at their work site. California is still making progress to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases, but nonetheless the state is still averaging about 4,000 new cases per day as well as 100 deaths over the last two weeks.
Existing law addresses various workplace risks that must be reported to public health officials but lacks clarity on the appropriate reporting and employee notice that should occur when someone has been exposed to Covid-19. Specifically, Covid-19 outbreaks and workplace exposures are subject to state and local requirements that are not clear to either employees or employers. AB 685 establishes a clear standard and protocol that must be followed to address workplace exposure and worker protection.
“In the age of Covid-19 our essential workers risk their lives and the lives of their loved ones in our fields, hospitals, grocery stores, meatpacking plants, restaurant kitchens and countless other businesses in our state,” said Assemblymember Reyes. “COVID-19 infections and deaths disproportionately affect the Latino, Black, and Asian Pacific Islander communities. Communities that make up the majority of our state’s low-wage workers. By notifying the public and workers of potential exposures as required under AB 685 we allow workers to take appropriate steps to protect themselves and their loved ones while also bolstering the response of public health officials.”
“UFCW members – and all essential workers – have suffered greatly in the pandemic from a lack of basic information needed to prevent worksite exposure and target COVID-19 hotspots,” said Andrea Zinder, president, UFCW Western States Council and UFCW Local 324. “Targeting virus spread in our pharmacies, grocery stores, farms, meatpacking plants, and countless other businesses is vital to prevent workers from getting sick and carrying illness home to our families and frontline communities; it is also essential to get our economy moving again and allow our state to re-open safely.”
“Too many employers have refused to properly notify workers when COVID-19 exposures and outbreaks occur, leading to countless worker illnesses and even fatalities,” said Art Pulaski, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the California Labor Federation. “AB 685 (Reyes), by requiring such notification, will allow workers, their unions, and local public health officials to keep employees and the public safe and is a critically important tool for lessening the spread of this horrible virus. We applaud the great work of Assemblymember Reyes and the UFCW Western States Council in getting this bill through the legislature and thank the Governor for signing it.”
Current law lacks clarity as to an employer’s reporting requirements, including to their own
workforce. This deficiency has led to workers and members of the public living in fear for their own safety, unaware of where outbreaks may already be occurring.
A Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) survey released today also reveals that a majority of Californians are still concerned about potentially contracting Covid-19 and that communities of color and low-income workers are likely to be much more concerned than their counterparts.
Not only was justice not served, the desultory and insufficient result we received today was also unacceptably slow in manifesting. It has been over six months since Breonna Taylor’s innocent life was senselessly taken at the hands of careless, negligent, and indifferent law enforcement officials sworn to protect and serve her.
As officers of the court that take our oaths and hold our bar licenses in high regard, we urge our families and friends of color around us to place faith in the justice system within which we work, pointing out that the system needs our participation if it is ever going to bring forth the results we deem to be just. However, when headline after headline consistently supports the theory we so desperately want to disprove, it’s beginning to become more and more difficult to make the case that black lives matter to anyone but us.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s vow to “vigorously prosecute” Brett Hankison, the sole Louisville police officer criminally charged with three counts of wanton endangerment of the first degree as a result of Taylor’s death, falls on deaf and enraged ears. Breonna was a completely innocent woman, sleeping in her own home when she was killed by Louisville police attempting a no knock search warrant. How much clearer do the facts have to be for public officials on the ground to take appropriate and just action without public unrest and protest! While we will certainly continue to use our voices, admittedly it is frustrating that it is even necessary given how egregious and outrageous these facts are.
NBA Vice President for Regions and Affiliates, Lonita Baker, is lead counsel representing Breonna Taylor’s family and was quoted today stating, “This is the most absurd legal maneuvering that I have ever seen. If his [Ex-Officer Brett Hankison] behavior was wanton to those in neighboring apartments it was likewise wanton to Breonna and Kenny. He should have been charged with wanton murder and another count of wanton endangerment. To add insult to injury, an indictment for wanton endangerment was returned for Breonna’s white neighbors but none for her black neighbors that also had gunshots from the police entering their home. This is another example of the devaluing of black lives.”
We stand in solidarity with Lonita, her co-counsel NBA Past President Ben Crump, their legal team, and Breonna’s family, and pledge the support of the National Bar Association in an effort to bring about honorable justice for Breonna and her family. May our precious Angel Breonna continue to Rest in Peace.
Keifer Sykes plays professional basketball in Turkey, not Los Angeles or New York. He hasn’t yet made his NBA dream fit inside his 6-foot frame. And life off the court has been pock-marked with losses and tragedies tied to the gun violence that has riddled the streets of Chicago for a century.
The former University of Wisconsin-Green Bay star had his successes and heartbreaks documented in the award-winning 2018 documentary “Chi-Town.” Audiences saw Sykes become the first college graduate in his family’s history. they watched as he led Green Bay to a Horizon League Championship for the first time in more than a decade.
The low points, though, made the gritty film touch millions. Incarcerations, shootings and death visited his family and friends back in Chicago, and he hasn’t forgotten any of what his talents allowed him to escape. Sykes’s strong will has now turned him into a philanthropic brand, not a sneaker brand. His Free10Foundation provides mentorship to inner-city kids, holds clothing drives and Christmas parties for Chicago’s poorest, and assists children who have been victims of trauma.
The 26-year-old Sykes is wise beyond his years and skilled beyond his size. Although he is an active pro basketball player overseas, he continues to find time to give back to the community that raised him up.
Percy Crawford interviewed Keifer Sykes for Zenger News (Photo courtesy of Percy Crawford)
Percy Crawford interviewed Keifer Sykes for Zenger News.
Zenger News: How are you doing, bro’?
Keifer Sykes: I’m living good, man. This Covid gives people a lot of reason to be negative right now, but my family is good. I was able to spend a lot of time with family. Covid made us look at the world different. We’re going through a lot of things with inequality right now. I was just happy to be home and helping my city.
I left out for a little bit right now, for three weeks. I was blessed to get a deal because a lot of people aren’t getting deals right now. But it’s a deal where I can get right back home next month. It’s unique times, but I’m blessed right now for sure.
Zenger: You’re playing ball in Turkey right now. Are they in a basketball bubble out there right now as well?
Sykes: So, right now I signed this deal to play … they’re finishing the Champions League from last year. I don’t know how familiar you are with Champions League, like soccer. They have a basketball Champions League as well overseas. When we go to this tournament, yes, we will be in a bubble-like setting. They have a bubble-type situation over here to keep us safe. It will be in Athens, Greece. I’ve never been to Greece during the couple of years I played over here. We haven’t had any Greek teams in our bracket, and I’ve always wanted to go to Greece, so it’s going to be fun to go there.
But yeah, we’re going to be in a bubble situation because as you know, with the world, this Covid thing, sports is taking a big hit. I hope it’s made a lot of us athletes realize that we have to do more and … be more diverse, and use our influence and our talent to be able to do different things in the world. If they stop sports, a lot of us don’t have a job.
Zenger: “Chi-Town” was so well put together. That’s a movie/documentary that follows your life from 17 years old through your journey through college, and ultimately chasing your NBA dream. Did you think basketball would take you this far?
Sykes: I appreciate you for supporting the film, my family and the city of Chicago. As you see in the film, I was real naïve. I wouldn’t say not confident, but when you’re living in a situation where a lot of things are happening, you’re living in violence, it’s kind of one of those things where you hope for the best but expect the worse.
I was naïve, just not knowing, and at the time I didn’t know that basketball would take me this far—basketball, that film and the impact that those two things would do for my life. I’ve just been blessed to have these opportunities, to have that film playing all over the world. I just want to use these experiences to teach the next generation to continue to hone their talents. Because, like you said, basketball can take you around the world. It can change a lot for your family.
Former University of Wisconsin-Green Bay standout Keifer Sykes has escaped the gun violence and gang culture of Chicago but hasn’t forgotten where he came from (courtesyof Cynthia Busby)
Zenger: One part of the film that was disturbing and unfortunately your reality, when you were away at college you were hesitant to answer phone calls from a Chicago number because you assumed it was bad news on the other end.
Sykes: That was hard. Even now. Just being away and knowing what my people going through and America in general is going through. I turned down a lot of deals this summer just to stay at home. I think that comes from just growing up in poverty, growing up in inequality.
We are oppressed. It’s difficult for a lot of us. We have a lot of trauma and PTSD, and getting phone calls about my coach getting shot and my dad passing away, that trauma just builds up. A lot of our youth face that.
I knew that I was blessed with this talent to play basketball, so I was able to elude different things and circumstances. But having that film in place and me seeing … at first, I just thought this was regular life. For me and my friends, it’s the life we grew up in. but when I went to Green Bay, I was like, “Wow! This is a good life.”
And when the movie comes out, those people have never seen someone get shot, they’ve never seen anyone go to jail. I realized how much we had to do to help those less fortunate. Those that don’t have a talent. Those that won’t be able to have basketball or some type of talent as a vehicle to get them out of poverty. And that’s the reason I started my non-profit organization, The Keifer Sykes Free10Foundation.
Zenger: How important is it for you to not forget Chicago and to give back and help the youth keep their dreams alive, and not just give back but be visible and there in the flesh?
Sykes: It’s turned into something that is probably top priority for me. It’s always been my passion. My father, as you saw in the film, he helped the community a lot. He was my coach. A lot of us in the neighborhood weren’t blessed to grow up with a mother and a father. I was blessed to have my father in my life. He was real active with my basketball teams, coached a lot of my teams. And with a father figure for a lot of young boys in Chicago, that right there just made this thing of me giving back top priority and a passion of mine. I kind of found my purpose in it.
With me playing overseas the last couple of years and not being at home a lot, and getting this chance with Covid to be home for 6–7 months and actually be available and help these kids on a day-in and day-out basis, I had to set up a program to connect with these kids. And to see the impact of being available? It’s a lot of work, but it’s the work that someone has to do, and it needs to be done. I realized it needed to be done and I’m blessed to be in a position where I’m able to have kids even listen to me.
I take that very seriously. And I would hope other athletes, entrepreneurs, and just successful people would help out and make that a priority as well. It’s definitely worthwhile and meaningful.
At 6 feet tall, Keifer Sykes would be dwarfed by many of the NBA’s stars, but his legacy may be more about philanthropy than athletic legend (Courtesy of Keifer Sykes)
Zenger: Tell us more about Free10Foundation.
Sykes: Yeah, The Keifer Sykes Free10Foundation. The idea was born from the film. When I went to that first film festival, South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, and I saw the reaction after everyone watched the film, they were saying how strong I am, and how they weren’t aware of all of the things that were going on.
I wanted to do something. I just continued to pray to God and just asked him—much is given, much expected—for him to give me the ability to fulfill everything that he wanted me to do with this instrument and vehicle that I had. Like I said, my dad always gave back, so I wanted to just bring awareness to what’s going on.
So I started this Free10Foundation. Free10 just stands for the offerings, the generosity and the service that every human being should give to the world. Kind of like our tithes. We came up with the number 10 as the numerical identity for the foundation because 10 represents our tithing.
I’m big in my faith. I’m a Christian. That’s just an equal percentage that everyone can give back to the world. Like I was just saying, I wish more successful people would give back in their own means. I just came up with 10% because if it’s $10,000 or $100, that 10% is $1,000 or $10, and even if you got $10, you could always give back that $1. I believe if we use this service to give back to the world, we can make it a better place.
We have been active for two years with the Free10Foundation, but I just received my 501(c)(3) certification this fall. For the last two or three years we have done coat drives, basketball camps—because basketball is a way for me to relate to the kids and mentor them. We have done different Christmas parties, sponsoring families that don’t have enough.
Our focus is targeting kids who are suffering from trauma, gun violence, mass incarceration. Losing a parent—people don’t understand, we have a lot of murders and gangs in Chicago, and when these black males get killed, they leave behind two or three children, and they don’t have that support from that parent, which hurts their self-esteem with going to school.
It’s a lot of different things. They have a lot of trauma. The system puts a lot of our black men and women in jail and they lose that support and it hurts their self-esteem. Life gets really hard for them and that’s the cycle that we live in when we get behind. Free10Foundation is where we step in and try to fill that void for these kids and for these families.
Zenger: That film started when you were 17 years old and it followed you up until your overseas pro career. How did you become the subject of that film at such a young age?
Sykes: It was a blessing, actually. This film crew from New York was following Oprah while she was doing her shows at the Oprah Studios in Chicago. But they love basketball in New York like they do in Chicago. Basketball in the inner city of New York is very popular. So they started to film some of the best seniors. And I just so happened to be a senior in high school that year.
At the end of the basketball season, they didn’t have the project they wanted to tell the story about Chicago and basketball that they were trying to tell. They spent time coming to my house, filming me and my family. And as we all went on to college as basketball players, you know I went to a smaller school, Green Bay. Which gave me the opportunity to play a lot as a freshman.
I was doing really well on the court, and I was also keeping in touch with them. They were seeing things that were going on with me off the court. Me losing my friend to jail that same summer when I went to college. And then that next summer losing my father. And then the next season, I flourished on the basketball court.
It just seemed like Chicago was always coming back into play, or something with some type of violence or negativity that was affecting my life or my friends and family’s life back home. With me just being personable, they just decided to make this film a documentary. They thought that was the best way to tell the story.
It was really God’s blessing. He wanted this story to be told through me. To say that we have great players from Chicago like Anthony Davis who is in the Western Conference Finals right now. Me and him were in the same grade. We had Jabari Parker, we had Derrick Rose. As far as Chicago, Kevin Garnett, Isiah Thomas—we had plenty of players in terms of basketball, but the movie, “Chi-Town,” they wanted to tell this story through me, and I haven’t played an official NBA game yet.
I just felt like, God chose me to tell this story. I will continue to pray that I fulfill everything that he wants me to do with this film.
Sykes says his Free10Foundation aims to persuade people to ‘tithe’ 10 percent of their earnings to help people in their communities (Courtesy of Keifer Sykes)
Zenger: You were called the James Harden of China. You can obviously play your ass off. You are now in Turkey hooping. You have been all over the world, how does basketball differ all over the world, yet bring people together the same way everywhere it’s played?
Sykes: I think basketball, as you can see now, is becoming one of the more popular sports. It used to be football. Just with the times we’re going through with social injustice and things like that, basketball is a way for us to express ourselves creatively in a unique way, more than any other sport. We’re just more visible. We don’t wear helmets and shoulder pads. It’s just how it’s structured.
Our game is continuing to flourish. We are able to make more money but also acquire more endorsements and be creative in tackling different problems in the world while trying to find a solution. With basketball being a majority African-American-dominated sport, we have a lot of impact on the culture. Our style of play, how we dress, the way we carry ourselves and our attitudes.
All that is expressed in the game of basketball which has given us opportunities to go across the world, and as African Americans we can shine no matter what the culture is, no matter what country or city that you’re playing in. I try to tell the youth and other athletes that we have to continue to hone our talents and continue to be creative and find ways to change the world with this influence that we have. Basketball allows us to express and uplift different communities and change and impact the world.
Zenger: I love your story. Continue to do what you have been doing and I wish you the best, man. Is there anything else you would like to say?
Sykes: I just want to say thank you, man. I appreciate your patience. I hope everything is getting better with the hurricanes that hit you all, the wildfires out in L.A. and just bless all the people.
Former LAPD Dispatcher Condemns Violence, Urges Justice Reforms in Seeking Peace
POMONA, CA—- Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today responded to news that two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies were ambushed by a gunman on Saturday while sitting in their squad car in Compton, California. Both deputies, one male and one female, remain in critical condition after undergoing multiple surgeries. The assailant remains at large, and anyone with information about his identity or whereabouts should contact the police immediately to help bring him to justice.
Congresswoman Torres released the following statement:
“I categorically condemn this act of horrific violence. The perpetrator on that chilling video must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and brought to swift justice.
“As someone who dispatched LAPD officers for nearly 18 years, and who experienced the horrors of a lawless society as a child growing up in Guatemala, this is personal to me. I know how vital the heroes that were attacked last weekend are, because I’ve met the people they protect. Anyone demanding an end to the police, or declaring this violence somehow justified because of other violence, has never heard the calls that I have. Answer the phone when a store clerk is held at gunpoint, or as a child is senselessly murdered on the other end of the line, and then come talk to me about defunding the police. The fact is those calls take place every single day, and two of the people who suit up to protect the public were gunned down on Saturday.
“This attack did not take place in a vacuum though – the moment of reckoning law enforcement is in right now is long-overdue and well-justified. As a woman of color in a country besieged by overt and systemic racism, the anguish fueling tensions on our streets is as real to me as it is to any other minority living in America today. Law enforcement must ensure that nobody is unfairly targeted, persecuted, and yes, murdered, by unchecked police aggression. That has not happened for black Americans and it has not happened for brown Americans.
“The oath to serve one’s community is sacred, and we honor those who live by it when we refuse to tolerate those who break it. These officers did nothing to deserve what happened to them on Saturday, but as they struggle to recover, the eyes of history are now upon us as our region struggles to respond.
“The burden is on law enforcement to earn the public’s trust, but whether or not they are allowed to earn that trust is up to each and every American. In that sense, we all have a role to play in making this a safe and tolerant country. We will sink or swim together, whether we realize it or not. I pray we realize it, act upon it, and become the agents of change our society desperately needs.”
Congresswoman Torres spent nearly 18 years working as a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Los Angeles Police Department, and has maintained long and productive relationships with law enforcement officials throughout her time in public service. That history has not stopped Torres from being an outspoken critic of police brutality, and used her experiences as a dispatcher to improve police reform legislation following the high-profile murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Rep. Torres also leads an ongoing effort in Congress to force the Department of Justice to update and make public a 2006 FBI intelligence assessment entitled, “White Supremacist Infiltration of Law Enforcement.”
SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Omnitrans is set to implement significant service changes on September 8, including new, realigned, and eliminated routes, a microtransit pilot project, and restoration of some service that was reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re pleased to welcome our customers back with enhanced cleaning and increased frequency on our most popular routes,” said Omnitrans CEO/General Manager Erin Rogers. “This service change implementation maximizes system efficiency to prepare our agency for future transit needs and financial sustainability.”
In all, 27 of the agency’s 32 current routes are scheduled for changes, including resumption of 20-minute service on Omnitrans’ core network, Routes 1, 3, 4, 14, 61, 66, the elimination of seven routes and the introduction of four new routes to cover most of the impacted service areas. The new routes also will provide connections to the communities of Eastvale and the Ontario-East Metrolink station for the first time.
The agency also will introduce OmniRide microtransit service in Chino Hills and parts of Chino, which allows customers to make reservations on the OmniRide On-Demand mobile app and be picked up and delivered to specific locations in the service area on weekdays, much like Uber or Lyft service.
These service changes implement Omnitrans’ ConnectForward plan, which was introduced earlier this year at a series of 22 public meetings throughout the region. The plan was finalized following customer feedback and approved by the agency Board of Directors this summer.
Meet Ronda Reid-Mohammed, the founder and CEO of Filance, a new app that connects certified financial service sector professionals directly with low and middle-income individuals and families. The platform allows users to receive financial advisory services from their mobile device.
Ronda says she created the app to bolster financial stability among everyday people. With an emphasis on affordability, she feels the app will open doors for those who might have perceived financial advisors as out of reach, either due to cost or lack of access.
“Cost should not be a barrier for seeking financial advice. Everyone, no matter their income, should be able to work with a professional who can help them make a plan for their finances,” she said. “Many people are already burdened with embarrassment when admitting they need financial advice, so it was significantly important to me to remove the cost barrier and provide a personalized and discreet service.”
The Filance App offers:
• A secure and simple interface that is easy for both the customer and their provider to use with voice and video features for personalized sessions.
• Nationwide accessibility so users can connect with financial professionals regardless of their physical proximity to them.
• Affordability through a bidding system, so customers can select the best advisor for their budget and situation, while only paying for the service they need.
“We have a wealth problem in this country,” Ronda said. “I wanted to use my technology expertise and background to create a platform that could help improve the financial lives of everyday people. I believe if everyday people have access to more resources like financial advisors and planners, we could level the playing field a little and begin to close the wealth gap through that access.”
About Filance: Ronda Reid-Mohammed created Filance in June 2018. She has been in the IT Industry since 2002 and holds a B.S. in Computer Science from ECPI College of Science and Technology, as well as an M.A. in Management and Leadership from Liberty University.
All registered voters in California will soon receive a mail-in ballot even if they haven’t asked for one, and there will be plenty of options to register, re-register, vote by mail, vote in person or vote curbside up until Nov. 3rd, said Secretary of State Alex Padilla at a briefing with ethnic media.
“We have to start thinking of November 3rd as the last day of voting, not simply as ‘election day’,” Padilla noted.
California has 21 million registered voters, more than the population of every other state except Florida and Texas, and the largest number of voters anywhere.
Voting by mail has been growing in popularity, Padilla said. In the last statewide election – the March primary—up to 70% of registered voters voted by mail.
“That’s a great start, but in California 30% of voters is still a large number. We want to make sure those who are not familiar with this way of voting are comfortable with it, and know they can still vote in person if they need or want to,” Padilla said.
Voters should vote by mail and vote early, Padilla urged, and they should take advantage of tools that improve the transparency and security of voting such as ballot tracking (Where’s My Ballot?) which tells them when their ballot has been sent, when it was received by the county, and when it was counted.
Voters can sign up for ballot tracking and receive notices via text, email or voice call, he added.
“This will be great for transparency, accountability and confidence, which have come under attack in recent weeks,” Padilla noted. He called the timing of the Presidential elections in the midst of the pandemic and heightened political polarization “an unprecedented situation.”
Padilla encouraged voters to register, re-register if they need to change their voter file information or check their registration status by going online at VoterStatus.sos.ca.gov. If any of their information has changed, including their address, they can register or re-register at https://registertovote.ca.gov/.
Mail-in ballots will go to voters the first week of October (and mid-September for overseas voters).
“According to the law you need to postmark the ballot by Nov. 3, but we are extending the deadline for that ballot to arrive in county offices from three days to 17 days,” Padilla said. “This is just in case there are delays by the postal service.”
The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 19, but in 15 counties that participate in conditional voter registration, including San Francisco, people can complete a Voter Registration Application at their local Department of Elections on the day of the election and receive a provisional ballot which will be counted after it has been verified.
“There are several reasons why some people need to vote in person – such as accessibility, or to receive language assistance, or to replace a ballot that was lost, or if you made a mistake,” Padilla noted.
Voting in person will happen in bigger and safer locations than in the past, such as the Golden One Center in Sacramento, an NBA arena, the Dodger Stadium and the Staples Center in L.A., the Chase Center in San Francisco, and the Oakland Coliseum.
Counties are working to identify voting locations where authorities can guarantee that health precautions are followed, including social distancing, mandatory use of masks and availability of sanitizers.
As for the security of mail-in voting which President Trump has repeatedly questioned, Padilla pointed out that ballots are printed on paper that has specific watermarks, are printed by certified printers made in the USA only, use official envelopes with barcodes that can be tracked, and require the voter’s signature on the outside of the envelope.
Referring to President Trump’s recent suggestion that voters in North Carolina vote by mail and then show up in person “to test if the first ballot was counted,” Padilla said that the state has a number of features to prevent any kind of “double voting.”
In California every ballot has a unique barcode and as a ballot comes in or the person votes, the record is “immediately updated.” If someone sends a mail-in ballot and then presents themselves as the ballot box, they will be shown to have voted and be turned away, he said.
He also said any kind of “electioneering” or harassment at the polls is “illegal.” He encouraged anyone with questions, comments or complaints to call the SOS hotline at 1 800 345 VOTE or their local county registrar.
Padilla warned that for close races it will take weeks for counties to finish processing and auditing the results. “If that’s the case, it’s not a time to panic but to be patient and confident,” Padilla said, adding that he is concerned that President Trump will claim victory “prematurely.”
“Results aren’t final until the work is done,” Padilla said.
This is the first in a series of five articles and editorials that will inform you about the sources, quality and safety of your drinking water in California, and introduce you to economic opportunities as well as key African American decision makers in our state’s water industry.
By Dale Hunter | Special to California Black Media
Is your tap water safe to drink?
For a majority of Californians, the answer is “yes.”
However, in some areas, especially rural and disadvantaged communities, the drinking water does not meet state and federal drinking water standards and regulations.
California has some of the strictest water quality regulations in the nation, but there is no one-size-fits-all solution for communities with challenges meeting those regulations. The quality of your drinking water depends largely on where you live. For example, if you live in Stockton, the source of your drinking water may be from local groundwater wells or from the San Joaquin River Delta. Many Southern Californians drink water from the Colorado River.
The source of your water supply dictates how much clean-up and treatment is required. The agency responsible for delivering the water to your home — which may be a city, special district or private company — will dictate whether that treatment occurs, and which process is used.
The California African American Water Education Foundation (CAAWEF), in partnership with the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), is sponsoring a five-part series titled, “Is Your Water Safe to Drink.”
Over the next two months, the series will examine and inform the African American community about the current drinking water quality across our state. Community leaders, water quality experts and clean water advocates will offer their perspectives on the challenges to ensuring safe drinking water for all.
In 2012, a California law declared that every person in the state has a right to clean, safe and affordable drinking water. Although that law did not appropriate any money or levy any taxes to fund its implementation, in 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 200, authored by Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel), to provide funding to achieve the goal of “safe drinking water in every California community and for every Californian.”
The State Water Resources Control Board estimates that all drinking water funding sources combined will provide $496 million during the 2020-’21 fiscal year for drinking water solutions.
In this series, we hope to inform you about the water industry in California and about the safety of your water supply. Our goal is to motivate you to become engaged and active participants in influencing the decisions the state and companies make regarding the water you depend on to live and for so many other vital aspects of your life.
The information in this article is brought to you in partnership with the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), a non-profit statewide association of public water agencies whose more than 450 members are responsible for about 90 % of the water deliveries in California.
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