By Ana B. Ibarra | Special to California Black Media Partners

As states and communities rush to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products linked to vaping, Carol McGruder races from town to town, urging officials to include what she calls “the mother lode of all flavors”: menthol.

McGruder, co-chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council, has tried for years to warn lawmakers that menthol attracts new smokers, especially African Americans. Now that more officials are willing to listen, she wants them to prohibit menthol cigarettes and cigarillos, not just e-cigarette flavors, to reduce smoking among Blacks.

McGruder and other tobacco control researchers are using the youth vaping epidemic — and the vaping-related illnesses sweeping the country — as an opportunity to take on menthol cigarettes, even though they are not related to the illnesses.

“We started to see that vaping is something that we could leverage in order to deal with this whole menthol issue,” said Valerie Yerger, an associate professor of health policy at the University of California-San Francisco.

Menthol is a substance found in mint plants that creates a cooling sensation and masks tobacco flavor in both e-cigarettes and cigarettes. Those properties make menthol more appealing to first-time smokers and vapers, even as they pose the same health threats as non-menthol products and may be harder to quit.

Nearly nine out of 10 African American smokers prefer mentholated cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But even as tobacco control activists see opportunity, some African Americans, including smokers, fear discrimination. They predict that banning menthol will lead to a surge in illicit sales of cigarettes and result in additional policing in communities that already face tension with law enforcement.

Joseph Paul, director of political and civic affairs at City of Refuge Los Angeles, a church with about 17,000 members in Gardena, Calif., spoke at a board of supervisors meeting in September against a proposed flavor ban in Los Angeles County that was adopted a week later.

If officials truly wanted to end youth vaping, he later told California Healthline, the ordinance should have targeted only vape flavors and exempted adult smokers and their menthol cigarettes.

“Menthol cigarettes are very popular in the Black community, my people smoke menthol cigarettes,” he said.

The Los Angeles County ban prohibits sales but not possession of flavored e-cigarette products, menthol cigarettes and chewing tobacco in the unincorporated area of the county, inhabited by about 1 million people. Shops have until April to clear their shelves of flavored tobacco products.

Paul warned that people will start selling menthol cigarettes illegally: “It’s supply and demand.” That will make the community more vulnerable to police harassment, he said.

In New York City, when officials proposed a ban on menthol cigarettes earlier this year, which has yet to be acted upon, the Rev. Al Sharpton made a similar argument against the measure: Banning menthol would lead to greater tensions with police in Black communities.

“I think there is an Eric Garner concern here,” the civil right rights activist told The New York Times in July, referring to the well-known case of a 43-year old Black man who died in a chokehold in 2014 while being arrested by New York City police on suspicion of selling single cigarettes.

The flavor bans that are currently sweeping the country have more to do with e-cigarettes than menthol cigarettes.

That’s because a mysterious vaping-related illness has sickened more than 1,880 people nationwide and led to at least 37 deaths. In California, at least 150 residents have fallen ill and at least three have died, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Most of those illnesses have been associated with vaping cannabis products, and yet politicians’ urge to adopt flavored tobacco bans continues.

In July 2016, Chicago became the first major U.S. city to ban menthol cigarette sales, but it limited the prohibition to within 500 feet of schools.

Of the more than 200 communities in the country that restrict or ban the sale of flavored tobacco, fewer than 60 include restrictions on menthol cigarettes, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Aspen, Colo., will ban all flavored nicotine products, including menthol cigarettes, effective Jan. 1. A few communities in Minnesota already have such bans in place. In California, close to 50 communities restrict or ban flavored tobacco products; of those, more than 30 include restrictions on menthol cigarettes. Notably, San Francisco banned menthol cigarettes along with all flavored tobacco products in 2018, before banning all vapes and e-cigarettes earlier this year.

At the national level, the Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of flavors in combustible cigarettes in 2009, but exempted menthol. Last November, the agency proposed a ban on menthol-flavored combustible cigarettes, calling their use among youths “especially troubling,” but it has not yet taken action.

Then the Trump administration said in September it would soon ban all flavored e-cigarette products, but it may now be backing away from banning mint and menthol.

Menthol, which was first added to cigarettes in the 1920s, is as old-school as it gets when it comes to flavored tobacco, yet it hasn’t prompted action in the way that vape flavors such as cotton candy and strawberry-melon have. That’s because vaping was embraced by a specific population: affluent white teens, Yerger said.

Big Tobacco aggressively pushed menthol cigarettes on Black youths in the 1950s and 60s, and now some people consider Kools and Newports part of Black culture, McGruder said.

McGruder and others point out that the tobacco industry has supported and funded civil rights groups and causes, forming relationships with prominent Black leaders such as Sharpton. Big Tobacco acknowledged that it has contributed to Sharpton’s organization, the National Action Network, and similar groups.

McGruder said it’s difficult for the African American community to contradict respected male civil rights and religious leaders, so when they argue that menthol bans will lead to criminalization, the community listens.

But Bobby Sheffield, a pastor and vice president of the Riverside County Black Chamber of Commerce, said the criminalization argument is a scare tactic.

“We’re not trying to have anyone incarcerated because they have this product in their possession,” Sheffield said. His organization, which represents local businesses, started campaigning this year for menthol bans in California’s Inland Empire, including the cities of Riverside, San Bernardino and Perris.

Some smokers understand the need to keep tobacco out of the hands of children, but they don’t think it’s fair to include menthol cigarettes.

“It’s stupid. Now they’re trying to act like menthol cigarettes are the problem. These have been around for a long time,” said April Macklin of Sacramento, who smokes Benson & Hedges menthols. She smoked when she was younger, quit, and started again three years ago.

The city of Sacramento will ban the sale of flavored tobacco, including menthol cigarettes, effective Jan. 1.

Macklin, 53, said she might just quit because she won’t smoke anything other than menthol. But even with a ban in place, she doubts menthol cigarettes will be gone for good. “I’m sure people will figure something out,” she said.

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News and first published on the website California Healthline.  

FONTANA, CA—- The Fontana Pastors United is having their first community block party on Saturday, November 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Fontana.  Father Stephen Casmus has agreed to co-host the event and he is excited to bring the community into his church and being to help those in need. The Loveland Church, under the direction of Dr. Chuck Singleton, will host the event.

They are expecting hundreds to be in attendance, so come early. At the event, there will be free food, free groceries,  free gifts and prizes for the kids, free clothes and free health checks, job resources. The host church will be Loveland Church located at 17977 W Merrill Avenue, Fontana, CA 92335. Pastor Kevin Moore is an associate minister of Loveland and CEO for Fontana Pastors United organized the event.

You are invited to come and have a great time, churches from around Fontana will be in unity and one accord. We are the body of Christ and members of one another. For more information call Pastor Kevin Moore at 909-829-0171 or Loveland Church at 909-356-LOVE or contact Father Stephen Casmus at 909-822-9917. You can preregister at sbpastorsunited.org. Thank you. “Providing hope to a Generation”.  The Fontana Pastors United is praying for You.

LOS ANGELES, CA—-  2,390 participants came together at the LA Zoo November 2 to walk for friends, family and loved ones affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Amongst the crowd were caregivers, those living with Alzheimer’s, civic leaders, celebrities and members of the community who want to play a part in fighting a disease that affects 5.8 million Americans.  Friday the Association announced the event has surpassed its fundraising goal of $750,000.

Funds raised at the event provide free, local care, support and advocacy, as well as research initiatives. Monies raised also fund the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline (800.272.3900), which offers services in 200 languages.

During the walk’s opening ceremony FOXLA Good Day LA Host Rita Garcia and FOXLA Anchor Bob DeCastro brought the crowd to tears as they shared their personal journeys with Alzheimer’s disease.

“My grandma passed away after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2012. I can’t tell you how difficult of a journey it was to watch the disease  progress so fast and so deliberate in such a strong and independent woman,” Garcia said. “It was heartbreaking to constantly remind her of who she was, who we were, how much she had taught all her granddaughters and how we would continue with her legacy of traditions, customs and, my favorite, her special dishes.  I walk in honor of by dear grandma.”

Nikki DeLoach, actress and Alzheimer’s Association Celebrity Champion, shared her personal commitment to the cause in honor of her dad, who is living with Pick’s disease, a rare form of dementia.

“The road with dementia is a long, winding, emotional battle,” said DeLoach. “But today, we were reminded that by coming together at Walk to End Alzheimer’s we are paving the way to finding a cure for this devastating disease, and supporting one another on this journey.”

This year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s Los Angeles welcomed a new partnership with Tandem Careplanning, a public benefit corporation that helps clients and caregivers obtain and manage in-home care relationships.

“As a company that strives to be a partner throughout the caregiving journey, Tandem Careplanning is proud to support the Alzheimer’s Association and work together to ensure continued improvement in care and research for a disease that affects many of our clients,” said Joshua Greer, CEO and co-founder of Tandem Careplanning.

DeCastro summarized the energy that brought everyone together to raise awareness and funds for those fighting this disease now and in the future.

“From the people living with Alzheimer’s to their caregivers, it takes an incredible amount of compassion and courage to cope with this devastating disease.  With the same love, strength and faith we will someday find a cure,” he said.

Of the Americans living with Alzheimer’s in the United States,  more than  670,000 in California. Additionally, more than 16 million family members and friends provide care and support to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Every 65 seconds someone in the U.S. develops the disease.

The final walk of the 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer’s California Southland 14-city series will take place November 9 in Palm Desert. For more information, visit alz.org/walk.

Final Selection to the PaleyLive Fall Season Features the Cast and Creative Team from Tyler Perry’s The Oval

BEVERLY HILLS, CA— The Paley Center for Media today announced the final selection to its PaleyLive LA fall season: An Evening with Tyler Perry’s The Oval. This exciting program will take place on Tuesday, December 10 at 7:00 pm at the Paley Center’s Beverly Hills location.

“Tyler Perry is one of the most creative and prolific minds in entertainment and we’re thrilled to host his new BET series,” said Maureen J. Reidy, the Paley Center’s President and CEO. “I can’t think of a better program to conclude our PaleyLive fall season.“

Tyler Perry’s The Oval, BET‘s addictive and popular drama series from acclaimed creator Tyler Perry, has quickly become one of the most talked about series on television, claiming the #1 spot as the new scripted series for general market P18-49, P2+ for ALL of cable TV.* Tyler Perry’s The Oval traces the story of a newly elected President and First Lady, Hunter and Victoria Franklin, placed in the White House by people of influence. Filled with compelling doses of secrets, power and revenge, the series also highlights the personal side and everyday lives of the First Family, and staff who run the inner workings of the nation’s most iconic residence. The Paley Center will screen an episode from Tyler Perry’s The Oval, followed by conversation with series stars Ed Quinn (Hunter Franklin), Kron Moore (Victoria Franklin), and other members of the cast and creative team.

PaleyLive programs offer audiences the rare opportunity to engage in lively discussions in intimate settings held at The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, to not only expand society’s understanding of the cultural, creative, and social significance of media, but also to educate and entertain the public.

Tickets for An Evening with Tyler Perry’s The Oval are now on sale to Paley Center Patron, Fellow, and Supporting Members. Tickets go on sale for Paley Center Individual Members on November 13 at 9:00 am; and to the general public on November 14 at 9:00 am. PaleyLive events often sell out to Paley Center Members before tickets go on sale to the general public. Paley Members enjoy presale access and ticket discounts. Become a Member today, and get tickets to this event before the general public. For more information on the many benefits of Paley Center Membership including early access to purchase tickets, please visit paley.me/join.

For more information on this event please visit paleycenter.org.

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

On Saturday, Nov. 9, Bernard J. Tyson, the first Black chairman and CEO of California-Based Kaiser Permanente, spoke at AfroTech, a convention organized by the Los Angeles-based digital media company Blavity.

“I’ll be discussing technology and equity in healthcare,” Tyson tweeted not long before sitting on a panel at the annual gathering of Black techies that he and more than 5,000 other guests attended at the Oakland Convention Center. 

The next morning, just about 24 hours later on Sunday, Nov. 10, Kaiser Permanente, the health insurance and hospital system Tyson led as CEO since 2013 – and Chairman since 2014 – announced the 60-year-old executive’s sudden death. 

“It is with profound sadness that we announce that Bernard J. Tyson unexpectedly passed away early today in his sleep,” Kaiser Permanente wrote in a statement published on the organization’s website. 

Tyson’s family has not yet announced the cause of his death.

“On behalf of our Board of Directors, employees and physicians,” Kaiser’s statement continued, “we extend our deepest sympathies to Bernard’s family during this very difficult time. An outstanding leader, visionary and champion for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.”

Tyson is survived by his wife, Denise Bradley-Tyson, and three sons: Bernard J. Tyson, Jr., Alexander and Charles.

Later on Sunday, Americans across the country – and Californians across the state – joined Tyson’s shocked family members, colleagues and loved ones to remember the Bay Area native’s many contributions to his home state and country.

“Our nation has lost a powerful, brilliant, and inspiring leader and voice for health equity and health justice,” Robert K. Ross, president and CEO of the California Endowment (TCE), told California Black Media in an email. “Peace, blessings, and the Lord’s loving embrace to my friend Bernard, and to his family.” TCE is the largest private health foundation in the state.

U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) said Tyson helped to expand health care coverage among African Americans in California.

“I am heartbroken upon learning of the passing of Bernard Tyson,” Lee said. “Bernard dedicated his life to making health care more accessible for our communities. My prayers and condolences are with his family and loved ones during this time.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom also issued a statement shortly after finding out about Tyson’s death Sunday.

“Jennifer and I are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of health care pioneer and our dear friend Bernard Tyson,” the governor wrote. “Bernard’s vision and influence made an impact at home and abroad, and he led with excellence on behalf of millions of Kaiser patients and thousands of employees.”

Tyson, known across the country as one of the leading experts on U.S. health policy, was the only Black CEO of a billion-dollar corporation of a similar size in California. If Kaiser were publicly traded and were not a non-profit corporation, it would have been the 42^nd largest Fortune 500 company in the United States.

Tyson was also one of only five Black CEOS in the United States leading a major corporation.   Kaiser Permanente administered 12.2 million health plans in 2018 and reported a net income of $2.5 billion. The corporation’s operating budget hovers just under $80 billion and it runs more than 700 medical facilities, including hospitals, across the United States.

People who knew Tyson also remember him as a champion of racial justice and an advocate for diversity and equality in the work place.

“I’m devastated,” Magic Johnson tweeted. The ex-NBA star and businessman was Tyson’s close friend.

“He was a visionary and championed for best quality and affordable healthcare, especially in underserved communities,” Johnson wrote in another tweet. “Bernard spent over 30 years at Kaiser and as an African-American man, I was so proud when he was named CEO.”

In 2017, Time Magazine included Tyson on its list of the world’s 100 Most Influential people.

The Golden Gate University alum (undergrad and graduate degrees) also served on a number of boards, including the American Heart Association and the San Francisco-based technology company Salesforce. 

“A light unto this world has gone out,” tweeted SalesForce CEO Marc Benioff. “He always did so much for others and the world. One of the world’s greatest CEOs.”

Kaiser has appointed Gregory Adams, a former executive vice president, to replace Tyson as interim chief executive and chairman.

By Charlene Muhammad | California Black Media

African-American leaders across the country – and around California – are pulling out all the stops this time. They say Blacks cannot afford to be undercounted in the US 2020 Census.

During the last census in 2010, field reps undercounted African Americans across the United States by more than an estimated 800,000 people. 

The data census workers collect is used to determine how over $800 billion in federal, state and local money for programs like Medicaid, Head Start, WIC, SNAP, Community Block Grants, Title 1, and more, is distributed among communities throughout the nation.  The federal government also uses that information to decide how many United States representatives each state is allotted in Congress. 

“There are certain zip codes and certain populations that are hard to count,” said Cassandra Jennings, president and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Urban League. “Those groups include Blacks, Latinos, Asians, the youth, elderly and renters.”

Jennings also serves as a subcommittee chair for California’s Census 2020 Hard to Count Campaign, tasked with making sure there is full participation among Californians. 

In Sacramento County where Jennings lives, she is working with 50 partners to develop culturally sensitive outreach methods for targeting Blacks. Trusted messengers in the community, Jennings says, like community based groups and African-American media, including Black-owned radio stations, newspapers and magazines, will help the Urban League get the word out.

Last month, African-American leaders around the country convened a ‘Tele-Townhall’ titled “Make Black Count.” Civil rights leaders, activists, journalists, members of the clergy and concerned citizens joined the conversation via teleconference to get a better sense of ways they can encourage people of African descent living in the United States to participate in the upcoming census. 

The National Urban League (NUL), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCR) and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) hosted the town hall, held on Oct. 22.

Stacey Abrams, who ran for governor of Georgia last November, joined Marc H. Morial, president of NUL, the Rev. Al Sharpton, president of NAN, and Melanie Campbell, president of NCBCP, among others, to lead the discussion.

“The Census is important because it is the foundation for all reapportionment – drawing of lines for council seats in cities, county commissions, juries, state legislatures, certainly for members of Congress, and in those communities which elect judges from districts, it also impacts that,” said Morial.

Morial challenged the  ‘Tele-townhall’ participants to do all that they can to make sure everyone is fully counted and to hold the US Census Bureau accountable to conduct a full and complete count. 

In California, African Americans, in large numbers, mainly live in about ten of the state’s 58 counties. In those regions, the majority of Blacks reside in tracts that the United States Census Bureau has designated hard to count, according to California Black Media’s “Counting Black California” report.

So, in Los Angeles, Alameda, San Bernardino and Sacramento counties, for example, local governments are funneling California census money to support the work Jennings and others are doing to mobilize participation among Blacks and other hard-to-count groups. So far, California has invested about $187.3 million into achieving an accurate account of state residents in the 2020 Census.

From March 20-22 next year, Sacramento County census outreach groups, for instance, will hold a “Black Count” public awareness weekend. It will feature a blitz of activities targeting more than 14,000 Blacks in the county, including “pop-ups” at approximately 20 churches in the capital city area to provide volunteer training. There will also be special programs aimed at getting the information to young people. 

Similar efforts are being planned in counties across California.

To effectively reach African-American communities in California, Jennings said, census outreach workers will have to focus on educating people about why the census is important to them. They will also have to explain that every member of each household must be counted, including all children and grandchildren – even if they are not listed on the lease.

During the 2010 census, 10 percent of the estimated 4 million children in the United States that census workers did not count lived in California, according to the California Complete Count Office. 

Last week, the California-Hawaii NAACP Conference announced a plan to sign up African Americans across California for census jobs. The effort called “Black Recruitment Week” will be led by the civil rights group’s local branches and will be held from Nov. 24-26. The state NAACP will announce the dates, times and locations of the hiring events on its website.

Special attention would have to be given to aging adults, too, Jennings said, because some of them are isolated from social networks and lack access to computers, smartphones, radios and even television.  

For some African Americans, it’s a matter of trust, Jennings added.  “It’s important for people to know their information won’t be ‘out there’ or compromised, and if they are concerned about information being reported to landlords, for instance, rest easy, it won’t.”

The U.S. constitution mandates the federal government to count every resident of the United States every 10 years. Next year’s census will officially kickoff in April. 

“The way the count will work is: Beginning March 12, Census 2020 will mail a unique user ID to most U.S. households,” Morial told participants of the ‘Tele-townhall.’ “This will allow heads of households to complete the form online, or by mail, or by phone, ahead of Census Day, which is April ,1 2020.

By Robert C. Falkenberg, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of California

For millions of Americans, the fall marks open enrollment season, the time when people select or switch their health benefits for the following year. While many people are likely to look for a health plan that meets their needs and budget, consumers should also be aware of potentially overlooked benefits and programs that encourage well-being and help save money.

Here are several benefits and programs people should look for when considering their health plan for 2020.    

Incentive-based well-being programs: A majority of U.S. employers offer well-being programs, many of which include financial incentives for healthy activities such as walking, going to the gym or meeting certain health benchmarks (e.g., cholesterol levels, body mass index or non-nicotine use). For instance, some plans offer access to wearable devices that enable them to earn more than $1,000 per year in financial incentives for meeting certain walking goals, including reaching 10,000 daily steps. Other “gym check-in” programs offer people the chance to earn gift cards or plan premium discounts by visiting a participating fitness facility a certain number of times each month.

Access to telemedicine: Technology is changing how people navigate the health system and interact with health care professionals, providing more convenient and simpler access to treatments for nonemergency medical issues such as flu, pinkeye and bronchitis. To encourage the use of telemedicine, more health plans now include coverage for these services and offer mobile apps that connect people to doctors 24 hours a day via the camera on their mobile phone, tablet or computer. Telemedicine may provide more convenient access to quality, cost-effective care, in some cases for less than $50 per visit.

Savings on hearing aids: Approximately 48 million Americans experience hearing loss, ranking it as the third most common chronic condition – yet hearing health care services and hearing aids are not typically covered by traditional Medicare. For support, some employer-sponsored and Medicare Advantage health plans are starting to offer coverage for hearing health testing and hearing aids. Depending on the plan, people may be able to purchase custom-programmed hearing aids at significant discounts compared to those without coverage, in some cases for as little as $100 out of pocket. For all consumers, new “home-delivery” models are making it more affordable to treat hearing loss, which some studies show contribute to depression, dementia and increased risk of falls.      

Prescription sunglasses and at-home orthodontic care: People with some vision plans may be able to purchase a second pair of prescription eyewear (including sunglasses) for their normal or a reduced copay and coinsurance. Other vision plans may provide coverage for a pair of traditional safety glasses or blue-light filtering eyewear for extended computer use. Meanwhile, some dental plans with orthodontic coverage now provide network access to “teledentistry” and direct-to-consumer clear aligners, helping people improve their smiles – and potentially save time on in-person appointments – for less than $1,000 out of pocket.   

Health care open enrollment usually occurs during a two-week period during the fall; for people enrolled in Medicare, enrollment runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7; and individual state exchanges from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. To determine access to these programs, people can check with their company’s HR department or directly with their health plan.     

By looking for and using these potentially overlooked benefits and resources, people can help maximize the value of their health plan, support well-being and save money.

By Holly Ober

“It shouldn’t be about country club California. This should be a California everyone can live in,” said Christopher Thornberg, director of the UC Riverside School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development, neatly summarizing the theme of the center’s 2019 annual conference. 

“The House That Wasn’t Built. Housing Scarcity: The Inland Empire’s Natural Barrier to Economic Growth” was held Nov. 6 at the Riverside Convention Center. It coincided with the release of a new economic forecast for the U.S., California, and Inland Empire economies.

Thornberg said that contrary to the bleak vision of inland California embedded in some statewide economic development agendas, the Inland Empire, which consists of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, has a robust economy and the 14th largest labor force in the nation. Over the past five years the Inland Empire joined the Bay Area in fastest job growth in the state. The region’s unemployment rate of 4% is the lowest it has ever been, equaling that of Los Angeles, and it has the same income per level of educational attainment as Los Angeles and Orange counties. 

However, while coastal areas boast large, highly paid professional and technical sectors, healthcare, government, and logistics dominate the Inland Empire’s economy. These jobs often require less education and fewer skills, and generally pay less than jobs in technology, finance, and educated professions that lead the coast. 

Rather than regard this as an impediment to developing the kind of economy found in coastal California, Thornberg suggested the Inland Empire’s labor force and housing supply have been necessary supports to California’s growth all along and comparison to coastal areas is both methodologically unsound and unfair. 

“Comparing local economies to San Jose is like comparing your health to an Olympic athlete,” Thornberg said. “The only place that looks like San Jose is San Jose.”

The housing supply, however, has not kept pace with the population, which over the past 25 years has grown three times faster than that of the coast. Apartment vacancies, for example, are at less than 4%. The region is not building enough housing, and neither are Los Angeles and Orange counties. This situation will increase regional competition for housing that is already pushing out the Inland Empire’s workforce as housing grows scarcer and rents rise. While some worry the rich are leaving California in droves, far more people at the other end of the spectrum are abandoning the state for places like Nevada and Arizona, where housing is available and affordable. 

The Center for Economic Forecasting’s analysis indicates a crisis of housing supply, not affordability. California has the second lowest vacancy rate in the nation and the highest percentage of adults living with parents. Thornberg said California needs to be issuing 200,000-250,000 building permits per year to sustain a 2% job growth rate but is only doing 130,000.

“Lower-skilled workers moved inland because coastal areas put the kibosh on housing 20 years ago,” Thornberg said. “It’s like we’re saying, ‘We already kicked you out of the coastal areas; now we want to kick you out of the inland, too.’”

The center’s analysis finds the housing problem is a land use issue that needs to be solved at the local level. Thornberg said a poorly thought-out tax model exacerbates the housing crisis. Most city revenue comes from business taxes, which encourages local governments to invest in business development, not housing. If cities have to build housing, they want it to be high-end and often enact restrictive laws to prevent high-density alternatives that attract lower-income occupants, like apartment complexes. 

“Baby Boomers are often the primary opponents of housing because they’ve got theirs already,” said speaker Steve PonTell, chief executive officer and president of National Community Renaissance, or National CORE, a nonprofit affordable housing developer with a focus on community revitalization. He said high-density housing does reduce home value, but self-interest shouldn’t influence a city’s housing decisions.

PonTell said the Inland Empire’s key to continued economic development is to build more housing, but the region has overzoned and overbuilt for business and underzoned and underbuilt for housing. 

“Housing should be considered a necessary infrastructure,” he said. “Cities can make this happen. Inland Empire cities should lead when it comes to how cities solve these problems. We need to be more aggressive about how we come together to do that.”

Paavo Monkkonen, an associate professor of urban planning and public policy at UCLA, said in his presentation that cities could add more housing by building to zoning capacity. One example would be to build up, not out — think high-rise apartments in urban centers instead of single-family homes in sprawling subdivisions. He also said building more housing in high-rent areas will spur economic development. 

“The decisions that need to be made to continue amazing growth in the Inland Empire are local,” said Thornberg. “We need to start having these land use conversations and making decisions.”

In addition, the Center for Economic Forecasting also released its new economic forecast with current outlooks for the U.S., California, and Inland Empire economies. A copy of the forecast and conference book can be downloaded in its entirety here.

Select key findings:

• Of all the industrial and business development in the Inland Empire, rapid expansion occurring at the Ontario International Airport is a standout. Year-over-year growth in passenger traffic at the airport has jumped 9.6% compared to 0.3% growth at Los Angeles International Airport and a 3.4% drop at John Wayne Airport in Orange County.
• Due to the multiple ways employment is measured by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the California Employment Development Department, and due to a lag in some of the data, the new forecast finds current monthly figures may be underestimating the Inland Empire’s true jobs growth trends. There is a good chance growth levels will be revised upward when the annual benchmarking occurs in March 2020. 
• Despite the trade war that has been underway since March 2018 with some of California’s most vital trading partners, the Inland Empire’s logistics sector has continued to grow at a robust pace, with 3% job expansion from August 2018 to August 2019. 
• As of the second quarter of 2019, average rent in the Inland Empire reached $1,390/month, a 3.8% year-over-year increase. Notably, rents are most expensive in submarkets closest to L.A. County where vacancy rates are also the lowest, indicating higher demand, likely from commuters who drive to the coast for work.
• Sales of existing single-family homes in the Inland Empire were down 6.4% in the first half of 2019 while they fell 7.2% statewide. The pullback can partially be traced to last year’s sharp rise in interest rates and limits on mortgage deductibility that resulted from the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The good news is 2018’s surge in interest rates has largely been erased, and today’s lower rates should stimulate the market.
• Yield curve, schmield curve: The strong correlation in this data to the onset of a recession is traditionally driven by the Federal Reserve raising short-term interest rates to cool an overheating economy. The inverted yield curve is like the skid marks left behind after trying to avoid going over a cliff. But in this case, the U.S. is not facing a cliff. The national economy is stable and the expansion will continue.

Rayah, The Royal Poodle Promotes Gender Equality and Healthy Learning and Working Relationships

Dr. Vickie Cox Edmondson, an academic and management strategist, announced that she has entered into a partnership with actress, Adrienne Unae to introduce Rayah, The Royal Poodle, LLC. to enhance the career opportunities and influence of girls and women of color. Holding to the belief that making sound judgments early on is fundamental to success, the partners plan to infuse art, wonder, into values-based leadership learning and development activities to drive successful personal and organizational outcomes.

Their first objective is to introduce Rayah (Ra-yah), a live character
poodle, whose “go high and if I can do it you can too” persona makes her
the perfect role model for promoting gender equality, and healthy learning
and working relationships – two issues that influence the well-being and
success of girls of all ages. November is a month in which many of us give
thanks and shift our focus from ourselves to others. It’s a great time to
bring women of all demographics together to look at problems facing Black
and Brown girls in our community and say how can we work together to fix
that? Plans are to partner with organizations that struggle to attract and
retain members of underrepresented groups, and with social and service
organizations that seek to enhance the lives of women.

“Before women of color can get to the head of the decision-making table, an intentional effort must be made to champion them early on and spark their interest in pursuing careers in attractive top-paying fields where
diversity in key decision-making roles is historically lacking. Adrienne
Unae’s acting skills can be that spark,” said Cox Edmondson.

Adrienne Unae replied, “I am very excited to team up with Dr. Vickie Cox
Edmondson to awe-inspire girls to be the best they can be as part of
Rayah’s Royal Kingdom. It is an amazing opportunity for the girls, their
moms and supporters, and me.”

Fans or Royalists of any age or demographic can join Rayah’s Royal Registry
by visiting http://www.royalrayah.com/contact-us.

EAST CHINA SEA (Oct. 30, 2019) Sonar Technician (Surface) 3rd Class Mateo Micucci steadies Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Dustin Borges, left, from Upland, Calif., as he readies a telescopic boarding pole during visit, board, search, and seizure training in a rigid hull inflatable boat attached to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69). Milius is underway conducting operations in the Indo-Pacific region while assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force.