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

Russell Desmond received a letter a few weeks ago from the American Kidney Fund (AKF) that he said felt like “a smack on the face.”

The organization informed Desmond, who has kidney failure and needs dialysis three times a week, that it will no longer help him pay for his private health insurance plan – to the tune of about $800 a month.

“I am depressed about the whole situation,” said the 58-year-old Sacramento resident. “I have no clue what I’m going to do.”

Desmond has Medicare, but it doesn’t cover the entire cost of his care. So, with assistance from AKF, he pays for a private plan to cover the difference.

Now, the fund, which helps about 3,700 Californians pay their premiums and out-of-pocket costs, is threatening to pull out of California because of a new state law that is expected to cut into the dialysis industry’s profits – leaving patients like Desmond scrambling.

The letter portrayed the fund as helpless. “We are heartbroken at this outcome,” it read. “Ending assistance in California is the last thing we want to do.”

But supporters of the new law are calling the threat a scare tactic. State Assemblyman Jim Wood (D- Healdsburg), the author of AB-290, said there is nothing in the measure that prohibits the fund from continuing to provide financial assistance to patients.

“AKF has simply made a conscious decision, without merit, to leave the state despite the many accommodations I made by amending the bill in the Senate to ensure that it can continue to operate in California,” Wood said in a written statement.

What’s behind this dispute, critics of AKF Say, is the tight relationship between the fund and the companies that provide dialysis, which filters the blood of people whose kidneys are no longer doing the job.

People on dialysis usually qualify for Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older, and those with kidney failure and certain disabilities. If they’re low income, they may also qualify for Medicaid, which is called Medi-Cal in California.

But dialysis companies can get higher reimbursements from private insurers than from public coverage. And one way to keep dialysis patients on private insurance is by giving them financial assistance from AKF, which helps nearly 75,000 low-income dialysis patients across the country.

The fund gets most of its money from DaVita and Fresenius Medical Care, the two largest dialysis companies in the country. The fund does not disclose its donors, but an independent audit of its finances conducted by the accounting firm CliftonLarsenAllen, LLP,  reveals that 82 percent of its funding in 2018 – nearly $250 million –  came from two companies.

Insurance plans, consumer advocacy groups and unions have accused AKF of helping dialysis providers steer patients into private insurance plans in exchange for donations from the dialysis industry. Wood said his bill is intended to discourage that practice.

 AKF CEO LaVarne Burton denied the accusations and said her group plays no role in patients’ coverage choices.

Starting in 2022, the new law will limit the private-insurance reimbursement rate that dialysis companies receive for patients who get assistance from groups such as AKF to the rate that Medicare pays. The rate change won’t apply to patients who are currently receiving assistance as long as they keep the same health plans. The bill will also address a similar dynamic in drug treatment programs.

To determine which patients receive financial aid, the law will require third-party groups to disclose patients’ names to health insurers starting July 1, 2020.

These disclosure requirements are spurring AKF’s decision to leave, Burton said. She argues that they conflict with federal rules and violate patient privacy.

“AKF has no choice but to leave or seek legal relief,” Burton said.

In mid-October, the fund started sending letters to its financial aid recipients in California warning of its departure. And Nov. 1, it joined two dialysis patients in filing suit against the state, asking a U.S. District Court to rule the law unconstitutional.

Gov. Gavin Newsom cautioned against such actions when he signed the bill, and urged “both opponents and supporters to put patients first.”

But as the threats and legal battle play out, patients are caught “squarely in the middle,” said Bonnie Burns, a consultant with California Health Advocates, a Medicare advocacy group.

Their options may be limited, she said. Those who don’t work won’t have access to employer-sponsored coverage to make up the difference. And in California, Medicare recipients under age 65 are not eligible to purchase supplemental insurance known as Medigap.

The state Department of Managed Health Care offers a fact sheet for affected patients, directing them to programs such as Covered California and Medi-Cal.  

Paige Hosler, vice president of insurance management at DaVita, said insurance counselors and social workers at the company’s clinics are working with patients to find other options. “We will continue to treat all patients, regardless of insurance status,” she said.

Hosler noted that some patients may qualify for DaVita’s charity care program. 

Dialysis companies have been at the center of recent legislative and ballot-box battles, and have spent big to defend their bottom lines. Last year, they poured a record-breaking $111 million into a campaign to defeat Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that would have capped their profits. The measure failed. 

The industry also spent about $2.5 million in California on lobbying and campaign contributions in the first half of this year to oppose Wood’s measure. 

Desmond said he understands why lawmakers targeted the dialysis industry but can’t fathom why they did so at the expense of patients.

Desmond was laid off from his job as a computer programmer in Massachusetts in 2009 and moved to California to join his brother. One year later, he was diagnosed with kidney failure.

He lives off his Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, which come to about $2,000 a month after his Medicare premiums are deducted. Medicare pays for 80 percent of his care.

He also qualifies for Medi-Cal coverage that comes with high out-of-pocket costs, so he relies instead on a private Aetna insurance plan to cover the remaining 20 percent.  The American Kidney Fund has been paying the premiums for his private plan since 2015. 

“What they did is take away our life raft and left us to drown,” he said of lawmakers.

Brian Carroll, 40, of Sacramento, has been on dialysis for five years. He moved back in with his parents in 2016 because, he said, dialysis left him too weak to work. 

“I am now completely depending on other people,” Carroll said. AKF pays the $270 monthly premium for his private insurance plan that covers what Medicare doesn’t.

“That’s an entire month of groceries and gas for me,” he said. 

Carroll said he supported Proposition 8, even though dialysis companies argued that it would force them to cut back services and shut down clinics.

In this current situation, he’s not sure whom to blame – the lawmakers, who passed the law with no back-up plan for patients, or the fund, which is essentially holding patients hostage.

“What I do know is that you can’t just leave dialysis patients like this,” Carroll said. “It’s cruel.”

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This story was produced by Kaiser Health News (KHN), which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

It’s time to take gloves off on a very crucial Census in 2020

Judging from the flat and barely noticeable national conversation on the critical importance of needed mass Black participation in the Census, it’s business as usual from various community organizations who are rolling out campaigns eleventh hour.

The problem is that not only have these campaigns failed to achive an urgent, fevered pitch, but the messaging has not been crafted in such a way that makes the conversation relatable to the broader Black audience which needs all hands on deck for this exercise. Response to the urgency of the Census should be done in a way reminiscent of mass Black-oriented marketing successes such as Marvel’s Black Panther film and the first release of the Popeye’s franchise chicken sandwich.

Priorities.

That hasn’t happened, yet. The scheduled 2020 Census promises to – once again – dramatically decrease the official Black population in the United States. The consequences of this are both enormous and fatally dangerous to Black communities nationwide. This is, clearly, by design and reflects a centuries-long, ongoing and nefarious effort by the federal government to actively diminish and “disappear” the presence of Black people in the United States through any means at their disposal. Indeed, the Census has been weaponized in such a way. Take a look at undercount trends since 1950.

We know the Census Bureau won’t take any major steps towards rectifying or correcting undercounts because it never has. In fact, it’s more involved in underfunding itself or looking for creative ways to streamline its mandated responsibility as opposed to doing it fully and comprehensively.

That burden of increased Census participation will fall on us.

This cannot be business as usual on the part of Black grassroots and community advocate infrastructure which includes large organizations such as the National Urban League, the NAACP and the National Action Network to name a few. Black churches should be mobilizing congregations every Sunday while every effort is made to reach every visible and/or known Black person in every venue including schools, barbershops, hair salons, nail places, parks, sports games, concerts, and through urban radio. That effort should coincide with or be attached to aggressive voter mobilization efforts. Instead, the Census conversation and campaign effort seems very grasstops at the moment; it’s a box checked off by social network groups, fraternities and sororities looking for community service points.

But, we can’t be cute about this. No stone should be left unturned. Every creative effort should be made to ensure every Black person possible is answering the 10-question Census, by 1) mailed questionnaire, by 2) phone or 3) online. Every effort should be made to ensure households know when to look out for their unique identifier in the mail, the ID they’ll need to take the Census online, which will look this

… and to not consider if junk mail.

Yet, there are no visible signs of anything ambitious or a tipping point national moment where the public is freaking out over predicted mass undercounts of Black persons – and, yes, we should be freaking out about it.

Here are several key points to push when having that Census conversation:

Don’t Make Yourself Invisible

That’s pretty much what an undercount amounts to: making Black people disappear. And if you want the federal government, in collusion with state and local governments who rely on this “authoritative” data to consider you as not existing then, go ahead, be our guest and don’t take the Census. While we keep saying the national Black population is 13 percent, it’s really 15 percent or more.

The Census Bureau itself, in a casual “our bad” mea culpa, admitted to undercounts back in 2010 after the last decennial exercise …

Notice how the Black undercount was the most significant compared to all other racial groups?

Indeed, notice the states with the highest concentrations of Black residents are projected to experience the most drastic medium-to-high risk undercounts, according to the Urban Institute graphic below …

Fewer Black People = Less Political Representation

Don’t let obscure or very academic terms used to describe important elements of the Census put you to sleep. Stay alert. When you’re not counted in the Census, your community loses the 1) “apportionment” game – which means you lose Members of Congress to represent you in the Congress. Fewer members of Congress means you not only lose representation, but you just lost out on a chance at federal resources, responsiveness and money. In addition, you also lose the 2) “redistricting” game – which means the Congressional, state legislator or local lawmaker district you live in not only loses clout, but the fewer Black people counted in it means the lawmaker is conveniently less inclined to take you seriously … because, once again, he/she is under the official impression that, well, “there’s not that many of them living in my district, anyway.”

Your Community Will Get Fewer to No Federal Dollars

The last 2010 Census determined how nearly $700 billion in federal funds would get distributed to communities for everything from schools, roads, Medicaid, school lunches, grants and more. This 2020 Census raises that stake to $900 billion – and that doesn’t even include the appropriation of billions of dollars more policymakers will determine based on existing Census data. These are the top 10 federal programs most reliant on federal dollars from the 2010 Census, according to the Tax Policy Center …

Undercounts Exacerbate “Gentrification,” the Affordable Living Crisis and Food Insecurity

Lots of people are upset about “gentrification” and the displacement of urban Black populations that happens as a result of higher rents, escalating housing prices and bad schools – but, no one is talking about participating fully in the Census as a strategy to help solve that.

It’s simple: the fewer Black people counted in a community gives landlords, real estate developers, employers, grocery stores, mass transit agencies and school districts a variety of excuses to make living standards that much harder for economically distressed and already strapped Black populations …

• Rents are systematically raised because the impression, based on Census data, is that more middle-class White professionals who can afford higher rent have moved in.
• Housing prices spike up and homes become unaffordable because, well, there is less of the financially-distressed population in that geographic space.
• Businesses rely on Census data, as well, among one of several research tools to determine if it’s feasible for them to set up shop in a community. Fewer businesses in a community mean fewer market options and fewer jobs for people living in that community – meaning residents have to travel farther to get to a job. But, then …
• Mass transit agencies cut bus routes and other services if they believe (or use the Census data to believe) they are fewer people in a community to service.
• Grocery stores won’t build if it’s perceived the market conditions aren’t ideal, based on Census data, hence the expansion of food deserts leading to food insecurity … and, well, more “dollar stores” with unhealthy, cheap carcinogenic food to buy.
• School districts are slow to invest in, renovate or improve neighborhood schools if Census data show fewer families and children to service.

Source: https://thebenote.com/

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— — Southern California Edison (SCE) donated to Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy (YVYLA), to help give support to their S.A.M. Program, which stands for Student Achievement Mentor Program. Most of SCE grant funding is targeted to help meet the needs of diverse ethnic groups, seniors, people with special needs, women, low-income, and gay and lesbian populations groups that are often under-served.

A donation of $5,000.00 was donated to the Young Visionaries SAM Program. Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy’s Student Achievement Mentoring (SAM) is a program designed to address and reduce suspensions through effective implementation of positive behavior support systems. SAM is a goal-oriented program designed to support the educational and professional aspirations of all students. The Program increases the completion of developmental courses, retention and graduation rates. To accomplish this, the program increases exposure to educational, professional, and civic opportunities.

The Student Achievement Mentoring Program through mentoring works to:

• Improved Self Confidence and Self Esteem

• Increase Motivation

• Broaden horizons and experience of students

• Raise Achievements and Aspirations

• Build Relationships

• Establish Employment Development Skills

• Support to Graduation

The City of San Bernardino is home to a diverse and prominently minority population: 66% Hispanic, 14% African American, 13% White, 4% Asian, and 3% other. 23% percent of the population is foreign-born. In San Bernardino, the 2016 median household income was $39,472, compared to $63,783 for the State. Unemployment has remained above both state and national levels since the 2008 financial crisis, and the 2018 unemployment rate for the City was 5%, compared to 3.9% for the county, 4.6% for the state, and 4.1% for the United States.

Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy has large annual outreach events for the San Bernardino community. For example, February, “Hearts for Hygiene” at this event YVYLA collects 200 bags of hygiene and distribute them to the youth in our programs that need hygiene. June is Young Visionaries Annual Youth Conference, this conference average up to 300 youth in attendance. The month of August the youth group has an annual “2000 Backpack and School Supplies” giveaway, the month of November is a Thanksgiving event giving out 1000 Thanksgiving Turkeys and boxes of food to 1000 families in need. During the month of December for Christmas YVYLA has their annual 1000 Toy giveaway to 1000 community youth.

“We would like to thank, Southern California Edison for their generous donation and recognizing the need in our community” says Terrance Stone, CEO and Founder of Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy.

By Tess Eyrich

In 2010, during the last decennial population count, nearly one in four Inland Empire households didn’t mail back their census questionnaire. What’s more, another 40,000 people throughout the region didn’t receive a questionnaire by mail at all.

Why does this matter? Because undercounted regions miss out on vital federal and state funding, hindering potential growth in those regions for years to come. In a place like the Inland Empire, which has seen significant growth over the past decade, missing out on funding could be especially damaging. 

This fall, staffers and students at the University of California, Riverside, are mobilizing in a variety of ways to ensure a more accurate regional population count in 2020. 

Leading the charge is the Center for Social Innovation, which two weeks ago spearheaded the formation of UCR Counts, the university’s official Complete Count Committee. An initiative of the U.S. Census Bureau, the Complete Count Committees program is key to creating census awareness in communities nationwide through targeted outreach efforts.

UCR Counts brings together representatives from the center, which is housed within the School of Public Policy; Student Life; Governmental & Community Relations; the Associated Students of UC Riverside, or ASUCR; and Undocumented Student Programs.

Complementing the committee’s efforts, on Oct. 16, ASUCR passed its first Senate Resolution of the fall 2019 quarter, encouraging  student leaders, student organizations, and administrators to participate in census efforts.

The resolution was co-authored by Eric Calderon and Luis Huerta, two members of ASUCR’s Executive Cabinet who also serve as student representatives on UCR Counts. It emphasizes UCR’s responsibility to host informational sessions about the census and promote census education and resources on campus. 

Perhaps more importantly, however, it underscores the university’s role in driving outreach to so-called “hard-to-count” communities, including undocumented immigrants, non-English speakers and/or households, and racial and ethnic minorities, among other groups. 

“One key statement in the resolution that will drive our work is, ‘Students are often important advocates, translators, guides, and trusted messengers for their family, friends, and community,’” said Marlenee Blas, associate director of the Center for Social Innovation, who is leading the on-campus census efforts. “We’re really relying on our students as trusted messengers for their communities.” 

During a visit with members of UCR Counts on Oct. 24, Ditas Katague, director of California Complete Count, the office coordinating census efforts statewide, discussed the importance of UCR’s work and shared outreach strategies. 

“Our hard-to-count populations in California are full of fear,” she said. The current political climate, Katague noted, has increased wariness among many people in hard-to-count communities, which also include low-income groups, people experiencing homelessness, and those living in rural or geographically isolated areas.  

“People keep asking, ‘What’s different this year?’” she added. “But what they should be asking is, ‘How can we make the difference?’ Because everyone knows the political environment this year is different. But for me, what’s going to make the difference is the youth — period.”

Katague said the Census Bureau’s pivot to a digital format in lieu of traditional paper questionnaires puts young people on the forefront of outreach and education efforts. 

For the first time, the bureau is asking most people to answer the census online. Katague believes this opens up a realm of opportunities to promote the census through social media, for example, as well as for young people to help their older relatives and friends with completing it.

Katague was joined in the visit to UCR by Mignonne Pollard, education outreach manager for California Complete Count, and Quintilia Ávila, regional program manager for California Complete Count’s efforts throughout Southern California. 

Pollard said California Complete Count will work over the next year to partner with the University of California, individual UC campuses, and UC’s various Basic Needs programs to ensure harder-to-count populations are reached in 2020. 

The statewide team will also use the recently passed ASUCR resolution as an example when visiting other universities to promote census efforts, they said.

On campus, UCR Counts has plans to collaborate with several departments and groups, such as Residential Life, the ethnic and gender programs based in Costo Hall, and the Academic Senate.

A major aspect of the Oct. 24 meeting involved figuring out how UCR Counts might better connect with undocumented students, in particular, and those with ties to other hard-to-count populations both in the region and statewide.

The campus committee builds on the Center for Social Innovation’s ongoing work in coordinating census outreach efforts across Riverside and San Bernardino counties, said Karthick Ramakrishnan, a professor of public policy and political science who serves as director of both the center and the Inland Empire Complete Count Committee.

“Efforts like UCR Counts will give students a once-in-a-decade opportunity to deepen their applied research skills and serve their communities, either through paid census job opportunities or through service-learning opportunities that draw on their talents and passions,” Ramakrishnan said.

Likewise, Blas emphasized that UCR students — many of whom are Pell Grant recipients and first-generation college students — have the potential to make big impacts in their communities.

Students can assist with the committee’s efforts by talking to their families and friends about why it’s important to participate in the census. The census will take place on April 1, in the middle of the first week of the spring 2020 quarter, making spring break a prime time for initiating conversations with loved ones about how to participate.

“Concentrate your efforts on the hardest of the hard to count,” Katague said. “And please document everything you’re doing,” she added, so that in another 10 years, the campus might be able to follow the blueprint established by UCR Counts. 

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 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.

SCRIPTURE: Effective Prayer

7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks,  receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.  Matthew 7:7-8 NLT

Jobs This Week:

• P/T Cashier needed for a Carwash – in Upland, CA.  Call Jose (909) 946-0366
• Prime Skill Staffing Services – is seeking Pickers/Packers in Chino, CA.  Text (909) 637-3632
• Experienced Auto Body Man, Painter needed – in Bloomington, CA.  Must have paint experience.  Si habla Espanol.  Call Walter (909) 489-0738; Laura (909) 717-9919; or Brian (909) 957-9791
• Auto Body Paint Prepper and Detailer needed – in Hemet, CA.  Call Thom Frazier (951) 658-3184 ext. 440
• Fish Processors needed – in Alaska.  Www.unitedstatesseafoods.com
• Galasso’s Bakery – is seeking a Production Helper in Mira Loma, CA.  $14.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Bluefrog Plumbing – is seeking a Commercial Plumbing Professional in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.  $70,000.00-$120,000.00k/yr.  Www.indeed.com
• New Bedford Panaramex Corporation – is seeking an Electric Assembly Worker in Claremont, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• United Parcel Service – is seeking a Warehouse Worker I in Fontana, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• CRH – is seeking a Production Laborer in Fontana, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• In-N-Out Burger – is seeking a Warehouse Worker in Baldwin Park, CA.  $16.83/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• LBC, Limited Partnership – is seeking a Recycling Worker in Ontario, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• General Motors – is seeking a Warehouse Worker in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.  $16.67/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Alexander’s Contract Services – is seeking a Water Meter Reader in Riverside, CA.  $12.50/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Siemens – is seeking a Production Worker in Pomona, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Parcel Packages Delivery Company – is seeking a Delivery Amazon Packages Class C license in Chino, CA.  $15.00-$17.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• International Paper – is seeking General Labor in Ontario, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• R.S. Hughes Company, Inc. – is seeking a Production Lead in Irwindale, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Amazon HVH – is seeking a Warehouse Team Member in Rialto, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Cole Equipment Rental – is seeking a Yard Associate in Riverside, CA.  $11.0-$14.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Disney Parks and Resorts – is seeking a Stable Attendant (P/T) in Norco, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Tesla – is seeking a Warehouse Associate in Riverside, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Catalon, Inc. – is seeking a Mail Sorter in Ontario, CA.  $12.00-$15.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Becker Pipeline Co. – is seeking a Dry Utility Pipelayer in Riverside, CA.  $18.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Redlands Community Hospital – is seeking a Painter-Maintenance Worker I in Redlands, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Optimum, Inc. – is seeking a Safety Inspector/Crew Support Trainee in Bloomington, CA.  $15.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Cummins, Inc. – is seeking a Parts (Warehouse) Person in Fontana, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Collins Aerospace – is seeking an Assembler in Riverside, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Medline Industries – is seeking Warehouse Operators (P/T) in Rialto, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• City of Pomona – is seeking a Maintenance Worker I-Solid Waste in Pomona, CA.  $15.60-$19.57/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Western Pacific Insurance Services – is seeking an Insurance Assistant in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Alliance Environment Group, LLc – is seeking a Labor Coordinator in Azusa, CA.  $15.00-$20.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• New Bedford Panoramex Corporation – is seeking a Production Supervisor in Claremont, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Nordstrom – is seeking a Seasonal Warehouse Associate in San Bernardino, CA.  $15.05-$15.55/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Ray Products – is seeking a Machine Operator/Production Worker in Ontario, CA.  $13.00-$16.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Loyalty Business Center – is seeking a General Laborer in Eastvale, CA.  $12.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Spectra 360 – is seeking a Production Worker in Riverside, CA.  $15.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Sherfab – is seeking a Chemical Packager in Ontario, CA.  $12.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Clean Street – is seeking a Street Sweeper Operator in Fontana, CA.  $18.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Fastemps – is seeking a 1^st & 2^nd shift Entry Level CNC Operator in Ontario, CA.  $16.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Quick Crete Products – is seeking a General Laborer in Norco, CA.  $12.00-$15.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Eclipse Advantage – is seeking a Warehouse Worker in Jurupa, CA.  $15.00-$16.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• FX Signs – is seeking a General Laborer in Riverside, CA.  $12.00-$15.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Aptitude Agency – is Hiring for Warehouse in Mira Loma, CA.  $12.50-$14.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• HCI – is seeking a Class A Lineman in Norco, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Martinez Steel Corporation – is seeking a Rebar Estimator in Ontario, CA.  $65,000.00-$100,000.00k/yr.  Www.indeed.com
• Sodexo, Inc. – is seeking a Manufacturing Tech in La Verne, CA.  $22.00-$30.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Thompson Pipe Group Pressure – is seeking a Project Manager-Manufacturing Industry in Rialto, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Confidential – is seeking a Line Tech in Mira Loma, CA.  $17.00-$19.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• County of Riverside – is seeking a Park Maintenance Worker-Parks in Riverside, CA.  $31,591.00-$49,731.00k/yr.  Www.indeed.com
• Nike – is seeking an Equipment Operator in Ontario, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Athens Services – is seeking a Laborer-Landfill/Transfer in Redlands, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Waxie Sanitary Supply – is seeking a Night Warehouse Worker in Ontario, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Sam’s Club – is seeking a Backroom Associate in Ontario, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• United Parcel Service – is seeking an Aircraft Maintenance Utility in Ontario, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Bass Pro Shops – is seeking a Hunting Stock Associate in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Allen Distribution – is seeking a Forklift Operator in Ontario, CA.  $16.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Menzies Aviation – is seeking a Cabin Cleaner in Ontario, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Nexem Staffing – is seeking a Warehouse and Production Worker in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.  $12.00-$14.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• University Staffing – is seeking a General Laborer in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Rio Ranch Market – is seeking Entry Level Grocery Workers in Fontana, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Sysco Guest Supply – is seeking a Warehouse Worker in Corona, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Ryder – is seeking a Material Handler I in Fontana, CA.  $16.00-$19.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Alexander’s Contract Services – is seeking a Meter Reader w/ D-1 Distribution Certification in Corona, CA.  $15.50/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Hertz – is seeking a Tire/Lube Tech-Ontario Airport in Ontario, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• S.P. Richards – is seeking a Warehouse-Order Filler (F/T) in Mira Loma, CA.  $15.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Ventura Foods, LLC – is seekijng a Sanitation Worker in Ontario, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Saladino’s Foodservice – is seeking a Warehouse Order Selector in Ontario, CA.  $16.50/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Have a Heart – is seeking a Budtender in San Bernardino, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• GCAM, Inc. – is seeking a Donor Screener in San Bernardino, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• West Coast Prime Meats – is seeking a Freezer Operator in Brea, CA.  $17.00-$17.50/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• ISA Companion Animal Clinic – is seeking a Pet Groomer in Barstow, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Stake Center Locating – is seeking a Gas Utility Locate Tech in Barstow, CA.  $16.00-$22.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• American Cruise Lines – is seeking a Dishwasher-Hotel Team Member in the U.S.  $700.00-$900.00/week
• US Dept. of Defense – is seeking a Store Associate in Barstow, CA.  $16.53-$21.48/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Titan Carpet Care – is seeking a Housekeeping Cleaner in Barstow, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Chili’s – is seeking a Dishwasher in Barstow, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Transcon Environmental – is seeking a Biologist in Hinkley, CA.  $25.00-$30.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Buzz Box Beverages, Inc. – is seeking a Production Manager in Indio, CA.  $60,000.00-$70,000.00k/yr.  Www.indeed.com
• Renova Energy Corporation – is seeking an HR Assistant in Palm Desert, CA.  $15.00-$16.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Trader Joe’s – is seeking a Crew in Cathedral City, CA.  $15.00-$17.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• City of Danli – is seeking a Budtender in Palm Springs, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Vyaire -is seeking a Production Assembler in Palm Springs, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Torres Martinez Desert Cahuillla Indians – is seeking a Heavy Equipment Operator in Thermal, CA.  $21.42/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Torres Martnez Desert Cahuilla Indians – is seeking a Weed Abatement Worker in Thermal, CA.  $14.09/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Ferguson – is seeking a Warehouse Associate I in Indio, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Maco Equipment Rentals – is seeking Laborers in Thousand Palms, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Bristol Farms – is seeking a Cheese Clerk in Palm Desert, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Flood Response – is seeking a Water Damage Restoration Tech in Thousand Palms, CA.  $12.00-$13.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Sky West Airlines – is seeking a Parts Clerk in Palm Springs, CA.  $12.15/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Vacasa – is seeking a Maintenance Runner in Cathedral City, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Elevated Experiences – is seeking a Receiver in Palm Springs, CA.  $15.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Priority Lighting – is seeking a Warehouse Worker in Palm Desert, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Cannabis Cultivation/Harvesting Company – is seeking Cannabis & Medical Marijuana Cultivation/Harvest Labor in Cathedral City, CA.  $13.00/hr. Www.indeed.com
• Vacay.Stay – is seeking a (F/T) Handyman in La Quinta, CA.  $15.00-$16.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Ernie Ball, Inc. – is seeking a Temp Production Staff in Coachella, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Marriott International, Inc. – is seeking a Housekeeping Aide in Palm Desert, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Rapport International – is seeking a Delivery Driver/Warehouse in Palm Desert, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• J & B Materials, Inc. – is seeking a Delivery Helper in Palm Desert, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Hertz – is seeking a Transporter/Driver in Palm Springs, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• King Kahn Family Moving Company – is seeking a Mover and Packer in Palm Desert, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Spotlight 29 Casino – is seeking a Warehouse Team Member in Coachella, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Desert Ice Castle – is seeking an Arena Crew in Cathedral City, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Desert Recreation District – is seeking a Range Attendant in Palm Desert, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection – is seeking a Border Patrol Agent in the U.S.  www.indeed.com
• Lion – is seeking a Store Worker I in 29 Palms, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Fire J’s Enterprise, LP – is seeking a Crew in 29 Palms, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Ruth’s Chris Steak House – is seeking an HR Generalist-Remote in the U.S.  www.indeed.com
• Marine Corps Civilian Careers – is seeking an Operations Associate NF2 in 29 Palms, CA.  $14.42/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Phoenix Industrial, Inc. – is seeking Industrial Pipefitters in CA.  $0.50 per mile.  Www.indeed.com
• Joshua Basin Water District – is seeking a Pipelayer I or II in Joshua Tree, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Bruce’s Place – is seeking Help in Joshua Tree, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Tractor Supply Company – is seeking a Team Member in Yucca Valley, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• U.S. Dept of the Navy – is seeking a Recreation Attendant NF1 in 29 Palms, CA.  $12.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Southern California Edison – is seeking a Journeyman Lineman in Yucca Valley, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Nomad Ventures – is seeking Help in Joshua Tree, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• The Home Depot – is seeking a Deliveries/Driver in Yucca Valley, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• LF International – is seeking Production Workers in Victorville, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• ICR Staffing Services, Inc. – is seeking Entry Level General Labor in Victorville, CA.  $12.00-$15.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Point Quest, Inc. – is seeking a Behavioral Aide in Apple Valley, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Chili’s – is seeking a Dishwasher in Victorville, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Athens Services – is seeking a Laborer-Landfill/Transfer in Running Springs, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security – is seeking a Mail & File Clerk (OA) in Adelanto, CA.  $26,233.00-$38,152.00k/yr.  Www.indeed.com
• 99 Cents Only Stores – is seeking a Store Associate in Victorville, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Victor Valley Union High School District – is seeking a Custodian in Victorville, CA.  $19.11-$23.29/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Applebees – is seeking a Dishwasher in Victorville, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Comtech Engineered Solutions, LLC – is seeking a Band Operator in Adelanto, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• San Manuel Casino – is seeking a Housekeeper in Highland, CA.  Www.indeed.com
• Tea & Coffee Exchange – is seeking a Barista in Lake Arrowhead, CA.  $11.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com
• Vacasa – is seeking a Housekeeper in Big Bear Lake, CA.  $15.00/hr.  Www.indeed.com

To Receive This Flyer on Line Email Q Doswell, II at: doswellq@gmail.com   

Family members and advocates to hold vigil for Vickie Lee Hammonds, who died in custody at the California Institution for Women (CIW) 

CORONA, CA—- The family of Vickie Lee Hammonds and California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP) will hold a vigil and peaceful demonstration on November 9th, 3pm PST at the California Institution for Women (CIW) state prison in protest of her preventable death while incarcerated. 

Vickie Lee Hammonds’ death on June 5th was one in a long series of avoidable injuries, suicides and preventable deaths caused by a culture of negligence that persists throughout the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and at CIW in particular, despite years of public scrutiny. In the weeks leading up to her death, Vickie––diagnosed with COPD and diabetes––had repeatedly informed CIW staff that it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to breathe. Multiple witnesses report that her repeated requests for emergency care were sidelined or ignored. 

“Our sister Vickie was not just an inmate with a CDCR number, she was a daughter, sister, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother,” said Alma Hammonds, sister of the victim, from a statement on behalf of Vickie’s family. “We all want to know why she was so neglected and allowed to die.” 

Advocates for prisoners held in CIW, which was once identified as having a suicide rate 8x the national average, report a wide range of troubling issues plaguing the facility: refusal to provide emergency medical care by custody and medical staff; incredibly long wait times to have medical needs met; botched surgeries; and extreme medical indifference to people suffering with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes. 

“The State of California, the CDCR and CIW have to take responsibility for in-custody deaths, the neglect that allows them to continue, and the callousness of their collective response when they occur,” said CCWP organizer Eva Nagao.  “We’re here to support Vickie’s family in their demand for justice, and to make sure others in the prisons know we are watching––that we’re fighting alongside them for their survival.”

TIME: 3pm PST 

DATE: Saturday, Nov 9th, 2019 

LOCATION:  In front of CIW Prison (16756 Chino Corona Rd, Corona, CA 92880) 

By Tanu Henry | California Black Media

Two African-American women, both Democrats, are among Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 11 new appointees to California superior court judgeships in seven counties. 

Newsom announced the appointments last Friday, his first batch of Superior Court nominations since becoming governor in January.

Eight of the 11 appointees are women. All of them are filling vacancies left open by retired justices.

Black women only make up around 5 percent of California’s more than 1,500 trial court judges. And only 19 out of the state’s 58 counties have ever had Black women superior court justices. 

“Thus in 39 counties, no African-American woman’s experiences have brought life to the law,” writes Alameda County Judge Brenda F. Harbin-Forte in the Daily Journal. Harbin-Forte, who is Black, researches and writes about the history of African Americans in the state’s judiciary.

“Gov. Gavin Newsom follows the hard act of Gov. Jerry Brown,” she added. Former Gov. Brown, Harbin-Forte says, “made many historic appointments and created the most diverse court system in the history of our great state.”

One of the two new African-American judges, Terrie E. Roberts, 54, lives in Chula Vista. She will now serve as a San Diego County Superior Court Judge. 

The other, Tricia J. Taylor, 39, who lives in the city of Los Angeles, is joining two others the governor appointed to serve as Los Angeles County Superior Court judges. 

“Roberts and Taylor’s appointments are significant, said Dezie Woods-Jones, state president of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA).  “These appointments speak volumes. I am extremely pleased and excited that there are two new highly professional and qualified African-American Women judges appointed to the California Superior Court.” 

Roberts, a former prosecutor and public defender, and Taylor, a former deputy district attorney, both bring broad experience in private law – as well as public law – to their new roles as justices.  

Since 2008, Roberts served as a commissioner at the San Diego County Superior Court. Before that, she was deputy district attorney at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. Roberts has also worked in private practice and served as a deputy public defender in San Diego County.

Before becoming deputy D.A. in Los Angeles County, Taylor also worked in private practice and at the Children’s Law Center, a public interest law firm and advocacy group. 

In California, all of the state’s 58 counties have now voted to have a single superior court in each of their jurisdictions. That county superior court serves as the main trial court for each county. In June 1998, California voters approved Proposition 220, a constitutional ammendment that allowed the counties to fold their municipal and superior courts into one unified county superior court.  Annually, county superior court justices earn $213,833 and they serve nearly 34 million people across the state, according to the Judicial Council of California.