The new Gerald Desmond Bridge is now open p. 3 Tune-in Festival, Oct. 28 to 31, remembers the Ash Grove p. 13 Grilled cheese and tomato soup: Depression-era comfort food p. 14
Beyond Trump
The battle for the future is near By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as of Oct. 14, 2020: 8,108,862 • Deaths: 221,184 • Days to Election: 20 For local stats: www.randomlengthsnews.com
October 14 - 28, 2020
[See Beat Trump, p. 12]
Mystal had a hard time getting people’s attention, until Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died. But the GOP’s sharp reversal from the “rule” it invented four years ago, to prevent President Barack Obama from filling a court seat in February, seems to have finally done the trick.
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Donald Trump’s erratic debate performance and role as a COVID-19 superspreader has led to his sharp drop in the polls — showing Joe Biden leads as high as 14 to 17% nationally — which will probably also cost Republicans the Senate. But not before they place another justice on the Supreme Court, creating a 6 to 3 GOP-appointed, conservative majority, which threatens to stymie or undo everything that Democrats might hope to do, as well as potentially overturning Obamacare, Roe vs. Wade and more. It was the highest priority for Trump and the Republican Party — a reminder of how unified they are, when push comes to shove — but not for the American people, or even Republican voters. The week after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, Data For Progress found 65% support for passing new coronavirus relief legislation, compared to 22% support for confirming a replacement. Even Republicans narrowly favored coronavirus relief 44 to 43. But Trump and his Republican enablers had their eyes on a long-term power-grab, rather than helping millions of Americans in distress. To bring about such sweeping changes through the court with a popular mandate would be one thing. But the depth of minority rule is breath-taking: Republican presidents have made 15 of the most recent 19 appointments to the court, prior to the current one, despite only winning the popular vote once since 1988. As The Nation magazine’s justice correspondent, Elie Mystal, wrote back in February, when the balance was only 5 to 4: Not a single significant policy or initiative proposed by the candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination is likely to survive a Supreme Court review. Nothing on guns, nothing on climate, nothing on health care — nothing survives the conservative majority on today’s court.
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New Bridge Opened in Long Beach By Hunter Chase, Reporter
The Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project was finally completed on Oct. 5, the first day of a new and better-in-every way to drive between Long Beach and Terminal Island. Well, maybe not every way. While the replacement bridge is taller, wider, easier to drive and will accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians, it lacks one feature that’s been prominent on the Gerald Desmond Bridge since it opened in 1968 — a name. The official name for the bridge will be decided by the state legislature. Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell said he will introduce a bill on its name after a “community conversation.” The new bridge began construction in 2013, and was originally scheduled to open in late 2019. A series of delays prevented this. Production on the main span of the bridge began in April 2018, which involved lifting bolted steel flooring and attaching steel cables to the towers. The last major beam was attached nearly two years later, in April 2020. As previously reported by Random Lengths News, the bridge was originally budgeted to cost $1 billion, but changes to the design led to it costing $1.467 billion. Hilary Norton, chairwoman of the California Transportation Commission, said that the new
to increase the project’s budget by $204 million for these enhancements, which also delayed the bridge’s completion. The original was built in 1968, and while it still works, its upkeep has become too costly to be practical, Norton said. The new bridge is an extension of Interstate 710 and is mainly designed to facilitate traffic to and from the Port of Long Beach. [See Bridge, p. 4]
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia signals that the new Gerald Desmond Bridge is open on Oct. 5. Photo by Raphael Richardson
bridge is engineered to be one of the most earthquake resilient bridges in the country. “The bridge will bend, not break,” Norton said. “As I tour this bridge I can see how this massive structure will ride out a major earthquake with minimum impact.”
The bridge’s earthquake resilience is one reason for its substantial budget. A directive from the port and the California Department of Transportation called for the bridge’s towers to be enhanced to better survive an earthquake. In 2015, the Long Beach Harbor Commission voted
Real News, Real People, Really Effective October 14 - 28, 2020
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Community Announcements:
Harbor Area Find Nearby Vote Centers, Ballot Drop Boxes
On Oct. 1, the Los Angeles County RegistrarRecorder released a full list of vote centers and vote-by-mail ballot drop boxes that will be available for voters during this election. There are 758 vote centers and 398 drop boxes across the county. Details: https://locator.lavote.net/locations/vc, https://locator.lavote.net/locations/vbm
Make A Plan to Vote
The safest way to participate in this election is to return your vote-by-mail ballot. Learn your safe voting options by making your voting plan today. Details: www.tinyurl.com/la-vote.net
Blankets for People Affected by Homelessness
To help unsheltered homeless people as colder weather approaches, the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation and Environment announced its “Spread the Warmth Blanket Drive.” Each weekday through Oct. 30, people can donate new and gently used — washed and cleaned — blankets at one of the bureau’s six district yards. Bins will be placed in the location where the blankets can be placed. Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m Venue: 1400 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro
Parking Enforcement to Resume
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The City of Los Angeles has stopped the parking vacation. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation Parking Enforcement and Traffic Control will resume parking enforcement beginning Oct. 15. At the instruction of Mayor Eric Garcetti, LADOT has also launched economic relief measures to assist Angelenos in need, including a new early pay program that will reward discounts on citations for early payment. See the list below for full details regarding resumed enforcement: LADOT will resume parking enforcement and impounding, where applicable, for the following categories: • Residential street sweeping • Expired registration on a vehicle • Overnight/Oversize parking districts • Peak/rush hour and gridlock zone parking restrictions • Ticket/tow for abandoned vehicles (72 hour rule) • Vehicles displaying recently expired permits within preferential parking districts Details: www.parking-enforcement-introducenew-economic-relief-programs
West Nile Virus
Los Angeles is experiencing an increase in mosquito numbers this year. West Nile Virus or WNV is transmitted to people and animals through the bite of an infected mosquito, and there is no cure for WNV. One in five persons infected with the virus will exhibit symptoms, which can include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, or a skin rash. You can take action to control mosquitoes in your area and reduce your WNV risk by following these tips www.media/Mosquito-Sources-in-Your-HomeFlyer-1 Sign up for local alerts here,www.glacvcd. org/news-updates/newsletter-email-alertform from Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control, or report a mosquito issue here, www.glacvcd.org/vector-information/servicerequest-form
October 15 - 28, 2020
Household Hazardous, Electronic Waste Collection Program
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The Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program gives Los Angeles County residents a legal and cost-free way to dispose of unwanted household chemicals that cannot be disposed of in the regular trash. All attendees are asked to wear a facecovering and remain in their vehicles with windows closed. Event staff will only remove household hazardous and electronic waste from your vehicle trunk/pick-up bed. To dispose of sharps, you will be required to exit your vehicle and dispose of them in the [See Announcements, p. 5]
Committed to Independent Journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for More Than 40 Years
Digital Media Policy Proposed for NCs By Hunter Chase, Reporter
The Board of Neighborhood Councils, or BONC, introduced a draft media policy for all neighborhood councils at BONC’s Oct. 6 meeting. The policy dictates how neighborhood councils can use their websites, social media accounts, and newsletters. Its rules include forbidding the council’s digital media from promoting anything other than official neighborhood council events and forbidding members of neighborhood councils or committees from using their own social media accounts or websites to spread information about neighborhood councils. In addition, the councils will be required to select an account administrator to oversee the council’s digital media and an account moderator to ensure that these rules are being followed. “This is sort of typical city attorney risk management stuff,” said Doug Epperhart, president of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council. “This isn’t so much about actually creating useful and workable digital policies for neighborhood councils as it is the city trying to protect itself from some unhappy individual who might not like what the neighborhood council puts on Instagram.” Epperhart said that this policy, along with most of the rules DONE has for the neighborhood Councils, are attempts by the city attorney to protect the city. “They want to essentially legally put board members on notice, so that if board members do wrong things, the city can come forward and say, ‘Hey, don’t look at us, we told you not to do this,’” Epperhart said. “If the neighborhood council board member or a person gets sued for instance, this gives the city cover to go, ‘Don’t look at us, you’re on your own.’” Raquel Beltrán, general manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, or DONE, said that the purpose of introducing the policy was to decide how long it would be until BONC acted on it. BONC ultimately decided to allow 90 days for discussion on the policy and plans on acting on it at their January meeting. “We took a look at the kinds of issues that neighborhood councils have been experiencing, not merely over the past year,” Beltrán said. “We did a bit of an inventory of the types of concerns and issues that they’ve been grappling with that involve digital and social media.” Beltrán said that sometimes when DONE receives requests for help to deal with these types of issues, DONE does not respond because it needs more policy direction. This policy was created as a formal document they could refer to. It was also inspired by the city’s digital media policy. “I did take a look at the document, and it scared the heck out of me,” said Ray Regalado, president of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council and vice president of BONC. “It’s very comprehensive, so I knew I had to sit down and really look it over.” Regalado is in total agreement with waiting 90 days before acting on the policy, as it is a long document. “It’s going to be something that’s going to need … an opportunity for neighborhood councils to have time to look at it, read it, maybe even discuss it in one manner or another and
come back to us,” Regalado said. Epperhart said this policy is an attempt by BONC and DONE to remain relevant. He also said the policy itself is not too strict, as many of the rules are well-known by people with experience in media, such as not slandering people or not using copyrighted material without permission. He said this is a recitation of many of these things, and it could be beneficial for inexperienced neighborhood council members. Epperhart said there are rules in the policy that DONE cannot enforce, such as what people put on their personal social media accounts. “You can’t legally restrict someone’s first amendment rights,” Epperhart said. “They would love to be able to do that to neighborhood
council board members. On the other hand, if you’re a neighborhood council board member and you have a personal account talking about or on behalf of the neighborhood council using the city seal or your neighborhood council logo, yeah, that’s a no-no, that’s a no-no for anybody and everybody.” Wendy Moore, owner of Moore Business results, said this policy would impede the councils’ objective of citizens participating in government. Moore redesigned the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council’s website in 2019, and has worked on digital media with other neighborhood councils for 17 years. Moore argued that forbidding the councils from [See Digital, p. 17]
[Bridge, from p. 3]
Bridge Opens
“What’s really, really important is what this bridge is actually going to do,” said Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia at the re-opening ceremony on Oct. 2. “Not only does it connect Long Beach to Los Angeles, but it connects our port and the world to each other.” Garcia said the bridge will be an icon for the City of Long Beach. It is California’s first cable-stayed bridge — that means it has two towers that support the bridge deck — and its distinctive design will be dramatically lighted at night. Thousands of workers, engineers and port staff were involved in the design, engineering and construction of the new bridge, said Eleni Kounalakis, lieutenant governor of California. The bridge was built using a project labor agreement, ensuring thousands of local jobs and apprenticeship opportunities, O’Donnell said. It was financed using a combination of federal highway funds; state and county transportation funds; and from revenue the port collected from ships that come into its harbor, said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn. CalTrans, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and LA Metro provided funding as well. To build the new bridge, the Port of Long Beach took on the responsibility of clearing the right of way, said Al Moro, former acting executive director and chief harbor engineer for the port. This means clearing the area where the bridge would be built. There were lots of oil wells that had to be removed. To lay the foundation for the bridge, the builders had to build cast-in-drilled shaft piles, said Doug Thiessen, former managing director at the Port of Long Beach. They are solid steel poles that they placed underground, some as deep as 200 feet. “There were so many of these,” Thiessen said. “We found out the complexity of these things, and to make those things work for seismic design loads, it was incredibly challenging.” The builders used 350 of the steel piles, and the success of the project early on hinged on their ability to drill the holes for them and
Port of Long Beach Executive Director, Mario Cordero spoke on the significance of the new Gerald Desmond bridge. Photo by Raphael Richardson
place them accurately, as this is the foundation that the bridge sits on, said Zeph Varley, senior construction engineer. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said the bridge is an important way to strengthen and speed up the transport of goods from the ports. “It will help ease commutes along the South Bay, strengthen our economy, and it will benefit the trucks coming to and from the Port of LA too,” Garcetti said. Rep. Alan Lowenthal said the new bridge will last 100 years. When the original bridge opened in 1968, the cargo ships coming to the port of Long Beach were one-sixth the size of modern cargo ships. The old bridge is too low to accommodate some of the taller cargo ships that enter the port. However, building another bridge next to it does not solve this problem, so the original bridge is scheduled for demolition. The projected costs for the demolition also increased the project’s budget. The original bridge had outlived its capacity, as it was not designed to handle 18 million vehicle trips a year, Norton said. However, the new bridge was designed to accommodate this many trips. “The old bridge was literally crumbling, and the Port of Long Beach installed a diaper-like device to prevent concrete from falling into the shipping channel,” said David Kim, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency.
After Two-Year Hiatus Pearlman Seeks Return to LACCD Board By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor
Los Angeles Community College District candidate for Seat #7, Nancy Pearlman. File photo
next. This election is for seats 1, 3, 5, and 7. Andra Hoffman is running for reelection to Seat No. 1. This past term, she served as the second vice president of the Community College League of California Trustee Board where she advocated on a statewide basis for 115 community colleges and 2.1 million community college students. She is also the current LACCD board president. David Vela, who pushed Pearlman out of office in 2018, is running for reelection to Seat No. 3. Vela, like in 2018, is running on a platform of making community college affordable, accessible and safe for every student to continue to learn.
Community Announcements:
Harbor Area [Announcements, from p. 4] designated area. Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 17 Details: 800-238-0173 or www.lacsd.org/ services/solidwaste/hhw-collection Location: 24501 S. Figueroa St., Carson
Earthquakes, Don’t Get Caught Off Guard
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services announced Oct. 1, the launch of a public awareness campaign to educate all California residents about California’s earthquake warning system — Earthquake Warning California. The campaign, “Don’t Get Caught Off Guard,” directs Californians to no-cost tools, resources and information, including the smartphone MyShake App, Android earthquake alerts, government wireless emergency alerts and the website. Details: earthquake.ca.gov
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AIDS Walk Long Beach
The LGBTQ Center Long Beach is fighting with all its digital might with the return of AIDS Walk Long Beach on Nov. 15. For the first-time, this annual fundraiser will go online, allowing you to fundraise for your own individual walk or run. Use one of the preset routes here, www. aidswalklongbeach.rallybound.org/Static/route or create your own. This year the fundraiser will benefit programs and services at The LGBTQ Center Long Beach, AIDS Food Store, St. Mary’s CARE Program, and the Bickerstaff Clinic at Long Beach Memorial. Time: Nov. 15 Details: www.centerlb.org/AidsWalkLB
October 14 - 28, 2020
Less than a month away, Los Angeles County residents will decide the new makeup of the odd numbered seats on the Los Angeles Community College board. The Los Angeles County Democratic Party and American Federation of Teachers have endorsed all of the incumbents with the exception of Scott Svorkin. Random Lengths News endorsed Nancy Pearlman for the 7th seat. Pearlman is an environmentalist, anthropologist, feminist, humanitarian, civil rights activist and documentarian. She was last on the board in 2017 before she was voted out in favor of David Vela for the 6th seat. Back then, Democratic insiders identified her as a true progressive but with an independent streak and the Los Angeles Times called her a gadfly. Democratic Party insiders have described Pearlman as one who normally leans left but leans independently in a party that desires rock-hard solid vote for labor. Indeed, the LACCD board is either pro-administration or pro-instructor. Pearlman doesn’t like the term applied to her. “They use that term inappropriately,” Pearlman said. “I’m out there pushing for things that go beyond what they want. So they don’t support me and it looks like I haven’t done anything. The things I have done I don’t get credit for and people don’t see and don’t get publicity for.” Pearlman noted that when she got on the board in 2001 she had pushed for 100% renewable energy. She was told by fellow board members it was too expensive. “But then guess what?” she asked, rhetorically. “After I got off the board, they adopted the stuff I pushed for 15 years. That happens over and over again.” Pearlman also had more than a few choice words to say about the County Democratic Party, decrying its cliquish natures and calling their endorsement process a sham. “They sent me the questionnaire a day after it was due,” Pearlman said, citing one of the ways the County Democratic Party undermined her during the endorsement process. Pearlman is facing an incumbent for Seat No. 7, Mike Fong. He’s one of four who has received the endorsement of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and American Federation of Teachers. Others include Nichelle Henderson for Seat No. 5. Henderson is longtime political activist and faculty advisor and lecturer at California State University, Los Angeles and is a leader in the California Faculty Association (CFA)/SEIU 1983. On Nov. 3, Los Angeles County residents will decide which candidates will take one of the four odd-numbered seats on the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees. Los Angeles Harbor College in Wilmington is part of the district, which includes nine campuses attended by about 230,000 students. Trustees meet twice a month — at 2 p.m. Wednesdays at 770 Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles. They play a major role in determining educational priorities and managing the district’s budget. Expanded and detailed information about the board’s activities is available on the LACCD website. The board of trustees consists of seven at-large seats, plus a student trustee. Elections take place every two years, with odd-numbered seats chosen in one election and even-numbered seats in the
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October 15 - 28, 2020
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
Carson Still Split on New Districts By Joseph Baroud, Reporter
Come Nov. 3, Carson residents will have decided who will be their next mayor and representatives for districts 1 and 3. Whether the district boundaries remain the same come February 2021 remains to be seen. The only thing that is clear is that many Carson residents aren’t happy with the outcome. “Any resident who wasn’t aware that this was an issue simply has not been engaged,” Sharma Henderson, a resident of the city who once ran for the council seat said. “In terms of them making the final decision, that did kind of come a little quickly, but the writing was already on the wall and it was really just a matter of time.” Some residents though, feel differently. Some people take the time to follow the council’s moves and the city’s happenings. Some people would like to, but can’t for any of various reasons, such as a lack of time or understanding of where to find the information. Even though the council hosted workshops for two years, many residents didn’t see it coming. “They could have put more time and energy in informing the residents about how districts are formed,” Shalamar Lane, a Carson resident said. “Most of the people I talk to, they don’t understand how the districts were formed.” Carson Mayor Albert Robles said that the move has been a long time coming. He refers to the California Voting Rights Act as the reason for the change and says that Carson is one of the best examples for cities that need to alternate from city-wide to district elections.
The California Voting Rights Act, which was enacted in 2001 “prohibits the use of at-large elections in a political subdivision if it would impair the ability of a protected class, as defined, to elect candidates of its choice…” Robles believed Carson needed to break up into districts with someone from each district representing its constituents on this basis. Many residents feel that language in the Voting Rights ordinance is the reason why Carson should remain an at-large voting city. Some people say that district voting dilutes the elections and actually impairs the ability of protected classes to elect a candidate of its choice. But Robles said that district voting does exactly the opposite. He said that having districts enables someone to come up from each district and represent it. He said that each district’s representative would fight for his district and therefore each one would gain the resources that it needs instead of having a council that represents the whole city and having them agree on allotment of resources to certain areas while many remain ignored. “The residents who are aware of the law, who are aware of the facts and the truth, understand that districting has worked in every other city and will work in the city of Carson,” Robles said. “There are areas of the city that are thirsty for representation, are hungry for a champion to come from their neighborhood, their quadrant. Some people feel all the benefits are reaped from one section of the city and not fairly distributed.
With districting, we get the opportunity to fairly distribute and allocate our resources.” The City Council voted 3 to 2 in favor of moving to districts. The two that voted “No” were Lula Davis-Holmes and Cedrick Hicks. Holmes said that districts divide the city by racial boundaries and that issues will now be broken up into different races advocating for their own solutions rather than the city’s solutions. She also feels that it dilutes the vote, especially for Filipinos and makes it much more difficult for them to gain representation in the city, while giving an advantage to other races. “I personally feel that it dilutes the Filipino vote,” Holmes said. “It divides the Filipino community in half, two districts. It lent voting power to Latinos by placing them in one district. The city is too small in my opinion to have districts. First of all, when you make a decision of this magnitude, you always go to the people. This decision was made late at night, at the last
moment. I told him [Robles] what was going to happen. You guys are being bamboozled. It gives too much power to politicians that can have the majority on a vote when you start talking about dividing up resources. I enjoy serving residents north, east, west and south. I don’t want to be landlocked into just my district.” The city was split into four districts. As it currently stands, Jawane Hilton represents District 1, Jim Dear represents District 2, Cedrick Hicks represents District 3 and Lula Davis-Holmes represents District 4. The districts seem to be ethnically divided. “If you look at how the map is drawn, they drew it on a race-based format,” Robert Lesley, a Carson resident said. “That in itself is gerrymandering. You violate the 14th Amendment of the equal protection clause for trying to make sure there’s a consensus for people on how they’re going to vote. You’re [See Carson, p. 16]
Real News, Real People, Really Effective October 14 - 28, 2020
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Biden v. Trump
COVID-19 Is the Winner and the fly is the star of the show By James Preston Allen, Publisher
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
It’s not even a prediction that Donald Trump will lose California on Nov. 3. Even though the California GOP is fooling around with phony ballot drop boxes. In 2016 Hillary Clinton won the highest majority of any candidate that ever ran for president in this state. Trump only eked out slim majorities in nine out of all the precincts in the seven cities surrounding the Los Angeles Harbor. Yet his supporters today are just as loud and obnoxious on Facebook locally as he is on Twitter nationally. This is not to make anyone feel safe. We all know the battleground states are still-in-play even though the polls (does anyone still trust them?), are leaning significantly towards Biden. Both of the recent debates haven’t made Trump any more popular. In fact, the fly on Vice President Mike Pence’s head on Oct. 7 has attained celebrity status, at the expense and much to the chagrin of Pence and the Orange Man. This was the kind of gift that even the average pig farmer in Iowa understands and that Vice Presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris didn’t have to explain. Although the immediate fly swatter promotion was a humorous touch, that won’t sway the election. Nor is the rising infection rate of the coronavirus something that can be easily swatted away or denied with the Trumpster testing positive after being in denial of the virus since February. As much as he wants to make this a battle between him with his overblown ego against Joe Biden the issue is that this election is between Donald vs. COVID-19. And the virus is winning. All Biden and Harris have to do is show some plausible compassion for the American people, talk about real issues like health care and avoid stepping in anything that draws flies for the next few weeks. Yes, and make sure that the failure of the pandemic response is owned by this administration. Sadly, the fact Mr. Trump seems to have infected much of the White House staff and gotten most of the highest ranking officers in the National Security Agency quarantined is sort of like the fly on Pence’s head – you can’t argue with the virus or a fly. You can only swat at it hoping it will go away, which only works on the fly. This however is what Trump is attempting to do with the virus – swat at it. Does any of this curious display of circumstances beyond his control change the minds of his gun-touting extremists or
QAnon believers? It’s doubtful. Fox News and the 16 or more qualified FAKE NEWS sites (all you have to do is Google that term to find them) will not be changing sides this late in the game. They have all bought in heavily, doubling down on their political roulette bets — that they won’t get sick and that they must pack the Supreme Court with one more justice before losing power. For as we all fear Don-the-con Trump is not about to go quietly — even when he loses, or even if he cheats and wins but gets caught. I can just hear him screaming from the White House portico, “It’s all a hoax!” And now just this week just after his 10 days in not so much isolation he’s back at it again in Florida, a state with a still exploding infection rate, holding a rally with a thousand people not wearing masks. According to Yahoo News, “Even after the cluster of cases at the White House, Trump’s Florida rally still didn’t include standard measures designed to minimize risks of coronavirus spread. Guests were packed together and many did not wear masks.” Clearly, he just doesn’t care about anything but winning. Trump is indeed counting on the “herd mentality” as he actually said recently, to cure something but it’s not going to be the disease; perhaps it’ll cure the mass ignorance associated with his followers? At this rally he claimed he has immunity to the virus on the very same day one of the first confirmed COVID-19 patients in the U.S. who had contracted the disease before got it a second time. This, while the infection rate is racing across Wisconsin and the rest of the mid-western states. And he again is droning on about Biden being in the clutches of the “radical Democrats” or that “he’s saving America from socialism” and that he is going to protect America against ANTIFA while ignoring the extremist militias planning to kidnap and kill Michigan governor, Gretchen Esther Whitmer. Even William Shakespeare couldn’t make up a plot this bizarrely twisted! This is what he is good at, keeping everything off balance and confused, you shouldn’t expect anything less. And we can only expect more of it in the days ahead from both Trump and his enablers, even after the votes are counted. Perhaps Thomas Jefferson’s generous perspective serves to explain: The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part, which is wrong, will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain
October 15 - 28, 2020
Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen james@randomlengthsnews.com
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Assoc. Publisher/Production Coordinator Suzanne Matsumiya
“A newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is, but to make people mad enough to do something about it.” —Mark Twain Vol. XLI : No. 21
Published every two weeks for the Harbor Area communities of San Pedro, RPV, Lomita, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson and Long Beach. Distributed at over 350 locations throughout the Harbor Area.
Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks editor@randomlengthsnews.com Senior Editor Paul Rosenberg paul.rosenberg@ randomlengthsnews.com Internship Program Director Zamná Àvila
quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. So it is that we’ve always had the “misinformed” in America from the very founding but perhaps Jefferson never conceived that the ignoramus leading the ill-informed would be spreading misconceptions like a plague from the very Oval Office in which he once sat. Yet, again perhaps this uprising of the stupid, misinformed and delusional along with the
exposing of the inequities in our nation has woken the sleeping consciousness of a new majority in America — enough to finally end this reign of error and to fulfill the promise of its creed of liberty and justice for all. This is perhaps far too optimistic for our current circumstance because first we must vote him out, but it will not kill the ideology that supported his rise in the first place. Trumpism must be stopped to save this republic!
Yes on 16!
We Must Correct a Historic Injustice By Mandla Kayise, founder and CEO of New World Education African-American Californians ... residents from other underrepresented communities ... women ... and true advocates of equity, justice, civil rights and human rights have an opportunity on Nov. 3 to correct an historic stain on the otherwise fairly progressive reputation of our state. A Yes on Proposition 16 vote would effectively repeal Proposition 209, the statewide ban on the use of affirmative action in California nearly a quarter of a century after its passage in 1996. By restoring affirmative action to the state, Proposition 16 would allow California to rejoin the 41 states in the country that continue to use this tool to ensure equal access to public resources such as education, jobs and business contracts. Contrary to the false, divisive, and deceptive campaign being waged by its opponents, Yes on 16 would enable California to use affirmative action as 80% of the states in the country still do
Columnists/Reporters Melina Paris Staff Reporter Hunter Chase Staff Reporter Send Calendar Items to: 14days@randomlengthsnews.com Photographers Arturo Garcia-Ayala, Terelle Jerricks, Raphael Richardson, Chris Villanueva
— to correct historic and current discrimination. Conversely, Proposition 209, by banning affirmative action, has extended the lifespan of systemic inequality, underrepresentation, unequal access and an uneven playing field for marginalized communities in California. The effort to correct this miscarriage of civil rights justice has been tireless and consistent over the past 25 years since it began. Legitimate equity and justice advocates have challenged the implementation of the ban at the institutional level, in the state legislature and in both state and federal court. But we learned that a statewide proposition is a difficult barrier to overcome. The best option, all along, has been to get an equal and opposite proposition on the ballot, organize a statewide constituency and mobilize the resources for a successful campaign — a tall [See Prop. 16, p. 9]
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Community Alert Public Hearing Notice on Pacific Avenue Development
The public invited to attend a hearing of the Public Planning Commission to listen, ask questions and/or present testimony regarding the project at 2111-2139 S. Pacific Ave. The meetings agenda will be provided no later than 72 hours before the meeting at https://tinyurl.com/ PacificDevelopment. The project is the development of a new fourstory, mixed use residential building comprising 100 dwelling units [including 11 units restricted to very low income households] with 1,800 square feet of ground floor retail space. The project will be 77,945 square feet in floor area and have a floor area ratio of 32.6:1. The site is currently improved with a 1,490 square foot singulartenant bar, surface parking lot and vacant lot. Time: 9:30 a.m. Oct. 28 Venue: https://planning-lacityorg.zoom.us/j/99260783731 Meeting ID: 9926078 3731 Passcode287550 Participants may aso dial by phone: 669-900-9128 or 213338-8477 When prompted, enter the meeting ID of: 99260783731#
RANDOMLetters Help for Small Business
When COVID-19 hit, thousands of Americans tried to figure out how to keep their businesses going — not just for themselves, but also for their employees. At first, it looked like the government’s Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) would help them through this. Thousands of small businesses applied for loans. But what happened? Companies tied to the president’s relatives and associates (e.g., private jet companies, country clubs, even Kanye West) got bailed out with millions in government loans. mom and pop businesses? They got turned down and were told that there was just not enough money left. Do you know someone who works at, or runs a small business? Send them this video and make sure that everyone you know is registered and has a plan to vote safely and early! h t t p s : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = 5 D E Wr 9 h r S 0&feature=youtu.be&ab_ channel=BraveNewFilms Robert Greenwald President, Brave New Films Los Angeles
Leadership on Climate Change
My friend Sen. Kamala Harris made California proud on the debate stage this week. She was passionate and
[Prop. 16, from p. 8]
Prop. 16
between those who have never had it so good and those of us who know we can do better. Joe Biden will lead us there. Fellow citizens, exercise your right to vote to preserve your sacred heritage, promote your
children’s future and obtain the blessings of liberty we all cherish. To restore a sense of decency to the United States rise and vote! Joe Bialek Cleveland, Ohio
Open Letter to Trump
Dear President Trump, You have had almost four years to lead the United States and have failed us by your own choosing. Whether it be in foreign policy and domestic policy you have not protected the United
October 14 - 28, 2020
[See Prop. 16 p. 19]
enforcement and other public agencies and institutions. The misleading and dishonest campaign conducted on its behalf adopted, grossly distorted and outright ridiculed the intent, language and imagery of the civil rights movements. Its most egregious violation was the use of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s voice and image in promoting Prop. 209 as an advancement in equal rights that King would have championed. Such devious misrepresentation would not have been necessary if the backers of Prop. 209 thought it would be approved on its own merits and sincere intent. Organized opposition to Prop. 209 consisted primarily of organized students on the campuses of the University of California. In some local areas, students organized with communitybased organizations and elected officials to educate and encourage voters to see beyond the equal rights façade propped up by the Pete Wilson-driven anti-affirmative action legislation. There were some small, modestly funded, voter education campaigns such as the one run by the organization, AGENDA, in South Los Angeles. But there was no organized, coordinated statewide No On 209 campaign. As a result, the destructive, anti-civil rights, anti-equal rights deceptively-named campaign succeeded. California was weakened not only in its ability to achieve equity and diversity, but in many ways, it was robbed of its will to do so. The very notion of advocating for, let alone working towards, equity and diversity became frowned upon. This attack on civil rights and the misleading promotional campaign that fueled it, was duplicated in several states with nine states eventually establishing similar state statutes. The Hopwood v. Texas decision became the first successful legal challenge to a university’s
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
order indeed. This most recent effort involving students, equal rights activists and state legislators has succeeded in getting a corrective measure on the ballot. Ensuring the passage of Prop. 16 is a generational imperative. We have to get this done. From the start, the effort to ban affirmative action in California made a mockery of the civil rights and social justice movements of the past, giving California an unsightly wart on its otherwise progressive profile. Conservative former California governor, Pete Wilson, installed an unknown African-American “businessman” named Ward Connerly on the University of California Board of Regents to help engineer a policy ending “racial preferences” in admissions, hiring and contracting in the nation’s largest and most prominent higher education system. This Ronald Reagan-era word-play used to denigrate and corrupt efforts to achieve equal representation and equal access, was useful in 1995 in pushing a policy through an elite appointed-policy-making body despite massive student and community protests and advocacy. But as Wilson and his allies sought to extend this assault on equal rights to all public institutions across the state, that language would surely expose their true intention of unraveling diversity policy in practice in a “progressive-leaning’ state. The statewide measure to ban affirmative action was ultimately placed on the ballot the following year in 1996, deceptively named the California Civil Rights Initiative. It was in fact an anti-equal rights, anti-civil rights policy proposal designed to halt progress in diversifying the state’s education, health, government, law
empathetic, and shined a light on so many issues Americans are struggling with every single day — including climate change and its devastating effects on our state. Kamala unequivocally declared on the national stage that climate change is an existential threat. While our state literally burns, Mike Pence is still denying the science of climate change. How can we get to a point where we debate HOW to tackle climate change when this administration is stuck debating its existence? We need our leaders to act with courage to save our environment from collapse. We need bold solutions that allow our economy to thrive, that focus on those disproportionately impacted and protect our planet. Listen, here in California we are leading the nation in bold policies to tackle climate change — and we have no other choice but to continue that fight. If you agree that climate change is real, will you pitch in today to stand with me so we can save our planet? Gavin Newsom Governor of California
States as Commander-in Chief. Now comes the latest news about your complete disrespect for our military and total disregard for the COVID-19 virus. We the American people have finally borne witness to what happens when they place an incompetent business leader into the Oval Office. Quality of life is not a business decision sir but rather it is a humane choice to be empathetic to those who cannot help themselves. Joe Biden has that empathy and will return the United States to the era when we were respected internationally because of how we treat our citizens domestically. This election is a clear choice
9
Vote YES on Prop. 14 to continue the
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, or CIRM, a state agency that has distributed a significant source of funding to scientific research programs and enterprises across the state, both nonprofit and forprofit.
Why voting YES on Prop. 14 matters:
California General Election Ballot Measures Compiled by RLn Staff
Funding from the CIRM has been available for 15 years, and ending the program could limit research programs in areas that include central nervous system and brain conditions, but also immunotherapy trials, cancer research and visionloss research currently funded by the CIRM. In 2018 (the last year it was fully funded), CIRMfunded companies raised more than $1 billion from outside investors; a sign of validation not just for the companies and their therapies, but also for CIRM and its judgment. Stem cell research could lead to groundbreaking medical treatments, which we need more than ever in the face of COVID-19.
Vote YES on Prop. 15 to provide between $6.4 billion to $11.5 billion in additional funding to local schools and governments.
Why voting YES on Prop. 15 matters:
California public schools continue to be underfunded and communities of color continue to be impacted the most. Prop. 15 is a way to invest in our communities without having to raise taxes on small businesses, renters and homeowners. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout, California needs this funding from corporations who have not been paying their fair share of taxes. California ranked 41st (with adjusted cost of living) out of all states and Washington, D.C. in spending per K-12 student (California Budget & Policy Center). California is ranked 51st in three categories: number of K-12 students per teacher, number of K-12 students per guidance counselor, and number of K-12 students per librarian (National Education Association/National Center for Education Statistics).
Vote YES on Prop. 16 to repeal 1996’s Prop 209 and reinstate affirmative action in the state.
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
Why voting YES on Prop. 16 matters:
It is time that California follows the other 42 states that have taken gender, race, ethnicity and national origin into account for college admissions and hiring in government and public agencies. Prop. 209’s affirmative action ban resulted in annual losses of more than $820 million every year in Minority-and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program contracts with the state of California. Reports conclude that the percentage of contracts granted to the program never returned to pre-Prop. 209 levels. Restoring affirmative action is the next step in building a more equitable and diverse future for California. The University of California’s analysis of Prop. 209 revealed that affirmative action had increased the population of underrepresented students by at least 12%, with the largest effects seen at UCLA and UC Berkeley.
Vote YES on Prop. 17 to restore voting rights to Californians on parole.
October 15 - 28, 2020
Why voting YES on Prop. 17 matters:
10
California is one of the 31 states that do not automatically restore voting rights upon completion of a person’s sentence. In Maine and Vermont, there are no laws that disenfranchise and discriminate against people with criminal convictions even when they’re still serving out their sentences. Parolees who are reintegrating into society resume other civic responsibilities, such as paying taxes and jury duty. Being barred from voting while paying taxes is taxation without representation. In 2017, black Californians made up 28% of all prison populations despite only making up 6% of California’s total population. With an
criminal justice policies. Both voted no on Assembly Bill 1600, which would expedite access to police misconduct records for a trial. Association for Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriffs, Los Angeles Police Protective League, and the Peace Officers Research Association of California all support and have heavily financed Prop. 20. Prop. 20 would increase recidivism by removing positive incentives from Prop. 57. Parole review boards would consider an individual’s entire criminal history, not just the offense they are on parole for, when deciding to release a person convicted of a felony on parole.
Vote YES on Prop. 21 to allow cities
and counties to establish and regulate rent control.
Why voting YES on Prop. 21 matters:
Recommendations and Endorsements astonishing and horrifying incarceration rate at 8 times the rate of white Californians, it is clear that the disenfranchisement of parolees is the disenfranchisement of black voters.
Vote YES on Prop. 18 to allow 17-year-
olds to vote in the primary election if they will turn 18 by the following general election.
Why voting YES on Prop. 18 matters:
Nineteen other states, as well as Washington D.C., allow 17-year-olds to vote in the primary election if they will be 18 by the general election. Research has proven time and again that voting is habit-forming. These states recognize the importance of allowing 18-year-olds to vote, to help form their voting habits and amplify their voices.
No on Prop. 19
to maintain property tax savings for all and avoid increasing housing inequity.
Why voting NO on Prop. 19 matters:
Prop. 19 widens the generational wealth gap by giving homeowners older than 55 and other qualified groups a way to keep property tax breaks they receive for having bought their homes decades ago if they move anywhere else in the state, up to three times. They can also keep that break if they move to a more
expensive property. Prop. 13 caps most property tax rates at 1% of a home’s sale price and holds annual increases in assessed value to 2% or less. This means people who purchased their home a few decades ago already pay significantly less property tax than newer homeowners. Prop. 19 further builds the wealth of longtime homeowners and denies wealth-building opportunities to people who don’t own a home or who may be struggling to buy one. While Prop. 19 does eliminate a $1 million property tax exemption for parent-to-child transfers and could potentially generate state revenue that would be distributed to fire protection agencies and schools, this amendment is being paired with the primary tax break for longtime homeowners to make it more appealing.
Top Funders of Prop. 19
Realtor associations have contributed $36,270,000 in support of Prop. 19. There is no registered financial opposition.
Vote NO on Prop. 20 to protect criminal justice reforms and constitutional rights to privacy.
Why voting NO on Prop. 20 matters:
Prop. 20 is a dangerous proposition put forth by Courage Score Hall of Shame Assemblymember Jim Cooper, and it is sponsored by Courage Score Hall of Shame Assemblymember Vince Fong. Time and again, Assembly Members Cooper and Fong vote to protect police brutality and discriminatory
COUNTYWIDE MEASURES
California has the highest rate of homelessness in the nation, which can be attributed to the overwhelmingly high median rates for rent throughout the state forcing residents to pay 50% of their income just toward rent. The Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act prohibits rent control on residential properties built after Feb. 1, 1995. Since then, housing built in California has become accessible only to those who can afford uncontrolled rent increases, and low-income families have largely been shut out from newer housing developments. According to a Stanford study, those who lived in rent-controlled properties when Costa-Hawkins passed ended up saving a cumulative total of $7 billion within 8 years, which confirms that rent control is an effective way to prevent displacement from the city.
Vote NO on Prop. 22
to protect labor rights and classify app-based drivers as employees, not contractors.
Why voting NO on Prop. 22 matters:
By classifying workers as contractors and not employees, companies like Lyft, Uber and DoorDash are not required by state employment laws to enforce minimum wage, overtime, unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation. Ride-share and delivery workers are entitled to labor rights that every other employee in California is entitled to, such as the right to organize, minimum wage and Social Security. Assembly Bill 5, which Prop. 22 is trying to repeal, guarantees paid family leave, paid sick days and unemployment insurance to those classified as gig employees. These labor rights are essential during a global pandemic.
City of Long Beach, Measure US to
Long Beach Community Services General Purpose Oil Production Tax Increase.
Vote YES on Prop. 23 to require
A “yes” vote supports Amending the county’s
A “yes” vote favors increasing the general purpose
Why voting YES on Prop. 23 matters:
Los Angeles County, Measure J
Budget Allocation for Alternatives Incarceration Charter Amendment:
charter to require that no less than 10% of the county’s general fund be appropriated to community programs and alternatives to incarceration, such as health services and pretrial non-custody services; authorizing the Board of Supervisors to develop a process to allocate funds; and authorizing the Board of Supervisors to reduce the amount allocated with a vote of 4-1 during a declared fiscal emergency.
City of Carson, Measure K
Carson Essential City Services, Emergency Response Protection:
A “NO” vote is a vote against the 0.75% general
transactions and use tax. The transactions-anduse general tax proposed by Measure K would take effect only if it receives a majority “YES” vote at the Nov. 3, 2020, general municipal election.
Barrel Tax to a maximum of 30 centsper barrel, subject to annual CPI adjustment. To provide funding for community healthcare services; air/ water quality and climate change programs; increase childhood education/ youth programs; expand job training opportunities; and maintain other general fund programs, shall a measure be adopted increasing Long Beach’s general oil production tax from 15¢ to maximum 30¢ per barrel, subject to annual adjustments, generating approximately $1,600,000 annually, until ended by voters, requiring audits/ local control of funds? A majority of “yes” votes is required for the measure to pass.
infection reporting and state approval to close or reduce services at hospitals. Prop. 23 builds upon current federal requirements that report dialysis-related infections to the National Healthcare Safety Network at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to include reporting these infections to the California Department of Health. Having a physician on-site at chronic dialysis clinics during all treatment hours provides a higher quality of medical care with an additional layer of patient safety. Prop. 23 protects the 80,000 Californians who require dialysis on a weekly basis by ensuring chronic dialysis clinics cannot discriminate against patients based on how they are paying for their treatments. Insurances like Medi-Cal pay less for dialysis treatments than private insurance, which is why corporations like DaVita and Fresenius [See Measures, p. 11]
[Measures, from p. 10]
State Measures are spending millions to oppose this proposition.
Vote NO on Prop. 24 to protect consumers’ personal information.
Why voting NO on Prop. 24 matters:
While this proposition looks like it protects consumers from giant corporations it was written behind closed doors by these very same corporations. We don’t trust them and neither should you! Prop. 24 erodes a consumer’s request to delete their data and would completely end California Consumer Privacy Act protection of biometric information. California should maintain net neutrality so people do not have to pay for companies to safeguard their personal information. Prop. 24 would disproportionately affect working people and families of color. The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates that Prop. 24 will cost $10 million annually to create a new state agency that oversees and enforces the more stringent consumer privacy laws with an unknown impact on state and local tax revenues.
PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT Joseph R. Biden (Dem) Kamala D. Harris RLn recommends a NO Vote on Trump Is there really another choice?
UNITED STATES CONGRESS
District 28 -- Los Angeles County Rep. Adam B. Schiff* (Dem) — RLn Endorsed Schiff did a great job with impeachment. District 29--San Fernando Valley Coin toss Rep. Tony Cardenas* (Dem) Angélica María Dueñas (Dem)
Why voting YES on Prop. 25 Matters:
The cash bail system directly ties an individual’s wealth and ability to pay to the question of whether they pose a risk to the community and their conditions of pretrial release. This system is unfair from every angle and perpetuates the cycle of poverty and incarceration existing in many low-income communities, which are also disproportionately black and brown communities. The bail bond industry uses its influence to lobby for legislation favorable to them, which perpetuates but also escalates the cycle of poverty and incarceration. Passing Prop. 25 will permanently end their influence in the political process. If Prop. 25 does not pass, voters will be perceived as having rejected Senate Bill 10’s reforms, in particular the effort to end the cash bail system. This will be framed as a significant precedent for opponents of criminal-justice reform to use in lobbying and legal arguments to keep the system intact in the future. If Prop. 25 passes, community groups will have the opportunity to advance further criminal-justice reforms related to this initiative.
STATE SENATE
District 24 Sen. Maria Elena Durazo RLn Recommends District 33 Sen. Lena A. Gonzalez RLn Recommends District 34 Sen. Tom Umberg RLn Recommends State Senate District 35 Sen. Steven Bradford RLn Recommends RLn Recommends the following Office 72 Myanna Dellinger
District 44 — Los Angeles County Rep. Nanette Barragán* (Dem) RLn Endorsed District 47--Los Angeles County Rep. Alan Lowenthal* (Dem) RLn Endorsed
Office 80 Klint James McKay Office 162 Caree Harper
LOS ANGELES DISTRICT ATTORNEY
STATE ASSEMBLY
O’Donnell*
DoubleTree San Pedro Port of LA Madeo Ballroom Venue: 2800 Via Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro 15th Street Elementary School Auditorium Venue: 1527 S. Mesa St., San Pedro YWCA Harbor Area Auditorium Venue: 437 W. 9th St., San Pedro Alliance Alice M. Baxter College Ready The Forum Venue: 461 W. 9th St., San Pedro
George Gascon RLN Recommends
EL CAMINO COLLEGE DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES: Ken Brown RLn Recommends
LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD District No. 1 Dr. George McKenna III* RLn Recommends
District No. 3 Coin Toss Scott Mark Schmerelson* (School Board Member)
Toberman Neighborhood Center Gymnasium Venue: 131 N. Grand Ave., San Pedro San Pedro High School Auditorium Foyer Venue: 1001 W. 15th St., San Pedro Barton Hill Elementary School Auditorium Venue: 423 N. Pacific Ave., San Pedro LA Harbor Masonic Lodge Main Hall Venue: 1640 W. 9th St., San Pedro
Wilmington
Warner Grand Theatre Ground Floor Lobby Venue: 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro
Los Angeles Harbor College PE Wellness Center Gym Venue:1111 Figueroa Pl., Wilmington
Cabrillo Avenue Elementary School Auditorium Venue: 732 S Cabrillo Ave,, San Pedro
Harbor Gateway
Marilyn Koziatek (School Programs Director) District No. 5 Jackie Goldberg* RLn Endorsed District No. 7 Patricia Castellanos (Workforce Deputy/ Parent) RLn Endorsed
Normandie Recreation Center Gymnasium Venue: 22400 Halldale Ave., Torrance
Mayor Albert Robles * Councilman Jim Dear Both of these candidates are good people and have held the office in the past. Carson City Council District 1 Councilmember Jawane Hilton* Elito Santarina Vincent Kim Charles Thomas
LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL ELECTION Carson City Council District 3 Council District 2 Cindy Allen RLn Recommends
Councilmember Cedric Hicks* Brandi Williams-Murdock Daniel Valdez
Council District 6 Coin Toss Councilmember Dee Andrews * Suely Saro
LOMITA CITY COUNCIL (At large Election)
Council District 8 Coin Toss Councilmember Al Austin II * Tunua Thrash-Ntuk
No RLN recommendations Brenda L. Stephens Barry M. Waite William D. Uphoff Robert Bohi Kevin N. Torrez
LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY CARSON MAYORAL AND CITY COUNCIL COLLEGE DISTRICT DISTRICT ELECTIONS BOARD OF TRUSTEES City of Carson Mayoral Election No RLN recommendations When the final tally of votes has been counted, the citizens of Carson who now live in newly formed districts will already have elected their new mayor and city council members. Whether those district boundaries remain as they are remains to be seen given the broad dissatisfaction with how the city approved those boundaries. It is gratifying to see new blood and new talent rise up to take on the city’s civic affairs. We look forward to seeing a new generation of leaders take the reins in the coming election cycles. With some trepidation, Random Lengths News won’t be endorsing any candidate for any office in Carson this cycle due to our belief that the city’s incumbents with their collective experience will be able to guide the city through this new phase in its evolution.
Seat 1 Andra Hoffman* RLn Recommends Seat 3 Robert Payne RLn Endorsed
Seat 5 Nichelle M. Henderson RLn Recommends Seat 7 Nancy Pearlman RLn Endorsed
* Indicated Incumbents
October 14 - 28, 2020
District 66--Rolling Hills Estates Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi* (Dem) RLn Endorsed His opponent is rightwing extremist Arthur Schaper.
San Pedro
District 64 — Carson Coin Toss Assemblymember Mike Gipson* (Dem) Fatima S. Iqbal-Zubair (Dem)
Harbor Area Voting Centers
All Voting Centers are open starting Oct. 24 to Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Election Day, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can cast your vote in person or safely drop off your completed ballot in the sealed and signed envelope at a secure dropbox located in any of the following Voting Centers.
Candidate Endorsements
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES
District 43--Los Angeles County Rep. Maxine Waters* (Dem) RLn Endorsed
District 70-- Long Beach Assemblymember Patrick (Dem) RLn Recommend
use of cash bail in pretrial incarceration.
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
District 33--Los Angeles County Rep. Ted Lieu* (Dem) RLn Endorsed
Vote YES on Prop. 25 to eliminate the
11
[Beat Trump, from p. 1]
Secretary of State and Attorney General Tell State GOP to Stop Distributing Ballot Drop Boxes
On Oct. 1, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Attorney General Xavier Becerra sent cease-and-desist letters to the state Republican Party for setting unauthorized election ballot drop boxes throughout California. The Orange County Register has reported that many of these drop boxes bear signs claiming that they are “official,” and are located at local political party offices and churches, as well as at candidates’ headquarters. In a press conference Oct. 11, Padilla and Becerra announced that they sent ceaseand-desist letters to the state GOP as well as to Republican party chapters in Los Angeles, Orange and Fresno. The unauthorized collection boxes must be removed by Oct. 15, the officials said. Padilla told the Orange County Register that setting up an unauthorized collection is a violation of state law, with a potential prison sentence of two to four years for those convicted.
NASA Grants LA $1.3 Million to Improve Air Quality Measurements
October 15 - 28, 2020
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
LOS ANGELES — NASA has selected the City of Los Angeles to lead the agency’s “Predicting What We Breathe” project, which features a $1.3-million grant and utilizes existing satellite equipment to better understand, predict and address the impacts of air quality. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the development on Oct. 7, which was California Clean Air Day, foreshadowing two years of research that intends to devise a platform that integrates data from ground and spaced-based air quality measurements. When complete, the model will be able to provide Los Angeles officials with enhanced information to predict local air quality, issue more effective intervention tactics, and receive detailed feedback on the impact of current efforts to reduce air pollution citywide. As a part of the grant, hundreds of smallscale sensors will be installed in areas of South Los Angeles, Wilmington, and the San Fernando Valley. Los Angeles County is home to more than half of the state’s most disadvantaged communities, as determined by CalEnviroScreen, a ranking that uses air pollution and asthma rates as key indicators in their analysis.
12
POLA Continues Clean Air Progress
SAN PEDRO — Although cargo volume slipped by 1% at the Port of Los Angeles during 2019, a just-released study explains how the port and its partners cut emissions between 5% and 7% compared with 2018. The 2019 Inventory of Air Emissions report measured both year-to-year changes and the long-term progress of port strategies to reduce pollution from all sources related to its operations: ships, trucks, locomotives, harbor craft and cargo handling equipment. The port’s goals were established in the 2006 Clean Air Action Plan and expanded in its 2010 and 2017 updates. The latest results are based on data collected during calendar year 2019 and reviewed by regional, state and federal air regulatory agencies. Details: www.kentico.portoflosangeles.org/ Air_Quality_Report_Card
LAHC Nursing Students Get School Credit at Beacon House
WILMINGTON — The Beacon House Association, a long-term residential drug and alcohol treatment center for men in San Pedro, welcomed groups of students from [See News Briefs, p. 19]
Beat Trump
So, the question looms: What are Democrats going to do? Not just about the Supreme Court, but about their entire approach to governing in the wake of the second catastrophic GOP presidency in a row, the worst since Herbert Hoover, if not the worst ever. Like most Democratic lawmakers, Rep. Alan Lowenthal remains committed to “bipartisan solutions,” even after months of GOP stonewalling on further COVID-19 relief. “I believe it is critical that we make sure our institutions are responsive, fair and democratic,” he told Random Lengths News. “In order to make the political system work for and reflect the desires of all Americans, we must take into consideration the views and input of those representatives on the other side of the aisle. “While I believe we must not compromise on our principles and values, it is important that everyone regardless of their opinion and ideologies is able to add their input to the discussion. I have found that everyone, regardless of their opinion or ideology, has something to add to a discussion.” Yet, when Democrats have pursued this path in recent times, they’ve been greeted with implacable hostility. After the George W. Bush catastrophe, President Obama made a concerted effort to reach out to Republicans — even, as unbeknownst to him, they plotted to deny him any accomplishments. As Robert Draper described in the prologue to Do Not Ask What Good We Do, Republican leaders met on the night of Obama’s inauguration and mapped out a strategy of total resistance to block him. Most notably, Obamacare was based on a conservative Republican foundation (the universal mandate) conceived 30 years ago, and embodied the Massachusetts model known as “Romneycare,” because the GOP’s 2012 nominee had been governor at the time, with a major role in shaping it. Obamacare also included 188 Republican amendments which Democrats accepted in a spirit of bipartisan cooperation, without getting one single Republican vote of support in return. In fact, congressional Republicans falsely claimed it was “rammed down their throats,” fueled popular opposition based on lies about “death panels,” and used the hysteria that created as a result to mobilize their base and retake the House in 2010 — a position of power they held until losing the 2018 mid-terms. What’s more, the man in charge when the GOP retook the House in 2010 — Michael Steele, then head of the Republican National Committee — is now one of MSNBC’s leading neverTrumpers, whose presence significantly shapes the messages sent to a large share of Democratic activists. There, on the so-called “Fox News of the left,” Steele and his fellow “never Trump” Republicans and ex-Republicans far out-number Bernie Sanders supporters, despite representing a much smaller percentage of the population, and virtually nothing of the Democratic Party’s political tradition. Make no mistake, it’s good to have allies across the political spectrum in an election to save democracy, which 2020 surely is. But letting those who paved the way for Trump set the agenda for what comes after is simply a recipe for yet another disaster. Three things contributed significantly to Trump’s success in the 2016 GOP primary — all of which the “never-Trumpers” bear some responsibility for: First, the decades-long failure
Former head of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele is a co-founder of the anti-Trump group, The Lincoln Project. File photo.
of Republican politicians to deliver on their promises to GOP voters, and resulting erosion of trust; second, their commitment to unpopular positions, such as cutting Medicare and Social Security; and third, his red-meat appeal to racial resentment. Of these three factors, only the last has gotten acknowledgement, but not serious sustained re-thinking from the “never-Trump” contingent who paved the way for him. That’s reason enough to reject letting them tell Democrats what they should do beyond beating Trump. But framing a positive agenda requires something more: A better understanding of how Trump won the general election, including thee under-appreciated factors: First, Trump’s commitment to appointing pre-approved conservative justices — then promising to consult the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society, and then releasing a list of names before the GOP convention — which wedded both the GOP establishment and its religious right allies to him. The fact that the GOP is rushing to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, while refusing to pass desperately-needed coronavirus relief starkly underscores how crucially important this is to them. If the Supreme Court really were as “above politics” as they disingenuously claim, this would make no sense whatsoever. Because it is clearly not, Democrats need to respond appropriately. Expanding the court is a necessity, to prevent it from stifling our democracy. “I want to fight like hell to win control of the court so that a Democratic run court can be depoliticized,” The Nation’s Mystal told RLn. “Conservatives play to win, and Democrats must too. We can have peace, after we win.” The second unappreciated factor why Trump won is the broader erosion of trust among Democrats, Republicans and independents alike, which provided a fertile field for both Trumpian conspiracism and foreign disinformation. It’s well-known that Trump performed strongly among non-college educated whites. But what’s less understood is that this only applied to those lacking in social trust, as explained in a recent online seminar from the Michigan Institute for Data Science by Democratic data scientist David Shor. Social trust — the belief that people can generally be trusted — has been declining since the 1970s to around 30% today, Shor explained. Among white voters, those with social trust voted for Hillary Clinton more than Obama — up seven points among college graduates and five points among non-graduates. But among
those saying people can’t be trusted, Clinton only did one point better than Obama among college graduates, and nine points worse among nongraduates. Thus, the combination of less education and lack of social trust was the key to Trump’s razorthin victory — as well as the surprise factor, as Shor explained: “answering phone surveys is very heavily correlated with whether or not you trust your neighbors.” So, lack of social trust was the real secret sauce behind Trump’s election, even beyond what Shor said. Trump’s appeal to distrustful voters makes sense in multiple ways — on the one hand, he appeals to their sense of betrayal and appears to speak up for them, while on the other, he takes advantage of their generalized distrust: If one is generally trusting of people, then a schemer like Trump really stands out as unreliable, but if one distrusts everyone, generally, then there’s nothing particularly alarming about him. The third unappreciated factor why Trump won was the Democrats’ failure to campaign on popular issues, as opposed to focusing on Trump. Shor dealt with this, too. “The correlation between voting and issue views declined,” he noted. He showed a slide from the Wesleyan Project showing the breakdown of presidential advertising from 2000 to 2017, broken down into “policy,” “personal,” and “both”. Ordinarily policy ranged from 80 to 60%, with John McCain as the outlier at just over 40%, and Trump well within the normal range, with 70% policy ads. But Clinton only ran about 25% issue ads, and almost 65% personal ads, plus another 11% or so that were both. The ads she ran most were precisely the kind run by the “Lincoln Project,” a “never-Trump” group whose biting, up-to-theminute ads liberals love, but whose efficacy is probably quite limited, if 2016 is any indication. In fact, Shor explained, one development coming out of 2016 was the use of large-scale online tests of ad effectiveness. They found that “roughly one in five ads that we tested made people want to vote for Republicans,” so obviously those ads never aired. What ads were those? “The more people in the office liked the ads, the less well they did,” Shor said, which makes sense, because those making the ads lived and breathed politics, while the target audience was the polar opposite. The first race this was used on was the Doug Jones Senate special election in Alabama running [See Beyond, p. 16]
Sunny War Plays Tune In festival in Time of COVID By Melina Paris, Editorial Assistant
days where she busked on the streets for almost a decade. Her style of playing, called crab claw picking, using just her thumb and forefinger, is a banjo technique — an instrument War is fascinated with. Indeed, War’s musical tastes replicate the range of her travels. Influenced by the blues and bluegrass music early in life, War, later at 13 years old, started a punk band — playing acoustic guitars because the band couldn’t afford electric ones. She doesn’t shy from singing about her difficult times or conversely, about love, like on her song, If It Wasn’t Broken. Edmunds had invited War to play at Tune In, but at the time we spoke War said she wasn’t certain how she was called to participate in the festival. She recalled a connection to a teacher and the Get Lit poetry group. Back in 2017, War performed in a birthday tribute to Seeger at the New Ash Grove along with Get Lit. That same teacher helped organize the New Ash Grove and was involved in the Seeger tribute. Many of those same musicians and poets will be performing at Tune In. The original Ash Grove — dubbed the West Coast university of folk music — was known for its folk and roots sounds. Founder Ed Pearl, [brother of blues guitarist Bernie Pearl] featured socially committed jazz and rock artists and provided a venue in LA for diverse performers like Ravi Shankar, Mongo Santamaría, Miriam Makeba. Pearl also [See Tune In, p. 14]
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
Musicians and poets from across the United States, Canada and Latin America will hold court from Oct. 28 through 31 at the Tune In Festival presented by the Center for the Art of Performance, also known as CAP UCLA. As most everything in the time COVID, the festival will be prerecorded live in Los Angeles and elsewhere. However, the mission of this fest is in its name — to Tune In — to bring artists together in solidarity to pay respect to the traditions of music and poetry as a source of resilience, protest and inspiration. The festival kicks off Oct. 28 with a tribute to the late folk singer and social activist Pete Seeger by Kronos Quartet, joined by Los Angeles choral ensemble Tonality, Los Angeles-based singersongwriter Jolie Holland, folk singer Lee Knight and Ethio-American singer-songwriter Meklit. Also, on the lineup will be LA-based blues, folk, punk, singer-songwriter Sunny War. Kristy Edmunds, executive and artistic director of CAP listened to her music and knew about her advocacy around hunger justice and her own story. War first made her name on the Venice Beach boardwalk around the early 2000s. But before that she described her childhood as a nomadic existence, moving from Nashville, Tenn., to Colorado, to Michigan, then to Los Angeles as a teenager. She was homeless for a time during her Venice
October 14 - 28, 2020
Slated to play the virtual Tune In Festival, musician Sunny War. Photo by Raphael Richardson
13
I
somehow made it through childhood with minimal exposure to what I now realize was, for many, a cherished part of many a growth spurt: a grilled cheese sandwich alongside a bowl of tomato soup. This iconic lunch combo, as American as a burger, wasn’t in my parents’ cooking rotation, and my friends were hippies or Korean and it wasn’t on their menus either. And forget about school lunch. It only took a sloppy Joe or two, and one of those reddish dry slabs they shamelessly called “pizza.” I learned at that early age the importance of packing a lunch, and remember being dimly aware that the school lunch eaters sometimes had grilled cheese and tomato soup, but I was never intrigued. Not that I could have learned at school the joy of biting into the glistening edge of a dunked grilled cheese, at once crusty and soggy, dry and wet, acidic and fatty, melty and cheesy. But I can now see how for many, this dish was eye-opening. It’s also a hearty meal, a complete source of protein and Vitamin C, which is why during the Great Depression school cafeterias stockpiled cans of tomato soup and grilled cheese materials. I knew none of this until a Los Angeles-based client reached out, asking if I would investigate a certain Depression-era meal from southwest Montana. “My Grandma Fay, who lived in the Bitterroot Valley up the Burnt Fork, used to prepare tomato toast, which was basically a piece of toast smothered with a creamy tomato sauce. She probably used real cream back in the day, topped with a cooked egg if you had ’em.” I never did track down Grandma Fay’s recipe, but the research process, and the keywords involved, occasionally brought me to corners of the web occupied by crusty grilled cheese sandwiches and smooth, tangy tomato soup.
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup:
Depression Era Food to Take Away Your Blues By Ari Levaux, Flash In the Pan Columnist
A classic combination: tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich — inexpensive and comforting. This sandwich includes an egg. Photo by Ari Levaux.
The archetypes and keywords were on my mind when friend of the column and noted novelist Chad Dundas (most recently: The Blaze), tweeted despairingly, “Perhaps my biggest disappointment as a father so far is my children’s unwillingness to recognize the splendor of pairing grilled cheese sandwiches & tomato soup. They could take or leave it & I’m considering petitioning for a DNA test.” The nuance of the discussions in the comments to his tweet included topics like how
October 15 - 28, 2020
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best to cut the sandwich (corner to corner), and spirited spat over chunky tomato soup. One chap had a thing for Goldfish crackers swimming in the soup. Dundas may not be Grandma Fay up the Burnt Fork, but I knew I needed this man of letters as my guide, like Dante needed Virgil, with his unconscious understanding of the goal. He’s not looking for angles to improve upon perfection. The soup is Campbell’s. The bread is white. The cheese is orange. [Tune In, from p. 13]
Tune In
encouraged a mix of music with poetry. Tune In carries on the tradition featuring the Get Lit performers where students, in call and response style, learn classic poetry and pen their own spoken word response pieces to perform. Fast forward to 2020 and festivals in the time of coronavirus, War spoke to frustrations that many people feel when dealing with life’s responsibilities during this pandemic. “I know I probably have [Tune In] in my email,” War said. “I threw away my hand-held calendar that I would write everything in. In the first month of COVID everything was cancelled and I just erratically threw it away. I shouldn’t have done that because now I still have to write
I brought those ingredients home, and the next thing you know I’m making out the combo for my kids, all wolfing it down like it was their first taste of food. Soon my kids’ hungry, unmasked friends were over, also wanting food. When the dust settled, I had stuffed six little bellies for about $7. That night, feeling deviant, I texted Dundas. “Have you added any something-something in the intervening years of single and family living. Any secret sauce you bust out when everyone is asleep and you need some midnight power?” He didn’t text back, and I felt awkward. Alone to my own devices, and in honor of Grandma Fay’s tomato toast, I worked on cooking an egg in the middle of the grilled cheese, which turns out to be pretty tasty, like a cheesy egg-in-a-nest. Then I turned my attention to the soup. The Campbell’s label suggests mixing the contents with a can of milk or water, which if done right also salvages whatever soup clings to the can — an important Depression-era trick. But I found milk dulled the tomatoey sharpness, which lessened the dramatic contrast between soup and sandwich. The soup already has bread mixed in, which adds a certain bisque-like creaminess, even without cream. If you have serious soup eaters, that can of water is the way to go, but I kept finding leftover soup after the sandwiches were long gone. Now I leave it thick, with added garlic and black pepper. And I add hot sauce in the tomato bisque. Finally, Dundas got back to me, after having given it some thought. He suggested perhaps making a second sandwich. It was a bit too little, and a bit too late. But hey, Virgil only brought Dante within sight of the summit. everything down. I know I’ve agreed to a lot of livestream things coming up. “It’s weird because it’s like, ‘Oh, I have to remember on Tuesday to set up my laptop and sit in front of it…’ It’s confusing. Even if you don’t remember until 10 minutes before, that’s still enough time.” On performing virtually, War stated simply, “It’s weird.” “It’s just me sitting alone in my room,” she said. “You think, ‘Should I talk to the camera?’ I guess you’re trying to make it like a live set, but you’re just alone. I’ve done at least 10 of them. It’s just awkward and a lot of people don’t want to meet up to collaborate. They may be my age but they may live with an older family member [who is] not comfortable with them socializing
[See Tune In, p. 15]
california.com
Nov. 1
MUSIC
OCT 15 - 28 • 2020
Oct. 17
Getting Down Upstairs With Satellite Voodoo Satellite Voodoo will be live streaming with high energy bluesfunk-rock. Time: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 17 Details: Tip Jar at Venmo: @CarlosAlvarez-105 or Paypal: chuck@ chuckalvarez.com Zelle: 909-645-3054
ARTS Oct. 9
Made Onsite In October Angels Gate Cultural Center celebrates the talent of its community classes with the group exhibition, Made Onsite. This virtual exhibit highlights selections from the center’s various community classes on campus. Both are self-guided virtual tours; Made Onsite and Raised as Roosters will run through the end of the year. Details: https://www.angelsgateart.
org/otw_pm_portfolio/made-onsite and www.angelsgateart.org
Oct. 17
Angels Gate Family Art Workshop In this month’s family-oriented workshop, explore the strength and beauty of paper structures. Ordinary letter size paper will be used to create structures that are tall, innovative and perhaps also sturdy and eye-catching. Time: 3 to 5 p.m. Oct.17 Cost: Free Details: www.www.eventbrite. com/e/virtual-family-art-workshop
Oct. 15
Freestate Freestate prolifically details and addresses concepts of human rights, the environment, democracy and freedom through a multi-media and publicly activated artistic journey. The show is intentionally slated to take place just before the 2020 presidential elections. Details: www.thefreerepublicof
[Tune In, from p. 14]
Tune In
FILM
Oct. 16 Drive-In Movie Weekend at the Battleship Iowa Join a special Italian heritage month drive-in movie weekend at the historic Battleship Iowa. One ticket is required per vehicle. Select the ticket for the movie you wish to attend on Eventbrite. If you wish to attend more than one movie you must select each ticket individually. Social distancing will be required when out of the vehicle. Masks will be required outside the vehicle. This month’s shows include Moonstruck on Oct. 16 and Cinema Paradiso on Oct. 17.
wants to call Simple Syrup. She recently wrote two songs for recording and she may even have a friend play a theremin solo on the album “It’s electric and it sounds spooky, like a ghost,” War said, noting Fishbone has one of the instruments in their repertoire. “I might as well put it out,” War said. “If there’s no shows for two years, it wouldn’t make sense. I’m not going to want to play it at that point. Tune In will be a good festival, a virtual festival — everything is going to be virtual now,” War imagined, as she talked on her cell phone, sitting in the park near her home. “They took all the basketball hoops off of the basketball court so nobody gets encouraged
LITERATURE Oct. 24
Santa Monica Review Online Reading LA Lit Crawl and the Los Angeles Public Library will host Santa Monica Review in a special halfhour presentation with four of its favorite literary friends presenting recently featured work read by Dana Johnson, Michael Jaime-Becerra, Yxta Maya Murray and Victoria Patterson. Time: 3 p.m. Oct. 24. Cost: Free Details: www.litcrawllosangeles2020
COMMUNITY Oct. 24
Explore the Coast/Explora la Costa LAMI, with the support of the California Coastal Conservancy, invites you to join them for a bilingual coastal awareness educational experience and exploration sail on a tall ship during a three hour round-
trip excursion. There will be handson, scientific activities onboard the ship. Families with upper elementary students welcome. Details: 310-833-6055 or info@ lamitopsail.org
Oct. 24
Scary Stories 18 Online The 18th annual Scary Stories is going online for the first time. Join around the virtual bonfire for an all-new program of tales for the Halloween season suitable for all ages. Listen at your leisure, but be sure to turn off the lights. Time: Oct. 24 to 31 Cost: Free Details: www.melaniejonesstory teller.com/writer/witch
Oct. 30
The 2020 Historical Cemetery Tour Goes Virtual The Story of Long Beach Lives in its Cemeteries is a reimagined historical cemetery tour. Weaving together stories from 24 past cemetery tours, the film presents 234 historical images, postcards, maps and documents. The film includes local cemetery history, seaside recreation, women’s suffrage and harbor history from prohibition to World War II. The video is suitable for all ages. It is asynchronous and can be watched multiple times.
to play ball or do any contact sports,” she said. “It’s weird because you would always see someone at this park playing basketball or playing soccer, or jogging. There’s some people here but it just sucks because my whole life is about being outdoors. We’re still allowed to be
Time: Oct. 30 to Nov. 13 Cost: $35 Details: www.hslb.org
EDUCATION Oct. 21
Plugged-In Virtual Connections Artist Video Series Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum announces the new Plugged-In Virtual Connections video series produced from conversations with contemporary artists. Videos come in two formats, one for children and one for teens and adults. Viewers are invited to discover artists’ takes on artistic experimentation, shifting inspiration and success and failure in the contemporary art world. Time: Oct. 21 Details: www./Artist_Video_Series_ virtual-connections
Ongoing
ESMoA Drawing Club Come and draw with ESMoA. This informal club will start with warmup drawing exercises and then just draw, taking inspiration from the featured artworks. Come every Friday or just drop-in. This club is adults only. All skill levels are welcome. Time: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Fridays Cost: Free Details: https://zoom.us/draw
but it’s just sad.” Sunny War performs in Tune In’s Sing Out program at 5:20 p.m. Oct. 31. Time: 7 p.m. Oct. 28 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 31 Cost: Free with RSVP through CAP UCLA Details: www.cap.ucla.edu, www.sunnywar.com
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
with people.” Still, War is excited about Tune In. She will perform a solo set and may do one with Particle Kid — an experimental future-folk project from musician and visual artist Micah Nelson, the youngest son of country music icon Willie Nelson. War, in 2018, released Particle War, a split LP with Nelson and recently appeared in a video of Radio Flyer on his album Window Rock. For War, honesty prevails in her own music and her inspirations. “Right now I like Nina Simone a lot,” she said. “I don’t know if I’m inspired by her, musically. I love her music but it’s more about people who I think are honest. I’m getting more into liking stuff because [the artist] expresses themselves with what they’re feeling at the moment. It’s easy to be negatively influenced by people with art. You can become a performative performer, you know. You always gotta listen to people who stayed honest the whole time.” War is now enjoying ‘60s and ‘70s roots and folk music saying, she usually wouldn’t be listening to that but with the way things are now, she mostly wants to hear that. “I’m liking Rodriguez [of Sugar Man fame], he seems legit, which I don’t really hear in everything and Joan Armatrading,” she said. “Even Joni Mitchell, she reminds me of [someone] you would meet at a park in California somewhere, just somebody you sit on the grass and smoke weed with. Maybe she sells sage or something.” War has had an album in the works that she
47th Annual Día de los Muertos Virtual Celebration Self Help Graphics & Art is proud to present its 47th Annual Dia de los Muertos season. Due to the pandemic, the Día de los Muertos celebration is part of a month-long season of virtual programs and workshops. Time: 4 p.m. Nov. 1 Cost: Free Details: www.selfhelpgraphics.com/ diadelosmuertos Venue: YouTube
Time: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 and 17 Cost: Free Details: www.eventbrite.com/e/ cinema-sotto-le-stelle-drive-inmovieVenue: Battleship USS Iowa Museum, 250 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro
October 14 - 28, 2020
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[Beyond Trump, from p. 12]
Beyond Trump
against Roy Moore, a populist Bible-thumper. “What we found was that a lot of that stuff that really inspired or got liberals riled up actually was demotivating, talking about racist things that Roy Moore had done actually decreased AfricanAmerican vote likelihood,” Shor said, while, “The thing that worked really well was a very straightforward communication about policies Doug Jones supported that would help people go to college and get good jobs.” Most significantly, this showed that there was no trade-off between motivating base voters and persuading swing voters — the same ads appealed powerfully to both. These results were further validated by a large-
October 15 - 28, 2020
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) believes the majority of people will support a progressive agenda if presented in a non-idealogical way. File photo
16
scale experiment involving about two million people, testing messages for a generic Democrat versus Donald Trump. The main result was that “Talking about concrete issues that Democrats support on average does about three to four times better than attacks on Donald Trump,” with the best results on core economic issues. “Telling people the Democrats want to expand Social Security or that they want to hire more teachers still does move people and is substantially better use of time than attacking Trump,” he said. The same goes for “talking about mental health.” In short, the issues Democrats have always cared about are issues that move voters as well. And — duh! — Democrats should run on them … hard. This result fits perfectly with Lowenthal’s outlook, when I asked him a follow-up question, distinguishing between two senses of “bipartisan” — one defined by politicians, the other defined by more than 50 years of polling that finds significant bi-partisan support for progressive economic policies. “I believe that most people support progressive policies, especially when those policies are presented in a non-ideological manner,” Lowenthal responded. “We can look at the overwhelming support for issues like universal health care, climate change, COVID relief, elimination of systemic racism and reform of our justice system, and the promotion of voting rights for all,” he said. But, “This doesn’t correlate with the pushback we see from the majority of the GOP in Congress,” he warned. “Bipartisanship doesn’t work if radical factions like the Freedom Caucus can veto any Republican measure (for example immigration or gun reform) and SCOTUS can strike down anything Congress passes.” And that’s precisely the problem that’s going
to confront us, if, as now expected, Democrats win control of the White House and Senate in November. “I agree that there is plenty of consensus in the American public on major issues — provide universal healthcare, lower healthcare costs, take dramatic action on climate change, tackle inequality in our institutions, follow the science on ensuring COVID recovery,” Lowenthal said. [Carson, from p. 7]
Carson Districts
going to disenfranchise the people in how you’ve conducted this whole guideline of making this decision. Now people over here can’t vote in this election for a candidate of their choice. It’s disruptive. What I’m saying to you is now you’re putting me in a district that’s going to be subservient to blacks, or subservient to Filipinos or Latinos, then what you’re doing is you’re gerrymandering.” Even people who agreed with the move to districts harbor the same feelings. “I’m glad that they decided to move forth with the districts and selected a map,” Henderson said. “However, the map they selected is a gerrymandered map, which is a very manipulative and self-serving choice. This shows that their priority was not to adhere with the spirit of the California Voting Rights Act or to be transparent with residents. Their primary intention was to protect themselves and each of their individual city council seats.” Robles sees it different though. He said that the city demographer ran a study on the city of Carson and if it should be holding voting city wide or in districts. He said that the demographer told him that Carson is one of the best examples
“We can deliver on a progressive agenda if we make Congress responsive to the actual will of the people.” But Democrats are also going to have to defang the court, or else risk seeing everything they do struck down. Now may not be the best time to talk about it in the midst of campaign. But the thinking is long overdue. And the time for action can’t be put off for long. of cities that should be holding district-wide elections because citywide elections racially polarize the voting. “We hired a demographer,” Robles said. “Our demographer, who has done hundreds of analysis for cities and government entities up and down around the country, specifically looking for racially polarized voting, and he concluded that Carson is amongst the worst he has ever seen in terms of over racially polarized voting. So if we went to court and we fought this because we felt that we had money we could spend and burn, we would lose our own expert. Our own demographer has concluded that we are in violation of the California Voting Rights Act.” For now, this upcoming election in November will take place according to the districts the city has split into. There is a court case that the council members who voted against the districts filed. The judge is scheduled to make a decision next year in February, but Robles says that the judge isn’t going to touch the case, or make a decision. He asks which judge would want to get in the way of a city who has already made the decision, held an election and has maps drawn out. But if the judge did decide to take action, he or she would most likely redraw the maps. For now, everything remains as is.
LABOR Notes
Hundreds March on Bezos’ House to Demand Justice for Amazon Workers By Mark Friedman, Reporter
Hundreds of protesters marched on Jeff Bezos’ Beverly Hills home on Oct. 4. Speaking before the crowd and extensive media, labor organizer Chris Smalls said, “Amazon has probably downplayed the number of employees that have tested positive for coronavirus, but released figures are 20,000. … COVID-19 has amplified the unemployment crisis in the U.S. We read about a new horror story every day about a system that was never built for us.” He further added that the job of the demonstrators and organizers is to do this for the
youth, to give them a future. Smalls blasted the firing of dozens of activists at Amazon who have been trying to form a union or just stand up for their rights. “Bezos is making $4000 a second and he can’t give us a living wage? He is the richest man in the world.” Kahlila Williams, a 16-year-old high school student, leader of Students Deserve, eloquently explained that “Youth are fighting for black lives in our schools, where 25% of the school police arrests and charges are against blacks, while only 8% of the student population is black.”
Protestors march outside Amazon owner Jeff Bezos’ house in Beverly Hills on Oct. 4. File photo
School District. She further urged everyone to vote for Proposition 15 on the November ballot. Before the march to the Bezos $125 million palace, other speakers condemned the system “that isn’t broken, but was designed this way so that we don’t even empathize, with our own species. We cannot give in to fear. It is time to
[Digital, from p. 4]
our stakeholders to participate.” Another organization that Goodie’s council works with distributes free food, and her council is planning a social media campaign to celebrate Black History Month. Her council would not be able to post about either of these things under the new policy. Goodie said that whoever wrote the policy was not familiar with the grassroots form of outreach. “NCs have to deal with our limited resources,” Goodie said. “A lot of stakeholder engagement, especially right now during COVID times, involves social media. The vagueness of some sections of this policy allow for potential overreach.” Joyce Fletcher, president of the Woodland Hills/Warner Center Neighborhood Council, said she has served on her council alongside individuals who use their own social media and blogs to ruin the reputation of her council and of its board members. Her council is unable to do anything about it. Fletcher said 90 days was too long to wait, and wished the policy could be implemented sooner. “These board members are a very negative force on the board, erode board participation, and greatly erode the trust of our stakeholders who read these very negative media posts,” Fletcher said.
Digital Policy
promoting events unassociated with the councils would be to their detriment. “Stakeholders are passionate about a lot of issues and it would behoove councils to use topics of interest to stakeholders to get them involved, whether or not the council has specific jurisdiction,” Moore said. This rule is already Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council’s policy, Epperhart said. His council does not promote events unaffiliated with the council because an unsavory organization might ask for their help as well. “[If] the Proud Boys San Pedro chapter sends us a flier saying ‘We are having a pro-America first rally … at Point Fermin park, here’s our flier’ and we say ‘no,’ there’s nothing to stop them from running to the city saying ‘If they’re doing it for that group, they have to do it for our group,’” Epperhart said. Jennifer Goodie, board member of Mid City Neighborhood Council, said that parts of the policy are too strict and don’t allow for normal operation. “Only being able to promote meetings, membership and official events is very limiting,” Goodie said. “Our neighborhood has a monthly trash clean-up, but it’s informal, it’s not an official event, we would no longer be able to ask
[See Workers, p. 19]
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She called for defunding the police and added that “Bezos does not care about our communities or his workers at Amazon. This corporation must be heavily taxed to fund public schools. It is time I got a full-time nurse in my school.” This was one of the unfulfilled contract demands of the United Teachers Los Angeles 2019 strike, even though it was agreed upon by the Los Angeles Unified
October 14 - 28, 2020
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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 202128710 The following person is doing
[continued on p. 19]
© 2020 MATT JONES, Jonesin’ Crosswords
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business as: BIGEYE VIRTUAL, 905 Friendship Park Drive, San Pedro, CA 90732, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Ryan Alan White, 905 Friendship Park Drive, San Pedro, CA 90732. This Business is conducted by an Individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 07/2020. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Ryan Alan White,owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 08/25/20. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement
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Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in Subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration.Effective Jan. 1, 2014, the fictitious business name statement must be accompanied by Affidavit of Identity form. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a Fictitious Business Names in violation of the rights of another under Federal, state, or common law (See Section 14111 et seq. Business and Professions code). Original Filing
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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT File No. 2020119322 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: SV HARDWOOD FLOORING, 3420 Barbara St., SAN PEDRO, CA 90731. County of LOS ANGELES. Registered owner(s): SHAUN VICKERS, 420 Barbara St., SAN PEDRO, CA 90731 This business is conducted by an Individual. The registrant(s) started doing business on 06/2017. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000)). S/ SHAUN VICKERS, Owner . This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on 08/06/2020. NOTICE-In accordance with Subdivision (a) of Section 17920, a Fictitious
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JOBS
ACROSS
1 They’re out to pasture 10 Words before “your mother” or “your father” 15 Prepared statement 16 Slip 17 Verdi opera originally titled “La maledizione” (“The Curse”) 18 ___ SelΣnne, highest-scoring Finn in NHL history 19 Short gamut 20 Measures of loudness 21 Change direction sharply 23 Does a dairy duty 27 “Them!” creature 28 Cry of accomplishment 30 WWE wrestler ___ Mysterio 31 Iconic “Lady and the Tramp” song whose title means “Beautiful Night” 33 Elemento numero 79 34 CLE player 35 Middle of a French Revolution motto 36 Pharmacy chain with unusually long receipts 37 Card seen in skat 38 Risky purchase 40 Places for Whoppers, briefly 41 Frigid ocean areas that can be seasonal or permanent 42 Site for mil. planes 43 Record producer Mike ___, or
actress ___ Kaye 44 Go with the flow, maybe? 48 Minimal 50 Hull backbone 51 Rod Stewart’s “Lost ___” 52 Extended 57 Make grime pay? 58 Moved forward, perhaps 59 River through France and Belgium 60 Vacation purchase with a possibly aggressive sales pitch
DOWN
1 Harness part 2 Nation where krey≥l ayisyen is spoken 3 Bush or Clinton, informally 4 Game for NFL all-stars 5 Daughter of Loki 6 One of the saisons 7 Dirty groove? 8 “The 5,000 Fingers of ___” (1953 Dr. Seuss film) 9 ___-Caps (movie candy brand) 10 Increases in difficulty, like a hike 11 Vowel-rich cookie 12 Category for Styx and (arguably) the Stones 13 “Wow, that was rude!” 14 Cereal on “The Simpsons” where Bart ingested some jagged metal
22 Small-screen movie, quaintly 23 One in charge 24 Admire excessively 25 Told, as a secret 26 ___ Bachika (“Gurren Lagann” anime character who I just found out is a human and not a cat) 29 ___ De Spell (“DuckTales” character voiced by Catherine Tate in the 2017 reboot) 31 Place for neighborly gossip
32 Samuel L. Jackson movie that Roger Ebert
called the best film of 1997 34 Adherence to mystic doctrines 39 Wisconsin city known for kids’ overalls 45 Yiddish gossip 46 “I gotta go feed the ___” 47 Hitch in haste 49 ___-chef 52 1-800-CALL-___ (bygone collect call service) 53 “What ___ know?” 54 DeLuise in many outtakes with Burt Reynolds 55 Get by, with “out” 56 ___ EFX (“Mic Checka” hiphop group)
[Prop. 16, from p. 9]
LEGAL, DBA FILINGS [from p. 18]
pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 09/17/20, 10/01/20, 10/15/20, 10/29/20
PUBLIC SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned intends to sell Miscellaneous business and/ or personal property described below to enforce a Lien Imposed on said property pursuant to section 21700-21716 of the business & professions code, section 2328 of the UCC, section 535 of the Penal code and provisions of the Civil Code. The undersigned will sell items at a public sale by competitive bidding on the 9th day of November 2020 at 9:00 am on the premises where said property has been stored and which are located at Plaza Self Storage, 630 S. Pacific Ave. (on the corner of 7th and pacific), San Pedro, Ca. County of Los Angeles, State of California. Most of these units have household items and other miscellaneous items. The follow-
ing: Phyllis Turner #31; Carolina Haasjes #148; Richard Flores #104; Joyce Bradford #272; Annette Aguilar #119; Kenneth Washington #9; Evans Hawes #187; Purchases must be paid for at the time of purchase in
cash only. All purchased items are sold as is and must be removed at the time of sale. Sale is administered by James O’Brien’s Auction Services, Bond number 14663730099, phone number (909) 681-4113.
CITY OF CARSON NOTICE OF NOMINEES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the following persons have been nominated for the offices designated to be filled at the General Municipal Election to be held in the City of Carson on Tuesday, November 3, 2020:
Mayor – (Vote for One) Falea’ana “Ana” Arieta Meni Lula Davis-Holmes Jim Dear Albert Robles
Member of the City Council District 1 – (Vote for One) Charles Thomas Jawane Hilton Elito M. Santarina Vincent Kim
Member of the City Council District 3 – (Vote for One) Cedric L. Hicks Sr. Daniel Valdez Brandi Williams-Murdock
MEASURE(S) TO BE VOTED ON:
YES
NO
/s/ ______________________________ Donesia Gause-Aldana, MMC City Clerk / Elections Official Dated: October 1, 2020
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Amazon Workers
reclaim the dignity of human life,” said Smalls of Extinction Rebellion. Smalls is a former employee of Amazon at the company’s warehouse at JFK International Airport and was actively organizing workers to push the company to improve working conditions when the coronavirus was rapidly spreading. Previously interviewed for Random Lengths, he explained to the crowd of 250, the background of his firing. He and his coworkers had gone to management to demand personal safety equipment, and instead, he was fired. Internal correspondence leaked by a top Amazon official had management denounce him in racist terminology. On May 1, nationwide and international demonstrations took place at Amazon, FedEx, Whole Foods and Instacart demanding safety equipment for employees and a union. His campaign since then with nationwide speaking engagements and rallies in several states, has been to help protect Amazon workers, win higher wages for them, and expose the obscene profits that Bezos reaps off the labor of the 1 million workers employed in the United States. He spoke at the ILWU organized rally on June 16 in Oakland as part of the West Coast shut down of 29 ports to protest killings by cops. To further these efforts, he has formed The Essential Workers Organizing Committee (TEWOC), that sponsored the rally here, along with a few other organizations.
[News Briefs, from p. 12]
Los Angeles Harbor College Registered Nursing Program to their facility this past September due to COVID-19 regulations, students have been allowed to earn clinical hours through field studies off campus. The associate degree earned in the LAHC Nursing Program requires clinical hours, which are usually accumulated by conducting psych rotations. Beacon House was deemed eligible as a facility where students could interact directly with those in treatment and gain credit toward their degree. The new “Education Changes Everything” partnership, which begins in October, focuses on implementing financial literacy skills courses into substance abuse treatment.
One Additional Case of MIS-C in a Child Confirmed in Los Angeles County
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed 13 new deaths and 1,256 new cases of COVID-19. As of Oct. 10, Public Health identified 279,909 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County and a total of 6,741 deaths. Public Health has confirmed one additional case of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). This brings the total cases of MIS-C in LA County to 41 children. All 41 children with MIS-C in LA County were hospitalized and 46% of the children were treated in the ICU. Of the children with MIS-C, 27% were under the age of 5 years old, 39% were between the ages of 5 and 11 years old, and 34% were between the ages of 12 and 20 years old. Latinx children account for 70% of the reported cases. There are no reported MIS-C deaths in LA County children. There are 724 confirmed cases of COVID-19 hospitalized and 26% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU. While slightly increasing from the low of 673 this week, the number of daily hospitalizations has remained under 800 daily hospitalizations since mid-September. 19 October 14 - 28, 2020
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[Workers, from p. 17]
Mandla Kayise was a leader and organizer of the Alliance for Equal Opportunity in Education and its successful campaign to increase African-American enrollment at UCLA and throughout the UC system. Kayise is a founder of the UCLA Campus Retention Committee and Student Retention Center and founding project director of UCLA’s first studentinitiated, student-run retention project, the Academic Supports Program. Kayise has maintained a lifelong commitment to improving education outcomes, enhancing the quality of life in our communities and advancing the cause of equity and justice on behalf of African-Americans and other marginalized groups and communities.
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affirmative action policy in student admissions since Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. This decision was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. Since the passage of Prop. 209, there have been consistent efforts to address its devastating impact on college admissions, governmental agency hiring and business contracting. Massive protests were held on University of California campuses in 1998 as Prop. 209 was initially implemented. Among these were the Days of Defiance protests at UCLA led by the Afrikan Student Union, which many faculty described as the largest on campus since the 1960s. In 2001, UC students came together across the 10-campus system and successfully advocated for the Repeal of Standing Policies 1 and 2, the UC system’s internal policy banning affirmative action, that preceded Prop. 209. This largely symbolic victory, nevertheless represented a blow to the race blind equality narrative. In 2006, the Los Angeles-based Alliance for Equal Opportunity in Education, which included both the UCLA Afrikan Student Union and the UCLA Black Alumni Association launched a campaign to increase African American admissions at UCLA and across the UC system. UCLA’s efforts to reverse the trend of declining admissions of underrepresented minority students, including revisions in its admissions policy and increased outreach efforts, initiated a wave of similar measures at virtually every UC campus. Parallel measures were undertaken at the system-wide level. In 2013, Alliance members joined a broader statewide coalition and equal rights and education advocacy groups around the country in supporting a Federal appeals court decision to strike down Michigan’s version of Prop. 209, Prop. 2. Although that Appeals Court decision was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, it was a significant moment in
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CARSON ESSENTIAL CITY SERVICES, EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROTECTION MEASURE. To maintain City services, such as public safety, natural disaster/public health emergency preparedness; 9-1-1 emergency response, protect local drinking water/environment; assist local small businesses/retain jobs; repair streets/potholes; and other general City services, shall the measure establishing a ¾-cent general transaction and use (sales) tax providing Carson approximately $12,000,000 annually until ended by voters, requiring public spending disclosure, all funds for Carson, be adopted?
Prop. 16
the movement to restore affirmative action in the state of California because it took the effort to a new level. Yes on 16, generated through the combined efforts of Black students from UC Berkeley, Assemblymember Shirley Weber, her Assembly colleagues and a broad coalition of diverse community-based organizations representing all ethnic and racial groups and women, is the culmination of these prior campaigns. Yes on 16 represents a unique opportunity to right the wrong that was Prop. 209, and expose the deceptive, divisive actions of the anti-affirmative action remnants of the Pete Wilson administration. Yes on 16 seeks to restore progress toward civil and equal rights in California. Yes on 16 would bring California in line with the vast majority of U.S. states, which still recognize the need for measures to help achieve diversity and the inclusion of African Americans and other underrepresented groups. Yes on 16 is timely as it is on the ballot during a time of hugely significant health and environmental conditions, social justice movements and electoral contests in which African-Americans and other underrepresented communities have a disproportionately high stake. We must make every effort to ensure passage of Prop. 16.
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October 15 - 28, 2020
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