CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW B campus beat ◆ page A5
Rest rooms
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Strong leader
New facility criticized
A close look at team captain
SINCE 1950 24 PAGES, ONE COPY FREE
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sports ◆page A11
scene ◆ page A12
‘Jackass’ reviewed Comedy film takes new 3D approach
VOL. 95, NO. 8 THE WEEKLY STUDENT VOICE OF CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE, SAN PABLO, CALIF.
Local library wins grant
T HE C ALIFOR NIA G ENERAL E LECTION
2 0 1 0
By Sam Attal
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
By Cassidy Gooding OPINION EDITOR
■ SEE LIBRARY: Page A4
Campus officers dwindle Funding cut, safety services feel impact
‘LEAP’ fights for individual literacy tests The Literacy for Every Adult Project (LEAP) of the Richmond Public Library recently received a $400,000 grant to further their cause in the city of Richmond. LEAP was started in Richmond in 1984 with the overall goal of helping local individuals reach new levels of literacy based on personalized lesson plans, LEAP secretary Ora Lowe said. “LEAP has always hoped to achieve higher literacy levels for the people in Richmond,” Interim Director of Richmond Public Library Roger Pearson said. Though the program has been working with Richmond, El Sobrante and San Pablo citizens for the better part of three decades, LEAP only recently started implementing the Learner Web tool, a system with an emphasis on providing self-paced online learning coupled with personal tutor support. It is because of this venture with Learner Web that the LEAP program caught the eye of Portland State University, after an organization for computer literacy there applied to the Department of Commerce for a grant provided under the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program. “Portland State applied for the grant and then chose us and four other sites to get the funding to teach people how to use computers and familiarize them with the Internet,” LEAP Program Manager Sherry Drobner said. The first reason Richmond Library was chosen was the staff’s experience with Learner Web, the program that impressed the Department of Commerce. “Secondly, we were chosen because Richmond is a community where there is still a
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010 ACCENTADVOCATE.COM
With new students coming in from various crimefilled high schools, the fall semester is always a tough one for those in charge of protecting the campus from illegal activities. And with a shortage of police officers available, concerns have been raised about how secure the college really is. Police Services Sgt. Jose Oliveira said due to budget cuts, not only has he seen the number of police aides dwindle in size compared to three years ago, but full-time police officers as well. “Our staff is doing a great job of doing more with less, but the fall always seems to be the busiest with the new
G OLDEN
edit orial An unfelt presence Increased crime and a decreased Police Services presence shatter the facade of students feeling safe on campus. Officers attempt to be seen, but their efforts fall short.
page A2
O PPORTUNITY Vehicle hit again ■ SEE OFFICERS: Page A4
T
uesday is Election Day for California, where issues ranging from the environment, the budget, marijuana, health, education and who represents the state will be decided by citizens. In the B section of this week’s edition, The Advocate looks into the many state and local issues that appear on the ballot. After all, Contra Costa College is a large campus that serves many students of voting age from all different backgrounds and beliefs. These students, and even the ones who are not yet old enough to vote, should be familiar with the issues at hand.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BALLOT B2
Advice
B6-B7
The Advocate Editorial Board has written a list of suggestions for state propositions
Debate Relevant issues
regarding the gubernatorial election are analyzed, discussed
B12
Facts
Information about health effects from marijuana, scientific issues described in detail
Car on campus stolen week after burglary By Adam Oliver STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
After her car was ransacked in Lot 10 on Oct. 8, student Brandy Wilson thought it would be less vulnerable to reoccurrence if parked across campus in Lot 4. But when she returned at 5 p.m. on Oct. 19 to the lot, the 1995 white Acura Legend she left there only six hours before was nowhere to be found. “First they break into it, then they steal it,” Wilson said. “I don’t understand how you can steal a whole car on campus in front of a policeman’s face. I can’t grasp it at all.” Contra Costa County sheriffs encountered the vehicle in an undisclosed area of El Sobrante at 2 a.m. on Oct. 20, just a few of hours after the vehicle was lifted from the college, Police Services officer Jon Caires
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DARIUSH AZMOUDEH / THE ADVOCATE
■ SEE STOLEN: Page A4
Miller makes campus campaign appearance By Cassidy Gooding OPINION EDITOR
GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE
Hands of power — Rep. George Miller talks about his plans and beliefs if reelected on Tuesday. He spoke to an audience in the Rec Room on Oct. 19.
Contra Costa College warmly welcomed Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) to speak in the Recreation Room on Oct. 19 about the issues of the upcoming election. “Congressman Miller is a homeboy,” President McKinley Williams said. “A friend to CCC and our community.” Born in Richmond, George Miller graduated from San Francisco State University and UC Davis before becoming a member of
the House of Representatives in 1975. Since then, he’s been representing California’s 7th congressional district as “a leading advocate in Congress for today’s education and the environment,” Williams said. Once the president introduced Miller to the room full of students, faculty and district administrators, the Congressman took the stage amid raucous applause. “I like to do this; come speak at schools as an effort to update the public periodically,” Miller said. “To let you know what we’re trying to do (in Congress) that will directly impact your lives.” The congressman told the audience about his experiences in office and his plans for the future if he gets reelected on Nov. 2. ■ SEE MEETING: Page A4
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Congressman comes home to share ideas
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW B
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A2 THE ADVOCATE Quotable “As its best the press is a servant and guardian of institutions; at its worst it is a means by which a few exploit social disorganization to their own ends.” Walter Lippmann editor 1922 Sam Attal editor-in-chief Dariush Azmoudeh associate editor Lamar James associate editor Cassidy Gooding opinion editor Cassandra Juniel spotlight editor Malcolm Lastra sports editor Alexandra Waite news editor Cody McFarland scene editor George Morin photo editor Christian Soto assistant photo editor Jermaine Harrison circulation manager Paul DeBolt faculty adviser Staff writers Hilberth Ibarra Natalie Estrada Cary Gooding April Halog Cheuk Ko Janit Saechao Rodney Woodson Staff photographers Qing Huang Adam Oliver Staff illustrators Roy Chan Joel Ode Faythe Del Rosario Honors ACP National Newspaper Pacemaker Award 1990, 1994, 1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 CNPA Better Newspaper Contest 1st Place Award 1970, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 JACC Pacesetter Award 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Member Associated Collegiate Press California Newspaper Publishers Association Journalism Association of Community Colleges How to reach us Phone: 510.235.7800 ext. 4315 Fax: 510.235.NEWS E-mail: advocate@ contracosta.edu or letters.advocate@ gmail.com Editorial policy Columns and editorial cartoons are the opinion of individual writers and artists and not that of The Advocate. Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board, which is made up of student editors.
OPINION
l WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010 VOL. 95, NO. 8 ●
Editorial Illusory presence
Campus police shortage neglected, masked
O
ver the past few years, steadfast budget cuts to Police Services have deteriorated the authoritative presence on campus and intensified a previously egregious crime affliction. The diminished funding for Police Services has demanded the shrunken department do more with fewer resources, but almost nothing can compensate for a reduced force. Instead, the department is largely floating on an illusion of police ubiquity that is becoming increasingly less convincing. “We’re still maintaining that perception that we’re safe,” Police Services Sgt. Jose Oliveira said. “Perception is everything.” Sheer visibility of police is a huge deterrent to crime, but the current allotted budget renders this strategy unfeasible. Between 2007 and 2009, the number of police aides dwindled from 15 to eight. On Oct. 19, a student’s car was stolen from Lot 4 after being burglarized just a week prior. “I don’t understand how you can steal a whole car on campus in front of a policeman’s face. I can’t grasp it at all,” student Brandy Wilson said. The incidents left her with $600 in impound fees and resulted in the loss of a cell phone and three car rims, and personal expenses that could potentially have been avoided by heightened patrols. Wilson’s first misfortune followed only a week after another student’s car was stolen from upper Campus Drive, later to be discovered abandoned in Berkeley. When Police Services officers need to refill their tanks, grab a bite to eat, or transport offenders to the Martinez Detention Facility, a significant void is left behind on campus. Fewer police officers present simply makes for a less secure environment. Police Services is now in the process of filling two vacant full-time officer positions, but there is a training period of eight months for new staffers, during which time any existing officer is allowed to opt for relocation. To protect against any further reductions, officers should be obligated to continue their service on campus while the department fills a vacancy. A greater apportionment of funds should be distributed to the Police Services departments district-wide to increase patrol and ensure student and faculty safety. Currently facing the busiest months in crime, Contra Costa College needs more than a perceived sense of security to hide behind. The college’s finger-wagging apparition of justice is not enough. Realistic solutions must be enacted soon.
ROY CHAN / THE ADVOCATE
■ Self-esteem
Definition of beauty lies in the beholder
I
n this day and age, many women are commonly faced with the same issue: how can I be beautiful? From their moment of birth, women are exposed to what other people think they are supposed to be. The media have easily found their ways to feed the public views on what they believe real beauty is, when in truth, their perception of beauty is far from real. At young ages, girls are taught how to be women. They are told and shown that as women, they are supposed to be polite, well-mannered and, if all else fails, just sit and look pretty. Gender stereotypes are applied to a woman throughout her entire life. Made most critical of all stereotypes is her physical image. As a child, I was raised with my grandmother constantly telling me, “Stay out of the sun. I do not want you getting darker. You are a girl. You should have light, clear skin.” Then every Sunday for church, she would paint her face lighter with her foundation. She’d also tell me, “Don’t eat too much. You will be fat, and no one is going to like you.” Unfortunately for her, I still ate whatever I wanted. I also grew up watching my aunts go through their high school years. They would spend hours on their makeup and hair. Sometimes they would ask me if I wanted them to put lipstick on me or to let them paint my nails for me. I didn’t mind. Being a kid, I was excited enough
a makeup studio. Her face was blemished and pale. But through the progression of the video, her skin became perfectly clear, her hair became curly and her eyes were highlighted with more makeup. Even after the photo that they’d want to take their was taken, her image was altered more through comtime out to make me look pretty just like them. So nat- puter editing and enhancement, making her neck lonurally, I grew up and began ger and her eyes bigger. Only experimenting with makeup then was the picture posted along with other girls of my onto the billboard. age. We’ve grown used to Upon learning from admiring the perfection of example, women are then others, forgetting that truly, subconsciously drowned in the rest of the world’s idealis- there is no such thing as pertic views on who they should fection. Images of models, movie be. Magazines advertisements stars and celebrities alike are not who they are in reality. are regularly being pubModel Cindy Crawford lished showing women posed once said, “I wish I looked flawlessly without a single like Cindy Crawford.” I’m hint of a blemish. Author, sure many women have speaker and filmmaker Jean Kilbourne speaks in her doc- wished they looked like her umentary, “Killing Me Softly too. But who would really 4” about advertising’s image want to be that fake? As it’s been said frequentof women. ly, beauty is in the eye of the Kilbourne says in referbeholder. Although it may ence to a photo of a model, seem cliché, I cannot stress “The most important aspect of this flawlessness is that it enough the truth of the statement. You are who you wish cannot be achieved. No one to be. While everyone may looks like this, including tell you otherwise, no one is her.” in control of that but you. Many people fail to recWithout forgetting that ognize that the women porperfection is unattainable as trayed on magazine covers a human being, you must and TV screens are, more know for yourself that you than anything, unnatural. In watching a commercial are beautiful in your own right. Who else is more qualcalled “Evolution” made by ified to be the judge of you Dove, I was taken through than yourself? the creation process of an advertisement and its release Janit Saechao is a staff to the public through the writer for The Advocate. form of a billboard. What Contact her at jsaechao. I was shown was a young advocate@gmail.com. white woman in the light of
janitsaechao
CampusComment
How does having fewer police officers and police aides affect safety?
“I did hear about a student’s car being stolen. It seems it’s pretty common. Having less security is pretty scary.”
“It’s obvious. If you have fewer police, you don’t feel as safe.”
“Risk goes up, and yeah that’s bad. A lot of females probably don’t want to walk alone.”
Onome Egbedi accounting
Joshua Mundisugih business administration
FAYTHE DEL ROSARIO AND CHEUK KO / THE ADVOCATE
“There can be more chances of crime around campus.” Rachel Marando
George Bouie radiology
business administration
“(It’s) just going to create more insecurity for students and staff. (To know) that there are fewer police is scary.”
“There should be more police, because more police means less crime.” Andy Acosta
Nitia Ambriz ethnic studies
administration of justice
FORUM
Failures in perspective lend insight
A
fter going to a Governing Board candidate question and answer forum, I spoke with candidate Greg Enholm. Enholm, who is running for a spot on the district Governing Board, is a financial analyst who thinks his background in the financial world would help the board in various ways surrounding financial matters. One of the things Enholm was so proud of was that he was the only candidate who has taken classes in the Contra Costa Community College District he would like to serve. During the conversation, Enholm shared an observation; one that I too have observed during my time at Contra Costa College. “I would like to take classes at all the community colleges to connect with students on a personal level, and to find out some of the struggles they face,” Enholm told me. Enholm took a class over the summer at CCC and really enjoyed it and the campus. One thing that stuck out to him was the number of males finishing classes. He had observed at the beginning of class that there were an equal number of males as there were females. By the end of the summer semester, more than half of the males had dropped the course and by the end, the females outnumbered the males. This observation correlates to an eerie problem many educators have to face in keeping males on track and on top of their grades. Hearing this observation and re-evaluating what I have observed myself, I realized this was very solid observation and began to ponder. Why it is that males often do not finish the classes they sign up for? Is it too hard? Is it a lack of focus? Do they not understand the information? Is it a problem of learning styles and or teaching styles? What is it? I remember in high school when I would fail a class, I would blame the failing grade on everybody when it was really my fault. So why would I blame it on someone who had little to do with what I was going through at the time? I refused to be responsible for my actions. I would blame my slacking on the teachers, the principal, hell, even the secretary, but I could not be the problem. Here it is three years later, and I find myself falling into those same failing habits. Whether missing classes or being tardy, my actions have caused the problems. At some point, I learned that I had to take responsibility for what I have or have not done. I can no longer blame people for something they had no part in. So I have to do something different if I want to succeed; I need to change something about myself. There are a number of statistics that show that AfricanAmerican and Latino males drop out of high school at higher rates than whites and Asian-American males. I could have been in that bracket; I could have been one of those who dropped out, but I wanted something more for myself, I wanted an education. I knew that would be the only thing that would make me somebody.
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MailBag
■ Self-motivation
lamarjames
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010 l THE ADVOCATE
Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin deserves to win her office again Editor: I am writing this letter in full support of Mayor Gayle McLaughlin. If the recent stories about her filing for bankruptcy in 2001 had not surfaced, I never would have known she had any serious issues at all. She has done such a great job overcoming any struggles she experienced in the past. She is also an excellent mayor who is fully committed to
improving the overall quality of life in Richmond. As an activist dedicated to increasing public safety in West Contra Costa County, I believe that Gayle McLaughlin is equally dedicated, especially since I have seen her at numerous anti-violence events in the community. She also sticks to her principles and refuses to be bought off, which I cannot say for her opponent, whom I have yet to see at any community events. I have little respect for a politician who is so desperate that he has to go back into the past to hit below the belt. I believe I speak for many Richmond
residents when I say that the recent smear campaign against the mayor has had absolutely no effect on my decision to wholeheartedly support the re-election of Mayor McLaughlin. If anything, I am even more determined than ever to vote for her because she is someone who is full of integrity and socially conscious as well as being a survivor, to say the least of her qualifications. Please stand with me on Tuesday to re-elect our excellent mayor. Carole Johnson, former CCC student, activist
Earthly Bodies Traditional burials unfit for ecosystem By Alexandra Waite
W
NEWS EDITOR
hen pondering death and plans for one’s body after it is departed, most people feel they are only left with the options of traditional burial or cremation. In contrast with this common belief, new research is showing that such burials and even cremation are becoming increasingly harmful to the environment and more wasteful than necessary. Opponents claim the use of toxic chemicals, such as formaldehyde in embalming fluid, is unnecessary and damaging to the environment. Additionally, the use of materials such as steel, concrete, copper, and bronze are not only in the tens of thousands of tons annually, but these elements can stay buried in the ground indefinitely, polluting the earth. According to statistics compiled by the Casket and Funeral Association of America and Cremation Association of North America, cemeteries across the United States bury approximately 30 million board feet of hardwoods, 90,272 tons of steel, 2,700 tons of copper and bronze, 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete and 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid every year. To combat this pollution a new and environmentally friendly trend is catching on. Green burials, also known as natural burials, ensure a burial site remains as natural as possible in all aspects and is a way of caring for the dead with minimum environmental impact. A broad term, green burials can include a few different types of procedures. One option known as dark green means the body is wrapped in a shroud or cloth, with no embalming, no headstone and no vault. The location could be designated by visitation paths. The middle green option would include a biodegradable casket, such as wicker, as well as the lack of embalming,
headstone or vault. A light green option would have a biodegradable casket, organic embalming, a natural headstone and no vault. The Green Burial Council, a nonprofit organization working to encourage environmentally sustainable death care and promote the use of burial as a new means of protecting natural areas, counts “more than 300 approved green burial providers in 40 states, while only a dozen existed in 2008.” Though not catching on quite as quickly as in other countries such as the United Kingdom, green burials are making impressive strides so far in the United States and could become a mainstream death care option in years to come. One of the main reasons someone might make the decision to choose a green burial over a traditional burial is the significant cost savings. The average funeral in the United States costs $6,500, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. The Federal Trade Commission has named funeral costs the third biggest single purchase many people will make in their lifetime. The casket alone could cost anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 and no casket, regardless of its qualities, will preserve a body forever. While cremation is a less expensive way of internment, usually around $1,500, and has a lower impact
environmentally than traditional burial, it is not necessarily considered green. Cremation still burns a lot of fossil fuels and can pump mercury or other chemicals into the air if a person has dental amalgam fillings. Green burials usually cost around $2,500 and many green burial providers may take a portion of that money and put it into a restoration fund for nature preserves or various other natural causes. Another disadvantage of a traditional burial process is the dangerous health side effects from embalming fluid. Embalming fluid is usually comprised of the carcinogen chemical formaldehyde, and has been proven to pose health risks in funeral homes. A study by the National Cancer Institute released in late 2009 revealed that funeral directors have a much higher incidence of catching myeloid leukemia. Fortunately, there are currently various formaldehyde-free embalming fluids, including one made entirely of nontoxic and biodegradable essential oils, which recently earned the Green Burial Council’s official approval. Though green burials may seem like a new, innovative practice of death care, the procedure was standard practice in the United States up until the Civil War, when it became necessary to preserve fallen soldiers’ bodies in order for them to make the long trip home by train from the battlefields. Perhaps now that people are beginning to realize how useless and damaging current traditional burials are, there can be a push in developing more green cemeteries and less conventional ones to prevent further ecological abuse. Contact Alexandra Waite at awaite. advocate@gmail.com.
Lamar James is an associate editor of The Advocate. Contact him at ljames. advocate@gmail.com. FAYTHE DEL ROSARIO / THE ADVOCATE
A4 THE ADVOCATE accent advocate ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
Receive breaking news and updates by following The Advocate’s Twitter account, AccentAdvocate.
Newsline ■ FALL FESTIVAL
Season party to raise funds The ASU, Inter-Club Council and Student Life are holding a Fall Festival 2010 and Health and Wellness Fair in the Amphitheatre today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. All students are welcome to attend this event that will include a live DJ, barbecue, cotton candy, popcorn, basketball and Henna tattoos. The snacks will be a fund-raising effort by the ASU and ICC, but the company and information about health, wellness and maintaining a safe and healthy lifestyle are free for all students.
■ DONATIONS
Annual drive to draw blood The CCC annual Blood Drive will be held today in the Recreation Room from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Students over the age of 18 can donate blood to the Blood Centers of the Pacific organization.
■ KARAOKE
Costume and singing night The CCC Business Club and EOPS will host a Costume Karaoke night tonight from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Student Dining Room. Students and friends in costumes — excluding masks — are welcome. Snacks will be provided and each song to be sung will cost $1.
■ ‘SWEENEY TODD’
Knox Center hosts play
The drama department’s presentation of “Sweeney Todd” will play in the Knox Center Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8 to 9:15 p.m. General admission to this 88-student production is $15. Students with school identification and seniors will be admitted for $10. For more information, call 510-235-7800, ext. 4274
■ HALLOWEEN
ASU hosts dance party The ASU will throw its first Halloween Party on Thursday in the Recreation Room from 8 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are $7 and students over the age of 18 are encouraged to come in costume, though asked to leave masks at home.
CrimeWatch Tuesday, Oct. 19 An unknown suspect broke a window in the Humanities Building. Thursday, Oct. 21 A suspect was detained for a pedestrian stop and was found to be in possession of marijuana. The suspect was transported to the station and released on citation. — Cassidy Gooding
l WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010
CAMPUS BEAT
Officers | Lack of funding may affect safety ■ FROM: Page A1
flock of people from high school,” Oliveira said. He is supposed to have six fulltime police officers working each week on campus, overlapping shifts, but instead, only three have been patrolling the facilities while working long hours with a fourth new officer who came in on Monday. Two open positions for full-time officers have been made available three years after districtwide budget cuts froze the spots, Oliveira said. But it may take seven to eight months to obtain new recruits due to the intense hiring process that includes psychological and mental testing, background checks and training. During this time, officers who have served Contra Costa College for at least six months already can choose to patrol at another school in the district for the next six months, leaving Police Services to try and fix
the gap once again, Oliveira said. “So far this semester, we’ve been pretty fortunate that we have not seen a spike in crime,” he said. Although the campus has yet to see any radical jumps in crime as it has in the past around this time, Oliveira acknowledged that more vehicles have been stolen lately compared to the beginning of the semester and students are still stealing backpacks. He said that having even the smallest police presence on campus could scare off criminals. “We’re still maintaining that perception that we’re still safe. Perception is everything,” he said. “Visibility is a deterrent to crime.” Others disagree. “What happens when perception meets reality — when someone is attacked or when someone is robbed?” Associated Students Union Director of Public Relations Rodney
Stolen
Wilson said. “Obviously, we’re in an area that has pretty high crime rates.” Wilson said he is concerned about reaching an officer in case of an emergency when one is not near campus or is away. Police Services Chief Charles Gibson said, “We try to never leave a campus totally abandoned. It’s a safety threat.” Yet Oliveira admits that there are times when not a single officer is on campus. Such instances include when officers make an arrest and have to transport the subject to the Martinez Detention Facility or when they simply have to fuel their cars and get some food. “We’d like to have an officer on campus at all times when students are here, but sometimes that’s not possible,” Oliveira said. The campus police also hold a tight relationship with the Richmond
and San Pablo police departments, which border the campus. They help with incidents around the area when assistance is needed, Gibson said. In situations when an officer is not on campus, all calls are sent to either of the SPPD or RPD for assistance. Wilson said he understands the situation Police Services is going through, however, he said it needs to be resolved. “Everyone has to work with budget constraints,” Wilson said. “If we can’t hire cops, there needs to be an alternative.” Oliveira said the budget needs to become stable again before Police Services can return to normal operation. “Hopefully we can restore our staffing soon,” he said. Contact Sam Attal at sattal. advocate@gmail.com.
Crime scene
■ FROM: Page A1
said. The vehicle was determined immobile and towed on sight, he said. While the first intrusion resulted in only a lost cell phone, this theft ended in the loss of three rims and a hefty impound bill. “I’m a single parent. How am I supposed to come up with $600?” Wilson said. The assailant managed to remove three rims that were double-locked to the axels, probably because the removal tool was in the back seat, she said. The perpetrator likely gained entrance to the vehicle in the same way as before, utilizing the removed weather stripping on the driver’s side door and jimmying the lock. Wilson said she expressed concern regarding the lack of cameras in parking lots to Vice President Carol Maga, who said she would look into it. “I know cameras can be expensive, but at least we can see cars going in and out of campus,” Wilson said. Whether the vehicle was taken by the same suspect is unclear, but Wilson had a feeling the incident was much too coincidental to assume otherwise. “I think they were going to steal it the first time but someone saw them or they didn’t have enough time,” she said. Police Services Sgt. Jose Oliveira, who reported to the first crime, said the reoccurrence could have been related or “just really bad luck.” To protect against this, students “may want to invest in an alarm or anti-theft device,” he said. Such devices include steering wheel clubs, brake pedal locks and gearshift locks.
A student’s four-door 1995 white Acura Legend was stolen from Lot 4 on Oct. 19 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. The vehicle was recovered the following day at 2 a.m. with three of its wheels missing in El Sobrante.
INFORMATIONAL GRAPHIC BY SAM ATTAL / THE ADVOCATE
Students are also advised to “have absolutely no valuables in sight” and make sure that their cars are locked, Oliveira said. Following the Sept. 30 theft of a student’s green
Library ■ FROM: Page A1
Honda Accord from upper Campus Drive, this incident arises questions of whether the campus is significantly protected and patrolled. “Why aren’t they on top of their stuff?” Wilson said.
Nevertheless, students parking around the college are recommended to park on campus, as there is still frequent patrol of lots. “All the on-campus parking is patrolled the same,
Contact Adam Oliver at aoliver.advocate@gmail. com.
Meeting | Miller campaigns
the traditional ones the nation has ■ FROM: Page A1 He explained to students that his modeled since the 1800s, geared three main points are health care toward a manufacturing work reform, finding new ways to get base, to ones that cater to the energy and re-thinking education. adapting world. “Employers these days want “We benefit as a nation when the people in it are healthy,” Miller students with diverse skills that said, outlining a more user-friend- can collaborate with the most ly and easily accessible health diverse client base in the history care system resembling President of the world,” Miller said, suggesting that school systems need Obama’s reform plan. to begin turnAs for ing out stuenergy, the “I like to do this, dents that can congressman looks forward come speak at schools better “tranbarrito a future full as an effort to update scend ers and have of possibilities. a good sense “Changing the public periodiof understandenergy is like cally.” ing.” changing teleMiller also communicaGeorge Miller, catered to tions,” Miller congressman his audience, said, adding informing that once we revamp our energy system, the them of the measures he supnew view of possibilities opened ports that benefit community colis comparable to “going from a lege students. These include ones that modify student loans to make rotary phone to a Droid.” Miller proposed a need to rede- them easier to pay off and ones that create programs within comsign education in our country. “When we’re losing so many munity colleges that teach new college students,” he said, “when technological skills. After his speech, the floor so many are dropping out, we need to reevaluate the entire sys- was opened for a short time for questions and comments. While tem, starting at K-12.” Contact Cassidy Gooding at cgooding. This involves changing the some took their moment with the advocate@gmail.com. way classes are organized, from microphone to commend Miller’s great digital divide,” Drobner said. “There are many without access to a computer or internet know-how.” Portland State University received more than $3.3 million through the grant and will serve not only Richmond, but residents in Louisiana, Central and South Texas, New York and Minnesota, as well. According to Drobner, LEAP will use its $400,000 share of the grant to bring computers and know-how to 4,000 Richmond residents. They will coordinate with local housing developments and city community centers to upgrade existing computer centers to better serve as entry points for new Internet users. “Within the next few months, we (the library) are installing 37 new computers. We’re hoping the new additions will be ready to go in junction with the training,” Pearson said. The tutors provided by LEAP to Richmond residents will be a force of volunteers that will begin training with Learner Web as early as January 2011. For information on volunteering opportunities, visit www.richmondlibrary.org. “Our goal is to achieve universal literacy in the city of Richmond,” Drobner said. “This is a big mission, but really we want to expand literacy and prepare students to get their GED or help residents get ready to go find jobs in the work force.”
however, any off-campus parking has very limited patrol,” Oliveira said.
accomplishments and urge the students in attendance to keep him in office, most of the time allotted was dedicated to answering questions posed by students. “(Being in office) is not about the job. It’s not about the title,” Miller said. “It’s about the opportunity to do something with it. And that isn’t an opportunity I take lightly.” The Recreation Room was overflowing with bodies, and students there signed in on sheets at the door for extra credit in their English or history classes. Two students, however, had ulterior motives. “My friend and I are going to ask (Congressman Miller) to speak at our graduation,” MCHS senior Taylor Griggs said. Though she had originally set her sights on President Obama as a speaker at the graduation in June 2011, Griggs admitted that it was a long shot. Her plan was to ask Miller, instead, even though that wasn’t her only reason for coming. “I like to be politically aware,” she said. “I’m going to major in political science with an emphasis on public policy.” Contact Cassidy Gooding at cgooding.advocate@gmail.com.
CAMPUS BEAT
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010 l THE ADVOCATE
A5
Avenue evolves Portion of San Pablo to receive renovation By Cassandra Juniel SPOTLIGHT EDITOR
“We didn’t have any other choice but to put the urinals where they are right now.” The problem is being resolved with a L-shaped wall to be placed in the hallway sometime in the next week or so, Toler said. Until the wall is put in, many are still worried about privacy issues. “It seems to me certain things weren’t considered well with the design,” Buildings and Grounds Manager Bruce King said. “It’s embarrassing. I’ve heard people saying ‘I’m not using that bathroom,’ and I don’t blame them. “People are people. It’s hard not to be a little curious when you walk by,” King said. Middle College High School Vice Principal Jennifer Crowell is also concerned about the visibility problems and the issues they can create among the population of 1318 year olds. “Although none of the (MCHS) students have said anything, they’ve noticed, and it can lead to some problems,” Crowell said. “I have to intentionally look away when I walk by.” Dr. Akers said he tries to make the most of his experience while visiting the facilities. “I sing as I’m urinating,” he said. “If I can make light of something, it’s better than just bitching about it.”
San Pablo, the “City of New Directions,” seeks to receive a facelift in the near future. Discussions have taken place and a process is under way to develop a plan to revitalize the section of San Pablo Avenue that’s within the city limits. “The vision for the Draft Specific Plan includes such opportunities as the creation of walk able destinations,” Project Manager Tina Gallegos said. The effort is to encourage the planning of projects that promote housing adjacent to transit. The area covers 2.25 linear miles along San Pablo Avenue, encompassing 261 acres of the city including Contra Costa College, the San Pablo Lytton Casino, Doctor’s Medical Center and shopping centers. The project came to light in November 2007 when the San Pablo Avenue corridor became designated as a regional FOCUS Priority Development Area by the Metropolitan Transportation Agency (MTA) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). “These ABAG and MTA have focus areas throughout the Bay Area – areas where they want to focus on increasing housing density and also increasing accessibility to public transit. A grant has been provided for the Specific Plan through these organizations. This is how and why we’re able to do this project,” Gallegos said. “The San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan will allow for the redevelopment of sites that are close to the college to accommodate international student housing. It’s something that we are hoping to get – more student housing surrounding the areas by CCC on San Pablo Avenue,” Gallegos. “The reason why we bought (the site) was to hopefully redevelop it for student housing in the future. That’s part of creating higher densities on San Pablo Avenue that are transit friendly, because a lot of students do use public transit a lot more than most folks,” Gallegos said. “I’m excited about the plan. I think it’s part of an effort for improved streetscape, housing and economical development that will create space for businesses and more jobs,” San Pablo City Councilman Leonard McNeil said. Meetings with the project team, consultants and the community are typically held monthly, unless otherwise noted. The next workshop meeting to help finalize the details of the Specific Plan will take place on Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. at the San Pablo Center.
Contact Sam Attal advocate@gmail.com.
Contact Cassandra Juniel at cjuniel. advocate@gmail.com.
SAM ATTAL / THE ADVOCATE
In plain view — The urinals inside the downstairs men’s restroom of the Applied Arts Building are in direct view of those passing by in the hallway. This design flaw has been seen as a privacy problem by some college employees.
URINALS COME WITH A VIEW Remodeled rest room displays poor design By Sam Attal
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Privacy is something most men are not worried about when they unzip their pants at a urinal. Whether relieving the bladder means letting go of two sips of fountain water or releasing pints of fluid on a hot day, urinating is a time of relaxation for most. But it is hard to relax when people are watching. Those who use the urinals in the Applied Arts Building’s recently remodeled men’s rest room on the first floor may instead feel rushed to finish their business once they realize they can be seen urinating from an open door into the hallway at any given moment. Thanks to the American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliancy rules and existing problems in the rest room’s structure, the urinals and the people using them are in direct line of sight for anyone walking by, district building Project Manager Burl Toler said. “We had an existing restroom and we had to remodel it to be ADA compliant,” he said. “Without the whole project finished, it was hard to spot the line of sight issue.”
The architectural design error may go unnoticed until one stands in front of the urinal. The rest room has an automatic door that can be triggered open with either a push of a button or a turn on the handle. If one person enters the rest room, another person can be seen urinating at one of the stalls approximately 10 feet from the entrance. Although a small divider blocks visibility of the man’s private area, he is vulnerable to any wandering eyes for about 14 seconds as the automatic door opens, holds and closes. If he leans or steps back, his genitalia could be visible. Many have complained about the issue and the awkward situations it has presented. “The door swings open and there’s a guy peeing there,” Academic Senate President Richard Akers said. “When you’re standing there with your fly open and your unit out, you can have a conversation with someone in the hallway.” Interactive Resources Principal Senior Project Manager George Namkung was the architect put in charge of the job and said he saw no other alternative but to place the urinals in their current area. Preexisting electrical conduits were located where the urinals were originally to be placed on the opposite wall. The conduits could have caused future problems with the plumbing system, Namkung said.
at
sattal.
Akers brings laughs to restaurant show By Natalie Estrada STAFF WRITER
SAN FRANCISCO — Comedians competed on stage in San Francisco to see who would continue on to the next level in the Walk the Plank event Oct. 20. The 11 competitors were allowed five minutes to stand on stage at the Castagnola’s Seafood and Chophouse to get their jokes heard by the public. In this competition the judges were the audience, and they got to choose the top four performers of the night. Academic Senate President Richard Akers was one of the comedians to share the stage. His comedy act was about education. Among other related topics, he talked about how much he didn’t like school and how school gives students sleep deprivation. “This is one of my favorite stages,” Dr. Akers said. Akers went on to tell the audience that even though he once disliked teach-
ers and wanted nothing to do with school, that he had himself become a teacher. “He’s always funny,” said audience member Lynette Kral. “I thought I was going to get fired since I laughed all the time.” Even though Akers didn’t make it to the next round of the contest, everyone enjoyed his performance. “I’ve seen him do better,” audience member Lindy Cinclair said. “But this was great.” The first place winner was Emmanuel Baja. He had a performance that made everyone laugh and relate to what he was talking about. Some of his fans agreed with him after the show about his jokes. The crowd was tough at times, giving nothing but stares to some performers. They would laugh when they found something hilarious but others just stared them down. The contest had a $5 entrance fee. There were tables extended throughout the room located on the second floor. The waiters were ready to take the order of anyone who
CHRISTIAN SOTO / THE ADVOCATE
Funny faculty— Academic Senate President Richard Akers participated in the Walk the Plank event on Oct. 20 at Castagnola’s Restaurant in San Francisco.
wanted to enjoy a platter during the show, for the person who did the best. and the bar was open as well. Contact Natalie Estrada at nestrada. Coordinator Chantel Williams said even though performers brought their family and advocate@gmail.com. friends, she thought that the audience voted
EOPS hosts bash features karaoke, costumes $1, having a good time will not “It’s a family gathering. It’s not come at a great cost. There will just limited to adults. Children STAFF WRITER be opportunities for are allowed everyone to karaoke as well,” “It’s not about The EOPS Club is collaborat- with a variety of difEOPS assising with the Contra Costa College ferent songs to pick tant Culoz making money. Business Club in holding a Costume from. “Cookie” Ultimately, we just Davis said. Karaoke Night tonight. “Karaoke is nice The event will occur in the because people get l e want people to have bothW h i the Student Dining Room from 4:30 to brave enough to 8:30 p.m. The main purpose of the sing in front of othEOPS Club fun.” Karaoke Night is to bring students ers. It’s a good way and CCC together while also giving back to to network,” Short Business Club Dionne Short, Business Club president the students in the process. said. Students, staff are working “It’s not about making money. and faculty and together on Ultimately, we just want people people from all over the event, all to have fun,” CCC Business Club the community are encouraged to of the money will go straight to President Dionne Short said. come and enjoy themselves at this EOPS scholarships. With each song priced at just event. “Every little bit of money By Janit Saechao
brought in helps with scholarships to reward our students,” Student Services and EOPS Coordinator Kenneth Reynolds said. Past karaoke nights have mostly been held on Friday evenings on the last week of every month. This is the first time a Karaoke Night is being held on a Wednesday, partly because the Fall Festival, hosted by the ASU, will also be happening. “This will bring a smoother transition from one event to the next,” Reynolds said. Davis hopes the back-to-back scheduling will bring more students to both events. Both clubs have been doing the most they can to get the word out
about the event. They have all been using their own resources, including paper and ink to print out fliers in promotion of their karaoke night. Reynolds said years ago there were more events on campus and that the atmosphere was more family oriented. The hope for these events is that they will bring more school spirit and offer something other than just classes for students. “Any event that we can do here that will draw students in and make them feel more like this is their campus is huge,” he said. Contact Janit Saechao at jsaechao.advocate@gmail.com.
A6 THE ADVOCATE
l WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010
FOCUS
All-night bus stop — A lone AC Transit bus waits for passengers at the Bus Transfer Center on campus Sunday. The AC Transit 72 bus comes every hour throughout the night even after midnight.
EXPLO AFTER H
Photos by Ge Lonely pathways — The pathway between the Humanities and Liberal Arts buildings sits empty and quiet on Sunday. During the day this area is packed with students either hanging out or making their way to class.
Howl for the moon — A sculpture stands under the moonlit night sky outside of the Music Building on Sunday. The sculpture is one of the many sculptures that line the outside areas of the Music and Art buildings.
Dim lighting — An oak tree stands next to the back of the Humanities Building on Sunday. The campus is filled with various types of greenery, including palm, redwood and eucalyptus trees.
Available parking — Parking spaces sit empty in Lot 10 awaiting students in the morning on Sunday. Solar panels sit atop these structures providing green energy for the campus.
FOCUS
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010 l THE ADVOCATE
A7
ORING
HOURS
eorge Morin
Empty stairway — The stairs between the Physical Sciences and Liberal Arts buildings remain empty during the evening hours on Sunday.
A8 THE ADVOCATE
l WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010
Bloody play in works
CAMPUS BEAT
STRONG REHEARSAL
Actors prepare for dark-themed musical By Cary Gooding STAFF WRITER
The play “Sweeney Todd” will be performed in the Knox Center for the Performing Arts Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. The play is set in 16th century London, following a barber’s vendetta against a corrupt judge who took his family away from him. Under the mask of his alter ego and with the help of Mrs. Lovett, a human-meat pie baking extraordinaire, Sweeney Todd paves a bloody path on his mission for revenge. The play features poetic narratives, an alternative to songs, which are in musical renditions of the story. “The director put his own little twist on the play,” student and cast member Cacey Chesser said. Chesser said she is excited about the production and thinks the audience will enjoy the way the tale is told. Clay David, drama department chair-
LAMAR JAMES / THE ADVOCATE
In sync — The cast of “Sweeney Todd” rehearses for the play in the Knox Center on Thursday. The play is scheduled to be performed Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and is set in 16th century London. man and director of the play, chose to direct “Sweeney Todd” because, “it’s an excellent story.” The mature nature of the play has more potential for entertainment than the plays put on by elementary school siblings, he said. The stage features props made in a class held on campus. David and some members
of the cast are most excited about the chute built under the stage for the actors to disappear down. “If we’re doing ‘Sweeney Todd,’ we need the chute under the chair,” David said. Lots of props and stage tricks like, he promised, will guarantee entertainment for the eyes as well as the ears.
Tickets will be sold 45 minutes before the play starts at $10 for students and seniors, and $15 general admission. There are no reservations available and the tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Contact Cary Gooding at csgooding. advocate@gmail.com.
ASU hopes to draw students with festivities There is a $7 entry fee at the receive a discount,” ASU Director door with a student identification of Public Relations Rodney Wilson CIRCULATION MANAGER card. If you wear a costume, ASU said. President Joseph The idea The Associated Student Union Camacho has asked of having a “We (ASU) want H a l l o w e e n will be holding its first annual that masks not be Halloween Party for students and worn. came the students to just Party their invited guests. The doors open at from the have fun for the It is a non-academic event for 8 p.m. and the event Veterans Club, students to have fun together on will end at midnight. who put on a night.” a Thursday night after a long and This event is also for school dance hard day of learning. high school students in December Kelly Ramos, The event will be held in the over the age of 18. 2009, which student life director Recreation Room across from the “There is a $5 brought a Bookstore, and DJ Slow Poke will ticket presale to stularge turnout be in the mix as disc jockey for the dents prior to the event, and if of students that had a phenomenal night. students wear a costume they will time together, Wilson said. By Jermaine Harrison
Scholarship society organizes annual regional meeting November conference planned for colleges
shops throughout the conference. Physics professor Mark Wong, for example, is hosting a workshop on how to make ice cream with liquid nitrogen. Chemistry professor Thuy Dang is hosting a crime scene investigator workshop By April Halog STAFF WRITER where students can learn about paper chromatography and lipstick stains to identify a Contra Costa College and its chapter of suspect and speech professor Sherry Diestler the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society will host a workshop called, “The Art of will host the Northern Regional Conference Impromptu Speaking.” on Nov. 6. There will be a few guests hosting workAGS Vice President Sal Oceguera said shops as well. that the purpose of the UC Berkeley conference is to have Transit Advertising “This is the first (conother members of AGS P r o g r a m from different colleges Representative ference) to be hosted at to meet, get to know Merryl Owens will Contra Costa College each other, exchange teach students how to ideas to the other chapwrite a personal statein more than 20 years. ters and learn new ment. Representatives We’re nervous and things. from private universi“This is the first one will host a panel excited at the same time. ties to be hosted at Contra on how to transfer to a Costa College in more private university and Hopefully it turns out than 20 years. We’re credit union worker (well). We’re trying to nervous and excited at Veronica Dangerfield the same time,” AGS make it as entertaining as will host a workshop President Christina entitled “Straight A’s possible. ” Rathavongsa said. Never Made Anybody “Hopefully it turns out Rich: Find Out What Christina Rathavongsa, (well). We’re trying to Does.” Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society president make it as entertaining In addition to as possible.” workshops, the conAt least 200 memference will provide bers from various schools are expected to a lunch catered by Mexican/Salvadorian attend. restaurant Kaliente, have a scavenger hunt The event will held from 7:30 a.m. to as a team building activity, student trustees 3:30 p.m. speeches and elections and will hand out The day will begin with registration in the door prizes at the end of the conference. Fireside Room followed by a free breakfast This will be the first AGS conference that in the Student Dining Room. Roger Yee, CCC’s AGS’ chapter treasurer, There will be welcome speeches from will attend. President McKinley Williams and Vice “I expect to interact with people from President Carol Maga. other colleges, (and to attend) fun workshops The keynote speaker will be former that the other colleges will be involved in,” Assemblyman Robert Campbell giving he said. a speech called, “Making the Odds Even AGS is a scholastic honor society for Through Service and Commitment to One’s California community colleges. Members Community.” hold a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Throughout the day there will be more The purpose of the organization is to than 10 workshops that will be held in vari- maintain, promote, foster and recognize ous locations on campus. scholarships among students. Students can choose to attend, but are Contact April Halog at ahalog. limited to attend only three. Several teachers and staff members will be hosting work- advocate@gmail.com.
Successful events earlier in the semester, such as the Safer Sex presentation, inspired the ASU to throw the party. “Those events were rather successful, so we said to each other let’s try it again,” Camacho said. The ASU decided to have at least one dance per semester for students to come out and simply enjoy themselves. The president encourages students to come out with a positive attitude and no drama. The ASU is very pleased about all events that have been held so far this semester.
“Attendees who showed support in prior events didn’t cause a problem, which we loved,” Camacho said. The ASU reminds students that they are not on campus just for school, but also to have a good time. “I feel that this event is a great opportunity for students to destress, given the budget crisis right now, and we want students to just have fun for the night,” Student Life Director Kelly Ramos said. Contact Jermaine Harrison at jharrison.advocate@gmail.com.
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SCENE
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010 l THE ADVOCATE
Zombie killing amuses gamers
Unleashed
Movies
This week: “Saw VII” (R) “Wild Target” (PG-13)
By April Halog STAFF WRITER
“Dead Rising 2” serves as an exciting sequel to the original zombie-killing festival. The game takes a new turn in terms of story. The game is now set in a fictional Las Vegasinspired town called Fortune City. Users play as a motocross star turned stunt man named Chuck SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE Greene who finds himself in the Clearing the path — The protaganist Chuck Greene (center) uses a dirt bike as a weapon to kill zombies. middle of a zombie outbreak. This is just one of the many weapons available while playing “Dead Rising 2.” After saving his daughter Katey There is the customary in-game not do much, but they level up machete. from a horde of zombies, they tutorial at the beginning of the by earning Prestige Points (PP). Another new feature is the take refuge in a safe house and Chuck can gain PP by killing multiplayer modes. There is inhe becomes accused of letting the game. “Dead Rising 2” has an open world giving you the option zombies, making weapons and story cooperation, where a player zombies loose in Fortune City. to explore Fortune City. Players rescuing survivors. By leveling can join the host’s game to help The main objectives are to can go into stores and change their up players are able to hold more kill zombies and fight bosses. survive 72 in-game hours, find wardrobe. Wardrobe chang- items, increase their health meter, However, only the host player can and administer a medigamereview es do not affect Chuck’s and become stronger to fight. progress through the story while cine called Zombrex to an stats at all, but if players A great new addition to the the guest player gains money and infected Katey to prevent want him to fight in a tube game-play is the ability to forge receives PP that will transfer to her from becoming a zomtop and a mini skirt for weapons. These can be earned their own story. bie, clear one’s name, find laughs, they can. in many ways — by leveling up, There is also the multiplayer out what’s really going on in Almost everything a winning boss battles or rescuing game called “Terror is Reality,” Fortune City and save other “Dead Rising” ★★★★★ character comes across can survivors. which is based off of a mission survivors along the way by Studio: Capcom be used as a weapon for In order to combine items, from the beginning of the game. escorting them to the safe Genre: actiona limited time. Practical players have to create them on Overall the game is fun and the house. adventure items such as crowbars and the workbench in the mainteopen world gives the player plenty Fans of the original game MSRP: $59.99 baseball bats make good nance room. There’s a range of to do. It’s definitely worth playing, should be happy to know weapons, while items like weapons they can create, from the especially if one is a fan of zomthat “Dead Rising 2” hasn’t playing cards and trash bags are “Paddlesaw” made by combining bie killing games. changed much of the game-play a canoe paddle and a chainsaw, mechanics. For those who haven’t usable but useless and only good Contact April Halog at ahalog. for laughs. to the “Heliblade” that is the synplayed the first “Dead Rising” advocate@gmail.com. As players start, Chuck canthesis of a toy helicopter and a game, it is easy to learn.
‘New Vegas’ keeps players entertained By Joel Ode STAFF ILLUSTRATOR
Many video games come out every year. With so many releases, changes have to be made to have a release stand out, and even beyond the release, the game itself needs to stand the test of time. Roughly two years after the release of “Fallout 3,” fans were chomping at the bit to get their hands on the next installment of the post-apocalyptic franchise. Some have called “Fallout New Vegas” the most anticipated game of 2010.
While this may change from person to person, one thing’s for sure: this game will not disappoint you. Die gamereview hard fans will enjoy the classic things like a story “Fallout: New that can Vegas” be equally ★★★★★ wacky and Studio: Obsidian morbid, Entertainment gritty charGenre: roleplaying acters and a MSRP: $59.99 look into a harsh alternate reality. Newcomers will enjoy the very wide variety of weap-
ons and other items giving them a feeling of a having a real choice of how they play the game. “Fallout New Vegas” is what is referred to as a first-person role-play game with a lot of emphasis on character building and the impact players have on the world around them. This is one of the few games you will come across that not only has a strong main story with an equally strong “B” story, but also strong “C” and “D” stories, too. The great thing about this if you grow temporarily bored with the main
story, you can take a break from that and go to secondary quests. The beauty of all these things is, that what ends up happening is up to the player. If they go to a settlement looking for a questrelated item and it’s not there, they can choose to start a firefight with the town inhabitants as a means of relieving their frustration, and there will be consequences for your actions on a broader spectrum. Players get to choose things like what group they want to side with. There’s an addition to this series, which is
weapon modifications and ammunition variants, so now players can add things like scopes on guns to their preference. The only problem existing with the game is it’s built under first person shooter. However traditional FPS fans will probably not get the same enjoyment out of the game as someone else might. Having said that, this is a game everyone needs to check out and would be a great addition to a gamer’s collection. Contact Joel Ode at jode.advocate@gmail.com.
Chaotic album reviewed
SPECIAL TO / THE ADVOCATE
Many drumsticks — Drummer Zach Hill’s playing style is very experimental with his breaks in time signatures and tempo.
A9
Those who have not heard any of Hill’s past work might By Faythe Del Rosario find themselves growing an STAFF ILLUSTRATOR interest to listen to the rest A facial tattoo is slightly of the album. The song is less bizarre and mute in com- melodic and charming. It parison to a newly released harbors the intense, group of tracks that complicated sounds cdreview brings erratic and that can be appreciated interesting sounds to by fans who have been the experimental rock listening to the genre genre. for a while, and maybe The album is called even those who are “Face Tat” “Face Tat” by Zach unfamiliar with this ★★★★★ Hill. The record could Artist: Zach Hill type of music. be called dissonant and Genre: experiMany of the other mental strange, but its noisy songs on “Face Tat” Sargent contents bring an awk- Label: are also very spastic House ward sense of harmony. Release Date: and show use of intriHaving several col- Out now cate time signatures, laborations with other which make Hill stand musicians and playing out from many other in various bands like Hella musicians because they do and Bygones, the musician, not relate in difficulty and hailing from Sacramento, has ferocity. now released his second solo The clashing of cymbals album. and fast-paced hitting on the The first track on the drum set is impressive, to record is “Memo To The say the least. However, some Man,” and it comes out strong might not be aware of the difto those who choose to listen ferent elements in the tracks to it. While giving attention because of various levels in to the song, one can easily distortion. The oddball charm hear Hill’s talent. Listeners of these 13 songs can be can hear the complexity in acknowledged, but the majorthe percussion, as well as the ity of listeners might have addition of even more drums a hard time distinguishing being played by Deerhoof ’s exactly what is used to create Greg Saunier. certain sounds.
Many of the songs are written by Hill alone, with the exception of five. On the sixth track of the album, “House of Hits,” his fellow Bygones band-mate (guitarist of the math rock band, Tera Melos), Nick Reinhart, creates a symphonic, in-your-face track that can easily be considered to be a new favorite song. The collaboration for the song brings excitement to fans of Bygones as it contains a good sense of familiarity because of their work as a duo. Everything about the track exudes a whirlwind of strong emotions that can be matched with the instrumental and lyrical aspects of it. “Face Tat” is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys an ingenious, well-compacted and rhythmic take on beautifully chaotic music. With the exception of listeners not being able to distinguish certain aspects that make this work, it is an album that has an immense flurry of energetic fun that can be listened to a multitude of times without feeling exhausted. Contact Faythe Del Rosario at frosario. advocate@gmail.com.
“Welcome to the Rileys” (R) “Waste Land” (NR)
DVDs
New releases: “Sex and the City 2” ” (R) “Paths of Glory” (NR) “House” (NR) “Star Wars: The Clone Wars — The Complete Season 2” (NR)
CDs
New releases: Kid Kudi: “Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager” Senses Fail: “The Fire” Taylor Swift: “Speak Now” Warpaint: “The Fool”
Games
New releases: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (PS3. XBOX360 - T) Rock Band: 3 (PS3, XBOX360, Wii, DS - T) Fable III: (XBOX360, PC - M)
Editor’s note: This column lists popular new (and upcoming) releases for the week.
A10 THE ADVOCATE
SPORTS
l WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010
Weather affects stalemate Rain, mud derail teams into tie game
fought for ball possession, often times colliding with each other. The game was so physical that Comet goalkeeper Kevin Esquivel and defender Juan Acosta collided with each other while both were By Malcolm Lastra SPORTS EDITOR trying to make a play on the ball. Muddy grounds, cold “When you have two weather and rain drew out teams that are trying to win, physical play and solid you expect the game to be defense from both teams as physical,” Ferguson said. the men’s soccer team tied CCC controlled the offen0-0 against Yuba College sive momentum early, manFriday at the soccer field. aging to have ball possession Contra Costa College (3- for the majority of the first 7-2 overall, 2-2-1 in the Bay half as the Comet defenders Valley Conference) had sev- kept Yuba out of their goal eral opportunities to score territory. against the 49ers (10-2-2 “I feel that our defense overall, 5-1-1 is our strong in the BVC) point, as it is that were hard to play ScoreBoard squandered on t a c t i c a l l y,” forced, inacEsquivel said. Comets 0 curate goal “During our 49ers 0 attempts durlast game, ing the conferit was the Next game: ence match. offense’s day Friday vs. Marin, “With the to shine, but 4 p.m. conditions (of today it was the weather), the defense.” both teams Although s t r u g g l e d,” the Comets Comet coach Nikki Ferguson had ball control for the said. “The slippery ground majority of the half, they gave out on us, which affect- failed to connect on a single ed the quality of play.” goal as the 49er goalkeeper The first half began slop- Moises Osequera blocked all pily for both teams as play- eight attempts. ers were slipping and sliding “Our offense didn’t go all over the field as they our way and because of the
QING HUANG / THE ADVOCATE
Shaking the competition — Comet midfielder Eduardo Quiroz (right) tries to break away from Yuba College defender Humberto Alvarado at the soccer field on Friday. The game ended in a 0-0 tie. sloppy field we couldn’t get control (of the ball),” forward Kenneth Henry said. Frustrations began to affect the Comets, and Esquivel received a yellow card late in the first half for arguing with the referee after an offsides call was made against them. Momentum shifted in the second half and Yuba was on the offensive as it attacked CCC’s defense on several goal attempts while the Comets hardly had ball possession. “I think the problem (we had offensively) was that our team wanted to defend instead of attacking, because in our last game we gave
up too many goals,” Acosta said. Despite the offensive surge by the 49ers, the Comets held their ground, and Yuba could not manage to connect with any of its second-half goal attempts. “We have four guys (in the defensive backfield) who played together,” Ferguson said. “Our team finally committed to defending, and now we are defending well as a team.” Errors played a factor on the outcome due to both teams committing several offsides calls. The Comets were given a game changing penalty call after Esquivel saved a Yuba
shot, put the ball down and picked the ball back up. “I fixed my socks (after that save) and the refs gave me a penalty,” Esquivel said. Ferguson said that the call was a handball committed by the goalkeeper. Despite the penalty, the 49ers could not capitalize and failed to connect on their penalty kick due to an offsides call. The match was held to a defensive stalemate as the game ended scoreless. Comet players were proud and kept their heads held high despite finishing with a draw. “Last time we played
Yuba they beat us 3-0. This time, however, we were able to tie,” Acosta said. “It was a tough physical game, real even and an overall good match.” Ferguson was also happy with the squad’s effort and looks forward to taking on College of Marin (4-7 overall, 2-3 in the BVC) on Friday. “We have been working hard on defense, we just have to stay consistent,” Henry said. “We have to continue to stay focused and (fight) for our spot in first place.” Contact Malcolm Lastra at mlastra. advocate@gmail.com.
Beavers bite into Comets, barricade runs By Rodney Woodson STAFF WRITER
The Contra Costa College football team’s overall record stands at 3-4 (1-0 in the Bay Valley Conference) after a 52-21 loss to American River College (6-1) on Saturday in Sacramento. Comet coach Alonzo Carter said he expected a tight game, which it was at halftime, when the Comets trailed 14-13. The Beavers’ touchdown on their first drive of the second half was the first of 21 unanswered points scored. Carter said the Comets want-
ed to focus on stopping the passing game and they were able to intercept ARC quarterback Chad Mason’s passes three times. They were just unable to stop the run. “(The Beavers) ran on us,” Carter said. “They kind of wore us out.” ARC was able to amass 256 rushing yards averaging six yards per carry and scoring four rushing touchdowns. Coach Carter said that ARC’s size was a factor at the line of scrimmage offensively and defensively. “Their offensive line was big,” defensive end Niko Aumua said. “It was hard to get off the block.”
Comet receiver Jordan Morrow “I thought I was going to get said the size factor made a huge dif- whacked,” Morrow said. But CCC ference in the fourth was unable to gain quarter. “We’re faster anything on the but they were much ground, finishing the ScoreBoard stronger,” he said. game with -34 yards Beavers 52 The Comets rushing. wanted to attack the The undersized Comets 21 Beavers through the CCC defensive line air to avoid going was pounded with Next game: against the ARC 43 rushing attempts Saturday vs. rush defense. CCC while the Beavers’ Solano, 1 p.m. quarterback Jeffery defensive line had Anderson passed for four quarterback 230 yards and two sacks. Carter said touchdowns, includthe Beavers found a ing a 91-yard touchdown pass to lot of success defensively by rotatMorrow. ing eight defensive linemen.
After a touchdown and a twopoint conversion, CCC was able to pull within 14 points of ARC late in the third quarter at 35-21. But the Comets were unable to come any closer to the Beavers’ point total and eventually gave up 17 more unanswered points, including a 75-yard punt return by ARC running back Michael Lindsey with 3:35 left in the fourth quarter. Aumua said that Saturday’s game showed the disadvantages of being a small team. “We really need to hit the weights,” he said. Contact Rodney Woodson at rwoodson.advocate@gmail.com.
Squad unable to cover open holes We didn’t have pressure (on us). It wasn’t a bad game.” ASSOCIATE EDITOR The Comets hope to continue this “loose” style of play when they take OAKLAND — The Comets on College of Alameda today at 6 found themselves having trouble p.m. in the Gymnasium. covering up open spots and returnThe first set began well for the ing serves during a three-set loss to Comets with good serving plays by Laney College on Friday. middle blocker Taletia Williams, The Comets (2-8 overall and in who gave CCC an early 7-3 lead. the Bay Valley Conference) fought CCC later on allowed the Eagles to closely with the Eagles (3-4 in the attain seven points uncontested that BVC) in the first set before losing gave Laney the lead and eventually 25-22. But Laney was able to exploit the 25-22 set victory. the Comets’ gaps on the court with Throughout the game, the Comets their serves to win the next two sets defense had trouble digging balls by 25-13 and 25-17. and getting organized. “They played Comet setter smart,” Comet outside Jazmine Mendoza said hitter Lynn Iosua said. that the team could ScoreBoard “Their serving is really have improved on its Eagles def. good and they saw our coverage of the floor open spots.” to stop Eagles’ tips and Comets Iosua said Contra serves. 25-22, 25-13, Costa College tried to “I think it was 25-17 shift the team around to good. We played really cover those open areas aggressive despite losNext game: but was unsuccessful. ing two of our players,” Today vs. The lack of coverMendoza said. age from the Comets’ Alameda, 6 p.m. The Eagles’ defense side was mostly due to proved solid against the the fact that the team Comet offense in the was without two of its regular start- second set that Laney won 25-13. ers, outsider hitters Claudia Sanchez The Eagles serving was also a factor and Melanie Raquel. that the Comets could not contain. “(Raquel) is our best passer and Laney’s dominance continued digger,” coach Zachary Shrieve said. into the third set, which they won “But it was mainly due to continu- 25-17 despite the Comets’ effort. ity on what we are used to playing “Our hitting is the best it has with.” been. It (got) better by playing loose Despite the loss, Shrieve said and not being afraid to make misthat he liked that the team played takes,” Shrieve said. “loose.” Contact Dariush Azmoudeh at “We played real loose today,” he said. “We had nothing to lose. dazmoudeh.advocate@gmail.com. By Dariush Azmoudeh
SAM ATTAL / THE ADVOCATE
Tripping over air — Comet player Shayla Farinas falls to the ground while awaiting the ball during a game against Laney College in Oakland on Friday.
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Veteran guides by example malcolmlastra
Forgotten teams not recognized
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n college, the number one thing that raises school spirit is sports. For every college there are always sweatshirts, hats and other merchandise worn by students that is solely based on the school’s sporting teams. At Contra Costa College, however, I see otherwise, as it seems that the only school spirit here is for the football team. I am not saying that the football team does not deserve the fan base that it already garners, but there are also other teams on this campus. Last week, if many of you do not remember or were not aware of, CCC threw a school Homecoming Rally for the football team. Now, why wasn’t there a rally held for any other team on this campus? Sometimes it seems as if the football team is the only sport that exists at CCC as all of the other programs are swept under the rug and forgotten about. Last season, the women’s basketball team was the only team at CCC that made the playoffs, yet I still do not see any recognition from the students toward that program. Even the men’s basketball, men’s soccer and softball teams all came very close to playoff contention last season while the football team only managed one win. Some may argue my theory by saying that the football team needs extra attention because of their recent lack of success and the players needing positive motivation. Although that may be true, shouldn’t the same apply to the baseball, women’s soccer, volleyball teams and other programs that haven’t triumphed in recent years? The treatment shown toward these other teams reminds me of high school as most rallies were held for football. Another argument people could draw might be the popularity of the sport itself. Football is a very popular sport in this country, however, baseball and basketball share about the same amount of fans. Although soccer isn’t as popular in the United States, the sport is still the most played worldwide. Realistically, there is no excuse for CCC to forget about all of the sports programs on this campus excluding football. Hopefully the college can show more appreciation toward the forgotten teams, since all of the athletic programs on this campus represent the student body here at CCC. Malcolm Lastra is sports editor of The Advocate. Contact him at mlastra. advocate@gmail.com.
Huizar displays leadership traits By Malcolm Lastra SPORTS EDITOR
Huizar said. “I try to take on everything and make it as far as I can.” This year’s team, which is filled with freshmen and players new to the sport, Huizar uses her veteran leadership to help guide the young Comets to compete in games. But the squad has yet to achieve its first victory. “She balances our team together whenever we play,” defender Harsharan Bhangu said. “She assists us in everything and keeps us aware of our opponents and what is taking place on the field.” Despite her guidance to her young squad, Huizar is described by teammates as very soft spoken and quiet. “She is very shy and quiet, but her work ethic says it all,” Johnson said. “She (clearly) leads this team by example.” Off the field, teammates describe Huizar as one who is always willing to help out and give advice. “She is a fun person you can talk to her about anything, and she is always helpful,” Bhangu said. Johnson said that she has played with Daisy since they were 12 years old on both ACCYSL and Pinole Valley teams. “Every year and new team we’ve been on, she has always been the same Daisy to me,” Johnson said. “She is a great person and like a sister to me.” Other than hanging out with her teammates, Daisy enjoys spending time with her family and hopes to transfer to UC Davis. “I’m (going) to apply to UC Davis, and hopefully continuing to play soccer,” Huizar said. “That is the (college) I’m aiming for, but I don’t know what can happen.” Huizar hopes to continue her hard work, positive attitude and her ambition to be the best in whatever she strives to be. “She is a real focused person and strives to be the best in anything,” Johnson said. “I think she carries those traits on the field.”
The definition of the perfect teammate is one who always shows support for his or her team, is willing to take over the leadership role on a young squad and helps teammates stay on track during tough times. Sophomore midfielder Daisy Huizar represents the characteristics of that perfect teammate for the Comet women’s soccer team. “Daisy is a hard worker. She’s like Super Girl on the field, always making plays and making saves,” forward Vanessa Johnson said. “She works hard from start to finish.” Although starting as midfielder, Huizar can be seen trying to make plays from all over the field, whether it be attempting to make a goal or trying to stop an opponent from scoring. Because of her abilities on the soccer field, Huizar clearly establishes her presence as a prominent leader on the team. “Whatever position she is playing on the field, she is always willing to give advice,” midfielder Vanessa Maceo said. The Middle College High School alumnus has played soccer since the age of 7, playing for the Alameda Contra Costa Youth Soccer League and Pinole Valley High School teams. Even at an early age, Daisy found a passion and love for the sport. “You can take everything out on the field and (soccer) separates me from the rest of the world,” Huizar said. “I’m always focused on the game (at hand).” On the field, one can witness the amount of heart and desire Huizar pours into the game as she continues to keep her head up despite the team’s struggle, and is always prepared to take on anything opponents Contact Malcolm Lastra at strike her with. “I just have a will to succeed,” mlastra.advocate@gmail.com.
GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE
Team helper — Sophomore midfielder Daisy Huizar exemplifies the traits of the ultimate teammate as she helps her Comet team, filled with freshman players, compete during games.
Comets buried by 49ers, 7-0 By Hilberth Ibarra STAFF WRITER
With more than half of the season over, the Contra Costa College women’s soccer team suffered a frustrating 7-0 defeat at the hands of the Yuba College 49ers on Friday at home. Lack of experience, physicality, and competitiveness were the main factors contributing to yet another huge goal difference in Friday’s game. Inexperience by the Comet team ScoreBoard has plagued it since the beginning. They Yuba 7 have an overall Comets 0 record of 0-10 and a 0-4 record in their Next game: conference. Coach Nikki Ferguson conFriday vs. Los tinues to point to the Medanos, 2 p.m. fact that they have many players on their team who have never played soccer before as a significant factor to their defeats. Despite lacking experience, CCC has shown improvement throughout the season. Therefore, it was extremely frustrating for them to lose to Yuba by such a big margin. “Today I was really frustrated,” forward Vanessa Johnson said. “We were let down because we weren’t physical, we weren’t strong on and off the ball and we weren’t possessing at all.” Some of the technically strong players on the team are also the least physical, coach Ferguson said. In addition, the team was not playing as competitively as it had in previous games. “We did try to be competitive, but maybe not 100 percent of the time. We weren’t as competitive as in other games in beating the balls,” defender Teresa Jimenez said.
GEORGE MORIN / THE ADVOCATE
Battling feet — Comet midfielder Daisy Huizar fights for the ball against Yuba College forward Chelsea Givens on the soccer field on Friday. The Comets were shut out by the 49ers 7-0, marking their 10th consecutive loss for the season. The combination of these three factors caused the 49ers to be able to take advantage of the Comets on multiple occasions. 49er forward Aubree Haymoore scored the first of her goals of the afternoon and the first goal of the game in the 14th minute. This was followed by a second goal in the 25th minute by Virginia Derner. Forward Andrea Beck put the third in the goal in the net for Yuba in the 31st minute. The 49ers left the field at halftime with a comfortable lead over the Comets. In the second half, Haymoore scored her second goal on a penalty kick in the 8th minute after her teammate Nancy Villanueava was taken down in the penalty box by defender Harsharan Bhangu of the Comets. The 49ers increased their lead when defender Bernice Aguilar took a shot from outside the box that slipped past Comets goalie Magaly Junco. The sixth goal came from defender Ruby Osorio
Box scores Volleyball (Oct 22.) Laney College def. Contra Costa 25-22, 25-13, 25-17 Individual Statistics Aces — CCC — Farinas 1, Williams 1. — Laney — Akoteu 4, Vanhorn 2, Ascenio 1, Mallard 4. Spikes — CCC — Mendoza 3, Atienza 3, Velasquez 2, Williams 2, Saeteurn 1. — Laney — Foketi 1, Akoteu 5, Arteaga 1. Blocks — CCC — None. — Laney — Ascenio 1. Record — CCC — 2-8 overall, 2-8 in the BVC. — Laney — 3-4 overall, 3-4 in the BVC.
after being awarded another penalty kick in the 83rd minute. The final goal was scored with four minutes left in the game. Even though it was a disheartening defeat, CCC took some positive learning experiences out of the loss. They will continue to work on their weaknesses and to improve and get stronger. “Something positive is that we know we need to be stronger, compete more and be more physical and aggressive,” Johnson said. Ferguson hopes that his team can start bringing what they learn at practice onto the field to play more technical soccer. “At the end of the day they find a way to continue to compete for 90 minutes,” said Ferguson, and this makes him proud. “We make the best of the given situation.” Contact Hilberth advocate@gmail.com.
Schedule Football vs. Solano Community College, Saturday 1 p.m. at Shasta College, Nov. 6, 5 p.m. at Yuba College, Nov. 13, 1 p.m. Men’s soccer vs. College of Marin, Friday 4 p.m. at Merritt College, Nov. 2, 4 p.m. vs. Napa Valley College, Nov. 9, 4 p.m. at Yuba College, Nov. 12, 3 p.m. Women’s soccer vs. Los Medanos College, Friday 2 p.m. BYE vs. College of Marin, Nov. 5, 2 p.m. vs. Solano Community College, Nov. 9, 3 p.m. at Yuba College, Nov. 12, 3 p.m.
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Pain presents comedy Slapstick style laughs continue to entertain
it off, tasers and cow prods hanging from the ceiling. By Dariush Azmoudeh The movie ASSOCIATE EDITOR also contains With the return of Johnny Knoxville, Bam scenes that would Margera, Steve-O and the warning to not per- make one lose his or her appetite. Steve-O form the stunts done in the movie, the audiusually is the go-to-guy for ence members prepared themselves for the these stunts, such as the “Portadventures of “Jackass 3D.” a-Potty Bungee,” or when he Returning to the big screen, the third had to drink fellow “Jackass” installment of the “Jackass” movies makes member Preston Lacy’s sweat, audiences cringe, gag and laugh through an which causes half of the audience to hour and a half ride of stunt after ridiculous gag and Steve-O himself to throw stunt. up. In the entire film, Steve-O Going into the theaters, viewers know probably throws up at what they are getting themmoviereview least five times. selves into when they decide to Steve-O also see “Jackass 3D.” They are not appears in “Beehive expecting a storyline or charTetherball” with acter development, but a movie Dave England to go see, enjoy with friends “Jackass 3D” where the two basiand talk about for weeks to ★★★★★ cally play tetherball come. Starring: Johnny with a beehive. In an attempt to go bigKnoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O One classic ger, the movie is filmed in by: Jeff moment is when 3D, which through the glasses Directed Tremaine Chris Pontius dressprovided gives the film a high Genre: Comedy es up as a gorilla to quality look with objects flyscare Margera’s paring toward the camera. ents, Phil and April. Unfortunately, it seems Another sequence includes like the movie relies too much on 3D and high-speed cameras for its opening and clos- “Jackass” member Jason Acuña, better known as “Wee Man” for his dwarfism, geting sequences, as everything is done in slow motion. In comparison to the previous movie ting into an all-dwarf bar fight that includes dwarf policemen coming in to break up the openings — the giant shopping cart going downhill in the first movie and the stampede fight, followed by dwarf paramedics carrying someone out in a stretcher. of bulls through the suburbs in the second The ending credits give a nice touch to the movie — this movie has the weakest one. movie, showing the history of “Jackass” and Other than the opening and closing sequences, the rest of the movie does not rely the memories the cast had together with the much on 3D, and after a while viewers forget song “Memories” by Weezer playing in the background. they are watching in 3D. It is great to see the “Jackass” cast back One of the more memorable clips involves together after not seeing them since late 2007 “Jackass” member Ryan Dunn re-enacting a in the straight-to-DVD release of “Jackass classic Maxell tape commercial behind a jet with its turbine blowing wind at high speeds 2.5.” For those who are familiar with the origiin his direction. nal show on MTV, the other movies, or even Eventually, the high winds blow him the spin-offs, the cast has grown on viewers off his chair, but that is a warm up as the over the 10 years that the “Jackass” crew has “Jackass” crew begins to throw tomatoes, existed. footballs and shoes in front of the turbine, Throughout those years, “Jackass” has making the items fly at high speeds toward other members of the cast. One of them tries grown into the culture of the American youth with their crazy antics and pranks done to open an umbrella behind the jet before on the show, making us all laugh at their getting blown away. expense. Another segment of the movie includes the cast running through an obstacle course Contact Dariush Azmoudeh at dazmoudeh. in a hallway with tires placed to run across, advocate@gmail.com. pieces of wood to climb over and to finish
PAGE DESIGN BY DARIUSH AZMOUDEH / THE ADVOCATE
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ELECTION 2010 CALIFORNIA’S CHOICE W
ith less than a week left until Election Day, California residents have many decisions to finalize. orial With eight statewide propositions and numerous local measures to be decided, Easy Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s deparpolling ture and a slew of hopeful assemblyper- The sons, representatives, senators and city Advocate council members vying for votes, the Editorial Board has ballot offers a buffet of choices to think drawn up suggestions about. With this specialty section The to bring to the election Advocate hopes to familiarize voters booth. with the candidates, proposals and ideas page B2 that face the electorate on Tuesday.
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ILLUSTRATION BY CODY MCFARLAND / THE ADVOCATE
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ELECTION 2010
“The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.” — John F. Kennedy, 35th president of the United States (1961-1963)
FAYTHE DEL ROSARIO / THE ADVOCATE
Propositions unravelled, simplified W hen reading through the California Voter’s Guide for Tuesday’s election, even the most sophisticated eye can get lost in the political jargon and anyone can become overwhelmed by all the proposals. The Editorial Board of The Advocate has assembled this voter’s guide to the propositions, suggesting voting stances that make them work for students and locals. Yes on 19 While legalization of marijuana may be one of the most controversial issues on the ballot, it seemed a no-brainer to us. The extra rev-
enue collected for California from something that so many people are already using makes perfect sense.
once the license fee is paid may be an incentive to get ourselves over to Angel Island for a Segway tour.
No on 20/Yes on 27 Since these two propositions address the same redistricting commission, we’ve rolled them into one decision. The 14-person commission that decides the lines of our legislative districts seems an unbalanced and extraneous branch of the legislature that costs California money and doesn’t represent the populace well enough to be useful in the first place. Proposition 20 wants to give them more power; Proposition 27 wants to get rid of them completely.
No on 22 Buried in the deceptive language of Proposition 22 is a threat to the education budget. At face value, blocking legislators from borrowing transportation funds is a positive thing. But with the wall erected, politicians scrambling to close holes in the deficit will just borrow more heavily from other funds, including the ones set aside for schools.
tax liability. In this time of fiscal crisis, we think all entities should be responsible for their fair share of the revenue coming into the state through taxes. Yes on 25 Considering how late this year’s budget was revealed due to bickering between politicians and how up in the air schedule cuts and financial aid issues remained at colleges, changing the requirement from a two-thirds vote to a simple majority to pass the budget looks like a good way to speed things up. The halting of legislators’ paychecks until a budget is agreed upon is also a measure we think will spark quicker cooperation.
No on 23 Proposition 23, if passed, tells big companies that it’s all right Yes on 21 to destroy the planet as long as The extra $18 added to the annu- productivity increases. We don’t No on 26 al price of licensing vehicles adds agree, and wholeheartedly reject If Proposition 26 is passed and up to a meager $1.50 a month the suspension of the emissions cap fees imposed on corporations are to benefit state parks and wild- already implemented in California. changed to need a two-thirds vote, life programs. Even if we aren’t big polluters will have an effective constant patrons of these natural Yes on 24 smokescreen to hide behind that treasures, they deserve our support Proposition 24 halts recent leg- will put additional stress on the as Californians, and the free access islation that allows business lower educational budgets we rely on.
CampusComment
What is the most important issue on Tuesday’s ballot?
“I’m not too familiar with the ballot, but (the issue of) marijuana is the least important.”
“Proposition 25 because if they don’t pass a budget, they shouldn’t get paid.”
Jose Villaneda
Maryellen Dorten
“I haven’t really thought about it. I haven’t really read up on it.” Cody Poehnelt
computer science
nursing
undecided
“Who’s running for governor because the state doesn’t have a budget, and things like child care aren’t getting funded.”
“The weed legalization, Proposition 19, because there are people who use it for pain and there are some who abuse it.”
Nicole Wiley
Valeria Sharetskaya
nursing
nursing
“The most controversial (topic on the ballot) is marijuana. It can be helpful to the state, but there might be more criminals (using it). The taxation of weed could help California a lot.” Esteban Barrera
FAYTHE DEL ROSARIO AND CHEUK KO/ THE ADVOCATE
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That’s Debatable codymcfarland
Should marijuana be legalized? ■ PRO
■ CON
Revenue, safety grows with pot
Harmful drug not necessary to state
Passage of Proposition 19 to yield tax income for progressive California
Cannabis negatively affects memory, lungs, behavioral temperament of users
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n Tuesday, California voters will be given the opportunity to vote to legalize marijuana. Proposition 19, the controversial initiative to tax and regulate cannabis in the state, deserves a yes vote from Californians. The proposition will give the government control of cannabis, make it harder for kids to get it, focus police resources on violent crime and generate billions in revenue. Marijuana’s medicinal, economic and social benefits should not be ignored because of hand-me-down ideals based on old, biased studies. Most who oppose the legalization of marijuana attribute their disapproval to negative personal experiences, social stigmas or ignorance, having never tried it. “Bad trips” on weed are a simple case of not knowing one’s limits. The mind-altering effects of marijuana may prove too strenuous on those with weak mental constitutions, just as an abundance of alcohol will heavily intoxicate people with low tolerances. Despite the fact that alcohol and cigarettes are proven more detrimental to one’s health than cannabis, they remain legal in all 50 states. According to drugwarfacts.org, tobacco is the number one cause of death in the U.S., taking around 435,000 lives a year. Alcohol comes in third with 85,000 annual deaths. Marijuana sits at the bottom of the list, accountable for a whopping zero deaths a year. A 2007 study at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, found students who smoked marijuana had better grades, more affable relations with peers and a higher tendency to be involved with sports when compared to those who used only tobacco or did not smoke any substance. The study also showed that those who only smoke weed are less likely to try harder drugs, but those who smoke cigarettes as well have a higher tendency to take more illegal drugs more frequently. If any substance should be labeled a gateway drug, it should be highly addictive, yet legal, nicotine. Under Proposition 19, adults 21 and over can possess up to one ounce of marijuana to be consumed at home or at licensed establishments. Strict penalties will be dealt to those driving under the influence, providing to minors and smoking in public. Local governments will decide whether marijuana will be sold in their counties. The right of employers to maintain a drugfree workplace is upheld, as it will remain legal to refuse applicants that test positive for marijuana use. If Proposition 19 passes, cannabis will be regulated more closely than alcohol, a good selling point to those who want to see increased tax revenues. California faces historic deficits that, if left unbalanced, may lead to higher taxes. Meanwhile, according to Proposition 19 backers, every year in the state there are $14 billion in marijuana transactions, yet the state sees none of the revenue that would come from taxation. The California State Board of Equalization states taxing marijuana would generate $1.4 billion annually, which could fund things such as jobs, health care, public safety, parks, roads and transportation. Law enforcement wastes millions of taxpayer dollars and invaluable police resources targeting non-violent marijuana consumers. The FBI reports that in 2008 more than 61,000 Californians were arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession, while 60,000 violent crimes went unsolved. The idea that legalizing marijuana will lead to an increase in violence is preposterous. The intensification of sensation and euphoria that cannabis provides users have no link to violent behavior, unlike alcohol, which is scientifically proven to increase violent tendencies by decreasing inhibitions, making users belligerent. Just because smoking marijuana is something many criminals have in common does not mean it is the source of their crime. Criminals don’t commit crime because they smoke weed. Rather, they smoke because they are involved with crime and, in many cases, other drugs. Cody McFarland is scene editor of The Advocate. Contact him at cmcfarland.advocate@gmail.com.
cassandrajuniel
alifornians will have the opportunity to vote Tuesday on one of the most talked about initiatives in the country — Proposition 19. This proposition legalizes marijuana under California law but not federal law, and allows individuals age 21 or older to grow or have small quantities of marijuana for personal use, and permits local governments to regulate and tax the commercial production, distribution and sale of it. California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana use in 1996 and other states followed. Critics said that even this sparked an underground pot culture in the states that sanction its use. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office reported approximately 1,000 illegally operated marijuana shops in the city. The proponents for marijuana legalization are downplaying the well-documented harms of marijuana trafficking and are promising benefits ranging from reduced crime to additional tax revenue. First, based on scientific research, the harmful effects of marijuana show that it is addictive and that its use can significantly impair bodily and mental functions. The National Institute on Drug Abuse released a study showing that the long-term consumption of marijuana can impair the ability of T-cells in the lung’s immune system to fight off infections. Along with this study, it’s been found that marijuana consumption impairs short-term memory, making it difficult to learn and retain information or perform complex tasks; slows reaction time and impairs motor coordination; increases heart rate by 20 to 100 percent (elevating the risk of a heart attack) and alters moods resulting in artificial euphoria. Marijuana trafficking is linked to a variety of crimes, including assault, murder, money laundering and smuggling. Legalizing it would increase their occurrence. Supporters of the initiative are ignoring the mechanics of decriminalization, as there are unknown specifics of how it would work to prevent teenagers, criminals and addicts from obtaining the drug. There is a high percentage of criminals who are marijuana users. According to a study performed by the RAND Corporation, approximately 60 percent of convicts test positive for marijuana use. Also, the National Research Council concludes that the long-term use of marijuana may alter the nervous system in ways that promote violence. The city of Los Angeles reports even with its medical marijuana stature as an example, areas surrounding the cannabis clubs have experienced significant violence, with a 200 percent increase in robberies alone. Even though the law requires a prescription to get marijuana, full legalization could spark more crime. One innovation of the campaign in support of legalizing marijuana is the potential benefit to the government in terms of additional revenue coming from taxing marijuana and savings from backing down in the “war on drugs.” Kevin Snider, chief counsel for the Pacific Justice Institute, said that drug money tends to corrupt government officials. “The way the statute is written, government officials will be in control of licensing, quantity and production, the means of production, transportation, the venue and taxes — all of which will be their cut of profits,” Snider said. “They (legalization advocates) are making the local government basically the partner in the drug cartel.” Some have suggested that the legalization of marijuana will put illegal drug cartels out of business. Snider believes this to be a presumption. “The drug cartel will be in competition with the government cartels, essentially, and will be able to sell it without the burden of taxes,” he said. The pro-marijuana advocates would like California to imagine a hypothetical “pot market.” Yet, there is strong evidence that suggests legalizing marijuana would worsen the state’s drug problems — addiction, violence, disorder and death. FAYTHE DEL ROSARIO / THE ADVOCATE
Cassandra Juniel is spotlight editor of The Advocate. Contact her at cjuniel.advocate@gmail.com.
B4 THE ADVOCATE
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ELECTION 2010
City Council “You don’t have to move to live in a better place.” — Courtland “Corky” Boozé, Richmond City Council candidate
Candidates for Richmond City Council campaign with fresh plans to build stronger city, represent locals Richmond City Council candidates Gary Bell Former Richmond City Council member Gary Bell has strong hopes for making more job opportunities and creating a better environment for the city. With more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, currently serving as president and CEO of Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union and teaching part time at Contra Costa College as a business management teacher, Bell plans to use his abilities with finance to help reshape Richmond financially and eliminate the city’s bad reputation by maintaining its finances. “The number one thing I want to do is to get good jobs for the people in the city,” Bell said. “I think that (creating jobs) will prevent the crime rate (from growing).” Bell is a former member of the Wichita
Jim Rogers City Council in 1985 at the age of 25, making him the youngest person to serve on that council and the second AfricanAmerican to be on that council. Bell believes that since the city’s citizens are paying so much money for taxes, he wants to establish a positive environment where people can see where their money is going. “The people of Richmond are paying a high tax rate due to our economic crisis,” Bell said. “I want to create an environment where people are getting their money’s worth from paying taxes.” Bell also hopes to reach young people in this election since he is a teacher at CCC. “About 30 percent of our citizens are under the age of 30 and I want to focus on helping the young people,” Bell said. “Everybody wants to achieve their dreams and goals and although I can’t accomplish that for them, I do want to create an environment in which people can do that.” —Malcolm Lastra
Courtland ‘Corky’ Boozé Courtland “Corky” Boozé is running for Richmond City Council with the commitment to return the voice of Richmond to the council. He has been attending every council meeting for the last 18 years and is determined to empower the voice of the people and bring their issues and concerns into the city council. Boozé takes it upon himself to be the voice, hands and feet for those who can’t attend the meetings in Richmond, and considers himself the “citizen advocate.” Boozé’s goals are to find solutions to crime, infrastructure and unemployment in
the city. Boozé plans to develop new jobs in Richmond and create contacts that will hire people in the community. He is currently the vice chairman of Recreation Parks and Parks Commission. He is against the construction of the casino outlined in Measure U, but is otherwise for the development of Point Molate. Boozé was born in Oakland, raised in Berkeley and has lived in Richmond since 1979. He said he has always engaged in politics. He is a former teacher in the Oakland and Alameda school districts with two teaching credentials. He taught automotive and introductory business courses at various schools in the East Bay. “You don’t have to move to live in a better place,” Boozé said. —Christian Soto
Jovanka Beckles Richmond City Council candidate Jovanka Beckles believes the community must put aside its differences and come together in order to make lasting and positive change. An educator, counselor, crime reduction specialist and small business owner, Beckles said if she were to become a council member, she would delve into making the necessary changes to reduce crime. “I believe that the way we can move forward into a new, vibrant, safe and healthy community is dealing with the root of violence and crime,” she said. “We need to make sure we have community schools and students have the resources that they need to succeed.” Beckles’ platform is based on empowering the community and creating positive
changes where health, economic future and safety are concerned. She is currently the planning commissioner for the city of Richmond, and has been on the economic development commission of the city for two years. She was also a children’s mental health provider in Richmond for 13 years. “I bring experience from assisting teenagers. I know how to sit with people and respect the differences we have,” she said. Beckles attended Florida A&M University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology. She received a master of business administration degree from the University of Phoenix. She does not accept any money from corporations or developers for her campaign. “I don’t want to be indebted to them. The only people I want to be indebted to are the people of Richmond. Then they know the decisions I make are all to benefit them,” she said. —Alexandra Waite
Maria ‘MTV’ Viramontes
Incumbent Maria “MTV” Viramontes is hoping Tuesday will give her victory and grant her a chance at a third term as a city council member. Viramontes is hopeful the citizens of Richmond will share her vision so that she will be able to serve the city and direct its communities in a positive direction. “This is a very great time for Richmond and the citizens of Richmond. I am running for my third term and I hope the communities will allow me to continue to serve them, so that I can implement things that
Rhonda Harris
Candidate and general contractor Rhonda Harris is running for Richmond City Council for the first time with the intention of bringing pride back to Richmond. Harris plans on focusing on the economic development of the city to provide more job opportunities and safer neighborhoods throughout Richmond. “Stand up for what you believe is right,” she said. She wants to bring developers’ contracts
will move Richmond toward a brighter future,” Viramontes said. As a council member, Viramontes has helped with truancy issues, created a special department dedicated to violence prevention and is hoping to get the funding for a performing arts center. “I am hoping to revitalize the downtown area of Richmond. I remember spending a great deal of time there as a child, and downtown Richmond holds great memories,” she said. Viramontes is also hoping to restore Richmond’s downtown as an art district where local artists will be able to come to share their work. “If I am re-elected, I am eager to restore a vital cultural center in Richmond.” —Lamar James
to hire skilled workers within Richmond. By doing this, she believes people will take pride in their homes and also in their communities. Harris has intentions of working with educators and the local school district, as well. She is member of the NAACP, Richmond Ground-works and Black Woman Organized for Political Action. She is currently vice president of Santa Fe Neighborhood in Richmond where she has a training program that teaches construction skills. She believes in building better communities. Harris has been living in Richmond for 33 years and is a general contractor that focuses in the Richmond area. —Christian Soto
Jim Rogers, a resident of Richmond since 1985, is running for re-election for the Richmond City Council. His plans are to continue the work that he and his fellow council members have already started. He has a proposal for all local liquor stores to pay for the police that stay posted outside their stores, so that funds can come in and protection is available. He believes having police out and visible in Richmond is an important thing, even though crime and homicide have gone down 60 percent this year. “I got robbed at gun point on 23rd and Cutting by a couple of young kids,” Rogers said. “The cops didn’t catch them and they got away.” Having the option of including more
officers out and about in the city is part of Rogers’ plan. He wants there to be more police control and to have more culprits of crime apprehended. He wants local schools to stay open because closing schools has negatively affected students and increased the local dropout rate. “Hang in there and keep up with your studies, because it’s worth it,” Rogers advises students. He said rebuilding places like the Richmond Swimming Center would benefit kids in that they would have somewhere to go after school, giving them more opportunities to stay off the streets and participate in healthy activities. Rogers wants to get rid of all billboards that are near schools that expose children to alcohol and smoking. He also has been active in recycling efforts through his work with Californians Against Waste, He was on the group’s board of directors. —Natalie Estrada
Eduardo Martinez After an 18-year teaching career, Richmond City Council candidate Eduardo Martinez is taking another step toward making the city of Richmond a better community. As co-founder of “March 4 Education,” he helped to organize a march on Sacramento to demand budget adjustments. Through those efforts he was able to facilitate a refinancing of the school district that saved the West Contra Costa Unified School District millions of dollars. Though this will be his first venture into politics, Martinez says that his community experience qualifies him for the position of city council member.
“Richmond is my concern,” Martinez said. “This is where I live and I hope to make it better.” As a teacher, he noticed that many outside forces were causing problems for students in the classroom. This drove Martinez to be more involved with school district policies. If elected, Martinez plans to work heavily with the school district to better education. Through his extensive teaching career, Martinez was able to “see what children needed and what parents wanted” in their city. Martinez said he wants to see more community centers in the city and he wants Richmond to be a city that promotes values. Martinez’s goal is to uplift his community and make Richmond a safe, “walking friendly” place. —Rodney Woosdon
Myrna Lopez Myrna Lopez is a lifelong resident of Richmond who was elected to the Richmond City Council in 2006 as vice mayor. She also serves as the city’s planning commissioner, is on the California Cities Community Services Policy Committee, the Richmond General Plan Advisory Committee and the West Contra Costa Unified School District Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee. She is also the current principal financial analyst to the city of Oakland. She is currently running for re-election. If reelected, she hopes to help the community “create jobs — jobs for all people of all educational backgrounds.” She values education and is concerned that 25 percent of Richmond residents do
not have a high school diploma. “My vision for Richmond is that my children choose to raise their children here,” Lopez said. Lopez is a first generation Latina of Mexican ancestry and works on the board of the Chicana/Latina Foundation. She said it encourages Latinas to pursue education to increase empowerment in the Latino community. She believes that residents deserve responsible policies, reliable services and a responsive government. Previously, Lopez was the assistant chief of finance and administration for the San Francisco Department of Child Support Services. While an undergraduate student at Cal State-Hayward, Lopez worked for former California Assembly Speaker Willie L. Brown Jr. as an intern and later worked as a San Francisco financial analyst in Brown’s mayoral administration. —April Halog
Virginia Finlay In hopes of creating a stronger and safer Richmond, Virginia Finlay is running for one of the city’s council positions. “As a city council member, I will work diligently and tirelessly for the people of Richmond,”
Virginia Finlay said. Finlay has dedicated the last 20 years to making the city better for residents and businesses through her work on the Richmond Planning Commission, Marina Bay Neighborhood Council and Police Activities League.
As a member of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and as a realtor in West Contra Costa County, Finlay wants to help bring meaningful job opportunities, community development and a better quality of life to Richmond. She said she plans to open up programs and services that will help the community and have outreach programs throughout Richmond, Finlay said. “We all want the same things for our city — programs and services that truly fulfill our needs, fiscal responsibility, and transparency and integrity in our processes,” she said. Finlay is running for city council with the slogan, “Bringing Richmond together for a better today and tomorrow.” —George Morin
Harry Singh Candidate Harry Singh is a first-time candidate running for the Richmond City Council. Singh, who did not return several of The Advocate’s phone calls, is listed as a lab technician and he did not have a candidate statement issued as of Oct. 25. According to the Contra Costa Times, Singh is one of the many candidates to claim to have the ability to guide the city to an economically viable future. Singh also gives promises of
new jobs and increased revenue. “The city should increase police, jobs and job training for youths. It should also promote community involvement and expand community policing,” Singh said in The Times. Also according to the Contra Costa Times, Singh gave his stand on Measure V, the Richmond business license tax on marijuana sales, and Proposition 19, the legalization of marijuana. Responding to how Richmond should address the possible sale of marijuana should Proposition 19 pass, he said, “Only three dispensaries should be allowed (and they should be) away from schools, church, parks and senior centers.” —Cassandra Juniel
ELECTION 2010 Mayor, City Council
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010 l THE ADVOCATE
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District ward
“Last year was bad, this year is bad and next year may be bad, but we must look ahead.” — Sheila Grilli, incumbent Ward 3 trustee of the District Governing Board
Richmond mayoral, San Pablo City Council, college district ward candidates look to focus on issues, topics affecting residents Richmond mayoral candidates
San Pablo City Council candidates
Gayle McLaughlin After completing her first term in office as mayor of Richmond, Gayle McLaughlin is running for a second term on Tuesday’s ballot. “We have taken positive steps together in Richmond since I have been mayor,” McLaughlin said. “During the last four years, I have led our city in a new direction toward sustainable prosperity, peace and health.” McLaughlin’s education includes a bachelor of science degree in psychology. Some of McLaughlin’s accomplishments have been balancing the budget and
avoiding city layoffs. “I want to bring more green, clean energy and high tech jobs, more infrastructure jobs, including street repair, to the city,” she said. Also she said she wants to attract additional jobs that provide services to the community and to continue to expand Richmond’s role in preparing youth and other residents for those jobs. McLaughlin’s plans for the city also include a continuation in the decrease of violent crimes. “With more than a 60 percent reduction in homicides (this year), we are moving in the right direction. We want to continue to support community policing and expand youth programs and outreach teams, thus redirecting youth into healthy lifestyles,” she said. —Cassandra Juniel
John ‘Z’ Ziesenhenne John “Z” Ziesenhenne, running for mayor of Richmond on Tuesday, is the only candidate endorsed by the Democratic Party. Ziesenhenne is a native of Richmond and is very familiar with its neighborhoods. He is a 1975 graduate of Harry Ells High School, as well as an alumnus of Contra Costa College. He received his bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley. Ziesenhenne qualifies his candidacy, along with his knowledge of the city, with
his experience as a former city council member and as a small business owner. “I have spent my entire life working with programs that involve children and young adults that will well prepare them for their future,” Ziesenhenne said. Ziesenhenne says he will bring new leadership and real solutions to complex problems, with plans to get Richmond residents back to work, prevent crime and put the people’s interests first. “With over 10,000 individuals out of work, one key priority is to bring in new businesses by being business friendly. We want to provide incentives for those businesses that expand or move to Richmond,” he said. —Cassandra Juniel
Nathaniel ‘Nat’ Bates
Richmond mayoral candidate Nathaniel “Nat” Bates has been a resident of Richmond since the age of 10, and with a strong and loud voice has fought for families for more than 40 years. He attended Harry Ells High School and Contra Costa College and was noted as an outstanding athlete in basketball and baseball. Currently, he is a Richmond City Council member, beginning his political career in 1967. After numerous re-elections, he holds the honor of having served
as the longest council member in the history of the city. Bates was elected twice as mayor of Richmond for two terms each, and therefore knows first-hand what is required of the job. “If elected, my priority is to create strong working relationships with companies we have in the city. I want to take care of those here to encourage them to develop, which then attracts new businesses,” he said. Another priority, Bates said, is crime. “We must control crime to attract more businesses. We have individuals driving around with (guns) in their cars and need better enforcement to get guns and drugs out of our city,” he said. —Cassandra Juniel
Paul Morris
Paul Morris has high hopes of being re-elected to the San Pablo City Council on Tuesday. He said that over the past few years San Pablo has been going in the right direction and he would like it to continue on its
positive path. If he is re-elected, Morris plans to set education, namely after-school programs, as a very high priority. He would like to see sports programs and clubs flourish. He said he also plans to oversee the opening of a health clinic in the near future. The clinic
has a deadline set for December 2011, so San Pablo residents can expect to see its emergence very soon. Morris plans to create funds for these projects by developing a mobile home lot into a place for small business. If San Pablo could manage to attract more small business, it could break away from its reliance on the tax revenue brought in by the San Pablo Lytton Casino. With a new line of revenue, San Pablo could focus spending on projects that would benefit the city, he said. “I’m excited about my city and I want to help it grow,” Morris said. If re-elected, he said he plans to do everything in his power to help San Pablo. —Cary Gooding
Genoveva Garcia Calloway Genoveva Garcia Calloway, the current mayor of San Pablo, is running again for San Pablo City Council. Calloway was appointed as mayor in December 2005. “My focus is on public safety, youth services and economic development,” Calloway said. She is a part of the Helms Middle School Measure D Site Team, as well as the Youth Task Force Committee. In 1998, she became the first Latina elected as city clerk for San Pablo, then the
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first Latina elected to the council. She has been working for the city for 13 years. “Primarily because the community is so diverse, we have to be progressive in thinking about what to do in the city,” she said. Calloway was formerly the San Pablo city planning commissioner and is also an Old Town Special Projects Committee chairperson. She is the member of the San Pablo Chamber of Commerce and the San Pablo Rotary Club. “My inspiration is the residents and their trust in voting for me since 2002. I appreciate that I can continue to represent the people of San Pablo,” Calloway said. —Janit Saechao
Annabel Peterson
Annabel Peterson wants to give the citizens of the city of San Pablo a say in what is happening in and around their hometown. She is running for San Pablo City Council on Tuesday’s ballot, bringing two proposals to the community. The first proposal would include not allowing apartments to be built in San Pablo, as they she said they cause overcrowding. The construction of more apartment complexes would also lead to less property ownership, she said. Her other proposal will help homeowners to regain control of pathways in the city
that are being created without their consent or input. Peterson said she has been to the San Pablo City Council meetings to voice her concern about the problems of local pathways, and yet no action has been taken and her pleas have been ignored. She has heard many complaints from community members and wants to be able to help them. She said the California Constitution, Article 1, Declaration of Rights, Section 19 prohibits local governments from taking private property. After being a San Pablo resident for more than 30 years, she said she is concerned about the well being of her community. “I see a need that needs to be filled,” Peterson said. —Natalie Estrada
Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board candidates (Wards 3 and 4) Sheila Grilli (Ward 3) Sheila Grilli, incumbent trustee for Ward 3 of the Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board, is running again on Tuesday’s ballot. “I am good at this job and I take the students and institutions seriously,” Grilli said. “The strengths of this district are that it is 60 years old, has large size and excellent leadership.”
One of the problems the district is currently dealing with is maintaining its financial reserves, as a lot of the money goes toward buildings and grounds on the campuses. Grilli admitted that the district has managed money poorly in the past, but that she plans to help change that. “Funds should be distributed and we diminished our reserves due to our economy,” Grilli said. “Last year was bad, this year is bad and next year may be bad, but we must look ahead for the future.” —Malcolm Lastra
Contra Costa College Community College District Ward 3 District Office
Ward 1 Contra Costa College
Los Medanos College
Ward 2
Ward 5
Diablo Valley College
Ward 4
San Ramon Valley Center
Evelyn Centeno (Ward 3)
Former teacher and educational consultant Evelyn Centeno is one of the hopefuls in the race for the Ward 3 trustee of Contra Costa Community College District. In a time when the district is facing hard economic troubles, Centeno believes cutting classes and faculty is not a viable solution to save money. “The steps I would like to make are
to work on ways to give 1 to 2 percent of funds to the faculty,” Centeno said. “I will take a different approach by helping students with financial aid and working with the community.” Centeno also believes that minimizing the size of classes could help alleviate the financial problems the district encounters. “I do not advocate large classes, as students are being robbed of (their education),” Centeno said. “I have a desire for a better community and to make better futures for the students.” —Malcolm Lastra
Greg Enholm (Ward 3) Greg Enholm, former teacher and financial analyst, is running for Ward 3 trustee of the Contra Costa Community College District on Tuesday. He is hoping to win this spot during a time when the district is faced with financial problems and many courses and teachers have been cut to help save money. Enholm believes that the cuts are unnec-
essary, and that faculty members don’t deserve poor treatment for the district’s problems. Another problem the district is dealing with is maintaining its financial reserves. “The district should have a strategy that should be built to save the reserves instead of spending them,” Enholm said. Enholm also believes that the student’s voice is the most important to be heard. “I have no problem with listening to a student trustee’s input on things,” Enholm said. “I believe students are the most important people.” —Malcolm Lastra
Denise Tully (Ward 4)
Educator Denise Tully is running for Ward 4 trustee of the Contra Costa Community College District on Tuesday’s ballot. Tully has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education. If elected, Tully said she will bring her education background to the Governing Board.
“I know the needs of the teachers and the students, so in the allocation of the money I would know what to spend it on to directly benefit both parties. “With knowledge of the classroom and what students need from firsthand experience, I could better serve students with what they need to succeed,” she said. This is Tully’s first time running for a political office. “It is an educational position and that is why I am fighting to get it,” she said. —Lamar James
John Nejedly (Ward 4)
Veteran board Trustee John Nejedly is running again for Ward 4 trustee of the Contra Costa Community College District. Nejedly has held the position for 16 years. “I am a fifth term board member, and, as such I have passed two bond measures, helped to reconstruct and rejuvenate campuses and worked well
with other board members,” Nejedly said. “There is a very strong faculty and staff at each campus. We are working on the facilities making sure every campus has a healthy environment for the success of students,” he said. Fellow board member Jess Reyes said, “He has been there for several terms and has become accustomed to the job and the needs of the students.” Reyes also said that Nejedly, who has a background in construction, is very passionate about making sure the campuses are fit for student use. —Lamar James
B6 THE ADVOCATE
ELECTIO
l WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010
The gubernatorial race
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Veteran Brown brings experience
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the political landscape in order to affect change. This gives Brown a major advantage over Republican gubernatorial opponent Meg Whitman, a Silicon Valley businesswoman and complete political novice. The array of positions Brown has held at community colleges and the local level have given him the experience to deal with education and other issues in an intimate, personal way. During his first tenure as governor, Brown’s notoriety in skipping the state mansion for a one-bedroom apartment and opting to drive his own 1974 Plymouth demonstrates this as well. Brown’s penny-pinching during that period also generated a $5 billion surplus. With California in the midst
Chelene Nightingale
of a fiscal crisis, Brown has the know-how to spend wisely and allocate funds fairly. He knows compromises will have to be made and that not everyone can be satisfied all the time. While opponents sully Brown’s close relationship with environmental groups and labor unions, his efforts to rejuvenate downtown Oakland necessitated his turn against his supposed special interest allies, and he did. As mayor of Oakland, Brown became tough on crime and prodevelopment with a hope that he could transform the tarnished city into another Walnut Creek. Though he fell far short of accomplishing this goal, he did increase the police force by 25 percent and reduce the number of crimes from some 37,000 to 31,000 in his first year, and Brown says he will continue to support economic growth and a business-friendly environment in California. He is flexible and bold enough to make impacting political moves, and is keenly intuitive,
GREEN PARTY
AMERICAN INDEPENDENT PARTY
ow, 36 years later, a more pragmatic and politically maneuverable Jerry Brown hopes to reassume governorship of California and prove he is the anchor the state needs in these turbulent times. But given his “Moonbeam” legacy and spotted history of political transformation, it may be difficult to fully convince some that he is capable of restoring stability or repairing the state. However this is not the youthful Brown known for spacey ideas and boasting California’s quirky antics. At nearly twice the age he was when first elected governor, Brown has cut the idealism and is ready to tackle the issues plaguing the state. With his abundance of experience as a two-term California governor, mayor of Oakland, current state attorney general and a handful of other positions, Brown is a political veteran. He knows California government extensively, and has learned what it takes to navigate
Chelene Nightingale is eager to claim the 2010 gubernatorial election as a candidate running on the American Independent ticket. Nightingale, who supports the Republican faction that calls themselves “Tea Party Republicans,” is strongly advocating for the strengthening of the borders, for Proposition 23, which would temporarily raise the caps on carbon emissions, and signing a no-tax pledge. Nightingale was once a Democrat, then moved to the Republican Party and is now running for governor as an Independent. Another issue that Nightingale is addressing is ending all public benefits for immigrants, including the abolition of all sanctuary city policies. During the presidential elections in 2008 Nightingale proudly endorsed Congressman Ron Paul, who is also an Independent Party member. Nightingale has lobbied as a private citizen in both Sacramento and Washington D.C. With knowledge of the political environment, Nightingale hopes this will qualify her more than other candidates.
—Lamar James
yet cautious, in his judgment. Brown’s instinctive proposal to send into orbit a state satellite was outlandish at the time, but has since proven fundamental to the communications system. He thinks progressively and will help place California again on the cutting edge of technology and sustainable energy. Throughout his political career, Brown has held true to his personal integrity and has marched to the beat of his own drum. He has the ingenuity and creativity to challenge business as usual in Sacramento, and the leadership to once again take hold of the country’s most populous state. At the age of 72, Brown is not campaigning to be governor for political opportunity or self gain, he has the best interest of all Californians in the forefront of his mind and embraces the difficulty ahead of him. Adam Oliver is a staff writer for The Advocate. Contact him at aoliver.advocate@gmail.com.
Laura Wells
Laura Wells is running as a candidate for the Green Party in Tuesday’s election for governor of California. Wells hopes to revitalize California’s economy by introducing a state bank and changing the already existing Proposition 13. With a state bank, Wells hopes to cut California from its reliance on Wall Street. According to Wells, Proposition 13 has positives in it, however most of the benefits received from it are by big corporations. She strives to change the proposition to benefit the people for which it was originally designed. Wells has plans for California’s future as well. Drought and climate changes have threatened the state’s supply of water, and she said something needs to be done before it starts really affecting California residents. She promotes bioregionalism — using only the natural resources a region can supply. She hopes to rid publicly subsidized water of private profiteers, which she said will benefit the public. “We’ve put our faith in the Republicans and Democrats, but the two titanic parties are heading straight for the iceberg, and not changing course,” Wells said. She said it is time to give the Green Party a chance at governing.
—Cary Gooding
ON 2010
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010 l THE ADVOCATE
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ople have the right to expect that these wants will be provided for by this wisdom.” — Jimmy Carter, 39th United States President (1977-1981)
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ed 79 people between etween the ages of ver 30.
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Whitman offers fresh plans, ideas B
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already spent eight years as governor of California causing many of the problems she plans to fix. Government spending increased 120 percent under his watch, unemployment nearly doubled to a record 11 percent and schools across the state — particularly in Oakland — fell to shambles with his lack of support. Meanwhile, his employees got an 8 percent pay raise and all of the measures he attempted to cap the economic downward spiral failed. During his governorship from 1975 to 1983, Brown turned a $6 billion surplus into a $1 billion deficit. Jerry Brown had his chance. Addressing the scandals Whitman has faced, however, only cements her integrity. One of the issues many voters find with her campaign is the amount of money she has drawn from her own purse to fund it. Whitman is richer in ideas than political fame, and her expenditures only reveal her dedication to being seen and winning votes.
Dale Ogden
Gubernatorial candidate Dale F. Ogden has been active in politics for 15 years. Ogden was the Libertarian candidate for California Insurance Commissioner in 1998, 2002 and 2006 and a candidate for California State Senate in 2004. If elected governor of California, he plans to restore fiscal responsibility to the state, reduce spending, abolish state income and capital gains taxes and reduce salaries and pension for state employees. He believes that fixing education does not require spending more money, and the more decentralized education becomes the better it will be. He is a strong supporter of the right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment and the right to selfdefense under the Ninth Amendment. Ogden has quite a few opinions on the topic of immigration: he said that immigrants should be allowed to come to California to work and take care of their families, but should take the step to be naturalized and assimilate. However, he also believes that immigrants who commit crimes should be deported for non-serious offenses or should be imprisoned and then deported after serving their term for serious offenses.
—April Halog
PEACE AND FREEDOM PARTY
LIBERTARIAN PARTY
usiness tycoon Meg Whitman is the Republican candidate for governor who wants to return California to its former glory. For decades, the Golden State has been tarnished, currently facing a $20 billion deficit and 12 percent unemployment rate. Spending in Sacramento is outrageous and citizens remain polarized, bickering about issues concerning marriage and marijuana while the state threatens to go belly up for want of economic stability. Whitman, though definitively right-wing, has plans to unify Californians as just that — Californians — instead of conflicting groups. Whitman advocates for clean energy and strengthening California’s already renowned dedication to progressive environmental policies. Taking the middle stance on Proposition 8, she supports civil unions and legal rights for same-sex couples and holds pro-choice sentiments on abortion. Whitman, with degrees from both Princeton and Harvard universities, helped eBay rise from a start-up company to a multi-billion dollar success and generational icon. With her business savvy, she plans to run California more efficiently from all angles, creating jobs, cutting spending and improving the educational system to ensure a better future. Her Democratic opponent, Jerry Brown,
Being up against a politician who has been in the game for decades, even one with a less than perfect reputation, is a task conquered by becoming a household name. And spending big money on ads is the fastest route to the public eye. The second, more sensational, issue against Whitman is the case of Nicky Diaz Santillan, Whitman’s former housekeeper. When it leaked that Diaz Santillan was an illegal immigrant from Mexico, journalists and politicians ran rampant with the news to discredit Whitman’s trustworthiness. One of the most controversial points in Whitman’s campaign is her stand on border control. She is 100 percent against amnesty and American rights for non-American citizens working or residing illegally in California. Having employed one of these illegal workers casts a questionable light on Whitman’s character, though she says she was unaware of Diaz Santillan’s status. This issue is one of the biggest problems facing California today, and may be solved by Whitman’s plan to deal with illegal immigrants to free jobs for tax-paying Americans. Cassidy Gooding is opinion editor of The Advocate. Contact her at cgooding. advocate@gmail.com.
Carlos Alvarez
Carlos Alvarez is the Peace and Freedom Party’s 2010 candidate for governor of California. If Alvarez is elected governor, he plans to set up a public work program, bring free education for those in preschool through university and place higher taxes on banks and corporations. Alvarez is a working-class candidate who comes from a poor neighborhood. He believes that California’s economic problems should not be placed fully on the working people. He disagrees with the current solution to California’s massive budget shortfall. He said the cutbacks, layoffs and flat taxes affect the poor the most. Alvarez believes that the state’s richest banks and corporations should pay their dues, and he said he advocates for the interest of the majority of the state’s residents. The 23-year-old is a member of United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 1770, in Los Angeles. Alvarez is a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation as well. He is an anti-war activist and the leader of the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism). In 2009, Alvarez ran for mayor of Los Angeles as an open socialist.
—Faythe Del Rosario
Meg Whitman
From a random poll of 100 students and staff members at Contra Costa College, results show the most support was given to Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brown with 52 votes. The next highest ranking category was a mix of the nominees from the American Independent, Green, Libertarian and Peace and Freedom parties, with 23 votes overall. Republican candidate Meg Whitman fell short with only 12 votes while 13 of those polled have yet to decide who they plan to vote for on Nov. 2.
B8 THE ADVOCATE
l WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010
ELECTION 2010
District Representatives “We’re dumping too much debt on our children and grandchildren. If we don’t do something about it now, they can’t later.” — Rick Tubbs, candidate for congressional representative of District 7
Education, closing deficit biggest issues for district representative candidates United States representative: District 7 George Miller Thirty-f ive-year Democratic incumbent George Miller plans is again running for Congress in District 7, focusing on strengthening and growing middle-class families and lowering the cost of education. One of Miller’s goals is to lower interest on students’ rates and loans and create larger Cal Grants. “The future is in our education. The economic driver is education,” Miller said. “That’s why the cost of college is so important to me.” A leading advocate in Congress on education, labor, the economy and the environment, he is a life long resident of Contra Costa County and has held the incumbent position since 1974. Miller is a chairman on the House Education and Labor Committee and the
House Democratic Policy Committee. He is also a member and former chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. Currently, one of his main priorities is to open green jobs in West Contra Costa County. “This is how we’re going to create a new economy. We’re going to create new jobs,” Miller said. “I want to continue to work on those kinds of renewable energy (projects).” One of Miller’s most recent accomplishments was co-authoring the historic health care reform bill signed into law this year.
—Alexandra Waite
United States representative: District 10 Gary Clift Gary Clift is a Republican candidate running for a representative seat in District 7, hoping to restore the power of education, health insurance, alternative energy independence and protection from violence to the state. Clift strongly opposes federal meddling in states’ rights issues and supports the principles of constitutional government and local control. “I am a constitutionalist,” Clift said. “The federal government is only supposed to do what the Constitution says it can.” Among his priorities are jobs in the private business sector, protecting Americans against violence, a modern military and reduction of federal government. Clift’s current occupations include being a commercial real estate salesperson and growing organic vegetables and fruit
—Alexandra Waite
torate in political science from Claremont University. He is currently an adjunct professor of political science at Diablo Valley College. Some of his other priorities listed on his website include nationalizing all banks in the United States that have received bailout money, paying reparations to all African-Americans to correct the present day effects of historical wrongs committed against them, creating a federal fund for the research and development of alternative energy sources and establishing a living wage of $20 per hour for every American. —Alexandra Waite
John Garamendi Seeking re-election for a second term as representative of California’s 10th congressional district, Democratic candidate John Garamendi has proven qualified with more than 32 years of public service under his belt. As a member of the House of Representatives, Garamendi seeks to address the fundamental issues that face all Americans: access to affordable health care and education, fixing a broken economy, cleaning up Wall Street and inciting new job creation. Garamendi began his public service in 1966 as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia. He later won election to the California Assembly in 1974 and to the state Senate in 1976. During his 14 years as a state Senator and two years in the Assembly, Garamendi
Republican candidate Rick Tubbs is running for Congress in District 7, with his main priority being to balance the nation’s budget. “I think we’re dumping too much debt on our children and grandchildren. If we don’t do something about it now, they can’t later,” Tubbs said. Tubbs is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, an Iraq-Afghan War veteran and airline pilot. He said he learned how to balance a budget while serving in the military. Tubbs believes education is one of the most important issues within the state. “I really want to see K-12 education taken care of at a state level,” he said. “We need to give a better skill set to students at two and four-year (colleges).” Tubbs attended Cal State-Fresno where
he earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a commission in the United States Air Force as a distinguished graduate of Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. He is a small business owner and a union member of the Airline Pilots Association. He said there is tremendous potential for jobs from clean energy due to the growth in technologically-driven industries. “This is the 21st century. We are going to need a much more skillful workforce,” he said. —Alexandra Waite
United States representative: District 11 David Christensen
on a small farm. He has worked for the state of California in the department of corrections, as a manager at Folsom Prison and was in the junior cabinet for Gov. Pete Wilson and Gov. Gray Davis in Sacramento. He has spent 26 years in law enforcement and 10 years advocating victim’s rights. Clift is a UC Davis graduate, where he studied international relations. He lives in Solano County on a farm between the cities of Vacaville and Dixon.
Jeremy Cloward Green Party candidate Jeremy Cloward is running for representative in District 10 with a campaign based on creating a more just and equal society. On his website www.jeremycloward. com, he promotes a single payer universal health care system, free education from kindergarten through graduate school and ending the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, amongst various other proposals. Cloward is a member of the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, Native-American Rights Fund and United Farm Workers of America. Cloward received his bachelor’s degree in political science at Cal State-Chico, a master’s degree in political science from San Francisco State University and a doc-
Rick Tubbs
wrote laws that reformed health care delivery, established a work-oriented welfare program, revised California’s tax code and developed a state agenda for economic competitiveness and scientific advancement. He also wrote laws to protect Lake Tahoe and Mono Lake. He served as both deputy secretary of the interior from 1995 to 1998 and state insurance commissioner from 2003 to 2007. He holds a master of business administration degree from Harvard and a bachelor’s degree in business from UC Berkeley. —Cody McFarland
David Christensen is an American Independent Party candidate running for U.S. representative in Congressional District 11. A proud representative of the American Independent Party, Christensen values the Bible, the free enterprise system and, most importantly he said, civil liberties. Christensen, if elected, will focus on keeping bad laws from being passed, which have put the country in financial difficulties, and protest bad laws that are in effect now. He strongly opposes the Patriot Act, globalism, fascism, communism and all forms of oligarchies. He has worked as a union electrician, which has had him involved with politics for the last six years. “We need third party candidates to be
a strong dynamic of the voting process,” he said. There is also a big issue with a lack of bipartisanship in the Congress. They too often fall into gridlock, he said. “Politics are dominated by ‘big money’ interests,” Christensen said. “Presidents start and fight unconstitutional wars. Federal judges whittle away at states’ rights and civil liberties. A secretive cartel of private banks controls our money supply. Regulations, subsidies, and ‘free trade’ agreements have decimated our economy. “Our government unjustly spies upon, imprisons, tortures or kills enemies, foreigners and citizens alike. If elected, I will seek restoration of the Constitution, a free enterprise economy and peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations.” —George Morin
David Harmer Republican candidate David Harmer is running for the position of District 11’s representative in Congress. “I have three pledges: grow the economy, not the government; balance the budget by controlling spending, but not by raising taxes; and help small businesses grow and become the engine of economic recovery,” Harmer said. According to Harmer, he is running for Congress to get the “economy moving again, and that starts by promoting the free market, not smothering it.” Harmer plans to fight for relief from the federal mandates that are choking investment and stifling job growth. He plans also to work to provide tax incentives and other market-based reforms that will help jump-start the economy.
“I’m running for Congress because I want to stop growing the government and start growing the economy. “I want to balance the budget by controlling spending, not by raising taxes. And I want to liberate small businesses from excessive taxation and regulation so they can once again prosper and create new jobs,” Harmer said. —George Morin
Jerry McNerney Standing on a platform in favor of renewable energy and veteran affairs, Democrat Jerry McNerney seeks to maintain his representative seat for District 11. McNerney has a doctorate in mathematics and has spent more than two decades developing renewable energy technology. His efforts in wind energy have saved the equivalent of approximately 30 million barrels of oil. He has worked as a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. He is the author of three major bills, passed by the House of Representatives, that will go toward helping to train the next generation for green jobs, increase the efficiency of our electrical grid and invest in infrastructure for electric vehicles. He is also the co-author of a bill to help
spur local manufacturing of these electric cars. McNerney has been a long-time member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where he advocates for improving benefits and care for the men and women who served in the military. He has brought a new veteran medical facility and nursing home to his area, which will create approximately 900 jobs and provide medical care close to home for our local veterans. “I also wrote and passed a new law that will improve care for service members returning home with traumatic brain i n j u r i e s ,” M c N e r n ey said. —George Morin
ELECTION 2010
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010 l THE ADVOCATE
B9
United States Senate, State Assembly “If I didn’t perform my duties in the private sector, my job was at stake, not just a paycheck. The same should be true for your elected leaders.” — Julie Craven, candidate for state Assembly District 11
Incumbents, hopefuls compete for U.S. Senate, Assembly positions to revitalize job market and California’s budget United States Senate Barbara Boxer Barbara Boxer is a Democratic candidate who seeks re-election for U.S. Senate. Boxer was elected to the House of Representatives in 1982, representing the Bay Area for 10 years. In 1992, she was elected to the Senate, thus making history with Senator Dianne Feinstein, marking the first time two women had been elected as senators from a single state. Elected to a third Senate term in 2004, Boxer received more than 6.9 million votes, which was the highest vote total for any Senate candidate in U.S. history. She seeks re-election for yet a fourth Senate term. “Barbara Boxer has a strong sense of values. She cares about California. She has a desire to improve the economy, create public access to quality education and
Carly Fiorina
supports a woman’s right to choose,” campaign worker Dan Newman said. She graduated from Brooklyn College with a bachelor of arts degree in economics. Her priorities, if re-elected, include getting California back on track, putting Californians back to work, creating more jobs, turning the economy around, protecting California’s environment and the individual’s access to quality education. “Barbara Boxer is tough, yet intelligent. Along with that, she is compassionate and knows what she believes in and who she is fighting for,” Newman said.
—Cassandra Juniel
Carly Fiorina is a candidate on the Republican ticket for U.S. Senate. Fiorina is best known as the former chairwoman and chief executive officer of HewlettPackard Company, serving from 1999 to 2005, leading the reinvention of the legendary company and successfully steering it through the dotcom bust and the worst technology recession in 25 years. “She is a self-made woman who started her business career as a secretary and went on to become the first and only woman to lead a Fortune 20 company,” campaign worker Nick Johnson said. Her record of hard work and success includes more than 20 years working at AT&T and Lucent Technologies. On priorities, in particular, Fiorina
believes it’s essential that decisions about health care stay in the hands of patients, their families and their doctors. She believes strongly that every American should have access to quality, affordable health care. “Carly believes also that the nation’s top priorities should be economic growth and job creation, which means focusing our efforts on supporting small businesses, family-owned businesses, innovators and entrepreneurs who employ more than 50 percent of Americans,” Johnson said. —Cassandra Juniel
State Assembly: District 11 Susan Bonilla Democratic candidate Susan Bonilla puts the economy as the first priority of her campaign for a seat on the California Assembly. “My main priority on the (Contra Costa County) Board of Supervisors is to modernize our county government and create accountability and transparency and improve the delivery of programs and services to you the citizen,” Bonilla said. Since joining the Board of Supervisors, Bonilla has advocated for a two-year budget cycle to create flexibility and enable strategic thinking to take place to help anticipate and plan for downturns in the economy, she said. According to Bonilla, she also “believes the county must adopt strategic financial priorities, review and enact employee cost-
Julie Craven saving suggestions and streamline the organizational structure.” Bonilla has been a strong advocate for health care reform and has voted in support of county resolutions to support state efforts to enact universal health care. She created Contra Costa County’s Health Care Principles of Action, a tool to help the county’s many health care providers to promote health care reform. —George Morin
State Assembly: District 14 Photo not available
—George Morin
Joan Buchanan extensive Web services for the company, including website design, e-mail marketing and an expanded online presence through social networking. Hatcher also designs promotional materials for the company as the chief graphics artist. Additionally, Hatcher graduated from UC Berkeley in 2007 and is owner and head chef of Francisco Street Catering. —Cassidy Gooding
Nancy Skinner Nancy Skinner is running for re-election as the representative for the Bay Area’s 14th Assembly District. As a freshman legislator after being elected in Nov. 2008, A s s e m b l y wo m a n Skinner was named chairwoman of the Natural Resources Committee, with jurisdiction including water and air quality, recycling, waste management, energy issues and oversight of California’s Global Warming Solutions Act. Skinner is a leader in the fight against climate change. Before being elected to the Assembly, Skinner served as a Berkeley City Council member, a director of the East Bay Regional Park District and introduced Berkeley’s ground breaking Styrofoam ban. This term, along with continuing her
sionals as well as corporate executives,” she said. According to Craven, “It’s about practical and sustainable solutions.” “I believe the elected leaders of our state are responsible for developing a fiscally responsible budget plan and should be held to a deadline. If I am elected and paychecks need to be held until we develop a budget, then so be it. If I didn’t perform my duties in the private sector, my job was at stake. The same should be true for your elected leaders in public office,” she said.
State Assembly: District 15
Ryan Hatcher
Ryan Hatcher is a senior project manager at Altamont Strategies who is a Republican running for representative for District 14 of the California Assembly. Hatcher served as executive director of the Alameda County Republican Party in 2008 and 2009 and has helped on many campaigns and fundraising efforts. As executive director, he developed a major donor program, which successfully targeted and recruited the party’s base of $1,000 plus contributors. His successful direct mail efforts returned eight times the initial investment. As of Oct. 25, Hatcher has not issued an official candidate statement and was not available for comment as of press time. As senior project manager at Altamont Strategies, Hatcher specializes in providing
Emphasizing good business practices and problem solving, Julie Craven is a Republican running for election to District 11 of the California Assembly. “First and foremost, I’ve taken this step because I care about the future of California. I’d like to be a role model for people, encourage them to hold their elected leaders responsible for their own well-being,” Craven said. Craven is the vice chairman of the East Bay Young Republicans and a member of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association. “My business-oriented background, specifically in marketing and brand development, has developed my problem solving, project managing and thinking out of the box abilities. I am the intermediary between creative and marketing profes-
After completing her first term, Democratic incumbent Joan Buchanan looks to continue as the representative for State Assembly District 15 with her goals focusing on education and with helping job creation. “ Pe r f o r m a n c e . Not politics,” was the slogan she used on her last campaign, which she will continue to use so to get her point across. In her two years in office, Buchanan said she worked on budget reform, got $9 million to schools from federal funds and helped create local jobs. Buchanan’s experience lies in her past as the Director of Commercial Operations for Delta Dental and part of the San Ramon Valley School Board on which she was president for four terms. As a state assembly member, she has
taken part of several committees like the Utilities and Commerce, Accountability and Administrative Review, Education and Transportation Committees. “My priority is to create jobs and help small businesses,” Buchanan said. “Small businesses are the heart of the community.” Having already contributed, she looks to continue helping local businesses and schools and to tackle issues such as budget reform.With her experience on the San Ramon Valley School Board, she looks to fight to prevent cuts in education. “We can’t expect to cut from schools and have our children prepared for the future,” she said. —Dariush Azmoudeh
Abram Wilson efforts to stop global warming, Skinner plans to put an emphasis on finding solutions for families with children in schools affected by Gov. Schwarzenegger’s most recent budget cuts. She took a firm stance against the governor’s cuts to education, the $256 million cut to programs providing child care subsidies to working parents and the $80 million cut to state services that prevent child neglect and abuse. “Assembly Democrats know that California’s working families are the heart of what makes our economy work,” Skinner said. “That is why we fought for a budget that saves jobs and creates jobs. And it’s why we’re fighting now against the g ov e r n o r ’s senseless vetoes.” —Cassidy Gooding
San Ramon Mayor Abram Wilson makes his second attempt on Tuesday at becoming the Assembly District 15 representative after losing to Joan Buchanan in 2008. As of press time Wilson, a Republican, was not available for comment and did not have a candidate statement issued as of Oct. 25. According to his campaign website, Wilson promises to create jobs to try to get the economy back on its feet and help solve the state’s budget problem if elected. He also aims to prioritize safety and preparedness against natural disasters. He hopes to use his experience as the mayor of San Ramon to achieve these goals. Wilson has been mayor of San Ramon since 2002 and served on the San Ramon City Council since 1999. In his
time as mayor, he helped create several civil projects. He also holds experience with 13 years in San Ramon Parks and Community Services Commission prior to joining the city council. He worked as a banker for 30 years and is a United States Army veteran. Assembly District 15 oversees areas including Walnut Creek, Livermore, San Ramon, Oakley and parts of Elk Grove. The district includes parts of Alameda, Contra Costa, Sacramento and San Joaquin counties. —Dariush Azmoudeh
B10 THE ADVOCATE
l WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010
ELECTION 2010
Propositions 21, 22 and 23
Measures M and O
“I’m fine with taxes that go toward education, because that is the best bang for your buck.” — Kathy Gonzalez, local homeowner
Parcel taxes levied for education Measure M decides temporary relief By George Morin PHOTO EDITOR
Measure M will ask voters to decide whether a parcel tax should be imposed on parcels of taxable real property within the area of the West Contra Costa Unified School District for five years. It would go into effect on July 1, 2011. The proposed tax would expire on June 30, 2015 and would benefit WCCUSD. According to the California Voter Information Guide, proceeds of the parcel tax will be used to provide “manageable class sizes to improve core academics like math, science, reading, writing, restore arts and music programs, improve campus safe-
ty and cleanliness and prepare students for college and the workforce.” The tax would apply to each parcel of taxable real property in West County. If the parcel has a building on it, the tax would be 7.2 cents per square foot of total building area on that parcel. The annual tax on a vacant parcel, however, would be $7.20. A parcel is considered taxable if it receives a separate bill from the Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collectors Office. Parcels exempt from property taxes are also considered exempt from the parcel tax. If passed, Measure M would allocate $9 million per year to the district for five years. Pinole Valley High School teacher Michele Lamons said, “Measure M will provide in-class programmatic stability for our schools. This will allow our school principals, administrators and teachers to create their long-range plans knowing that critical core subjects, educational basics and college
readiness programs won’t be taken away due to statewide politics beyond our control.” Measure M also includes taxpayer protections, including an exemption for qualified senior citizens, a citizen oversight committee to watch how the funding is spent. Lamons said by law, Measure M can only be used for WCCUSD schools. Measure M will stabilize funding for schools and support in-class programs. Others say that Measure M will bring more debt than benefit. The Editorial Board of the Oakland Tribune recommended a “no” vote, saying “Measure M would raise total property tax supplements for schools in the near future from $900 annually to $1,008 for a small house, and from $1,692 to $1,872 for a large house.” “Last spring, when we endorsed the district’s latest bond measure, we said that would be it. We’re surprised that the school board is coming back now for an additional
parcel tax,” former chairman of West Contra Costa Citizen’s Bond Oversight Susan Pricco said. “They have asked many times for bonds, parcel taxes and other things, and it hasn’t changed the dynamic of that school district. We don’t need to keep throwing money there,” Alliance of Contra Costa Taxpayers Chairman Kenneth Hambrick said. “(The WCCUSD) has a long history of poorly managing funds, and I don’t think continuing to fund them with good money is way to solve this problem,” Hambrick said. Kathy Gonzalez, a local homeowner, has voted “yes” on Measure M as an absentee. “I’m completely fine with funding taxes that go toward education, because in the long run, that is the best bang for your buck,” Gonzalez said. Contact George Morin at gmorin. advocate@gmail.com.
Annual fee to mend roads State parks, By Cody McFarland SCENE EDITOR
Residents of Contra Costa County will be charged an additional fee of $10 on their motor vehicle registrations to address local transportation needs if Measure O is passed on Tuesday. Funds from Measure O would raise an estimated $8.5 million a year, with 71 percent going toward local roads, 21 percent toward public transit projects and 8 percent toward pedestrian and bicycle safety. Opponents argue that Measure O will not implement a fee, but a tax, and that its language is both misleading and not appropriately beneficial to the motorists it charges. “It’s not a fee at all; it’s really a tax,” Chairman of the Alliance of Contra Costa Taxpayers Kenneth Hambrick said. Members of the No on Measure O campaign maintain that the measure is a tax that could end up in court, ultimately wasting taxpayer dollars. Hambrick proposes controls should be put on the policy to make it more difficult for local governments to “impose taxes disguised as fees.” He holds that Measure O is just another way to “add
a tax to an over-taxed population.” California has the highest sales tax rate and the fourth highest top individual income tax rate in the nation, according to taxfoundation.org. “It’s a small price to pay for the direct improvements (Measure O) will make,” Ronald Brown, executive director of Save Mount Diablo, said. “It will save more money in the long run by addressing minor problems before they become major ones.” Such problems include potholes, surface flaws, dilapidated signs, fading lines and missing reflectors. The $10 additional charge will go toward repairing and maintaining local roads, making them safer and more accessible for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists, Brown said. It would also fund improvements to public transportation in the county and help promote programs to improve air quality and the environment, he said. “The more efficient we can be on the roads, the more environmentally friendly we’ll be,” Brown said. Improved bike lanes and public transportation will reduce emissions by providing alternatives to daily driving. Brown hopes that under Measure O, safer roads with improved bike lanes will encourage people to get out of their cars and get active. It would be
not only beneficial to people, but the environment as well, he said. Hambrick argues the wording of the measure is misleading and does not properly represent the automobile owners it will tax. “Measure O is represented as a ‘fix the roads’ tax, which it isn’t,” he said. “It should have nothing to do with the environment, but strictly be a road tax.” The bicyclists, pedestrians and bus systems would benefit most from Measure O, not the car owners funding it, Hambrick said. The annual $8.5 million Measure O establishes would not just be devoted to road repairs, but to accommodations for bikers and pedestrians that do not have to pay the fee, he said. The Contra Costa Transportation Authority already receives a half-cent on every dollar of taxable spending in the county under Measure J, passed by Contra Costa voters in 2004. Brown claims Measure O “supplements and helps to fulfill Measure J” and will provide a local, secure source of funds. Opponents feel that Measure J is sufficient and the CCTA must learn to live within its own means.
wildlife want new revenue By Alexandra Waite NEWS EDITOR
In an effort to raise revenue for the maintenance and repair of state parks, Proposition 21 would establish an $18 annual vehicle license surcharge to help fund the parks and grant free admission to vehicle owners who paid. The initiative would require the deposit of the surcharge revenue to be placed into a new trust fund and necessitates that fund be used solely to operate, manage and rehabilitate state parks and to protect wildlife and natural resources. “A lot of our parks’ services were cut; bathrooms Contact Cody McFarland at cmc- weren’t being serviced as farland.advocate@gmail.com. often and rangers weren’t as available,” Save the Redwoods League Outreach Manager Regan Ranoa said. “We’d like to ensure there is state funding so the public can continue to enjoy these parks.” Ranoa said a citizen’s Stapler said. “Additionally, oversight committee would it will mean devastating cuts review the fund and monito the K-12 system, to the tor how the funds are being tune of about $1 billion.” used, making sure nothing is “Proposition 22 will cause spent extraneously. real harm to the most vulner“We’re assuming it’s going able people in our society,” to raise $250 million speContra Costa County Board No cifically designated toward of Supervisors Chairman 34% state parks,” California State John Gioia said. Parks Foundation receptionYes According to Stapler, ist Luba Podolsky said. “The the California Teacher’s 66% parks will get to decide what Association, California’s they need the money for the Professional Firefighters and most.” the Contra Costa Community Opponents of Proposition Board of Supervisors are 21 argue it is unfair to make among the entities endors- Fire Chief Douglas Fry said. “By prohibiting state raids all California citizens pay ing Proposition 22’s defeat. Proponents of Proposition of local funds, Prop. 22 will the fee when a significant 22 suggest that creating the help maintain law enforce- amount of them do not visit barrier between these funds ment, 9-1-1 emergency state parks often or at all. Voteno21.com spokesand state legislators will response and other public woman Wendy Nelson said safety services.” keep cities safer. she uses the analogy of a “Cities spend more than Contact Cassidy man who lives in Santa 60 percent of their general funds on police and fire ser- Gooding at cgooding. Cruz who owns a brand new BMW who happens to frevices,” Belmont-San Carlos advocate@gmail.com.
Local funds to receive block By Cassidy Gooding OPINION EDITOR
Proposition 22 asks voters whether the California Constitution should be amended to prohibit the state, even during a severe fiscal hardship, from redirecting certain tax revenues dedicated to transportation or local governments on Tuesday’s ballot. Under this proposal, the state would no longer be able to take revenue acquired from local taxes. These taxpayer dollars that are locally dedicated to cities, counties, special districts and redevelopment agencies are used to fund public safety, emergency response and other local government services. Since 1992, the state government has taken $11.2
billion in locally approved taxes. Organizations against the passage of Proposition 22 argue that in an economic crisis, with the state’s deficit the way it is, borrowing between legislators cannot be blocked. “Proposition 22 further ties the hand of legislators from being able to balance the state’s budget,” said No on 22 spokesperson Richard Stapler. Since Proposition 22 is so specific, a wall will be erected between legislators and only certain fees. Without the revenue appropriated from transportation and local governments, state officials will have to scoop deeper from elsewhere. “Passing 22 will cause further cuts to the education budget, resulting in higher tuition for community college and CSU students,”
Campus stance: Proposition 22
Campus stance: Proposition 21 No 39% Yes 61%
quent various state parks, compared to a woman with a beat up Toyota who lives in an area with hardly any access to parks. “This is called a regressive tax; it hits the poor the hardest,” Nelson said. The free admission to state parks is defined in the proposition as free vehicle admission, parking and day use at all units of the state park system. “The park has the ability to say ‘our capacity is 50 cars per day.’ They may shut the gate once they reach capacity in fear of harming the habitat,” Nelson said. Podolsky said the prices for state parks vary from $5 to $18 a day, and there are more than 200 parks currently charging for parking that would become free. Now, the state takes a portion out of the general fund for state parks, which is not enough money for them to thrive on, she said. “Our feeling is if they let this happen for state parks, then next year they might try to use the same vehicle license fee for children’s hospitals or education,” Nelson said. “That money should just be taken from the general fund.” Contact Alexandra Waite at awaite.advocate@gmail. com.
Proposal takes axe to carbon emission caps By Cody McFarland SCENE EDITOR
Curbing the high unemployment rate to improve the economy in California is the proposed impact of Proposition 23, the state’s initiative to create more jobs by suspending restrictions put on greenhouse gas emissions. When voters hit the polls on Tuesday, they will be presented the opportunity to postpone Assembly Bill 32, California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, until the state unemployment level remains at 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters. Under Proposition 23, the state would not be able to adopt any regulation implementing AB32. Regulations adopted prior to the proposition would be void. “Manufacturing, industrial, transportation and food supply sectors all need affordable and reliable energy supplies in order
to create commerce,” J. Andrew Caldwell, executive director of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture & Business, said. “AB32 cuts us off from our current energy sources.” Proposition 23 is expected by supporters to create more than 1.1 million jobs, spare Californians from increased energy costs and save $3.7 billion a year in higher gasoline and diesel prices. Despite its effectiveness in providing cheap energy for the state, opponents argue the energy being created is dirty and will not save or establish additional jobs. “Proposition 23 is a deceptive effort by Texas oil companies to fool California voters into thinking it has something to do with jobs,” Steven Maviglio, spokesman for the campaign against Proposition 23, said. “The reality is that the initiative was designed to keep the public addicted to dirty fossil fuels.” The leading backers of Proposition 23, Texas-based oil companies Valero and
Tesoro, have donated a majority of the initiative’s funding to have it placed on the ballot. Passage of the proposition would reduce incentives to find alternatives to oil, Maviglio said, keeping California addicted to oil that pollutes the environment. “Prop 23 will press the rewind button on efforts to control global warming,” Paul No Knepprath, vice president for 49% advocacy and health initiatives of the American Lung Association in California, said. “It will increase air pollution and health risks and hurt investments in green energy throughout the state.” If passed, Proposition 23 would impede the progress of the developing green economy by halting the operation of clean air technology companies, Knepprath
said. It would not only discourage further investment, but might completely undermine the advancements made under AB32, squandering years of work, multitudes of green jobs and millions in investments, he said. The proposition threatens as many as 500,000 clean energy technology jobs and over 12,000 businesses involved with green technology, he said. “AB32 punishes the energy Yes sources that work and that are 51% affordable and rewards those that can’t quite make it on their own right now without government intervention,” Caldwell said.
Campus stance: Proposition 23
Contact Cody McFarland at cmcfarland.advocate@gmail.com.
ELECTION 2010
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010 l THE ADVOCATE
B11
Propositions 20, 24, 25, 26 and 27 “People are tired of politicians doing what they want and not worrying about how it is affecting the community.” — Brian Ferguson, California Faculty Association media specialist
Redistricting commission queried Old committee gets more power or termination By Adam Oliver STAFF WRITER
California will soon vote upon whether to extend the authority of the 14-member Citizens Redistricting Commission approved by voters in 2008 or eliminate the group altogether. Proposition 20 would add the responsibility of drawing state congressional lines to the commission created by Proposition 11 two years ago, which currently is in charge of allocating state legislative districts. Proposition 27 would ax this delegation and roll back legislative drawing rights to the authority of the Legislature. The proposi-
tion would also limit spending on redistricting and allow for a citizen referendum if voters object to the map. At the center of this electoral decision, political science professor Monica Landeros said, is the question, “Who do you want to determine the boundaries and how much do you really trust them?” Each side of the card has a viable argument against the other’s accountability and responsibility. Proponents of Proposition 20 argue that, under current districting policies, Sacramento politicians draw districts for the benefit of their friends in Congress, allowing them to win their seats practically unopposed for decades. “Every 10 years they go behind closed doors,” said Susan Schafer, communications director for the Yes on 20, No on 27 Coalition. “The fact is they strike up deals amongst each other to create safe districts.” These “safe” districts allow for
little competition among candi- for the commission, so there is dates and give the Congress lit- nothing forcing their accountability tle initiative to actually work for either, No on 20, Yes on 27 reprethe votes, she sentative Steven said. Mazigillo said. “Every 10 years Because Currently, 34 of this inevithey (politicians) go Democrats and table gerryRepublicans behind closed doors. 19 mandering in represent the Sacramento, The fact is they strike state’s 53 conSchafer said, gressional disthe unbiased up deals amongst each tricts. commission, Comprised of other to create safe which must by five Democrats, districts.” law have no five Republicans experience in and four memSusan Schafer, gover nment, bers of neither communications director for the Yes on would ensure party, Mazigillo 20, No on 27 Coalition that those said the comdrawing the mission “is not districts weren’t swayed by politi- representative of what California cal interest. looks like.” However, these 14 citizens In addition, the commission comprising the commission are is costing the state funds while not necessarily less susceptible to California is in a crisis economy. bribery and corruption than politi- “It’s costing the state millions of cians, Landeros said. dollars when we’re cutting educaCitizens will not be able to vote tion and other programs,” he said.
Another controversial issue surrounding Proposition 20 is the “community of interest” criteria that would mandate that congressional districts be apportioned based on similar economic status and social needs. Opponents of Proposition 20 say this clause endorses district segregation by income for inconclusive reasons while neglecting the original criteria of geographically compact and relevant districts. Proponents argue that the “community of interest” criteria will better fill the needs of those in the communities and focus federal funds on common problems and deficiencies. “I do feel that separation by communities of like backgrounds are better represented,” Landeros said. “I definitely don’t think it’s Jim Crow.” Contact Adam Oliver at aoliver.advocate@gmail.com.
Business taxes reinstated Definition of Proposal ends modification of liability By Dariush Azmoudeh ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Proposition 24 is a proposal to repeal a business tax change that occurred in 2008 and 2009 that allows businesses to lower their tax liability beginning in 2011. If Proposition 24 were to pass, it will repeal legislation that would allow businesses to use net operating losses to lower their taxes, allow multi-state businesses to get taxed in California and allow businesses to share tax credits. Pending Proposition 24’s result, those tax breaks are scheduled to go into effect in 2011 if the proposition does not pass. In detail, according to www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov, Proposition 24 would repeal businesses ability to shift operating losses to prior tax years that would extend the period permitted to shift operating losses to future tax years. Secondly, it would repeal their opportunity to share tax credits with affiliated
corporations. Also it would allow multi-state businesses to use a sales-based income calculation, rather than a combination property, payroll and sales. Proposition 24 would raise the state’s General Fund revenue to about $1.3 billion each year after No going fully into effect in 46% 2012-13, due to businesses paying higher taxes. With help from Proposition 98, which was passed in 1988, a significant part of that increase in revenue will allocate to K-12 schools and community colleges. But Communication Director of “No on 24” Nick DeLuca said that if Proposition 24 were to pass it would cost the state jobs, which in turn will bring less money to California. “If Proposition 24 were to pass, the consequences would mean 322,000 jobs lost and $1.8 billion in lost revenue,” DeLuca said. “If people aren’t working and (not) paying taxes, there
will be less money for the state.” The supporters for Proposition 24 argue that it is unfair for businesses to get a tax break when it is not guaranteed that those corporations will create more jobs for the state. “It was cut for major corporations to Yes create new jobs if they 54% had these cuts, but they are doing the same amount of work with the same amount of people,” spokesperson for Yes on 24 Lisa Murphy said. Murphy said the money that businesses save from the tax breaks is money that the state could use toward schools and public departments. “It takes money from schools and fire departments,” Murphy said. “It’s not fair for all those to suffer because of these corporations.” Since the tax breaks would not go into effect until 2011, “Yes on 24” argues
Campus stance: Proposition 24
“(Proposition 24) takes away money from schools and fire departments. It’s not fair for all those to suffer because of these corporations.” Lisa Murphy,
spokesperson for Yes on 24
that if Proposition 24 passes, it would not cost anyone a job. DeLuca said that 24 other U.S. states already have at least one business tax break implemented and that those tax breaks are normal economic tools to stimulate, create jobs and keep businesses. “Proposition 24 would undo three specific tax reforms which keep businesses here, bring in new ones and help small businesses,” DeLuca said. “All these changes were made to stimulate the economy and to create jobs in California.” Contact Dariush Azmoudeh at dazmoudeh. advocate@gmail.com.
Budget passage simplified Pay suspended for tardy stalemates By Lamar James ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Proposition 25 is proposing a change from requiring a two-thirds vote to pass the state budget to requiring a simple majority vote to pass the budget. The bill will also implement halting legislator’s salaries if a budget is not passed and is overdue. “This will be a great accomplishment for California if it passes,” student Hazel Miller said. Miller, who is studying political science, said that this seems No to be a great bill. 41% “If this bill passes, the people will no longer be in limbo waiting for (other) bills to be passed. The legislators and also the governor will be penalized; they will not receive any pay,” she said. The bill’s language is written to state that if the budget is overdue, it will require a majority vote to pass it instead of the current two-thirds vote that is required to pass it. The language also states that for as many days the budget is late, the legislature will not get paid the days overdue. Miller said this is one step toward holding the politicians accountable for their actions. “The politicians who are in control
of making and passing a budget will no longer be able to bicker and fight over a budget without taking a blow themselves,” she said. California Faculty Association media specialist Brian Ferguson said he and his association are endorsing Proposition 25 because they can no longer let the politicians in the capital control what goes on with the budget and how it affects the people. “The programs that are there to help the needy are being cut and put in danger all because of a late budget, or failure to pass a budget,” Ferguson said. “The people are tired of politicians doing what they want and not worrying about how it is affecting the community at large.” Ferguson said if people let the current policy stay in place, the state Yes will have a continuum of 59% what has been going on over the years. “It’s time to try something new and see where it takes us,” he said. “The programs we need as Californians are seriously in danger because there is no money being allocated to those areas where we most need the money — to feed the poor, for health care and for the families who need food. The money is not being sent there, but the politicians are being paid regardless.” He suggested that the proposition will not pay them for the work that is not being done, but instead take their pay away if a budget is not passed.
Campus stance: Proposition 25
“(Proposition 25) will be a great accomplishment for California if it passes. If this bill passes, the people will no longer be in limbo waiting for (other) bills to be passed. The legislators and also the governor will be penalized; they will not receive any pay.” Hazel Miller, student
“There are ripple effects to the budget, but I don’t think the politicians understand that,” Miller said. Every day the budget is not passed it hurts the school systems, road and infrastructure systems and other programs. Miller thinks California must take action and pass this bill if the state wants to see any progress, and that this will change things drastically. According to Ferguson, there is a need for Californians to take action. This is a time when real change can happen. “I have faith that the voters will see this is something to take seriously, and to vote yes on changing the policy so California can thrive and be the economic powerhouse it has always been,” said Ferguson. Contact Lamar James at ljames. advocate@gmail.com.
taxes to be broadened
Charges, fees require twothirds margin By Cassidy Gooding OPINION EDITOR
Proposition 26 asks California voters on Tuesday whether the state constitution should be amended to require a two-thirds vote approval for the imposition of certain state and local fees that currently require majority vote approval. This proposition would make it harder for legislators to pass certain taxes and fees, since they would need a larger amount of “yes” votes among them when issues arose. Additionally, passage would broaden the definition of taxes to include many payments traditionally considered to be fees. The three broad categories of fees and charges are user fees (state park entrance fees and garbage fees specific to users of services), regulatory fees (fees that pay for programs that place requirements on the activities of businesses or people) and property charges. Under Proposition 26, many of these fees that slip through the cracks of a simple majority vote would be looked at as taxes on the public. Proponents of Proposition 26, called the “Stop Hidden Taxes” campaign, argue that legislators call certain taxes “fees” as a gimmick to sneak by the California Constitution’s requirement that taxes win a two-thirds majority vote before passage. “Legislators have been using the loophole of only needing 50 percent to pass a fee,” Susan Shafer, a spokeswoman for the “Stop Hidden Taxes” campaign, said. “But what we’re saying is that they should have a twothirds vote, because what they are really passing are taxes, not fees.” Shafer explained that with this loophole in place, politicians could impose as much as $10 billion in new taxes this year alone on items such as food, gas, toys, water, electricity and emergency services. The associations Americans for Tax Reform, California Taxpayers Association and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association are just a few of the endorsers of the “Stop Hidden Taxes” campaign. Opponents of Proposition
Campus stance: Proposition 26 No 47% Yes 53%
26 slam the proposal as the “Polluter Protection Act” that will only make it harder to impose regulatory fees on corporations that cause environmental or public health problems. “Alcohol, tobacco and oil companies want the taxpayers to pay for their mess instead of the companies that cause the pollution and damage in the first place,” No on Proposition 26 spokesperson Andre Charles said. As an example, if an oil company were charged a regulatory fee to clean up a spill on the coast, Proposition 26 would require a two-thirds vote for passage onto the company. If a two-thirds vote cannot be reached, the question of the proposed fee would have to be resolved through a costly local election, Charles said. “So, the money that is supposed to go to education and other important things would be squandered on these elections,” Charles explained. “And to cover (the company’s) damages.” The Legislative Analyst for the American Lung Association puts the price tag for Proposition 26 at more than $1 billion annually and $11 billion over 10 years – a frightening toll on California’s already hulking deficit. The American Lung Association, California Nurses Association, American Cancer Society, Sierra Club, Professional Firefighters, NAACP, League of Women Voters and California Federation of Teachers are just some of the varied organizations against the passage of Proposition 26. Those decrying the Proposition as the “Polluter Protection Act” are a collection of bipartisan groups and individuals that, according to www.stoppolluterprotection.com, agree that the proposal is the “worst measure on the ballot.” Contact Cassidy Gooding at cgooding. advocate@gmail.com.
B12 THE ADVOCATE
l WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 2010
ELECTION 2010
Proposition 19
Measure V
“I know the city needs money to survive, but they shouldn’t tax the product (marijuana) to death.” — Ziad Handoush, officer at the 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center
The effects of cannabis on the brain Hypothalamus Is in control of metabolism, appetite and hormonal levels in the body.
Neocortex Controls cognitive functions and the incorporation of information from the senses.
Marijuana can increase appetite.
Cannabis can impair memory, cause perceptual distortions and hamper decision-making abilities.
Brain stem and spine Control the vomiting reflex, blood pressure, heart rate and process the sensation of pain. Cerebellum The center of motor control and coordination.
Marijuana reduces nausea, pain and tremors, but it can also cause rapid heart rate and drowsiness.
Marijuana can hinder coordination, but soothes spasms.
sources: National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
INFORMATIONAL GRAPHIC BY DARIUSH AZMOUDEH / THE ADVOCATE
Proposition offers legalized highs Pot decriminalization to bring revenue, jobs By Cody McFarland SCENE EDITOR
California voters will be given the chance to change history on Tuesday by voting on the controversial Proposition 19, the state’s initiative to tax and regulate cannabis. If Proposition 19 is passed, California will become the first state in the country to legalize the sale and recreational use of marijuana. The initiative allows adults age 21 or older to possess and transport up to one ounce of marijuana for personal use, to be consumed either in the privacy of their own homes or inside of a licensed establishment. Cannabis may become a valuable source of revenue for the state that will also divert police resources to more violent crimes. “$300 million are wasted every year by
law enforcement on petty crimes related to cannabis,” Evan Nison, campus organizer for Yes on 19, said. The proposition permits local governments to regulate and tax commercial production, distribution and sale of cannabis. Whether or not these governments add marijuana to their economic rosters is entirely up to them, so that no counties or cities feel imposed upon. “Medical marijuana users might find it harder to get (their medicine), since it is up to counties to approve the sale,” Roger Salazar, spokesperson for no on Prop. 19, said. According to Salazar, the California Cannabis Association is against passing the initiative because of this possibility. Nison said Proposition 19 could help the economy by bringing in an additional $14 billion annually in revenue that is otherwise lost to the non-taxed black market of marijuana sales in California. It may also open up as many as 110,000 jobs, he said, which include areas of organic
and hydroponic cultivation, marketing and regulating. Despite these benefits, opponents remain worried about safety. “There will be fewer drug-free workplaces, creating unsafe environments,” Salazar said. “It is unsafe for businesses in transportation or heavy machinery or equipment.” Though proponents of Proposition 19 argue that the right of employers to maintain a drug-free workplace will be upheld, Salazar contends that impairment must be proved, which can only happen after an accident has occurred. “If marijuana is made legal, the federal government might end up suing the state of California or holding its federal funds,” Salazar said. “The individual states must act for federal change,” Nison said. “We need to step up and pass (Proposition 19).”
Campus stance: Proposition 19
No 40%
Yes 60%
Contact Cody McFarland at cmcfarland.advocate@gmail.com.
Marijuana businesses confront taxation Charge imposed on dispensaries By Adam Oliver STAFF WRITER
As part of a deluge of recent efforts by the city of Richmond to regulate marijuana, voters must soon decide whether marijuana businesses operating in the city should be levied an additional business license tax. Measure V on Tuesday’s ballot would implement a 5 percent business license tax on the gross receipts of marijuana businesses if passed by a majority vote. If California’s Proposition 19 were to also pass, the business license tax would apply to both medical and recreational use. Because marijuana businesses require increased fire and
police services, they should be subject to increased taxation, said Councilman Tom Butt, who proposed the measure. “Though I had some concerns about getting into the marijuana business as a city and licensing marijuana, we might as well make as much money as we can off of it,” Butt said. The revenue generated by the license tax would be placed in the city’s general fund. The additional funds could be spent on public safety, the maintenance of parks and streets as well as the creation of new recreational programs, Butt said. However, the vagueness of monetary allocation from the general fund has some dispensaries questioning where their tax dollars will actually end up. “(The measure) doesn’t say it keeps cops on the streets, it doesn’t say anything. Anybody can annex the general fund,” said Lisa
Hirschhorn, director of marketing and business development at the GDP Collective, located adjacent the Hilltop Mall. The two Richmond pot clubs currently in operation, the GDP Collective and the 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center, are non-profit establishments. The increased taxation will ultimately raise the price on medication and take away from a number of the services offered to patients, including transportation, massage and acupuncture, said Ziad Handoush, officer at the 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center. “It’s really a double edged sword,” Hirschhorn said. “Do we want to help the community? Yes, but do we want to do it at the price of the patient’s health care? Of course not.” “I know the city needs money to survive, but they shouldn’t tax the product to death,” said Handoush.
Handoush also said that there is no license tax on pharmaceuticals and other doctor prescribed medications, so it is not fair to enact a “collective punishment” on medicinal marijuana because some cardholders do not fit the bill of an ailing patient. However, Butt did not quite agree. “It’s no different than taxing wine and beer and cigarettes and other types of things,” he said. Another issue in disagreement is whether police and fire services are actually more utilized by marijuana businesses than others. “(At one time) I was spending $16,000 a month for armed security so that my patients felt safe,” Handoush said, adding that the security measure eventually made patients uncomfortable Hirschhorn agreed, saying that the GDP Collective has “never had a police incident in five years and (has) never been robbed.”
Additionally, the 7 Star Holistic Healing Center and GDP Collective served as the templates for Richmond’s summer marijuana ordinance, allowing three pot clubs to continue operation in the city under heightened restrictions. Another detail of the measure that would trouble collectives later down the line is the condition that, after the first year, clubs will be expected to pay taxes in advance based on estimated sales, Hirschhorn said. The economic fluctuation of the industry would make it difficult to accurately estimate these figures, especially when the measure “doesn’t stipulate a return for overpayment,” she said. “We will abide by it (if it passes), but we feel it needs to be amended,” Hirschhorn said. Contact Adam Oliver at aoliver.advocate@gmail.com.