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RENT STRIKE IN OAKLAND IN THE COVID TIMES – PHOTOESSAY

David Bacon
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RENT STRIKE IN OAKLAND IN THE COVID TIMES – PHOTOESSAY

https://davidbaconrealitycheck.blogspot.com/2020/07/rent-strike-in-oakland-in-covid-times.html

OAKLAND- Tenants and supporters demonstrated at an Oakland apartment complex where tenants are mounting a rent strike against Mosser Capital, one of several apartment complexes where rent strikes are taking place. During the COVID-19 crisis the landlord is insisting on bringing investors to inspect the apartments despite the danger of contagion. Mosser bought over 20 buildings in Oakland in 2016, according to the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE). Mosser received a Paycheck Protection Program loan between $2 million and $5 million during the pandemic.

The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment organized tenants from buildings across Oakland to come to the apartment house, to confront speculators brought by Mosser Capital, the building’s owners. .

Sharena Diamond Thomas and Sabeena Shah stand at the front of a group of renters determined not to let speculators into the apartment complex.

Sabeena Shah is the leader of the rent strike in the building, and the big “Rent Strike” sign is in the window of her apartment.  She has been living there for 8 years, and pays $1300 a month in rent.  She worked as a special education teacher in Contra Costa County, and has been out of work since the pandemic started.  “Teachers and students are all affected by this crisis,” she said.  “I started the strike in solidarity with the other tenants here, because I know that they can’t afford to pay more, and have no where to go if they’re evicted.”

Sabeena Shah stands in the doorway to her apartment.  Mosser Capital tried to raise the rent on her apartment, and that of other tenants, claiming it needed to pay for capital improvements.  No improvements were made to the apartments of existing tenants, however.  “They charged us for a new water heater, but never installed it,” she charges.  The strike and support from ACCE seeks to force Mosser to withdraw the increases.

Sharena Diamond Thomas is a renter in another building, where tenants have been on strike since April.  She had a small catering business, and after the pandemic started she couldn’t serve food in the community anymore.  “I have a family, and it would put my own kids in danger, and others too.  Now I can’t afford the rent, and I have to choose between that and feeding my own family.  My landlord lives in LA, and when I try to talk to her about the pandemic she acts like I’m speaking a foreign language.”

Pedro Viramontes and Andrea Bonilla moved in May into one of the apartments that had been renovated, and pay $2500 a month.  Viramontes workes at the East Bay Community Law Office, and Bonilla is a tech worker.  When they found out about the rent strike they supported it immediately.

Rent strikers and supporters from buildings throughout Oakland wait for the arrival of the investor tour organized by the struck landlord, Mosser Capital.

“Our Black seniors are suffering all over Oakland,” says Sharena Diamond Thomas.  The largest percentage of tenants are Black, and high rents are terrifying to them.  They can’t rest, they’re stressed out, they can’t move during the pandemic, and all of this makes them vulnerable to the virus.”

Carroll Fife, director of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, spoke to the group of rent strikers and tenants.  “If you can charge the highest price for an item that people actually need to live and thrive, we’re always going to have an issue here,” she told them.  “And it hits Black and brown folks the most.”

Tenants accused Mosser Capital of violating Alameda County public health orders that restrict real estate tours and endanger tenants.  The county is a COVID-19 hotspot, and as of July 16 had 8,499 cases, and 154 deaths.  Infection and death is a danger especially to older people, and most of the tenants in the 34 units of the apartment house are seniors.

The Brass Liberation Orchestra, a Bay Area radical musicians collective, showed up to play and urge tenants to sing, to life the morale of strikers.

“Seniors deserve a secure life and retirement,” Sharena Diamond Thomas said as supporters wearing masks looked on.  “They shouldn’t have to worry about the rent going up.  Housing is a human right.  Yet Black people are facing a wave of evictions in Oakland, which is as serious a problem for our community as terror from the police.”

A striker, with mask on, looks on from her balcony as other tenants below get ready to confront the landlord and the investor group.

The apartment house was eerily quiet after the rally, when it became evident that Mosser Capital had cancelled its plan to bring investors to enter and inspect the apartments.  Tenants called it a victory, but warned that Mosser would simply schedule it for another day, and asked people to be ready to return on a moment’s notice.

Editor’s Note:  Few of the economic crises spawned by the pandemic are likely to prove more devastating than the one new enveloping California’s renters.  Already battered by skyrocketing rents and pressured by gentrification, middle- and low-income tenants are increasingly facing a world without paychecks – and without government assistance, as eviction moratoriums begin to expire and supplemental unemployment benefits run out.  A report by the Aspen Institute predicts an eviction “tsunami” by the end of September.  

Photojournalist David Bacon’s images here capture the resistance of one group of Oakland tenants, as they launch a rent strike to challenge the right of their apartment comlex’s owner, Mosser Capital, to allow investors into their homes to inspect the units.  (This, when the coronavirus is resurging.)  When asked by KPIX-TV why it felt the need to send investors into the Oakland comlex in the middle of a pandemic, Mosser Capital issued a statement that read, in part:  “Building and apartment inspections are necessary to maintain properties, comply with local laws, and for insurance purposes.”

To see the full set of images, click here:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/56646659@N05/albums/72157715176535683

CARES Act Spending Plan Provides $1.22 Billion to Fund Broad Range of COVID-19 Services and Support for Residents and Businesses

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CARES Act Spending Plan Provides $1.22 Billion to Fund Broad Range of COVID-19 Services and Support for Residents and Businesses

LOS ANGELES – The Board of Supervisors has approved a $1.22 billion spending package to fund a broad range of essential services and relief measures to assist people and businesses affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

The plan covers spending in four main areas:

$656 million for public health measures including testing and contact tracing

$200 million for financial support for residents in the form of assistance for rent relief, food and child care

$160 million in grants to support small businesses

$150 million to support the County workforce’s response to the emergency, including disaster services workers and personal protective equipment for employees

The plan also includes nearly $55 million to cover contingencies including potential health care system surges and other urgent needs that may emerge as the pandemic continues.

The comprehensive spending proposal allocates funding across a wide range of services. Major allocations include $226 million for community-based COVID-19 diagnostic testing and $100 million for rent relief to assist residents countywide.

Funds were also allocated to programs to assist vulnerable people during the crisis, including $148 million for Project Roomkey, which provides temporary housing to medically at-risk people experiencing homelessness.

Other allocations include $10 million allocated to the L.A. Regional Food Bank for food distribution events; $60 million to support other nutritional programs; $15 million for the Great Plates delivery program for seniors and medically at-risk adults; and $15 million for child care vouchers for low-income families and essential workers.For a full list of program allocations, click here.

Federal Officers and Portland Police Simultaneously Dispersed Protesters – Local cops now say feds won’t be allowed in the incident command center.

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Federal Officers and Portland Police Simultaneously Dispersed Protesters – Local cops now say feds won’t be allowed in the incident command center.

PORTLAND – In what appeared to be a dance of unaccountability between Portland’s Mayor, Ted Wheeler and the Portland Police Department, Willamette Week News reported that Federal police and Portland officers worked in tandem the morning of July 18, to clear protesters from the streets of Portland. The result was protesters were illegally sprayed with tear gas — something Portland police are restricted from doing by court order — which prompted a demand the same day, from City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty that Mayor Ted Wheeler either control his Police Bureau or hand oversight of the city’s cops to her.

Read more:https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2020/07/18/federal-officers-and-portland-police-simultaneously-dispersed-protesters-last-night

Establishing an Anti-Racist Los Angeles County Policy Agenda

Reporters Desk
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Establishing an Anti-Racist Los Angeles County Policy Agenda

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas will introduce the motion “Establishing an Anti-racist Los Angeles County Policy Agenda” at today’s July 21,.Board of Supervisors meeting. 

Noting the legacy of slavery continues to disadvantage African Americans, the motion calls on the Board to declare that racism is a matter of public health and to prioritize its elimination from county policies, practices, operations and programs.

The motion also calls for making legislative, policy and programmatic changes to prioritize physical and mental health, housing, employment, public safety, and justice in an equitable way for African Americans. Finally, it calls for tracking progress by reporting annually on the State of Black Los Angeles County.

“It is incumbent upon those of us who sit in positions of authority to begin dismantling systemic racial bias within the entities for which we are responsible,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said. “It’s no longer sufficient to support diversity and inclusion initiatives. The County has made great strides toward addressing and eliminating implicit bias; it is time to advance to the next level. The County must move to identify and confront explicit institutional racism to set the national standard and become a leader of anti-racist policymaking and program implementation.”

The motion comes in the wake of the May 25th killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis that set off nationwide protests against structural racism and discrimination, asymmetrical consolidation of power and extreme wealth and income inequity – all of which disproportionately disadvantage Black people.

Supervisor Ridley-Thomas has fought against racism throughout his 40-year career, beginning with a decade of service as the executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles (1981-1991), whose national organization was co-founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the past year, the Supervisor advocated to implement the recommendations of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness, which identified racism as the primary driver of homelessness among African Americans. He convened a coalition of African American leaders to create an Agenda for California: An African American Perspective that was well received by Gov. Gavin Newsom and sponsored the “Undesign the Red Line” interactive traveling exhibit to educate the public about discriminatory housing practices against African Americans.

The Supervisor previously authored motions to create the Los Angeles County Equity Initiative and to enhance the training of Los Angeles County employees to stifle implicit biases and subconscious prejudices that adversely affect public service.

This week, the heads of various Los Angeles County departments have issued a statement pledging to stand against racism. “We acknowledge that as government leaders, we have an opportunity to change the narrative on the role of government and its relationship to the communities it serves.”

“Collectively, the work of our departments have far-reaching impacts on all aspects of our residents’ lives, particularly in the areas of employment, land use, education, voting, housing, health, arts and museums, infrastructure, justice, veteran services, environmental protections, community services and ensuring a fair and equitable marketplace,” they said. “We stand against racism in any form, and pledge to use our offices to advance racial and social equity, diversity and fairness.”

Details:www.declaration-against-racism

Palos Verdes Art Center Summer Show, A Virtual Exhibition

Reporters Desk
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Palos Verdes Art Center Summer Show, A Virtual Exhibition

Opening online July 20, at pvartcenter.org, The Summer Show is a virtual exhibition featuring work by Palos Verdes Art Center members associated with any of its eight artists groups: Artists Open Group (AOC), Pacific Arts Group, Paletters, Palos Verdes Painters, Peninsula Artists, Photographic and Digital Artists (PADA), The Artists’ Studio, and Third Dimension.

This year, PVAC announces Nina Zak Laddon as Juror. Nina is the co-founder of the Redondo Beach Art Group and originator of the Power of Art exhibition. She serves on the Board of Friends of Redondo Beach Arts as a Creative Advisor. Nina has been the curator of CA 101 contemporary international art exhibition for the past 8 years. She is currently the TEDx Redondo Beach Organizer.

“During a time of global pandemic and social unrest when our daily lives are confronted with uncertainty and fear, art is essential. Studies have shown that viewing a work of art can reduce stress and anxiety as well as foster empathy in the eye of the beholder. 

The virtual art world is flourishing bringing art into the home where one can view the artwork in a most intimate way. The computer screen as opposed to the page of an art book creates an interactive experience where one can examine the art in detail while traveling along the lines, colors, and content of the artwork. 

This is a unique time to create and to jury an exhibition. PVAC artists have submitted works reacting to the turmoil of our new reality. They have returned to beloved landscapes and found solace in their studios while in quarantine. The artworks I reviewed are full of emotion, beauty and each one reveals a story either personal or universal. 

Seeing the art in person is a completely different experience. Stepping into a gallery standing inches from the artwork, textures, colors, and compositions are intensified. It is a privilege I am looking forward to eagerly. 

Artists are entrusted to continue to create, provide a dialogue, and lead us to a more just world.”

Nina Zak Laddon

Palos Verdes Art Center

Gov. Gavin Newsom Lays Out Pandemic Plan for Learning and Safe Schools

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Gov. Gavin Newsom Lays Out Pandemic Plan for Learning and Safe Schools

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom July 17, announced his plan for learning and safe schools ahead of the 2020–2021 school year, as the California Department of Public Health issued a framework for when and how schools should reopen for in-person instruction.

The Governor’s plan centers on five key areas:

1) Safe in-person school based on local health data

The California Department of Public Health July 17, issued updated schools guidance that includes using existing epidemiological metrics to determine if school districts can start in-person instruction. CDPH currently uses six indicators to track the level of COVID-19 infection in each California county as well as the preparedness of the county health care system – data that includes the number of new infections per 100,000 residents, the test positivity rate, and the change in hospitalization rate, among others. Any county that does not meet the state’s benchmarks is put on the county monitoring list.

Schools located in counties that are on the monitoring list must not physically open for in-person instruction until their county has come off the list for 14 consecutive days. Schools in counties that have not been on the monitoring list for the prior 14 days may begin in-person instruction, following public health guidelines. School community members – including parents, teachers, staff and students – can track daily data on whether and why their county is on the monitoring list at https://covid19.ca.gov/roadmap-counties/#track-data.

There is a single exception. Local health officers may grant a waiver to allow elementary schools to reopen in-person instruction if the waiver is requested by the district superintendent, in consultation with labor, parents and community-based organizations. When considering a waiver request, the local health officer must consider local data and consult with the California Department of Public Health.

The Department also issued updated guidance for when schools must physically close and revert to distance learning because of COVID-19 infections. Following a confirmed case of a student who was at school during his or her infectious period, other exposed students and staff should be quarantined for 14 days. The school should revert to distance learning when multiple cohorts have cases or 5 percent of students and staff test positive within a 14-day period. The district should revert to distance learning when 25 percent or more of its schools have been physically closed due to COVID-19 within 14 days. Closure decisions should be made in consultation with local health officers. After 14 days, school districts may return to in-person instruction with the approval of the local public health officer.

2) Strong mask requirements for anyone in the school

In the updated guidance, all staff and students in 3rd grade and above will be required to wear a mask or face covering. Students in 2nd grade and below are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering. Students should be provided a face covering if they do not have one. The state has delivered over 18 million face coverings to schools to support them to reopen and ensure all students can participate in learning.

3) Physical distancing requirements & other adaptations

In the updated guidance, CDPH requires that all adults stay 6 feet from one another and 6 feet away from children, while students should maintain 6 feet of distance from one another as practicable. Anyone entering the school must do a health screen, and any student or staff exhibiting a fever or other symptoms will be immediately sent home. The guidance also provides that if anyone in a student or staff member’s household is sick, they too should stay home.

4) Regular testing and dedicated contact tracing for outbreaks at schools

The public health guidance recommends staff in every California school be tested for COVID-19 periodically based on local disease trends and as testing capacity allows. The Governor also announced today that the state will provide resources and technical assistance for COVID-19 investigations in school settings.

5) Rigorous distance learning

Over the course of the pandemic, most schools will likely face physical closure at some point due to COVID-19. The Legislature and Governor Newsom enacted a budget that provided $5.3 billion in additional funding to support learning, and set requirements to ensure schools provide rigorous and grade-appropriate instruction. Under newly enacted state law, school districts are required to provide:

            Devices and connectivity so that every child can participate in distance learning. 

Daily live interaction for every child with teachers and other students.

Class assignments that are challenging and equivalent to in-person instruction.

Targeted supports and interventions for English learners and special education students.

Details:https://files.covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-schools.pdf

LA County Sees Highest Number of COVID-19 Hospitalizations Ever

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LA County Sees Highest Number of COVID-19 Hospitalizations Ever

44 New Deaths and 2,758 New Cases of Confirmed COVID-19 in Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) confirms the highest number of new hospitalizations reported in a day with 2,193 people currently hospitalized, surpassing yesterday’s number.

Out of the 2,193 confirmed COVID-19 cases currently hospitalized, 26% of these people are confirmed cases in the ICU and 17% are confirmed cases on ventilators.

The 3-day average for people hospitalized is 2,084. This is more people hospitalized each day for COVID-19 than at any point during the pandemic.

Data shows younger people between the ages of 18 and 40 years old are being hospitalized at a higher rate than seen before.

Public Health has confirmed 44 new deaths and 2,758 new cases of COVID-19.

At the beginning of June, the 7-day average of new cases was 1,452.  Now the 7-day average is 2,859 new cases a day.  This is double the rate from six weeks ago and higher than any point during this entire pandemic.

Of the 44 new deaths, 27 people who died were over the age of 65 years old, 13 people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Thirty-four people had underlying health conditions including 25 people over the age of 65 years old, eight people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old, and one person between the ages of 18 to 40 years old. Two deaths were reported by the City of Long Beach and one death was reported by the City of Pasadena. 

Testing results are available for over 1,409,000 individuals with 9% of all people testing positive.

To date, Public Health has identified 143,009 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 3,932 deaths. Ninety-three percent of people who died had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 3,598 people (98 percent of the cases reported by Public Health); 45% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 26% among White residents, 16% among Asian residents, 11% among African American/Black residents, less than 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and 2% among residents identifying with other races. Upon further investigation, 56 cases and six deaths reported earlier were not LA County residents.

Data continues to expose disproportionality in health outcomes by race, ethnicity and income level data. African American/Black and Latino/Latinx people are twice as likely to die from COVID-19 when compared to White people. Communities with high levels of poverty are four times as likely to die of COVID-19 compared to residents with the highest income. The high rates of cases and deaths reflect a number of factors, including the effects of systemic racism and discrimination in the Country and a lack of access to the resources and opportunities needed for good health.

Public Health modified its Health Officer Order to align with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s directives to prevent more cases, more serious illnesses, increased hospitalizations and more deaths.

The Order requires the closure of the following sectors for all indoor operations:

Gyms and Fitness Centers

Places of Worship

Indoor Protests

Offices for Non-Critical Infrastructure Sectors as identified at covid19.ca.gov

Personal Care Services(including nail salons, massage parlors, and tattoo parlors)

Hair Salons and Barbershops

Indoor Malls

Bars, indoor dining at restaurants, indoor museums, indoor operations at zoos and aquariums, and card rooms and satellite wagering facilities remain closed and all events and gatherings unless specifically allowed by this Order remain prohibited.

Business owners and residents must take immediate action in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. Stay home if you are elderly or have serious underlying health conditions. Everyone else should stay home as much as possible, and limit activities outside of your home to what is essential – work, getting groceries and medicine, and medical visits. Always wear a face covering and keep physical distance when you are outside your home and wash your hands frequently. The actions of everyone to slow the spread cannot wait.

It’s important if someone thinks they could be positive for COVID-19 and are awaiting testing results, to stay at home and act as if they are positive. This means self-isolating for 10 days and 72 hours after symptoms and fever subside. If a person tests positive for COVID-19, they should plan on receiving a call from a public health specialist to discuss how to protect themselves and others, to find out where they may have been, and who they were in close contact with while infectious.The Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov

Rep. Kirkpatrick and Rep. Newhouse Introduce Local Journalism Sustainability Act

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Rep. Kirkpatrick and Rep. Newhouse Introduce Local Journalism Sustainability Act

Bipartisan Bill That Helps Preserve Community Journalistic Endeavors

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, a bipartisan bill that helps preserve community journalistic endeavors throughout the United States. Joining Reps. Kirkpatrick and Newhouse as original cosponsors of the Local Journalism Sustainability Act are Reps. Fitzpatrick, Souzzi, Welch, R. Davis, McKinley P.E., Visclosky, Peterson, Harder, Heck, Takano, Carson, Fleischmann, Grijalva, Lynch, and Weber.

Local news publications already faced financial difficulties before the onset of COVID-19. Now, in the wake of the severe economic consequences of the pandemic, the industry is facing further challenges to remaining sustainable.

“Local Journalism is a bedrock pillar of communities across the United States,” said Rep. Kirkpatrick. “Unfortunately, journalistic endeavors throughout the country are facing major economic struggles that put the future of many publications in serious jeopardy. These struggles existed before COVID, but the pandemic has only made them more severe. We need to make sure these publications can sustain themselves through this crisis and beyond, and I believe the credits in this bill make significant progress in providing a pathway to that sustainability.”

“Local journalists and newspapers are essential to ensuring the public remains informed,” said Rep. Newhouse. “Local news is crucial – particularly within our rural communities in Central Washington – and our local journalists provide in-depth perspectives that inform their readership regarding local current events.  Unfortunately, due to transforming business models and changes to advertising mediums, many of our locally-owned newspapers have been struggling to make ends meet, and the pandemic has only exacerbated their situation. By providing tax credits for readers and local businesses and by empowering our local journalists, we can begin to help our newspapers remain resilient and continue to provide important information and updates to our rural communities.”

The Local Journalism Sustainability Act offers a series of three tax-credits aimed at sustaining and providing a pathway to viability for the local journalism industry in the years to come.  The first credit works to incentivize annual subscriptions to local papers that primarily produce content related to local news and current events, and can also be used for non-profit publications. The second credit is a five-year refundable credit for local newspapers to employ and adequately compensate journalists. The last of the three credits is a five-year non-refundable tax credit that incentivizes small-to-medium sized businesses to advertise with local newspapers, as well as local radio and television stations.

The proposed credits in the Local Journalism Sustainability Act will encourage Americans to subscribe to local publications, help those publications retain and compensate journalists, and provide businesses and publications alike with much-needed advertising dollars. 

Click here for the full text of the bill.

The legislation has gained support of several journalism and newspaper industry leaders:

“As journalists are on the front lines reporting on the coronavirus crisis, as well as the public unrest on our nation’s streets following the death of George Floyd, the public’s demand for local news has never been greater. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act […] would help ensure local news publishers survive the current crises, and that they are around to cover the next ones. We applaud Representatives Kirkpatrick and Newhouse for their leadership in helping to sustain local journalism and preventing further closings of local news publishing businesses and the growth of news deserts across the country.” – David Chavern, President & CEO of News Media Alliance

“America’s Newspapers and its 1,500 local newspaper members are grateful to Representatives Kirkpatrick and Newhouse for this legislation that addresses the economic damage the COVID-19 pandemic has done to newspapers. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act includes measures that will not only help newspapers continue to serve as vital information first responders in their community, but also help local businesses recover and widen access to trusted local news sources. We urge Congress to pass this legislation.” – Dean Ridings, CEO of America’s Newspapers

“Keeping journalists active in our communities has become the hardest task for community newspapers in this challenging era. If there is anything worse than losing journalists during a pandemic, it is losing journalists during a pandemic in an election year. A lot is at stake in our democracy right now. The National Newspaper Association applauds the creativity of Representatives Kirkpatrick and Newhouse and their colleagues in helping us find new ways to support journalism.” – Matt Adelman, President of the National Newspaper Association.

An Ultimate Meaning of the Bernie 2020 Campaign: “Not Him. Us.”

Norman Solomon
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An Ultimate Meaning of the Bernie 2020 Campaign: “Not Him. Us.”

“Eugene V. Debs is Bernie Sanders’ political hero,” the Washington Post reported with evident distaste while the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination was raging in early 2016. “A picture of the socialist union organizer hung in city hall when he was mayor of Burlington, Vermont. A plaque honoring Debs is now by the window in Sanders’ Senate office.”

Now, as Bernie’s last presidential campaign fades into history, it’s appropriate to consider this statement from Eugene Debs, whose dedication to the working class was matched by his eloquence and courage: “I do not want you to follow me or anyone else; if you are looking for a Moses to lead you out of this capitalist wilderness, you will stay right where you are. I would not lead you into the promised land if I could, because if I led you in, someone else would lead you out.”

Millions of Americans, inspired and energized by the Bernie 2020 campaign, certainly do not want to stay right where they are, in the midst of the capitalist wilderness surrounding us — menacing and deadly with the climate emergency, the unchecked pandemic, vast income inequality, structural racism and so many other terrible ills.

There’s no Moses in sight, nor should there be.

To say that Bernie’s role in progressive movements will diminish in the months and years ahead is to take nothing away from his profound importance in the past and present. During a PBS NewsHour interview a couple of nights ago, he was as cogent and strategic as ever, emphasizing that to defeat Trump “there has to be energy and excitement among younger people, among working-class people, among people who very often do not vote.” Overall, Bernie Sanders continues to be the preeminent and most effective progressive voice in the country.

And yet the pathbreaking brilliance of his 2020 campaign has been followed by confusing and somewhat dispiriting choices that he has made since announcing the “suspension” of his campaign on April 8. The last hundred days have been marred by a backtrack on his pledge that day to “continue working to assemble as many delegates as possible at the Democratic convention, where we will be able to exert significant influence over the party platform and other functions.” Actually, Bernie and his campaign did almost nothing to gain further delegates in subsequent primaries.

Those of us who regret some of Bernie’s tactical decisions during the last three months would do well to recall Eugene Debs’ words about why he was not seeking to “lead you into the promised land.” And now, Bernie Sanders’ campaign slogan is more to the point than ever: “Not me. Us.”

Both of the Sanders presidential campaigns were historic breakthroughs for challenging the moral rot of oligarchy in the United States and for pushing real class analysis into mainstream discourse. The campaigns grew out of — and, crucially, helped grow — grassroots movements fighting to transform institutions that are structurally racist, sexist, militaristic and environmentally destructive while serving corporate power and wealthy elites.

The future is up to us.

______________________________

Norman Solomon is co-founder and national director of RootsAction.org. He is a Bernie Sanders delegate from California to the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Solomon is the author of a dozen books including “War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.”

LA County Increases Law Enforcement Accountability and Invests in Community Health, Safety and Well-Being

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LA County Increases Law Enforcement Accountability and Invests in Community Health, Safety and Well-Being

LOS ANGELES – In the wake of the death of George Floyd, and subsequent protests against the racialized violence communities of color endure at the hands of law enforcement, the Board of Supervisors has moved to increase law enforcement accountability and expand its investments that promote community well-being and reduce the harm caused by an overreliance on law enforcement and incarceration. Through a comprehensive package of four motions authored by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, that include expanding the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, funding probation oversight, scaling up the Public Defender’s Law Enforcement Accountability Unit and advancing the Alternatives to Incarceration initiative, the Board of Supervisors is doubling down on investing in community well-being as well as providing for greater oversight of law enforcement.

Investing in the Public Defender’s Law Enforcement Accountability Unit

Funding and Expediting Probation Oversight in Los Angeles County

Expanding the Office of Diversion and Reentry’s Work to Reduce Incarceration and Invest in the Health and Well-Being of Communities

Creation of a Reserve Fund to Support the Alternatives to Incarceration InitiativesDetails:To read each motion in its entirety, visit: https://ridley-thomas.lacounty.gov/

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