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In the Spirit of Clarity

RLn
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In the Spirit of Clarity

By James Thebaut

On May 29th Random Lengths published a “review of “Beyond the Brink: California’s Watershed” the most recent documentary produced by my production company, The Chronicles Group. The film is currently being broadcast on PBS stations throughout the state of California and in markets across the US.  I felt compelled to respond to the review because my specific objectives in creating the “California’s Watershed” were clearly misunderstood. Also it’s the first time I’ve ever responded to an article or review of any of my body of work, which spans fifty years as a professional. My career includes being a regional environmental planner, a movie and documentary producer and a brief stint as a mayoral candidate in Seattle.

As the Producer/Director of California’s Watershed, I’ll assume full responsibility for not clearly communicating my purpose for the film. Quite simply, I was creating a very specific 27 minute “Call to Action” which focuses on the rapidly escalating demise of the Sierra Nevada Mountains Watershed and attempts to communicate the dangerous impact this process will have on water and food security on the State of California, the nation and the planet. It’s my perspective that California is a microcosm of the world. The Watershed has been mismanaged, exploited and abused for decades, compounded by the climate crisis that has impacted the forest ecosystem and the critical snow-pack.

I attempted to indicate the Watershed provides precious water to not only Northern California but also to one-third of the Southern California’s supply.  The Watershed is also critical to the economic stability of the State and importantly crucial to the crop-rich farms in the San Joaquin Valley. The Valley provides food to the entire nation, which clearly establishes why the demise of the Watershed is a significant National Security emergency!

I also attempted to present a brief look at the history of the Watershed, describing how the irresponsible Fire Suppression policy has evolved and led to uncontrolled growth of the forest. And finally, how the danger of the climate-warming crisis is adding to the forests’ destruction and the catastrophic fires bringing devastation and destruction to the residences in forest communities.  

The film also attempts to emphasize the critical use of incorporating science into viable “green and natural infrastructure” solutions as well as establishing public and private partnerships to implement the crucial solutions.  I backed up this thesis by providing a specific example on how Yuba County, California is actually administering and applying solutions. 

What really caught my attention was that the review questioned my personal integrity and credibility as well as that of the Chronicles Group. 

Furthermore it questioned the Association of California Water Agencies’ (ACWA) financial support for the production and implied that ACWA had untoward influence over the production’s  content.  In response, there is an absolute understanding with all former and current contributors; the Chronicles Group has total and unquestioned editorial control of all the content in all productions. And this precondition is made crystal clear to all of The Chronicles Group’s prospective contributors. 

The Chronicles Group is a small non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and operates on a very tight shoestring budget!  Its educational productions are totally dependent on grants from public agencies and on receiving tax-deductible financial contributions from private entities in order to support The Chronicles Group’s public awareness agenda.  The basis for its support and financial contributions stems from the spectrum of its overall resumé of non-nonpartisan, public policy-oriented educational projects. ACWA and other public and private organizations have been extremely supportive and generous because they support and respect the Chronicles Group’s commitment to generating probing, educational content to inform the public about issues of vital importance to the sustainability of our planet. 

The Chronicles Group has now commenced production on a sequel to the California’s Watershed documentary and its working title is “HEALINGl” 

The objective of this new documentary is to build upon the aforementioned “Call to Action” and to inspire and educate as to the next tangible steps needed to revitalize, restore and manage California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains Watershed.

This past week I was filming in the mountains above Fresno and the conditions are so extremely dire and it would only take a “spark” to set off a disastrous fire.  I hope I have brought some clarity to my reason for writing this piece and put to rest any unsubstantiated questions about the motives and integrity of myself and those associated with my films.  The topics I address are simply too important to be distracted from by cavalier assertions. 

Californians to Wear Face Coverings in Most Settings Outside the Home

Terelle Jerricks
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Californians to Wear Face Coverings in Most Settings Outside the Home

Californians Must Wear Face Coverings When in Higher-Risk Situations, Especially Indoors

Face Coverings Help Reduce the Spread of COVID-19  

Governor Newsom: “Simply put, we are seeing too many people with faces uncovered – putting at risk the real progress we have made in fighting the disease.”

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health today released updated guidance that requires Californians to wear a face covering in high-risk settings. A growing body of scientific research has shown that people with no or few symptoms of COVID-19 can still spread the disease and that the use of face coverings, combined with physical distancing and frequent hand washing, will reduce the spread of COVID-19.  

“Science shows that face coverings and masks work,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “They are critical to keeping those who are around you safe, keeping businesses open and restarting our economy.” 

Governor Newsom also addressed why he took this action now. “Simply put, we are seeing too many people with faces uncovered – putting at risk the real progress we have made in fighting the disease. California’s strategy to restart the economy and get people back to work will only be successful if people act safely and follow health recommendations. That means wearing a face covering, washing your hands and practicing physical distancing.” 

“As Californians venture into our communities more, wearing face coverings is another important way we can help protect one another,” said Dr. Sonia Angell, State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health. “Combined with physical distancing and frequent hand washing, wearing cloth face coverings when we are with others outside of our household will reduce the spread of COVID-19, which is still a very real threat across our state.”

Today’s guidance mandates the use of cloth face coverings by the general public statewide when outside the home, with limited exceptions. 

Californians must wear face coverings when they are in the situations listed below: 

  • Inside of, or in line to enter, any indoor public space; 
  • Obtaining services from the healthcare sector in settings including, but not limited to, a hospital, pharmacy, medical clinic, laboratory, physician or dental office, veterinary clinic, or blood bank; 
  • Waiting for or riding on public transportation or paratransit or while in a taxi, private car service, or ride-sharing vehicle; 
  • Engaged in work, whether at the workplace or performing work off-site, when: 
    • Interacting in-person with any member of the public;  
    • Working in any space visited by members of the public, regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time;  
    • Working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others;  
    • Working in or walking through common areas, such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities;  
    • In any room or enclosed area where other people (except for members of the person’s own household or residence) are present when unable to physically distance. 
  • Driving or operating any public transportation or paratransit vehicle, taxi, or private car service or ride-sharing vehicle when passengers are present. When no passengers are present, face coverings are strongly recommended. 
  • While outdoors in public spaces when maintaining a physical distance of six feet from persons who are not members of the same household or residence is not feasible. 

The following individuals are exempt from wearing a face covering: 

  • Children aged two and under; 
  • Persons with a medical, mental health, or developmental disability that prevents wearing a face covering; 
  • Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication; 
  • Persons for whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.  
  • Persons who are obtaining a service involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service; 
  • Persons who are seated at a restaurant or other establishment that offers food or beverage service, while they are eating or drinking, provided that they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet away from persons who are not members of the same household or residence; 
  • Persons who are engaged in outdoor work or recreation such as swimming, walking, hiking, bicycling, or running, when alone or with household members, and when they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet from others; 
  • Persons who are incarcerated. Prisons and jails, as part of their mitigation plans, will have specific guidance on the wearing of face coverings of masks for both inmates and staff. 

More information about the state’s COVID-19 guidance is on the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance web page. 

More information about reopening California and what individuals can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19, visit Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California.

California Public Health Officials Release Guidance Requiring Californians to Wear Face Coverings in Most Settings Outside the Home

Terelle Jerricks
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California Public Health Officials Release Guidance Requiring Californians to Wear Face Coverings in Most Settings Outside the Home

SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health June 18, released updated guidance that requires Californians to wear a face covering in high-risk settings. A growing body of scientific research has shown that people with no or few symptoms of COVID-19 can still spread the disease and that the use of face coverings, combined with physical distancing and frequent hand washing, will reduce the spread of COVID-19.  

“Science shows that face coverings and masks work,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “They are critical to keeping those who are around you safe, keeping businesses open and restarting our economy.” 

Governor Newsom also addressed why he took this action now. “Simply put, we are seeing too many people with faces uncovered – putting at risk the real progress we have made in fighting the disease. California’s strategy to restart the economy and get people back to work will only be successful if people act safely and follow health recommendations. That means wearing a face covering, washing your hands and practicing physical distancing.” 

“As Californians venture into our communities more, wearing face coverings is another important way we can help protect one another,” said Dr. Sonia Angell, State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health. “Combined with physical distancing and frequent hand washing, wearing cloth face coverings when we are with others outside of our household will reduce the spread of COVID-19, which is still a very real threat across our state.”

The guidance mandates the use of cloth face coverings by the general public statewide when outside the home, with limited exceptions. 

Californians must wear face coverings when they are in the situations listed below: 

Inside of, or in line to enter, any indoor public space; 

Obtaining services from the healthcare sector in settings including, but not limited to, a hospital, pharmacy, medical clinic, laboratory, physician or dental office, veterinary clinic, or blood bank; 

Waiting for or riding on public transportation or paratransit or while in a taxi, private car service, or ride-sharing vehicle; 

Engaged in work, whether at the workplace or performing work off-site, when: 

interacting in-person with any member of the public;  

Working in any space visited by members of the public, regardless of whether anyone from the public is present at the time;  

Working in any space where food is prepared or packaged for sale or distribution to others;  

Working in or walking through common areas, such as hallways, stairways, elevators, and parking facilities;  

In any room or enclosed area where other people (except for members of the person’s own household or residence) are present when unable to physically distance. 

Driving or operating any public transportation or paratransit vehicle, taxi, or private car service or ride-sharing vehicle when passengers are present. When no passengers are present, face coverings are strongly recommended. 

While outdoors in public spaces when maintaining a physical distance of six feet from persons who are not members of the same household or residence is not feasible. 

The following individuals are exempt from wearing a face covering: 

Children aged two and under; 

Persons with a medical, mental health, or developmental disability that prevents wearing a face covering; 

Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication; 

Persons for whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.  

Persons who are obtaining a service involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face covering is necessary to perform the service; 

Persons who are seated at a restaurant or other establishment that offers food or beverage service, while they are eating or drinking, provided that they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet away from persons who are not members of the same household or residence; 

Persons who are engaged in outdoor work or recreation such as swimming, walking, hiking, bicycling, or running, when alone or with household members, and when they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet from others; 

Persons who are incarcerated. Prisons and jails, as part of their mitigation plans, will have specific guidance on the wearing of face coverings of masks for both inmates and staff. 

More information about the state’s COVID-19 guidance is on the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance web page. More information about reopening California and what individuals can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19, visit Coronavirus (COVID-19) in California.

LGBTQ Organizations Unite in Calling for Transformational Change in Policing

Reporters Desk
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LGBTQ Organizations Unite in Calling for Transformational Change in Policing

Black people have been killed, Black people are dying at the hands of police, our country is in crisis, and we all need to take action. We cannot sit on the sidelines, we cannot acquiesce, and we cannot assign responsibility to others. We, as leaders in the LGBTQ movement, must rise up and call for structural change, for divestment of police resources and reinvestment in communities, and for long-term transformational change. Now is the time to take action, and this letter amplifies our strong calls for urgent and immediate action to be taken. 
Ongoing police brutality and systemic racism have plagued this nation for generations and have been captured on video and laid bare to the public in the United States and around the world. In 2019, more than 1,000 people were killed at the hands of the police.1 We mourn the unacceptable and untimely deaths of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Stephon Clark, Freddie Gray, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Mya Hall, Tony McDade, Rayshard Brooks, and many more who were gone too soon. 
We have seen with increased frequency the shocking video footage of police brutality. Officers have been recorded instigating violence, screaming obscenities, dragging individuals out of cars, using unnecessary force, holding individuals at gunpoint, and kneeling on peoples’ necks to the desperate plea of “I can’t breathe.” These occurrences are stark reminders of a police system that needs structural changes, deconstruction, and transformation. No one should fear for their lives when they are pulled over by the police. Parents should not have to “have a talk” about how to engage with the police to their children. We as a nation are bleeding, and it is now, once again, time to call for change at every level of government. 
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, along with more than 400 other civil rights organizations including LGBTQ organizations, outlined critical steps ranging from demilitarizing law enforcement to ending qualified immunity that must be taken at the federal level to end police brutality and create accountability. In response to the continued violence, Representative Karen Bass (D-CA), working closely with the Congressional Black Caucus and other leaders in Congress, introduced the Justice in Policing Act of 20202 that reflects those core priorities that we support.3
We also call for a divestment of public funding from police and a reinvestment in communities.4 Specifically, both the power and scope of police responsibilities should be significantly curtailed, by shifting certain responsibilities – such as mental health crisis response – from armed police officers to the professionals who are properly trained and better equipped to manage those responsibilities. True change must include the following principles. 
1. Divesting of Public Funding From Police and Investing in Our Communities 
Public funding should be shifted from police to reinvesting in our communities. Crime is often a symptom of scarcity and our frayed social safety net is sorely underfunded. The United States spends twice as much on policing, prisons, and courts as it does on direct welfare programs such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and supplemental social security.5 Congress, states, and local governments can reduce incidents of crime and create healthy communities by investing in direct assistance programs, affordable housing, education, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and early intervention programs (including violence interruption programs). 
2. Shifting Most First Responder Responsibilities Away From Police
Our current crisis-response system should place healthcare workers, like social workers and psychiatrists, at the frontline of immediate health crisis events, not police officers. Inadequate healthcare and a lack of social safety nets have led to increased police interaction with individuals experiencing mental health crises. As a result, police officers are often called to assist in mental health emergencies, despite having little or no relevant training. This should change.
3. End Predictive Policing
We must address and stop the current use of predictive policing techniques that disproportionately affect minority communities. Predictive policing forecasts crime using algorithmic techniques, based on historical crime data, to determine where to deploy police and who is most likely to commit a crime. Not only does this dangerously reinforce discriminatory biases in the criminal justice system, resulting in over-policing of vulnerable communities, such as people of color and those from the LGBTQ community, but there is a lack of transparency from agencies that employ this method.6 Law enforcement agencies are often not required to share how or what data is being analyzed. Furthermore, these predictive technologies serve to escalate the level of enforcement and increase police presence in communities that are already over-surveilled. All law enforcement strategies must take into account the privacy concerns of the communities being policed, as well as the impact of over-policing on vulnerable communities. The use of predictive policing algorithms disregards both.
4. Police Union Contracts Should Be Made Public and Officers Held Liable

Currently, police union contracts make it nearly impossible for civilians to view information about officers, including incidents of prior misconduct.7 In doing so, police officers are shielded from accountability for their actions. The disciplinary history of a police officer whose personnel records are riddled with instances of misconduct and bad behavior should not be protected from public scrutiny. Making these contracts public and removing barriers that restrict access to records of police misconduct would allow for greater transparency and oversight and are necessary for public safety. Police union contracts must also hold police officers financially liable for killings and excessive use of force, including ending paid administrative leave and eligibility to be rehired by police departments.

As we consider these proposals, we should also evaluate how we reduce our over-reliance on policing to secure public safety.

We, the undersigned, call out for change and call out for change now. There is no state, no municipal jurisdiction, and no law enforcement agency where transformational changes are not necessary and urgent. When celebrating Pride Month this June, we must remember that the protests and riots from Compton’s Cafeteria to Stonewall were sparked by Black and Latinx transgender women calling for police reform due to harassment and mistreatment of LGBTQ people. We commemorate the history of the LGBTQ Movement, namely our resistance to police harassment and brutality across the nation, when such violence was common and expected. We remember this time as transformative, where we overcame our pain and fear to push for the ability to live a more authentic and free life. Today, we join together again to say that enough is enough. 
The time for structural change and transformation is now.

California “Berning” for Ro Khanna to Chair the State’s Delegation to Democratic National Convention

Norman Solomon
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California “Berning” for Ro Khanna to Chair the State’s Delegation to Democratic National Convention

The Democratic Party is at a crossroads in California, where Bernie Sanders defeated Joe Biden in the presidential primary three months ago, winning more than half of the state’s delegates to the national convention. In recent days, over 110 Sanders delegates — just elected in “virtual caucuses” across the state — have signed a statement calling for Congressman Ro Khanna to be the chair of California’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention in mid-August.

Fairness, logic and even party unity all argue for Khanna to chair the delegation.

Noting that “Sanders received appreciably more votes in the California primary than any other candidate,” the statement points out that “Khanna has been a national champion on issues supported by California Democrats — health care for all, national budget priorities based on human needs and opposing Trump on huge increases in military spending and endless wars, criminal justice reform, and a path to citizenship for immigrants.”

Released by Our Revolution, Progressive Democrats of America and RootsAction.org (where I’m national director), the statement has been endorsed by the California Nurses Association as well as by Amar Shergill, the chair of the state Democratic Party’s large Progressive Caucus. Four-fifths of the state’s Bernie delegates elected in congressional districts have already signed it.

“Having our state delegation chaired by one of the Bernie 2020 campaign’s national co-chairs would send an important message of inclusion to disaffected voters across the country,” the statement says. “As state delegation chair, Congressman Khanna would be well-positioned to serve as a voice for authentic unity behind a ticket headed by Biden for the imperative of defeating Trump.”

But whether the powers that be in the Democratic Party are truly interested in such “authentic unity” will be put to a test at a June 28 statewide delegates meeting, where California’s delegation chair is scheduled to be chosen. (I’ll be part of the meeting as a Bernie delegate.) Rules for that meeting — or even information on who will run it – have not yet been disclosed.

A common steamroller technique at such meetings is for an omnibus package with myriad provisions — including decisions made in advance by those in power — to be presented for a single up-or-down vote. Instead, what’s needed is a truly democratic election, with nominations for delegation chair and a ballot enabling each delegate to cast a vote for one of the candidates. (What a concept.)

Sanders defeated Biden by a margin of 8 percent in the California primary. But hidebound tradition as well as raw political power are arrayed against the Bernie delegates pushing for Khanna to chair the delegation.

Traditionally, the Democratic governor would be the chair of the state’s delegation to the national convention, as was the case four years ago with Gov. Jerry Brown. And the current Democrat in the governor’s office, Gavin Newsom, is unlikely to favor giving up this chance to enhance his national stature and aid his evident presidential ambitions.

For progressives, however, much more is at stake than political prestige.

Every indication is that only a state delegation chair will be allowed to introduce proposals or amendments to the entire convention. Simply having the option of doing so, on issues like Medicare for All and a Green New Deal, could give the state party chair leverage for programs championed by the Bernie 2020 campaign. That’s exactly the kind of leverage that party power brokers want to prevent from falling into the hands of genuine progressives.

______________________________

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.”

Random Letters: 6-11-20

Terelle Jerricks
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Random Letters: 6-11-20

More Solutions, Less Complainin’

The following is meant to be one of the solutions to the problem of overzealousness on the part of police.

In the 1970s, Miguel Garcia went before the California Supreme Court in Pitchess vs. California and set legal precedent for civil rights attorneys to use “discovery” to find earlier victims of a police “bad apples” so they could testify in a new case. This is routinely used today in similar cases all over the country.  Unfortunately,  police departments have taken to destroying their public files–deliberately hindering the efforts to weed out racists and other bad apples within the forces.

The most important reform that could be made right now would be national laws forbidding the elimination of these files. Please initiate such legislation.

William Weeks, San Pedro

A Timely Letter 

Before you start whining because you can’t go to the beach and lie in the sun, or drink at a bar, or go to a restaurant, think about those who have been devastated by the loss of family, friends and/or their jobs so they can’t even afford to drive to the beach or go to a restaurant, and maybe not even have a roof over their heads anymore. Count your blessings. 

Mike McCollum, San Pedro

Nudging Over the Cliff

The budget cuts being contemplated by Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature are an assault on generations of seniors whose sacrifices have earned them more than red-pencil treatment on a spreadsheet.

Already pushed to the brink by Medicare and MediCal reductions, hospital and insurance pressure, and COVID-19’s disproportional rate of illnesses and fatalities, this round of cuts will surely nudge them over the healthcare cliff.

History tells us that these seniors have lived up to their name: The Greatest Generation. They fought in distant and hostile lands to protect our freedoms. They spent their lives contributing to our prosperity and serving our needs as first responders, teachers, healthcare providers, public servants and business leaders.

The $54 billion California deficit challenges us all to sacrifice. But for elder seniors, it is more like a whammy than a challenge. Programs allowing elder seniors to remain in their homes are being jeopardized. People who are not mobile, have disabilities, lack adequate transportation, or simply have difficulty seeing or hearing, could lose resources that get them through the day.

Seniors are not asking for unfair advantage over others. They so appreciate being able to shop early at grocery stores; and get business-to-door services, wellness checks by phone, and food security. All they ask is an equitable opportunity to survive with dignity in their homes and not in substandard nursing homes or other facilities.

Make no mistake, seniors understand that many in California face challenging, life-altering consequences. But they also know that few are more vulnerable or face more life-threatening outcomes than those who have reached a time in their lives when they need our help to go to battle.

 Seniors are accustomed to challenges and many have clawed back from the edges of conflict, shortages, and great recessions. They are soldiers, parents, and grandparents who have always had the nation’s back.

Now we need to have theirs.

Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D., Santa Clarita President, LA County Commission for Older Adults

Barragán Statement on Supreme Court DACA Decision

Reporters Desk
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Barragán Statement on Supreme Court DACA Decision

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After the June 18, Supreme Court decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán, 2nd Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, made the following statement:

“DACA recipients can breathe a sigh of relief this morning, as the Supreme Court ruled they are safe for now.

“But this fight is not over. We know the Trump Administration will try again to end this important program.

“Congress MUST fix this and protect Dreamers. We must pass H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act. 

“Today is a welcome moment of relief for so many young immigrants amidst a time of tragedy and uncertainty in Latino and immigrant communities. The Supreme Court’s decision in this case temporarily upholds the ability of more than 700,000 residents to live and work in the only country many of them have ever known. For now, more than 8,000 neighbors, friends, and community members in my district will now have the ability to continue to work and live openly in these troubling times.

“This also means that the 29,000 DACA recipients that are healthcare workers will be able to stay on the job and help our nation fight back against COVID-19. For that, we should all be very grateful. But make no mistake, the Court’s decision does not give Dreamers the full protections and certainty that they need.

“Despite the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant policies, rhetoric and their repeated attempts to frighten and marginalize America’s immigrant community, this challenge has made us more organized and stronger than ever.

“Today is a proud day for our country, but the fight is not over. This decision does not create long-term certainty in order to truly protect DACA recipients.

“We must provide certainty by making sure the American Dream and Promise Act becomes law. I will keep up the fight to get this law enacted and I will continue to be a fierce advocate for immigrant and human rights in Washington.”

LAPD Chief Should ‘Re-Retire’ After Absurd Race Reveal

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LAPD Chief Should ‘Re-Retire’ After Absurd Race Reveal

@THE GUSS REPORT-Maya Angelou wrote, “the first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.”

For many Angelenos, their first experience with LAPD Chief Michel Moore was his delusional comment last week about racial strife and riots amid the George Floyd protests: 

“We didn’t have protests last night. We had criminal acts. We didn’t have people mourning the death of this man, George Floyd. We had people capitalizing. His death is on their hands as much as it is those officers.” 

Through the Angelou lens, Moore thinks all of us are equally responsible for Floyd’s murder. I don’t know what video he saw, but I didn’t see any of you restraining and murdering Floyd in the one that I watched. 

Moore subsequently apologized for his racially insensitive remarks but disingenuously suggested that his word choice was the mistake. But this wasn’t a poorly chosen word or two. It was a lucid-but-absurd five-sentence reveal that goes to the heart of the troubled agency he leads; one with a long history of racism, violence and killing of unarmed black, brown, and poor people. 

Floyd, a handcuffed and unarmed (as opposed to disarmed) Black man died by suffocation a couple of weeks ago at the hands, or knee rather, of a Minneapolis police officer who was subsequently arrested and charged with murder. Three other officers, including two who were brand new to the job, were also fired and later charged with related but lower-level murder counts. 

Moore is paid hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to not only lead the LAPD but also avoid doing stupid things like this. He is paid to know the score, be in the right place at the right time and do the right thing, as it were. 

Moore failed LA in each of those responsibilities. 

Moore and the entire LAPD Commission should watch Spike Lee’s movie of the same title because it is art foreshadowing the George Floyd and Eric Garner murders by decades. 

Moore’s remarks are a bell that cannot be un-rung and in fact will be re-rung each time the LAPD kills another unarmed black, brown or poor person, which history tells us is always around the bend in LA. 

To be clear, I do not know whether Michel Moore harbors racist opinions. What I do know is that he ignores warning signs of trouble at the LAPD. When I brought to his attention a series of serious threats and abuses that his officers made toward me (on video, no less), he remained silent. He ignored the problem and refused to apologize even after I sued the LAPD and Mike Feuer’s LA City Attorney’s office and recently won $10,836. 

So the question of the day is this: If I, a white suburbanite, was treated that way by Moore, how can those whose only difference is more melanin in their skin trust him when they complain about LAPD abuses? 

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, who made a pandering, disingenuous public spectacle of taking a Colin Kaepernick-like knee with protestors shortly after he approved massive raises for the LAPD, surprisingly aligns himself with Moore, saying, “If I believed for a moment that the chief believed that in his heart, he would no longer be our chief of police. I can’t say that any stronger.”

But it is well-established that Garcetti speaks out of both sides of every orifice and cannot be taken at his word. Garcetti’s motive for standing by Moore is this: he hired him. And it would be oh-so-bad to fire him while serving as Joe Biden’s presidential campaign co-chair five months before the election because it draws further scrutiny to Biden’s racist statements about Barack Obama; his anti-black crime bill and “you ain’t black” remark which he recently made to Charlamagne tha God, co-host of nationally syndicated radio program, The Breakfast Club with DJ Envy and Angela Yee. 

In other words, Moore’s misconduct is bad for politics no matter how you slice it. 

Moore also failed LA for the consequence of donning his battle gear and leaving the LAPD’s emergency operations center to do media interviews in the street during the chaos, instead of maintaining oversight of a riot that became increasingly violent and destructive by the hour. A source deeply embedded in City Hall culture tells me, “The Chief needed to be at the command center for situational awareness so he can see the entire city and communicate with neighboring jurisdictions for mutual aid if needed. This was a ‘make the Mayor and Union happy photo-op’ to show the boots on the ground their so-called leadership. However, any seasoned officer will tell you that once you are in the weeds as Moore was, you lose the bird’s eye view. When Moore did that, the chaos got worse.”

The offices currently held by Garcetti and Moore have a well-established history of racism, especially during the tenure of their predecessors Sam Yorty and Daryl Gates, respectively. Garcetti brushing aside Moore’s remarks furthers the belief that racism is rewarded in LA City Hall and LAPD headquarters. 

Angelou, whose birthday coincides with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., passed away six years to the day, one day before these 2020 riots. 

Garcetti hired Moore to lead the LAPD a few years ago after Moore, then LAPD’s Chief of Operations, bagged $1.27 million in the city’s controversial DROP retirement program, returning as Chief shortly thereafter in an orchestrated retirement and re-hiring masquerading as a search for the best person for the job. 

Garcetti decided that in an agency with thousands of people from every ethnicity, gender and skin tone, the best person for the job was another out-of-touch straight white male millionaire with a propensity to say racially insensitive things. 

On Friday, Garcetti trotted out Moore for a groveling apology tour, though this photo shows that Moore has no regard for social distancing or wearing a face mask that Garcetti ordered the rest of us to don in public, or else. Note: Moore didn’t pull down a mask to speak; he wasn’t wearing one at all but wears one to virtue signal when he stands behind the mayor at his recent press conferences.

It furthers the widely held belief that cops are above the law, even on the little things. And note all of the non-white people properly assembled behind Moore. 

Just a coincidence, I’m sure. . . 

Our local governments think we’re idiots who can’t read between the lines, so they orchestrate disingenuous visuals. 

Max De Pree, author of Leadership is an Art, said, “we cannot become what we need to, by remaining what we are.” The LAPD cannot cure itself with Moore at its helm. He should do LA a favor and swallow his pride, quietly re-retire and collect his lucrative pension dough without saying another word before the next black, brown or poor person is killed by those he leads. 

Moore, Garcetti and LAPD Commission president Eileen Decker, a former federal prosecutor, refused to field live questions for this column.

(Daniel Guss, MBA, is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, and has contributed to CityWatch, KFI AM-640, iHeartMedia, 790-KABC, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Daily News, Los Angeles Magazine, Movieline Magazine, Emmy Magazine, Los Angeles Business Journal,

Museums Closed But Public Art Is Open

Reporters Desk
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Museums Closed But Public Art Is Open

“Art plays a central role in making Los Angeles a vibrant and culturally rich City by educating local residents, enhancing the economy, and creating memorable landscapes in public places and spaces.”

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin released, June 17, a Public Art map of 200 sculptures, installations, murals and photos that exist in and on buildings, at parks and elsewhere throughout Los Angeles. The map makes the City’s Public Art database — overseen by the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) — available to Angelenos for the first time. Users can navigate the map to see the name of the artwork, its location, the name of the artist(s) and what type of art it is.

The Public Art map accompanies his report on the larger City Art Collection, which is separate from the Public Art database. Also overseen by DCA, the City Art Collection is composed of 2,500 additional paintings, murals, sculptures, lithographs and photographs displayed at public buildings, on loan or in storage. 

“Public art is a central part of our communities in Los Angeles,” said Controller Galperin. “It inspires creativity and enhances landscapes in our neighborhoods. My hope is that the new database will encourage Angelenos to visit public art throughout the City at a time when our local museums and cultural centers remain closed due to COVID-19.”

Details: www.lacontroller.org/audits-and-reports/cityart 

Vigan’s Public Market: The Commons in the Hands of Farmers and the Poor

David Bacon
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Vigan’s Public Market: The Commons in the Hands of Farmers and the Poor

For photos of the labor and student marches in Berkeley, and the huge Oakland car caravan protesting the murder of George Floyd, and new online exhibition, see below.
https://davidbaconrealitycheck.blogspot.com/2020/06/vigans-public-market-commons-in-hands.html
https://online.ucpress.edu/gastronomica/article/20/2/99/110266/Vigan-s-Public-Market-The-Commons-in-the-Hands-of

Children of the stall owners often work in the market with their families.

Walking through the public markets of the Philippines, I can see a way that people have been able to institutionalize public markets, keeping their people-serving purpose intact.

Vigan’s current public market was rebuilt in the years after the fall of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Under Marcos, farm income plummeted as he opened the economy to transna- tional loans and investment. According to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, by 1982 two-thirds of families consumed less than the recommended minimum daily calorie intake.

In the wake of the 1986 Peoples’ Power movement that ended Marcos’s rule, rural people expected that the government would act to redistribute land and boost rural income. Rebuilding the market was a visible act by local government to demonstrate changed priorities.

Despite all the changes in how food and clothing are distributed and sold in a modern city, today the Vigan market is still a destination for thousands of people. Its prices are lower than most other places, and the experience of buying something is much more personal. In the interactions between stall owners and their customers, it is clear that in many cases people have known each other for years.

Emil de Guzman, a Filipino American activist from San Francisco, describes the role of the public market in Philippine towns:

“In the Philippines at the heart of any city or town is a plaza. At the center of all activity is the palengke, a huge one-story structure housing the local vendors, shopkeepers, small businesses under one roof, in compartmentalized units buying and selling goods and services.

“The palengke is purposely sectioned to accommodate vendors standing side by side selling the same products: butchers selling meat, sellers of fresh fish and seafoods, rows of newly harvested vegetables. The coconuts vendors are sectioned off nearby other stalls selling the garlic and onions, then tofu, then eggs, then mangos, papayas and dried fish. Then nearby sections on clothes, cosmetics, umbrellas and the list goes on. Thousands come to the palengke to shop and buy/bargain at the lowest prices.”

Vigan’s public market is just the latest iteration of the city’s history as a trading and market center, going back centuries. Vigan is one of the oldest cities in the Philippines and was founded by Chinese traders long before the arrival of the Spaniards. In the language of these migrants from Fujian Province, the name Bi-gan meant Beautiful Shore.

In Vigan they traded gold and beeswax from the Cordilleras, the mountain range that forms the spine of Luzon, for Chinese porcelain and other goods. The status of the Chinese ethnic mi- nority in the Philippines is still controversial. The Chinese com- munity even established a museum in Manila, arguing that their presence was a crucial part of Philippine history and that Chinese workers helped build the country over centuries.

The Spaniards colonized the islands, capturing Vigan in 1572 and making it the administrative capital of northern Luzon, called Nueva Segovia. By then a central market here was long established. It provided a critical function for farm- ers, who brought food into the city, and for the city dwellers who depended on them.

All over the world similar markets exist. While the nature of the economies of individual countries change, these markets exist to fulfill the same function of providing food and goods at low prices to poor people, and to provide a way for farmers to bring agricultural products directly to consumers.

During the last two or three decades, the food sovereignty movement in affluent countries has been reinventing this institution-the farmers’ market-that has been an institution in much of the rest of the world for centuries. In part, this is motivated by the search for a more sustainable, less corporate-dominated food system. While public markets are threatened by the growth of supermarkets and corporate systems for food processing and distribution, their continued popularity is due not only to the fact that their food is generally cheaper for consumers but by the very fact that they are an alternative.

Public markets, where local farmers and other small vendors sell to people without much money, are institutions that not only serve an important social purpose but are structures set up by governments in response to popular need and pressure. That makes them part of the public space that people often have to struggle to protect.

An old man and a boy in the window of a colonial building in the old mestizo, or Chinese, section of Vigan.
Selling coconuts and other vegetables at a stall in the market.
A girl in a world of her own.
Buying groceries.
Many stalls in the market serve cheap meals.
A woman sells rambutans from a table in the hallway of the market.
Farmers and stall owners have to get up early to arrive when the market opens, and then fall asleep during the day.
Catching sleep during a lull in the market.
Relaxing behind bags of beans and tamarindos.
A farmer unpacking bags of calamansi fruit.
Rice is the staple of the Philippines and is grown and sold in a number of varieties.

LABOR MARCH PROTESTS THE POLICE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD

BERKELEY, CA – 13JUNE20 – Hundreds of union members and outraged people march through the streets of Berkeley to protest the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and other African American and people of color killed by police.  The march was organized by the labor councils of Alameda, San Francisco, Contra Costa and San Mateo Counties, and Service Employees International Union Local 1021.

To see a full set of photos, click here:https://www.flickr.com/photos/56646659@N05/albums/72157714734338062

STUDENTS MARCH TO PROTEST THE POLICE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD

BERKELEY, CA – 09JUNE20 – Hundreds of students, teachers and outraged people march through the streets of Berkeley to protest the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and other African Americian and other people of color killed by police. 

To see a full set of photos, click here:https://www.flickr.com/photos/56646659@N05/albums/72157714656895057

HUGE CAR CARAVAN PROTESTS THE POLICE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD

OAKLAND, CA – 31MAY20 – Thousands of people participate in a caravan of over 2000 cars from the Port of Oakland, to protest the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and African American and people of color killed by police.

To see a full set of photos, click here:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/56646659@N05/albums/7215771453384218

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