Category: Update

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Proposed California law aims to close car break-in ‘loophole’

By Karma Dickerson : fox40 – excerpt (includes video)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) — Across California, more and more people are coming to their cars to find someone has forced their way in and taken their belongings. Almost everyone has a car break-in story to tell.

Many people FOX40 spoke with were surprised to learn that finding the thieves isn’t the only challenge for authorities — holding them accountable in court isn’t is as straight forward as many might think.

When it comes to stealing from cars, California law defines burglary as entering a vehicle “when the doors are locked.”…

“We have to prove the vehicle is locked to make it a felony,” Ronald Lawrence, president of the California Police Chiefs Association, told FOX40…

Assembly Bill 1921 would create a new law that simply makes forcibly entering a vehicle to steal a crime…(more)

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Bloomberg Endorses Measure to Revise Prop. 13, Raise Commercial Property Taxes

By Scott Shafer : kqed – excerpt

Stepping up his presence in California ahead of the March 3 presidential primary, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg  threw his weight behind a proposed ballot measure to remove tax protections on commercial property currently enjoyed under voter-approved Proposition 13, the landmark anti-tax.

Under Prop. 13, county assessors treat all property — commercial and residential — the same when it comes to taxation. That would change under the proposed initiative, dubbed “Schools & Communities First” by its supporters.

Homeowners and some small businesses would not be affected by the measure, which includes a tax of 1% based on the purchase price and annual increases of up to 2%.

Supporters of the ballot measure, including powerful public employee unions such as the Service Employees International Union and the California Teachers Association, say they are in the final stages of collecting the signatures needed to place the measure before voters in November

The media mogul, who is self-funding his entire presidential campaign and spending lavishly in Super Tuesday states, including California, is the fifth Democratic presidential candidate to back the measure, joining Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg. Other candidates, including Kamala Harris and Julian Castro also endorsed it before they dropped out of the race.…(more)

I wonder if anyone has explained to the presidential candidates the divide and conquer plan to turn single family homes into commercial properties? If not, someone should. The split roll will be meaningless when they remove single family zoning. Rents will go up to cover the expenses.
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SF Board of Supervisors wants to protect City Hall with a Budget Boost

1/28 & 1/31) Stop the cuts at CCSF!

The San Francisco Labor Council just passed a resolution supporting Supervisor Walton’s legislation allocating a $2.7 million dollar budget supplemental for City College to restore the classes cut from the Spring and Summer 2020 schedules last November. With 7 out of 11 Supervisors pledging support for the measure, we expect it to pass when the Board votes tomorrow. (January 28, 2029)

Help us keep CCSF the kind of college all of our San Francisco communities deserve! Join two upcoming hearings at City Hall in room 250 on the devastating class cuts at City College. PLEASE RSVP

Please wear red for education. If you have to prioritize one event please plan to participate on Friday 1/31 from 9:30-11:30am.

TUESDAY, 1/28, 1-4PM

  • 1-2pm, 2nd floor Supervisors’ hall: Stop by Supervisors’ offices to thank or ask for their support.
  • 2-4pm, room 250: Board of Supervisors will vote on Supervisor Walton’s $2.7M Emergency Bridge Funds ordinance. There will be no dedicated public comment on this measure but, if you can, please be present in chambers to show support during the vote. Wear your “Red for Ed” AFT shirt or other red clothing. Meeting begins at 2pm, but our item is #29 on the agenda, so it will likely come to the Board on the later side — perhaps closer to 4:00pm. PLEASE RSVP

FRIDAY, 1/31, 9:30-11:30AM

  • 9:30am, Polks St. steps: Rally, wear your “Red for Ed” AFT shirt or other red clothing.
  • 10-11:30am, room 250: Public comment to the Joint Education Committee. We’ve seen the decimation of African American Studies, Philippine Studies, Tagalog, older adult classes, and much more. Supervisor Walton has called a special Joint Education Committee hearing with an emphasis on the effects that class cuts have on our low income and students of color. Please come and be heard. Please invite your students. Let’s push back on the narrative that narrowing class offerings helps our students succeed. PLEASE RSVP
More info: Athena Waid, awaid@aft2121.org.