Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay) is co-sponsoring two free learning opportunities this month for businesses in Assembly District 11.

On Thursday, Oct. 13, business owners and operators can gain expert advice about worker’s compensation and paid sick leave laws during a Link and Learn session co-sponsored by the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce. Representatives from the California Department of Industrial Relations will lead the workshop, which will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the Chamber office, 985 Railroad Avenue in Pittsburg. Register online at http://bit.ly/LinkLearn.

On Wednesday, Oct. 19, a Small Business Seminar & Resource Expo will be presented by the California State Board of Equalization from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.) at the Brentwood Community Center, 35 Oak Street in Brentwood.

With a theme of “Strategies for Success in Today’s Economy,” the seminar will cover such topics as sales and use taxes; loan programs; forms of ownership; record-keeping; how to distinguish an employee from an independent contractor; and resources for marketing.

Invited presenters include the California State Board of Equalization; the U.S. Small Business Administration; California’s Employment Development Department and Franchise Tax Board; the Internal Revenue Service; the Small Business Development Center; and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).

In addition to Frazier, the Small Business Seminar is co-sponsored by State Board of Equalization Members Fiona Ma and George Runner; Brentwood Mayor Robert Taylor, and the City of Brentwood. Register online at www.boe.ca.gov/seminars or by calling 1-888-847-9652.

For more information about either event, call Assemblymember Frazier’s office at 925-513-0411.

To contact Assemblymember Jim Frazier please visit his website at www.asmdc.org/frazier or call his District Office at 925-513-0411. Follow him on Facebook and “Like” him for updates on events and happenings in the 11th AD.

Antioch Police calls for service highlights as published in City Manager Steve Duran’s Weekly Report dated September 30, 2016 and provided by Chief of Police Allan Cantando.

Calls for Service and Arrest Data Summary:

Time Period: 09/22/2016 00:00:00 – 09/28/16 23:59:59

Number of Calls for Service: 1,728

Number of Case Reports: 303

Number of Arrests: 84

Felony: 46

Misdemeanor: 37

Infraction: 1

Arrests with DUI charge: 1

The data is based upon unaudited CAD/RMS data at time of report generation.

• ·9/28/2016 at 9:28 pm, two female residents arrived home in the 3100 block of Ashley Way and pulled into their driveway. As the driver exited the car, she was approached by two males wearing hoodies with the drawstrings cinched tight covering their faces. The two males were armed with firearms and demanded the victim’s purses. The victim gave the responsibles her purse and they fled the scene in a white sedan. The entire incident was caught on video, which was collected and logged into evidence. Area check for the responsibles met with negative results. Pittsburg PD also had an armed robbery with similar descriptions of the suspects.
• ·9/28/2016 at 10:54 am, an APD detective obtained a Ramey warrant for 37 year old Kevin Pardue for being an accessory to the Green Hills Cir. shooting that occurred on 8/31/2016. Pardue was contacted on W 8^th St. and taken into custody. Pardue was booked into county jail.
• ·9/28/2016 at 12:23 am, the victim was getting ready for work downtown and pulled his pressure washer out of his garage and put it in the driveway. The victim went back into the garage to get more tools when 41 year old Phillip Morell pulled into the victim’s driveway. The victim did not know Morell so he asked what he wanted. Morell backed into the street and then accelerated toward the victim, driving over a curb and into the driveway in an attempt to hit the victim. The victim jumped out of the way and Morell hit the neighbor’s car. Morell backed up and accelerated toward the victim again, but the victim was able to flee unharmed. While officers were on scene taking the report, Morell drove by and then fled when he saw the officers. Officers conducted a traffic stop on Morell at W 9^th St. and L St. Morell fled on foot from the stop, but was apprehended at W 10^th St. and L St. Morell was arrested and sent to county jail for assault with a deadly weapon.
• ·9/27/2016 at 11:37 am, the suspect entered the Arco station at 2610 Contra Loma Blvd. and tried to cover this face while another customer walked out. While the register was still open, the suspect reached over the counter and grabbed cash. As he was trying to get more cash, the clerk, tried to fight off the suspect. The clerk was struck several times in the face. The suspect eventually fled the business with the cash. Officers checked the area and were unable to locate the suspect.
• ·9/27/2016 at 10:13 am, an officer contacted 31 year old Phillip Katusich in the area of Delta Fair Blvd. and Kendree St. and he was found to have a warrant for his arrest for narcotics. He was arrested and issued a new court date.
• ·9/27/2016 at 7:36 am, officers were dispatched to East Hills Vet located at 2325 Buchanan Rd. on report of people having sex in a vehicle. The officer determined this information to be false but discovered the occupant of the car, 46 year old Michael Fortner, had four warrants for his arrest for traffic and narcotics violations. He was arrested without incident and booked in county jail.
• ·9/27/2016 at 1:15 am, 21 year old Calvin Raines was intoxicated and causing a disturbance at his residence on Matterhorn Ct. Officers arrived on scene and saw Rains walking down the street and falling down. Rains was arrested for public intoxication and taken to county jail for a sobering period.
• ·9/26/2016 at 9:45 pm, officers in the Sycamore Dr. area reported hearing gun shots. A short time later, several calls to APD dispatch reported that shots were fired in front of a home in the 2200 block of Dogwood Way and that a subject was shot. Officers arrived and located a 26 year old male victim who had a gunshot wound to his leg. The gunshot victim was uncooperative with officers and was taken to the hospital. While working the scene, the hospital called advising another gunshot victim arrived in the emergency room and was dropped off by a male in a silver vehicle. The second victim also had a gunshot wound to his leg. He was interviewed and advised he was dropped off at the hospital by a subject who is known to officers. A short time later, officers located the driver in his silver vehicle in the area of the Sycamore QuickStop market with 22 year old Lawrence Harmon in the passenger seat. The driver of the silver vehicle was found to have been shot in the elbow. No one claimed to know who the shooter was. A computer check revealed Harmon had an outstanding warrant for robbery and was arrested and booked into county jail. The investigation is ongoing.
• ·9/26/2016 at 4:41 pm, 38 year old Lee Rivers entered the Grocery Outlet at 1818 A St. and concealed several food items. He exited the store without making any attempt to pay for the items. As he was confronted by store employees, Rivers ran away and was ultimately caught by a mall security officer. Rivers is on parole and was arrested and booked into county jail.
• ·9/26/2016 at 1:07 pm, officers were dispatched to an address in the 2300 block of Sequoia Dr. regarding a suspicious circumstance call. The caller advised that 18 year old Monica Hall was at the location and had a warrant. Officers located Hall and arrested her on a probation warrant and sent to county jail.
• ·9/26/2016 at 11:58 am, an officer was in the area of the Bonfare Market on W 10^th St. following up on an earlier robbery investigation when he saw 46 year old Timothy Crabtree. The officer knew Crabtree had a warrant for his arrest for a misdemeanor drug offense and took him into custody. Crabtree was cited and released with a new court date.
• ·9/26/2016 at 7:51 am, an officer conducted a suspicious vehicle stop to the rear of Staples on Lone Tree Way and contacted 31 year old Robert Lovins. During a search, Lovins was found to be in possession of 15 Xanax pills without a prescription. He was cited and released.
• ·9/25/2016 at 11:30 pm, a repossession agent repossessed a car on Acacia Ave. and drove it to the Travis Credit Union at 2721 Lone Tree Way to fully hook up and finish the paperwork. The repo agent was sitting in his tow truck with the window down and his arm out the window. 28 year old Jacquet Holloway, who owns the repossessed car, poked the repo agent in the arm with an ice pick and told him to unhook the car. The repo agent was in fear of his life and complied. Holloway was located driving a different car and arrested without incident for felony assault. He was booked into county jail. The victim was not seriously injured during the incident.
• ·9/25/2016 at 11:12 pm, an officer was conducting an area check for a robbery suspect in the area of 340 W. 2^nd St. when he contacted 20 year old Jacob Sahagon behind the old Antioch Lumber building. Sahagon was determined to not be involved with the robbery, but had a felony warrant for his arrest from Manteca Police Department. He was arrested and booked at county jail.
• ·9/25/2016 at 2:44 pm, officers were dispatched to the area of Lone Tree Liquors at 2748 W. Tregallas Rd. regarding several subjects attacking an adult male. Officers arrived to find the victim had an obvious broken arm and complaints of pain in numerous parts of his body. He began his statement to officers by saying he did not want to make a report and will refuse all services. Eventually, officers learned the victim was possibly struck with an axe handle (no axe head), which broke his arm. Officers also learned this was possibly due to the transient male victim stealing property from an unknown male, age 30-40 years. The victim was transported to the hospital for treatment and refused to sign medical paperwork. Video from nearby businesses did not capture the incident. Nothing further at this time.
• ·9/25/2016 at 2:11 pm, officers were dispatched to the area of Dallas Ranch Rd and Mt. Hamilton Dr. for a suspicious device. We arrived and located a pressure cooker on the sidewalk. It was sitting on top of a piece of cardboard. In light of recent events, the Walnut Creek Bomb Unit was contacted and they responded. Ultimately, the pressure cooker was not an explosive device. The bomb unit advised there have been other incidents in the bay area since the incident that took place in New York.
• ·9/25/2016 at 12:12 pm, a neighbor of 67 year old Steven Kinder on Helmuth Lane got into an argument with Kinder which resulted in Kinder coming after his neighbor with a golf club. Kinder swung the club at the neighbor, nearly hitting him in the head. Kinder was located in the area and arrested without incident. He was booked in county jail.
• ·9/24/2016 at 10:20 pm, officers were dispatched to Lucky’s on Contra Loma Blvd. on a report of an unwanted guest refusing to leave. Upon arrival, officers made contact with 28 year old Brandon Harris in front of the store. Harris displayed objective symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol. Harris was arrested for public intoxication and transported to county jail for a sobering period.
• ·9/24/2016 at 9:16 pm, officers were dispatched to Pete’s Restaurant and Brew house on a report of subjects living out of a pickup in the parking lot. Upon arrival, officers contacted 54 year old Ray Binetti and discovered he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest for a misdemeanor narcotics charge. Binetti was arrested and transported to county jail.
• ·9/24/2016 at 4:15 am, officers responded to an alarm call at the Lynn House at 809 First St. Upon arrival, they found the garage was open and the latch had been damaged. Officers looked on the roof of the garage and located 37 year old Terrance Adams sleeping. He was ordered down and arrested for trespassing. Adams was also found to have a warrant for his arrest. He was later taken to county jail.
• ·9/24/2016 at 1:04 am, officers were dispatched to a large party with approximately 100 plus attendees in the 1800 block of Santa Fe Ave. A fight broke out and the party-goers began leaving on their own once officers arrived. Several hours later, we were called back to the party for the report of an assault and robbery which had occurred. We arrived and spoke with the victims who stated they were beaten and robbed by two unknown males. Afterwards, the males got into a white Honda and drove away. The victims followed the males and were able to get a license plate. We located the white Honda occupied only by a male driver, 19 year old Desmond Tanuvasa, who denied involvement. He was the sole occupant but officers noticed blood on his pants. The victims were taken to the scene and identified Tanuvasa as the driver but not involved in the actual assault. One of the victim’s wallets was located in the car. Tanuvasa arrested and taken to county jail for the charges of robbery and possession of stolen property. Tanuvasa refused to provide the names of the other males at the time of his arrest. The victims were taken to the hospital for injuries sustained from the assault.
• ·9/23/2016 at 5:56 pm, officers were dispatched to a report of an armed robbery at K-mart located at 3625 E 18^th St. Upon arrival, they spoke with a security guard for K-mart. He explained that a male subject entered the store and stole Legos and fishing equipment. The male fled the store with security right behind him. A vehicle pulled between the guard and the suspect and a male driver pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the guard. The male stated he needed to feed his kids and the suspects fled in a maroon vehicle. The security guard stated he was not in fear and only stopped due to store policy. An extensive area check was conducted but the suspects were not located.
• ·9/23/2016 at 5:46 pm, a vehicle was west bound on James Donlon Blvd. and turned south onto Silverado Dr. A 32 year old male was traveling at high rate of speed on his skateboard crossing Silverado Dr. heading eastbound. He was unable to slow down and went into the path of the vehicle and was struck. The skateboarder suffered minor abrasions to his face and hands. He was taken to the hospital for precautionary measures only. Both parties were cooperative with the investigation.
• ·9/23/2016 at 10:33 pm, 19 year old Luis Lopez was traveling west bound on W.19th St. at a high rate of speed and was unable to stop at the dead end of W. 19th St. Lopez drove over the curb and up the embankment which caused his vehicle to go airborne. Lopez’s vehicle came to rest along the city owned chain linked fence on the west side of G St. Lopez fled the scene prior to police arrival. Officers responded to Lopez’s residence and contacted Lopez as he arrived home on foot. Lopez had facial injuries consistent to the accident. Lopez admitted to driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. Lopez was also found to have a no bail warrant for his arrest. Once Lopez was medically cleared at the hospital and was arrested on the warrant and for DUI. Lopez was later transported to county jail.
• ·9/23/2016 at 6:20 pm, 24 year old Phavia Mapp was apprehended by loss prevention at Macy’s in Somersville Towne Centre after being seen on surveillance video stealing approximately $3,000.00 worth of merchandise from the store. Mapp admitted under Miranda to stealing the merchandise. The stolen merchandise was collected and returned to the store. Mapp was found to be on felony probation out of Alameda County for auto theft. Mapp was booked on the listed charges and transported to county jail.
• ·9/23/2016 at 1:14 pm, an officer contacted 46 year old Donald Miller during a pedestrian stop. Miller was found to have a no cite warrant for possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested and booked into county jail.
• ·9/23/2016 at 8:10 am, a security guard called APD dispatch to report that a male was masturbating near the courtyard area of the old Orchard Supply Hardware on Buchanan Rd. Officers arrived on scene and contacted 28 year old Lawrence Cuff inside of the old Orchard Supply Hardware. The security guard positively identified Cuff and also stated that Cuff has been warned numerous times not to trespass on the property. A records check showed Cuff to be on felony probation. Cuff was arrested and booked into county jail for indecent exposure, trespassing, and a probation violation.
• ·9/22/2016 at 11:04 am, an employee from Antioch Glass located at 1207 Auto Center Dr. called APD dispatch to report two males were inside of the business asking to use a power plug so they could charge their phones. The employee became uncomfortable so she called the police. 32 year old Kevin Christian and 37 year old Robert Bell were contacted. Christian was found to be on parole and officers located 2 grams of methamphetamine in his possession during a search of his person. Christian’s parole officer was contacted and a parole detainer was issued. Christian was arrested and transported to county jail. Bell was released after being identified.

By Nick Goodrich

During its meeting on Tuesday, September 27th, the Antioch City Council heard a report from Assemblyman Jim Frazier, discussed housing for the city’s homeless, and  voted to bring in Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) to provide help for its struggling animal shelter.

Frazier’s Report

To open the meeting, Council hosted Assemblyman Jim Frazier, who provided an update on his recent legislative activities in the California State Assembly and sought support for his transportation funding proposal.

Frazier was pleased to note the completion of the Highway 4 corridor widening project, which he has worked for since his time on Transplan, the East County division of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority.

The project, which amounted to $1.3 billion through the county’s half-cent sales tax measure and state funds, created over 12,000 jobs and employed more than 40 local businesses.

“We have infrastructure in poor shape. It’s horrible, it’s crumbling,” he said. As the chairman of the Transportation Committee in California, Frazier said he has made it his mission to create and support various transportation projects in the state.

He reported that he has been working with his colleagues, local communities, and industry experts to develop an all-inclusive plan that would help make major improvements to California’s transportation and infrastructure.

“By strengthening trade corridors and improving the movement of goods, this proposal keeps businesses in California,” he told the Council.

In addition, Frazier’s plan calls for an additional $7.4 billion annually to be designated for transportation in the state. It includes increases to the tax on gas and diesel, as well as to the vehicle license registration fee.

He called on Antioch residents and citizens throughout California to show their enthusiasm for his plan by writing letters of support to their local newspapers and representatives.

“Let’s make transportation funding a priority this year,” he said.

Public Hearing: Priorities for Housing and Homeless

Council also oversaw a public hearing on priorities for Antioch’s homeless population. The city’s plan, which began with a study session in August of this year, includes providing a grant program for mobile home owners and seeking County funds to support homeless outreach.

Outreach to Antioch’s homeless will soon see an increase, as at least one County-funded outreach team will begin operating mostly in the East Bay—namely, Pittsburg, Antioch, etc. All homeless outreach in Contra Costa will be funded by the County, but Antioch has still managed to allocate $38,000 for the fiscal year in order to resolve the issue of homelessness in the city.

The Council is expected to allocate extra money toward increased outreach as needed—for example, if a second outreach team is deemed necessary, the city will contribute to the County’s funding to help make that happen. Or, an outreach team that operates in the evening will be given the funding to allow it to operate for more hours during the week.

An East County care center, designed to replace the resource center that used to work with the Don Brown shelter on 4th Street, was tentatively approved for County funding to the tune of over $660,000.

East County is currently the only County location that does not have a multi-resource center. A suitable location is still in the works, however, and funding for the center won’t be available for the next 8-10 months.

Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchock made sure to clarify that, if the city needs to, it can always designate more than its current $38,000 to help out.

“I just want to make sure our hands aren’t tied,” she said.

Animal Rescue Foundation Steps In

The Council then discussed a Memorandum of Understanding for a partnership with Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF).

ARF has agreed to provide the Antioch Animal Shelter with services and expertise in key areas for a one-year period, at no cost to the City. The partnership comes on the heels of months of complaints about the state of Antioch’s Animal Shelter, by many residents.

During the Council’s last meeting, Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando presented a list of options for the city to consider to begin addressing some of the issues the shelter faces, such as funding shortages and a lack of trained professionals. Seeking outside help was among them.

Several residents from the surrounding area stated their satisfaction with the ARF partnership, including Louise McGuire, a resident of Concord, where ARF has run a successful shelter for years.

“I applaud the Memorandum of Understanding,” McGuire told the Council. “I hope that this resolution will benefit the lives of the animals in the shelter, and also the people the people that care for them.”

Karen Kopps, President of HARP, the Homeless Animals Response Program, was happy with the news.

“I’m also delighted that this update is being done now, and not in early 2017,” she stated. “So, thank you.”

An initial meeting and walk through of the shelter will be conducted with ARF soon, the council reported. That will allow ARF to determine the number of staff and number of hours they will provide.

Harper was happy to give the community a concrete course of action after continued complaints about the shelter.

“TherResolution is not yet a detailed plan,” he said. “But it looks like we’re attempting to take steps move forward. We’re listening. We still have a responsibility to make improvements…Now it’s time for us to start making those improvements.”

The resolution to approve the understanding with ARF was approved by Council in a unanimous 5-0 vote.

5K run/walk on October 15 at Contra Loma Regional Park in Antioch

The Drama Factory will host a Halloween-themed, athletic event for all ages that includes a 5K run, a one-mile run, and a children’s costume parade through Antioch’s scenic Contra Loma Regional Park. This is a fundraiser that helps keep the performing arts accessible to the community.

Registration fees include a unisex event T-shirt designed by local artist, and director, John Ballesteros; and a finisher’s ribbon. The first 5K overall male and female finishers will be awarded a plaque. The first overall male and female in the one-mile event will receive medals.

Register by Friday, October 7th – today – to guarantee that you will receive a shirt as supplies are limited. Costumes are encouraged, but optional. Spectators are also encouraged to wear a costume.

For more information visit the event Facebook page or to register click, here.

The videos of the three forums for candidates in the races for Antioch City Council, Mayor of Antioch, and Antioch School Board hosted by the Antioch Herald, are now available to watch on the Antioch Herald YouTube Channel.

Following are the links to the forums:

2016 Antioch City Council Candidates Forum – held Tuesday, September 20th

2016 Mayor of Antioch Candidates Forum – held Tuesday, September 20th

2016 Antioch School Board Candidates Forum – held Friday, September 23rd

 

Harper fined $1,120 for late reports

By Allen Payton

Antioch chiropractor and Chamber of Commerce CEO, Dr. Sean Wright has raised more in total contributions than his two closest rivals combined have raised, in the race for Mayor of Antioch. His latest campaign finance report, known as a 460 form and was due with all other candidates’ reports, on Thursday, September 29, shows $8,290 raised for the reporting period which ended on the 24th. That gave him a slight edge over incumbent Mayor Wade Harper for the period. But Wright has raised a total of $24,390 in cash contributions for the campaign. Add in the $6,888 in non-monetary contributions his campaign has received and his total contributions are $31,278.

Almost all of Wright’s reportable contributions were from within Antioch. His largest contributions include $2,500 from Antioch resident Velma Pierce, $1,600 from Jeff Warrenburg, owner of Paradise Skate in Antioch, $1,500 from Gordon Gravelle, of Suncrest Homes in Antioch, $1,480 from Antioch attorney Matthew Hart, $1,000 each from Antioch business owners Terry Ramus, Clifton Mbanugo, Richard Pagano, Theresa Hart, Jeff Scalier, Mike Borders, Ana Cosovich, as well as from Antioch residents Gloria Martin and Michael Gadams; and $500 each from Nicholas Welzenbach who is the Funeral Director for Higgins Chapel on A Street, Antioch resident Kenneth Grubbs, Sandeep Chahal, owner of Togo’s in Antioch, and Antioch Realtor Rick Fuller, and $400 from Antioch-based consultant Iris Archuleta.

Wright’s non-monetary contributions include web design and hosting by Clifton Mbanugo of Clifton Creative Web for $5,091 and $663 for T-shirt printing by Jeff Warrenburg, both of which are also expenditures.

A little more than half of his $26,255 in expenditures for his campaign were made to or through his Danville-based campaign consultant, Praetorian Public Relations, totaling $14,908. That amount includes paying for slate mailers, door hangers and campaign software. His next largest expenses were $2,128 to FastSigns and $500 to Michael Pohl Photography, both in Antioch.

Wright had an ending cash balance of $5,023.

Harper

Antioch Mayor Wade Harper received a total of $8,150 in monetary contributions during the reporting period and a total of $8,250, this year, for his re-election campaign. However, he formed his campaign committee in 2015 and received $10,075 and spent $9,089.11 last year. That brings his total contributions received for the campaign to $18,325.

Harper’s largest contributions were $4,500 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 302, $2,500 from U.A. Local 342, which represents workers in the plumbing, pipefitting, refrigeration, and fire sprinkler industries, $2,000 from the Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local #104, and $1,000 each from Antioch attorneys Pegnim & Ivancich, LLP, PG&E Corporation, Antioch Police Officers Association and Diablo Estates, LLC; as well as $500 each from Councilman Tony Tiscareno and the International Association of Heat & Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 16 AFL-CIO. He also transferred $400 from his County Supervisor campaign committee, from the race in June.

Harper spent almost $4,000 during the reporting period, with almost half of that, $1,978.35, at Belleci Design in Pittsburg. He’s spent a total of $13,785.22 during the campaign including $3,293.79 to Lone Tree Golf & Event Center for fundraisers and a meeting, $700 to the NAACP and $500 each to his wife Lisa, Antioch Church Family and Grace Bible Fellowship in Antioch, all for fundraising events, and $1,052 to Velma Wilson of Antioch for campaign and design work.

Although his latest report shows he had an ending cash balance of $4,543.78, Harper had an actual ending cash balance of $4,539.78.

Ogorchock

Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchock raised $2,475 during the reporting period, bringing her total monetary contributions to $7,990 for the campaign, putting her in third place. She has spent $5,200 during the period and a total of $6,438 on her campaign.

Most of her contributions were from within Antioch. The largest contributions she reported were $2,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 302, $1,000 each from Roddy Ranch Golf Management and Republic Services, $750 from Ralph Garrow and his real estate company, where Ogorchock works, and $500 each from former State Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan of Alamo, and Ogorchock’s parents.

Almost all of Ogorchock’s expenditures were in Antioch, with her largest to The Print Club in Antioch totaling $1,773.55, $1,311.11 to FastSigns, $750 to a company in Oregon for an ad in the Antioch High School football program, and $700 for advertising in the Herald. She had an ending cash balance of $1,552.

Murillo

In February, businessman Gil Murillo submitted a form 470 declaring he would receive and spend less than $2,000 in his campaign. He has since surpassed that threshold by just a bit and was required to submit a form 460 report. Murillo’s monetary contributions total $2,018.86 all from himself, and he had expenditures of $1,918.86. His largest expenditures were for literature at a printer in Pittsburg, his filing fee to the City, and advertising in the Herald and on Facebook.

Large Contribution Filing & Fines

As of August 10th, candidates are required to report any contribution of $1,000 or more within 24 hours on Form 497. Those reports and each candidate’s 460’s can be seen, below. However, Harper did not report his “late contributions” of $1,000 or more within the 24-hour period.

When asked why that occurred and if he or his treasurer, which is his wife Lisa, were unaware of the filing requirement, Harper responded, “When you miss turning in those forms on time you have to pay a fine.  Our campaign did not turn in the forms on time and paid the fine. I accept responsibility for my campaign. No further comments.”

When asked if he was fined by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) or the city clerk and for how much, Harper did not respond.

When asked who fined Harper and for how much, Antioch City Clerk Arne Simonsen said on Tuesday, he was the one who fined Harper, but was out of town at a conference and couldn’t remember the exact amount of the fine.

“The fines are based on $10 per day per report,” he added.

That’s according to the FPPC Filing Schedule, which reads “Statements filed after the deadline are subject to a $10 per day late fine.” 110816-fppc-filing-schedule

Harper was fined $1,120 for the violations of his five major contributions which were received after August 10th. According to Deputy City Clerk Christina Garcia in an email on Wednesday, “below is the breakdown of fines Mayor Wade Harper paid for his late FPPC Form 497 Report filings:

There is a $10 per day per contribution fine as noted below:

Date Rcvd       Amount            Contributor                             Days late (as of 9/30/16)  __Fine amount

9/24/16           $1,000             Antioch Police Officer Association                5                      $50.00

9/22/16           $1,000             Diablo Estates, LLC                                               7                      $70.00

9/1/16              $2,000             IBEW 302 Community Candidate PAC        28                    $280.00

9/2/16              $2,000             Sheet Metal Workers Local 104 PAC            27                    $270.00

8/12/16            $1,500             U.A. Local 342 PAC Fund                                  45                    $450.00

Total as of September 30, 2016                  $1,120.00”

According to the FPPC Filing Schedule, a 497 form must be filed within 24 hours with the following instructions: “File if a contribution of $1,000 or more in the aggregate is received from a single source.” A question arose if a candidate is required to file a 497 form for each and every additional contribution from a single source who has already contributed at least $1,000.

An email was sent to the FPPC on Wednesday with the following questions: “Does a candidate or campaign have to file a 497 for any amount received from a source over and above $1,000 that has already been received by that source, if the new contribution is received after the August 10th 24-hour reporting period begins? For example, a candidate receives $1,000 and already reported it on a 497 or received it before August 10th. Then if that candidate receives even one cent more after August 10th do they need to file another 497?”

Jay Wierenga, Communications Director for the Fair Political Practices Commission, in an email response on Thursday, wrote, “The 497s are filed in increments of $1,000 during the 90 days so the example (given in the email) below doesn’t trigger a filing.”

The next filing period ends on October 22 and the second pre-election campaign finance reports are due on the 27th. The election is November 8th.

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Editor:

This year, we are voting to decide the future of our nation and state.  California is headed down the wrong path, with our legislature following under the Liberal direction of Governor Jerry Brown.  California’s 11th Assembly District elected Democrat Jim Frazier in the last several elections.  Frazier’s votes on key bills have devastated our State and our children’s futures.  As a citizen in this district watching Jim Frazier’s vote on bill after bill, I have been deeply troubled and shocked by his actions in the name of our district.  Check out his votes on the following bills and see if you agree with my opinion that he does not represent the values of our district:

*AB 1266:  Jim Frazier voted ‘yes’, in favor of transgender access to whatever bathroom they feel like using that day.  If a boy ‘feels transgender’ that day, ‘he’ is now entitled to shower or change clothes with your daughters in their school gym or locker room.

*AB 1461: Jim Frazier voted ‘yes’ in favor of automatically registering people to vote in their DMV renewal.  The intent of this bill was to deliberately register illegals to vote Democrat, fraudulently subverting CA’s electoral process.

*AB 1732: Jim Frazier voted in favor of ending designated ‘men’s’/’women’s’ bathrooms in California.

*AB 1322: Jim Frazier voted to decriminalize child prostitution, by making it harder to take teen prostitutes out of the web of oppression they face, returning them to the control of their pimps.

*AB 1671: Jim Frazier voted to criminalize undercover journalists, like the ones who revealed the Planned Parenthood ‘profits for baby parts’ ghastly horror brokering scheme.  Message conveyed by Jim Frazier and Jerry Brown: mess with Liberal causes, and they hunt you down and punish you.

*SB 443: Jim Frazier voted against this bill designed to limit asset seizure.  Jim apparently felt you should have to give up your assets to the government, whether you’re found guilty of a crime or not.

*ACA 4: Jim Frazier proposed reducing the % of votes needed to change Proposition 13 from 2/3’s, down to just 55%.  This would allow a Democrat controlled legislature to weaken Prop 13 protections for poor, middle class and elderly, likely resulting in dramatically increased property taxes paid to the State.  Jim Frazier was listed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer’s Assn as one of the biggest threats to Prop 13 in CA History.

*AB 1176 Jim Frazier abstained from voting on this bill, which made theft of a firearm ‘Grand Theft’, punishable as a Felony with State Prison time.

Several of Jim Frazier’s other ‘great ideas’:  Jim recently co-authored a bill to raise the gas tax by .17 cents a gallon for regular gas, and .30 cents a gallon for diesel, with unlimited, annual upward readjustments without voter input.  Jim just bumped up his Chief of Staff’s pay $18,000 to a ‘modest’ $120,000 a year (even more than Jim Frazier makes).

Jim Frazier has refused to debate Republican Challenger Dave Miller.  With a record like Jim’s, is it hard to see why?  What has Jim Frazier done to lower taxes or encourage business/job growth in Solano or Contra Costa Counties?  At every turn, Jim Frazier’s votes show he supports raising taxes, crushing liberty, and expanding Big Government at the expense of transparency and accountability to the taxpayers.  Jim Frazier says ‘People Over Politics’.  His voting record shows just the opposite; he’s all about politics over people.

Dave Miller stands for a much smaller, less intrusive State Government; one where personal liberty and small businesses can thrive and California Dreamin’ can once again become a reality.  Dave’s priority is to bring common sense back to Sacramento, in a way that makes California better for generations to come.

The choice is very clear this year.  Join me in supporting Dave Miller for CA’s 11th Assembly District.

Erik Elness

Brentwood