Editor:

Antioch Voters should not vote for Sandra White for the City Council. She has failed us as Chair of the Crime Prevention Commission and has chosen the wrong person as part of her campaign. Choose someone else!

Her choice of former Police Chief Allan Cantando as part of her campaign is telling. As Chief he did not do his job or carry out his responsibilities of protecting the public from wrongdoers, to include Felonious misconduct by some of his Officers. He, in actuality, instead berated and ‘shot the messenger’ whistleblower who submitted detailed reported various criminal acts by some of his Officers. He was interested only in covering for them and did little to investigate what they did or even contacting the Victims harmed.

Former Captain Allan Cantando I had pushed for him publicly early on to be appointed chief, believing he would straighten out the crimes and misconduct by his officers. Boy did he shortly after becoming Chief did he reveal his true colors. Under his watch and documented knowledge his involved officers continued with their misconduct and victimization of our documented citizens. They got away with it with his obvious uncaring inactions. It isn’t over yet though and with him behind her I suspect she will do as he would advise her, to the further detriment to our community.

As the Chair of the Crime Prevention Committee she has really done little in pushing for the safety of our city. Contrary to what she and the others claim the City of Antioch is not safer and the people are still being victimized like before. Really, what has she done but have a title, have meetings, rub shoulders even with those officers involved in misconduct, and we still are greatly undermanned in Police manpower. Is that what her relationship with Allan Cantando has accomplished? She should give it up and open her eyes to the realities, instead of the ‘shine’ of questioned certain persons.

She does not have what it takes to be a top elected leader official for Antioch. She may be a good person and one liked by a number of people. But being a councilperson in these times requires fortitude, integrity, and knowing when you are going to be used for the same directions that has gotten Antioch in the negative areas we know about.

There will be some very important Police matters that are going to be disclosed soon and her being backed by former Chief Cantando, who will be exposed also, makes her the least acceptable person who would have to deal with it. The ‘train’ is coming soon, and it will be ugly! The exposures involved may not exempt all involved, and it is about time that it happens. Once the public is informed, they will see the value of not voting for her at a minimum.

Ralph Hernandez

Antioch

I’m a 50-year Antioch resident and former Antioch City Councilmember.  Currently, I’m a Personnel Commissioner for the Antioch Unified School District Classified Division.  I have been a Realtor since 2014 and a retired steelworker.  I am running for Antioch City Council in District 2 and am committed to progress in these areas:

Avert a budget crisis:

While on the council, I fought hard to stabilize our city’s finances, add to our police force and keep city hall open five days a week.  COVID-19 presents another budget crisis.  My experience and leadership will help Antioch avoid more devastating cuts that hurt our quality of life.

Banish blight and promote economic development:

This district has many vacant commercial buildings.  I will work with property owners to fight blight and support hiring more code enforcement officers to cite and fine negligent property owners.  I will work to revive the Delta Fair corridor and work to promote local small businesses.

Reduce Homelessness:

I support coordinating services at all levels of government and non-profits to find solutions to homelessness.

Police Transparency and Accountability:

Transparency and accountability of our police force is a must and my top priority for the Antioch Police Department is to purchase body cameras for all officers.

Today requires a new kind of Councilmember – one who has experience and is accessible 24/7.  Please call me anytime at (925) 234-3639.  As your councilmember, I’ll work hard to improve this great city.

 

Student and adult Humanitarians to be recognized at 43rd Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ceremony Jan. 19, 2021

By John Fout, Community & Media Relations Specialist, Contra Costa County Office of Communications & Media

Contra Costa County will commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the 43rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ceremony and invites the community to a virtual live-stream of the community event on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. In the spirit of Dr. King’s work and the theme, “Silence is Not an Option,” the County is now seeking nominations for a student and adult Humanitarian of the Year.

Contra Costa County’s Board of Supervisors will recognize two individuals, (1) a community member and (2) a student leader, as individuals whose dedication to others embodies the spirit and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the January event.

We encourage East Bay residents to nominate an adult or a student whose accomplishments and service impact Contra Costa County, its residents and communities, and reflect the spirit of Dr. King’s work and achievements. The nomination period is now open.

The deadline to submit candidates for consideration is Monday, November 30, 2020. To submit online nominations and learn more about the County’s celebration, including previous ceremonies and winners, visit the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ceremony website.

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) would like to invite you to take part in a national effort to keep our communities safe. The DEA and the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff hold Take Back Days aimed to provide a safe, convenient, and ecologically responsible method of prescription medication disposal while also focusing on prevention and education.

Take Back Day is this Saturday, October 24, 2020, from 10 AM to 2 PM,

Bring your pills for disposal at the following sites. The DEA cannot accept needles or sharps, only pills, patches, and liquids sealed in their original container. Vaping cartridges and devices with batteries removed can be accepted at Take Back collection sites. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Take Back Collection Sites:

-Office of the Sheriff Muir Station, 1980 Muir Road, Martinez (Field Operations Building)

-Office of the Sheriff Bay Station, 5555 Giant Highway, Richmond (West County Detention Facility)

-Office of the Sheriff Delta Station, 9100 Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood

-Danville Police Department, 510 La Gonda Way, Danville

-Orinda Police Department, 22 Orinda Way, Orinda

The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet. The DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the Take Back event, go to the DEA Office of Diversion Control website at: www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov.

 

Mike Barbanica

Candidate for Antioch City Council, District 2

Office Held: None to Date

Occupation: Retired Police Lieutenant/Small Business Owner/Real Estate Agent & Broker

As a lifelong resident of Antioch, a retired police lieutenant, and local small business owner, I’m concerned about the direction Antioch is heading. Our city needs REAL leaders who aren’t afraid to stand up and initiate change to get Antioch BACK ON TRACK. Here are my thoughts:

Don’t DEFUND the police – we need more police officers, not less. Insist our officers wear body cameras to record every interaction. Homelessness is out of control. City officials are turning Antioch into a regional haven for the homeless. We can be compassionate and investigate solutions that don’t involve housing the homeless in tents, trailers or crime-ridden motels. We need to clean up the trash. District 2 needs to get our fair share of code enforcement funding; landlords should be required to take responsibility for their properties. We’ve already begun implementing REAL solutions to stop the neighborhood sideshows.

Antioch is a community that celebrates diversity. We need to work TOGETHER, UNITED toward a city free from racial bias by including our Antioch Police Department in this important conversation. I’m honored to have the endorsement of the Antioch Police Officers’ Association for my election.

My wife, Kristine, and I have raised our three children here. There’s a lot that needs to change to GET ANTIOCH BACK ON TRACK – so we can all be proud of the place we call home. I know we can tackle Antioch’s challenges together and invite you to email mike@mikebarbanica.com or call me (925) 584-8121 with your thoughts. Thank you.

Cell (925) 584-8121

www.mikebarbanica.com

mikebarbanica@gmail.com

Our current mayor, Sean Wright and his partner, Councilman Lamar Thorpe have brought disaster upon our city, and nothing will change until we replace them.

They hired an Economic Development Director at a cost of $300,000. What do we have to show for his efforts?

Sears closed, Macy’s ran away, the AMC theaters closed down, the Big Kmart is gone, so is Staples  – even before COVID-19. Everywhere you look it’s a disaster.

Under their mismanagement, those and more businesses have closed. The city has become looking desperate. People are looking for hope, but they have made us hopeless.

They hired a homeless consultant and it ended up bringing more homeless to Antioch. Now Thorpe wants to spend $1 million on the homeless motel. We can’t afford that.

They approved the marijuana businesses, and Sean and Lamar appear to be acting like drug dealers to put Antioch in the pot business.

They’ve hired other consultants and a new assistant city manager for $100,000’s per year that we also can’t afford. In 2016 they asked for more police and they got them. Now they want 20 more police. Why? I don’t understand their failures. We cannot afford them.

They’re insulting us that we are the bad people in Antioch.

How can we trust it when these leaders give us a bad reputation and they want to run things, when they are the bad people.

Who is the bad and who are the good? You make the call, Antioch.

We can’t afford to have our reputation damaged day after day, thanks to their idiocy and mismanagement. They make us look so bad in the state.

They’ve let us down and they want to degrade Antioch more.

How can you trust that kind of leadership when they’re calling us the bad citizens and they’re wanting to run us? In fact, we are the God-fearing people, and we are a great community.

We can’t afford division, demolition, or degraded reputation for Antioch for no reason. This is the second largest city in Contra Costa County.

My job, I want to bring back the truth, build up the reputation of Antioch, that we are the great, God-fearing, law abiding people in California. Antioch is the best and I will bring the best of Antioch, so that it will be declared the greatest in the world.

With leaders like Lamar and Sean who have forgotten us, and they always have lame excuses, who don’t do anything, but they take no responsibility. But they’re blaming us, the citizens of Antioch. Underneath their watch the city has become worse and everywhere you see there’s garbage dumped, here and there.

They have no plans, at all. We don’t have new businesses or jobs.

We need to take action to get the city cleaned up, make it attractive to businesses, and I will make sure Antioch is recognized as the number one city with the best reputation.

I will bring a four-year university to Antioch with a full medical degree, B.S. in Nursing and an RN program. I want to also bring the skilled degree programs for rapid technology growth and computer science.

Antioch, I ask you to consider voting for me for new leadership. Help me to get things straightened out. For more information please email me at info@RakeshKumarChristian.com or call me at (510) 786-8909 and I’ll be glad to listen to your ideas to implement them.

Sincerely,

Rakesh Kumar Christian

Candidate for Mayor of Antioch

 

 

 

by Sue Pricco and Michael Arata

Measure X, a 20-year, half-percent Contra Costa County sales tax increase, is on the November 3rd ballot. The “current pandemic” is among rationales advanced by the measure’s supporters.

In reality, however, Measure X got its start in May, 2019 – long before COVID-19 was even on the horizon – when five representatives of county employee organizations demanded that county supervisors drop a plan for a new transportation tax and sponsor a new “county services” tax instead.
The transportation-tax measure went ahead anyway, eventually as Measure J on March 3rd’s Primary ballot.  Itself pushing a half-percent sales-tax increase, Measure J failed.  Measure X deserves the same fate now.

For starters, Measure X is regressive, disproportionately affecting those least able to afford increased costs, particularly during a time of pandemic-driven financial hardship.  Thousands of small businesses have closed.  Millions of Californians are unemployed.   Those still working often see smaller paychecks.

Meanwhile, all must still pay (now or on a deferred basis) federal and state income taxes, payroll taxes, property taxes, auto-registration taxes, gasoline taxes, phone taxes, etc. ad nauseam.  With whatever money remains, individuals and families must still provide for necessities.

Except for food purchases, essential product needs — from paper towels to kids’ shoes, sometimes to replacement automobiles — have sales taxes added.

Oh, wait on the food exception.  If resources permit a sit-down restaurant dinner or a hot takeout meal, those foods ARE taxed.

Contra Costa sales-tax rates already range from 8.25% to 9.75%, tied for 7th highest among California’s 58 counties.  And another round of sales-tax leapfrog is not a game which County residents likely hope to “win.”

The Measure X ballot question (the summary voters see on ballots) advertises various specific purposes, implying falsely that some are new obligations.

But hiding in the underlying County ordinance’s fine print is the fact that Measure X is actually a general tax, “solely for general governmental purposes and not for specific purposes.”

In economic terms, Measure X dollars are fungible; they can be moved around.  So, for example, Measure X’s new millions could fund County-employee salary, current benefit, and large pension payments directly.

But behind a covering smokescreen of seeming legitimacy, the measure could alternatively finesse compensation boosts indirectly, by “freeing up” money budgeted for other purposes and then backfilling those budget categories with an injection of Measure X revenues.

It would not be the first time that a local government agency deployed such a maneuver.
As is, County employees have enjoyed a 20% salary/benefit increase over just the last three years, and a $166,673 average now in annual per-employee compensation cost — while many who’d pay the new sales tax would count themselves fortunate just to return to their own compensation levels of three years ago. 

What about the Measure X proponent claim of spending “oversight”?  An original ballot-question version characterized the measure as “requiring fiscal accountability.”  But a Superior Court judge removed that phrase after finding that the County’s related ordinance omitted it.  “Fiscal accountability” was apparently just an afterthought.

Finally, Measure X passage would leave at least seven Contra Costa city and town jurisdictions above the statutory 2% cap on local sales taxes.  So an underhanded legislative scheme was deployed.  State Senate Bill 1349, passed and signed at the last minute, allows the County’s sales-tax cap to increase from 2% effectively to at least 3.5% (or possibly 4%), in addition to the State’s 7.25% rate.

And this change, asserts the bill itself in Orwellian doublespeak, “does not constitute a change in, but is declaratory of, existing law.”

Measure X deserves your determined “NO” vote.  For more information, visit CoCoTax.org and NOonX.info.
Sue Pricco is president of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association.  Michael Arata is a co-founder of the Alliance of Contra Costa Taxpayers.