Dear Editor:

I am writing in regards to the Antioch Unified School District elections that will take place in just a matter of days. My mother Debra Vinson is indeed running for school board and I would like to state a few reasons as to why I believe she is the best candidate for the job. It would be too simple to state that I am voting for my mother simply because she is my mom or that I want people to vote on that basis alone. It would also be an immense understatement of her abilities if I left it at that.

Ms. Vinson has the kind of drive and enthusiasm that the AUSD needs, especially at a time like this. As a former student of Antioch High School, I believe that I am proof that students that come from that high school can succeed. My mother always pushed me to do the best that I could do as well as supported me in all of my endeavors. I graduated AHS as a Music Master, an athlete and an honors student who recieved mutliple college acceptance letters. I now attend the University of California, Santa Barbara and am studying abroad. I credit my drive to succeed in everything I do and try new things to my mother’s support and care. She knows what it takes to motivate students, motivate teachers and motivate parents to fight for their students in order to make sure that every child recieves the best education they can and takes full advantage of all opportunities possible. Every student from the AUSD can attend a 4-year university or trade school, they just need the right tools to do so and it is my firm belief that my mother can provide those tools.

My mother knows how the AUSD operates and as a psychotherapist, violence prevention trainer and school counselor I do not doubt for a second that she can implement strategies to turn the AUSD around. Whenever I talk to my fellow graduates from the class of 2010 I always hear about the school system and all of the elementary, middle and high schools getting worse. I want to be proud of the school I graduated from and I want the district to have a better reputation so that students have a better opportunity to get into university, as well as achieve higher test scores. So often it feels as if the district does not care about the students minus a select few; and having seen the nepotism and favoritism that is shown to some of the “star” students, I believe my mother will be able to change that. Therefore, it is for those reasons that I advise the voters of Antioch to vote Debra Vinson for School Board Member. A vote that will truly make a difference. Thank you and happy voting.

Morgan Vinson

University of California, Santa Barbara

Programming Vice President, RHA

Chief of Staff, Office of the President, Associated Students

Scholarship Chair, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi

Dear Editor:

There is one plan Retired Environmental Manager and mayor candidate Don Freitas did have for Antioch: a plan to raise our property taxes.

You may have recalled back in April of this year receiving a mail in ballot for a Contra Costa Initiative which would have raised $8.7 million by increasing our property taxes. Before he retired this year, Don Frietas was the manager of that program and directed the taxpayer funded campaign for its passage.

The initiative was resoundingly defeated by homeowners. But not without controversy. Critics everywhere blasted Don Freitas’s spending of $1.45 million in taxpayer funds for promotion and propaganda in favor of the initiative to raise our property taxes.

Here are a few excerpts from newspaper articles talking about Don Freitas’s failed plan to tax homeowners:

“It is impossible to discern from the $1 million taxpayer-funded study and propaganda effort, produced by an unaccountable group of government bureaucrats (Don Freitas, Project Manager) and their consultants, whether the ballot measure deserves support.”

Dan Borenstein, Contra Costa Times Columnist, April 1, 2012

“The entire process cost approximately $1.43 million, the largest portion of which was $444,092.40 spent on campaigning, labeled as educational outreach by county staff (Don Freitas, Project Manager), as well as $346,800 on printing and mailing the ballots. Almost $435,000 was spent on analysis, research, the Engineer’s Report and action plan prior to the election.”

Allen Payton, Publisher, Antioch Herald, October 2012

“So they’re (Don Freitas, Project Manager) spending $1.55 million on their tax-funded campaign, including amounts explicitly intended to support and promote the new tax scheme – an illegal misuse of public funds.”

Richard Soderholm, Contra Costa Times, March 29, 2012

Citizens for Democracy

Ralph A. Hernandez, Chairperson

Antioch

Dear Editor:

Dear Editor,

No matter who I or anyone else votes for at the local, state and federal levels, as well as the various measures up for consideration, my biggest concern for the city of Antioch, CA, is the incredible amount of signs all over every piece of fencing that I can see. In fact, some fences are not visible except for the signs! It’s hard enough dealing with all the general trash and mess that blows around, these signs are horribly annoying, and, quite distracting, sometimes obscuring a safe view of an intersection or street corner.

I urge the candidates, winner or loser, to respect our/their city and have a team of volunteers to remove every one of your signs. In accordance with city code, you’ve got 14 days after the event that the sign is for – so, on or before November 20th, you need to have all of your signs removed.

To be sure candidates are fully aware, there IS a city code that governs where signs can be placed, and, how long after the event they can remain. Based on my reading of the code, there are tons of places around Antioch that the signs are in direct violation of the code.

If candidates want to make an impression on me, then they would firstly ensure that every one of their signs is placed in accordance with the city code, and, that they have them removed on or before November 20th.

For everyone’s reference, the specific city code is contained in Chapter 5, article 5 of the city code;

§ 9-5.518  TEMPORARY SIGNS.

      (A)     Temporary sign defined.  TEMPORARY SIGN shall mean any sign, handbill, or poster which is placed to advertise or announce a specific event, or which pertains to a particular event or occurrence, or which is not designed or intended to be placed permanently.  Examples of temporary signs include, but are not limited to, signs, handbills, or posters relating to garage sales, political candidates or ballot measures, concerts, “swap meets,” and the like.

Lastly, for all residents of Antioch, the city code can be found at http://goo.gl/9nsGn, and it is fully searchable too!

James Marchetti, Antioch

Dear Editor:

Please join us in voting for Walter Ruehlig for Antioch City Councilman on November 6^th . We worked with Walter on the committee to bring the July 4^th 2012 celebration back to Antioch.

We have found Walter to be a man of integrity and good will who can bring together a diverse group of citizens to work together amicably toward a common goal. Walter is currently a board member of the Antioch Unified School District. During his tenure, the District overcame a budget deficit and expanded the District to include the Dozier-Libby Medical High School and helped advance the concept of career-based learning academies in our high schools. Also, API scores have improved consistently during his tenure.

Google Walter’s name on the internet to learn more about his accomplishments in education, music appreciation and his efforts for worldwide peace. We are truly fortunate to have a man of Walter’s caliber running for a seat on the Antioch City Council.

Wayne and Carole Harrison, Antioch

Dear Editor,

We need to elect Jack Yeager on the Antioch school board.  He is the only candidate that’s declaring to be a conservative, someone to put the lid on spending.  He will review all the educational programs and their sources of income to determine if they are financially sound

As a business man, the only business man running, Jack can bring a business and financial prospective in our uncertain economic environment.  He will help develop classes that will promote an entrepreneurial atmosphere for our students.

Denise Johnson

Antioch

If Dems take State Senate expect taxes to go up

Did you know that it takesa 2/3rds vote by the legislature to raise your taxes? Did you know that the Democratic Party only needs to pick up two seats in the California Senate and they will have the 2/3rds that they need? Did you know that based upon realignment of the California Senate districts, the Democratic Party can very easily pick up the two additional seats that they need?

If you do not think that the Democratic Party will raise your taxes if they have 2/3rds of the Senate, just take one look at your ballot. Have you seen how many propositions there are that seek to raise the amount of taxes you pay? We all understand that the revenues in this state have declined drastically.

Rather than raise taxes, the California legislature needs to make the tough decisions to reduce the size of government.

The elections will be here before you know it. Can you make a financial contribution today to help us preserve your pocket-book? Meuser is in a close race with Senator Mark DeSaulnier who has the worst record in this state of raising your taxes over the last three years.

Do You Believe in Big Government – DeSaulnier Does.

Did you know that DeSaulnier voted for the Used Mattress Recovery and Recycling Act? This act was to establish a new bureaucracy in California and give that bureaucracy unlimited fee authority over manufacturers of mattresses. Lucky for the state of California, there were not enough liberal democrats who were willing to vote for this new bureaucracy and the bill failed on the last day of session.

This bill not only created an unlimited fee upon manufactures of mattresses, but it also created a mandate that required expensive statewide recycling programs.

This bill expressly stated that the cost of this program was to add no additional cost to both the retailer and the consumer. Do you really think that the big mattress companies are going to just eat this unlimited fee by a California bureaucracy? Whether you love or hate big business, big business is in existence to make money for their shareholders. Big business will simply pass fees and new costs onto the consumer by raising the wholesale price which means that you will be paying more for your next mattress.

At a time when businesses are leaving our state in record numbers and 20.3% of Californians are unemployed/underemployed, this is not the time to be creating new taxes on manufacturers that will be passed onto consumers. More expensive mattresses will mean that people will simply hold onto their older mattresses longer before they replace them.

At a time when the state of California has close to a $500 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, this is not the time to be creating new bureaucracies which create more state employees which creates more future pension liabilities.

If you believe government should be bigger and that you should be taxed more, then vote for Mark DeSaulnier. However, if you believe that government should be smaller and you should keep more of the money you earn, then vote for Mark Meuser.

Please help us ensure that the Democratic Party is not able to raise your taxes whenever they want.

Mark Meuser

Candidate for State Senate

Dear Editor,

As residents of Brentwood, we support the proposal of a 110-acre community college campus at Laurel Road between Antioch and Oakley. The college district’s current proposal of a small, 17-acre campus at the southernmost end of Brentwood in a gated-resort/retirement community, i.e. Trilogy, does not permit for future expansion and is poorly located.

We strongly favor a 110-acre/Laurel campus because it is much better suited for students and residents of Brentwood as well as for students of East Contra Costa County (www.citizensforbrentwood.com).

We also strongly support electing Professor Greg Enholm as the College Board’s Ward 5 Trustee on November 6th because he has pledged to work to make a 110-acre/Laurel campus a reality (Go to Facebook page “Far East County Deserves a 110-acre Community College”).

A 110-acre/Laurel college campus will also address another important issue: eBART. Ultimately, we want full BART not eBART for Far East County. We propose that there be an eBART station at the 110-acre/Laurel campus with a parking garage that can be utilized for students as well as eBART patrons so that students/patrons and their vehicles can be protected by College District police. BART police will not be present at eBART stations. Eventually, we will petition BART (and our local elected officials) to upgrade eBART to full BART prior to extending service through Brentwood.

We also favor small, conveniently-located Park & Ride parking lots throughout Brentwood with a quality shuttle bus to take people to the Laurel Road eBART and/or Pittsburg BART stations.

Yildiz Karaibrahimoglu, Brentwood

Mark Begin and Cong Begin,Brentwood

David Redding and Gloria Redding,Brentwood

Charlene Straub, Brentwood