Dear Editor:

Improving public safety is my number one priority.

I’m honored to have the support of the Antioch Police Officers Association for my re-election as your Councilwoman. I have and will continue to work hard to make Antioch safe for all our residents. As your representative, I have supported the hiring of 58 new police officers, funded cameras in the Sycamore Corridor/Cavallo Road, and voted to put license plate readers on police vehicles to catch criminals in our neighborhoods.

I am especially proud to be working alongside Supervisor Diane Burgis to establish Antioch’s first Family Justice Center to provide much-needed support for victims of domestic violence.

If you should have any questions, or just want to talk, please feel free to email or call me anytime at lori@loriogorchock.com (925) 628-7764.

Thank you.

Antioch Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock

Editor:

As the Antioch Police Chief for six years, I worked often with Mary Rocha, then City Councilwoman.

I saw her work tirelessly for our City. She was experienced, but not jaded; extremely knowledgeable, but a team member; and she was caring – never “calling it in.” Most importantly, Mary is not beholding to special interest groups and will base her votes on what is best for the children, families and staff rather than on a personal agenda.

These are the exact qualities the Antioch Unified School District Board of Education needs right now. With three of the five trustees foolishly pushing through for-profit charters, which will result in massive layoffs and program reductions, this is the time for proven leadership. Additionally, with some current Board Members frequently showing displays of unprofessionalism from the dais and in the community, Mary’s sensibility and experience is much needed. Our school staff, teachers and, especially, our students need her clarity, heart, and integrity. (Editor’s Note: All the charter schools in and approved for Antioch are non-profit, public charter schools.)

Anyone who knows or has met Mary knows she has spent decades supporting the youth and families in our communities. This election is critical, and we need a proven champion for children like Mary to help lead the AUSD.

As the father of an eight-year-old, I know the importance of strong leadership in schools – and, it must begin at the top with the Board of Education.

Some of my favorite duties as Chief of Police were to visit Antioch schools, sit down with the students, talk with teachers, and engage with staff who represent the “boots on the ground.” AUSD is filled with incredibly talented students, supportive families, and a dedicated hard-working staff. All of these constituents deserve knowledgeable people making wise decisions that affect the AUSD.

I have so much respect for Mary and her commitment to our community. We need a leader with experience, proven integrity, and a heart for children and this community. Mary Rocha cares because she understands that our schools matter.

Thank you,

Allan Cantando

Thanks for Your Feedback, Antioch!

If you’ve ever tried to run a household while living paycheck to paycheck, you know how risky it is. When every dollar is already spoken for, it’s hard to keep up with the regular maintenance and sense of security your home needs. Small problems eventually become big problems—until eventually, you’re in big trouble.

The front of your house has so much garbage the neighbors won’t talk to you. Your backyard becomes so filled with junk and weeds, your kids won’t go anywhere near it. And your kitchen? Nothing works, the appliances are constantly shorting out and the pipes are leaking into the subfloor.

Get the picture? Now imagine that your home is Antioch—a city that is operating very close to paycheck to paycheck.

The front yard of your Antioch “home” is everything you see while driving through the city—the graffiti, overgrown weeds and trash dumped along the sides of our roads. The backyard is the city’s youth violence prevention programs—or rather, the lack of them. The kitchen, that’s our downtown, where we thirst for new and exciting amenities, but where few residents go.  

Of course, you should feel safe in your “home.” But after missing a payment here and there, you’re surprised ADT hasn’t shown up to take their sign back. In Antioch, our sense of safety is shared with our police department, and like other city departments, it’s under resourced and understaffed.  

So how do we upgrade our Antioch “home”? Well, that’s up to you.

A year and a half ago, the Antioch City Council formed a two-member ad hoc committee to engage the community around our Quality of Life issues. The mission was to get extensive feedback from the community on the priorities the City should address and use that feedback to create long-term solutions for improving our quality of life – and fully reach our potential as a safe, clean and beautiful place to live.

Our first task was to conduct a professional community survey in late 2017. The survey results were presented to the entire city council at a special meeting on January 20, 2018. The goal of this survey was to gather statistically reliable information on the issues our community cares about. We then used the results as a foundation for engaging the community and gathering additional input, eventually collecting over 2,000 responses from residents. You may recall receiving an invitation through your water bill or social media to “Join the Conversation!” If you were one of many who responded, thank you.

Finally, we conducted a second community survey in June of 2018. We were thrilled to learn residents were more optimistic about the city’s direction than they were in prior years. With this data, we were able to finalize our recommendations.

Our recommendations were to renew Antioch’s existing sales tax at the one cent rate, and use the funds for the following priorities that you, the citizens, had identified for us:

●       Maintain 911 emergency response and maintaining the number of police patrol officers;

●       Ensure water quality and safety;

●       Enhance Antioch’s quality of life and financial stability;

●       Clean up parks and illegal dumping; and

●       Restore youth after school and summer programs.

On July 24, 2018 we presented our recommendations to the full council, and they were unanimously approved. In keeping with our tradition of listening to the public, the community had additional suggestions that were incorporated in several follow-up City Council meetings.  Measure “W” has been placed on the November 2018 ballot for your consideration. It’s important to point out that this measure requires independent financial oversight (which currently exists in the form of the Sales-Tax Oversight Committee and will continue) in addition to guaranteed annual independent audits to ensure funds are spent properly.

Our work has not been easy, and the results may not be perfect, but it’s a chance to let regular citizens set the course to where they believe the city should go. The ballot box has always been the most powerful tool voters have. With it, you have the opportunity to think big–and change the course of our city. Thank you again to residents who took the time to give us your views, which were incorporated into this measure, and remember to participate in the election this Fall.

Lamar Thorpe, Mayor Pro Tem         

Monica Wilson, Council Member

By Allen Payton

After holding two special meetings last Tuesday and Friday to make needed changes to the ballot language for the one-cent sales tax measure for the November election, the Antioch City Council will be holding a third special meeting Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. to discuss adding language to include a 20-year expiration date to the tax and independent citizens’ oversight. ACC080718

The tax would double the current half-cent sales tax in the city, approved with the passage of Measure C in 2013, which sunsets in April 2021 and includes the Citizens Oversight Committee. However, the current committee has basically served as a rubber stamp to reports by city staff and hasn’t challenged the council’s use of the incorrect figure of 82 sworn officers as the base, instead of the 89 that were in the city’s budget at the time Measure C was placed on the ballot. The difference means 111 sworn officers from the half-cent sales tax rather than just 104. The committee also hasn’t challenged the base figure of $25 million in the budget since 2013 for those 89 officers, which hasn’t changed each year despite those and all officers being given pay raises unanimously by the then-council on Election Night in November 2016.

To date, the City has added a net six sworn police officers from Measure C funds, as of last week (see related article), out of the 22 that the then-mayor and council members promised in their ballot argument in favor of the measure, if the voters approved the half-cent sales tax.

According to the staff report for the item on Tuesday’s council meeting agenda:

“On July 24, 2018, the City Council adopted a resolution and ordinance calling an election in November to extend the City’s transaction and use tax (Measure C) and to increase that tax from one-half cent to one cent beginning April 1, 2019.  The City Council then held two meetings regarding the extension of this tax.  At the Special Meeting held on July 31, 2018, City Council amended the resolution to call for new ballot language (specifically, to bring the number of words in that language below the maximum of 75 words).  At the Special Meeting held on August 3, 2018, City Council convened to consider an amendment to the ordinance to correct a drafting error (specifically, the omission of language increasing the transactions tax to a rate of one cent).

At the Special Meeting held on August 3, 2018, the City Council did not adopt the proposed ordinance revision but instead directed the City Attorney to bring back a revised resolution and ordinance that does the following:

Continues the codification of the Sales Tax Citizens Oversight Committee in the Antioch Municipal Code (the prior version of the ordinance deleted the code section creating this committee); and

Provide for a ‘sunset’ of the ordinance in twenty years (the prior version deleted the code section of the Antioch Municipal Code creating an expiration date for the ordinance); and

Amends the ballot language to be submitted to the voters to reflect the new sunset date and reference the independent citizen oversight committee (the prior version stated that repeal would only occur by act of the voters and did not mention the existence of the committee).”

The proposed language for the ballot measure reads as follows:

“Antioch’s Quality of Life Measure. To maintain Antioch’s fiscal stability, police patrols, 911 emergency response, youth violence prevention programs; ensuring water quality/safety; repairing streets; cleaning up parks/illegal dumping; restoring youth afterschool/summer programs; other essential services; shall the measure be adopted approving an ordinance to renew the sales tax at the one-cent rate, raising approximately $14,000,000 annually,  expiring in twenty years, with mandatory annual independent financial audits, and independent citizens oversight?”

The meeting will be held at 4:00 p.m. in the Antioch City Council Chambers at City Hall located at 200 G Street in historic, downtown Rivertown.

Dear Editor:

Tell me again what your plan is?

A big chunk of money has been spent to hire professionals to come up with a plan to improve the image of Antioch as a place people want to work and live.   Why then would the city council work against itself by opening up the city for the sale and distribution of marijuana and byproducts?

All the talk of how it will revitalize economic development and stimulate the economy seems to makes dollar sense.  But somewhere along the line common sense has been pushed aside.  So far, all the city has in place is a licensing tax.  They haven’t come up with a business tax yet, so no one has an idea just how much revenue can or will be generated.

The council is considering increasing the tax on Measure C.  If it stays as it was originally created that would be a good thing.  To tack on other departments or uses would be a misuse of funds.

Everyone has known from the beginning Measure C would sunset.  That clause was put in to get people to vote for it.  To sweeten the pot, the council created an oversight committee.  Having a citizen watchdog committee reassured voters that the money would be spent as it was intended.  Why would you dilute funds intended for the police department while at the same time creating a situation that will require even more enforcement personnel in the future?

Bottomline:

Many people spoke out at council meetings against what they perceive as a mistake in the marketing of their city.  They felt disappointed, powerless and very angry.  Maybe it’s time to take a deep breath and see if the council can deliver.  If they truly believe that they’re going to generate lots of money from these new business ventures, then divert the new tax money to those programs.

Barbara Herendeen

Antioch

Dear Editor:

As we celebrate the 242nd anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this year, I find myself writing to my fellow Americans in a rebuttal to Supervisor Federal Glover’s saddening attempt to smear our country.

As a former (for now) civil servant to a sitting public servant, I must vocally protest!

Mr. Glover, whenever I am confronted with liberal slanderous and ignorant platitudes. I must surmise which of two camps the offender stands in.

The first is the “forgive them for they know not what they do” populace that has yet to verify all the misinformation that has been pumped into their heads since grade school through college and even now through pop culture. Vladimir Lenin’s coined description as “useful idiots”.

The second and more insidious camp lies in the viperous pit of knowing perfectly well that misinformation and deceit is an acceptable means to an end.

“To make an omelet one must break a few eggs.” – Karl Marx

I will leave your dubious stance to the court of public opinion.

This new diatribe from liberals about the Trump administration’s positions and stands on major issues are “an affront to our America values,” is, in fact, an affront to the public’s collective intelligence, as it mocks us by being cute, by half.

Whos American values, sir?   The liberal Socialist’s values? well, then you would be right!

This sad attempt to conquer by division is contrary to the very concept of America’s value.

Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr’s values of unification not division. where he declared at the Lincoln Memorial:

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

There is but only one race, the human race. In all my journeys I have met albino Norwegians, yet they are not white.  I have grown up around very dark-skinned brothers, yet they are not black.  There is no such thing as a black or white person.

We are all flesh toned humans that bleed red, cry wet and dream in multi colors. Not until and when we unlearn this “adult” fairytale and embrace this self-evident reality, will we ever see the true color blind promised land.

We cannot be sliced and diced by way of sexual or psychological preferences.

That cannot be what separates us, that is very private and personal.

Not a tool to use as leverage for destruction, alienation, and kindling for an unsustainable ideology that feed off human subjugation and misery.

We cannot continue to be divided by economic class, age, sex, religion, thought nor skin color. For on this Independence Day:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain un-a-lienable Rights, (as in no man can take it from you, nor can you give it away.)

Which brings me to a more important point. Thomas Jefferson’s original draft stated:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain un-a-lienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of property.”

For his goal was to abolish slavery at the genesis of our independence. however due to immense pressure from the liberal southern factions. and the need to not fight a revolutionary war on two fronts. One being the world power of England as well as the slave colonies. But be unanimously united. He had to relent but not without a stern warning that the blood of this unattended injustice will be paid down the road in a tragic civil war.

We must not cower in the face of injustice especially not on this 4th of July.

As it has been said many times, if we do not learn the lessons of history we will be doomed to repeat it.

We are now faced with a new “slave race” that of the plight of the illegal alien.

For many amongst us are truly not free on this Independence Day.

For political gain, they have been exploited or decades on purpose and like some sick case of national Munchausen by proxy.

This ends now!

I present to you my fellow Americans a new Declaration of Independence.

Before you is a document created in the Spring of 2006 by Hispanic illegal youths as a written solution from their point of view. For too long the immigration conversation has been an A, B so “C” you later.

This one developed and drafted by the illegal community on how to constitutionally and fairly reboot the broken American Immigration system.  not by pitting one group against another. but by locking arm in arm to fix it together.

Don’t believe the mouthpieces that ‘represent’ the illegal community. They do not. Ask them, for they live this unnecessary existence every day.

I give you “La Patria Declaration”.

Fernando Navarro

Antioch

LA PATRIA DECLARATION

In Peace and Justice… and Being of Good Courage…

We the people of the United States and of the whole AMERICA….

Declare on this (two thousand and six years) our intent of Union and

Support of the Constitution Of the United States, and our commitment to her peoples and her Laws……to take up our task, through our shed blood and drained tears, make fertile freedoms roots!

WHEREAS We ADOPT…

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Right to the pursuit of Happiness..”

WHEREAS We EMBRACE…

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

WHEREAS We DECLARE…

“FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST …..THANK GOD ALMIGHTY WE ARE FREE AT LAST”… AND THAT NO MAN BE JUDGED BY THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN, BUT BY THE CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER.”

WHEREAS We DOCUMENT ………

“NO MAN BE PROSECUTED OR BLAMED FOR THE CRIMES AND ACTS OF OUR PREDECESSORS

BUT BY THE FACTUAL ACTS AFTER ONE’s BIRTH…LET THE PAST BE!!!!

WHEREAS We SUPPORT ………

“TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE AMERICAN WAY!!”

NOW, THEREFORE………

Our battle cry:

BORDERS. LANGUAGE. CULTURE.  

********************** BORDERS **********************

WHEREAS … We recognize our status as “illegal”

We the signatories declare our desire to totally secure and close the southern border and frontiers…To support AMERICA’S SOVEREIGNTY … Protect Her people and her laws in the post-September 11th era.

“It is our mothers and daughters, sisters and brothers that are perishing in the wilderness.”

We also Declare that the legal portals be justly open and properly filtered to allow eager Immigrants to process orderly and be documented!

“Let us be “REBORN” legally under liberty’s watch.”

“For an attack of Mass Destruction does not discriminate LEGAL from ILLEGAL”

WHEREAS We DO NOT support an amnesty, but reform the immigration process!!!

WHEREAS we declare our union to STOP the black market of HUMAN, NARCOTICS and TERRORIST traffickers….AND Support all patriots that wish to aid on America’s domestic frontline.

********************** LANGUAGE **********************

We the signatories Declare that We come together to accept and adopt English as the official Language of the United States of America.

We also declare that our natural language, not be a burden on America, but that We take the burden upon ourselves to speak her tongue.

“He who knows MORE than one language is capable of more than one MAN.”

********************** CULTURE  **********************

WHEREAS…

“TRUTH, JUSTICE  AND THE AMERICAN WAY” is ours

The signatories Declare that they come together to embrace America’s mission of excellence and doing things right…TO NOT CUT CORNERS..

WHEREAS We embrace PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY….to accept and RECTIFY our discrepancies.

“FREEDOM IS NOT FREE, IT IS NOT FREE FROM ITS CONSEQUENCES.”

WE DECLARE OUR DESIRE TO MELT INTO THE FABRIC OF “OLD GLORY’S” THREADS…

Due to design or by OVERT CONSEQUENCES …We have been DENIED OUR OPPORTUNITY  for the pursuit  of happiness.   And thus declare in good FAITH our commitment to PEACEFULLY  and ORDERLY  process our status into the sunlight.

Inspect our background, DOCUMENT our Genesis and invite us into the AMERICAN FOLD!!

WHEREAS We are a conservative people that SHARES AMERICAS VALUES.  GOD, FAMILY and PATRIOTISM thusly…

WHEREAS We embrace the American concept of owning one’s actions and consequences and the concept of fairness of getting in line.

THUSLY To offset our influx we propose and endorse the following platforms:

WHEREAS We support VOTER I.D. Reform.

WHEREAS We support a FAIR TAX

WHEREAS We support School VOUCHERS.

AMERICA IS UNDER ASSAULT FROM  ANTI-AMERICAN FORCES AND THAT CANCER MUST BE

CHALANGED……..WE ARE HERE TO HELP HER ….BUILD HER UP AND  WAVE HER FLAG

….OUR FLAG  TO THE ENTIRE WORLD.

This is our projection and timeline!

“BORON Y CUENTA NUEVA”

LET US START A-NEW………. We Propose the following GOALS

Immediately closure of the southern Border, be it by a physical structure or by a manned presence (military or federal, civilian)

Open the legal Gates…

We Propose processing facilities such as FORT ISLAS ANGELES,… FORT NOGALES,… FORT LAREDO  AND POINT ELLIS.

Let us the “illegal” Immigrants process… go to these new “ANGEL” and “ELLIS Island” ports and DECLARE ourselves… Document us, To establish our official I.D.’s, to take our fingerprints.

“Let us be “REBORN” Legally and above board… become taxpayers.

Let us Prove ourselves to the American People.

Let us PAY as we GO.

“THE EGALITARIAN and AMERICAN SOLUTION!”

Let us own and earn our remedy!

Present us with two options.

1) If our goal is ultimately the American dream of becoming U.S. citizenship, they our penalty is for us to leave the country and get in line.

2) If our goal is only residencie then our penalty and path will be to BE PERMANENTLY BARRED from U.S. citizenship. Report to an immigration processing and orientation center.

A} Document and Start as a EXPLORE level migrant worker “ he who wishes to

work here after processing wishes to come and go, pays taxes but is not

eligible for any social assistance …no welfare, etc.

B} After 7 years an EXPLORE class immigrant can apply for a ENDEAVOR level Status “he who wishes to become a resident” can qualify for residency if migrant has kept his or her criminal record clean and learns English. They are now eligible for public assistance but cannot vote…

C} For illegal immigrants who opted for the goal of citizenship and have left the country and After 7 years an immigrant can apply for a ENTERPRISE level status “he who wishes to become a citizen”  can qualify for citizenship if said migrant has still kept his/her criminal record clean. And must pass a thorough civil entrance exam.

“IT IS URBAN LEGEND THAT ALL MIGRANTS SEEK CITIZENSHIP… SOME JUST WANT TO WORK.”

********************** TIMELINE **********************

OPERATION “STAR FIELD”

The rebooting and reformation of the immigration process will take 1-2 years to complete.

DAY ONE.  – Full deployment of national guard/ military to augment border patrols and to fully cover the Northern and southern borders.

DAY TWO  – Start full construction of the double security fence with manned watchtowers from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.

DAY THREE – Announcement in advance of the NEW documentation process for undocumented/illegal alien migrants is to start. (orderly processing and documentation/filtering at the NEW border processing stations) Full public dissemination THAT THERE WILL BE A 1-2 YEAR opportunity TO DOCUMENT, That after that 1-2 year window, ALL IMMIGRATION LAWS WILL BE EXTREMELY ENFORCED AND APPLIED. “Anyone still holding out must have ulterior motivations to not come clean!”

DAY FOUR –  THROUGH END OF DOCUMENTATION PERIOD…   Migrants checking in at the border will be processed for criminal records, health screening, I.D. processing and RE-documentation.  DEBRIEFING  OF THE AMERICAN experience AND THE EXPLANATION OF RULES OF their STATUS.

WE NOW HAVE A SECURE BORDER. A DOCUMENTED POPULATION,(BIOMETRIC NATIONAL I.D.)… A REVERSE “MAGNETIC POLARITY” OR “SOURING OF THE MILK” FOR ANY ONE WHO IS STILL HERE ILLIGEALY… AND A CHECK VALVE AT THE BORDER. ANY ONE COMING TO THE U.S. TO WORK WILL WANT TO COME THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR AND IF ANY ONE PULLS OFF GETTING IN ILLEGALY (GETTING THROUGH THE U.S. PRESENCE) WILL FIND THEMSELVES BEING REPELLED NATURALY BY THE SYSTEM (NO NATIONAL I.D.). LET GRAVITY DO ITS JOB.
THIS IS OUR PLAN

THIS IS OUR COMMITMENT

THIS IS OUR SOLUTION

VIVA AMERICA……….. GOD BLESS AMERICA

By Federal Glover

As we celebrate July 4th, 2018, Americans stand at a crossroads:  do we stand up for those ideals our founding fathers put before us in the Constitution or do we our head down a path that continues to erode the institutions and values that Americans have held for 242 years.

Over the past 18 months, our country has been undergoing a sea change that is remaking the way the world sees us and – more importantly — the way we see ourselves.

This Fourth of July, I almost don’t recognize this country anymore.

The America I knew growing up in Pittsburg was a land of opportunity that allowed a laborer from Mississippi to find a well-paying, blue collar job in the steel mill, buy a car and home and allowed our family to live in relative comfort and security. There was opportunity here. There was hope. We dreamed about a better country and the possibility of Martin Luther King’s Dream of worshipping and living in a land and time when we were judged by the content of our character – not by the color of our skin.

I was fortunate enough to go to school in a city where I had classmates from all around the globe.

We were not isolated from the events that were happening in other parts of the United States. We kept tabs of what was happening in Selma, in Memphis and other parts of the South. Many African American families in town still had relatives in those far away places where history was being written.

Still, those events seemed far away. My best friend was Italian American. We grew up eating at the New Mecca Restaurant, pizza from Carlos’ Pizzeria and hamburgers from The Pirate drive-in. We expanded our taste buds to include lumpia and adobo cooked by our Filipino friends’ mothers and grandmothers. We bought groceries from the market a few blocks away which was owned by a Chinese American family.

As a member of the Pittsburg High School football team, my teammates were made up of a multitude of nationalities from families that had roots in Italy, Greece, Great Britain, the Philippines, Ireland, Mexico and, of course, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana.

Even when a major retailer was picketed in downtown Pittsburg for not hiring African Americans and King’s shocking assassination broke the peace and calm of our city, the residents and political leaders came together to examine the city and how it could weather the violence that hit other U.S. cities.

Even with the civil rights battle at our doorstep, our community found a way. Change was in the air. It didn’t happen overnight and we had obstacles to overcome, but we had hope. Our dreams – our common dreams — were still intact.

Today, that hope is withering away. Our dreams seem to be fading away. The gains and progress made over the last 60 years is in serious danger. The foundations that made our country strong is more fragile and the beacon of freedom and light for people throughout the world has grown dim.

Refugees who believed in the Statue of Liberty’s “send me your tired, your poor, your wretched refuse,” are being treated like criminals; the needs of our planet seem to taking second place to need for profit; more obstacles are being placed in front of voters; corporate profits are not trickling down to the workers who toil for 20^th Century wages shrinking our great middle class; home ownership –- a critical part of the American Dream – is out of reach for most people; the unregulated proliferation of guns has made our streets more dangerous; and the re-emergence of blatant racism threatens to destroy our civil society.

Most disheartening, our Congress, instead of acting as balance to the extreme policies coming from the current administration, has succumbed to the fear of losing an election instead of standing on principle.

For those who might want to give up hope and let cynicism replace our dreams, there are signs that that the American Dream is still alive.

I am heartened by the renewed vigor and interest being displayed by our neighbors, local leaders and government representatives. Instead of giving up, they are injecting new energy and new blood into our communities.

The marches and demonstrations in behalf of women, science, LGBTQ, truth, immigrants and against racism have inspired a new generation of activism that we haven’t seen since the 1960s.

Young people – inspired by high schoolers who have seen their classmates gunned down on campus – have launched a movement to hopefully not only make their campuses safer, but to make our greater society safer and saner.  As they grow into adulthood and assume their place in our society, there is hope.

People are not content with speeches and marches in the streets, they are taking their principles into the voting booth and into the halls of our capitols and city council chambers.

Ordinary people who were once content to let the status quo play itself out, are snapping out of their lethargy and are stepping up to the plate. New community groups are springing up made up or our neighbors, who might not want to run for public office, but are willing to make the phone calls, send the e-mails and knock on doors and are creating a wellspring of change in our cities and county.

I’ve seen the first stirrings of renewed activism myself when a group of middle-schoolers in Bay Point went up against the political might and influence of the alcohol lobby to limit sales of alcoholic beverages in their community. We saw it again on June 5 when Bay Area voters passed a measure to improve our transportation system and San Francisco voters spurned the lies and misleading commercials of the tobacco industry to pass a measure limiting tobacco sales in their city.

The words of Bob Dylan, “The times, they are a-changing!” suddenly have found a new audience. People are beginning to believe they can make a difference again. As stated by that great statesman Abraham Lincoln: That “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.” This is the American Dream.

Happy July Fourth! Celebrate in safety and give thanks that we live in this great country where the possible is … well, possible … for everybody.

Glover represents District 5 which includes portions of Antioch on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

Aspire, Achieve and Acquire in Antioch to reach your goals and fulfill your dreams.

By Allen Payton, Publisher

If you haven’t heard already, the City of Antioch hired a consulting firm to help rebrand the city, in an effort to overcome the negative views and stereotypes that others outside and even some of our own residents inside Antioch have of our community.

For full disclosure, I formed an advertising, marketing and branding agency, last year, and brought on a team of five other local business owners who are professionals in branding, graphic design, websites and social media, and event planning. We put in a bid, but it was not accepted.

While I was critical of one of the five “Big Ideas” by the consultant mentioned in their proposal to the city, I’ve been willing to give them a chance and spent two hours with them, a week ago Friday, sharing my concerns and ideas, and an overview of the assets we have in the community, as well as some of Antioch’s rich history, upon which I believe they can build a new brand.

Rich History

First, I told them that a bit about our rich history. Antioch is the oldest city in the county, having been established as Smith’s Landing in 1849, renamed Antioch in 1851 at the July 4th picnic, and then incorporated in 1872. The number one reason the city was formed was for public safety. I have a copy of the incorporation papers in my office declaring that.

Clean & Safe

Second, I shared that the city needs to focus on two things, initially – clean and safe. That’s the same thing I learned that cities focused on, specifically with their downtowns, back when I was on the council from 1994-998. So, this is nothing new. It just needs to happen and quicker.

I pointed out the obvious, that we must get our crime under control – which according to Chief Brooks’ latest reports is happening – we won’t be able to attract the kind of businesses and employers to our city, nor will the upscale homes be built in the Sand Creek area, which are needed for Antioch’s long-term economic and financial success. In order to accomplish that the City Council must regain faith with the public and get us the 22 more sworn police officers we were promised if we passed Measure C and be honest with us by using the correct base figure of 89 officers, which were in the budget and on the force, before the measure was passed, for a total of 111 officers, not the 82 officers we had after it passed for a total of 104.

We need the council to direct City Manager Ron Bernal and Chief Brooks to “hire more cops, faster” and “a cop a week is all we ask.”

The city council and staff also need to crack down on the litter, including the shopping centers and require them to keep it picked up. People, please put your trash in the trash can and remind others to do the same. Also, keep your yard clean and maintained and show some pride of place, please.

Finally, the city council and staff must work with the county and local churches and charities to solve the homeless problem. We need them to get Supervisors Glover and Burgis who represent portions of our city, to bring more services out here to Antioch and East County where the need has grown over the past several years, instead of continuing to focus so much of the resources on West County.

City’s Assets

Third, I pointed out that we have a lot of assets that other cities don’t have. We have the river and waterfront, with access to the deep-water channel that serves the Port of Stockton. That port is currently doing $2 billion in annual business. According to the late, former Pittsburg Economic Development Director, Brad Nail, Antioch has a greater potential for a deep-water port than Pittsburg has. We need to build one in the Wilbur Avenue corridor to create the well-paying, industrial jobs for our residents.

That also allows for recreation, with boating on the river, with the marina and two boat launches. I shared that we need to develop a big boat berth marina either at G Street or at the old Tommy’s Harbor near Rodgers Point and The Red Caboose on Fulton Shipyard Road, on the east end of downtown, to attract boaters with money who will stop and enjoy lunch and shopping during a day on the Delta.

We also have our historic, downtown Rivertown which has so much potential. I suggested to them the idea of creating a Pier 39-type boardwalk on the water, running along the waterfront from the fishing pier next to the Riverview Lodge all the way to E Street, near the Old Lumber Company Building, to help attract more people to downtown. Plus, the renaming of L Street to Marina Way and A and West Second Streets to Rivertown Drive and West Rivertown Drive for permanent marketing of Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown (as has been in the city’s plans since the 1996 Economic Development Plan was adopted), especially now that Smith’s Landing Seafood Grill is getting ready to open at the former Humphrey’s location. That’s the best location on the Delta for dining.

We also have the rail line running through the north side of our city, bringing goods and people in and out of our city from the Port of Oakland, across the country. We need to take greater advantage of that.

We have Highway 4 widened to Antioch, and the section between Sand Creek Road and Balfour Road (of what used to be referred to as the Bypass) about to be completed.

Of course, we also now have the BART extension and station in Antioch. That opens up all kinds of economic development opportunity, surrounding and near the station.

We have empty commercial buildings for businesses to locate in and we have land, specifically the 200 acres that were set aside 20 years ago, this year, in the Laurel Road/Highway 4 interchange area for commercial development and employment. Slatten Ranch Road will bisect the property and connect Slatten Ranch Shopping Center and the Antioch BART Station to Laurel Road. That will begin construction once the homes on the other side of the freeway begin being built and paying the developer fee for the new road.

Another asset Antioch has is our immediate access to the adjacent, permanent, publicly owned open space of the East Bay Regional Park District with the Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve and soon the 900 acres of the Deer Valley open space where the Roddy Ranch Golf Course was located, and the surrounding new home development was planned.

Location & Transportation – The Jobs Highway

I also told the consultants that if you look at the map, Antioch is at the center of Northern California commerce. The only problem is we really can’t get there from here.

What we need is the connection out the back door to East County, which is the long-planned, four-lane Route 239 freeway between Brentwood and Tracy. Mayor Sean Wright refers to it as the “Jobs Highway” as it will connect us to Interstate 5, the lifeblood economic artery of the state. The total project, which has been referred to as the TriLink, also includes two lines of transit down the center, which will help connect the Antioch BART Station and the proposed Brentwood BART Station near Sand Creek Road, to Discovery Bay, Byron, Byron Airport, Mountain House, Tracy and back to Livermore and ultimately to the Pleasanton BART Station. The price for the TriLink is pegged at $1 billion.

But at the recent East County Transportation Summit two lower cost alternatives were discussed, including adding two lanes to the current Byron Highway/J-4 at a cost of just $200 million.

Branding –Aspire, Achieve, Acquire

Finally, I shared with the consultants some of my ideas for branding Antioch, that my team was going to pitch the city. First, I shared with them the acronym I used for my five-part economic development strategy, when running for city council in 1994 – B.R.E.A.D. for Business Retention, Expansion, Attraction & Development. The city needs to do what’s necessary to retain current businesses, allow them to expand, attract businesses to our city, and allow for the development of new businesses in our city. That puts bread on our tables, “bread” (the old slang word for money) in our pockets and “bread” in the city’s coffers with more sales and property tax revenue, to pay for more services.

I suggested we get away from the old city slogan, “Gateway to the Delta” because we want to be a place to come to, not somewhere to drive through or stop by on your way to somewhere else. I suggested we be known as the Jewel or Diamond of the Delta, and to become the Sausalito of the Delta.

I like alliteration, so I suggested using inspiring, uplifting, positive words to describe us beginning with the letter “A” of “Antioch Aspires” and “Antioch Achieves”. Or, Aspire in Antioch, Achieve in Antioch, Aquire in Antioch, as messages we can send to businesses we can attract to locate here. Antioch aspires for and desires to achieve greatness. If you want to locate a business here, you can acquire land or an existing building, aspire to and achieve greatness for your company.

I also thought of another word that begins with “A” that made me laugh, as it reminded me of that movie, The Big Lebowski, in which Jeff Bridges’ character is known as “The Dude” and had the saying “The Dude Abides”. That would be “Antioch Abides” or “Abide in Antioch”. Or maybe not. LOL

Actually, it’s because we can no longer abide the negative views of Antioch and the problems we face, that we must improve our city and rebrand it.

So, we need to let our people, the Bay Area and the rest of the world know that “you can aspire, acquire and achieve in Antioch to reach your goals and fulfill your dreams.”

That’s my input in an attempt to edify our community, focus on the positive and offer a future vision that I believe most of us want.

My encouragement to you is rather than be negative and point out all the things you don’t like about Antioch – while not being pollyannish and ignoring reality – please, focus on the kind of city you want Antioch to become and offer your constructive input to the consultants.

Residents are invited either to fill out a brief survey at https://tinyurl.com/antioch-brand or to email brandingantioch@ci.antioch.ca.us.