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

In November, Antioch voters will get the opportunity to seat a new mayor, two council members and a new, part-time city clerk. Both Harper and Agopian have safe council seats. They were elected to council in 2010. Davis and Rocha are not safe.

Candidates for the Mayor’s seat are Gary Agopian, (Council member and former AUSD board trustee), Wade Harper (Council member and former appointed AUSD board trustee), Don Freitas (Antioch’s mayor from 2000 to 2008, former CC Water District Board member and retired director of the CCC Flood Control and Water Conservation District who conducted the failed Clean Water ballot election earlier this year) and Michael Leon, a neighborhood activist.

City Council candidates include Mary Rocha (council incumbent), Jim Davis (current Antioch Mayor), Walter Ruehlig (AUSD board trustee), Monica Wilson (member of the city’s Economic Development Commission) and Noel Pinto (Berkeley city traffic enforcement and Board Member of his homeowners association).

Candidates for the city clerk’s seat are Arne Simonsen (former council member) and Argentina Davila-Luevano, whose ballot designation is social worker, although her job is CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Institute.

Many of these names may be familiar to you but frankly that shouldn’t give them a leg up in the race for office. Study their record and note who are their campaign supporters.

Candidates for Mayor:

Don Freitas – In 1998, three fellow CCWD board members charged Freitas with having misrepresented the board’s position by campaigning against the Garavanta dump site proposal. In 2001 was fined by the Antioch City Clerk for filing his campaign finance statement two months past the deadline. Pro labor, Don (and Mary Rocha) on a 3-2 vote voted to impose a “stop work” on the McBail Sand Creek Ranch housing and commercial project because one of McBail’s subcontractors (Thomas Plumbing) hired an apprentice who had not graduated from a state-approved training program. The “McBail mandate” was ultimately was torpedoed by Judge Spellberg.

Don later endorsed Reggie Moore, saying he needed a 3rd vote on council who supported project labor agreements. (Winco sold its property across from Wal-Mart due to Freita’s position on labor issues.) His 2002 State of the City address touted “bulldozing” rundown houses along Highway 4 in favor of 3- to 5-story buildings and supported rezoning the 11+ acre medium density residential parcel at Lone Tree Way and Blue Rock to “office use” and high density residential (a 240 unit apartment complex.) In 2007 Don wanted an additional $12 million spent on the Prewett Park community center by extending the projected payoff date of the Mello Roos bonds. Don is known to be “thin skinned” and a micromanager with a hot temper. He currently holds a sizeable campaign fundraising lead over the other candidates. He has the endorsement of APOA, having voted for the 3% at age 50 retirement package, as well as a six-year contract in 2007 (the subject of recent council negotiations with APOA) and Republic Services, a subsidiary of Allied Waste, having voted to extend their contract with the city to 2025. (Davis voted against it.)

Gary Agopian: He’s willing to consider a property tax for additional police funding, as do the other candidates. As a member of the school board, I assume he’s supported AUSD’s bond measures which causes me concern. However, I give him kudos because, as a new AUSD board member in 2004 when the district was dealing with financial problems, he supported a strong fiscal recovery plan. Plus he opposed the half-cent sales tax measure on the 2010 ballot that would have hurt Antioch business. Gary, who ran for County Supervisor in 2004, has a admirable business background and a long history of service to the community e.g. a member of the Deer Valley Plaza Crime Task Force, a member of the city’s Economic Development Commission and a member of the Mello-Roos tax Board. He feels it’s vital to annex the area on Antioch’s northeast because it has deep water access rail access and would attract 21st century jobs.

Wade Harper: Although I like his plan to lower crime and he’s personable, his job as a full time police lieutenant often keeps him away from meetings, including the Chamber’s debate for Mayoral candidates, making him a poor candidate for the Mayor’s position which requires a considerable dedication of time to fulfill all the duties of the office. Additionally, I’m concerned about his connections with the Seenos and Garaventa. He reclused himself on a recent vote regarding possible litigation against Discovery Builders, owned by Albert Seeno, in regard to the Markley Creek Culvert Crossing Project, part of the long awaited Buchanan Bypass claiming that since Seeno donated to his campaign he had a conflict of interest.

Michael Leon: Don’t know much about him but like his background and his refusal to seek or take endorsements. I wish he had decided to run for council rather than trying to just jump into the mayor’s seat. I’m like to see him on the next election ballot.

Now for a look at council candidates:

Jim Davis: Toppled Mayor Don Freitas by 489 votes in 2008 and became mayor, a seat he unexpectedly decided not to run for again, instead opting to apply for the council position being vacated by Brian Kalinowski. Jim was a former council member, a Neighborhood Watch organizer, a Police Commission and a member of the Mello-Roos board, supporting the homeowners right to vote on tax increases. If you want to know where Jim stands on any issue, just ask him, he’ll tell you.

Mary Rocha – Her mission statement this time around is “bring back Cooperation, Compassion, and Commitment. I’ll give her commitment, she spent 8 years on council and 4 years as Mayor, cooperation (she follows along) and compassion for child care. Finances aren’t Mary’s strong suit. She voted for the San Diego ferry boat as well as city’s ill advised decision to borrow $6.3M in loans from the state’s Dept. of Boating and Waterways to develop and construct a 285 birth marina with an accompanying privately owned restaurant and public fishing pier, then deciding to defer replaying the loan during construction and during the first few years of operation. purchase. A pro labor advocate, she supported the McBail stop work order. In 1988 she advocated for the construction of the GWF plant saying it would bring more jobs to Antioch. (Only 13 employees were hired and one was Mary’s husband). Mary was on council in 1997 when council, upset that residents rejected a $3.2 million landscape and lighting district plan, had city crews hang signs on city parks that read “Enter at your own risk”. When mayor in 2000 she received a letter from Attorney General Bill Lockyer chiding the city for not complying with the mandate to update its general plan every 10 years.

Walter Ruehlig – has never seen a school bond measure he didn’t like but despite our disputes over former Superintendent Deborah Sims, whose dismissal I urged, student discipline measures and the district’s real estate portfolio, hats off to Walter (who often wears one) for his willingness to communicate at all times.

Monica Wilson – Admittedly I don’t know much about her other than she’s a college dean assistant and member of the Antioch Economic Development Commission but her list of Democratic party supporters are longer than her list of accomplishments. Frankly, I’d prefer someone less partisan.

Noel Pinto – Great resume as an administrator and someone committed to getting Antioch back on track. His goals are to “ ensure a balanced annual City budget, make Police funding priority 1, fill police vacancies, no more layoffs, promote business development and local job creation, market Antioch and what it offers to the outside world, commit to the revitalization of downtown Antioch, create funding initiatives to maintain an acceptable qualify of life for the residents.” What counts as much as his impressive background, is that he’s a great communicator and would be a transparent and responsive councilman.

City Clerk’s position:

Arne Simonsen – has a long history as a dedicated council member (2000 to 2008) and lost his last race for office by a hair. Arne has stated his intent to run an open office, making more materials available for residents to scrutinize and putting more information on the city website to keep citizens informed and updated. He was an open and responsive councilman which assures me he not only will run the city clerk’s office in the same manner but will make it even more assessable to the public.

Argentina Davila-Luevano – ran unsuccessfully for council in 2002 and sees the position as a stepping stone for a future run for council. Argentina was formerly deputy state director for the League of United Latin American Citizens of California. According to a Huffington Post article, she endorsed, on behalf of the LULAC, Proposition 19, a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana usage, causing the National Executive Director of LULAC to issue an official statement that she did not have the authority to make an endorsement on behalf of LULAC. Not a resume I admire.

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

It could “fundamentally transform California”

From the Cal Watchdog

Oct. 16, 2012

By Dave Roberts

“To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”

– Thomas Jefferson

Propositions come and propositions go, with many amounting to little more than bumps on California’s road to oblivion. But Proposition 32 has the potential to fundamentally transform California, ending the union stranglehold on state government that has led to perennial multi-billion-dollar deficits and the worst business climate in the country.

To read the complete commentary, click here.

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

By Barbara Zivica

Worried about paying bills, losing your job, holding onto your home? Politicians don’t worry about budget deficits they‘re responsible for. They’ve got a simple solution….. raising OUR taxes to pay for THEIR fiscal mismanagement!

Here’s my analysis on some of the ballot measures that will appear on the November ballot. If all pass, consider the TOTAL hit to your budget and the warning notice below.

MEASURE A – the Contra Costa Community District Parcel tax ($11 for six years, 2/3 voter approval required) to provide Diablo Valley College, Contra Costa College, Los Medanos College, and the Brentwood and San Ramon Centers with “funds that cannot be taken by the state, maintain high quality education, support course offerings and instruction programs, including healthcare, technology and public safety, increase access to support services and prepare students for university transfer.” This ballot measure includes everything but the kitchen sink! NOTE: In September, Los Medanos College put out a legal notice inviting pre-qualified contractors to bid on a $10 to $15 million student services remodel, project subject to a Project Stability Agreement (PSA) between the college district and the CCC Building and Construction Trades Council. Such agreements are discriminatory because they exclude non union workers and can raise the cost of a project by 12 to 18%.

MEASURE Q – the Contra Costa County Fire Department’s proposed seven year $75 parcel tax (2/3 voter approval required) . The parcel tax, which has been said to equate to a $1.44 daily cup of McDonald’s coffee, would merely, according to the county civil grand jury, be a short term fix. Without the tax the District projects a budget deficit of $13 million next year and with the tax a $2 million deficit in budget year 2015/16. NOTE: The Grand Jury recommended the county’s fire districts consolidate, lowering operational costs, abandon outdated delivery models and address rising labor costs and pension liabilities.

Measure B – Antioch School Facilities Improvement District #1 – a $56.5M bond measure (55% voter approval required) . This is the third go around at the ballot box for the AUSD. Voters passed Measure C, the $61,600,000 June 2008 school facilities improvement bond measure, but Measure G, the June 2012 $59.5 million bond measure, bulk of the funds going to Antioch High’s modernization, failed by a narrow margin at the ballot box. Measure B is a repeat of Measure J but with all the funds going to modernize Antioch High. (The latest release of API scores shows Antioch High coming in with a score of 681, Deer Valley High 737; the state’s goal is an API value of 800. Renovation Antioch High is unlikely to improve test scores.)

Problem is taxpayers in the School Improvement Facilities Improvement District already pay about $50 for every $100,000 of assessed value due to Measure C, although the district used only approximately $40 million of the $61 million before closing the bond down. If Measure B passes, tax bills to retire school bonds will basically double, going from about $56 per $100,00 to about $106 in 2014 and reach $125 by 2023, For a home assessed at a current average $141,500, that $177 a year!

Incidentally, the district is currently setting aside 3% toward maintenance but are putting the state funding for deferred maintenance (generally for replacement) into their Capital Facilities improvement account for deferred maintenance needs. The district is currently not funding their Irrevocable Trust for Post Retirement Benefits, but are not drawing against it and allowing the fund to grow for future Post-Retirement requirements.

The district has a $31 million ending fund balance but states that if Prop. 30 and 38 are defeated, will be at $7 million plus yearly deficit and can only receive a positive certification based on 3 years projection with 3% reserves.

PROPOSITION 30: Governor Jerry Brown’s sales and income tax initiative, a constitutional amendment, entitled “Temporary taxes to fund education, guaranteed local public safety funding: The measure would up the California sales tax from 7.25 to 7.5% for 4 years, hurting those with lower incomes (the bottom fifth of earners who spend 82% of their income on taxable purchases) and raise income taxes for 7 years on the more affluent who currently pay about 40% of the state’s personal income taxes, making our top income tax rate the highest in the nation. (One of it’s provisions would end state reimbursement to local governments for costs resulting from certain provisions of the Brown Act, such as the requirement to prepare and post agendas for public meetings.

NOTE California’s school accountability system has been based on the Academic Performance Index (API) which measures the performance of schools and the achievement of students. The API is based on student scores on state tests. This bill will change the way API is calculated, as of 2016 test results will constitute no more than 60% of the API for secondary schools, for elementary and middle schools, at least 60% of the API will be based on test scores. Options to take the receding place of student test scores are troubling e.g. locally convened panels to visit schools, observe teachers, interview pupils and examine pupil work. Prop. 30 doesn’t provide measurement yardsticks for these highly subjective school review panels and evaluations could have little relationship to student proficiency in core subjects.
Proposition 38 is a 12 year tax initiative to fund education and early childhood programs. It would increase personal income tax rates on annual earnings over $7,316, using a sliding scale from .04% for lower individual earners to 2.2% for individuals earning over $2.5 million, for twelve years.

WARNING NOTICE: Beginning with the 2012 tax year (the tax that is due April 15 of 2013) not all items on your property tax bill will be deductible. The state is going to require a breakdown between deductible and nondeductible items from your property tax bills. State law follows Federal in that you are only allowed to deduct the portion of real estate taxes that is based on the assessed value of your property with some limited exceptions. Big dollar exemptions could be eliminated e.g. Mello Roos fees. It also means that parcel taxes, sewer changes, and items like the Mosquito and Vector amounts will not be deductible.

A sample property tax bill showing deductible vs. nondeductible items can be found at www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/Real_Estate_Tax

Three critical yardsticks define a thriving city; public safety, economic vitality, and good schools. After the October 11th release of the current California educational gold standard, the Academic Performance Index (API), Antioch has secured another stake in its’ claim of nailing down the school factor.

Not to get too heady, as there is bountiful growth opportunity, but the notable news is that Antioch gained an impressive twelve points district-wide. This was the seventh in the last eight years that we have progressed, Last year was the sole exception with a one point decrease, but in 2010 we jumped fifteen points. Even if we are not fully satisfied of where we stand, we can be optimistic of where we are heading.  It’s worth noting that eight years ago we stood at 703. We are now at 742 and moving.

Obviously, nobody will take a breather until we’re at the vaunted 800 mark and from there we will shoot yet higher. Remember, though, we’re not an elementary, nor a small rural or suburban district. We’re a K-12 District with 18,600 students, in the top 10% of the state size-wise. Unarguably,then, we’re an urban center, with all the attendant complexities of transiency, high numbers of English language learners, special ed students, minority populations, free and reduced lunch, and foster and group home children. Added to the challenges, we have lost 100 million in state funding over the last five years.

Where then does the credit go for our steady growth despite hurdles?  Intelligent use of data, targeted interventions, pull-out programs, after-school tutoring, peer training and  collaboration all play a role. It all starts, though, with dedicated teaching. In fact, studies show that three consecutive years of a good teacher virtually insures permanent academic success. The same holds true in reverse. Kudos, then, to our teachers serving in the trenches, overworked and under-appreciated.

Particular kudos go to Live Oak High for leading the pack at an incredible 105 point increase; to Mission Elementary with an astounding 52 point increase, to Fremont at 47 points and Marsh closely following at 44. Proudly, five schools topped 800; Diablo Vista, Lone Tree, John Muir, Orchard Park Elementary schools and Dozier Libbey High School. Three knocked on the door of 800, just points away; Carmen Dragon, Grant and Sutter Elementary. Significant increases were also recorded by Kimball Elementary, Black Diamond Middle, Dallas Ranch Middle and Park Middle, as well as by Antioch High and Deer Valley High.

Of particular note in our battle to narrow disparity and the achievement gap, the African American group posted a 24 point increase district-wide and boasted an eye-popping 48 point increase at Antioch High.

We’d be remiss if we did not award resounding cheers for the Filipino sub-group which scored a breath-taking 848 and the Asian sub-group a collective 843. They are a model to us all of what high family expectations can mean.

I have seen first-hand how education influences a community. I grew up In Great Neck, Long Island, where in the 1960’s we had one of the top ten school districts in the country. People would literally leave notes at my family door asking that if we ever decided to sell to please call them.  It was essentially a waiting list to get into our town. Antioch’s positive news, then, spells good omens for real estate prices.

Our schools, hoisting increasing test scores and a state-blazing linked pathways career academy program, can do wonders for Antioch. We can make this a town people are knocking the door down to get into and not get out of. Congratulations students, parents and teachers for setting one of the blocks needed to establish the kind of town we all envision. It’s all about placing one brick at a time.

Walter Ruehlig

A.U.S.D. Board of Trustees