Endorsement adds to growing support for Bonilla among education leaders

Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla announced this week that her campaign for State Senate has earned the endorsement of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. Torlakson currently holds the highest education post in California, and previously served in the State Assembly – as well as holding the Senate seat that Bonilla is currently contesting. He started his political career as a member of the Antioch City Council, then was elected to the County Board of Supervisors. He was also a teacher and cross country coach.

“As a classroom teacher and State Assemblywoman, Susan Bonilla has dedicated her life to California’s children and our public schools.  She has been an important and irreplaceable voice for improving academic standards, putting more students on the path to college, and ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed” Torlakson said.  “I’m proud to endorse my good friend and fellow teacher, Susan Bonilla, for State Senate.”

“Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson has been a consistent and dedicated champion for public education,” Assemblywoman Bonilla said.  “Our students and our state have benefited tremendously from his leadership and I’m honored to have his support.”

Bonilla has built a strong base of support and strong momentum – especially in the education community. Earlier this week, the Mt. Diablo Education Association (MDEA) announced their endorsement of Bonilla. MDEA is the largest teacher’s association in the senate district.

Bonilla has recently earned the endorsement of the California Democratic Party, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier – who represented this district before being elected to Congress last fall, Congressman Mike Thompson, former Congresswoman and Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher, PORAC, AFSCME, and the California Professional Firefighters.

To learn more, please visit www.susanbonilla.com.

Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla announced on Tuesday that her special election campaign for State Senate has received the endorsement of Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, whose election to Congress in November triggered the special election to fill his seat.

“Throughout her service to our community – as a teacher, Mayor, County Supervisor, and State Assemblymember – Susan has shown an unmatched ability to bring people together, create common-sense solutions, tackle the toughest issues, and deliver results,” said DeSaulnier.  “Susan Bonilla is the best candidate to represent us in the State Senate.  Our communities and the state will benefit greatly from her leadership.”

DeSaulnier held the 7th State Senate seat since 2008.

“I’m deeply honored to have Congressman DeSaulnier’s support,” Bonilla said. “He is an outstanding public servant who has set a high standard and has already become a dynamic new member of Congress. In the Senate, I will look to his example and continue his fight to improve our transportation system and protect our environment, while always putting middle-class and working families first.

His endorsement continues the growing list of endorsements that have gone to Bonilla over the course of recent weeks, including former U.S. Representative and Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher, California Department of Forestry Firefighters, Dublin Mayor David Haubert, and Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston. Since announcing for State Senate in November, Bonilla has earned the support of:

CALFIRE Local 2881

Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriffs Association

Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney’s Association

Deputy Sheriffs Association of Alameda County

United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County, Local 1230

Concord Police Association

Livermore Police Officer’s Association

Heat & Frost Insulators and Allied Trades Local 16

Ironworkers Local 378

Probation Peace Officers Association of Contra Costa County

Congresswoman and Undersecretary of State Ellen Tauscher (ret.)

Assemblymember Jim Frazier

Assemblymember Tony Thurmond

Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez

Assemblymember Richard Bloom

Assemblymember Roger Hernandez

Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez

Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston

Contra Costa County Assessor Gus Kramer

Antioch Mayor Wade Harper

Antioch Councilmember Monica Wilson

Antioch Councilmember Tony Tiscareno

Clayton Councilmember Julie Pierce

Concord Mayor Tim Grayson

Concord Treasurer Thomas Wentling

Concord Councilmember Dan Helix

Concord Councilmember Laura Hoffmeister

Danville Mayor Robert Storer

Danville Councilmember Newell Arnerich

Dublin Mayor David Haubert

Dublin Councilmember Abe Gupta

Pittsburg Mayor Sal Evola

Pittsburg Councilmember Pete Longmire

Pittsburg Councilmember Ben Johnson

Pittsburg Councilmember Nancy Parent

Ambrose Parks Board Chair Mae Cendaña Torlakson

Ambrose Parks Board Member Judy Dawson

Ambrose Parks Board Member Eva Garcia

Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla is a former high school teacher, mayor and county supervisor, who has worked to strengthen neighborhood schools and protect public safety services, while successfully working to balance the state budget.

Prior to her election to the State Assembly in 2010, Bonilla served as a Contra Costa County Supervisor and as the Mayor of Concord – the largest community in the State Senate District. While serving her local community, Bonilla built and expanded job-training programs and job creation efforts that successfully helped residents get back to work during the recession.

In the State Assembly, she has consistently worked to invest in public education, strengthen neighborhood schools, and improve access to college and job-training programs for local students. Bonilla balanced budgets by not spending what we don’t have – remaining committed to reducing our debt burden – while protecting vital services like education and public safety from drastic budget cuts.

Susan Bonilla has shown steadfast leadership in protecting early childhood education programs – saving transitional kindergarten, which gives young learners the foundations they need for success. Bonilla was the author of legislation that: expanded health care access for women, created the highest safety standards for California industrial sites while protecting manufacturing jobs, and provided more tools for law enforcement to keep our communities safe.

In her most recent term in office, Bonilla led legislative efforts to streamline education funding, giving local schools more control, make college more affordable, improve academic standards, modernize school curriculums, and secure $1 billion for training and technology to prepare students to succeed in a job market that demands problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Prior to serving in public office, Susan was an English teacher in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. She has a B.A. in English from Azusa Pacific University and teaching credentials from CSU Los Angeles. Susan resides in Concord with her husband, John. They have four daughters and three grandchildren.

State Senate District 7 includes the cities of Antioch, Pittsburg, Brentwood, Oakley, Concord, Walnut Creek, Danville, Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin, as well as many other communities in Contra Costa and Alameda counties.

To learn more, please visit www.susanbonilla.com.

By Allen Payton

As part of the recall process, Antioch Mayor Wade Harper had the opportunity to respond to the claims of the recall supporters.

Following is his official response to the Notice of Intention to Circulate Recall Petition, with which he was served at the City Council meeting on January 13, 2015.

“As your Mayor and retired Police Lieutenant, reducing crime continues to be my top priority. Our families deserve to feel safe, that’s why I led the effort to approve Measure C – so Antioch would have the funds to hire more police officers. Our community united and we hired 10 new officers, which I personally swore in (Officers Mike Perez, Kyle Smith, J.B. Hulleman, Marcos Torres, Kenneth Krein, Scott Duggar, Amel Sahnic, Trak Keo-Vann, Ben Padilla and Matt Allendorph). We take pride in hiring the finest crime fighting officers. Aggressive hiring will continue. The cost of this recall may be up to $198,994.50 which could fund another 2 police officers. Under my leadership, Antioch has secured another $625,000 to hire 5 additional officers and our Police Department conducts weekly crime suppression operations – one of which resulted in 87 arrests in just a five-day period. Nothing is more important than keeping our neighborhoods and children safe. But to achieve that goal, it’s going to take all of us working together. We ended work furloughs city-wide and I believe great days are ahead. I respectfully ask that we unite as one community, to reject this recall, so we can continue this fight together.”

According to recall leader Rich Buongiorno, recall supporters were given the green light on Monday, February 9 to begin gathering the needed approximate 8,900 valid signatures of Antioch voters. They have 120 days to do so, in order to place the recall on the ballot. Should that occur, the election will be held some time later, this year.

The election will have two parts. The first will be a yes or no vote on recalling Harper. The second will be an election for a replacement candidate. Should Harper be recalled, the top vote-getter in the second part of the election will take his place as Mayor for the remainder of the term, through 2016.

County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters, Joseph Canciamilla, notifies all interested parties that testing of the voting equipment to be used in the March 17, 2015, 7th Senatorial District Special Primary Election will begin next week and continue until all equipment has been tested for accuracy.

The testing schedule of the voting equipment is as follows:

• Automark testing will begin at 9:00 am February 9th, at the Elections Warehouse, located at 610 Marina Vista, Martinez. Automark equipment is used at the polls for those who prefer the automated ballot and to help those with visual and other impairments.
• M100 testing will begin at 9:00 am February 23rd, at the Elections Warehouse. M100’s are the tabulation equipment used at the polls.
• M650 testing will begin at 10:00 am March 13th, at the Elections Office, 555 Escobar St, Martinez. M650’s are the central count tabulation equipment that are used to count vote-by-mail ballots.

Persons interested in observing any of these processes are welcome. Observers should check in at the Elections Office.

For further information regarding the testing of voting equipment, call (925) 335-7800 or (877) 335-7802.

Any eligible Contra Costa resident can volunteer

Contra Costa County is in need of civic-minded men and women ages 16 and older to serve as poll workers for the March 17, 2015 Special Primary Election and May 19, 2015 Special General Election.

The election for the vacant seat in the 7th Senatorial District includes much of Contra Costa County, including Antioch and the rest of East Contra Costa, Lamorinda and San Ramon Valley areas, Concord, Walnut Creek and Clayton. Although the election is not countywide, poll workers may live in any part of the county. Bilingual poll workers (English/Spanish, English/Japanese, English/Korean, English/Tagalog, English/Chinese, English/Vietnamese and English/Hindi) are especially needed.

“There is no better way to serve your community, nor a more important part you can play on Election Day, than to be a poll worker,” said Joe Canciamilla, Contra Costa Registrar of Voters. “It is our poll workers who serve to keep our voting process open, accessible, and fair.”

No prior experience is necessary and training is provided. Poll workers receive a stipend of at least $125 for their service, which includes attending a two-hour required training and working from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm on Election Day.

Serving as a poll worker does not have any bearing on Social Security or unemployment status, according to state law.

Poll workers don’t have to be politically active or belong to a political party. Poll workers are required to remain neutral while working on Election Day.

Those interested in being a poll worker must be registered to vote in California, or a permanent resident in the United States, according to state election law.

For more information, visit www.cocovote.us. To apply, email eo@vote.cccounty.us or call the Elections Division at (925) 335-7873.

Vacant State Senate seat includes Antioch and most of Contra Costa County

Joseph E. Canciamilla, the County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters, reminds all residents in the state’s 7th Senatorial District that Friday, January 23, 2015 is the filing deadline to run in the May 19, 2015 Special Election.

If more than two candidates file, a Primary Election will be held on March 17, 2015. If no candidate receives over 50 percent of the vote in the Primary, the top two vote-getters will go to the ballot in May’s General Election.

Candidates for the 7th Senatorial District contest must file by 5:00 pm at the Elections Division, located at 555 Escobar Street, Martinez.

The office is open between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. It will be closed on Monday, January 19th, in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

To qualify to run, a candidate must have been a U.S. citizen and California resident for at least 3 years and a registered voter in the 7th Senatorial District for at least a year. Candidates may not have been convicted of a felony involving certain public trust crimes, and must meet the term limit requirements of the office. They must present 40 valid nomination signatures and pay a filing fee of $971.97 at the time of filing.

District 7 includes much of Contra Costa County, including Antioch and the rest of East County, Lamorinda and San Ramon Valley areas, Concord, Walnut Creek and Clayton. Eastern Alameda County is also in the district.

To view a map of the 7th Senatorial District, go to http://sd07.senate.ca.gov/district-map.

More information regarding the “Top-Two Open Primary” rules, voter registration, poll worker signups, and polling place locations is available at www.cocovote.us.

Following is an official press release from the Contra Costa County Elections Office.

Governor Jerry Brown announced Tuesday that a special election has been scheduled for May 19, 2015 to fill the 7th District Senate seat vacated by the resignation of Mark DeSaulnier, who was elected to the U.S. Congress in the November 4, 2014 Gubernatorial General Election.

District 7 includes most of Contra Costa County, including Antioch. District 7 also includes Eastern Alameda County.  To view a map of the 7th Senatorial District, go to http://sd07.senate.ca.gov/district-map .

Candidates may file for the position beginning Tuesday, January 13th at the Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder-Elections Office at 555 Escobar St., Martinez. The office is open between 8 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday. The office will be closed on Monday, January 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

If more than two candidates file, a Special Primary Election will be held on March 17, 2015. If no candidate receives over 50 percent of the vote in the Primary Election, the top two vote-getters will go to the ballot in a Special General Election to be held May 19, 2015.

The last day to submit signatures in-lieu of the filing fee is Friday, January 16, 2015. The last day for candidates to apply is Friday, January 23rd.

The filing fee, which is due at the time of submitting of documents, had not been determined as of Tuesday afternoon. Updates on the fee will be posted on our Website www.cocovote.us.

More information regarding the “Top-Two Primary” rules, voter registration, poll worker signups and polling place locations, is also available on the website.

By Allen Payton

At Tuesday night’s Antioch City Council meeting, Mayor Wade Harper was served with recall papers by a group of Antioch residents, for the second time in months.

“You are being recalled,” said Antioch resident Laura Stewart, one of the recall proponents, who presented the Notice of Intention to Circulate Recall Papers during public comments.

The last time they served Harper, the proponents missed by one day a required deadline for publishing the Notice in a local newspaper. So, they had to start over.

The mayor has seven days from when the forms are officially submitted to the City Clerk, to provide his official response. The proponents will then have 180 days to gather the signatures of approximately 8,900 registered Antioch voters to place the recall on the ballot.

Following is the statement by the proponents of the recall on the Notice of Intention as to why they’re recalling Harper:

“Mayor Harper tells us that crime is decreasing. The citizens of Antioch know this is not the case. The bullet casings are piling up along with the excuses. Antioch is now the fifth most dangerous city in the Bay Area. Nationally, we are rated 6 on the crime index of violent crimes. At 17, the city of Compton is safer.

Mayor Harper promised Measure C would immediately hire 22 police officers. He also promised to be tough on crime and have zero tolerance for criminal behavior. This has proven to be untrue. Meanwhile, our crime rate has increased 22.8% during his terms in Antioch. Mayor Harper stated we needed to clean up Antioch, but was absent for the annual Sycamore cleanup. The police are understaffed. Instead of hiring 40 additional cops, Mayor Harper wasted $4.4 million on police overtime. Businesses are closing early due to unruly mobs of teenagers. Promises of more jobs and economic growth have not materialized.

Antioch has big city problems that need big city solutions. Mayor Harper has failed to deliver solutions to these problems. The citizens of Antioch are fed up and need a mayor that will deliver results to solving our serious crime problem.”

Below are copies of the recall papers served on the mayor, including the list of all 30 residents who signed them, as provided by Rich Buongiorno, the leading recall proponent.