A group of Observers listen to a presentation by Contra Costa County Elections Staff. Photo: CCC Elections
“We’re an open book” – Registrar of Voters Kristin Connelly
By Dawn Kruger, Civic Outreach and Engagement Specialist, Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department
Making good on its commitment to accountability and transparency, the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department today welcomes members of the public into its fourth class of the Contra Costa County Certified Election Observer (CEO) Program. The program is open to applicants from the public—anyone can apply to future cohorts. During this election cycle, ten CEOs will participate in a rigorous series of classes and tours at Elections Division headquarters.
“Our county is home to one of the safest, most secure and transparent election systems in the nation,” says Kristin Connelly, Contra Costa Registrar of Voters. “We’re not just saying that—we’ve been recognized by our peers. We ensure all residents can see how we work. That’s why the Certified Election Observer Program is so important—it offers an in-depth look at democracy from start to finish.”
Launched in 2022 and held in advance of every election, Contra Costa County’s CEO program won an Honorable Mention Award from the United States Election Assistance Commission. The program aims to open the elections process up to more county residents and help the community become well-versed in the many steps the county takes to ensure transparency and integrity.
This election cycle’s cohort will start with a comprehensive review of the voter registration process and an introduction to the Department’s leadership. Next, CEOs will participate in poll worker training classes. They will also get a facility tour featuring a detailed review of the public logic and accuracy testing process, where staff confirms that all voting equipment is functioning properly. On the day before the March 5 Presidential Primary Election, they will review the mail-in voting and ballot scanning process. This process consists of collecting ballot envelopes from official drop boxes and the postal service, verifying voters’ signatures against registration records, extracting and scanning ballots, and tabulating the vote.
On March 18, midway through the counting process, CEOs will witness Provisional Ballot processing and ballot review, including resolving damaged or ambiguous ballots. Then, they will watch the 1% manual tally, where officials conduct an audit by hand-counting a random sample of ballots to ensure that the tabulators have counted the votes correctly. Upon completion of the program, CEOs will receive a certificate of achievement at a Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors meeting in April.
“Our office has many opportunities for community participation,” says Dawn Kruger, Civic Outreach and Engagement Specialist. “You can become a poll worker, host a voter registration event, invite us to your organization for a presentation, learn more about how elections work by visiting our website, or engage with us on Social Media.”
Contra Costa County will host another cohort of CEOs for the fall Presidential General Election. Residents interested in receiving a presentation or observing the election process can email outreach@vote.cccounty.us. Those who wish to become a poll worker can visit contracostavote.gov. Voters can track the processing of their own ballot by signing up for California Ballottrax at california.ballottrax.net.
In less than 30 days to qualify for November 2024 ballot
Over 200,000 California voters have signed petitions for measure that will reverse Prop 47 to stop retail theft, fentanyl crimes
Sacramento, Calif. — Californians to Reduce Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft announced on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, that in less than 30 days, 214,000 California voters have signed the petition to place the Homeless, Drug Addiction, Retail Theft Reduction Act on the November 2024 ballot.
“We have seen a record number of voters seeking to sign the petition to place this measure on the ballot – sometimes waiting in line to do so,” said campaign chair Greg Totten who is also chief executive officer for the California District Attorneys Association. “This is consistent with polling that has shown that 70% of likely California voters support the Homeless, Drug Addiction, Retail Theft Reduction Act. The measure is commonsense and injects accountability back into our laws for repeat offenders of theft and for crimes involving fentanyl and other serious drug crimes.”
A survey of likely California voters found that 70% of voters support the title and summary of the Homeless, Drug Addiction, Retail Theft Reduction Act. The overwhelming support was consistent across every demographic and geography including the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Furthermore, 89% of likely voters support amending Proposition 47 for stronger penalties for those engaged in repeated retail theft and trafficking hard drugs like fentanyl. The measure also includes incentives to complete drug and mental health treatment for people who are addicted to hard drugs. The survey was conducted online from November 8-November 13, 2023, with a margin of error of +/- 2.28%.
Currently, under Prop. 47, retail theft of less than $950 is charged as a misdemeanor.
To qualify the measure for the November 2024 ballot, the law requires 546,651 valid signatures. The campaign is required to notify the Secretary of State after 25% of the signatures from California voters have been collected.
Ron Bernal speaks to the estimated 300 to 400 supporters who attended his campaign for Mayor of Antioch kick-off on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. Photos by Allen D. Payton
Ron Bernal will challenge Hernandez-Thorpe on the issues of public safety, homeless, economic development and trust in government
“Antioch is in such crisis…I want a city government that people can trust…I want us to hold our heads high and be proud we’re from Antioch.” – Ron Bernal
By Allen D. Payton
Source: Bernal for Mayor campaign.
On Thursday evening, Jan. 25, 2024, former Antioch City Manager Ron Bernal was joined by about 300 to 400 supporters to officially kick-off his campaign for Mayor of Antioch in the November election. He will be taking on one of his former bosses, Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe, who Bernal served under for four-and-a-half years, with the campaign theme of “Change Starts Today”.
The event was hosted by local business and building owner Sean McCauley and his wife Maria at their Antioch home, located on the grounds of their Vino Olivo winery and business on Deer Valley Road.
During the reception, before the speeches began, Bernal greeted each of those who attended while they enjoyed catered hors d’eouvres and McCauley/Peterson wines, and took photos in front of three banners reading, “A Safer Antioch Starts Today,” “A Better Tomorrow Starts Today,” and “Change Starts Today”.
Former Mayor Don Freitas, who served as the master of ceremonies said, “I have to tell you that when a lot of people started talking about who’s going to run, (former City Councilwoman) Joy Motts said, ‘I have a candidate.’ I asked, ‘who?’ She said, ‘Ron Bernal.’ I said, ‘Outstanding.’ He knows how local government works.”
“There are over 300 of you here, tonight. Ron, I think it’s a testament to who you are and Sean, because people wanted to see your house,” Freitas said with a laugh.
He then introduced the many local officials, including some council members from neighboring East County cities, who were in attendance.
Speaking of his conversation with Bernal about his candidacy the former mayor said, “It’s the first time in a long time I said, ‘you know Ron, I have hope.’”
Before he introduced Pastor Steve Miner of Antioch’s Cornerstone Christian Center, where the Bernals attend, Freitas said, “a lot of us have been on our knees saying, ‘God, please, please.’”
“This is going to be long. It’s going to be difficult,” Miner stated before offering the invocation. He was then joined on the stage by Bernal, his wife, Irma, their daughter Ashley Pollard and daughter-in-law Michelle Bernal, so the pastor could pray for them, Antioch and the campaign. The Bernals’ son was working and unable to attend the event.
Pastor Steve Miner prays over the Bernal family, Sean McCauley introduces Ron as the event’s MC, Don Freitas looks on.
McCauley then introduced the candidate saying, “We all love and know Ron in this area, today. He’s my brother, I love him, and he loves this city. One of our biggest things was, what is it going to do to you and your family? He’s making great money with his consulting firm. The sacrifices they’ll make are going to be impactful. I want everyone to be behind Ron for the next eight months. It’s going to be war.”
“I asked him, ‘Why do you want to do this?’” McCauley continued. “He said to me because he loves this city.”
“I know it’s starting off with a bang, but it can’t fizzle out,” the host added.
As Bernal concluded his speech, his wife, Irma joined him on stage.
Bernal then spoke saying, “I want this campaign to be something we can aspire to as Antioch. When I first came to work for this city 25 years ago…the first person I met was named Mike, he was an engineer. He asked my why I would come to Antioch. I told Mike, ‘I want to make a difference, here in Antioch, and I want to make it better…I made it my goal to make this place a better community.”
“Being in retirement, now for a couple years…I’m asked the same question by people out on the street that know me, the question is, ‘why in the world would you stay in Antioch?’” Bernal continued. “So, I tell people the same answer I said before. Because I want to make it a better place and want to improve it. But I have a second reason, now, and as Sean said, I love this community. I love the people of Antioch…my neighbors, my neighborhood…everything this place has to offer.”
He asked his supporters three questions and spoke of his three top priorities of safety, homeless and economic development: “Is Antioch a safe place to operate right now?” “No,” they replied. “Is Antioch a place that’s helping the homeless get off the streets?” “No,” was the response. “Is Antioch a place where economic development is thriving?” Again, they said, “No.”
“That’s the same conclusion I came to,” Bernal stated. “And what is driving me, those three main issues.”
“The first one being the safety of our community,” he shared. “I want our people…to not operate in fear…to be able to walk out and go shopping…go to a restaurant…pull out of an intersection and not worry about getting hit by a car speeding through…I want to see our police force get restored so that we can have safety on our streets.” That garnered the greatest applause.
“That’s the number one priority,” Bernal said.
“I want to address the homeless issue,” he said next. “They don’t deserve to be living on our streets…on parking lots, parked on Wilbur Avenue. We can partner with other agencies, with the county…to get the unhoused the resources they need…get them into interim and permanent housing and get the homeless off the streets of Antioch.”
“I love them, but I don’t want to see them having to live on the streets of Antioch,” Bernal added.
“The third thing that I think is important and the other two lead to it, is having a vibrant economic development in the city of Antioch, our blighted properties, the fact that businesses have to come to city hall and wait for permits because we don’t have a city staff that’s fully staffed, right now,” he stated. “We don’t have a full-time city manager, assistant city manager, community development director, public works director, city engineer, police chief. I could go on and on.”
“Wow,” some in the audience responded.
“We need those leadership positions filled so we can run this government efficiently and have the results that we want to see,” Bernal continued. “We need to put people who know what they’re doing, who are motivated…entrepreneurial, that are going to make a difference in this city.”
“The final thing I think we need to do is to be a good neighbor. I don’t think Antioch is necessarily a good neighbor to Oakley, Brentwood, to Pittsburg and the County, right now, because Antioch is in such crisis,” he stated. “As mayor, I want to work with the cities around us. I want to see us develop a relationship with the school district.”
“The final thing…I want a city government that people can trust,” Bernal said to a round of applause. “Government is not something you can trust. I’m going to commit to everybody here and everybody I meet to be honest, to have integrity and to be a person you can trust to do what I say I’m going to do and to lead this city in a way we can be proud of.”
“I want us to hold our heads high and be proud we’re from Antioch,” he continued. “I want this to be a place where we can raise our families, where our kids leave and want to come back.”
“Our campaign motto was chosen carefully and it’s ‘Change Starts Today,’” said Bernal. “I want people to know, when we as go out into this community, because it’s going to be a war, and we’re going to infiltrate Antioch, I want to listen to what people have to say, I want to hear their concerns, hear their problems. I want to see what we can do to help, immediately. But before we tell them what we’re going to do about changing this city, I want people to know they’re going to have hope. That’s the main thing I think is missing in Antioch, right now, is people cannot hope for a better tomorrow.”
Following his speech, Bernal took photos with supporters next to the three banners promoting his campaign theme.
He thanked those who attended and concluded by saying, “It humbles me to have all these people here supporting. I want you to know my family, my wife, Irma, we’re committed to doing this, together. Nine months ago she said, ‘babe, you’ve, got, we’ve gotta do something about this city’ and I said, ‘alright, what are we going to do?’ She goes, ‘I think you should run for mayor.’ I said, ‘alright.’ And we do it all, together so, I knew what she meant when she said, “we’ve got to do this.’ But we’re committed to doing this together. And it’s going to be a lot of work, but we’re ready for it.”
“Today, change starts,” the candidate stated. “And then we’re going to take this through the campaign, we’re going to take it to November, win the election, then we’re going to propel it into the new year with the change for 2025 for the City of Antioch.”
Irma then joined her husband on the stage.
He thanked the McCauleys “for opening their home up, today.”
“As you all know I haven’t done this before. But I’m learning very quickly. I want to thank all our volunteers…change starts, today,” he concluded.
As he ended his speech, Bernal was greeted with chants of “Ron, Ron, Ron” from his supporters. (See his entire speech, here.)
“We’re going to win because you’re a part of this campaign. I believe in Ron’s leadership to make this a great place to live, learn, work, play and worship,” Freitas said to close out the event, quoting the City’s former Mission Statement that previously hung on the wall inside the Council Chambers.
Daughter Gives Tribute to Her Dad
Following the event, daughter Ashley posted on her Facebook page photos and a tribute to her father writing, “I may be biased but I can honestly say that I have the world’s greatest dad! He has always been the best example of what a godly man, husband, father and friend should be and tonight the support was overwhelming!
My dad has served as Antioch city manager, engineer, director of public works and assistant city manager for the last 18 years before retiring a few years ago…my parents had been praying about what was next for them and they both felt strongly that my dad’s time in Antioch wasn’t done!
So here he goes throwing his hat in the ring for Mayor of Antioch and I can’t think of anyone who knows the city better, has a proven track record of success, loves Antioch and also can lead with integrity and passion. To see 3 previous city mayors tonight there to support him along with 400 other people was a true testament to the impact he has made and the amount of people who truly believe he is the man for the job!
If you’re in Antioch, make sure and vote and if you’re not we are asking for prayers that if this is what God wants for my dad and the city of Antioch that it will be so clear and that my dad will have the wisdom he needs to get this huge job done!
I kinda love this guy, and so does everyone else who meets him!!!”
Bernal said he was born at Alta Bates hospital in Berkeley when his parents lived in Moraga. When he was five years old, they moved to Walnut Creek where he grew up. Bernal attended and graduated from Las Lomas High School where he played both baseball and football.
According to his personal Facebook page, Ron and Irma were married on June 7, 1986. They and their two children moved to Antioch in 1998. They also have four grandchildren. Bernal is 61 years old.
According to his LinkedIn profile he has owned Ron Bernal Consulting since January 2022. During his 25 years in Antioch, he served as city manager from March 2017 to December 2021, as Antioch’s Public Works Director and City Engineer from May 1998 to March 2017, and for his final 13 months in that position he also served as Assistant City Manager. Bernal earned a degree in Civil Engineering from U.C. Davis and is a Registered Civil Engineer with the State of California.
For more information about Bernal’s campaign visit ronbernal.org. So far, Hernandez-Thorpe is the only other candidate to file any campaign-related papers for the seat, which he did last September. Candidate filing opens in July and closes in August. The election will be held on November 5.
This article was first by the California Globe. Republished with permission.
Last week when Gov. Gavin Newsom was sharing his proposed 2024-2025 budget, he insisted that he was opposed to a proposed wealth tax. And sure enough, Assembly Bill 259 by Assemblyman Alex Lee (D-Palo Alto), which will impose an annual “worldwide net worth” tax of 1 percent on net worth above $50 million, rising to 1.5 percent on net worth over $1.0 billion, was killed in committee that afternoon.
However, the governor has been mum about another type of wealth tax – California’s sneaky Death Tax, which adds a new tax on property inherited by a family member, which was already was taxed over the years of ownership.
In 2020, Proposition 19 resurrected the Death Tax on families whose property is left to loved ones when they die, putting their homes, property and businesses at significant risk. While the initiative was cleverly disguised as a benefit for the elderly and disabled communities, Proposition 19 caused far more harm than good.
SCA 4 would have reversed one of the largest property tax increases in state history, a little-noticed provision of Proposition 19 that revoked the ability of families and parents to pass property to their children without any change to the property tax bill, according to the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
“It was 1986 when the parent-child exclusion from reassessment was first added to the state constitution,” Susan Shelly recently wrote. “A growing number of Californians were angry to discover that state law treated death and inheritance as a “change of ownership” under Prop. 13, triggering reassessment to current market value just as if it was a sale. The legislature proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow parent-child transfers of a home and a limited amount of other property, such as a small business or a rental property, without reassessment.”
“The parent-child transfer protection passed by a unanimous vote in both houses of the legislature, and then was approved by 75% of voters statewide.”
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA) elaborates on how Proposition 19 hurts taxpayers:
Proposition 19 had two main elements. The first was expanded “portability” of base-year property taxes. Homeowners who are 55 years of age or older, who are victims of a wildfire, or who are disabled may now move to a replacement home anywhere in the state, of any value, and take the base-year property tax assessment of the old home with them to a new home up to three times.
Now to the other part of Proposition 19. Previously under the state constitution, property transfers between parents and children, and sometimes grandparents and grandchildren, were excluded from reassessment. These family members could transfer a home of any value and up to $1 million of assessed value of other property, such as a small business property, a vacation cabin, or a rental property, without any increase in the property tax bill. This taxpayer protection was added to the state constitution in 1986 by Proposition 58 (parents and children) and in 1996 by Proposition 193 (grandparents and grandchildren) with overwhelming public support.
Proposition 58 was approved by more than 75% of California voters, and Proposition 193 was approved by nearly the same margin. Now, these taxpayer protections are gone.
Proposition 19 has replaced 58 and 193 with a very narrow exclusion for family transfers of property. Only a principal residence that the inheriting child occupies as his or her permanent primary residence is eligible for an exclusion from reassessment. Unless the new owner can move in within one year, the property is reassessed to market value. Business properties and rental properties lose the protection entirely.
So, what can be done?
Susan Shelly continues, “the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, where I am on staff as VP of Communications, is collecting signatures to put an initiative on the ballot that would repeal the tax increase that was hidden in Prop. 19, without touching the other provisions in it. The official petition is available at RepealTheDeathTax.com and can be downloaded and printed on one sheet of ordinary letter-size paper. This enables instant distribution of the petition throughout the state. Theoretically, a million people could download the petition at the same time, fill it out and sign it, and have one other registered voter in the household also sign it.”
One of the most basic principles of democracy is majority rule, but guess what? Antioch does not have majority rule! Our mayor and city council members are often elected without a majority. For example, in 2020 our mayor was elected with only 41% of the vote. In 2022 in District 1 the winner only received 31% of the vote. That is unacceptable.
There are two ways to make sure we have a majority winner. The first way is to have a primary election. Then the top two vote getters would have a runoff election. The second is to use a voting system called Ranked Choice Voting (RCV for short).
Having two elections is not a good system. First, it is much more expensive to have two elections than one. Runoff elections are a waste of taxpayers’ money. Second, less people vote in the primary and it is a less diverse group of voters. Third, the runoff election becomes very negative with lots of mudslinging.
Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) gives a majority winner in a single high turnout election. It is very easy for voters. Your #1 vote is for your favorite candidate, your #2 vote is for your backup candidate, etc. In addition, RCV has several other advantages. Elections tend to be positive and issue oriented. There is no worry about splitting the vote, and usually, more candidates run. RCV is used all over California and the USA. Voters like it. It is a proven system. RCV gives voters more choice and more voice.
Antioch needs RCV. Please call or email your council member and mayor. To get email updates or volunteer please go to http://calrcv.org/antioch.
Community Conversation moderated by Truth in Common founder, News Guard News ActingDirector & Verification Editor
By Gail Murray
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the preponderance of mis- and dis-information, the role of AI and the potential effects on the 2024 election? Join a Community Conversation webinar on Thursday, January 18 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. titled “Mis/Dis-Information: How to Recognize and Respond to It” to learn how falsehoods spread and how we can avoid them.
The webinar will feature Deanna Troust, founder of Truth in Common, who will moderate the event. Troust will outline an approach for social change to address this pervasive issue. She will discuss recent research and skills to deepen our capacity for constructive civil discourse, based on her workshop series titled “Misinformation: How it Spreads and How to Avoid it.” Troust will be joined in the discussion by McKenzie Sadeghi, Acting Director and Verification Editor for News Guard News.
Information on how to access the Zoom webinar will be sent to your email address 24 hours before the program. Audience questions will be collected and answered through the Zoom chat.
Community Conversations are sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Diablo Valley, the League of Women Voters of West Contra Costa County, CCTV, and the Contra Costa County Library.
The Library will provide closed captioning for this event and simultaneous Spanish translation. This program will be recorded and uploaded to the Library’s YouTube channel after the event.
“As California’s chief elections officer…I must place the sanctity of these elections above partisan politics.” – Secretary of State Shirley Weber
Issues list of candidates including the former presidentbut leaves option open pending any decision by the U.S. Supreme Court
By Allen D. Payton
Sacramento, CA – California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. responded on Friday, Dec. 22 to the letter from California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis requesting the removal of former President Donald Trump from California’s 2024 presidential primary ballot. (See related article)
In her letter, Weber reinforced that, because this is an issue of particular concern to the public, she is obligated to address it within legal parameters and in the best interests of all California voters.
“It is incumbent upon my office to ensure that any action undertaken regarding any candidate’s inclusion or omission from our ballots be grounded firmly in the laws and processes in place in California and our Constitution,” she wrote.
“As California’s chief elections officer, I am a steward of free and fair elections and the democratic process. I must place the sanctity of these elections above partisan politics,” Weber continued. “Removing a candidate from the ballot under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment is not something my office takes lightly and is not as simple as the requirement be at least 35 years old to be president.”
“I am guided by my commitment to follow the rule of law,” she added.
While Trump is on the March 5 primary election ballot, Weber concluded her letter with, “My office will continue to assess all our options, including those that may arise as a result of any action taken by the United States Supreme Court or other changing circumstances.”
The full text of her response letter can be found here.
The list of presidential candidates includes three Peace and Freedom party candidates, with Cornel West the most well-known among them, as well as one candidate each from the American Independent Party, Green Party and Libertarian Party.
Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s name will not appear on the state’s presidential primary ballot. When asked the reason his campaign explained, “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is running as an independent candidate for the presidency and therefore will not be participating in any primary elections, including the California March 5 Presidential Primary. As an independent, he will be working towards securing a place on the ballot for the general election in November 2024 by collecting the necessary signatures and meeting state requirements.”
The state’s presidential primary is on March 5, 2024
By Allen D. Payton
Today, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023, California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis sent a letter to Secretary of State, Dr. Shirley Weber, urging her to explore legal options to remove former President Donald Trump from California’s 2024 presidential primary ballot following the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling in Anderson v. Griswold (2023 CO 63). The Colorado Supreme Court held that Trump’s role in inciting the actions at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, disqualifies him from standing for presidential election under section three of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The Lt. Governor claims the riot at the U.S. Capitol was an insurrection. However, as reported elsewhere, the former president has not been convicted of insurrection nor inciting one.
Copy of Lt. Gov . Kounalakis’ letter to Secretary of State Weber dated Dec. 20, 2023.
Based on the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling in Anderson v. Griswold (2023 CO 63), I urge you to explore every legal option to remove former President Donald Trump from California’s 2024 presidential primary ballot.
I am prompted by the Colorado Supreme Court’s recent ruling that former President Donald Trump is ineligible to appear on the state’s ballot as a Presidential Candidate due to his role in inciting an insurrection in the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. This decision is about honoring the rule of law in our country and protecting the fundamental pillars of our democracy.
Specifically, the Colorado Supreme Court held in Anderson v. Griswold (2023 CO 63) that Trump’s insurrection disqualifies him under section three of the Fourteenth Amendment to stand for presidential re-election. Because the candidate is ineligible, the court ruled, it would be a “wrongful act” for the Colorado Secretary of State to list him as a candidate on that state’s presidential primary ballot. Furthermore, Colorado’s Supreme Court cites conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch to make their case, saying the following, “As then-Judge Gorsuch recognized in Hassan, it is ‘a state’s legitimate interest in protecting the integrity and practical functioning of the political process’ that ‘permits it to exclude from the ballot candidates who are constitutionally prohibited from assuming office.’”
California must stand on the right side of history. California is obligated to determine if Trump is ineligible for the California ballot for the same reasons described in Anderson. The Colorado decision can be the basis for a similar decision here in our state. The constitution is clear: you must be 35 years old and not be an insurrectionist.
There will be the inevitable political punditry about a decision to remove Trump from the ballot, but this is not a matter of political gamesmanship. This is a dire matter that puts at stake the sanctity of our constitution and our democracy.
Time is of the essence as your announcement of the certified list of candidates for the March 5, 2024, primary election is coming up next week, on December 28, 2023.
Thank you for all your work to make our state’s elections a shining example across the country and world and for your time and consideration on this urgent matter.
