I love Antioch because it has given my family the opportunity to prosper for the past 25 years. My parents worked as a dishwasher and fry cook for as long as I can remember to achieve the American dream, providing a brighter future for their children. They succeeded.

Here, I received my K-12 education and went on to earn a degree in Economics at Stanford University. Now, I am a quality improvement professional at UCSF San Francisco General Hospital, where I collaborate with the brightest minds in pediatrics on projects that impact children’s wellbeing.

I also work as a youth leadership teacher with TEAMTRI where I mentor our student leaders.

As your representative on the school board I will use my background in education, economics, and healthcare, to fight for evidence-based solutions to the problems facing our community.

We can invest in school safety solutions and get at the root of the problem so that we stop the violence years, not seconds, before it happens.

It is imperative that we adapt to the latest recommendations from health experts to protect our teachers and students from COVID-19.

Let’s make Antioch a better place for every child to get an education, together.

Dear Editor:

Over the past few decades, Antioch has become one of the most wonderfully diverse Cities in Contra Costa County.  As we continue to grow, so must our ideas and solutions to complex issues.  Remaining stagnant will not benefit Antioch. The City Council in particular must focus on actions that benefit all residents in the City rather than continue the cycle of political grandstanding.

This election year, we need new energy, and new thought processes on the City Council.  Rejuvenating the city through fresh ideas, and fresh perspectives will allow us to break the cycle of failure.  Our River Town has huge potential, yet the City Council does nothing to improve the conditions of Rivertown and other areas of Antioch.  We need strong, accountable leadership that will take the steps necessary to improve the conditions of Antioch.

The new energy and fresh perspective Antioch needs is Antwon Webster.  I have done the research on him and taken the time to communicate with him on several occasions.  He and his family moved to Antioch in order to create lasting memories and to make a home for their kids.  In doing so, he wants Antioch to be a place that is safe and full of opportunities for his family and for all the residents of Antioch. His top priorities are:

• Safety:  Working with Law Enforcement to create and enhance our Community Policing program.
• Reducing Crime:  Supporting our Law Enforcement through funding for additional resources and training.  Increasing the number of law enforcement to an adequate level.
• Future City Development:  Reviving local business and creating youth outreach and development programs.  Improving city revenue through smart economic growth.
• Blight:  Cleaning up Antioch and beautify the city so that we all can enjoy and admire the city we live in.  Beautifying and remodeling our historic, downtown Rivertown into something more modern day, where families can come and enjoy a walk on the waterfront.

Antwon Webster is a visionary and as a military veteran, he understands how to strategically move Antioch forward.  He is committed public servant and record of proven leadership.  He has shown and proven that he is a man of his word and a committed to the City of Antioch.  I am honored to endorse Antwon Webster for Antioch City Council, District 3.

Best Regards,

Chief Allan Cantando (Ret.)

Dear Editor:

District 2 Antioch City Council candidate Mike Barbanica offers two solutions to the problem of homelessness in Antioch: breakup homeless encampments and deny the homeless services. He also mentions arresting them. Breaking up encampments is an old solution that we have seen fail. It undermines the effort to get the homeless into housing. It is also now illegal.

Antioch took a similar approach on the issue of the growing number of Section 8 residents. This policy was halted, and the city settled a lawsuit with those residents after the city was accused of discrimination. Running people out of town is not the answer. It is a failed approach. It is a shameful solution. It makes the problem worse. California’s Right to Rest Act makes such actions illegal. (See related article)

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (“USICH”), an organization composed of nineteen federal cabinet and agency heads to advance federal collaboration to end family homelessness, has recognized that sweeps and the seizure of the personal property of the homeless is harmful and counterproductive. The USICH report, “Ending Homelessness for People Living in Encampments,” finds that “forced dispersal” of encampments is “inappropriate and undermines the goal of linking people to permanent housing opportunities.”

In the California Right to Rest Act of 2018 the California State Legislature defines harassment against the homeless as, “a knowing or willful course of conduct by law enforcement, public or private security personnel, or agent directed at a specific person that a reasonable person would consider as seriously alarming, consider pestering, troubling, disturbing, or threatening.”
When it comes to homelessness Antioch has other obligations.

The requirement to provide for housing and shelter for low-income and homeless individuals as stated in Antioch’s General Plan and to adhere to the requirements of government code is an “obligatory duty which a governmental entity is required to perform,” not a permissive one. Antioch’s mandatory duty created by California Government Code § 65583 et seq., known as the California Housing Accountability Act requires the city to provide for housing and shelter for low-income and homeless individuals.

Michael Kitterman

American Citizens Institute

A Research and Analysis Public Charity

AmericanCitizensInstitute.org

 

Dear Editor:

Since this appears to be an issue, I’d like to make something clear.

District Attorney Diana Becton is brilliant, someone I admire and respect and am blessed to be able to consider her a friend.  I 100% believe she is making resource decisions that are difficult and should not be challenged until or unless you understand resource limitations.  This is not about her protecting criminals. It is about making sure we have the resources to prosecute violent and high-level crimes. I agree with that and support the decisions she has had to make.

With that said, since I am an adult and have the right to make my own decisions, I am supporting Sean for Mayor.

I also supporting Fernando Sandoval against Greg Enholm, and Clyde Lewis for school board.

I also support Tammany Brooks our Police Chief, and anybody that calls him racist should research his background.  His father is Black and he grew up in the hood and knows more about crime and real life more than many people I know. He grew up the way I did, and I have nothing but respect for him.

If this offends anybody, that’s your right.

I have one more thing to say everybody.

I can’t not share other things I know about people running for office during election season.

Although I was and still am hurt by Ken Turnage’s opinion about older people because of my own age, I would be wrong to not share that Ken helped save the lives of one of my students and one of my family members by blessing them with jobs and emotional support when they both needed it.

Iris Archuleta

Antioch

 

Say “Hello” to more drugs on our streets

Antioch Residents,

I emailed you recently about Contra Costa County District Attorney’s surprise announcement requiring prosecutors to consider “need” before deciding whether to charge an individual with LOOTING. Last week, the DA made another disturbing announcement.

Individuals caught possessing smaller quantities of heroin, cocaine or methamphetamines WILL NOT BE CHARGED with a crime. UNBELIEVABLE. It gets worse. Actually, an individual can be caught three times in the span of a year and STILL NOT GET CHARGED for drug possession. (See related Herald article)

In effect, what the DA has done is legalize drugs in our county. I worry about how this might increase drug use among youth and increase crime in our City. I would be interested in your thoughts – please CLICK HERE to send me an email.

My opponent, Lamar Thorpe, is a huge supporter of the District Attorney’s policies and supported her re-election (click here for documentation). If elected, I worry that he will embrace policies that favor criminals, which would do more damage than not to our community.

Thank you for reading this message.

Dr. Sean Wright – Antioch Mayor

Publisher’s Note: This was received in our email on Sept. 21 but was inadvertently overlooked, until today.

Dear Editor:

My name is Sandra White, and I am running for Antioch City Council, District 4.  I want to make everyone aware of the current state of politics in the City of Antioch, and why I am running for office.

Some of our current City Council members are trying to defund the Antioch Police Department, use taxpayer dollars to put homeless in a hotel that is a stone’s throw away from residential neighborhoods and a school; and are trying to divide the residents of Antioch using race-baiting tactics to accomplish the election of candidates who will further the above agenda.

On September 8th, 2020, some Antioch residents received an email that appears to have come from my opponent in District 4.  It seems a candidate for mayor orchestrated a smear tactic directed at Mayor Wright, who came out against District Attorney Diana Becton’s undefined guidelines for the prosecution of looters.

In the article, my opponent implied Mayor Wright’s comments were somehow divisive because he disagreed with the DA’s allege pro-criminal approach to dealing with offenders in our community.  The smear piece suggests that the mayor’s statements were somehow based on DA Becton’s race and gender.  These types of divisive politics are toxic for Antioch, and things need to change.  As an African American woman, I am offended when people try to use race and gender to divide us, as my opponent alleges smear piece tried to do.

For the record, I am pro-police and believe the Antioch Police Department is understaffed.  I am currently a volunteer for the City of Antioch as the Chair of the Police Crime Prevention Commission.  I have met with many of you in my district to assist with making our neighborhoods safer.  When I am elected, I will be better positioned to make our entire community even safer.  I genuinely believe we do not need less police; we need more officers and mental health resources to assist our police department. Our understaff police department is inundated daily with calls that can be handled by a Crisis Prevention Unit.

The safety of you and your family will be my priority.  When I am elected to office, I will ensure our police department continues to model “Best Practices” within the Law Enforcement community. I stand with Mayor Wright and believe that after our police officers arrest criminals for victimizing our businesses, they should be held accountable and prosecuted.

Regarding our Homeless population, we all agree; there needs to be a solution.  Many of our homeless residents have mental health and drug/alcohol addiction issues. The only way the Homeless situation can drastically improve is by getting needed services and funding on a county and state level and laws and policy changes that allow families to intervene to get their loved ones help.  To suggest a Homeless hotel in a residential / school neighborhood (costing at least $1 million) without wrap-around services is reckless and a waste of your tax dollars!

We need to bring back businesses to Antioch taking the approach that our neighbors to the East and West have done.  Do you ever ask yourself why companies are not coming to Antioch? It is simple; we have crime and blight issues that are not my opponent’s concern and other members of the city council.  If we want to attract businesses, we need to lower our crime, beautify our city, and work with county and state officials to get our Homeless population to reduce the number of homeless residents.

If you are happy with Antioch’s current “status quo,” such as the conditions related to blight, low police staffing, increase in homelessness, and crime, then I am not the candidate for you.

We should all want our community in Antioch to become a positive change with a fully staffed police department, businesses returning to Antioch, a thoughtful and focused approach to reducing blight, homelessness, and quality of life issues. In that case, I am that candidate, and I hope you will vote for Sandra White, for Antioch City Council, District 4.

Sandra White

Candidate

Antioch City Council, District 4

 

Women Leaders Condemn Remarks by Antioch Mayor

Antioch, California — September 8, 2020 — Several women community leaders, including two Antioch city councilmembers, today condemned false accusations being spread by Mayor Sean Wright against Diana Becton, the county’s first elected woman, and Black district attorney, in his bid for reelection.

In an email sent to supporters last month, Wright claimed Becton created a policy that says it is OK for looters to steal items if they need them. “According to our DA, if the looters ‘need’ an item in a retail shop, for example, it is ok for them to take that item without being charged,” he wrote. Wright included a photo of a Black man looting a store in Chicago in his email.

Wright shared a September 1, 2020 article by The Daily Wire, a conservative news and opinion website, that supported his accusation against Becton. However, since the article was published, Snopes, an independent fact-checking website, found claims made in the article and shared on other right-wing websites were false.

In June, Becton issued guidelines that encouraged prosecutors to make a distinction between thefts and burglaries that merely happen to take place during a state of emergency and lootings, which are “substantially motivated by” a state of emergency. Contrary to Wright’s claim, the guidelines do not advise prosecutors not to go ahead with a looting charge if a suspect was found to have been motivated by “personal need.”

“Frankly, I’m shocked by the mayor’s comments, especially since he is running on a platform to unite the community,” said Monica Wilson, Antioch’s first Black woman city councilmember. “Fearmongering and spreading lies to drum up votes are not how you unite a community, especially a community like Antioch, where the majority of residents are people of color.”

“For a mayor of a city this size, it is completely irresponsible to make a statement based on unverified information that is later proven false,” said Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Joyann Motts. “At a time when we are trying to bring the community together, this is very divisive.”

Wilson also condemned similar remarks recently made by Steve Aiello, president of the Antioch Police Officers Association. In a September 1, 2020 story published by EastCountyToday.net, Aiello accused Becton of being “reckless” by “picking and choosing the types of crimes” her office prosecutes.

“There is very clearly a double standard going on here,” Wilson said. “Our district attorney has done nothing wrong, yet she has gained nationwide attention for her actions simply because she is a Black woman in a position of leadership. Meanwhile, we have had elected men here in Contra Costa County embezzle money, make unwanted sexual advances, and say inappropriate things, and it barely registers a blip on the radar.”

Other local women leaders who were disappointed in Mayor Wright’s comments included Tamisha Walker, an East Bay activist. “When we find ourselves misunderstanding the actions that are being taken at this moment, it would be more productive to find common ground rather than inferring that the leadership of a woman of color is irresponsible and reckless,” Walker said. “Solidarity is what we need during this time, not separatism that could lead to harm in any form. Black women can lead consciously and with full integrity during these very difficult and unprecedented times.”

“The disturbing part is intentionally misinterpreting DA Becton’s stance for shock value,” said Carolyn Wysinger, an East Bay activist and Board Chair of San Francisco PRIDE. “The mayor wrote, ‘According to our DA, if the looters “need” an item in a retail shop, for example, it is ok for them to take that item without being charged. I don’t agree with this approach — do you?’ That is classic dog-whistle politics, and THAT’S what we are calling out.”

Courtney Masella-O’Brien, attorney and community activist, said the mayor’s comments were reckless. “At a time when tensions and division in our country and our county are at an all-time high, people need to be responsible and make sure they have their facts accurate and complete, especially when it comes to Contra Costa’s first Black and first woman DA,” she said.

Arianna Grady, an Antioch student activist, said Wright’s comments typified the type of undue scrutiny Black women often encounter. “My mother always taught me that there are two things already against you in this world: ‘You’re Black and that you are a woman.’” Grady said. “Every day, Black women and men suffer from hardships. When we have passion in our voices, we are labeled ‘aggressive.’ When our hair isn’t considered ‘professional,’ we are ‘ghetto.’”

“This certain situation goes to show the continuous hardship we face, which causes us to work ten times harder with only half the expected outcome,” Grady added. “Being a Black woman in politics has shown me how hard we have to work for what we want, as many odds are against us. In this particular situation, it goes to show that we should not be misread and blasted by our peers but understood. This situation should only make us all want to continue to fight for and vote in people who will fact check, understand, and seek to empower all.”

“In the 100 years since women fought and won the right to vote, we’ve made great strides,” said Susannah Meyer, another local activist. “Our mothers and grandmothers faced discrimination and challenged gender oppression so that we could vote for women in office and actually have hope that they would be elected to serve. In those 100 years, we have made great strides inequality for women and are living in a world our trailblazing ancestors could only imagine. But we have a long way to go.

“While women leaders and elected officials are still judged on anything other than their integrity, their achievements, and their ability to lead, we still have a long way to go,” Meyer said. “While we calmly accept being treated like our voices don’t matter so we aren’t seen as angry or defensive, we still have a long way to go. Our next generation of women, and the generation after that, will look back and thank us for continuing the fight for gender equality. And we will fight, because we’ve made great strides, but we still have a long way to go.”

References:

Sean Wright’s campaign email:

https://secure.campaigner.com/CSB/Public/archive.aspx?args=NDU5NTMyMDA%3D&acc=NzU5ODM5&fbclid=IwAR2s9TznAap7tm3YOAaHeE14JfULlNEdWdi6FMZKS5_7OJUK-v2VnYMQ4I4

Did a California DA Say Looting Is ‘Okay’ If Suspects ‘Need’ What They Steal?

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/california-da-becton-looting-need/

Antioch Mayor Blasts Contra Costa District Attorney’s Policy on “Looters”

https://eastcountytoday.net/antioch-mayor-blasts-contra-costa-district-attorneys-policy-on-looters/

 

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Following is the first of the profiles for candidates running for office in Antioch or for offices whose district includes all or a portion of Antioch.

Diane Gibson-Gray

Position Running for: Antioch Unified School District Board Member, District 1

Past Public Office: School Board, 2008-2012, 2012-2016, 2016-2020

Email: Diane@DianeGibsonGray

Current Paying Job: None

Top Issues
1. Student/employee Safety
2. Distance learning/minimizing learning loss
3. Social / emotional well-being during Distance Learning
4. Preparations for In-Person learning (when permitted)

Top Accomplishments:
1. Increased Mental Health Clinicians (14) and School Guidance Counselors (31)
2. Maintained fiscal solvency
3. Brought back music to the elementary schools
4. Increased attendance/graduation rates and more, despite financial challenges and world-altering events.

Phone: 925 778-5075

Website: https://dianegibsongray.com/

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/DianeGibsonGrayPublicPage /
www.facebook.com/DianeGibsonGray

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianeGibsonGray

Instagram: www.instagram.com/dianegi/?hl=en

By Allen Payton

Antioch School Board Trustee Crystal Sawyer-White, who is running for re-election in Area 3, and has had two of her large 4’ x 8’ campaign signs on city property in the public right-of-way for more than the past two weeks, and placed another on private property where she didn’t have permission, is now falsely claiming “racism” because they’ve been removed.

Yet, this is the second time she’s run for office so she should know the rules, that candidates and campaigns aren’t allowed to place their signs on public property, and can only be placed on private property where they have permission. It’s pretty common sense, and campaign 101 kind of stuff.

Sawyer-White has known since at least Thursday, Sept. 17 that two of her signs were on city property in the public right-of-way. Yet, after city staff did a sweep on Friday, Oct. 2 and took down all campaign signs on city property on the corners of Lone Tree Way and Hillcrest Avenue (not sure about other locations at this point), she posted a complaint on her personal Facebook page, Friday afternoon calling the removal of her signs “racism”.

She wrote, “Hello Everyone. I just stopped by to check on my sign since it was marked up with a mustache a few days ago. Wow! It has been removed. I have to be honest. This is the second time. I find it interesting that my first sign was removed on Hillcrest and the white candidates remain standing. We are in a pandemic and this behavior is straight up racism with lack of empathy and disrespect for humanity! Supporters let’s continue the fight for the 3-2 vote.”

Yet, during a phone call to this reporter on Sept. 17 Sawyer-White asked why her large campaign sign on Hillcrest Avenue near KFC had been removed. I told her that was private property, where the Wildflower Station development is under construction, and asked her if she had permission from the property owner. Sawyer-White said she hadn’t. I explained to her that she had to get permission from property owners before placing her signs and that the other candidates whose signs were there did have permission. I also told her that the developer – whom is a friend of mine and I’ve known since high school – would not have her sign thrown away, and that all she needed to do was go speak with his project manager to get her sign back.

I also told her in our Sept. 17 phone conversation that her large signs on the corner of Hillcrest Avenue and Lone Tree Way, as well as her sign at the corner of James Donlon Blvd. and Lone Tree Way were on city property, in the public right-of-way where they’re not allowed. I reminded her that campaign signs can only be placed on private property with permission. Sawyer-White told me she would have her husband go pick up those two signs.

For Sawyer-White to claim racism when all the signs of all the candidates were removed from both corners of Lone Tree Way and Hillcrest Avenue, and two of the candidates whose signs are placed on the Wildflower Station property with permission are Sandra White, who is Black, and Manny Soliz, who is Hispanic, is completely irresponsible, false and must be condemned. Frankly, throwing around such a serious accusation actually undermines real cases of racism when they unfortunately occur.

As for having her sign marked up with a mustache, that’s not uncommon and people also did that to some of my large campaign signs when I ran for city council in 1994. I jokingly thanked those who did so, because at that time I couldn’t grow a full mustache.

Over the following two weeks since Sawyer-White’s call to me, inquiries were made to Antioch Code Enforcement staff, Community Development Director Forrest Ebbs, who oversees Code Enforcement, and City Manager Ron Bernal. On Thursday, Sept. 24, Ebbs told the Herald that city staff would be picking up the signs that day or the next.

That same day, the director of Code Enforcement, Curt Michael explained the process.

“The campaign signs, the way that it works, is we identify candidates who have signs on city property,” he said. “We notify our admin staff to make a courtesy call requesting that they remove the signs within 10 days. If they do not remove them then the public works crews or the abatement team will remove them and then we store them out at the corp yard (on W. 4th Street).”

On Thursday, Oct. 1, in an email, in response to the third inquiry by the Herald earlier that day, since the signs had still not been removed from city property, Bernal wrote to Ebbs, “Forrest- will you please have Code Enforcement do a sweep of City properties for campaign signs?”

Ebbs, responded to the Herald and Bernal that day, “We will have all of the signs removed from the corner of Lone Tree and Hillcrest as that is City property. We will take a closer look at Lone Tree and James Donlon. The City does not own any separate property there and the homeowners actually own the slope below the wall on the SW corner as you can see in the photo below. There is some landscaped right-of-way on the NW corner. The NE and SE corners are all privately owned. If it’s in the Right-of-Way, we will have it removed.”

However, the signs placed by Sawyer-White and Antonio Hernandez, who is running for the Contra Costa Water District Board of Directors, were on the northwest corner of James Donlon Blvd. and Lone Tree Way, on city property, in the right-of-way.

An email was sent to Ebbs and Bernal, today, Saturday, Oct. 3 asking about the 10 days Michael mentioned, as that’s the rule for removing campaign signs after the elections are over, and shouldn’t the rule during the campaign be just two days or 48 hours? Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Why Does This Matter?

Why is this so important? As one candidate for mayor asked, “aren’t there more important issues to deal with?” Of course, there are. But this is pretty basic. If candidates can’t follow the rules while they’re running for office, how can the public trust they will follow them once they’re elected? Also, it’s about respect for private property rights. Just because another candidate has their sign placed on someone’s property doesn’t give other candidates permission to do so. How would they like it if someone placed a sign in their front yard promoting something they don’t agree with, or even if they do agree with it, doing so without their permission?

It’s pretty basic and common sense.

Candidates need to know the rules and follow them, and let their volunteers know, especially if you’re running for a second, like Sawyer-White. And they shouldn’t have to wait more than two weeks to comply or force city staff to waste their time and our tax dollars removing their illegal signs.

If you see a campaign sign you believe is on city or any public property, in the right-of-way contact Code Enforcement with he location at (925) 779-7042.