By Allen Payton

As the rest of the votes are still being counted by County Elections Division staff, as of Tuesday night’s results, in the Antioch School Board race challenger and newcomer Crystal Sawyer-White is barely in first place with 8,087 votes for 19.61% of the vote among the seven candidates seeking three seats. In second is incumbent Diane Gibson-Gray who appears to be re-elected for a third term with 7,511 votes for 18.22% of the vote and former school board member Gary Hack is in third place with 6,910 votes for 16.76%.

He’s ahead of fellow former school board member Joy Motts, who had 6,510 votes for 15.79% of the vote. Appointed incumbent Fernando Navarro came in a distant fifth place with 5,047 votes for 12.24%, followed by news site publisher Mike Burkholder in sixth with 4,109 votes and 9.19%, and the other appointed incumbent Alonzo Terry, placed last with 2,935 votes for 7.12% of the vote.

Both Hack and Motts served on the board until each losing their re-election efforts in 2014. Both also applied for the appointments to fill board vacancies, last year and earlier this year, when Navarro and Terry were appointed, instead.

In a brief comment, Tuesday night, Sawyer-White wrote “Wow! I am so excited!”

“I would like to thank all my supporters, family and friends,” she stated on Wednesday. “I am humbled to be elected and looking forward to working with our Superintendent, Stephanie and all the board members. Let’s put our children first.”

Sawyer-White, Navarro and Terry were all backed by the California Charter Schools Association Advocates with independent expenditure financed mailers. Gibson-Gray, Hack and Motts were all supported by the Antioch Education Association, which is the local teachers’ union, which contributed directly to their campaigns, as well as paid for an independent expenditure mailer. The latter three also had the support of the California Schools Employees Association, which includes the district’s non-faculty staff, and the district’s management staff, which includes the principals. The management staff also supported Burkholder.

Neither Gibson-Gray nor Hack could be reached for comment prior to publication time.

According to County Clerk and Registrar of Voters Joe Canciamilla, the County Elections office still has approximately 180,000 votes to count in the county. They expect the next update to be provided Thursday afternoon and will be available on their website www.cocovote.us.

By Allen Payton

Long-time Antioch residents Malcolm and Rosanna Hunter vote in every election. Malcolm usually votes by mail. But, this year he decided to drop off his mail-in ballot at the polls. When they went to their usual polling place at Carmen Dragon Elementary School, their names weren’t on the list of registered voters.

Performing a search on the County Elections office website, using their home address, it shows their polling place is at Carmen Dragon Elementary, where Rosanna votes each election.

They had heard of problems like this occurring elsewhere throughout the country, or people’s votes being changed by the machine they’re using, or only seeing Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s and her running mate, Tim Kaine’s names on the ballot.

The Hunters called the County Elections office and Malcolm said the staff member, there confirmed they were on the list of registered voters and for voting at that polling location.

However, Rosanna was given a provisional ballot to cast her votes. They thought that means her ballot won’t be counted unless an election is close.

When reached for comment, Melissa Hickok of the County Elections Division office said, “They (the Hunters) are on the master voter list. The voter rosters are for people who are supposed to vote at that polling place. Those are the precinct voters for that precinct. Permanent vote-by-mail voters are not on the precinct rosters.”

“I’m showing her polling place at Carmen Dragon Elementary,” she added. “That polling place might have had more than one precinct. She might have been at the wrong table.

After doing a brief bit of research, Hickok said, “Carmen Dragon does have two precincts.”

Asked if the poll workers are trained to know that and instruct voters about it, she responded, “A seasoned poll worker would. I’m not sure how seasoned our staff was, out there.”

“Her provisional ballot will still be counted,” Hickok said. “Provisionals are not counted on Election Day. What we do is we count Election Day votes and vote-by-mail votes which are tied to the voter ID.”

“Then we look at the provisional ballots, last and we compare the name to their information in our system,” she explained. “Then if there hasn’t another ballot voted for by that person already, we run their ballot and it gets counted.”

“If she wants to go back and check the master voting list her name will be there,” Hickok stated.

“If she chooses to go back, have her ask for the inspector. Don’t talk to any of the front lines, about seeing the master voting list,” Hickok instructed. “If she (Mrs. Hunter) votes in the correct precinct, then her provisional wouldn’t get counted, because she had already voted.”

The polls close at 8:00 p.m., tonight. Election results will be posted to the Elections website, www.cocovote.us, throughout the night and will be updated by 5:00 pm on Thursday November 10th and then every Friday until the election is certified.

The county has until December 6th to certify the Presidential Election and until December 8th to certify all other items on the ballot.

Local election results will also be available throughout Election Night on Contra Costa Television (CCTV) beginning at 9:00 pm on Comcast channel 27, Astound channel 32 and AT&T U-Verse channel 99.

Glover says he thought it was a recommendation letter for a job

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: We have made it a practice of not publishing articles regarding campaigns on Election Day. However, due to the seriousness of the issue and timing of when this information came to light, which we learned of last night, on this matter I am making an exception.

By Allen Payton

In a last minute attack in the campaign for Supervisor in District 5, the Contra Costa Deputy Sheriffs Association (DSA), on Monday morning, sent out a press release expressing concern about Supervisor Federal Glover writing a letter asking for leniency for a family friend facing criminal trial. The DSA is backing Martinez Councilwoman Anamarie Avila Farias in her campaign to unseat Glover.

In his letter sent to the court on August 1st, 2016, Glover “used his status and office to lobby for leniency from the District Attorney and Judge for a family friend arrested after a violent crime spree,” the Deputy Sheriffs claim.

In the letter written on Glover’s official Supervisor letterhead, (see below) he wrote “It is with a great deal of pleasure that I write this letter of support for (the defendant’s name was redacted).”

However, when reached for comment, Glover said he thought it was a recommendation letter for a job.

“This is not uncommon. This is done all the time,” he said.

“It was written over an individual that I’d known and his family,” Glover explained. “I thought it was for a job. It was a very generic letter that we do all the time. I was unaware that it had anything to do with a court case or an incident at a bar, that he was involved in. This was a letter that his father requested it.

“The letter has nothing to do with a court room,” he repeated.

Asked when the Deputy Sheriffs knew about the letter and why it came out the day before the election, DSA President Shawn Welch said, “A citizen came to us who had done a public records request, last month and he sent it to us. I received it last Thursday.”

“We were kind of going back and forth and we drafted a letter and we decided to send it out and we sent a press release, yesterday around 10:00 a.m,” he continued.

“It’s been on our Facebook page, which has gotten over 11,000 reach,” Welch shared. “The guy was arrested in the middle of July and Glover wrote the letter August 1st.”

“We had done all our opp (opposition) research (on Glover) for the IE (independent expenditure campaign) we’re running prior to that,” he added.

Welch provided a copy of Glover’s letter and documents about the charges against Glover’s friend, which can be viewed, here: glover-letter-court-documents

After receiving Glover’s explanation, Welch responded, “The letter was sent to the DA. If I send a letter of recommendation I send it to the person who requested it not the person it is about.”

“Sounds like an excuse,” he added.

The press release had more to say about Glover’s letter.

“In stark contrast to his jovial tone are the suspect’s violent criminal charges. The Supervisor is calling in favors for a suspect arrested after assaulting a man with a firearm, attempting to rob two women at gunpoint, and threatening to kill his victims,” the press release read.

“For Supervisor Glover to lobby for leniency for a dangerous repeat criminal jeopardizes the public and the efforts of hundreds of law enforcement officers throughout the County” said Welch. “The men and women of the Deputy Sheriffs Association have done an excellent job of protecting the people of the County, even during difficult times. Asking a political favor from the District Attorney to be lenient on dangerous criminals makes our job unnecessarily more difficult and dangerous”.

Welch added, “It would be a travesty of justice if Supervisor Glover’s request of leniency resulted in reduced charges for this dangerous criminal. Peace officers did their job in this case, putting a bad guy on trial. A political favor could snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory in the war on crime. Frankly, the mere attempt to use one’s position of political power to gain leniency for a violent criminal is inappropriate and epitomizes the disconnect between Glover and the safety of the public in this county”.

“Every politician who lobbies for special leniency for violent criminals in this county can fully expect to be held accountable by the Deputy Sheriffs Association and its constituents. The truth about political lobbying for leniency is that it puts the public at risk. It does not put the public’s safety first and creates a dangerous situation for Deputies”, said Welch.

The press release also stated the “DSA is asking for District Attorney Mark Peterson, the Deputy District Attorneys Association, and the Sheriff to address Glover’s letter, and to reassure the public that political interference from a County Supervisor has no place in criminal justice, and that Glover’s letter will not result in more favorable plea terms for the suspect in custody.

This is only one example why the Deputy Sheriffs Association has endorsed Anamarie Avila Farias for Supervisor to replace Glover. Anamarie Farias’ steadfast support of public safety is the primary reason she won the overwhelming endorsement of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association. Anamarie has also earned the endorsement of police in Pinole, Hercules, Martinez, Antioch, plus the County Firefighters Local 1230.”

Multiple attempts to reach Glover for comment for this story were unsuccessful before publication time. Disrict 5 includes most of the portion of Antioch north of Highway 4 and west of Highway 160.

First numbers will be available shortly after 8:00 pm

You won’t have to wait long to get updated election results from Contra Costa County Elections Division on Tuesday night.

Results of vote-by-mail ballots for the Presidential General Election that have been returned through last Friday will be available shortly after the polls close at 8:00 pm on Election Night.

Meanwhile, with results being collected from precincts throughout the County, the first update can be expected at about 9:30 pm, with results updated about every 30 minutes until all precincts report.

The availability of updated reports will be communicated via Twitter and Facebook, using the hashtag #CoCoVote2016.  Changes to the reporting schedule, if any, will also be communicated on these social media sites.

The Contra Costa Elections Division social media pages are:

https://www.Twitter.com/CoCoElections

https://www.facebook.com/EngageContraCosta/

https://www.facebook.com/ContraCostaElections/

Election results will be posted to the Elections website, www.cocovote.us, throughout the night and will be updated by 5:00 pm on Thursday November 10th and then every Friday until the election is certified.

The county has until December 6th to certify the Presidential Election and until December 8th to certify all other items on the ballot.

Local election results will also be available throughout Election Night on Contra Costa Television (CCTV) beginning at 9:00 pm on Comcast channel 27, Astound channel 32 and AT&T U-Verse channel 99.

Dear Editor:

With Election Day almost here, I’d like to take a moment to say thank you. This campaign has reaffirmed for me how proud I am to live in this community, and it’s the people that make our community so great.

I am very proud of the campaign we ran. My campaign stayed positive throughout the campaign, even when I was being attacked and my record was being distorted. This was a commitment I made to the community when I started the campaign, and I’m proud to have seen it through.

Over the last few months, as well as last spring during the primary election, I have walked door to door across most of the district. I walked so much I actually wore through two pairs of shoes. And by knocking on so many doors and meeting so many in the community I hope you saw firsthand the energy I bring to the job and how involved I would be in the actual community.

It was a pleasure meeting and talking with so many of you, and I learned a lot about the different communities within our community, as well as the daily struggles, the frustrations with policy, and the desire for actual change. Most of all I saw that the learning process is never over, and that there is always a need to be out in the community working directly with the people we serve. This job can’t be done, stuck behind a desk.

And now that the campaign is coming to a close, I’d like to make one last ask for your vote. Representing you at the County would be a privilege, and a partnership that can get results for our community. Thank you.

Steve Barr, Candidate for County Supervisor

Brentwood

By Allen Payton, Publisher & Editor

Although the last time I supported Federal Glover for Supervisor was when he first ran and was elected in 2000, this year, I’m supporting him, again. In 2004, I helped run the late Eric Nunn’s campaign against Glover and in 2008, I supported him in the Primary. Then following Nunn’s tragic death that year, I supported the late Antioch Councilman Gary Agopian against Glover in the General Election. Each time, was because I believed his opponents were more fiscally responsible.

Federal and I worked together well on East County transportation issues, going back 18 to 22 years ago, when he was on the Pittsburg City Council and I was on the Antioch City Council. He has continued to work to bring transportation solutions to Antioch and East County, and on so many other issues, as well.

I wasn’t happy with his vote for the 33% pay raise in 2014, which I’ve written about and told him, as it was a demonstration of fiscal irresponsibility, and slap in the face to both county workers and the taxpayers. But, unlike two of his colleagues on the Board, once the referendum had garnered enough signatures to be placed on the ballot, Glover listened to the people, voted to rescind the pay raise and didn’t continue to argue in favor of it, nor whine that he deserved but didn’t receive it. That’s what we want in an elected official – responsiveness to the people they represent.

While I’ve enjoyed getting a chance to speak with his challenger, Martinez Councilwoman AnaMarie Avila Farias, during the campaign and believe she’s well intentioned, from what I’ve learned she has a big government mindset. That’s not surprising since she works for the County Housing Authority. I don’t believe it’s wise to put government employees in charge of the governments for which they worked.

Plus, I believe she would be more fiscally irresponsible than Glover was with his pay raise vote. Following are the reasons for my viewpoint.

First, is the matter of what appears to be an effort by two county employee groups, the firefighters and Deputy Sheriffs, to help buy Avila Farias a seat on the Board. The Deputy Sheriffs contributed $99,000 and the firefighters contributed $50,000 to an independent expenditure committee to pay for mailers and research to help Avila Farias win.  They also each contributed $10,000 directly to her campaign. Plus, another $2,000 was contributed by the International Association of Firefighters PAC.

In addition, she received another $6,000 from other county government employee groups, bringing the total support for Avila Farias by county workers to $167,000 for the campaign.

I don’t think it’s wise for candidates or elected officials to be beholden to government employee groups, because it will be their interests, not those of the taxpayers, when it comes time for contract negotiations and votes. We’ve had too much of that in the past, and the County is still digging out of the hole of unfunded liabilities due to overly generous employee contracts, especially with public safety personnel, in the past.

Second, in a forum during the Primary, which combined candidates for Supervisor in both Districts 3 and 5, she was in support of every proposed government social program discussed that night. Glover wasn’t in attendance, so it took Brentwood Councilman Steve Barr, who is running for Supervisor in District 3 to ask, “all of these programs sound great, but how are you going to pay for them?”

Finally, also dealing with her campaign finances, as of Thursday, November 3rd, Avila Farias shows her campaign has received a total of $85,707.50, yet has spent $114,924.12 with $32,313.83 in accrued expenses, in other words unpaid bills. While she shows $3,097.21 in the bank, that still leaves here $29,216.62 in debt. If she doesn’t win, it will be difficult to raise the money to pay that off. If that’s how she handles the small amount of funds in a campaign, what can we expect of Avila Farias when she’s making decisions about $1 billion in taxpayer funds?

Plus, most of the money her campaign has spent has been outside of the county, which doesn’t show a commitment to local businesses and job creation.

Glover, on the other hand, hasn’t spent more than his campaign has received in contributions, has no accrued expenses and ends the campaign with $8,571.06 cash on hand, as of November 3rd. Plus, almost all of his campaign expenditures have been inside the county, showing a commitment to local businesses and jobs.

Like many others, I didn’t think Glover would have the strength to run for a fifth term on the Board, following his heart and kidney transplant surgery, last year. But the Supervisor has proved to be quite resilient and he’s made an amazing recovery, thank the Lord.

Also, while I don’t usually support a candidate serving more than three, four-year terms in any one office, as I believe people can tend to get arrogant, out of touch and complacent, Glover has proven he can continue to work hard and is committed to representing his constituents.

Furthermore, unlike Avila Farias who has serious challenges working with at least two of her colleagues on the Martinez City Council, and does not have their support in this election, Glover does work well with the rest of the members of the Board of Supervisors. Those two council members are supporting him, instead.

Finally, while we have and will probably continue to have our disagreements on issues, from time to time, and I believe this should be his last campaign for the position, in general I believe he is the better candidate in the election for County Supervisor in District 5. Please vote for Federal Gover on Tuesday, November 8th and keep him on the Board representing the portion of Antioch north of Highway 4.

Dear Editor:

In an election year that has been notable more for wild hyperbole than substantive discussion, even our local races have not been immune from the kind of irresponsible and baseless rhetoric that has plagued those on the national stage.

One case in point. Last week an opinion article written under the byline Selina Button was posted by Mike Burkholder on his East County Today blog, and posted as a letter to the editor on the Antioch Herald news website. The article included false, defamatory, and possibly libelous statements about me, my wife, Argentina Davila-Luevano, and my friend, John Crowder.

The reason for her unwarranted attack? We were quoted in a press release by Rocketship Education as being in favor of their building a brand new, high-performing, elementary school in Antioch. Ms. Button characterized our positive comments as, “an effort to support their own personal financial gain.” She went on to ask, “Were they possibly promised a job by Rocketship?”

For the record, we have absolutely no gain, financial or otherwise, coming our way from Rocketship. Neither have we been offered jobs or anything else. In fact, the only thing we were promised was that people who want to maintain the failed status quo would likely try to smear anyone supporting their efforts…something I didn’t want to believe at the time.

Regardless, we stand by our support of Rocketship. As those who know us are aware, Argentina and I are long-time advocates for children, and particularly for children of color and/or those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. We see the addition of a Rocketship school as an important step in solving the problem of the horrifically underperforming schools in our city.

Unfortunately, It is clear that those who stand in the way of much-needed education reform in Antioch are willing to make false statements, to bully, and to try to mislead the public about a good organization, Rocketship, that truly has the best interests of our children at heart. They have shown that they are willing to use such unseemly tactics against Rocketship’s supporters, as well.

We’re not going to back down, though. We’ve fought for years for the rights of children. The right to a good education for all is too important for us to cave in. We urge everyone who realizes we need change to get the facts about Rocketship. Their model is working for students around the country. Let’s make sure they have the chance to bring this same success to Antioch’s students, as well.

Angel G. Luevano

Antioch