Inland Empire Progressive

Why are Progressives backing a measure that on it's face seems anti-union? If you don't live here in San Bernardino you wouldn't understand. But if you were to stay awhile, you would feel that something is fundamentally wrong. When I first moved here 10 years ago, I didn't pay attention to local politics much but as I did I started to get that feeling of wrongness. The wrongness is that the public safety union (whom up to 80% don't live here) dictated our budget. There was a palpable fear on the council dias to cross them and when anyone did public safety moved swiftly to remove him/her. When we stood up in a bi-partisan fashion in 2011, we dealt a severe blow to that wrongness. However, work to build a San Bernardino for San Bernardino residents continues. Some residents are so consumed by the fear of the "criminal element" that they vote no on this measure. Public Safety at any expense, budget be damned!! This is the wrong mentality to have because ...

Prop 1 - Yes The water bond will be like a mini-stimulus package for local projects, but the price tag ($7B) has me worried about the cost of compromise for future water proposals. Prop 2 - Yes I'm like meh on this measure, we keep passing raining day funds and Sacremento keeps ignoring them. Prop 45 - Yes A single point person to blame for increasing insurance rates is better than the back door shenanigans we have now. Prop 46 - No Doesn't feel fair somehow. Prop 47 - Yes Join Inland Empire Churces in backing this measure. Sending folks to prison for minor offenses only makes them hardened criminals, not reformed citizens. Prop 48 - Yes I don't even know why this is on the ballot. A deal was made with this tribal nation, honor it.

Governor - Jerry Brown* The governor really needs to step up his leadership in the Inland Empire and other inland areas by tackling the issue of poverty headon. Lt. Governor - Gavin Newsom Secretary of State - Alex Padilla Padilla has show some love for the Inland Empire, stopping here twice on the campaign trail. Controller - Betty Yee Yee has also shown some love for the Inland Empire, speaking at the Democratic Luncheon club. She is also a genuine data geek!! However, her endorsement by the San Bernardino Peace Officers Association leaves a question mark in how she will deal with pensions. Treasurer - John Chiang Attorney General - Kamala Harris Insurance Commissioner - Dave Jones Board of Equalization #4 - Nader Shahatit Shahatit is from Highland! Superintendent of Public Instruction - Tom Tomlarkson LOCAL RACES 31st Congressional District - Pete Aguilar Needs to work on connecting with the working class voter, but better than Chabot. 40th Assembly District - Katy Henry Board o...

I have to hand it to the Republicans in this election year here in the Inland Empire. They have launched a concerted effort to stave off their irrelevance, not by switching their stance on issues but by trying to paint themselves as the aribiters of good governance with a homely appearance. Republicans have tried to make some cities more competitive, targeting specifically San Bernardino and Highland but have generated mixed results. In San Bernardino, the advantage is with the Democrats and remains a bastion of working class populism due to its impoverishment and general malaise due to bankruptcy. While Pete Aguilar has struggled here, Paul Chabot's extremism is a turnoff to those rely on government benefits directly to make ends meet. Chabot's talk of cutting taxes and not saying how you will pay for them means giveaways to so called job creators will be paid for on the backs of the poor. No matter how much Chabot harps on his belief that conservative Democrats are the major...

Increasing awareness of the disparities of our judicial system will eventually lead to systemic changes in that process. Officer invovled shootings or OIFs in the judicial parlance are rarely deemed unjustified. In San Bernardino County, there have been no charges brought against officers who were involved in shootings even in the most egregious of circumstances. Being shot 5, 6, or 17 times are instances of overkill that should not be deem justified because law enforcement have semi-lethal methods to defend themselves. However, the District Attorney fails to prosecute because politically he needs the support of law enforcement to get reelected. As the chart above notes, black men are 21 times as likely to get shot by police than whites. 31 folks per 1 million might seem low, but multiplied by the total population of the United States (approximately 300 million) those numbers jump to 9405 black teenage men killed every year by law enforcement. To break this vicious cycle, we have to ...