Strange Bedfellows

San Joaquin Sheriff Steve Moore (a Republican) will be making a campaign appearance along with fellow non-partisan elected officials Carlos Villapudua, Susan Eggman and Jose Morales on June 3rd at Cancun (6 p.m.). I hope one of my fellow democrats have the guts to call Moore out for his endorsement of rightwing nutcase Brad Goehring. How can a sheriff who is suppossed to stand for public safety, stand by a candidate who advocates openly for violence against "Liberals", irresponsibly declaring "open season", while campaigning? But even more dangerous to the prosperity and growth here in San Joaquin County is Goehring’s pledge to not accept federal appropriation request. This despite San Joaquin County receiving far less federal funds then we pay in federal taxes? How is further debilitating the good people of San Joaquin County fair and equitable?
Here is a partial list of appropriation requests submitted by Congressman Jerry McNerney:
Assistance to Victims of Domestic Violence
$406,151 requested from the Department of Health and Human Services
Funding will be used to provide assistance to victims of domestic violence. This funding will help to provide important services that might otherwise be unavailable. The recipient of this funding is the Women’s Center of San Joaquin County, located at 620 N. San Joaquin Street, Stockton, CA 95202.
Gang Prevention and Intervention Strategy
$400,000 requested from the Department of Health and Human Services
Funding will be used for parenting classes, recreational opportunities, and after-school programs designed to reduce gang activity. This funding will help reduce crime and provide better opportunities for young people in Tracy. The recipient of this funding is the City of Tracy, located at 333 Civic Center Plaza, Tracy, CA 95376.
A Child Is Missing
$300,000 requested from the Department of Justice
Funding would allow A Child is Missing, a not-for-profit organization, to assist law enforcement agencies in California's 11th Congressional District to quickly locate a missing child or elderly person. The recipient of this funding is A Child Is Missing, located at 500 SE 17th Street #101, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316. The City of Ripon Police Department supports this funding request.
Gang Suppression Enforcement Program
$400,000 requested from the Department of Justice
Funding will support Gang Suppression Enforcement Program operations in and around the 11th Congressional District. The funding will be used to cover costs associated with personnel, overtime, equipment, and other items and will help combat gang-related crime. The recipient of this funding is the California Department of Justice, located at 1300 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Mobile Data System
$1,000,000 requested from the Department of Justice
Funding will go towards replacing the current data communications system to improve public safety. The recipient of the funding is the City of Stockton, located at 425 N. El Dorado Avenue, Stockton, CA 95202.
Operation Peacekeeper Gang Outreach Program
$200,000 requested from the Department of Justice
Funding will help support two full-time Youth Outreach Workers. This program seeks to assist troubled youth by providing positive activities to keep them from joining a gang. The recipient of this funding is the City of Stockton, located at 425 N. El Dorado Avenue, Stockton, CA 95202.
Public Safety Cameras
$950,000 requested from the Department of Justice
Funding will be used to install video cameras in heavily traveled locations. This funding will help reduce crime. The recipient of this funding is the City of Tracy, located at 333 Civic Center Plaza, Tracy, CA 95376.
Public Safety Mobile Communications Equipment Upgrade
$461,600 requested from the Department of Justice
Funding will be used to acquire and deploy new mobile radio equipment for police and fire departments. The purchased equipment would benefit public safety. The recipient of this funding is the City of Lodi, located at 25 East Pine Street, Lodi, CA 95240.
San Joaquin County Juvenile Camp
$5,000,000 requested from the Department of Justice
Funding will be used to construct a new juvenile facility in San Joaquin County. This funding will help to improve public safety. The recipient of the funding is the San Joaquin County Probation Department, located at 575 West Matthews Road, French Camp, CA 95231.
San Joaquin County Public Safety Communication Project
$2,858,500 requested from the Department of Justice
Funding would help develop an effective radio system that supports the essential needs of the region's first responders. This funding will help to improve public safety. The recipient of this funding is the San Joaquin County Information Systems Division, located at 44 North San Joaquin Street, Suite 455, Stockton, CA 95202.
Save Our Youth Program
$500,000 requested from the Department of Justice
Funding will be used to support a program that discourages gang and drug involvement by young people and provides assistance in job placement, return-to-school programs, counseling, and other services. This funding will help to reduce crime and improve public safety in Manteca. The recipient of this funding is the City of Manteca, located at 1001 West Center Street, Manteca, CA 95337.
University of the Pacific Gang Intervention Program
$558,240 requested from the Department of Justice
Funding will support a program that identifies high school youth who are involved in gangs or at risk of gang activities. The program will help to provide young people with positive opportunities and incentives to prevent them from joining gangs. The recipient of this funding is the University of the Pacific, located at 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA 95211.
This is the type of change that Republicans Brad Goehring and Steve Moore are advocating for. Moore likes to hide behind the “non-partisan’ shield yet each election he makes no shame of endorsing extremist like Dean Andel, Richard Pombo and Brad Goehring. So Sherriff Moore, 1) Why do you continue to endorse extremist republicans? and 2) Why are you against youth programs, equipment for our police and fire forces, public safety and gang prevention? Is this seriously how you want to use your political capital and represent our county? It's a shameful disgrace.

A New Voice For 2.0

One of my goals with creating this blog was to encourage democratic activist to start sharing their views online with the larger netroots community.  Starting soon, expect to see posts from Motecuzoma Sanchez. Motecuzoma is a former Stockton mayoral candidate and youth empowerment activist. Recently, Sanchez found himself being escorted out of a Meg Whitman event hosted by our local Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for asking a question that was deemed "off topic". You see, accountability, honesty and transparency don't have a place in Whitman's campaign. Gotta love her!

At anyrate, hope you enjoy Motecuzoma's perspective. 

Nicholas 

A Key To A Thriving Downtown & Improved City Image: The Arts

For over a year now, I have been telling anyone and everyone that the key to Stockton’s image makeover and a thriving downtown area is the Oakland model. Just last month the New York Times published an article titled “Oakland’s Journey From Seedy to Sizzling”. Before voting on transferring the entire arts endowment into general fund; Mayor Ann Johnston and Stockton’s City Council should consider the following quote from NYT: According to research by the Oakland Cultural Trust, an arts advocacy group, for every dollar that Oakland invests in culture, it gets back four dollars in fees, licenses and taxes. Nonprofit arts in Oakland generate more than $103 million in gross annual economic activity and provide around 5,000 jobs, the trust found.

I applaud the aggressive tone Mayor Johnston took, during her State of the City Address, in defense of our city’s image.  However, I am concerned that the proposed elimination of the city’s arts endowment will kill one of the key and necessary elements to reforming our city’s image and revitalizing our Downtown area. As a past resident of the Jack London Square District (part of Downtown Oakland) during its own transformation, I’ve seen firsthand how vital a role the arts (and arts community) played in transforming a once blighted neighborhood into a thriving cultural hub and helping change people’s perception of Oakland. I hope Mayor Johnston and Stockton’s City Council will consider the lessons our neighboring port city learned and vote in favor of economic prosperity and protect the arts endowment. Our city’s future and a thriving Downtown area demand it.

Nicholas Hatten

Proudly Returned Stocktonian

(Letter to the Editor submitted to The Record)