Tag Archives: California

My First Time in California

  By Maegan La Mala | November 6, 2012 - 4:21 pm | , , , ,
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I’m usually bored or irritated by election buzz. While I consider voting an important and hard fought for tool in our toolboxes for change, I certainly don’t consider it the end all and be all and frankly I am sick of the rhetoric that reduces non-voters to ignorant lazy asses. I am also extremely bothered by the way DREAMers are being used and patronized in this election by saw called progressive organizations and labor unions. The idea that this group of relatively young people who have made great strides in terms of pushing the conversation of immigration in this country do not have a voice and require people to be their voice is paternalistic and does nothing to build movement. I was very excited to vote today though. Today marks the first time I vote outside of my home city of New York and the first time voting as a Los Angeles, California resident.

The presidential election isn’t very exciting or enticing to me even. I voted for president this morning, accompanied by my partner,a lifelong Angeleno. What is simultaneously fascinating and confusing for me is the whole ballot provisions thing. In California there are 11 state measures and in Los Angeles County 2. The propositions are about sex, death, and taxes.

Last night, I sat surrounded by the official California Voter Guide and all the mailings that my partner and I have received. We even have the Official California Republican Voter Guide which interestingly enough does not have Mitt Romney anywhere! As I filled out little bubbles and read the guides, it felt like I was preparing for a big test, except that everyone passes or fails depending on the collective outcomes.

As someone who is new to the whole proposition process, the combination of mailings, television and radio ads, felt really overwhelming. As a parent of kids in Los Angeles Unified School District Community Schools I see the need for more money in the public schools but I certainly can’t afford higher taxes and I worry about that money going to charter schools instead of the schools in hoods like mine that are struggling and serve primarily poor and working class immigrant families. For the record, I feel like I cheated and voted yes for both Gov. Brown’s Prop. 30 and millionaire Molly Munger’s Prop 38.

Matters of life and death seemed easier. While I am really unhappy that Prop. 34 still continues to feed the prison industrial complex, saving someone’s life, especially people of color who are disproportionately criminalized and sentenced to death seemed like a good enough reason to vote yes. I have a little bit of voter’s remorse reading how one of the ill effects of this measure could be the loss of free legal representation for those on death row.

Connected is Prop 36 which  would change the Three Strikes Law to impose life sentences to new violent/serious felony convictions not bullshit drug charges. Again this passing is not going to stop people of color being used as fodder for an increasingly privatized prison system. This is reform not real change but it is something. So I voted yes on 36.

At my new polling site, which also serves as after-school care for my younger child, there were no lines and my name was found quickly. I will tell you that using that little marker thing with the booklet felt more like a childhood game than voting. For the record, I didn’t like when NYC switched from their old, clunky metal machines to the scantron like system. But I voted and even got a sticker and receipt to prove it, something I never got in Queens, NYC.

I’ll be happy to share how I voted on any other propositions or races if people are interested but voting in a new place, with a new system was exciting and felt important. Even my mom called me to make sure I voted today.

How was your voting experience today?

All photos @kmontenegro

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Guest Post : Yes on 34

  By Maegan La Mala | October 15, 2012 - 6:26 am | , ,
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Voter information at COCO’s GOTV Event in South LA in August
Photo : Maegan E. Ortiz

Editor’s Note: The Presidential election isn’t the only political battle going down on November 6th. In California a number of propositions that can change the lives of many are going to be on the ballot. One of those is Proposition 34, which would repeal the death penalty and replace it with life without parole.

 Deldelp Medina is the Northern California Coordinator for California Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. While she is sharing her personal story she also represent 720 families who are crime victims who do not believe that the death penalty brings them any justice or closure.

http://www.californiacrimevictims.org/

Yes on 34 by Deldelp Medina

I want to thank VivirLatino for allowing me to guest blog about a complex issue that needs to be on the mind of every California voter.

This November, Californians are going to be asked to vote on Proposition 34, to replace the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole. This is a chance for us to make meaningful change in our state, and it is the number one reason I am excited to vote in November. However, as the election gets closer, I hear a lot of things about the death penalty that are simply not true.

Here are some facts about the death penalty and public safety in California:

  • We have spent 4 billion on the Death Penalty since 1978. It is expected that we will spend approximately 1 billion more in the next 5 years.
  • Just 13 people have been executed.
  • 46% of murders go unsolved in California each year.
  • 56% of reported rapes are unsolved each year.

Some facts about Yes on 34:

  • By replacing the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole, California will save $130 million/year (according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office)
  • The convicted would be required to work and part of their salary will go towards restitution for victims’ families.
  • $30 million a year for three years will be put aside to help local law enforcement solve the huge backlog of cases and give justice to families.
  • No guilty person sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole will be released from jail, but we will make sure that California never executes an innocent person.

But this issue is about more than just facts for me. Eight years ago, my aunt was murdered by her only son while he was in the midst of a schizophrenic break. It sent our family spiraling. Our confusion, anger, sadness, and hurt was overwhelming. To add to it, the District Attorney decided to pursue the death penalty for my cousin.

While some of my family planned a funeral, the rest of us had to mount a defense. We all agreed that what he did was horrible and he needed to be kept away from general society. However, we believed that the death penalty was not an appropriate punishment for a young man that was very sick. He could receive the treatment he desperately needed and not pose a threat to society by going to a mental institution. Eventually, we convinced the District Attorney that this was true, and the death penalty charges were dropped, though our family was still shattered.

This experience led me to working as the Northern California Coordinator for California Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. I represent 720 families who have lost a loved one to violence. Though we have various reasons, we all have come to the same conclusion: the death penalty does nothing to alleviate our pain or suffering.

I recognize that for many, the death penalty is a legally, financially and emotionally complicated issue. Yet the facts speak for themselves. It is a system that is costing our state enormous amounts of money, and failing to help families of murder victims. I urge everyone to read more about why California’s death penalty is so broken, and in November, vote Yes on Prop 34.

The opinion of guest posters are strictly that of the poster and are not necessarily endorsed by VivirLatino. 

If you would like to write a guest post for VivirLatino please send an email to info@vivirlatino.com.

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Last Push for TRUSt Act & Domestic Worker Rights Fails to Convince CA Gov. Brown

  By Maegan La Mala | October 1, 2012 - 4:15 am | ,
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On Saturday about 200 people gathered at Los Angeles’s MacArthur Park for a rally demanding that California Governor Jerry Brown sign both the TRUST Act (AB 1081) and the Domestic Workers’ Rights Bill (AB 889) into law. That effort was not a complete success as Brown vetoed both bills on Sunday night.

The TRUST Act would  have limited how local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs enforcement interact, specifically when it comes to so-called “non-violent” immigrants detained on suspicion of having committed a crime or breaking a law. It was meant to push back against federal immigration enforcement programs like Secure Communities but would not end that policy.

On Saturday Angeleno day laborers and street vendors shared their personal stories telling how mixing local law enforcement with harsh national immigration enforcement policies like Secure Communities target hardworking immigrants and threaten mixed status families. Day laborer Jose Ucelo spoke about how asking to be paid for a day’s work ended with him being put into deportation proceedings.

Street vendor Blanca Perez shared how trying to make a living  as a single mother by selling ice cream to support her U.S. citizen son ended up with her now facing being separated from her child.

Pablo Alvarado, executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network issued the following statement last night in response to Gov. Brown’s veto:

“By vetoing the TRUST Act Governor Brown has failed California’s immigrant communities, imperiling civil rights and leaving us all less safe. The President’s disastrous Secure Communities program is replicating Arizona’s model of immigration enforcement nationally, causing a human rights crisis. Immigration and Customs Enforcement strong-armed the Governor to defend its deportation quota instead of defending Californian’s rights. On this sad day, we renew our commitment to fight to keep our families together despite the Governor and the President’s insistence on seeing them torn apart.”

Brown’s official reasoning for vetoing the bill included the canned Democratic party support for Comprehensive Immigration Reform but  he also expressed a concern with the federal government telling local law enforcement to detain immigrants who pose no threat to the community. However in that same response, Brown also stated that he was troubled with how the construction of the TRUST Act excluded certain high level offenses like child abuse and drug trafficking.In the statement Brown said he was open to supporting a rewritten version of the bill.

 

Brown signing The Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights (AB 889) was also on the list of demands from the multi-ethnic crowd on Saturday who linked the TRUST Act to the issue by saying that immigrant workers deserve to be safe and protected on the streets and behind closed doors. On Saturday afternoon, domestic workers shared stories of abuse including sexual harassment. Brown’s official reasoning for vetoing the bill included questioning the cost passed down to those needing care and their families for overtime, rest, and meal periods for workers and the inclusion of Home Supportive Service Workers.

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Half of California DREAM Act Passes

  By Maegan La Mala | July 15, 2011 - 11:58 am |
26 Comments

Yesterday the first half of the California DREAM Act, AB 130, passed 26-11 and included the support of one Republican, Anthony Canella. The bill, which is headed to Governor Jerry Brown for a signature (and he is expected to sign), allows undocumented college students access to privately funded financial aid in the form of scholarships and other assistance as overseen by state colleges and universities. According the Change.org, 40% of undocumented high school graduates reside in California, meaning potentially thousands of students could stand to benefit.

AB 130 was the less controversial of the two companion bills that make up the CA DREAM Act. AB 131, which will come for a vote in August, is facing an uphill battle for passage because it would provide undocumented students access to state-funded public financial aid that U.S. citizen and legal resident students are entitled to.

As I have stated before, calling these state bills DREAM Act bills, is a little bit of a misnomer since they offer no legal status for undocumented students.

Via / MultiAmerican

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California Prison Hunger Strike Set to Start Today

  By Maegan La Mala | July 1, 2011 - 6:41 am |
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Today, prisoners at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, CA have started an indefinite hunger strike to protest inhumane and torturous conditions inside the Security Housing Unit (SHU). SHU prisoners are kept in windowless, 6 by 10 foot cells, 23½ hours a day, for years at a time. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) operates four Security Housing Units in its system.

Among the prisoners’ demands are an end to long-term solitary confinement, collective punishment, and forced interrogation on gang affiliation.

(more…)

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California High Court Rules for Undocumented College Students

  By Maegan La Mala | November 17, 2010 - 11:33 am |
1 Comment

On Monday, the California State Supreme Court ruled that undocumented college students can receive the in-state resident tuition rate, overturning and earlier lower court’s decision. Specifically, the ruling stated that undocumented students who have been studying in California high schools for at least three years fulfill the requirement for in-state tuition even if those students are undocumented because this same benefit is given students with legal residence in the United States and with citizenship.

From Martinez v. UC Regents (PDF here) :

The section 68130.5 exemption cannot be deemed to be based on residence for the simple reason that many nonresidents may qualify for it. Every nonresident who meets section 68130.5‟s requirements — whether a United States citizen, a lawful alien, or an unlawful alien — is entitled to the nonresident tuition exemption. Attending high school in California for at least three years and meeting the other requirements are not the functional equivalent of residing in California. Some American citizens who are not residents of California may also be eligible for the exemption.

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U.S. Justice Department Investigates Southern Cali City for Targeting Latinos

  By Maegan La Mala | September 11, 2010 - 6:12 am |
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Early this year we told you about how law enforcement in parts of California were setting up sobriety checkpoints that seemed to be more about racial profiling than public safety.

Yesterday, the U.S. Justice Department launched an investigation targeting the Southern California City of Bell. The investigation will determine whether city officials violated civil rights of Latino residents by aggressively towing cars and charging residents exorbitant fees to get their vehicles back.

From Southern California Public Radio:

Some Bell residents have complained police officers pulled over motorists and towed their vehicles if the drivers didn’t have licenses. Bell has a large immigrant population, as well as many illegal immigrants.

Image Via / by ChrisDag

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Proposed cuts in California would end assistance to legal residents

  By la Macha | March 2, 2010 - 8:48 pm |
32 Comments

How many times have we who work with immigrant populations heard that line–the “We don’t mind *legal* immigrants! Ones who come here according to the rules and assimilate and speak English…I *love* those immigrants!” line?

Well, in spite of how much everybody luuuurvs that honest legal eagle immigrant, we are still doing what we can to punish the shit out of him/her. From California comes the news that in an effort to deal with the hard economic times the state is collapsing under, it is proposing an end to assistance programs for legal citizens.

From the LA Times:

“How are we going to live?” asked 70-year-old Yong Hak Cho, who emigrated from Korea four years ago and is raising two grandchildren in Los Angeles. “Immigrants pay taxes like anybody else. So why do they want to eliminate programs for us? It is unfair and it is un-American.”

State officials say the cuts are painful but necessary, and there was no attempt to single out any population group in the proposed budget.

“The fact that we have to close a $20-billion budget gap, on the heels of a $60-billion gap last year, means that we have had to make the difficult decision to propose curtailing or eliminating many state-only programs, and these fall into that category,” said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the Finance Department.

When families petition to bring relatives to the U.S., they are required to sign affidavits agreeing to support them financially for up to 10 years. But many of these families have fallen on hard times. Affidavits are not required for people entering the country under various other programs.

Federal benefits have been restored to some recent arrivals, but most are not eligible for supplemental security income, food stamps, transitional assistance for needy families or Medi-Cal until they have lived legally in the U.S. for five years. Exceptions are made for refugees and a few other categories.

You know–there comes a time in an activist’s life where she just has to admit: the other side is not arguing with her in good faith. I think this is that moment for me.

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The New Way to Make Money Off of Immigrants : Car Checkpoints

  By Maegan la Mamita Mala | February 25, 2010 - 3:01 pm |
11 Comments

NYC isn’t a huge driving city, at least not for too many locals with access to public transportation but in other parts of the country, especially in California where driving is not just a way of life, but a way to access opportunities for work, sobriety checkpoints may be used less to protect people from drunk drivers and more as a way to generate revenue, especially when the check points are set up in immigrant communities where driving without a license is a necessity in order to survive.

The Investigative Reporting Program reviewed hundreds of pages of city financial records and police reports, and analyzed data from sobriety checkpoints during the past two years. The data revealed that police departments across the state are seizing a growing number of vehicles from unlicensed drivers. In the last fiscal year, the police seized approximately 24,000 such cars at sobriety checkpoints, up from 17,900 in 2008 and 15,700 in 2007.

Law enforcement officials say demographics play no role in determining where the police establish checkpoints. But records show that cities where Hispanics make up a majority of the population are seizing cars at three times the rate of cities with small minority populations.

(more…)

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The Obama Administration’s Latest Comprehensive Immigration Reform Move: Treating Migrants as “Terrorists”

  By Maegan la Mamita Mala | December 7, 2009 - 11:23 pm |
3 Comments

Our communities are told that the immigration “issue” will be dealt with after health care reform. But what we are seeing is that while there may not be a bill in play, there are moves being made by the Obama administration and the latest is to treat immigration the same way the U.S. has treated Iraq and Afghanistan.

Predator drones, the unmanned aircraft used by the U.S. military in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones, will soon be employed to track illegal immigrants on the Mexico-California border.

The drone, which will be unveiled later today, will be operated out of the Antelope Valley by the military contractor General Atomics. The drones will fly above the border region with advancing electronic tracking equipment looking for illegal immigrants crossing into California

(more…)

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