Saturday, November 30, 2013

Santa Cruz CPRA request to map out network of corruption related to Community Solutions, 100k Homes and 180/180

John Colby's Freedom of Information Campaign against Human Rights abuse in Santa Cruz [link]
* Santa Cruz retaliates against Human Rights advocate John Colby [link]
* Human Rights abuse in itty-bitty Santa Cruz [link]

"CPRA request to map out network of corruption related to Community Solutions, 100k Homes and 180/180"
2013-11-30 from John E. Colby to Ken Cole, Executive Director and Board Secretary, Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz
Dear Director Cole,
After consulting with the New York Attorney General's Charities Bureau I was advised to file a complaint against "Community Solutions" for being a fake charity. Last week I submitted a complaint while presenting my case that Community Solutions is a fake charity operating an illegal enterprise called the "100,000 Homes Campaign". The electronic written correspondence you provided me this week confirmed your Housing Authority has been participating in this campaign as their partner.
I have been inspecting information about Community's Solution's partners being providing so called training at their "Boot Camps". I intend to gain a complete understanding of Community Solutions and the nature of their relationship to the 100,000 Homes Campaign — I am mapping out a network of corruption.
To this end, I am submitting the following request pursuant to the California Public Records Act (CPRA). I ask for:

* all electronic and non–electronic written communications — from January 1, 2012 to today, November 30, 2013 — between your board of directors, your officials, your staff, your volunteers, your representatives, your (sub)contractors, your consultants and your agents with the board of directors, officials, staff, volunteers, representatives, (sub)contractors, consultants and agents of the following.
- the Rapid Results Institute (http://rapidresultsinstitute.info/)
- Schaffer Consulting (http://www.schafferresults.com/)
- the Center for Urban Community Services (http://www.cucs.org/)
- Give an Hour (http://www.giveanhour.org/)
- the National Alliance on Mental Illness (http://www.nami.org/)
- the International Downtown Association (https://www.ida-downtown.org/eweb/StartPage.aspx)
- Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (http://iava.org/)
- the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Organizations (http://www.nahro.org/)
- the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (http://www.nlchp.org/)
- the National League of Cities(http://www.nlc.org/)
- OrgCode Consulting (http://www.orgcode.com/)
- Pathways to Housing (http://pathwaystohousing.org/)
- the United States Conference of Mayors (http://www.usmayors.org/)
- the United Way (http://www.unitedway.org/)
- the Corporation for Supportive Housing (http://www.csh.org/)
- the National Alliance to End Homelessness (http://www.endhomelessness.org/)
- Home Depot (homedepot.com)
- the WestCare Foundation (https://www.westcare.com/)
- Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP (http://www.bhfs.com/Home)
- the Electric Sheep Company (http://www.electricsheepcompany.com/)
- LeSar Development Consultants (http://www.lesardevelopment.com/)
- the Community Technology Alliance (http://www.ctagroup.org/)
- the Weingart Center (http://weingart.org/)
- Phil Kramer and Robin Chlarodt of the 180/180 Project (http://www.180santacruz.org/)
- Monica Martinez and Shelley McKittrick of the Homeless Services Center of Santa Cruz (http://www.scshelter.org/)
- Betsy Clark, Keri Swenson and Tracey Heggum of Encompass Community Services (http://www.encompasscs.org/)
- the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors (http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/Government/BoardofSupervisors.aspx)
- Nora Krantzler, Julie Conway and Christine Sippl of the County of Santa Cruz (http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/)
- the Santa Cruz City Council (http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=268)
- Santa Cruz City Attorney John Barisone and Deputy City Attorney Caio Arellano (http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=1299)
- Santa Cruz City Manager Martín Bernal (http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=199)
- Carol Berg and Norm Daly of the City of Santa Cruz Housing Programs Department (http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=1039)

* all electronic and non–electronic written communications between your board of directors, your officials, your staff, your volunteers, your representatives, your (sub)contractors, your consultants and your agents with the following which are about, pertain to, refer to are related to the 100,000 Homes Campaign and also about the 180/180 Project.
- HUD
- the VA
- the DHHS
- the SSA
- USICH

* all electronic and non–electronic written communications between your board of directors, your officials, your staff, your volunteers, your representatives, your (sub)contractors, your consultants and your agents with other participants in any "Boot Camp" (i.e. training event hosted by Community Solutions) for the benefit of the 180/180 Project or as part of the 100,000 Homes Campaign in which your agency, any of its officials, staff, volunteers, representatives, (sub)contractors, consultants or agents participated.
* all training materials, notes, reports, memoranda, summaries, blogs, webinars, web broadcasts, podcasts and presentations which were part of or resulted from your agency's involvement in any "Boot Camp" (i.e. training events hosted by Community Solutions) conducted as part of the 100,000 Homes Campaign or for the benefit of the 180/180 Project.

If these records are available in an electronic format such as standard audio, video and image formats, MS Power Point (PPT), Apple Keynote, Portable Document Format (PDF), MS Excel File Extension (XLS), MS Word Document (DOC), Hypertext Markup (HTM), any standard database format (like those listed here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_file_formats#Database), Rich Text Format (RTF), plain electronic text (TXT) or native email formats — like AOL for Windows, Apple Mail, Claris Emailer, Compuserve, EML, Entourage, Eudora, Maldir, MBOX File, Mulberry, Neoplanet, Outlook, Outlook Express, Outspring, Powertalk, Quickmail Pro, Thunderbird, Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail and Yahoo Archive! — or as links to the Internet then I ask that they provided to me in one of those forms, preferably in their native format.
I am willing to pay a fee of up to $25 for this request. If you estimate the cost of completing this request will exceed that amount, please contact me first before completing it with a fee estimate. If this request would entail special searches which would incur search fees to me, please contact me first with a fee estimate.

In the public interest — because I plan to provide these records to the news media, Congress, the federal government, the New York and California Attorney Generals' offices and the New York and California state legislatures as well as posting them on these Facebook groups:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OpenTransparentAccountableGovernment/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SantaCruzWhistleBlowers/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DisabledHomelessAdvocacy/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CitizensForPositiveChangeinSC/

I ask you to waive all applicable exemptions and applicable fees (for search, retrieval, redaction and duplication).
Please have your staff confirm receipt of this CPRA request via email.
Thank you for fulfilling my CPRA request to map out a network of corruption related to the fake charity "Community Solutions" and its illegitimate enterprise the "100,000 Homes Campaign".
Sincerely yours, [signed] John E. Colby, Ph.D.


"CPRA request about 180/180 Project, 100k Homes Campaign and Community Solutions"
2013-12-07 John E. Colby to Dana McRae, County Counsel:
attached: MOU Limited Local Waiting List Preference for Disabled and Medically Vulnerable Homeless Persons — http://tinyurl.com/lwyk7m9
attached: 180/180 Project fact sheet — http://tinyurl.com/mfg2ycc
attached: HPHP video about 180/180 Project — http://youtu.be/HMt2N5aqWsE
attached:180/180 Project article in the Good Times Weekly — http://tinyurl.com/my4ezj6
attached: 100k Homes Campaign video — http://youtu.be/0Ov11AIvQTg

re: CPRA request about 180/180 Project, 100k Homes Campaign and Community Solutions
Dear Ms. McRae,
I am writing to gain more information about the 180/180 Project (http://www.180santacruz.org/), the 100,000 Homes Campaign (http://100khomes.org/) and the organization calling itself "Community Solutions" (http://cmtysolutions.org/). The 180/180 Project — as per the attached MOU with the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz (HACOSC) — is a joint venture with the Homeless Persons' Health Project (HPHP) which is an agency of the County of Santa Cruz.
I would like to submit a request under the California Public Records Act (CPRA). I ask for:
* All presentations, webinars, broadcasts, podcasts, brochures, pamphlets, posters, program descriptions, statements, declarations, reports, memoranda and summaries about, pertaining to or referring to the 100,000 Homes Campaign operated by the organization calling itself "Community Solutions" in any County of Santa Cruz system of records.
* All electronic and non-electronic written communications maintained by the County of Santa Cruz, any of its agencies, divisions, departments, boards, (sub)commissions, (sub)committees, officials, employees, representatives, agents and (sub)contractors which are from, to, or have been (blind) carbon copied to representatives, officials, employees, volunteers, agents and (sub)contractors of the 100,000 Homes Campaign and the organization calling itself "Community Solutions".
* All electronic and non-electronic written communications maintained by the County of Santa Cruz, any of its agencies, divisions, departments, boards, (sub)commissions, (sub)committees, officials, employees, representatives, agents and (sub)contractors which are from, to, or have been (blind) carbon copied to representatives, officials, employees, volunteers, agents and (sub)contractors of the 180/180 Project.

If these records are available in an electronic format such as standard audio, video and image formats, MS Power Point (PPT), Apple Keynote, Portable Document Format (PDF), MS Excel File Extension (XLS), MS Word Document (DOC), Hypertext Markup (HTM), any standard database format (like those listed here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_file_formats#Database), Rich Text Format (RTF), plain electronic text (TXT) or native email formats — like AOL for Windows, Apple Mail, Claris Emailer, Compuserve, EML, Entourage, Eudora, Maldir, MBOX File, Mulberry, Neoplanet, Outlook, Outlook Express, Outspring, Powertalk, Quickmail Pro, Thunderbird, Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail and Yahoo Archive! — or as links to the Internet then I ask that they provided to me in one of those forms, preferably in their native format.
I am willing to pay a fee of up to $35 for this request. If you estimate the cost of completing this request will exceed that amount, please contact me first before completing it with a fee estimate. If this request would entail special searches which would incur search fees to me, please contact me first with a fee estimate.

In the public interest — because I plan to provide these records to the news media, Congress, the federal government, the New York and California Attorney Generals' offices and the New York and California state legislatures as well as posting them on these Facebook groups:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OpenTransparentAccountableGovernment/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SantaCruzWhistleBlowers/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DisabledHomelessAdvocacy/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CitizensForPositiveChangeinSC/

I ask you to waive all applicable exemptions and applicable fees (for search, retrieval, redaction and duplication).
Please confirm receipt of this CPRA request via email.
Thank you for fulfilling my CPRA request to gain more information about the 180/180 Project, the 100,000 Homes Campaign and the organization calling itself "Community Solutions".
Sincerely yours, [signed] John E. Colby, Ph.D.

Roseville WalMart workers and allies strike for Labor Rights!


"Fifteen people arrested at Walmart protest in Roseville"
2013-11-29 text and photographs by Dan Bacher [https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/11/29/18747022.php]:
“We're standing with Walmart Associates across the nation today,” said Meisha Bradley, who works at the Florin Road Walmart and is a member of OUR Walmart, an organization working for higher pay and better treatment of the retail giant's workers. “I consider this protest to be a big success - we got young and old people here today and we’re going to win this fight together."
Photo: Protesters block the street prior to the arrests.

Over 100 people including Walmart Associates, labor union leaders and community activists converged on the Walmart on Pleasant Grove Boulevard in Roseville Friday as part of a national day of protest against Walmart's labor policies.
The Roseville police arrested 15 people for failure to disperse while blocking a street near the store at the end of the protest that began at 10 am. As each person was arrested, other protesters yelled, “Our Heroes!”
The protesters, including Bill Camp, Executive Secretary of the Sacramento Central Labor Council, were issued court dates and released. Over 30 police in 21 vehicles were in involved in making the arrests, according to Bob Saunders, a legal observer with the National Lawyer’s Guild.
“We're standing with Walmart Associates across the nation today,” said Meisha Bradley, who works at the Florin Road Walmart and is a member of OUR Walmart, an organization working for higher pay and better treatment of the retail giant's workers. “I consider this protest to be a big success - we got young and old people here today and we’re going to win this fight together.”
Bradley, who wasn’t arrested, said this was the second protest that she helped to organize – the previous one was at the store on Florin Road.
She said she wants to receive $25,0000, in contrast to the approximately $12,000 per year that she receives now for working 27 hour weeks.
Rick Guerrero, a member leader of SEIU 1000, said he was encouraged by the positive response that he received from people entering the parking lot as he handed them leaflets. Some honked their horns in support.
An estimated 1500 protests were held against Walmart across the nation on Black Friday 2013, according to OUR Walmart.
“Workers are calling for an end to illegal retaliation, and for Walmart to publicly commit to improving labor standards, such as providing workers with more full time work and $25,000 a year,” a statement from OUR Walmart explained. (http://forrespect.org/2013/11/21/walmart-workers-community-allies-to-hold-1500-protests-across-country-on-black-friday/)
Dorian Warren, associate professor at Columbia University emphasized, “Fifteen hundred protests against Walmart is unprecedented. Working families are fighting back like never before – and have the support of America behind them."
"OUR Walmart works to ensure that every Associate, regardless of his or her title, age, race, or sex, is respected at Walmart," according to the OUR Walmart website "We join together to offer strength and support in addressing the challenges that arise in our stores and our company everyday."

Meisha Bradley and protesters

Steve Payan arrested

United Against Walmart

Protesters marching down the street

Police arrest Bill Camp of the Sacramento Center Labor Council

Rick Guerrero with "Workers Standing Together" sign

Thanksgiving charity recepient Ms. Jasmine Byron assaulted by off-duty SCPD Officer Joe Hernandez

Human Rights abuse in itty-bitty Santa Cruz [link]

"Why does the SCPD discriminate against disabled people?"
2013-11-29 message by John E. Colby [colby@docktorcat.com] to Kevin Vogel, Chief of Police for Santa Cruz [kvogel@cityofsantacruz.com]. Message posted at [http://tinyurl.com/nfafcjm]:
Read more about Freedom of Information Campaign organized by John Colby against Human Rights abuse in Santa Cruz [link]
---
Dear Chief Vogel:
I am writing to serve you notice that the Santa Cruz Police Department (SCPD) has a culture of cruelty and disdain towards disabled people. The news media has documented several incidents of the SCPD discriminating against the disabled.

Consider the following:
Last Tuesday, SCPD Officer Joe Hernandez assaulted Ms. Jasmine Byron — who is disabled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) — recklessly threatening her with a loaded Glock handgun for no good reason. His attack painfully affected her disabilities and the disabilities of her family. Please read the copied email below from Santa Cruz journalistic activist Robert Norse which has a link to his radio show where he interviewed Ms. Byron and her husband as well as describing the assault in his email message.
Last April, SCPD Officer Nathan Vasquez was documented on video by local homeless activist and documentarian Brent Adams cruelly slamming drunken homeless person Richard Hardy's head into a concrete sidewalk, injuring him. Robert Norse reported that you still refuse to comment on the status of your department's claimed investigation into this incident although the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper reported that the investigation would be completed a week after the incident occurred. You might not be aware of this, but alcoholics who pose no threat are disabled people protected under the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) and under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (because the SCPD receives federal funds).
On July 29, 2012, disabled (formerly) homeless person Andrea Morgan was assaulted based upon her disabilities by a church volunteer acting as an agent of the Homeless Services Center (of Santa Cruz). On July 31, 2012, Ms. Morgan — accompanied by my sister Patricia Colby — filed assault charges against this church volunteer with SCPD Officer Erik Peabody who stated that he believed she had been assaulted. Officer Peabody told them that a detective would followup with an investigation. No investigation was ever conducted, although I continued for quite some time to advocate with the Santa Cruz City Council to force the SCPD to investigate this hate bias crime. Moreover, SCPD Records Manager Trisha Husome and Santa Cruz Deputy City Attorney Caio Arelllano dissembled for an extended period, impeding me from advocating for and representing Ms. Morgan with the SCPD to force them to investigate. Note that then mayor Don Lane was president of the Homeless Services Center's Board of Directors at the same time the City of Santa Cruz was channeling HUD block grant funds to them — a serious conflict of interest which suggests he was part of the SCPD's refusal to investigate this assault. Similarly, Santa Cruz Housing Programs Manager Carol Berg — who oversees the administration of HUD block grants which the City of Santa Cruz receives — ignored my repeated requests to investigate my complaint about the Homeless Services Center denying services to Ms. Morgan in apparent retaliation for her filing assault charges against the church volunteer who assaulted her on their campus. This was a direct violation of HUD's program requirements for Santa Cruz in return for receiving HUD funding. Be informed that I filed a joint ADA/Section 504 discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice against the City of Santa Cruz and in particular the SCPD for discriminating against Ms. Morgan and other disabled homeless people who I was advocating for and representing.

Please review the following information from the news media:
* Robert Norse's interview of Ms. Byron and her husband — [http://radiolibre.org/brb/brb131128.mp3]
* The Santa Cruz Sentinel news article with which contains the video of SCPD Officer Vasquez slamming Mr. Hardy's head into the concrete pavement for no good cause — [http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_23119065/santa-cruz-police-probe-videotaped-arrest-injury-conclude]
* Documentation of the SCPD's refusal to investigate the disability motivated assault against Ms. Morgan and the SCPD's refusal to allow me to advocate for and to represent Ms. Morgan to obtain an investigation — [http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/09/02/18720869.php]
* Audio evidence of homophobic sexual harassment by Mission Gardens residents Robin Jansen and (deceased) Terry Peterson. Note Jansen asking me if I had any "Hershey Bars" while pointing at her butt and Peterson warning a nearby parent, "Hide the baby! Hide the baby! He's a pervert!" — [https://www.facebook.com/groups/LGBTQ.FriendlySupportAgainstHateMongers/permalink/149479435242720/]

Moreover:
The SCPD allowed Mission Gardens residents to attack my disabilities using BAITED stolen gay and lesbian mail, falsely claiming that I am a *gay* child molester. The SCPD refused to investigate this theft of my BAITED stolen mail as well as refusing to attach digitally recorded audio evidence to police reports of sexual harassment based upon false perceptions that I am *gay* which supported my claims that these residents were committing the hate crimes I alleged.

In sum:
The SCPD has shown a blatant and cruelly callous disregard for the civil rights of disabled people. These alleged civil rights violations — which have been repeatedly brought to the attention of successive Santa Cruz City Councils — seem to be sanctioned by City leaders and City staff.

Questions:
How do you respond to my allegations?
What is your explanation for these alleged civil rights violations by the SCPD which I cited and the media documented?

I would appreciate if you would respond to these questions — which have been asked again and again — instead of just ignoring me more like the Santa Cruz City Council and City staff have also done.
Sincerely yours, John E. Colby, Ph.D.


"Public Safety Danger in Santa Cruz: Gunmen Armed with Badges and Attitude; Off-Duty SCPD Cop Draws Gun on Salvation Army Food Seeker"
2013-11-29 by Robert Norse and Colin Campbell Clyde [https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/11/29/18746999.php?show_comments=1#18747000], from "Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom - Santa Cruz" [http://www.huffsantacruz.org]:
Several witnesses at the Tuesday Salvation Army Thanksgiving Meal including the mother of the victim reported that Officer Hernandez assaulted Jasmine Byron by knocking a plate of food out of her hand, threatening her with his gun, and subsequently taunting her from his car. Hernandez's stated objective: to stop Jasmine from trying to take a plate of food out the door after having she said she'd asked permission to do so. [https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2013/11/29/hernandez_assaults_jasmine___shade.pdf]
Yesterday on the stream of Free Radio, I interviewed Jasmine Byron and her husband Shade, who witnessed Hernandez's assault. The first hour of the audio stream (after a silence of 12 minutes or so) at [http://radiolibre.org/brb/brb131128.mp3] presents that interview along with commentary from Colin Campbell Clyde. He summarized his understanding of what happened. His account was initially posted on the Citizens for a Positive Santa Cruz, a new website, started to address issues and people banned from Steve Pleich's Citizens for a Better Santa Cruz site.
COLLIN'S ACCOUNT, originally posted at [http://www.facebook.com/groups/1432099843671366/permalink/1433243453557005]: "Officer Hernandez pulled a gun on my friend Jasmine and pointed it at her face at close range while volunteering off-duty at a Salvation Army Thanksgiving meal. Apparently this was super-necessary to prevent her from "stealing" a plate of leftover food, which he also knocked out of her hand, spilling the food all over the floor, the wall, even the ceiling. A few minutes later, Hernandez bragged and gloated about what he'd done. Her whole family is in shock and her mother has been having panic attacks since the incident. Is this what people had in mind when "We Support Our Police" poster went up all over town when some cops were murdered earlier this year? Why was this man-boy wearing a gun to volunteer at a community event? Is the city or the legal system going to ANYTHING to reign in this loose cannon before he hurts someone again, perhaps more seriously next time? Or do cops get immunity to commit crimes (assault and battery in this case) in Santa Cruz, even when they're not at work?"

Jasmine and Shade Byron play sweet music on Pacific Avenue and at the Farmer's Market in a group known as The Dirty Pines. This serious, public, and callous incident of assault and battery followed by harassment--if accurately described by witnesses--is likely to be covered up and rolled past. KSBW did interview Jasmine at the scene, but I've not heard that they've played it. Police declined to come though they were called.
When Jasmine and her mother went to the police station and reported the crime there, one of the interviewing officers with Officer Vasquez, whose spring sidewalk-smashing of Richard Hardy on video [http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_23092865/homeless-man-injured-during-arrest] has yet to be concluded--or at least no such announcement has been made.
In the hours and days that followed, Jasmine and her mother also stated they suffered post traumatic stress syndrome symptoms (headaches, panic attacks, inability to sleep, disorientation, irrational [rational?] fear of police, etc.]. A Salvation Army worker who witnessed the event reportedly broke down in tears.
Councilmember Micah Posner was twice advised about the situation but has not replied to my phone calls (831-227-4772) nor has Mayor Robinson, who also received word of the assault at the Thursday Civic Center Thanksgiving Meal (when she served me pumpkin pie). SC Patch police publicist Brad Kava was also informed, but I've not seen anything on SC Patch about the issue.
I circulated a flier (now updated and corrected) yesterday which I attach below. There is more discussion of the incident on the Citizens for a Positive Santa Cruz website at [http://www.facebook.com/groups/1432099843671366/permalink/1433243453557005/].
My accounts come from those who were directly impacted by Hernandez's behavior. I encourage others who witnessed this incident to post or contact me at 831-423-4833.
In Addition, Jasmine said that Hernandez's stated rationale for slapping the food plate out of her hand and then pulling his gun was the Salvation Army's "rule" that food was not to be taken outside. She says as someone with a stomach condition that did not allow her to eat much at a meal and with the permission of Salvation Army workers, she was trying to leave with a plate of food, partially covered by her coat.
When Hernandez demanded to search her, she refused--which, she suggests, he regarded as an intolerable threat to his authority, provoking what they describe as his violent behavior, the drawing of the gun, and the subsequent waving it in her face and shoving it in her back.
Jasmine and Shade go into more of these details on the audio file. They also noted that many people had plates of food outside, so even without explicit "permission" and that it was not an uncommon practice.
---
John Colby asks: do you have objective evidence? do you have credible witnesses? to hold the police accountable you need objective evidence to use in court and with the media, like digital audio or digital video. this is why i was pushing a program of equipping and training homeless people to use cell phones to document police abuse and civil rights violations. but no one ran with my idea.
btw, officer hernandez botched the investigation of a felon rapist living and working at the Mission Gardens Apartments as a maintenance worker with keys to every woman's apartment. former SCPD lieutenant rudy esclanate claimed he would fix it, but didn't. why did the SCPD protect this felon rapist even after i confronted them with court records and items with the perp's fingerprints?


"SCPD Officer Joe Hernandez wins United Way Award"

2012-11-21 from Santa Cruz Police Department Blog [http://santacruzpolice.blogspot.com/2012/11/scpd-officer-joe-hernandez-wins-united.html]:
Santa Cruz Police Department officer Joe Hernandez won the United Way Community Hero award this week. Nominations fall into a list of six categories: economy, education, health, natural environment, public safety, social environment.Officer Hernandez won in the public safety category for his work with the PRIDE Program, Citizen's Police Academy and his work on community outreach.   This is not the first time that Officer Hernandez has been recognized - he has also won the Jim Howes award for community service and the Red Cross Hero award.

Houseless resident in Eureka, CA, terrorized by Eureka Sergeant Rodrigo Reyna-Sanchez on Thanksgiving's eve

Humboldt County war against folks without homes [link]
Defend those without homes! campaign page [link]

"RE: Harassment By Eureka Sergeant Rodrigo Reyna-Sanchez"

2013-11-29 from Redwood Curtain CopWatch [707) 633-4493] [copwatchrwc@riseup.net]: 
PDF of this letter: [https://app.box.com/s/rx8wt8ojag05auenyxkf]
Open Letter To Eureka Police Chief Mills,
It has come to our attention that on or about Wednesday, November 27, 2013 -one day before Thanksgiving- Mr. Shannon Hodgdson was unfairly targeted and told to “get out of town” by Eureka Police Sergeant Rodrigo Reyna-Sanchez. Mr. Hodgdson was on the corner of V and 5th Streets in Eureka, holding a sign (asking for help), which is constitutionally protected activity.
Officer Sanchez drove up in his patrol car and told Mr. Hodgdson that he better get off that corner and he'd better get out of town. This is wholly inappropriate behavior. The intended and actual intimidation and the inherent threat in Officer Sanchez' actions is not only unprofessional, inappropriate, and unethical, it is also unlawful. Officer Sanchez violates a person's civil rights by seriously discouraging their exercise of Constitutional rights. The blatant and serious discouragement of Mr. Hodgdson's exercise of his rights by Officer Sanchez, or any officer, must cease. Mr. Hodgdson was not breaking any laws or blocking any passage, nor was his first amendment expression triggering any lawful restrictions by the government. As you must know, the government is prohibited from controlling or restricting the content of a person's speech, except in very rare instances, and cannot impede a person's right to travel or simply exist in a public space. This was *not* a rare instance wherein government may restrict a person's expression, and Officer Sanchez has no authority to “order” or intimidate Mr. Hodgdson “out of town.” While Mr. Hodgdson was behaving lawfully, Officer Sanchez was not.
Mr. Hodgdson observed another Eureka Officer in the vehicle, who did nothing to stop Officer Sanchez from threatening Mr. Hodgdson and chilling the exercise of his rights. While we are disappointed that another Eureka police officer would not fulfill his mandate to stop misconduct and/or civil rights violations by another officer in his presence, we are not surprised. The Eureka Police Department (EPD) has a history of covering up, and even *encouraging*, disregard for peoples' rights, abuse and crimes against vulnerable people with little means to challenge them, routine civil rights violations, cruelty, and gratuitous physical and verbal violence by its officers. Officer Sanchez is one of the primary perpetrators of such depravity and violative behavior against the people of Eureka. If the other officer, a complicit witness to Officer Sanchez' unlawful actions, had been you, we would hope that you'd have intervened on behalf of Mr. Hodgdson's civil rights.
Unfortunately, threatening a person who is simply holding a non-commercial sign on public property is a common practice of Officer Sanchez. We ask that you hold this officer accountable by, at a minimum, commanding him to stop such abusive behavior.
We are seriously concerned for Mr. Hodgdson's safety, given the inherent threat made by Officer Sanchez against him and Mr. Hodgdson's vulnerability as a houseless Eureka resident. Officer Sanchez should be admonished from telling *anyone* that they must leave town, something that we know he has also told other people. Evidently, Officer Sanchez believes that he has the authority to tell people that they are “better off dead,” that “no one will miss you if I shoot you in the back of the head” (true quotes), and that they cannot be on public property. This abusive conduct by Sanchez is often witnessed and even emulated by the officers around him. Throughout our years of observing Officer Sanchez and documenting hundreds of experiences by members of the public involving this officer, we understand that he not only feels emboldened to intimidate and hurt people, but he seeks applause and glorification for his bullying behavior. By any civilized standard of decency and community protection, Officer Sanchez' attitude and record of abuse should be, at a minimum, grounds for his removal from the EPD and for a ban on him owning or carrying weapons.
We do not want Mr. Hodgdson harmed or again threatened by Sanchez.  This letter should serve as an heads-up in the event that Mr. Hodgdson disappears, is arrested on dubious charges, or is found seriously injured, we will have every reason to suspect Officer Sanchez (or someone acting on behalf of him, EPD, or other local "law enforcement.")  That being said, we much prefer that you (and each entity to which this letter is going) protect Mr. Hodgdson and all similarly situated residents against any further abuse, threats, and/or violence from Officer Sanchez and other EPD officers. Mr. Hodgdson does not intend to leave town and should not be intimidated from exercising his basic constitutional rights.
Please be sure that your officers know that retaliation for this letter (or any other complaint) is not only illegal, but also unacceptable in your department.
Given that this county's poverty level is highest in the state, we hope that you begin your tenure as Chief of Police making clear to your officers that harassing poor people is unacceptable on your watch.

Sincerely,

*Redwood Curtain CopWatch*

Friday, November 29, 2013

"Homeless Veterans in Santa Cruz - Veteran's Memorial Hall Closure, Thanksgiving 2013"

Defend those without homes! campaign page [link]
Santa Cruz attacking houseless people [link]

2013-11-29 posted by "Magic Box Show" to [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRGBaBdCkEE]:
Occupy Veterans San Francisco members on closure of Veteran's community buildings and general neglect of returning Vets resulting in endemic levels of poverty and homelessness among the veteran population. The Veterans Memorial Hall in Santa Cruz, which will finally reopen in early 2014, was allowed to stay closed for 3+ years during a period when veteran's suicide rate averages 22 per day.

Monopolized TV News attacks New African nation, propaganda of "the Black Menace"


"Don't Believe All the Media Hype About the 'Knockout Game'"
2013-11-26 by Davey D [www.twitter.com/mrdaveyd], from [hiphopandpolitics.com]:
Davey D is a journalist, hip-hop historian, activist, and host of Hard Knock Radio and Breakdown FM.
So today for the umpteenth time we saw another news story, designed to cause mass hysteria with solemn sounding anchors telling us to be on "high alert" for roving gangs of black youth participating in this nationwide trend called "The Knockout Game."
As anchors launch into their tales of terror showing us the same grainy stock footage which includes a teacher being knocked out in New Jersey from two years ago and a woman being knocked out in London, a ticker tape runs across the bottom of our screens telling us police are on the look out for these "young thugs" and have ordered extra patrols...
The story, depending on what city you see it reported, will then tell you about two bike riders in St. Louis being knocked out or black kids in Brooklyn looking for Jews to knock out. There's a report of some kid knocking a woman out in San Diego. All the reports show the same video footage of some young teens in Jersey bragging about how they knock folks out. By then our blood is either boiling or we are scared to death.
The anchors' voices then get shrill as they pull out a map detailing what parts of the country the attacks have happened. In the past month there have been seven knockouts and according to the anchors the videos are being posted all over YouTube by the hundreds.
All the news stories then launch into a field reporter interviewing someone who knows of a friend who knows a friend who got knocked out and went to the hospital because of the Knockout Game.
These news stories from coast to coast end with the reporters telling us two people have been killed by what police think MAY have been a version of the Knockout Game. We are left concluding that we no longer need to fear terrorists organizations like al Qaeda, but instead be wary of marauding black youth. The message is when you see them, run. Why? Because they are gonna knock you out.
These reports have understandably led to some harsh reactions, with many publishing blogs and posting YouTube vlogs promising to shoot if someone dares to try to knock them out. In fact if you go online, you are likely to find scores more threatening responses to the Knockout Game than you are the same three or four videos, all from years past, repeatedly being shown on news stations around the country reporting this new disturbing trend.
It's important that folks not get caught up in the hype of the Knockout Game without putting it in historical, social and political context. First let's be clear in understanding what this is: the Knockout Game is ASSAULT. And when a group of people are "targeting people at random" to assault them, that is basically another form of BULLYING.
Are assaults and bullying acceptable? Absolutely not. Should we be concerned? Of course. But let's be honest when reporting on this type of anti-social behavior. Yes, there are crimes that occur. Yes, there are innocent folks who get attacked, robbed, etc. But this is not what's being reported. Many in the media are making it appear as if this is some sort of game spreading like wild fire from coast to coast. It's simply not true. The fact that they are taking any crime and calling it part of Knockout Game trend is akin to when the police label every crime in certain communities "gang related."
If we look at this honestly, every generation and every inner city has had some sort of Knockout Game or unsavory group action that was attributed to black youth that the media brought to the forefront. These actions were never as big and widespread as reported but it made for good TV and gave politicians a chance to talk tough and push for new harsh laws. What's being reported now is the repackaging and rewording age-old propaganda designed to stoke fears, increase ratings and justify demonizing and criminalizing entire groups of people.
For those who don't know, the Knockout Game was called "wylding" or "rat packing" when I was coming up in New York. In Oakland it was called "mobbing." In other parts of the country it was called "clocking," "chin checking," and just plain old "jumping." Under those names the image of vicious, out of control black teens were attached to them, but such activities should not be separated from those suburban teens who would head to the gay parts of town and jump folks in what we would commonly call "gay bashing."
That should not be separated from the folks who would see Jewish kids wearing yarmulkes or what folks thought were black cowboy hats and snatch them or knock them off their heads and attack them, perceiving them to be weak. Others attacked them because they perceived them to have lots of money and were easy pickings. Some would call it "Jew Jumping."
That should not be separated from those who would see and attack Sikhs wearing turbans or Muslim women wearing hijab. This was "all the rage" after 9/11. Key word "rage" -- which was used as justification.
This should not be separated from roving teens who routinely have jumped and knocked out unsuspecting homeless folks over the years or folks who would shoot pellet guns at unsuspecting bike riders or throw rocks from freeways overpasses at unsuspecting drivers. Or even full-blown riots at college campuses. Often times such activities were reduced to kids just mischief-making.
None of this can separated from the vicious attacks that have routinely visited Mexican day laborers by xenophobic types in violent versions of Knockout commonly known as "Beaner Jumping" or "Wetback Whippings." In some parts of the country, attacks on Mexican migrants would occur with folks referring to them as "Walking ATM Machines" because it was believed they carried cash were unlikely to report crimes to the police.
It was just a few years ago that our nation's newspapers were splattered with headlines about how a group of suburban teens from Long Island attacked two Ecuadorean brothers who were walking arm and arm thinking they were gay and "illegally," brutally beat them with bats, killing one. Once caught it was discovered that this group of teens who had dubbed themselves "The Caucasian Crew" had been on a week-long spree of jumping brown folks who they thought were undocumented. They described "Beaner Jumping" as a commonplace game. You can read about that here [http://gothamist.com/2008/11/22/weeklong_hate_spree_preceded_ecuado.php].
In recent years we seen this immigrant bashing take on new heights with folks under the guise of "patrolling the border" and sporting names like Minutemen -- with many having Neo-Nazi ties -- seeing themselves playing the ultimate real life war game as they would head down to borders of Arizona and Texas in droves looking for "illegals" to capture, beat up and sometimes shoot. Folks may wanna look up the tragic shooting death of Raul Flores and his 9-year-old daughter Brisenia by Minutemen, who thought they were here illegally. Read about that here [http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/25/nation/la-na-minutemen-murder-20110126].
Some of you reading this are old enough to recall that if you lived in New York City in the '70s there was a game called "Kill Nigger Day" and if you went to certain parts of town like Bensonhurst, Brookland, Pelham Bay in the Bronx, Howard Beach in Queens, you were gonna get mobbed on by angry whites who basically did this for funIf you lived in Boston and went to South Boston the same thing would happen. In fact folks may wanna look at the rap sheet of actor Mark Walhberg, who as a youth was quite fond of jumping black and Asian youth. He was not an exception to what was often described by many as the most racist city in America. Read about that here [http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/back-day-marky-marks-rap-sheet-0].
In generations past, in cities like LA, the game was called "Spook Hunting." In fact there was a white racist gang calling themselves the Spook Hunters who would patrol the borders of Watts and Mexican neighborhoods to make sure no black or brown folks would leave the area. For fun they would head into the area and attack folks. Many of these folks were war veterans. You can read about that here [http://feenix.hubpages.com/hub/The-Battles-Against-The-Spook-Hunters].
We also know that many of those military folks, in particular sailors while on duty, would routinely go out and bash on Mexicans wearing Zoot Suits. The random attacks led to what we now call the Zoot Suit Riots. You can read about that here [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/zoot/eng_peopleevents/e_riots.html].
Later we would learn that the police themselves under Chief William H. Parker would patrol the Watts area, which on the force was dubbed The Duck Pond Officers; like the Spook Hunters, they would keep blacks contained in that area and for fun would venture off into Watts to jam up folks in sadistic activity called Duck Hunting. They would go in and harass young black teens with the goal of letting them know who was in charge. You can read about that here [http://www.digitaltermpapers.com/b4246.htm].
In more recent days we saw the spook hunting, duck hunting mentality rear its ugly head during Katrina. In the Algiers section of New Orleans you had white mobs roaming around going "Peasant hunting," where blacks were shot at random. At least 11 were killed as they were seeking refuge. This is outlined in the documentary and ground breaking report Katrina's Hidden Race War. You can read about that here [http://www.thenation.com/article/katrinas-hidden-race-war].
Last year we saw a group of deputies fired from the LA Sheriff's Department because of their random attacks on black and brown folks in LA in what was called Jumping. They dubbed themselves the Jump Out Boys. You can read about that here [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/08/seven-members-of-la-sheriff-clique-fired_n_2645288.html].
I could go on listing things, but the larger point I'm getting at is that sadly mob violence is as American as apple pie. From the "Knockout Game" and "Beaner Jumping" to lynchings and vigilante justice. There have always been cowardly folks who hid behind large numbers, weapons and badges who have reigned sheer hell upon innocent people. It's bullying 101 and folks of all stripes have had a hand in this. None of it is excusable. None of it should be accepted. It should not be excused as boys being boys or teens just doing a little mischief-making. This is why the Knockout Game reporting has been so troubling; because it acts like this is something new and isolated to one group of people versus it being systemic with deep-seated roots in our country's psyche. In fact the media sensationalizing and outright lying about a trend that doesn't exist could be characterized as a game of Knockout by proxy, because the end result will be folks reacting aggressively and maybe even fatally to imagined dangers conjured up by media hype. The case of Jordan Davis, Trayvon Martin and now Renisha McBride are examples of this over reaction.
With all these recent news reports of knockouts folks may be quick to forget it was just two weeks ago these same reporters were telling us to hide our cell phones because everyone was getting them snatched and with daylights saving times the FEAR was evil cell phone snatchers would be out in droves looking to make you a victim.
We have forgotten that it was just a year ago that these same anchors were warning us to watch out for flash mobs of black youths that were going on terror sprees attacking white folks all over the country from Milwaukee to Philly and we needed to be on the look out. In fact the mayor of Philly, Michael Nutter, went ahead and passed legislation for youth curfews. Other cities around the country used the flash mob reports and attempted to follow suit.
Many of us have forgotten that not too long before the flash mob news reports we were told that the evil, vicious Mexican cartels were now invading America and taking over the drug trade and attacking folks and that we need to run for the hills. Many forgot that we were being bombarded with stories and numerous TV specials about MS-13, the World's Most Dangerous Gang, and they were an international super predator gang that was taking over cities all over America.
There were even some "special reports" linking them to terrorists organizations like al Qaeda and more recently Hezbollah. Needless to say, these reports caused a big stir which helped usher in anti-immigrant bills like SB1070 in Arizona and HB 86 in Alabama.
It led to lawmakers from Texas to Florida to California warning us to watch out for "anchor babies" and "terror babies" as they used the reports as a rationale to try to change the Constitution that would disallow children born in the U.S. from undocumented parents from being citizens. The threat of the Brown Menace was used as an excuse to get billions, not millions of dollars to new border walls.
Ironically the same companies building walls here in the U.S. are the same companies building walls in Israel/Palestine where hysteria around Brown Arabs wylding out has led to economic windfall. Lets just keep it 100 percent real, the threat of the Black Brute and Brown menace is Big Business for a lot of people. It's a tradition that dates back a century in popular media from the days of Birth of a Nation which led to the rise of the KKK to the lies told about rapes and murders in the Superdome during New Orleans to now. Zealous politicians and law and order types reacting to these false narratives can easily build political capital, using communities and groups of people who are not fully prepared to counter...
The nationwide hype of the Knockout Game is designed to get us hysterically upset, fearful and angry resulting in us embracing policies and laws that will soon be proposed that justify racial profiling designed to protect us (translation: protect good white folks from out of control black and brown mobs).

National Outrage by Workers against Wal*Mart abuse

"Activists Are Arrested Protesting Walmart’s Low Wages"
2013-11-29 photographs and text by Allison Kilkenny for "the Nation" weekly newsmagazine [http://www.thenation.com/blog/177412/activists-are-arrested-protesting-walmarts-low-wages]:
Activists in Secaucus, New Jersey, engage in an act of civil disobedience during a Black Friday Walmart protest.

Walmart employees and supporters protested in cities all across the country on Black Friday in opposition to Walmart’s low wages and poor treatment of workers. In some cases, protesters volunteered to engage in acts of civil disobedience and were arrested by police. Organizers expected 1,500 total protests in California, Alaska, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Texas, Minnesota, Illinois, Washington and Canada. In Secaucus, New Jersey, thirteen activists were arrested after sitting in the middle of the street to block traffic.
Marc Bowers said he worked at a Walmart in Dallas, Texas, for eight years before he was fired for participating in a strike. After Walmart fired him, he decided to get more involved with worker organizing, including traveling to New Jersey for this year’s Black Friday protest. Bowers said he hopes to inspire other workers enduring similar hardships.
(Photo: Elaine Rozier and Marc Bowers, right, at today’s New Jersey protest)

“If you let people know what’s going on, they’ll get involved too. They’re probably fed up with the same things,” he said.
Bowers added that this labor struggle will influence future generations.
“I’m here to fight for everybody who has been done wrong. I feel like, if I don’t fight, our next generation of kids will not have a future. As a man, I have the right to stand up on my own two feet. And I’m doing it right now,” he said.
The National Labor Relations Board announced last week that it plans to pursue charges against Walmart for threatening and punishing workers who planned to go on strike last year. The agency’s general counsel investigated and “found merit” in workers’ claims that Walmart “unlawfully threatened” employees for participating in walkouts during last year’s Black Friday.
According to the agency, Walmart intimidated, surveilled or punished workers in fourteen different states, which is illegal under US labor law.
The threats and intimidation include comments from official Walmart spokesperson David Tovar, who told CBS Evening News last year, “There could be consequences” for workers participating in any actions.
Also in attendance at the Secaucus protest was Elaine Rozier, who worked at a Walmart in Miami, Florida, for eight years.
“I’m here today to represent all the solid Walmart workers that are afraid to stand up for their rights. I’m here to represent the nation, to let Walmart corporation know that we’re not standing back. I’m stand up for my rights, for my kids, for my grandkids and their kids. I’m tired of not getting living wages,” Rozier said, before thanking the other activists for lending support.

Other arrests occurred in Chicago, where ten protesters were arrested for allegedly blocking traffic, along with nine activists in Alexandria, Virginia. In Balch Springs, Texas, thirteen protesters were also arrested for blocking traffic and “creat[ing] a dangerous situation” for themselves and drives, according to Deputy Chief Paul Haber.
“Everyone has a living wage and we need one, too,” said Myron Byrd, 45, a Walmart worker who was led away in handcuffs by police.
According to organizers, at least fifty-five people have been arrested during this year’s Black Friday Walmart protests.
Update: Organizers from UFCW and Our Walmart now estimate more than 110 activists have been arrested.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Santa Cruz violated CPRA for records about Santa Cruz Citizens Committee for the Homeless Inc.

John Colby's Freedom of Information Campaign against Human Rights abuse in Santa Cruz [link]
* Santa Cruz retaliates against Human Rights advocate John Colby [link]
* Human Rights abuse in itty-bitty Santa Cruz [link]

"re: Santa Cruz violated CPRA for records about Santa Cruz Citizens Committee for the Homeless Inc."
2013-12-03 from john Colby to Bren Lehr, MMC, City Clerk Administrator
Dear Ms. Lehr,
I am placing you on notice that the City of Santa Cruz is currently in violation of the state mandate to respond within 10 days to my California Public Records Act (CPRA) request copied below about the Santa Cruz Citizens Committee for the Homeless Inc. — I believe the requested records will show that the City of Santa Cruz completed financial transactions with an illegal nonentity. The Homeless Services Center — which receives federal money from HUD grants and state money from the California Department of Housing and Community Development — was a party to many of these transactions.
My CPRA request seeks to shed light on the motives for these illegal transactions. Graciously, I allowed the City of Santa Cruz 12 business days to respond to my CPRA request about this illegal nonentity. Yet to date, I have received no response.
These records are of immediate importance to government officials, government investigators and to the news media: I ask you to immediately respond to my CPRA request for them.
Once more I urge federal and state investigators as well as members of the news media to search for the Santa Cruz Citizens Committee for the Homeless Inc. on the Santa Cruz County Recorder's online index. Furthermore I advise investigators and journalists to look up this organization on the California Secretary of State's business entity search portal as well as on the California Registry of Charitable Trusts database and on the Santa Cruz Clerk–Recorder's Fictitious Business Names database.

Again: as these records are of great public interest, since they will be made available to Congress, federal and state investigators as well as to the news media being carbon copied, I ask you to waive any exemptions to disclosing these records.
I also ask you to waive all applicable fees in the public interest. I ask you to waive any applicable search, retrieval and redaction fees, as well as applicable duplication costs.
I ask:
* if you determine that any or all or the information qualifies for an exemption from disclosure, to note whether, as is normally the case under the Act, whether the exemption is discretionary, and if so whether it is necessary in this case to exercise your discretion to withhold the information.
* in case you decide that any of the information is exempt, please explain how the interest in not disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing it.
* if you determine that some but not all of the information is exempt from disclosure and that you intend to withhold it, that you redact it for the time being and make the rest available as requested.
* if there is any information in these records which is private and you decide it is exempt information, yet it is in an otherwise disclosable document, please segregate the private information by redacting it while providing me the rest of the unredacted record.
* If these records are available in an electronic format such as Portable Document Format (PDF), MS Excel File Extension (XLS), MS Word Document (DOC), Hypertext Markup (HTM), any standard database format (like those listed here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_file_formats#Database), Rich Text Format (RTF), plain electronic text (TXT) or native email formats — like AOL for Windows, Apple Mail, Claris Emailer, Compuserve, EML, Entourage, Eudora, Maldir, MBOX File, Mulberry, Neoplanet, Outlook, Outlook Express, Outspring, Powertalk, Quickmail Pro, Thunderbird, Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail and Yahoo Archive! — or as links to the Internet then I ask that they provided to me in one of those forms, preferably in their native format.
As I wrote below, I am willing to pay a fee of up to $30 for this request. If you estimate the cost of completing this request will exceed that amount, please contact me first before completing it with a fee estimate. If this request would entail special searches which would incur search fees to me, please contact me first with a fee estimate.

Thank you for immediately fulfilling this CPRA request to determine whether the City of Santa Cruz, its officials and its employees have acted within the law and deserve the respect of its citizens.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this request, or named parties have been misspelled, please contact me.
Respectfully yours, [signed] John E. Colby, Ph.D.



"CPRA request about Santa Cruz Citizens Committee for the Homeless Inc."
2013-11-28 from John Colby to Bren Lehr, MMC, City Clerk Administrator:
Dear Ms. Lehr,
I am writing on behalf of Santa Cruz citizens who want and demand an open, transparent, accountable city government which acts with integrity and respect for the law — in short the City of Santa Cruz, its elected leaders, its officials and its employees are not above the law.
I urge federal and state investigators as well as members of the news media to search for the Santa Cruz Citizens Committee for the Homeless Inc. on the Santa Cruz County Recorder's online index.
To ensure the aforementioned citizens receive the governance they want and demand, I am submitting a request pursuant to California Government Code Section 6250 et seq. commonly known as the California Public Records Act (CPRA). I am requesting:
* all deeds, grants, transfers, modifications, subordinations, agreements, and records of transactions which the Santa Cruz Citizens Committee for the Homeless Inc. was a party to maintained in any City of Santa Cruz system of records as well as all electronic and non–electronic written communications between the aforementioned committee, any of its officials, employees, members or agents and officials, employees and agents of the City of Santa Cruz.

As these records are of great public interest, since they will be made available to Congress, federal and state investigators as well as to the news media being carbon copied, I ask you to waive any exemptions to disclosing these records.
I also ask you to waive all applicable fees in the public interest. I ask you to waive any applicable search, retrieval and redaction fees, as well as applicable duplication costs.
I ask:
* if you determine that any or all or the information qualifies for an exemption from disclosure, to note whether, as is normally the case under the Act, whether the exemption is discretionary, and if so whether it is necessary in this case to exercise your discretion to withhold the information.
* in case you decide that any of the information is exempt, please explain how the interest in not disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing it.
* if you determine that some but not all of the information is exempt from disclosure and that you intend to withhold it, that you redact it for the time being and make the rest available as requested.
* if there is any information in these records which is private and you decide it is exempt information, yet it is in an otherwise disclosable document, please segregate the private information by redacting it while providing me the rest of the unredacted record.
* if these documents are available in an electronic format such as standard image formats, Portable Document Format (PDF), eXtensible Style Language (XLS), MS Word Document (DOC), Hypertext Markup (HTM), Rich Text Format (RTF), plain electronic text (TXT), native email formats — like AOL for Windows, Apple Mail, Claris Emailer, Compuserve, EML, Entourage, Eudora, Maildir, MBOX File, Mulberry, Neoplanet, Outlook, Outlook Express, Outspring, Powertalk, Quickmail Pro, Thunderbird, Windows Mail, Windows Live Mail, Yahoo Archive! — or as hyperlinks to the Internet that they be provided to me in one of those forms, preferably in their native form.
I am willing to pay a fee of up to $30 for this request. If you estimate the cost of completing this request will exceed that amount, please contact me first before completing it with a fee estimate. If this request would entail special searches which would incur search fees to me, please contact me first with a fee estimate.

Thank you for your assistance in fulfilling this CPRA request to determine whether the City of Santa Cruz, its officials and its employees have acted within the law and deserve the respect of its citizens.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this request, or named parties have been misspelled, please contact me.
Respectfully yours, [signed] John E. Colby, Ph.D.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Black Friday Protests to Support WalMart Workers

[http://makingchangeatwalmart.org/]
Fri. Nov. 29, 3pm
Main Bay Area Protest, 15555 Hesperian Blvd., San Leandro

The day after Thanksgiving ("Black Friday") in the United States is an important shopping day for retail stores. Last year on Black Friday, Walmart workers organized by OUR Walmart (Organization United for Respect) went on strike to demand living wages, respectful working conditions and no retaliation for speaking out.
This year, Walmart workers will walk off the job again on Black Friday as they and their supporters demonstrate outside Walmart stores all over the United States. In the Bay Area, the Black Friday protests will kick off a week of action ending with the fast food workers’ actions on Dec. 5.
Other actions are happening across the Bay Area, the state and the country. Find a protest near you [https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/black-friday-near-you].


Walmart did not promote single moms to management because "men had to support their families."


"Wave of Black Friday Strikes Kicks Off as Walmart CEO Steps Down"; Making Change at Walmart - 'The movement of low-wage workers has taken off in 2013'"
2013-11-25 by Lauren McCauley from "Common Dreams" [http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/11/25-6]:
Employees from Brooklyn Center, Minn. kicked off a week of actions against retail giant Walmart with a boycott on Monday. (Photo via The Union Advocate)
Ahead of what is being called the largest day of action yet against Walmart on the upcoming Black Friday shopping extravaganza, a wave of strikes against the retail giant have already begun.
Workers in Miami, Florida and Brooklyn Center, Minnesota walked off the job Monday following actions in Tampa on Saturday and strikes in Sacramento, Dallas, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles and cities in Ohio earlier this month.
"We're at an exciting moment, the movement of low-wage workers has taken off in 2013," Dan Schadelman, campaign director for Making a Change at Walmart, said of the Black Friday protests [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/21/walmart-protests-2013_n_4319420.html].
Brooklyn Center employees Andrea Williams, April Williams and Lillian Griffin said they decided to take a stand after earlier attempts to organize in favor of better wages, benefits and "a voice on the job" drew retaliation from store managers.
“If you try to speak out to management [...] they cut your hours,” Andrea Williams told St. Paul's Union Advocate [http://advocate.stpaulunions.org/2013/11/25/walmart-workers-go-on-strike-in-brooklyn-center-kick-off-week-of-action-for-better-wages/]. Like Walmart workers across the country, the women—who make $8.40 and $9.50 an hour and are thus reliant on public assistance programs to support their families—are calling on the billion dollar chain to pay them a living wage, offer full-time hours and benefits, and put an end to the rampant acts of retaliation.
Protest organizers estimate that employees will boycott over 1,500 locations on Friday, disrupting what many call the 'largest shopping day of the year' to bring awareness to the company's culture of low pay and intimidation.
Amid the growing unrest, Walmart CEO Mike Duke announced his retirement Monday. According to reports, he is going to be replaced by veteran Walmart employee and CEO of Walmart International Doug McMillon.
As Fortune magazine notes [http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/11/25/walmart-ceo-challenges/], among the myriad complications the incoming executive will face, the "most public and populist" is the chain's "contentious relationship" with its hourly workers.
“Walmart has been heading in the wrong direction, and it’s a testament to the pressure the company is feeling that they’re changing leadership at this moment," said Tiffany Beroid, OUR Walmart member and Laurel, Maryland Walmart employee [http://makingchangeatwalmart.org/2013/11/25/our-walmart-statement-on-ceo-change/].
"Mr. McMillon has an opportunity to be a leader in moving Walmart in the right direction, not just in offering more empty promises," she continued. "We sincerely hope that Mr. McMillon will answer the country’s calls for Walmart to publicly commit to paying $25,000 a year, providing full-time work and ending its illegal retaliation against its own employees.”
"As the largest private employer in the United States and the world, Walmart is setting the standard for jobs," writes Making Change for Walmart, a coalition of groups aimed at reforming the retail giant.
They continue: "That standard is so low that hundreds of thousands of its employees are living in poverty—even many that work full time. The average full time Walmart “associate” makes about $15,500 a year. And worse, Walmart is pushing more and more workers toward a permanent part-time status. Across the country, workers and communities are coming together as one to say enough is enough."


"Walmarting the rivers and oceans: Walton Family Foundation dumped $91.4 million into greenwashing in 2012"
by Dan Bacher [http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/27/1258790/-Walmarting-the-rivers-and-oceans]:
Walmart has been in the headlines in recent weeks after the retailer announced plans to keep its stores open this Thanksgiving, forcing Walmart employees to cancel many of their holiday plans.
Numerous blogs and alternative media outlets have also reported on plans by Walmart workers and community allies to hold 1500 protests on Black Friday across the country, in what is set to be one of the largest mobilizations of working families in American history.
“Workers are calling for an end to illegal retaliation, and for Walmart to publicly commit to improving labor standards, such as providing workers with more full time work and $25,000 a year,” according to a statement from OUR Walmart. (http://forrespect.org/2013/11/21/walmart-workers-community-allies-to-hold-1500-protests-across-country-on-black-friday/ )
“Black Friday 2013 will mark a turning point in American history,” said Dorian Warren, associate professor at Columbia University. “Fifteen hundred protests against Walmart is unprecedented. Working families are fighting back like never before – and have the support of America behind them.
However, less well-known to the public is Walmart’s ambitious campaign of corporate greenwashing in recent years.
Walmart, the country’s largest retailer and employer, makes more than $17 billion in profits, so it has a lot of money to dump into "environmental" groups that serve its agenda of privatization of the public trust. The wealth of the Walton family totals over $144.7 billion – equal to that of 42% of Americans.
The Walton Family Foundation reported “investments” totaling more than $91.4 million in “environmental initiatives” in 2012, including contributions to corporate “environmental” NGOs pushing ocean privatization through the “catch shares” programs and so-called “marine protected areas” like those created under Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative, as well as to groups supporting the Bay Delta Conservation Plan to build the peripheral tunnels.
According to a press release from the Walmart Headquarters in Bentonville Arkansas, “the foundation awarded grants of more than $91 million to groups and programs that create benefits for local economies and communities through lasting conservation solutions for oceans and rivers.”
The foundation directed an overwhelming majority of the grants toward its two core environmental initiatives – “Freshwater Conservation” and Marine Conservation.”
“Our work is rooted in our belief that the conservation solutions that last are the ones that make economic sense,” gushed Scott Burns, director of the foundation’s Environment Focus Area. “The foundation and our grantees embrace ‘conservationomics’ – the idea that conservation efforts can and should bring economic prosperity to local communities.”
The foundation donated $38,648,952 to "Marine Conservation," $29,367,340 to "Freshwater Conservation" and $23,683,286 for “Other Environment Grants” in 2012.
Conservation International, the top recipient of Walmart money, got a total of $22,650,774, including $5,725,000 for the Bird's Head Seascape, $4,214,881 for the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape and 12,718,763 for “Other Environmental Grants.”
The Environmental Defense Fund, the second largest recipient, received a total of $12,943,017, including $7,800,000 for catch shares, $1,881,652 for the Colorado River, $3,032,300 for the Mississippi River, $20,000 for the Gulf Of Mexico and $209,065 for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Ocean Conservancy, a strong supporter of the privately funded Marine Life Protection Act Initiative to create “marine protected areas” in California, received the third largest chunk of money from the foundation in 2012, $5,447,354, including $2,112,500 for “Marine Conservation” in the Gulf of Mexico and $3,334,854 for the oil spill in the Gulf.
Nature Conservancy, Inc. received $4,509,616, the fourth largest amount of money, including $1,700,000 for the Colorado River, $725,557 for the Mississippi River, $553,148 for the Bird’s Head Seascape, $21,000 for Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape, $350,000 for Gulf of Mexico projects, $400,825 for catch shares and $759,086 for "other conservation grants."
Other recipients of Walton Foundation money in 2012 include American Rivers, the Center for American Progress, Environmental Working Group, Marine Stewardship Council, National Audubon Society, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Geographic Society, Oxfam America, Inc., Resources Legacy Fund, World Wildlife Fund and many other NGOs.
A complete list of Walton Family Foundation recipients is available at: [http://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/about/2012-grant-report#environment].

Conservation International features Walton and Stewart Resnick on Board -
Conservation International, the top recipient at $22,650,774, is an organization noted for its top-down approach to conservation and involvement with corporate greenwashing.
A Walton Foundation press release claimed that, “Conservation International continued to implement a three-year program to empower local communities to manage and conserve fishing resources on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast.”
However, the group’s board features some of the most controversial corporate leaders on the planet, including Rob Walton and Stewart Resnick.
Rob Walton, Walmart Chairman, serves as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Conservation International. Serving with him on Conservation International’s Board of Directors is Stewart Resnick, the owner of Paramount Farms.
Resnick has been instrumental in campaigns to build the peripheral tunnels to increase water exports to corporate agribusiness, developers and oil companies, to eviscerate Endangered Species Act protections for Central Valley Chinook salmon and Delta smelt and to eradicate striped bass in California. The Center for Investigative Reporting describes Resnick as a “Corporate Farming Billionaire and One-Man Environmental Wrecking Crew.”
Resnick is notorious for buying subsidized Delta water and then selling it back to the public for a big profit, as revealed in an article by the late Mike Taugher in the Contra Costa Times on May 23, 2009. (http://www.revivethesanjoaquin.org/content/pumping-water-and-cash-delta)
“As the West Coast’s largest estuary plunged to the brink of collapse from 2000 to 2007, state water officials pumped unprecedented amounts of water out of the Delta only to effectively buy some of it back at taxpayer expense for a failed environmental protection plan, a MediaNews investigation has found,” said Taugher.
Taugher said the “environmental water account” set up in 2000 to “improve” the Delta ecosystem spent nearly $200 million mostly to benefit water users while also creating a “cash stream for private landowners and water agencies in the Bakersfield area.”
“No one appears to have benefited more than companies owned or controlled by Stewart Resnick, a Beverly Hills billionaire, philanthropist and major political donor whose companies, including Paramount Farms, own more than 115,000 acres in Kern County,” Taugher stated. “Resnick’s water and farm companies collected about 20 cents of every dollar spent by the program.”
Likewise, the Nature Conservancy, a group that received the fourth largest amount, $4,509,616, from the Walton Family Foundation in 2012, is also known for its strong support of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan to build the peripheral tunnels that Resnick and other corporate agribusiness interests so avidly support.
A broad coalition of fishermen, Indian Tribes, environmentalists, family farmers and elected officials opposes the construction of the tunnels because they would hasten the extinction of Central Valley salmon, Delta smelt, longfin smelt and other species.

Environmental Defense Fund’s drive to privatize fisheries -
Environmental Defense Fund, with the second highest donation at $12,943,017, is known for its market-based approach to conservation and its push for “catch shares” that essentially privatize the oceans. The relationship between the group and the retail giant is so close that it operates an office in Bentonville, Arkansas, where Walmart is headquartered.
“Environmental Defense Fund released its ‘Catch Shares Design Manual: A Guide for Fishermen and Managers’ to provide a roadmap to catch share design, which is a focus of our Marine Conservation initiative,” according to the Walton Family Foundation.
A catch share, also known as an individual fishing quota, is a transferable voucher that gives individuals or businesses the ability to access a fixed percentage of the total authorized catch of a particular species.
“Fishery management systems based on catch shares turn a public resource into private property and have lead to socioeconomic and environmental problems. Contrary to arguments by catch share proponents – namely large commercial fishing interests – this management system has exacerbated unsustainable fishing practices,” according to the consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch.
True to form, Sam Rawlings Walton, the grandson of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, serves on the Board of Trustees of EDF.

Times articles put spotlight on Walmart -
Two New York Times articles in April 2012 put Walmart and the Walton family’s “dirty laundry” in the international spotlight, leading to a renewed call by the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) for the public to support their boycott of Walmart, a campaign that began in August 2011. (http://myemail.constantcontact.com/RFA-Encourages-Continued-National-Boycott-of-Wal-Mart-Stores-.html?soid=1102181706823&aid=itF-3JDXPa4)
The Times articles covered Walton family support for anti-fishing, pro-privatization efforts in North America, followed by the publication’s exposure of alleged $24 million worth of bribes in Central America to speed up the chain’s expansion into Mexico.
“The headlines prove that Walmart and the Walton Family Foundation are no friends of local communities anywhere, and their ongoing efforts to destroy coastal fishing businesses through support of arbitrary marine reserves and privatization of fish stocks nationwide should not be supported by anglers,” said RFA executive director Jim Donofrio. “We’re asking coastal fishermen who support open access, under the law, to healthy and sustainable fish stocks to send a clear message to this arrogant corporation that we’ve had enough of their greenwashing and grafting efforts.
Donofrio noted that Walmart made world headlines following a New York Times story that charges the Bentonville, Arkansas company and its leaders of squashing an internal investigation into suspected payments of over $24 million in bribes to obtain permits to build in Mexico.

Reporter’s lapse shows complicity of corporate media -
The bribery scandal was exposed on the same day that the Gloucester Times of Massachusetts exposed a reporting lapse in another recent New York Times article about the relationship between Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Walmart partnering together for “more enlightened and sustainable operations.” (http://www.gloucestertimes.com/local/x1774445793/EDF-Wal-Mart-Walton-ties-get-major-media-brush)
The New York Times had earlier reported that EDF “does not accept contributions from Wal-Mart or other corporations it works for.”
However, when confronted on the fact that the $1.3 billion Walton Family Foundation (started in 1987 by Wal-Mart’s founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and directed presently by the Walton family) has been underwriting EDF’s successful effort to replace the nation’s mostly small-business, owner-operated fishing industry with “a catch shares model designed to cap the number of active fishermen by trading away ownership of the resource to those with the deepest pockets,” the author of the New York Times report conceded by email that in her rush to meet deadlines, she had not considered the relationship between the Walton family and Wal-Mart, according to Donofrio.
“I didn’t think to check the EDF board for Walton family members, or Walton Family Foundation donations,” said reporter Stephanie Clifford, adding “None of the third parties I’d spoken to had mentioned that connection, which isn’t an excuse – I should have thought of it myself, but didn’t.
RFA is hoping that saltwater anglers and fishing business owners help send Walmart stocks tumbling by refusing to shop at the corporate giant any longer.
“The Walton family uses their fortune to buy off friends who’ll cover for their despicable business practices, whether it’s corporate greenwashing with EDF, rebranding efforts through national trade association campaigns, or apparently by way of directed bribes to local officials in other countries,” Donofrio said. “Don’t just stop buying fishing tackle at Wal-Mart – stop supporting this company altogether and let’s quit supporting complete buyouts and takeovers of local communities.”

Commercial fishermen support Walmart boycott -
Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA), supports RFA’s boycott of Walmart.
“People who are concerned about our environment or labor rights should all be boycotting Walmart,” said Grader. “Their polices are clearly intended to commodify our natural resources and put them under the control of large corporations.”
“The Walton Family Foundation is funding the Environmental Defense Fund, which wants to commodify water through water marketing and privatize our fish through catch shares program,” said Grader. “These are tools used by corporations to further the growing disparity between 1 percent and the rest of us."
“I’ve been boycotting Walmart for decades and it’s absolutely great that recreational and commercial fishermen are together on this,” concluded Grader.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Port of Oakland Truckers Association (POTA) shut down multiple terminals during morning shift

[oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com]

Solidarity With Port Truckers on their Picket Lines!
[www.facebook.com/events/597109947003405]
By Port Truckers Solidarity
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
5:00am until 9:00pm in PST
We need folks with cars to volunteer to shuttle people from West Oakland BART from 4:30am to 5:30am. This job pays in coffee, perhaps donuts, but mostly satisfaction that you are lending needed material support to some really inspiring workers!
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Port of Oakland Truckers Association (POTA) members voted unanimously late Friday evening to stop work at the port on Wednesday, November 27. They’ve met with city, state and federal regulators, terminal managers, and Port of Oakland officials many times since their August 19 work stoppage, but have not made any gains on their demands. On November 13, truckers met with Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, Deputy Mayor Sandré Swanson, Port Executive Director Chris Lytle, as well as California Air Resources Board (CARB) members, expecting to bring offers of an extension from CARB or funding from the City and Port, but were forced to return to their membership without any offers to present.
 “The Mayor said she was going to help us, but during the meeting she seemed more interested in her phone than in what we were saying,” said POTA board member Jorge Esparza.
On January 1, 800 port truckers who will lose their jobs when new state regulations go into effect, preventing them from working at the port. The majority of truckers have purchased new trucks, which cost between $50,000 and $80,000, and many are applying for microloans to pay loan payments on upgraded trucks just to keep working. One of POTA’s demands is a green emissions fee – a tariff on each container, imposed on terminals by the Port of Oakland, paid to truckers to offset the costs of meeting state regulations.
POTA demands include a congestion fee of $50 per hour after the first two hours truckers spend waiting in line to pick up a load, to compensate them for work that is currently unpaid and to encourage terminal efficiency. They are also demanding a rate increase, their first in nearly 10 years. Finally, the association is pushing for transparency in CARB’s relationship with the Port of Oakland, specifically in the enforcement of regulations outlining minimum efficiency of terminal operation.
“If they won’t give us an extension or money for upgrades by January, it only makes it more important that we get the green emissions fee, congestion fee and rate increase we’re demanding,” said Roberto Ruiz, a trucker at the port. “We have so much debt and we can’t afford the monthly payments that we have to make just to keep working.”
It’s unclear how long truckers plan to stop work at the port. The holiday season is typically a very busy time for container ports, and the Port of Oakland is no exception.
“They didn’t even want to meet with us until we stopped working, but we need more than meetings. They don’t care about people, they just care about money, said Ruiz. “We don’t want to stop working, we need to make a living, but this is the only thing they respond to.”

http://oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/oakland-port-truckers-vote-to-strike-wednesday/


"Port Of Oakland Truckers Shut Down Multiple Terminals During Morning Shift"
2013-10-21 by "Port of Oakland Truckers Association", a self-organized group of owner-operator truckers, formed to unite owner-operator truckers on the Port of Oakland so that all Port truckers have the opportunity to make a sustainable living.
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Press Release regarding today's strike and port shutdown. 
Monday, October 21, 2013 –
Hundreds of independent truckers with over 100 public supporters turned out at the Port of Oakland this morning at 5a.m. in protest of escalating costs for truckers and deteriorating conditions on the Port.  Oakland Port Truckers have formed the Port of Oakland Truckers Association (POTA) to organize for better conditions and compensation. Over a hundred truckers met on Friday and unanimously voted to shut down work today.  Owner-operator truckers are demanding that terminal owners, who make massive profits each year, offset the expense of costly upgrades needed for trucks to be in compliance with new environmental laws by paying a fee of $50 for each load. Truckers are also asking to be paid when they are forced to sit in long lines waiting for cargo loads for two hours or more. They can wait in lines up to 8 hours, which limits the amount of loads they can haul in a day and requires them to burn fuel, which they pay for. With the new SSA merger of multiple terminals on the port, congestion is at an all-time high, while SSA has only hired 20 new Longshoremen to alleviate Port traffic. Workers say they have not had any increase in pay since they last shut down the port nearly 10 years ago, while gas has more than quadrupled and maintenance costs have soared. In 2004, a coordinated work stoppage by independent truckers in Los Angeles, Oakland and Stockton had similar demands.  Starting at 5a.m. today, truckers staged picket lines at multiple terminals, and asked the public to support them at the largest, SSA. Alameda County Sheriff Deputies attacked picket lines, injuring at least two, and forced many picketers onto the sidewalk. They cited a law prohibiting people from blocking thoroughfares and a restraining order from the Port and City of Oakland, but Dan Siegal, a lawyer with the National Lawyers Guild who was onsite, confirmed that the pickets were legal and neither the law cited nor the restraining order were grounds to deny the truckers the right to picket.  Labor arbitrators refused to rule the police presence and pickets were a safety hazard to ILWU Longshoremen, but the Longshoremen refused to cross the picket line and went home for the day. The ruling means they will not be paid. The two largest terminals were shut down, and multiple smaller terminals were disrupted or shut down.  Port Truckers will be returning to the Port at 5:30p.m. to shut down the evening shift, and are asking supporters from the public to join them again at the SSA Terminal at 1717 Middle Harbor Road. 


Port of Oakland Truckers and community picket broken up and kettle tactic used to open the gate for the evening shift, 8pm Oct 21st, 2013. (photo by Charles Rachlis)



"Some truckers halt work at Port of Oakland"
2013-10-21 by Henry K. Lee from "San Francisco" [sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Some-truckers-halt-work-at-Port-of-Oakland-4912965.php]:
Truckers at the Port of Oakland refused to work Monday to protest what they called unfair labor practices and unsafe working conditions.
The Port of Oakland Truckers Association, which represents about a quarter of the drivers who bring cargo to and from the port, organized the work stoppage. It said its members were independent contractors who can't join a union but have organized to fight "deteriorating conditions."
The group said truckers have not seen any increase in the payment per cargo load in 10 years, while the cost of diesel has quadrupled.
"We want to put an end to inhumane treatment," Isaiah Thompson, a member of the truckers group, said in a statement. "We need safer conditions and better compensation."
The group is seeking a $50 monthly "green emissions fee" to offset the cost of upgrading trucks to meet new exhaust standards, more time to comply with environmental standards set to take effect Jan. 1, and compensation for the hours truckers spend waiting unpaid for a load. The truckers also want more pay per cargo load.
Truckers have also complained about the lack of portable toilets. After a meeting with port officials following the group's last work stoppage in August, six toilets were added to the area where trucks pick up and drop loads, the group said.
The latest work stoppage began at 5 a.m. and continued throughout the day. Organizers said it was unclear whether it would last into Tuesday.
On Thursday, Judge Lawrence Appel of Alameda County Superior Court, at the request of the city of Oakland, issued a temporary restraining order barring truckers from blocking people or cars from entering or exiting the port. Protesters appeared to be abiding by the order while being monitored by Oakland police and sheriff's deputies, and most terminals remained open.
In court filings, a port official noted that the truckers enter into contracts with brokers, who in turn agree to contracts with the port's tenants and others to haul freight.
"It is vital to avoid any delays when exporting time-sensitive goods like fresh produce," wrote Jean Baker, the port's deputy executive director and acting director of maritime. "It is therefore critical that the roadways and marine terminal gates at the Port of Oakland are safe, secure and open for business so that no delays occur in goods movement."
Port officials said the truckers' two-day work stoppage in August caused "millions in business losses and work hours."
In a statement Monday, Port of Oakland officials said they "empathize with the truckers" because of the economic downturn and had been "doing everything we can to facilitate solutions." But they said the protests were counterproductive.