After reading CES’ E-Newsletters regarding our efforts to organize tenants in 34 apartment complexes owned by Jones and Jone Management Company
Tenants Organized by CES at Woodlake Manor apartments in the Crenshaw District Fighting Rent Online Rent Payment Landlord Scheme.
throughout L.A. to oppose their landlords demands for their rent to only be paid online, California State Senator Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) responded by taking decisive action against this abuse. Senator Lieu has just introduced Senate Bill (SB) 1055 that would require landlord to continue to accept rent by check or money order.
Here are the links to the emails that prompted Senator Lieu to take this important action:
CES Fights New Landlord Scheme Demanding Online Rent Payment
CES Fight Escalates Against New Landlord Eviction Scheme
Contact Your State Senator and State Assembly Member to urge their support for SB 1055.
Below is a news release from Senator Lieu announcing the introduction of his bill SB 1055.
Sen. Lieu introduces bill to block landlords from requiring tenants to pay rent only online
February 22, 2012
Complaints from residents prompt renter-protection bill
SACRAMENTO – In response to complaints from residents that more and more landlords are requiring rental payments be made only online, Sen. Ted W. Lieu today announced introduction of a bill that would ensure residents can continuing paying with check or money order.
“A growing number of landlords are no longer accepting checks or money orders from tenants,” Lieu, D-Torrance, said about Senate Bill 1055. “Instead, they have begun to change rental agreements to require tenants – including the elderly, disabled and poor – to pay their rent online.”
The issue came to light late in 2011 when hundreds of tenants in apartment complexes in Los Angeles objected when the property-management group notified residents of a 300-unit complex that the only way they could soon pay rent was online.
Current law does not specify how rent is to be paid. SB 1055 revises the law to prohibit landlords from requiring online only rental payments.
“Many residents of the rent-controlled complexes are elderly, live on fixed incomes and either have no computer or know little about computers,” Lieu said, adding that it was unreasonable to ask renters who may be struggling to make ends meet to invest in a computer, Internet access and related expenses in order to rent a residence.
“We applaud Sen. Ted Lieu for introducing this important tenants’-rights legislation to protect renters,” Larry Gross, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Coalition for Economic Survival said. “We believe this rent-online scheme is just another way to increase rent-controlled rents by evicting long-term, low-rent tenants who just happen to be, for the most part, seniors and the disabled. In other words, this affects those who likely are least able to pay online.”
SB 1055 is waiting to be assigned to a policy committee for review, which should occur within the next month.
For more, here’s a Fact Sheet on SB 1055.
Ted W. Lieu chairs the Senate Labor Committee and represents nearly 1 million residents of Senate District 28, which includes the cities of Carson, El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance, as well as portions of Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Pedro. For more, visit www.senate.ca.gov/lieu
21 Calif Assembly Democrats Join GOP in Vote Against Low-Income/Senior Mobile Home Owners & Rent Control
Much too many times Democratic elected officials have let us down, voting on key issues like there were Republicans. This is nowhere truer than in the California Legislature. Away from media coverage in Sacramento where the influence of lobbyists and campaign contributors are greater than ever, Democrats all too often cast votes against the 99% and in flavor of the 1%. Those of us fighting for renters’ rights and for affordable housing have been consistently disappointed by the actions of state legislators over the years.
A recent example of this is AB 317, which revises the conditions and terms of tenancy in a mobile home park for a tenant to receive rent control protections. The bill is being advanced by Democratic State Assembly Majority Leader Charles M. Calderon who represents portions of 
Downey, Whittier, East La Mirada, East Los Angeles, Hacienda Heights, Industry, Montebello, Pico Rivera and Rowland Heights.
Calderon has become the mobile home park owners’ point person in their quest to eliminate the over 100 local rent control laws throughout California that protects mobile home owners.
Two year ago, Calderon unsuccessfully sponsored AB 761, which would have extended Costa-Hawkins mandated vacancy decontrol to all of the state’s mobile home rent control laws. Mobile park owners would have been able to raise rents on mobile home spaces without limits when a mobile home is sold to a new owner. This would have grave consequences for mobile home owners who own the mobile home, but rent the space it sits on. It would have likely wiped out the investments of senior and low-income mobile home owners by instantly de-valuing the worth of their mobile home coaches.
Assembly Majority Leader Charles M. Calderon
The new attack on senior and low-income mobile home owners in the form of Calderon’s AB 317, would change the rules for determining when a mobile home is considered a vacation home and, thus, would be exempt from rent control protections. Under AB 317, instead of defining a home as one’s “principle” place of residence to receive protection, which is the standard rules used for tax purposes, the bill would limit protections to residents “sole” place of residence. This means if someone owned any other property or had interest in any other property they would be exempt from rent control So, for example, if someone was left a home by their deceased parents, or if it’s a shared ownership with their siblings, or they had property in their name that their kids were living in it, they would forfeit their protections against rent gouging and unjust evictions.
Incredibility, this unfair bill passed the state Assembly by a 44 to 22 vote with 14 not voting. Almost half the votes came from Democrats. Nineteen Democrats joined Assembly Member Charles Calderon and Assembly Speaker John Pérez (Los Angeles), and with all but four Republicans in supporting AB 317. The bill would not have passed if it were not for the support of all these Democrats.
Voting Against Rent Control and the Rights of Tenants
In addition to Pérez and Calderon, listed here are the other Democrats that turned their backs on senior and low-income mobile home owners:
Toni Atkins (San Diego), Jim Beall (San Jose), Marty Block (Lemon Grove), Steven Bradford (Inglewood), Joan Buchanan (San Ramon), Nora Campos (San Jose), Wilmer Amina Carter (Rialto), Mike Eng (Alhambra), Mike Gatto (L.A., who is considering running for L.A. Council District 13), Richard Gordon (Los Altos), Isadore Hall (Rancho Dominguez), Roger Hernández (West Covina), Ricardo Lara (South Gate), Fiona Ma (San Francisco), Tony Mendoza (Democrat), Richard Pan (Sacramento), Henry Perea (Fresno), Jose Solorio (Anaheim), Norma Torres (Chino),
Assembly Members Standing in Support of Rent Control and Tenants’ Rights
At the same time there were Assembly Members who held firm to their principled stand in support of tenants’/mobile home owners rights and 
affordable housing, and should be thanked. They are:
Luis Alejo (Salinas), Michael Allen (Santa Rosa), Tom Ammiano (San Francisco), Bob Blumenfield (Van Nuys), Susan Bonilla (Concord) Julia Brownley (Santa Monica), Gil Cedillo (L.A.), Wesley Chesbro (Santa Rosa), Mike Feuer (L.A.), Warren Furutani (San Pedro), Mary Hayashi (Hayward), Jerry Hill (San Mateo), Alyson Huber (Lodi), Jared Huffman (San Rafael), William Monning (Santa Cruz), Anthony Portantino (Pasadena), Nancy Skinner (Oakland), Sandree Swanson (Oakland), Bob Wieckowski (Fremont), Das Williams (Santa Barbara), Mariko Yamada (Vacaville).
Assembly Members Not Voting
In situations like this not voting at all or abstaining is the equivalent to a No vote. And, while we appreciate these members withholding their vote from undermining rent control, it clearly is not the same as those member who had the courage to take a firm principled stand against this attempt to destroy or weaken rent control protections. Those Assembly Democrats not voting were:
Betsy Butler (El Segundo), Mike Davis (L.A., who has filed to run for L.A. Council District 9), Roger Dickinson (Sacramento), Paul Fong (Mountain View), Felipe Fuentes (Arleta), Cathleen Galgiani (Stockton), Ben Hueso (Cula Vista), Bonnie Lowenthal (Long Beach), Holly Mitchell (Culver City), V. Manuel Pérez (Indio).
Let These Assembly Member Know
Let these Assembly Members know what you think of their votes. Let the ones who voted against mobile home owners and rent control know outraged you are. And, thank the ones who stood up for economic justice. You can email them directly by clicking on the name of the Assembly Members or get addition contact information at http://assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers.
AB 317 now goes to the state Senator where there is a much better chance of killing the bill.
On December 6, 2011, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to extend the City’s Foreclosure Eviction Ordinance to protect tenants Living in rental properties not subject to the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) from eviction on the grounds of foreclosure for another year. This Ordinance prohibits lenders from evicting any tenants in the City merely because of foreclosure on their landlords. Tenants living in rent controlled units have had these protections.
Multi-family rental units built after 1978 and all single-family home rentals are not subject to the City’s rent control law.
The Foreclosure Eviction Ordinance was originally passed in December 17, 2008 and extended every year since in response to a national crisis that has not subsided.
Testifying before the LA City Council in support of the extension, Coalition for Economic Survival Executive Director Larry Gross stated, “The foreclosure crisis and its impact on hardworking Americans is a national disgrace. It’s especially unjust for the forgotten victims — tenants.
They’ve done nothing wrong. Paid their rent on time. But, suddenly these heartless banks want to evict them simply because they’re living in foreclosed rental property.
Yet, these same bank bandits received billions in bailout paid for by these tenants and other taxpayers.”
Gross went on to say, “We applaud this Council for its decisive action three years ago, in providing national leadership by enacting the strongest tenant foreclosure protections in the country. It provides tenants with a little bit of hope and justice. This action is an action needed to help keep these banks accountable.”
LA City Council President Eric Garcetti
City Council President Eric Garcetti who has been the main supporter and author of the ordinance 3 1/2 years ago said, “We wanted to make sure tenants living in homes, and remember 20-25% of homes are occupied by renters, and apartment buildings would not be the innocent victims of the bank crisis.”
Garcetti proclaimed, ìThis is one of the most important things we have done in this City and each year we’ve extended it because the crisis simply is not over.
Today, we stand up again, and say Los Angeles won’t stand for this.”
LA City Council Member Bill Rosendahl
Council Member Bill Rosendahl echoed, “It provides tenants’ protection. It’s as simple as that.”
Since 2007, in the City of Los Angeles approximately 46,000 properties have been subject to foreclosure. Census data establishes that 20-25% of single-family homes in the City are occupied by renters.
Data for 2011 indicates that the foreclosure crisis has not abated since the Council adopted the Foreclosure Eviction Ordinance. Nearly 10,400 properties have been subject to foreclosure in 2010 and approximately 7,600 properties have been subject to foreclosure during the first nine months of 
2011. Foreclosures also continue to occur in primarily lower-income neighborhoods where evicted tenants of foreclosed properties cannot afford unnecessary relocation costs.
CES Raises Concerns Over LA City Redistricting Contract to Landlord Lobbyist Firm That Opposed Rent Control
In today’s Los Angeles Times, the Coalition for Economic Survival (CES) raises deep concerns about the granting of a contract by the City of Los Angeles Redistricting Commission to a major landlord lobbyists firm.
The contract is for the purpose of performing community outreach to solicit public participation in the crucial decision making process of redistricting that will determine the neighborhood make-up of City Council districts for the next decade. Thus, this process will contribute to determining the political direction of the City and the eventual impact on significant city policies, such as rent control, which will directly impact residents.
LOS ANGELES TIMES by David Zahniser – November 22, 2011
Concerns Raised Over Firms Vying for Work on L.A. Redistricting
Companies being considered for PR contracts to assist in redistricting efforts are lobbyists at City Hall, representing such interests as shopping malls, renewable energy developers and at least one billboard company.
Lobbying firms with an array of clients needing help from Los Angeles City Hall are vying for a consulting contract on a matter near to City Council members’ hearts: redrawing the political boundaries that can affect their power — and their reelection chances.
The council’s 21-member Redistricting Commission is slated to vote Tuesday to pay a public relations consultant up to $100,000 to inform residents of the plan to draw new borders for the council’s 15 districts.
The top three finalists are registered as lobbyists at City Hall, representing such interests as shopping malls, renewable energy developers and at least one billboard company. That has led some to question whether the tangle of interests between consultants and lawmakers will create a perception problem.
“I don’t think this will be viewed as a positive development,” said Councilwoman Jan Perry, who alleged earlier this month that new maps were being drawn out of public view.
Andrew Westall, the commission’s executive director, said nothing legally bars the panel from hiring lobbyists to perform public outreach. Still, redistricting Commissioner Helen Kim said she wished she had known about the lobbying connections before she and her colleagues put forward their recommendations on the consultants Monday.
“It would have been nice if someone raised that issue,” she said.
The redistricting panel is looking for someone to craft a media strategy and get the word out — in multiple languages — to scores of neighborhoods. The 
panel is charged with redrawing council districts to account for population changes reported in the 2010 census.
How the lines are shifted can help or hurt council members, depending on whether they gain or lose supportive constituencies capable of generating votes and campaign cash. Eleven public hearings are scheduled over the next month.
On Monday, three members of the commission’s search committee backed Cerrell Associates, a firm with 22 lobbying clients, ranging from concessions at Los Angeles International Airport to billboard company Van Wagner. The other three backed Dakota Communications, whose clients include Westfield, a shopping mall company that is seeking council approval of a 31-acre hotel, retail and office complex in Woodland Hills.
A third company, Diverse Strategies for Organizing, was not recommended. Three commissioners said they felt company representatives had not been forthcoming about a company affiliate’s financial ties to redistricting Commissioner Michael Trujillo.
Trujillo is a consultant to California Strategies, a subcontractor of Diverse Strategies. He said he would have recused himself had the proposal come up for a vote. Michael Bustamante, a principal with California Strategies, said he was surprised that Trujillo’s work was an issue for the commissioners.
“If I thought it would be, it would have been very easy to disclose. I was surprised that they even asked the question,” he said.
Robert Stern, former president of the Center for Governmental Studies, a watchdog group, doubted the contract would create a conflict of interest for the lobbying firms. But their involvement shows the redistricting process at City Hall is an insider’s game, he said. “I guess the question is, aren’t there any other PR firms that aren’t registered lobbyists?” he added. “It is a big city.”
Rick Taylor, a partner with Dakota, said his firm devotes no more than 10% of its time to lobbying. Lisa Gritzner, president of Cerrell, said she sees no connection between her firm’s lobbying work and the public relations contract. “There’s no agenda other than making sure that folks in Los Angeles have access to the redistricting conversation,” she said.
As part of its lobbying work, Cerrell recently bused backers of a Fresh and Easy grocery store in South Los Angeles to City Hall to testify. Dakota shuttled supporters of a proposed Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga to the council chambers.
Joe Barrett, co-director of the Sunland-Tujunga Alliance, a group that fought the Home Depot proposal, said he would be unhappy to see Dakota representing the redistricting process. “Dakota has a horrible reputation with our community,” he said.
Larry Gross, executive director of the Coalition for Economic Survival, an advocacy group that represents tenants, voiced dismay that one of Cerrell’s clients is the L.A. chapter of the California Apartment Assn., which has opposed new limits on rent hikes by landlords.
“A firm that represents landlords and has been fighting against rent control…is going to have difficulty winning the trust of renters, who make up more than 60% of L.A. residents,” he said.
U P D A T E :
A day after this article the Los Angeles Time now reports that the top two firms, including the firm that represents landlords in their fight against rent control and tenants’ rights, which were competing to secure a $100,000 public relations contract from the Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission abruptly dropped out of the running Tuesday. This represents a victory for tenants and others fights the influence of special interest lobbyists influence over government.
Evictions of Occupy Wall St in NYC & Other Cities May Be Part of Mayors’ Coordinated Plans of Action
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the New City Police Department to evict Occupy Wall Street participates from Zuccotti Park early this morning.
According to NBC News, “hundreds of police officers, some in riot gear, descended on Zuccotti Park after midnight Tuesday in a surprise sweep of the Occupy Wall Street headquarters.” The raid was justified by police because of what they said were health and fire hazards.
In doing so, Mayor Bloomberg made a startling statement this morning, saying that the Occupy protesters’ First Amendment rights were “not absolute,” and were trumped by the health and safety concerns of the occupation of Zuccotti Park.
New York City’s elected public advocate, Bill de Blasio responded saying, “Protecting public safety and quality of life for downtown residents, and guaranteeing free expression are not exclusive of one another. Mayor Bloomberg made a needlessly provocative and legally questionable decision to clear Zuccotti Park in the dead of night. That some media and observers were prevented from monitoring the action is deeply troubling.”
De Blasio further stated, “I know of no one – protesters included – who desires a permanent occupation of lower Manhattan. But provocations under cover of darkness only escalate tensions in a situation that calls for mediation and dialogue. I call on the Mayor to find a sustainable resolution –as other cities have done – that allows for the exercise of free speech and assembly, with respect for the rights of all New Yorkers to peaceful enjoyment of our great city.”
NYC City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez
The New York Times is reporting some 200 arrests of protesters. Included was New York City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, who was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. A report had him bleeding from the head.
But, Occupy Wall St scored a short-lived victory this morning when a judge ruled that Bloomberg cannot lawfully evict protesters from Zuccotti Park and has issued a temporary restraining order against New York City. Unfortunately, a New York judge later in the day upheld the city’s dismantling of the Occupy Wall Street encampment, saying that the protesters’ first amendment rights don’t entitle them to camp out indefinitely in the plaza. Supreme Court Justice Michael Stallman denied a motion by the demonstrators seeking to be allowed back into the park with their tents and sleeping bags
As local municipalities are forcibly closing Occupy sites across the nation, extremely disturbing information is coming to light.
In an interview this morning with the BBC, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan revealed that she spoke with officials from other cities over the phone before a Monday morning raid that led to the eviction of hundreds of Occupy Oakland protesters and the arrests of many.
Oakland Mayor Jean Quan
“I was recently on a conference call with 18 cities across the country who had the same situation,” says Quan, who goes on to claim that the movement, in her opinion, had transition from a political movement to one marred by anarchists.
Mayor Quan’s admittance that she spoke with other city leaders opens up speculation that a series of raids in recent days may have been a coordinated strategy worked out by cities around the country. Crackdowns in Albany, Denver, Salt Lake City and elsewhere in only the past few days suggest that a plan of action was developed byt the mayors of those cities and may be at the root of the mass evictions, which have been ongoing since Saturday.
Now, the Daily Kos is reporting that according to one Justice official, each of those actions was coordinated with help from Homeland Security, the FBI and other federal police agencies.
And while, here in Los Angeles, City officials have not responded in the same manner are these other cities, it was reported today that LA Police Department Chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday that protesters and officials are working on a timeline for closing down the camp.
Occupy L.A, police and city officials are scheduled to meet today. Beck said of the meeting, “I expect it will be a long one.”
Encouraging Signs in Victorious Elections Results, While Mitt Romney Flip Flops Away
Last Tuesday’s Election results provided a host of significant victories for progressives over Tea Party-like forces of reaction.
From Ohio to Maine to Mississippi to Kentucky to Arizona to Houston to New Jersey key Republican supported efforts went down in flames.
To recap:
- In Ohio, voters resoundingly repealed Gov. John Kasich and the Koch Brothers-funded measure that would have destroyed labor union’s collective bargaining rights.
- In Maine, voters overturned a Republican voter suppression attempt by deciding to keep a 38-year-old law that allows same-day voter registration.
- Mississippi voters defeated a ballot initiative that would’ve declared life begins at fertilization, a proposal seen as a way to prompt a legal challenge to abortion rights nationwide.
- In Kentucky incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear easily defeated Republican Sstate Senate President Dave Williams.
- In Houston, openly lesbian Houston Mayor Annise Parker was re-elected and Mike Laster became the first openly gay man elected to the Houston city council.
- In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie suffered a huge defeat as his efforts to gain Republican control of the state legislature failed as Democrats gained one seat in the state Assembly for a 48-32 edge, and maintained a 24-16 hold on the Senate.
- The icing on the cake was in Arizona as Republican State Sen. Russell Pearce, the controversial architect of Arizona’s racist ‘papers please’ immigration law, was voted out of office in a special recall election and replaced by Republican Jerry Lewis, who does not support the repressive immigration law.
The one downer, and it’s unfortunately a big one, was that Democrats lost control of the Virginia State Senate and lost a lot more ground in the Virginia House of Delegates, where Republicans will have a 2/3rds majority. Thus, Republicans have complete political control of Virginia with the Governorship and state legislature.
Yet, the biggest loser of the night may have been GOP Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. For Romney’s continuous flip-flopping came to light, once again, as he found himself on the wrong side of the majority of voters on a number of important issues.
In Ohio, he endorsed Senate Bill 5 that destroyed workers’ collective bargaining rights, then couldn’t decide if he would oppose its repeal, then finally decided he was for the anti-worker bill all along. On Tuesday, Ohio voters put the bill to rest by a whopping 61-39 percent margin.
Romney did a spectacular flip-flop on the Mississippi measure, which would have defined “personhood” as beginning at the moment of fertilization — thereby banning not only all abortions regardless of circumstances, but also hormonal birth control, in vitro fertilization and the treatment of ectopic pregnancies. In an interview with Mike Huckabee, Romney said he “absolutely” supported the measure. Asked by a town hall meeting participant whether he really supported banning hormonal birth control, Romney hedged the question. Finally, the day after Mississippi voters trounced the ludicrous amendment, Romney’s campaign stated that he was on the side of the majority after all, that he had never supported personhood, and thought these decisions should be left up to the states anyway.
Given that Arizona voters voted out State Senate President Russell Pearce, author of the state’s racist immigrant law, will Romney now switch his position on immigration, again, after moving to a place to the right of Rick Perry?
But, it doesn’t stop there. Romney provided, yet, another example of why he has a strong case for asking to be paid royalties for every time reruns of an episode of the old series Flipper is played on TV in last night’s GOP presidential candidate’s debate.
Greg Sargent writes in his Washington Post column, Mitt Romney refused to give a clear and unequivocal answer to the question of whether he supports extending the payroll tax cut for workers. Romney’s first stab:
“I don’t want to raise taxes on people in the middle of a recession. Of course not. That’s one of the reasons why we fought so hard to make sure the Bush tax cuts were not taken away by President Obama…We cannot continue to pass on massive debts to the next generation.”
Putting aside the absurd comparison to the Bush tax cuts — Obama previously wanted to end the Bush tax cuts on the wealthy; now he’s pushing to extend the payroll tax cut for workers — this answer remained in the realm of generalities. So the moderator pressed him again. And Romney said:
“I want to keep our taxes down. I don’t want to raise any taxes anywhere. I’m not looking to raise taxes. What I’m looking to do is to cut spending.”
Previously, Romney had appeared to oppose an extension, but now he supporting a payroll tax cut extension, but won’t say so directly.
With the election a year away, and with Romney now the likely GOP challenger to President Obama, we can expect a never-ending list of Romney position changes. Let’s just hope that the majority of voters make the most important flip when they go to the polls next year. That would be to flip the lever by President Obama’s name, thus ensuring Romney’s election bid was one big flop.
On Halloween, Current TV’s Keith Olbermann named him the “The Worst Person in the World.”
In a New York Times article, his law firm is described as a “foreclosure mill” firm, meaning it represents banks and mortgage servicers as they attempt to foreclose on homeowners and evict them from their homes.
But, the truth is there are no words to describe how low this low-life individual is.
His name is Steven J. Baum and he owns one of the largest law firms representing banks in homeowner foreclosures in New York. The firm represents virtually all the giant mortgage lenders, including Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.
Days before this Halloween, New York Times columnist Joe Nocera wrote a column describing the Halloween party held last year by Baum’s law firm.
For the party employees were encouraged to dress up for Halloween as homeless people, carrying bottles of booze, wearing signs that mock those who’ve been illegally evicted.
Nocera wrote that he received photographs of the party from a former law firm employee. The photos showed two Baum employees dressed up to be homeless people. One is holding a bottle of liquor. The other has a sign around her neck that reads: “3rd party squatter. I lost my home and I was never served,” which is meant to mock what they believe is “the typical excuse” of the homeowner trying to evade a foreclosure proceeding.
Another photo shows a corner of Baum’s office decorated to look like a row of foreclosed homes. Another shows a sign that reads, “Baum Estates” and is full of foreclosed houses. Most of the other pictures show either mock homeless camps or mock foreclosure signs — or both.
Earlier this month Baum’s firm agreed to pay a $2 million fine and change its practices in a settlement with the United States Attorney’s Office in New York. The fine was as a result of the firm being accused of filing misleading affidavits, mortgage assignments, and other important documents in state and federal courts.
So, as the nation’s largest banks have been committing foreclosure fraud – illegally repossessing the homes and destroying the lives of tens of thousands of Americans. And, while these big banks have helped to cause the nation’s economic crisis, gotten massive bail-outs and now report record profits, we now have scoundrels like Steven J. Baum mocking the victims.
Thus, one can only crown Steven J. Baum one of, if not the largest, royal scum-buckets in the entire universe.
Steven J. Baum, the Biggest Scum-Bucket in the Entire Universe
Los Angeles City Council Denies Equity and Justice to Tenants
October 25, 2011 was Los Angeles’ First Annual Nonprofit Day at City Hall. In a packed City Council Chambers, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the L.A. City Council spent an hour singing the praises of L.A.’s nonprofit community. Unfortunately, the pomp and circumstances presentations served as a prelude of demonstrating how much the City Council truly appreciates tenants’ rights nonprofits and the people they serve, when they then voted to saddle L.A. renters with a huge housing code enforcement fee increase.
The issue before the City Council was a Systematic Code Enforcement Program (SCEP) fee increase from $35.52 to $43.32, representing a 22% increase and a proposed Rental Unit Registration fee adjustment from $18.71 to $24.51, representing a 31% increase. The Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) says it needs the increase in order to prevent a deficit and to enable the Department to maintain the current operations and services of the Code Enforcement, Rent Stabilization, and Compliance Divisions.
SCEP, established in 1998, is designed to routinely inspect all residential rental properties with two or more housing units on a four-year cycle and to respond to reports of housing code violations. Inspections of 720,000 units are conducted to ensure the safety and habitability of all occupied rental dwelling units.
Tenants groups, including the Coalition for Economic Survival (CES), were on hand not to oppose the fee increase, which will help continue the crucia
l operations of the Housing Department, but to oppose the inequity of who pays the SCEP fees. Currently, landlords can pass on the full SCEP fee to tenants. The tenant groups were supporting a motion introduced by Council Members Richard Alarcón and Ed Reyes that would divide the SCEP fee payment 50/50 between landlords and tenants, similar to the Rental Unit Registration fee.
With a movement calling for economic justice spreading across our nation, with City Hall being ringed with tents filled with people demanding action, with this City Council voting to support Occupy Los Angeles which embraces these economic justice imperatives, one would think that supporting a 50/50 SCEP fee split should be a slam dunk. Sadly, this is not the case.
CES believes it is unjust for tenants, who can least afford it, to bear the full financial SCEP burden. There shouldn’t have a city policy where Social Security dependent Westlake renter Dolores Lane, having $250 left to live on after paying her rent, has to pay the full SCEP fee while multimillionaire landlord Donald Sterling pays nothing!
Council Member Richard Alarcón Fighting for Tenants
Everyone should be paying their fair share.
While Council Member Bernard Parks, the voice of the Apartment Association on the City Council, pushed back efforts to split the SCEP fee, he was strongly countered by Council Member Richard Alarcón who valiantly fought to gain support from his colleagues by arguing that dividing the SCEP fee will provide badly-needed balance.
Council Member Bernard Parks Fighting for Landlords
However, the 50/50 fee split failed by a vote of 8 to 5 with Council Members Parks, Perry, Zine, Cardenas, Englander, Wesson, Krekorian, and Rosendahl voting to deny tenants equity and Justice, while Council Members Alarcón, Reyes, Huizar, Koretz and Garcetti voting in favor. Council Member Tom LaBonge was absent. The overall fee increases was approved on a 11 to 2 vote. And, to add insult to injury, the vote occurred without public testimony from tenants and their representatives, as well as landlords.
Contact the following L.A. City Council Members to express your disappointment in their vote to deny equity to tenants by having them to continue to pay the full and increased SCEP fee:
Paul Krekorian, District 2 (213) 473-7002 Councilmember.Krekorian@lacity.org
Dennis Zine, District 3 (213) 473-7003 Councilmember.Zine@lacity.org
Tony Cardenas, District 6 (213) 473-7006 Councilmember.Cardenas@lacity.org
Bernard Parks, District 8 (213) 473-7008 Councilmember.Parks@lacity.org
Jan Perry, District 9 (213) 473-7009 Councilmember.Perry@lacity.org
Herb Wesson, District 10 (213) 473-7010 Councilmember.Wesson@lacity.org
Bill Rosendahl, District 11 (213) 473-7011 Councilmember.Rosendahl@lacity.org
Mitchell Englander, District 12 (213) 473-7012 Councilmember.Englander@lacity.org
Contact the following L.A. City Council Members to thank them for their vote in favor of providing equity to tenants by dividing the SCEP fee:
Ed Reyes, District 1 (213) 473-7001 Councilmember.Reyes@lacity.org
Paul Koretz, District 5 (213) 473-7005 paul.koretz@lacity.org
Richard Alarcon, District 7 (213) 473-7007 Councilmember.Alarcon@lacity.org
Eric Garcetti, District 13 213) 473-7013 Councilmember.Garcetti@lacity.org
Jose Huizar, District 14 (213) 473-7014 Councilmember.Huizar@lacity.org
Wal-Mart Stores just announced it will no longer offer health insurance to new part-time U.S. employees who work fewer than 24 hours a week and will charge workers who use tobacco more for coverage.
Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the world and the nation’s largest private employer, is also slashing the amount that it puts in employees’ healthcare expense accounts by 50 percent.
The cuts to workers healthcare benefits come after it was reported last August that Wal-Mart posted a second-quarter profit increase of 5.7 percent a net income increase of $3.8 billion.
Walmart's Walton Family
It was also recently announced that three members of the family that owns Wal Mart, David, Christy and Jim Walton, were on the Fortune 400 list of the top 10 richest Americans, clocking in with a combined net worth of $70.4 billion.
The move is a major departure from a few years ago when the retailer, under heavy criticism for not providing health care coverage for many workers despite huge profits, expanded coverage for employees and their families.
The notoriously anti-union company had been blasted in the media for not providing coverage and, in some states, handing 
employees pamphlets showing them how to apply for state subsidized health coverage for low-income workers, in effect having taxpayers pick up the tab for health insurance for those Wal-Mart employees who successfully applied for those state programs.
Wal-Mart’s plan to roll back health-care coverage for part-time workers and raise premiums for full-time employees should set off alarm bells for American workers,” said Joseph Hansen, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) president. “This lowering of working standards will have repercussions throughout the retail industry.”
Industry observers also say the changes could have implications for millions of other workers, as more companies on the fence could replicate its moves.
Starting next year, Wells Fargo & Co will ask employees to fund their own medical expense accounts or choose to pay higher insurance premiums and have the company fund them, following the lead of companies such as General Electric that offer account-based healthcare plans.
As the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart sets the industry standards for wages, benefits and corporate responsibility. By offering what amounts to poverty wages for most of its workers, Wal-Mart sets a horrible standard for all American retail workers. Wal-Mart’s average retail worker makes $8.81 per hour. This translates to annual pay of $15,576, based upon Wal-Mart’s full-time status of 34 hours per week, well below the poverty line for a family of four.
In addition, Wal-Mart passes significant costs on to the communities where it operates. Because Wal-Mart 
does not provide affordable health care, many Wal-Mart workers and their families participate in publicly-funded health care and other public assistance programs. Most Wal-Mart stores also create traffic and crime problems that result in the need for more law enforcement officers. At the same time, Wal-Mart sends much of its revenue out of local communities, while local businesses keep more consumer dollars in the local economy.
It because of this and more the Los Angeles area UFCW Local 770 has been organizing a community-based campaign to get the City of Burbank to deny a proposed Wal-Mart to be built in the Empire Center.
UFCW states that a new Wal-Mart would devastate the community and would directly threaten union jobs.
Click here to get involved the stop Wal-Mart in Burbank campaign.
L.A. City Council Committee Refuses to Support Equity for Tenants in Code Enforcement Fees
The Los Angeles City Council Housing Community Economic and Development (HCED) Committee held hearing Wednesday, October 12, 2011 to discuss a proposal from the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) to increase rent control and code enforcement fees.
The hearing room was packed with tenants and landlords and their representatives who testified on the proposal.
The proposal called for a Systematic Code Enforcement Program (SCEP) fee adjustment from $35.52 to $43.32 representing a 28% increase and a proposed Rental Unit Registration fee adjustment from $18.71
(L to R): Council Members Jan Perry, Ed Reyes, Tony Cardenas, Herb Wesson & Richard Alarcon
to 24.51 representing a 38% increase. LAHD says it needs the increase to prevent a deficit and to enable the Department to maintain the current Code Enforcement, Rent Stabilization and Compliance Divisions operations and services
While tenants groups were not opposed to the fee increase, which will help continue the crucial operations of the Housing Department, they were opposed to the inequity in who pays the SCEP fees. Currently, landlords can pass on the full SCEP fee to tenants. The tenant groups were urging that the SCEP fee be split 50/50 between landlords and tenants similar to the Rental Unit Registration fee.
Coalition for Economic Survival (CES) Executive Director Larry Gross told the committee, “It’s unjust for tenants, who can least afford it, to bear the full financial burden.”
Rachel Torres from UNITE HERE Local 11 Testifies
Rachel Torres from UNITE HERE Local 11 representing hotel workers added, “On behalf the 20,000 members we represent, we wish to ask that all parties contribute their fair share and that the SCEP fees should be paid evenly between landlords and tenants, similar to the Rent Registration Fees. This is fair and just. The 28% fee increase is wrong and an unacceptable burden for our members.”
CES Member Sandra Levine Testifies
CES member and tenant Sandra Levine said, “I support city inspections because they help to guarantee tenants have safe and habitable apartments. The inspections benefits landlords and tenants therefore it’s fair if the payment is divided.”
Gross stated, “In President Obama’s tax plan speech, he said everyone — including millionaires and billionaires — has to pay their fair share. We agree. And so do the people camping on City Hall’s lawn and protesting around the nation,” referring to Occupy Los Angeles and the other Occupy groups spreading across the nation.
“How is it fair that Social Security dependent Pico Union renter Dolores Lane with $250 left to live on after paying
(Center): CES Executive Director Larry Gross Testifies
her rent has to pay the full SCEP fee while multi-millionaire landlord Donald Sterling pays nothing? We urge you to heed our President’s words and apply it to SCEP fees. To not, just provides another economic hit to the 99%,” Gross concluded.
Since SCEP’s introduction more than a decade ago, more than 3.6 million code violations have been cited and resolved and more than $2.6 billion reinvested in the City’s housing stock.
Of the approximately 15,000 complaints LAHD receives each year, LAHD responds to 87% within 72 hours. This program has helped educate tenants and landlords on housing maintenance and preservation matters.
The Rental Unit Registration Fee pays for administration of the RSO compliance and enforcement programs, including support services for the Rent Adjustment Commission (RAC), which is charged with adopting regulations to implement the RSO.
The Committee ended up unanimously supporting the fee increases. But, when it came to a proposal put forth by Council Member Richard Alarcon and Ed Reyes to split the SCEP fee evenly between tenants and landlords, Council Members Tony Cardenas and Herb Wesson voted against it. Thus, the 2-2 vote means the issue will advance to the full City Council, likely next Wednesday, without a recommendation on who should pay the SCEP fee. Tenants need to urge their City Council members to support fairness by supporting the 50/50 fee split.
Obama Seeks American Jobs Act Support, But Supports Job Killing Trade Agreements Opposed by AFL-CIO
In another act that has progressive shaking their collective heads in bewilderment, frustration and disappointment, President Obama is pushing Congressional approval of trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama that organized labor calls job killing measures.
The AFL-CIO believes with 25 million Americans desperately looking for full-time work Congress should be spending its time on job-creating legislation like President Obama’s American Jobs Act, not job killing trade deals.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has said the largest of the three trade pacts, with South Korea, will cost the U.S. 159,000 jobs. The deal with Colombia will cost 54,000 jobs, he said.
The White House and Democratic leaders in Congress are also at odds over the trade deals.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has vowed to vote against all three deals stating, “We keep talking about free-trade agreements, but where is the fair part of those trade agreements? Shouldn’t we be more worried about our American workers than workers in other places? I think that certainly is the case.”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), added her skepticism about the number of jobs that could be created by the trade deals. “The White House may support it, but the Congress may have a different view,” Pelosi said.
Yet, lining up with Obama is Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) who strongly supports the pending trade deals. This, of course, has many progressives and Democrats scratching their heads and, once again, expressing total frustration with the President.
According to the AFL-CIO here is what’s wrong with these trade deals:
• The South Korea agreement is the largest off-shoring deal of its kind since NAFTA. If enacted, it likely will displace 159,000 U.S. jobs, mostly in manufacturing. And its glaring loopholes would allow unscrupulous businesses to import illegally labeled goods from China and possible even from sweatshops in North Korea—potentially without any tariffs at all.
• In Colombia, one trade unionist is murdered nearly every week and almost none of the murderers are brought to 
justice. In 2010, 51 trade unionists were assassinated in Colombia—more than in the rest of the world combined. So far in 2011, another 22 have been killed, despite Colombia’s heralded “Labor Action Plan.” Would we reward a country where 51 CEOs were killed last year?
• And the Panama agreement has many of the problems of the other two deals, like deregulating big banks and letting foreign investors bypass U.S. health, safety labor and environmental laws. Panama is also a tax haven: a place where tax-dodging, money-laundering millionaires and billionaires hide their money.
You can support the AFL-CIO’s effort to save jobs by ACTING TODAY and calling 1-800-718-1008 (or click here to e-mail) and tell Congress to stop the South Korea, Colombia and Panama trade deals that will destroy U.S. jobs and decimate American manufacturing—and give a virtual blank check to foreign governments to trample on the rights of workers.
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg Tells Occupy Wall St. Protesters to Be Nicer to the Banks!
There may be something funny in the water supply of the nation’s largest city. That would explain the completely ludicrous statements made by the Big Apple’s mayor. This morning, while on a local New York City radio show, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg condemned the “Occupy Wall Street” protests, claiming that the protesters are targeting people who making “$40-50,000 a year and are struggling to make ends meet.” In reality the median salary for stockbrokers is approximately $88,000 a year.
Occupy Wall Street is the growing movement of people who are taking a stand against greed, corporate influence, gross social inequality and other disparities between rich and poor, that converged on Wall Street on Sept. 17. Since then this movement has spread to cities across the nation.
The Mayor appears to have his head in a place where the sun doesn’t shine. He completely ignores the fact that the demonstrators are not targeting the individuals who work on Wall Street, they are targeting the financial institutions and practices they represent.
Bloomberg then went on to unbelievably say people are focusing too much on the causes of the financial crisis and that we need to be nicer to the banking industry so that it starts lending again. He concluded by saying that we are “blaming the wrong people” by “blaming the banks” for the recession.
The global financial meltdown of 2008, created by these Wall Street banks and financial at a cost of over $20 trillion, resulted 
in millions of people losing their homes, jobs and savings, and destroyed untold lives. Yet, not one of these financial bandits ever served one day of jail time for their crimes against America and its people. But, obviously, Bloomberg failed to mention this.
Occupy Wall Street is coming to the city you live in soon. It comes to Los Angeles tomorrow. Occupy Los Angeles will begin 10:00 am Saturday morning, October 1 at downtown’s Pershing Square where there will be a march to Los Angeles City and a rally there at 12 noon.
Pathetic GOP Prez Hopefuls Looking More Like Cast From the Wizard of Oz
While many look at the GOP presidential race as a circus and the field of candidates as a bunch of clowns But, I’m beginning to see them more as characters from the Wizard of Oz. Here’s why:
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney as the Tin Man
The Tin Man had no heart. A multi-millionaire, Romney has demonstrated he has no heart when workers who desperately needed work lost their jobs when a company bought
by Romney’s investment firm, Bain Capital, a Indiana office supply company and laid off all the workers.
Another example was Dade Behring Inc., a medical-testing company based in Deerfield, Illinois where Bain cut at least 1,600 jobs before the firm entered into bankruptcy in 2002. As CEO of Bain Capital, Romney profited as five of the companies under his firm’s direction went bankrupt, and thousands of workers lost their jobs.
Over objections from his neighbors, Romney wants to raze his 3,000-square-foot, $12 million vacation home in La Jolla, Calif. to build 11,000-square-foot house, quadrupling the size.
Then there was the incident at a campaign stop in Florida, where Romney, whose net worth is upwards of $250 million, joked to a group of unemployed workers that he is also unemployed.
Texas Governor Rick Perry as the Straw Man
The Straw Man had no brains. Rick Perry has been continually described as ‘Bush without the brains” and that he’s “all hat and no cattle.”
With so much to highlight regarding this cowboy, makes a hard choice what to focus on. 
Remember that Perry took pride in bragging about his “crap” grades at Texas A&M. Here’s but a few examples of why he’s the Straw Man.
Perry said of George W. Bush: “Bush did an incredible job, during his presidency, defending us from freedom.”
Perry thinks he’s a tough guy because he shot an animal. “Texans, on the other hand, elect folks like me — you know the type, the kind of guy who goes jogging in the morning packing a Ruger .380 with laser sights, loaded with hollow point bullets, and shoots a coyote that is threatening his daughter’s dog,” he wrote in Fed Up.
Perry thinks being gay is like being an alcoholic. He actually said, “Even if an alcoholic is powerless over alcohol once it enters his body, he still makes a choice to drink. And, even if someone is attracted to a person of the same sex, he or she still makes a choice to engage in sexual activity with someone of the same gender.”
Perry on religion being taught in public schools, said, “I am a firm believer in intelligent design as a matter of faith and intellect, and I believe it should be presented in schools alongside the theories of evolution.”
Then there was Perry’s idiotic Social Security is “ponzi scheme” statements, saying, “It is a monstrous lie on this generation, and we can’t do that to them.”
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as the Cowardly Lion
Christie is the newest GOP savior that right-wingers are desperately trying to convince to enter the race.
But Christie has been anything but a savior to the people of New Jersey. He balanced the state budget by putting an end to property tax rebates and slashing state aid to public schools. Christie also chose to “defer” paying $3 billion due the state’s pension fund; raided the state’s clean energy account and cut social safety net programs for seniors, the disabled, the poor and the homeless. At the same time, Christie gave corporations and the wealthiest New Jersey taxpayers substantial tax breaks.
And while many see Christie as the man with the lion roar, his reluctant response to the heavy courting he’s receiving to run for president is more in line with the cowardly lion.
Here’s some of the numerous public statements Christie has made stating that he is not running for President: “No way; Not going to happen; I’m 100% certain I’m not going to run; I don’t want to run, I don’t feel like I’m ready to run; First in your heart you’ve got to want it more than anything else, more than anything else. I don’t want it that badly; I don’t feel that in my heart that I’m ready to be president and unless I do, I don’t have any right offering myself to the people of this country. It’s much too big a job; It’s a feeling inside if your ready to take on the challenge of running and the challenge of governing. And, if you don’t feel it in your heart, you have no business running; You’ve got to feel in your heart that you are ready to walk into the Oval Office and to lead the nation and I don’t feel that I am ready; I’m not going to be the Republican candidate for President or Vice President candidate in 2012; I like the way my life is now. I like being governor. I like my family. I like the way my life is and if you run for president all of that changes. And, I just don’t want to do it; I threatened to commit suicide. I did. I said what do I have to do short of suicide to convince people that I’m not running? Apparently I actually have to commit suicide to convince people I’m not running.”
Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann as the Wicked Witch of the West
There no shortage of statements and examples to demonstrate the epic proportions of Michele Bachmann’s lunacy and sheer ignorance.
But, last July, Bachmann spoke at an evangelical Christian church in Iowa, and offered the congregation a provocative message.
She said, “We too are at a crucial time today. And I think it is for us to remember, that if we do as Chronicles tells us, if we humble ourselves, and pray and confess our sins, and turn away from our wicked ways, and ask an almighty God to come and protect us and fight the battle for us, we know from his word, his promise is sure. He will come. He will heal our land. And we will have a new day.”
So Bachmann thinks our ways are “wicked.” The question is what ways are she referring to and what parts of the American experience would she like us to change in order to receive divine blessings?
Thus, the part of Wicked Witch of the West seems most appropriate for Bachmann.
Corporate America as the Wizard of Oz
Pull the curtain back and you’ll find pulling the strings behind all these pathetic GOP candidates is corporate America. These are the candidates of Wall Street, the Banks, the 
General Electrics and the Koch Brothers. No matter which one of them becomes the GOP nominee their sole task will be advancing policies that increase the profits of corporate America at the expense of workers, the middle class and the poor.
Thus, the morale of this story is that it is incumbent upon all of us to help pull back the curtain and expose the fraud and injustice attempting to be thrust upon Americans by becoming active and involved in efforts to organize opposition to prevent any of these dangers characters from every being able to call the White House their home.
Because as Dorothy said, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
Koch Brothers and Wal Mart Families Dominate Top 10 Richest Americans List
The two families that have been leading the fight to deny Americans fair wages, health care and union’s the ability to organize to secure workers’ rights, while at the same time are supporting and funding the extremist Tea Party movement, just happen to also take up half of the spots on the new Forbes 400 top 10 richest American lists.
The infamous Koch Brothers, Charles and David, are ranked 4th richest Americans with a combined net worth of $50 billion.
Walmart's Walton Family
Following close behind are three members of the family that owns Wal Mart, David, Christy and Jim Walton, clocking in with a combined net worth of $70.4 billion.
Here are the ten richest people in America and their net worth, according to the Forbes 400.
• Bill Gates, $59 billion (software)
• Warren Buffett, $39 billion (investing)
• Larry Ellison, $33 billion (software)
• Charles Koch, $25 billion (energy)
• David Koch, $25 billion (energy)
• Christy Walton, $24.5 billion (retail)
• Jim C. Walton, $21.1 billion (retail)
• Alice Walton, $20.9 billion (retail)
• George Soros, $22 billion (investing)
• Sheldon Adelson, $21.5 billion (casinos)
Also, interesting is the fast rising fortunes of 27-year-old Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who gained $10.6 billion to jettison him to number 14 on the list, with a net worth of $17.5 billion. Last year Zuckerberg was number 35.
You might wonder how much taxes they all paid. As the number two person on the list, Warren Buffet, has stated, likely less then their secretaries.
To Texas Governor and GOP Presidential candidate Rick Perry Social Security may be a Ponzi scheme, but the scheme he’s pulled over Texas Taxpayers to bilked them out of in excess of $294,000 is raising many eyebrows.
Perry who has no problem calling for massive cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, education and other safety net protections for the poor and middle class, appears to have used taxpayer money to subsidize family vacations, tours to promote his book and campaign events. This is according to records released by the Texas Department of Public Safety and reported in the Houston Chronicle.
The trips included the Bahamas in January for a family vacation and trips to Amsterdam, Madrid and New York by his wife Anita Perry alone under the guise of economic development.
Perry traveled to locales including New York, Washington, California and Las Vegas for events to promote his book, Fed Up!, speeches, duties related to his then-chairmanship of the Republican Governors Association and meetings with business leaders or potential supporters for his presidential bid.
Perry, who said he has no plans to reimburse the state for these expenses, explains it away by outrageously saying, “I’m going to be promoting Texas no matter where I go.” That’s as big a joke as stating his wife traveled to Europe to promote economic development.
Cal Jillson, professor of political science at Southern Methodist University, said, “Most governors have security details, and those are expensive, but one has to wonder what the security threat to a governor is, and whether they need several state policemen and black, window-tinted SUVs in order to do their business.”
But this is far from a laughing matter when this Tea Party fraud has driven his state into the economic and moral ground while 
falsely claiming have created a so-called “Texas Miracle.”
This free spending cowboy can use state dollars for personal gain traveling all over the world while at the same time 4.26 million Texans live in poverty and the local government debt in Texas is over $175 billion.
Supermarket Strike Averted as Grocery Workers Standing Strong With Community Support Win Tentative Pact
A possible Southern California grocery workers strike has been averted. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) has reached a tentative agreement with Ralphs,
Vons and Albertsons. The deal, which must be approved by the union’s membership, protects workers’ healthcare benefits. Union members are expected to vote on the proposal next weekend.
In a statement by the UFCW, the union said that the “agreement must still be approved by union members before it can go into effect.” But the Union and the supermarkets are happy that a possible strike has been averted.
“We have reached a tentative agreement at the bargaining table, and will present it to our members for approval later this week,” said Rick Icaza, president of the grocery workers union Local 770. “We would like to thank the federal mediator, Scot Beckenbaugh, as well as all our customers for their patience and support through this difficult process.”
Maria Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary–Treasurer of the LA County Federation of Labor confirmed the tentative agreement. “This could not have happened, first and foremost, without the willingness of rank and file grocery workers to go on strike” she stated. “It also could not have happened with the hundreds of delegations and actions done by local unions, community allies, clergy and elected officials.”
Just last night with a 7:10 pm strike deadline having passed grocery worker supporters showed up for a candlelight vigil to show community backing for the workers in front of a Pavillions market in Beverly Hills.
Talks between the grocery workers union and three supermarket chains, Ralphs, Vons (owner of Pavillions) and Albertsons continued late Sunday night, thus the actual walk out of workers, who were ready to strike at 12:01 am, was put on hold pending the outcome of the last minute negotiations talks.
Those talks appear to have succeeded in heading off a strike by 62,000 UCFW members.
Last Thursday night, unions issued a 72-hour strike notice, giving them the ability to walk out from hundreds of markets In Los Angeles, Orange and other Southern California Counties.
Union members have been working without a contract for the past 6 months, while negotiators have been attempting to reach an agreement on a new contract.
The sticking point had been healthcare benefits: how much should grocery workers pay for health insurance premiums, 
provided by the supermarket chains.
Speakers at the candlelight vigil included Los Angeles County Federation of Labor Executive Secretary–Treasurer María Elena Durazo, LA City Council Member Paul Koretz, LA City Controller Wendy Greuel and California Assembly Members Felipe Fuentes and Bob Blumenfield. California Assembly Member Mike Feuer also attended the event.
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324 president Fred Conger said, “Thanks to the unity of our members and the hard work of our negotiating team, we were successful in bargaining an agreement that grocery workers can be proud of.”
Magnificent Display of Labor/Community Unity in Support of Striking Hyatt Workers
“Hyatt workers are on strike, all day and all night!” was a chant that echoed down the world famous Sunset Strip
A cross-section of Los Angeles labor unions, as well as the Coalition for Economic Survival, rallied in front of the West Hollywood Hyatt Andaz Hotel on Sunset Strip to provide support for striking hotel workers.
The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor organized the spirited protest on September 13, 2011.
Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine provides a drum beat to Hyatt protesters’ chants (photo by Rachel Torres)
The action was so inspiring that guitar virtuoso Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and fast becoming the musical voice of labor, by coincidence, was driving down Sunset when he saw the protest, pulled over and joined in the demonstration.
Hyatt hotel employees, represented by the UNITE-HERE union, in West Hollywood and three other cities launched a week-long strikes to protest work conditions.
The strike is an escalation of union efforts to move hotel giant Hyatt at the bargaining table. Many of the 3,000 striking workers have been without a contract for two years.
At the Hyatt Andaz in West Hollywood, there has been a 24/7 picket. The hotel has responded to the strike by hiring scabs, who crossed the picket line with fabric over the back windows of their cars to hide their identities, according to picketers. The scab housekeepers are being paid minimum-wage and housekeepers who remain have been imposed with dangerous workloads.
“By striking, workers are standing up for decent jobs for themselves and their families, but they are also fighting for the right to take a stand against an abusive employer that is destroying good jobs in their North American hotels. Hyatt has singled itself out as the worst employer in the hotel industry,” a union statement said.
“Injury rates for Hyatt housekeepers are high, and academic studies have shown that housekeeping can lead to debilitating injuries,” it said. “Housekeepers at some Hyatts clean as many as 30 rooms a day, nearly double what is typically required at union hotels.”
“Hyatt i
s abusing housekeepers in Los Angeles and across the country. I am on strike today–not just for a decent contract–but to fight for our right to stand up to Hyatt wherever this giant company is attacking workers,” said Cathy Youngblood, a housekeeper at Hyatt Andaz, where 100 workers walked out at 5 a.m. last Thursday.
UNITE HERE, is also asking customers to boycott 17 Hyatt-owned properties and says the company has lost about $20 million in revenue as a result.
Rousing speeches (see videos below) were given by Los Angeles County Federation of Labor Executive Secretary–Treasurer María Elena Durazo, UNITE HERE Local 11 President Tom Walsh, Hyatt Andaz Worker Cathy Youngblood, Former Beverly Hills 90210 Star and current American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) LA Local President Gabrielle Carteris, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Vice President Mike Miller, Teamsters Local 396 Vice President Javier Bonales and California State Senator Kevin De León.
CHECK OUT MORE PHOTOS FROM THE PROTEST – CLICK HERE
Video of the Picket Line in Front of the Andaz West Hollywood Hyatt Hotel
WATCH THE ROUSING AND INSPIRING SPEECHES
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor Executive Secretary–Treasurer María Elena Durazo
UNITE HERE Local 11 President Tom Walsh
Hyatt Andaz Houskeeper Cathy Youngblood
Former Beverly Hills 90210 Star and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) LA President Gabrielle Carteris
Mike Miller, International Vice President of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)
Teamsters Local 396 Vice President Javier Bonales
California State Senator Kevin De León
Calif Gov Jerry Brown Vetoes Affordable Housing Preservation Bill
Surprising many affordable housing supporters, California Governor Jerry Brown just vetoed one of the first affordable housing bills to hit his desk since 
taking office at the beginning of this year. AB 1216, authored by Assembly Member Felipe Fuentes (D-Sylmar), would have given tenants and affected public entities the right to enforce provisions in state law that require owners of government assisted affordable units to entertain a purchase offer to preserve its affordability when the owner does not intend to extend or renew participation in a subsidy program.
Under current law, owners of assisted housing developments who intend not to extend or renew participation in a federal subsidy program must fulfill certain requirements. At least 12 months prior, and again six months prior, must provide to the termination of the subsidy contract or expiration of rental restrictions, the owner must provide notice of the proposed change to every affected tenant currently residing in the assisted 
housing development. The owner must also provide notice at the same times to any affected public entities, such as the city or county in which the development is located, the local public housing authority, and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). If the owner fails to comply, any affected tenant or affected public entity can seek injunctive relief.
Current law also requires the owner to provide an opportunity to submit an offer to purchase the development to various entities, including the tenant association and affordable housing developers and operators. The owner must provide notice of the opportunity to offer to purchase prior to or concurrent with the required notice to tenants and affected public agencies, and must also post a copy of the notice in a conspicuous place in the common area of the development.
According to the sponsor, the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, “HCD estimates that there are 149,000 units of privately owned, federally subsidized rental housing in California. Each year, hundreds of these units are at risk of being lost because agreements that have kept these units affordable are due to expire. As those agreements expire, owners have the option of converting the units to market-rate housing, thereby increasing rents and displacing low-income families. As a result, even as the state invests in the creation of new affordable housing for working Californians, a significant number of affordable units is disappearing through these expiring restrictions.”
Thus, the Governor’s rejection of the bill is a big disappointment to the state’s affordable housing advocate community.
In vetoing AB 1216, Governor Brown stated, “This bill would give affected tenants and public entities the right to sue owners of assisted housing developments who are ending their participation in a subsidy program.
“I strongly support preserving assisted housing units. Unfortunately, the bill fails to specify clearly the remedies available. This could lead to unnecessary litigation and delays.”
The Governor has unfortunately taken away a crucial tool to 
preserving critical affordable housing. It is tenants and tenant representatives who are the ones who have the most at stake and are, likely, the ones who would take action to ensure these laws are enforced. Expanding enforcement authority to include affected tenants as well as affected public agencies is a way to ensure that there is greater compliance, thus providing more opportunities to preserve housing affordability.
GOP At Work Undermining Our Democracy in Coordinated Effort to Take Away Your Right to Vote!
In an attempt to deny President Obama a second term and in an effort to secure total GOP control of our federal government, Republican legislatures are pushing through laws in states across the country that make it more difficult for Americans to vote.
Most of these new laws require voters to bring official identification to the polls. It is estimated that more than 1 in 10 Americans lack the required ID, and thus would be denied their right to vote. And, as you can probably guess, most are these voters would be minorities and young people, who are likely Democratic Party supporters.
Having seen their old dirty tricks fail in 2008 with Obama’s election, it appears the GOP wants to go back to the good old days of 2000 and 2004 when they, and the Supreme Court majority, literally stole these elections, handing the presidency over to George W. Bush.
Now, with funding from those bad boy Koch brothers, Republicans are working hard to deviously take over full control of our country and, thus, put our lives in the hands of those lunatic Tea Party extremists.
A ‘must read’ article was just published by Rolling Stone. Written by Ari Berman and entitled, “The GOP War on Voting,” the article describes this GOP conspiracy to undermine America’s democracy.
Berman writes, “Just as Dixiecrats once used poll taxes and literacy tests to bar black Southerners from voting, a new crop of GOP governors and state legislators has passed a series of seemingly disconnected measures that could prevent millions of students, minorities, immigrants, ex-convicts and the elderly from casting ballots.”
He goes on, “Taken together, such measures could significantly dampen the Democratic turnout next year – perhaps enough to shift the outcome in favor of the GOP. “One of the most pervasive political movements going on outside Washington today is the disciplined, 
passionate, determined effort of Republican governors and legislators to keep most of you from voting next time,” Bill Clinton told a group of student activists in July. “Why is all of this going on? This is not rocket science. They are trying to make the 2012 electorate look more like the 2010 electorate than the 2008 electorate” – a reference to the dominance of the Tea Party last year, compared to the millions of students and minorities who turned out for Obama. “There has never been in my lifetime, since we got rid of the poll tax and all the Jim Crow burdens on voting, the determined effort to limit the franchise that we see today.” (Watch video below)
One example given of these new laws is in Texas, where under “emergency” legislation passed by the GOP-dominated legislature and signed by Gov. Rick Perry, a concealed-weapon permit is considered an acceptable ID but a student ID is not.
Paul Weyrich, who founded the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative advocacy group that 
developed this GOP blue print to deny voting rights and funded in part by David and Charles Koch, the billionaire brothers who bankrolled the Tea Party, is crystal clear on the intent when he said, “I don’t want everybody to vote.” (Watch video below)
The diabolical GOP scheme must be recognized as a tremendous attack on our freedom and way of life and must be stopped. The article points out that the ACLU and other groups are challenging the new laws in court, and congressional Democrats have asked the Justice Department to use its authority to block or modify any of the measures that 
discriminate against minority voters.
But, more is needed. Read the article (click here), spread the word and get involved. Your life literally depends on it.
Paul Weyrich – “I don’t want everybody to vote”
Clinton Compares GOP Anti-Voting Laws To Jim Crow
Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann: Two Loons Singing the Same Tune
It’s another week and Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, the two darlings of the extremist Tea Party, are continuing to fill the media with the most insane positions you’d ever think you’d ever hear coming out of the mouths of presidential hopefuls.
Borrowing from the old Art Linkletter TV program, these two are stars in a updated version entitled, “GOP Presidential Candidates Say the Darndest Things.”
It’s only the beginning of the week and Backmann is adding to her long list of ignorant statements that include saying the Soviet Union is on the rise, celebrating Elvis’ birthday on the day he died, placing Lexington and Concord in New Hampshire instead of Massachusetts, getting the word chutzpah wrong and pronouncing it “Choot-spa,” and saying she was proud to come from the same Iowa town as movie star John Wayne when in reality it was serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
Oh Michele, how you provide us a smile in our life and dreaded fear in our heart of the thought you can even be mentioned as a serious presidential candidate.
Starting the week off Bachmann has not disappointed. Bachmann said Hurricane Irene and last week’s earthquake in the eastern United States were a message from God that Washington needs to change its policies.
“I don’t know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians,” Bachmann said at a rally courting conservative and religious voters in Florida over the weekend. “We’ve had an earthquake; we’ve had a hurricane. He said, ‘Are you going to sta
rt listening to me here?’ Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now… They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we’ve got to rein in the spending.”
Oh Michele, you are damn crazier then hell.
Of course being in Florida provided her the opportunity to raise the concerns of residents that one of their most treasured landmarks would be in danger under a Bachmann Administration.
Michele Bachmann said Sunday that she would consider oil and natural gas drilling in the Everglades if it can be done without harming the environment.
Bachman said the country needs to tap into all of its energy resources no matter where they exist if it can be done responsibly.
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The United States needs to be less dependent on foreign sources of energy and more dependent upon American resourcefulness. Whether that is in the Everglades, or whether that is in the eastern Gulf region, or whether that’s in North Dakota, we need to go where the energy is,” she said. “Of course it needs to be done responsibly. If we can’t responsibly access energy in the Everglades then we shouldn’t do it.”
Bachmann, who wants to get rid of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, said she would rely on experts to determine whether drilling can be done without harming the environment. Is there any doubt that the experts she would rely on would come from those very oil companies that are drooling at a chance to drill in the Everglades?
Then there is gun-toting Texas cowboy Governor Rick Perry. Perry also has not disappointed by adding to his long list of right-wing extremist views.
Rick Perry continued his attack on Social Security over the weekend, calling it a “Ponzi scheme” and a “monstrous lie” to younger Americans who should not expect to get back their contributions upon retirement.
“It is a Ponzi scheme for these young people. The idea that they’re working and paying into Social Security today, that the current program is going to be there for them, is a lie,” Perry said, according to the Houston Chronicle.
“It is a monstrous lie on this generation, and we can’t do that to them,” Perry told a crowd at The Vine Coffeehouse in Ottumwa, Iowa.
Then Perry, who declares that climate change is a myth perpetuated by climate scientists who manipulate data to receive more money for their research, responded to the record temperatures and record drought in Texas, combined with disastrous fires that are costing the state billions of dollars, by asking supporters to pray for rain to end the “monster drought” shrinking cattle herds and killing crops.
On top of that the Associated Press is now reporting that Perry has gone back on his word to honor individual states’ rights on gay marriage. The man who famously said he has no problem with New York’s gay marriage law, has now signed a pledge to the National Organization for Marriage which states that, if elected, Perry will “send a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman to the states for ratification, and appoint U.S. Supreme Court and federal judges who will “reject the idea our Founding Fathers inserted a right to gay marriage into our Constitution.”
Unfortunately, one thing you can be assured of with this Looney Tune cast of GOP cartoon characters is that we won’t be hearing that famous sign off, ‘That’s All Folks!”
