Richard Barrera elected Secretary-Treasurer and CEO of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Barrera succeeds Lorena Gonzalez after her election to the 80th Assembly District

SAN DIEGO - Lorena Gonzalez resigned her position as Secretary-Treasurer and CEO of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, one day after being elected to represent California's 80th Assembly District.

"I've worked side by side with Lorena for years, and I have always been proud to have her at the head of this Labor Council and as the best advocate that working families in San Diego could have asked for," said Mickey Kasparian, President of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council and UFCW Local 135. "I couldn't be happier that, along with Myrtle Cole, this Labor Council is able to mark the end of Lorena's tenure by electing two of our own to champion labor and workers' rights as they represent San Diego."

After announcing her resignation on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, Gonzalez asked for support of her recommendation of Richard Barrera to succeed her as Secretary-Treasurer and CEO of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council. Later Wednesday evening, Richard Barrera was unanimously recommended for the position by the Labor Council Executive Board and elected the next Secretary-Treasurer and CEO by Labor Council delegates at their monthly meeting.

"Lorena's leadership of this Labor Council is the stuff of legend, and I'm honored to continue the work that she's led for so many years," said Barrera after his election by Labor Council delegates. "Working families have built tremendous power for themselves in San Diego, and I can't wait to keep pushing to grow our middle class, protect workers on the job, and stay on the path to achieve economic justice for every San Diegan."

"I've worked with Richard for years and seen him in action on behalf of working people here in San Diego, and I know his drive and commitment will lead the Labor Council to continued success," Kasparian continued after Barrera’s election. "I’m excited for Richard's vision as we all look to build an even stronger movement for working families in San Diego."

Barrera will complete the four year term to which Gonzalez was elected on March 28, 2012, expiring in 2016.

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San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council
The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO includes 135 affiliated labor groups in the region with a membership of more than 200,000 working families.  Founded in 1891, the Labor Council advocates for more jobs, better jobs and better lives for all of San Diego’s workers – union and non-union.

www.unionyes.org  

Labor Council Response to Special Election Results in the 80th Assembly District & 4th San Diego City Council District

 

SAN DIEGO - San Diego Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Lorena Gonzalez made the following statement in response to reported results in two San Diego special elections today:


“Tonight we're seeing exactly what happens when San Diego's working families stand up for themselves against the downtown special interests. Despite the best efforts of the likes of the Lincoln Club, Walmart, hoteliers, and lobbyists, working people have come together for their communities to make their voices heard.

“The strides that we've seen in these communities in just the last few years have been amazing. These working San Diegans have found the time and energy to really commit to organized, empowered neighborhoods, and we've seen the results in the election of Mayor Bob Filner, the defeat of Proposition 32, and in two more landmark victories for working families tonight.

“The most exciting part is knowing that this isn't simply a one-time election effort. This is real, grassroots infrastructure that's built to last and make sure the hard working people in these communities continue to be heard as we all continue working to build a better San Diego that works for everyone.”

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San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council

The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO includes 135 affiliated labor groups in the region with a membership of more than 200,000 working families.  Founded in 1891, the Labor Council advocates for more jobs, better jobs and better lives for all of San Diego’s workers – union and non-union.
www.unionyes.org

STATEMENT OF MAJORITY LEADER ATKINS ON GOVERNOR BROWN’S REVISED BUDGET

(Sacramento)  Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins made the following statement on today’s release of Governor Jerry Brown’s “May Revise,” a revised budget proposal for fiscal year 2014 which reflects recent economic factors:

“I applaud Governor Brown’s cautious and balanced approach to state finances which prioritizes our investment in the future through education and healthcare.  This approach keeps our promise to help those with the greatest need, while also maintaining our focus on steps that will pay off in terms of prosperity for many generations to come.  It is also consistent with the principles outlined in the Assembly Democratic Caucus’ Blueprint for a Responsible Budget, released last week – fiscal responsibility, strengthening the middle class, and delivering effective, efficient services for Californians.

The Governor and the Legislature have worked together over the past few years to achieve today’s balanced and stable budget.  We have done this through tough and painful cuts that reduced safety net services.  The voters’ approval of the temporary taxes in Proposition 30 has also relieved the strain on state coffers as we slowly recover from the Great Recession.  I look forward to working with my legislative colleagues to review the details of the Governor’s proposal as we move toward adoption of a balanced, on-time budget by June 15.”

ASSEMBLYMEMBER WEBER RESPONDS TO GOVERNOR’S REVISED BUDGET

SACRAMENTO, CA- Assembly Member Shirley N. Weber (D-San Diego) commends Governor Jerry Brown for presenting a budget that provides more funding for education and puts California on a path to long term fiscal stability.  During a press conference today in Sacramento, highlighting revisions to his previous budget proposal, the Governor announced that the state is $4.5 billion above revenue estimates made in January and highlighted his plans to restructure the local school funding formula to benefit low income, English learners, and foster youth as well as implement the State's new Common Core Curriculum Standards.

Specifically, the Governor proposes to increase funding for the local control funding formula by an additional $240 million, for a total of $1.9 billion.  He also plans to allocate $1 billion in one-time funds in 2013-14 to fund the Common Core Standards. These revenues would be available for professional development, instructional materials, and technology enhancements, which would be funded per pupil at roughly $170 per student, the Governor indicated.

“The inequities and disparities of the current system are well documented and should no longer be tolerated, said Assemblymember Weber, who was an educator for over 40 years. “We now have an historic opportunity to ensure all students have equal access to base funding and to invest in students of high need. The Governor’s Local Control Funding is a starting point to ensure that this is accomplished, but there are still some concerns that need to be worked out.  There has to be accountability and transparency to ensure that dollars are allocated wisely.  Furthermore, we need to ensure that this influx of dollars will focus on creating career pathways for our disadvantaged students so that they can obtain high wage jobs and in turn give back to our economy,” she said.

California recently joined a number of other states in adopting the Common Core State Standards, which establishes new criteria for what students should learn in school. It also joined a consortium of states to develop new tests based on those standards. California has already adopted the Common Core Standards in Math in the fall of 2010 and new English Language Development Standards in 2012.  Governor Brown’s May Revise provides a $1 billion allocation to assist schools in implementing these standards.

“This year I am authoring AB 899, which is a bill intended to establish a process to align the English Language Development (ELD) standards to the new Common Core Math and New Generation Science Standards to help our nearly 1.4 million English Learners. I am glad that the Governor is making the Common Core Standards a priority. I look forward to working with the Governor and my colleagues in the Legislature to ensure students in California and the nation are at the same academic level as students in other countries,” said Assemblymember Weber.

The revised budget proposal assumes $98.1 million in revenue and $96.4 million in expenditures and includes a $1.1 billion reserve.  In the next couple of weeks, the Legislature and the Governor will work together to pass a responsible on time budget by June 15, 2013. Assemblymember Weber appreciates the Governor’s commitment to maintaining the fiscal stability that has come from an improving economy.

ATKINS BILL TO STREAMLINE TRANSGENDER NAME CHANGES PASSES ASSEMBLY

(San Diego)  Assembly Bill 1121, authored by Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins, was passed by the California State Assembly today.  The bill provides transgender people seeking legal name changes to reflect their gender identity with a streamlined and inexpensive process that protects their privacy. Current law requires a transgender person to obtain a court order and to publish the name change application in the newspaper. This process can be expensive and also publicly exposes the person to potential discrimination, harassment or even violence because of being transgender.

“Transgender people are entitled to have their official documents and their legal name reflect their true identity without a burdensome and expensive process that endangers their personal safety,” says Atkins.

Transgender people’s understanding of themselves as male or female is different from the sex they were assigned at birth.  Medical science recognizes this condition as Gender Dysphoria and prescribes specific treatments to help the transgender person transition physically, so their bodies match their gender identity.  This often includes surgery, medication, and mental health support. Being transgender is not a choice.  A person’s gender identity is set at an early age and cannot be changed at will.

The transition to living in accord with one’s gender identity also involves a legal process because birth certificates and a person’s name usually reflect the sex they were assigned at birth. In California, a person seeking a court-ordered name change has to publish a notice in a newspaper for four weeks.  They are also required to have a public hearing before a judge, the record of which is also public.  The process is lengthy and can be expensive.

Forty-four percent of transgender people experience discrimination, harassment and assault.  A public name change process heightens the likelihood of these occurring.  AB 1121 allows the transgender person to avoid the public notice and court process by applying directly to the state Office of Vital Records for a name change.

AB 1121 is sponsored by Equality California and the Transgender Law Center.  It will now move to the California State Senate for consideration.

Pharmacist Kickbacks Jeopardizing the Health of San Diego Patients

The following is a guest opinion by Hollaine Hopkins from the Lupus Foundation, California chapter.

Health care cost containment is a critical issue facing every participant in the health care system. Efforts to contain costs, however, appear to have given rise to dangerous financial arrangements between health insurers and pharmacists that may be jeopardizing the health of San Diego patients.

A loophole in California law allows your health insurer to give a financial kickback to your pharmacist every time the pharmacist switches your medication to older, cheaper, non-chemically equivalent drugs from those originally prescribed by your doctor, even without your knowledge.

Switching patients to non-chemically equivalent drugs is a potentially dangerous practice known as “therapeutic substitution.” Unlike switching patients to identical generic drugs – which simply function as a cheaper alternative – pharmacists who make therapeutic substitutions are subjecting patients to drugs with different ingredients and dosages, different release mechanisms, and different side effects and complications.

For the more than 1.5 million Americans living with lupus, a therapeutic switch can directly result in a decline in health. Although two medicines may treat the same condition, when the ingredients are not the same, there can be different side effects or treatment can be ineffective. There is currently no cure for lupus and many patients take up to 20 pills every day simply to mitigate the symptoms of the disease. Those patients need to know they are getting the medications their doctor prescribed.

California law currently prohibits physicians from receiving any financial incentive from insurers for prescribing any particular course of treatment. Because of a loophole in the law, however, pharmacists are allowed to take a kickback from an insurer every time they make a therapeutic switch to a cheaper drug.

Perhaps not surprisingly, physicians report a spike in the number of requests to authorize these switches, leaving physicians without any idea if the pharmacist is recommending the switch because it is in the best interest of the patient or if it is because the pharmacist is receiving financial compensation for the switch.

Pharmacists are a critical part of a collaborative health care environment based on ethics and trust. Pharmacists are rightly well-regarded figures in their communities, and when pharmacists provide counsel, patients listen.

Prescribing physicians also routinely take the advice of pharmacists on alternate therapies, without question, for any number of reasons. A pharmacist may know that a patient’s health plan does not cover the medication a doctor has prescribed, for example. Pharmacists may also have knowledge of patient history that can help patients avoid negative drug interactions.

San Diego patients should be confident that treatment decisions are based solely on what is in their best interest and should not have to worry about whether their pharmacist is being unduly influenced by health insurer kickbacks.

League of Conservation Voters San Diego Releases 2012 Environmental Quality Report Card

Report Card grades San Diego Councilmembers and Mayor on environmental record in 2012

San Diego -- League of Conservation Voters San Diego today released the 2012 Environmental Quality Report Card for City of San Diego. The Report Card identifies 17 priority votes from 2012 and grades each member of the San Diego City Council and now-former Mayor Jerry Sanders on their record on environmental issues.

Grades for the nine elected officials ranged from an 88% ‘B’ for Councilmember David Alvarez to 59% failing ‘F’ grades for former Councilmember Carl DeMaio and former Mayor Jerry Sanders.

“The good news is, the entire council showed improved scores after an abysmal 2011 report card,” said Livia Borak, President of League of Conservation Voters San Diego. “The key now will be building on improved communications to keep our elected leadership informed and engaged on environmental priorities as we move forward.”

The entire Council improved its ranking by voting unanimously on numerous positive environmental issues, including the Water Policy Implementation Task Force, approving the purchase of emergency generators for sewage pump stations, accepting the Recycled Water Study, blocking the Quail Brush energy project, approving the California Property Assessed Clean Energy financing program, and dedicating park and recreation lands.

“It’s encouraging to see stronger voting records from the council, but we still have plenty of room for more leadership on environmental justice and climate change,” said Nicole Capretz, Associate Director, Green Energy/Green Jobs Campaign for the Environmental Health Coalition. “The next step is to make sure these issues are central to long-term planning in San Diego.”

The 2012 EQRC includes a breakdown of the votes and explanations of priority issues from the past year. It also outlines ways that members of the city council can improve their grades going forward.

“In 2013, we’ll be looking to the council to address a number of issues that will impact our region for years to come,” said Jill Witkowski, Waterkeeper at San Diego Coastkeeper. “From storm water regulations that could finally make the water safe after it rains to climate change standards that seriously address the threats to our region, now is the time to commit to smart, lasting policies to keep San Diego on the right track.”

The entire report card can be downloaded at the League of Conservation Voters San Diego website at http://lcvsd.org/

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LCVSD is a chapter of the California League of Conservation Voters, which seeks to protect the environmental quality of the state by working to elect environmentally responsible candidates and hold them accountable to the conservation agenda. By being an "on the ground" voice in the San Diego community, LCVSD provides an opportunity for environmental activists to directly impact the local electoral process while promoting environmental candidates.

MAJORITY LEADER ATKINS HONORED AS AGRICULTURE ADVOCATE

(Sacramento)  Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins of San Diego was honored today with the Cornucopia Award from California Women in Agriculture, http://www.cawomen4ag.com/ .  The award is given annually to an urban legislator who has demonstrated a willingness to enter into dialogue with agriculture.

“While San Diego is well known as the second largest city in California, what is less well known is that agriculture is a key economic engine for San Diego County,” says Atkins.  “I am proud to receive this award and to play a role in enhancing the partnership between urban and rural California, especially by supporting the role of women in agriculture.”

San Diego County has the 12th largest agricultural economy of 3,000 counties nationwide.  It also has more small farms than any other county in the nation.  San Diego is the number one producer of avocados and nursery crops; number two in acres devoted to guavas, pomegranates, limes, and macadamias; and number 3 in honey production.  The county is also first in number of part-time farmers and second nationally in the number of farms with women as the principal operator.

More information about San Diego agriculture is available from the San Diego Farm Bureau, http://www.sdfarmbureau.org/SD-Ag/Ag-Facts.php.

Democrats to Welcome Nathan Fletcher at Annual Gala

Major Obama Fundraiser, La Jolla's Christine Forester, Among Tonight's Honorees

Several surprises will greet the sellout crowd at the San Diego County Democratic Party's 33rd Annual Roosevelt Dinner, themed “Painting the Town Blue,” at the Hilton San Diego Resort in Mission Bay tonight. The reception and silent auction begin at 6:00 p.m. and the program begins at 7:00.

Nathan Fletcher, a former Republican Assemblymember and San Diego mayoral candidate, will be welcomed by County Party Chair Francine Busby as a newly registered Democrat. He announced his registration change this morning on Facebook.

Other special guests will include State Controller John Chiang, a candidate for Treasurer;  State Board of Equalization Member Betty Yee, a candidate for Controller; and State Senator Alex Padilla, a candidate for Secretary of State. The program will feature special awards for Chair Emeritus Jess Durfee and Christine Forester, a prominent local fundraiser for President Obama who sits on several presidential advisory boards.

This year's sellout crowd of more than 600 party activists, volunteers, elected officials, and community leaders will celebrate the sweeping victories of the 2012 election in which 71% of Democratic candidates won countywide. Major wins included picking up a Republican-held Congressional seat; a Democratic Mayor and City Council in San Diego for the first time in history; and the District 3 County Board of Supervisors seat.

This event will be open to credentialed media. The Mission Bay Hilton is located at 1775 Mission Bay Dr., San DIego (92109). Please contact Stephen Whitburn for details at (619) 543-0333.

Attorney General Kamala Harris Endorses Lorena Gonzalez

Pro-Jobs Democrat Earns the Support of California’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer




CHULA VISTA – (Thursday, May 2, 2013) – California Attorney General Kamala Harris has endorsed pro-jobs Democrat Lorena Gonzalez's campaign in the May 21 special election for the 80th Assembly District.

As the state’s top law enforcement officer and chief lawyer, Harris has aggressively defended the rights of consumers, fought for homeowner rights in the wake of the foreclosure crisis and combated the transnational trafficking of guns and drugs into California. Harris is the first woman, the first African American and the first South Asian to hold the office of Attorney General in California.

"California needs all the strong, passionate voices for justice it can get and that's exactly why I'm counting on Lorena,” Harris said. “She has proven herself to be a successful consensus-builder even when doing the right thing is tough. That's the sort of courage and leadership we need to keep California on the track to greater success."

A full list of Lorena’s endorsements can be viewed at www.votelorena.com/endorsements.

Lorena is a candidate to replace State Senator Ben Hueso in the 80th Assembly District, which includes Chula Vista, National City and the City of San Diego neighborhoods of San Ysidro, City Heights, Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights, Otay Mesa, Paradise Hills and Golden Hill. The special election for the 80th Assembly District will be held Tuesday, May 21.

Learn more about Lorena’s campaign at www.VoteLorena.com or by e-mail VoteLorena@gmail.com.