“For the spirit of Christmas knows no race, no creed, no clime, no limitation of time or space.
Yes, the spirit of Christmas breathes an eternal message of peace and goodwill to all men.”
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
During this special time of the year, I am filled with joy and gratitude for all of our blessings.
Michael, Max, Chief and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a joyous Holiday Season!
My family had a wonderful Christmas, but too many others were not so fortunate or so insulated this year.
My heart goes out to those in the hospital and their families, and to the healthcare workers and first responders who are dealing nonstop with COVID.
Please share the Christmas Spirit’s message of goodwill by following the recommendations of public health professionals. Please practice social distancing and wear a face mask!
We are grateful for for our freedoms, and for those whose sacrifices, past and present, have made those freedoms endure for generations.
We are grateful for our families and friends, and for the love that makes life worthwhile.
We are grateful for our beautiful City of Irvine, our beautiful state of California, and our beautiful planet.
We are grateful for our frontline health care workers, especially during this pandemic.
We are grateful for our firefighters, police and first responders, and for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen.
We are grateful for everyone in our community and our nation who protects us and serves those in need.
We are grateful for the volunteers who comfort the sick and care for the young and the aged.
We are grateful for those who offer food, shelter, and medical care to those who have no home.
We are grateful that we are fortunate enough to be able to help others.
Our family, especially during the holidays, supports ClothingDonations.org, a service of Vietnam Veterans of America. ClothingDonations.org will pick up your used clothes and household goods at your convenience and use them to support programs that address the needs of all our veterans.
We also support Families Forward, an Irvine-based organization that assists Orange County families in financial crisis to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency and helps these families to once again become independent, productive residents of the community. During the holidays, Families Forward also provides in-need families with festive food baskets and personalized holiday gifts.
Our City of Irvine proudly and gratefully supports the Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee, which provides charitable and educational activities and support for the benefit and welfare of the United States Marines and their families assigned to Camp Pendleton, California, with special emphasis on the Marines and families of the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines.
Donations of toys can be made to the 2/11 Marines Holiday Toy Drive benefiting families of Irvine’s adopted 2/11 Marine Battalion. Help bring joy to these families during the holidays by donating a new, unwrapped gift suitable for infants or children ages 12 and younger. Donations can be dropped off through December 14 at the Irvine Civic Center, Irvine Police Headquarters, and the Great Park Visitors Center.
We also endorse giving to Socks for Heroes, which ships socks along with other essentials to United States Marine Corps combat infantry units, provides Marine children the ability to take advantage of swimming lessons, sports, and camps, and provides other programs for single Marines and Marine families during deployments.
This year, through the involvement of my son, I learned about the great work of Wound Walk OC, which tends to the wounds of unsheltered people in Orange County. Founded three years ago by filmmaker Michael Sean Wright, Wound Walk OC’s mission is to “Practice equity in action. Bring relief to those most in need. Inspire empathetic future healthcare advocates and field medics. Provide encouragement to communities by showing what caring volunteers can accomplish.”
The members of Wound Walk OC, including our son, Max, are street medics who go to where unsheltered people live — in parks and other areas — with a “wound wagon” filled with emergency medical supplies donated by the community. They offer emergency first aid/medical care to homeless people with wounds and other injuries that, without Wound Walk’s intervention, would go untreated, with serious and potentially deadly consequences. They also provide food, drinking water, underwear and socks. Their work in helping unsheltered people with wounds and other medical issues is truly on the front lines of the homelessness crisis — even more so under the dangerous conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. As Spectrum News One has reported, “While doctors and nurses continue to battle on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wright [and Wound Walk OC] is in many ways on the front lines of its humanity.”
This Thanksgiving is a perfect time to help Wound Walk OC care for our unsheltered brothers and sisters, by donating or visiting their Amazon wish list for needed supplies. If you would like to know more, or learn more about how you can help, contact Wound Walk OC at woundwalkoc@gmail.com or call 949-973-3317.
Each year at Thanksgiving, we remember our friend Michael Kinslow and his beautiful Prayer of Thanksgiving for those who protect and those who serve:
Thank you God for every woman and man who risks their life for my freedom and safety.
Please bless their families with peace.
Thank you God for every child, woman, and man who volunteers in my community. All of those who feed the hungry, provide shelter, and all who put their hearts, minds, and souls into building up others and caring for all of your creatures.
The California Assembly makes decisions that directly affect our everyday lives. Who we send to the Assembly to serve as our representative will determine our response to the COPVID-19 pandemic, our response to climate change, the quality of our schools, the vitality of our local economy, the cost and availability of healthcare, and the extent of our reproductive freedom.
In addition, this election asks us whether we have the courage to respond to the alarming rise in bigotry and prejudice by committing to respect the rights and dignity of all residents of the 68th Assembly District.
Here’s what’s at stake:
COVID-19 Response and Economic Recovery
The most important issue facing all of us right now is the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 225,000 Americans and sickened millions — and the economic crisis it has caused.
For the foreseeable future, the primary role of government must be stopping the spread of this disease, helping to provide treatment and support to those who have become ill, fighting to get more protective equipment to frontline workers like nurses, firefighters, and grocery workers, and helping people and small businesses survive the pandemic’s devastating impact on our economy.
Help must include financial assistance to workers who have lost their jobs, families that need help to stay in their homes, and small businesses that need help to keep their doors open and their people employed.
I believe that we should protect lives and minimize the number of people who are infected by the coronavirus, even if that means being gradual and careful on re-opening the economy. As the pandemic subsides, the primary focus of government must become helping families recover their financial stability, students recover lost their educational opportunities, and the small businesses that energize our communities recover their vibrancy.
The coronavirus has made it clear that we must invest in the health and safety of our community. Public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic require strong leadership grounded in respect for science. In sharp contrast to my opponent, who has flagrantly rejected the advice of scientists and public health experts, voted with anti-vaxxers, and given his unquestioning support to the disastrous mishandling of this pandemic by the Trump administration, I’ll listen carefully to the voices of scientists, public health experts, and first responders.
Frontline workers support us. We must support them. That’s why I fully support The Biden Plan to Combat COVID-19 and Prepare for Future Global Health Threats, which sets out an effective national emergency response to saves lives, protect frontline workers, and minimize the spread of COVID-19 and commits to economic measures to help hard-hit workers, families, and small businesses and to stabilize the American economy.
I understand the economic fears and financial hardships that many Orange County families are facing — because I’ve walked in their shoes.
My family and I were hit hard in the last financial crisis. That’s why I’ve fought for renters’ assistance, financial support for small businesses, and a moratorium on evictions during the pandemic.
In the State Assembly, I’ll fight for the working families in our community that are struggling during this financial crisis.
Climate and the Environment
Action on climate change is an existential imperative. Our environment is under assault from the Trump administration in all directions, including offshore drilling, fracking, dismantling established coal regulations, and eliminating California’s fuel emissions standards.
For Orange County, climate change means potentially devastating flooding along the coast and devastating wildfires inland.
Unfortunately, my opponent is fully committed to the Trump anti-science and anti-environment agenda, does not believe that human activity is responsible for climate change, and has a lifetime rating of 6% from the League of Conservation Voters and 0% from the Sierra Club.
In contrast, I believe that global warming is an existential crisis that we must face and solve now. I’ll fight to take decisive action to protect our planet — and our neighborhoods — from havoc and destruction due to climate change. As a member of the Assembly, I’ll advocate for a scientific and research-based understanding of the state of our environment and continue to fight for improved public transportation.
I’m proud that my environmental record has earned the endorsement of the California League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club. On the Irvine City Council, I revived and then served as Chair of the Irvine Green Ribbon Environmental Committee, initiated new environmental protections, and fought for a separate Climate Action Plan and a Community Choice Energy Plan for Irvine. When my opponent was on the City Council, the terms “climate change” and “global warming” were was banned from all City documents and public statements.
I’m also a strong advocate for increased transportation choices as a means of reducing both traffic congestion and air pollution. On the Irvine City Council, I succeeded in creating a major expansion of iShuttle routes that is expected to have a significant positive impact on Irvine’s commuter traffic congestion. As a member of the Assembly, I’ll continue to advocate for state funding to create more convenient and less polluting transportation choices for the residents of the 68th Assembly District.
In Sacramento, I’ll hold Big Oil and other corporate polluters accountable and fight back against the Trump administration’s attack on our environment by opposing the expansion of offshore drilling and fracking. I’ll continue to fight for effective action on climate change to make California a healthier place for our kids and for all generations to follow.
Education
Our public schools in California are significantly underfunded and the situation is even worse in the 68th Assembly District, where our current representative has done nothing to provide proper funding for our schools. The COVID-19 pandemic has made our schools’ financial situation even worse, putting even greater burdens on our already over-stressed school districts. I will fight for our students and increase funding for public schools and make college affordable.
I’m committed to getting more funding for every school and every student in our District by investing in classrooms and teachers, not more bureaucracy. I’m proud to be endorsed by the California Teachers Association, the California Federation of Teachers, and the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges. I
‘ll also fight for more funding for our community colleges as they work to provide educational and training programs to millions of Californians, providing essential career education and job training programs that help people get and keep good-paying, middle-class jobs.
Making sure that social distancing and masking is implemented in schools when schools reopen is essential to protecting our communities. I’ll continue to be a strong advocate supporting the best practices to keep our children and teachers safe.
Affordable Housing
California has an affordable housing crisis. Rent should not be above one third of anyone’s income. Yet my opponent is interested only in protecting the big developers that have contributed more than 200 thousand dollars to his campaigns. In return, he has voted to give away public land for huge multi-million dollar development projects, opposed protections for renters and for seniors living in mobile homes, and voted against helping local governments create new affordable housing.
I want to build a future for our district where first time property buyers can afford to make a down payment and build a future for their families. As a member of Irvine’s City Council, I’ve supported policies that have led to more affordable housing. I’ve also worked with the state legislature to successfully amend our tax laws to make it easier to build affordable housing across our state.
No one should be evicted from their homes if facing economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a council member, I fought hard to provide financial aid to our residents so they could stay in their homes. I’ll continue to do so in the Assembly during emergencies such as this pandemic
In Sacramento, I’ll continue to fight for policies that create more affordable housing, reduce rents, and allow more residents of the 68th Assembly District to become homeowners.
A Thriving and Fair Economy
I grew up in a middle-class family with two working parents believing in the American Dream that hard work leads to economic success. That dream is now under attack as President Trump and his allies in Washington and Sacramento push for an economy that benefits the super-rich and special interests and leaves too many Americans behind.
Now more than ever we need someone fighting for the middle-class in our Assembly. I understand the fears and insecurity that people are feeling about this economy — I’ve faced these challenges myself.
My family and I were hit hard in the last financial crisis. That’s why I’ve fought for renters’ assistance, financial support for small businesses, and a moratorium on evictions during the pandemic.
In the Assembly, I’ll advocate for the necessary loans and aid that small businesses and families need to make it through the Covid-19 pandemic.
We need a thriving, innovative, and fair economy that is focused on creating the good middle-class jobs of today and tomorrow. That means supporting economic policies that strengthen the middle class and create jobs that enable families to succeed. In the Assembly, I’ll fight for a fair and thriving economy that benefits everyone.
Health Care
I believe that affordable health care is a human right, not a privilege reserved for the few. Too many of us are worried that we will not be able to afford the cost of the health care that we or our family members might need.
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for quality health care for everyone in our community. Now more than ever we need a comprehensive plan for those needing healthcare. Free COVID-19 tests should be easily available to all so that we can protect our families and our community.
Your health and peace of mind are important to me. In the Assembly, you can count on me to fight to improve the Affordable Care Act to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, protect coverage for people with preexisting conditions, hold drug companies accountable to reduce prescription drug prices and support frontline healthcare workers and local hospitals. I’m committed to fighting the Trump administration’s plans to take away health care from Americans and to keep the price of prescription drugs high. That’s why I refuse to take money from Big Pharma.
I’m proud that my support for high quality health care for all Californians has earned the support of the California Nurses Association. In contrast, my opponent has put the profits of drug companies and the insurance industry ahead of patients and public health. Last year, he voted against legislation to provide California local governments with funding for infectious disease control to respond to a health emergency like the coronavirus pandemic. My opponent — who personally has more than 100 thousand dollars invested in pharmaceutical companies — also voted against cracking down on drug corporations that delay the release of cheaper generic medications and stricter oversight of the insurance industry to protect consumers. At the same time, he opposed legislation requiring that children be vaccinated for preventable and contagious diseases. These are not our values.
Reproductive Rights and Equality for Women
The question of what a pregnant woman should do when she does not want to raise a child is extremely personal for me, as my then 16-year-old birth mother had to navigate this decision herself when she became pregnant with me. I received a great gift from my birth mother’s decision to have me – but I would not have wanted her to have been forced by the government to give birth to me despite being unable at that time to care for a child.
Whether or not to have an abortion – or whether to give a child up for adoption – is a deeply personal and often painful decision for a woman or couple to make, and it is a decision they have to make based on their own faith and values, not someone else’s – and certainly not the government’s. That’s why I’m outraged at the attacks on women and their Constitutional reproductive rights from the Trump administration and its allies, and why I’m committed to protecting and defending women’s access to reproductive health care services.
I believe that women should have the right to make their own healthcare decisions. We can’t allow politicians to deny women basic human rights such as access to safe and affordable reproductive health care or allow the government to intrude into this most personal of decisions. I will keep this decision a personal one and not the government’s. In the State Assembly, I will protect the right to safe, legal abortion and birth control and I will stand up for Planned Parenthood, which provides access to critical health services for Orange County women and families.
I’m proud that my commitment to women’s reproductive rights has earned the endorsement of Planned Parenthood, Emily’s List, NARAL Pro-Choice California, Women for American Values and Ethics (WAVE); National Organization for Women (NOW), National Women’s Political Caucus, Women In Leadership (WIL), California Women’s List, Fund Her, and the Women’s Political Committee (WPC).
In contrast, my opponent does not believe that women have the right to choose when or whether to give birth and has repeatedly voted against funding healthcare services for women, including treatment for breast and cervical cancer and opposing emergency contraception for women. He also voted against legislation to prevent gender pay discrimination and refused to support a bill to give survivors of abuse more rights to file lawsuits against abusers.
In the State Assembly, I will fight to make women’s voices heard by requiring equal pay for equal work and paid family leave. Also, I am committed to championing tough anti-discrimination policies to stop workplace harassment and abuse and I will work to hold abusers accountable and protect victims of sexual assault and harassment.
Fighting Hate, Prejudice, and Discrimination
President Trump’s reprehensible embrace of bigots and white supremacists has resulted in an alarming raise in hate crimes in Orange County, particularly anti-immigrant, anti-Black, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, anti-Asian and anti-gay violence.
In sharp contrast, I’m proud to have earned the endorsement of the Equality California and the Courage Campaign. As a member of Irvine’s City Council, I’ve celebrated diversity and fought against prejudice and for the rights and dignity of all people. I led a successful movement to fly the Pride flag in Irvine during Pride Month, and to repeal Irvine’s anti- LGBTQ+ law. In the Assembly, I’ll continue to fight to protect and defend the rights and dignity of all the residents of the 68th Assembly District.
Fire and Disaster Protection
Like 90,000 others, my family was recently forced to evacuate our home because of the Silverado Fire.
As a quarter-million Californians fled from the path of deadly wildfires and thousands of firefighters did battle on the front lines, President Trump threatened to withhold federal aid and attacked California fire policies. When Californians urgently needed federal disaster assistance, President Trump instead attacked us and played political games with Californians’ lives.
President Trump’s shameful attack on California in the midst of catastrophic natural disaster was an attack on us all, especially our courageous first responders fighting to keep us safe on the front lines. Our current representative in the 68th Assembly District never stood up for California or for our first responders against Trump’s attacks.
Our nurses, doctors, and first responders have been working hard on the front lines of this pandemic. As the mother of a firefighter and a board member of the Orange County Fire Authority, I know the dedication of our firefighters and first responders who put their lives on the line to protect us. I’ll fight to reduce wildfire risk, for increased investment in emergency response, and for swift and fair recovery for fire victims. I’m proud to have earned the support of California’s Professional Firefighters because they know I’ll fight for our firefighters and first responders and ensure they have every resource they need to protect our homes and families from fires and other natural disasters.
I will always invest in neighborhood safety by ensuring 9-1-1 services are fully funded.
Safer Communities
I’m committed to ending the epidemic of gun violence in our communities. As a City Council member, I established a program with our police department to educate residents about how to use California’s Red Flag Law and Gun Violence Restraining Orders.
As the daughter of a retired law enforcement officer, I know the difficulties faced by law enforcement and the sacrifices that law enforcement officers and their families make to keep our communities safe.
As a City Council member I have worked to continue Irvine’s reputation as America’s Safest City, while I have also successfully called for changes in the use of force policies of our police department, including banning choke holds and mandating the use of police body cameras, so that everyone in our community feels safe and respected in their interactions with the police.
Supporting our Veterans
I’ve been described by the Orange County Register as “an incredible advocate for veterans.” For me, respecting and serving our veterans is more than a matter of policy; it’s a moral issue. Our character as a community is defined in large part by how we treat those who have served and protected us. As the daughter of a combat veteran, I know the great sacrifices that military veterans have made for our country. As a member of the Assembly, I’ll fight for veterans, their families and their communities to ensure they have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. That’s why I’m committed to investments in job-training and vocational education opportunities, to give returning veterans the tools they need to succeed.
I’ll also fight to ensure that homeless veterans are kept a priority, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, I know that far too many veterans remain homeless or struggle with PTSD-related illnesses. We need to invest in funding for regional homeless services, street outreach for veterans, and urgent care beds, in addition to accessible mental health treatment. I’ll also fight to improve health care services for veterans to ensure that they can always obtain the care they need and the respect they deserve.
Making Government Transparent and Financially Responsible
The path towards a better and brighter democracy starts through greater government accountability. For too long, the toxic influence of special interests has infected government at all levels and resulted in policies that put the interests of giant corporations and greedy developers above the interests of the people of our District.
As an elected official, I’m proud of my record in increasing government accountability, openness, and transparency. I’ve received the Orange County Taxpayers Watchdog Award for “demonstrating dedication to the protection of taxpayer funds and for the advocacy of government transparency and fiscal responsibility.”
Under my leadership, the Irvine Community land Trust was awarded the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, the world’s most respected source of information on nonprofit organizations.
I was also the only member of the Irvine City Council to oppose Measure D, which would have eliminated voter input into development decisions, because I believe that citizens must have a strong voice in deciding the future of their neighborhoods.
I enthusiastically supported the City’s adoption of the Irvine Sunshine Ordinance, which expanded public notice to four times longer than California law requires and prevents government action without full and informed participation from the community. I also supported approval of a two-year budget cycle, along with a five-year financial planning program, to bring more accountability to government spending. These were tremendous improvements in the openness and accuracy of the City’s budgeting process, compared to the time when my opponent was in charge.
In the Assembly, I’ll make sure that large corporations, developers, and special interests don’t control government decisions. I’ll fight to end the power of lobbyists and special interests to make backroom deals and fight for greater openness and transparency and restore openness, accountability, and responsibility to state government.
Conclusion
There’s a lot at stake in this election. Here’s How You Can Help
VOTE! Quite simply, voting is the most important thing you can do to help bring positive change to our district, our state, and our nation. If you have not yet voted, please vote by dropping your ballot off at an official ballot box or voting in-person at an official Vote Center.
More than 40 percent of California’s electorate, — more than 8.5 million voters — have already voted in the 2020 election to select the next President of the United States, as well as our next members of Congress, next state legislators, next mayors and city council members, and next school board members.
This year, for the first time in a presidential election, all registered voters in California received an official vote-by-mail ballot at their homes.
After you receive your ballot, you have three ways to vote:
1. Return your ballot by mail (in the postage pre-paid envelope that has been mailed to you), or
2. Deposit your ballot at a secure official ballot drop box throughout the County, or
3. Cast your ballot in person at any of the many official Vote Centers.
After October 29, it is probably best not to mail your ballot, but instead to use a ballot drop box or cast your ballot in person!
Find a list of all official Orange County ballot drop boxes HERE.
Drop boxes are open 24 hours from October 5 to November 3 (until 8:00 pm on Election Day).
Find a list of all official Orange County Vote Centers HERE.
The hours for Vote Center are October 30 – November 2, from 8:00 am-8:00 pm. November 3, from 7:00 am-8:00 pm.
We are deeply grateful to the firefighters and other public safety officers and first responders who fought the Silverado and Blue Ridge Fires this week.
Due to their heroic efforts, property damage was kept to a minimum, more than 90,000 people were safely and quickly evacuated — including my family — and no civilians were injured.
However, on the fire’s first day, two firefighters from our Orange County Fire Authority were critically burned by the Silverado Fire.
The two men, ages 26 and 31, were part of a hand crew aggressively battling the flames.
Both received extensive second and third-degree burns. One of the men had burns on 65% of his body while the other had burns on 50%.
As our OCFA Fire Chief Brian Fennessy noted, the seriousness of their injuries reminds us that fighting to protect our communities from these unpredictable wildfires is an extremely dangerous job.
I have received several requests for information about how we can help these gravely injured firefighters.
“Orange County Firefighters are raising money in support of 2 firefighters critically injured while protecting our community battling the Silverado Fire.
All proceeds donated through this GoFundMe page will go directly to the Fallen Fire Fighter Relief Fund to cover additional costs related to burn care and family support during this difficult time.
If you would like to send cards or well wishes to our 2 firefighters the can be mailed to the address below and we will make sure they get them :
OC Firefighters
c/o Silverado Fire
1342 Bell Avenue, Suite 3A
Tustin, CA 92780
Please understand that the families have asked us to not release their names as of yet.”
You can also thank our firefighters by contributing to the following organizations:
More than 3,000,000 Californians have already voted in the 2020 election to select the next President of the United States, as well as our next members of Congress, next state legislators, next mayors and city council members, and next school board members.
This year, for the first time in a presidential election, all registered voters in California will receive an official vote-by-mail ballot at their homes.
Today, Monday, October 19, 2020, is the last day to register to vote in California and receive your mail-in ballot before Election day on November 3, 2020.
No one should have to live with the smell and the danger of toxic fumes.
Yet many residents of North Irvine, especially in the area of Orchid Hills and Portola, have been living with the smell and danger of the toxic fumes produced by the manufacture of rubber products by nearby All American Asphalt. According to many researchers, long term exposure to these fumes can cause headaches, throat and eye irritations, respiratory diseases, and even cancer.
Irvine residents in affected neighborhoods been forced to keep their windows closed at all times, and to curtail or cease outdoor activities such as biking or walking their kids to school. The City of Irvine has sued All American Asphalt to stop this noxious practice, but have not received support from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) or the Orange County Board of Supervisors. This situation is unacceptable.
The Irvine City Council will meet at 3:00 pm on Friday, October 15, 2020, to discuss further steps to resolve this matter, including whether to revoke All American Asphalt’s business license.
All American Asphalt started out as a trucking company. Before the City of Irvine was incorporated, the company bought land that was part of the original Irvine Ranch. The County issued permits to the company to allow it to expand into asphalt production. It appears, however, that the toxic fumes at issue are caused by the manufacture of products that are not a permitted use.
While primary enforcement responsibility lies with AQMD and the City does not have the power to immediately close the plant or eliminate the odor, the City should all possible steps to solve the problem as quickly as possible.
I fully support revocation of All American Asphalt’s business license if they persist in causing toxic fumes to contaminate the air in Irvine neighborhoods.
Our representative on the AQMD is OC Supervisor Lisa Bartlett. I encourage everyone concerned about this matter to let her know how important it is to you to stop the toxic fumes from All American Asphalt from contaminating our neighborhoods. Let her know at 714- 834-3550 or email her at Lisa.Bartlett@ocgov.com
My opponent Steven Choi and his corporate backers know he can’t win this race on his ideas or on his record. That’s why they’re spending enormous sums of money on vicious and false personal attacks, telling outright lies about me and my family.
Like his hero, Donald Trump, he doesn’t care how big his lies are or who they hurt, so long as it advances his personal agenda.
I’m fighting back by filing a Cease and Desist Order against their lies. The truth is that I won a legal judgment in court against these false claims and those who made them were ordered by the court to pay me financial damages for making them. My opponent and his backers know these claim are false. They just don’t care.
They are also attacking me because my family and I were hit hard in the 2008 financial crisis. We lost much of our income and the house we owned lost nearly half of its value. We were unable to pay some taxes, until we sold our home.
These vicious personal attacks prove that my opponent doesn’t understand, or care about, the lives of ordinary citizens. Like Donald Trump, he specializes in the politics of shame, hate, and deception.
From voting against family leave, to voting against equal pay for women, to voting against every kind of economic aid for COVID-19 response, my opponent has demonstrated his total lack of concern for families that are struggling. For too long, Assembly District 68 (Tustin, Lake Forest, Orange, Anaheim Hills, Villa Park, part of Irvine) has been represented in Sacramento by an anti-choice, anti-vaccine, pro-oil, tobacco and guns climate change denier. Let’s change that!
Learn more about Steven Choi’s extremist record HERE.
When you read Steven Choi’s lies and his attacks about my family’s struggles from 12 years ago, ask yourself: does this sound like someone you could trust? Or someone who would care about your own family’s struggles?
Observed since 1980, the one year anniversary of the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, National Coming Out Day is a day for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer people to be proud of who you are and your support for LGBTQ equality. It is also a day for LGBTQ+ allies to come out as supporters of LGBTQ+ Pride and truly equal rights.
The foundational belief of National Coming Out Day is that homophobia thrives in an atmosphere of silence and ignorance, and that once people know that they have loved ones who are lesbian or gay, they are far less likely to maintain homophobic or oppressive views. As the Human Rights Campaign states, “Coming out — whether it is as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer — STILL MATTERS. When people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support equality under the law. Beyond that, our stories can be powerful to each other.”
I am also proud that on my motion, brought with City Councilmember Farrah Khan, the Irvine City Council unanimously repealed and removed a section of the municipal code (known as Measure N) that had prohibited any anti-discrimination protections for people based on their sexual orientation.
As the Voice of OC noted , “Over the last year, Irvine has seen a dramatic shift in its recognition of the LGBTQ+ community after widespread calls from the public for renewed action to acknowledge the community. In June 2019, the panel voted against flying the pride flag during pride month, with [Councilmember Mike] Carroll referring to the flag as a ‘ spectacle of divisiveness.’ . . . But last month, the council reversed its position, voting 4-1 to fly the flag over City Hall for the remainder of June and to make it an annual occurrence, flying from Harvey Milk Day (May 22) to the end of pride month. The city also officially recognized pride month for the first time this June two weeks ahead of the flag vote. The City Attorney questioned whether we had the authority to repeal the anti-LGBTQ ordinance. The council decided to move forward with the vote I noted that the only challenges that could potentially come to their decision would be a lawsuit calling for the legislation to be restored to the old city code. “Who in their right mind is going to come sue us to put this anti-LGBTQ language back in our code?” Fox said. “Lets clean this up and move on.”
Also for the first time this year, the Lavender Democratic Club of OC issued an OC LGBTQ+ Voting Guide. The Voting Guide recommends voting for candidates who have pledged their support for LGBTQ+ equality legislation, with a specific commitment to stand with our community in matters related to these public accommodations. public facilities, federally-funded programs, employment, housing, education, credit, marriage equality, disability and family leave, public safety, and the Equality Act.
This week, Asian Americans Rising, a non-profit group “committed to increasing Asian American representation in politics,” issued a statement thanking Orange County political leaders who “stood with us to denounce xenophobia and racism” when the Asian American community was under attack.
I am deeply honored to be included among these courageous political leaders.
Asian Americans Rising president Katie Nguyen Kalvoda explained:
“Over 2,000 hate incidents were directed at Asian Americans this year as a result of Trump’s hateful words calling the coronavirus the “kung flu” “Chinese virus”. Women, children, grandmothers of all Asian descent were attacked, stabbed, set on fire all across this country. I would have never imagined the day that I would bear witness to that. Me, my kids, our loved ones are viewed as the ‘yellow plague.’ This is why I appreciate so much the folks who have spoken out, denounced racism and shown us love.”
Asian Americans in California have reported thousands of incidents of discrimination and harassment in since the coronavirus outbreak, including assault and civil rights violations.
Anti-Asian American attacks and harassment have been stoked by President Trump’s repeated use of the term “Kung Flu” in recent rallies and comments on Twitter scapegoating China for the Trump administration’s catastrophic failure to control the pandemic. As California Assemblymember David Chiu, Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, told the Los Angeles Times, “There’s not just a pandemic of health — there’s a pandemic of hate.”
The Washington Post recently reported that “when Trump get coronavirus, Chinese Americans pay a price.” On Twitter, in the three days after Trump announced that had tested positive for the virus, the civil rights group the Anti-Defamation League found an 85 percent spike in hostility against Asians: “The announcement [of Trump’s diagnosis] sparked thousands of online conversations blaming China for trying to purposefully infect the president.”
I am appalled by these acts of bigotry and by President Trump’s continued stoking of anti-Chinese and anti-Asian hate.
I am also appalled by the silence of Republican leaders in the face of Trump’s anti-Asian rhetoric.
Sadly, even Republican leaders who are themselves Asian, including Assemblyman Steven Choi, have refused to protest Trump’s use of the racist and anti-Asian phrase “Kung Flu” in talking about COVID-19 and have silent about the significant increase in racist attacks targeting Asians and Asian Americans in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
All who have witnessed or experienced anti-Asian attacks are encouraged to file a report HERE.
Reports may be made in English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Hindi, Japanese, Hmong, Tagalog, Khmer, Thai and Punjabi.
If you have experienced anti-Asian bullying, harassment, hate speech, or violence in Irvine, please also contact the Irvine Police Department at 949-724-7000. In an emergency, call 911. Neither the Irvine Police Department nor the Irvine City Council will tolerate any such anti-Asian attacks or discrimination in Irvine.
Again, I call on all my colleagues in elected office in Orange County, both Democratic and Republican, to join me in loudly and unequivocally condemning these acts of hatred, as well as President Trump’s continued stoking of anti-Chinese and anti-Asian hatred and bigotry by using the terms “Chinese virus” and “Kung Flu” in reference to COVID-19.
_________
Pictured above: Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congresswoman Katie Porter, Councilmember Andrew Rodriguez, Scott Reinhart, Congressman Alan Lowenthal, Congressman Gil Cisneros, Josh Newman, California State Controller Betty T. Yee, Councilmember Diedre Thu-Ha Nguyen, Congressman Harley Rouda, City Councilmember Melissa Fox, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, Congressman Lou Correa, Congressman Mike Levin, Senator Kamala Harris, and Vice President Joe Biden.
October was chosen to celebrate month to commemorate the arrival of the first Filipinos who landed in what is now Morro Bay, California on October 18, 1587.
Felix C. Baldberry
Did you know that:
The earliest documented Filipino presence in the continental United States was on October 18, 1587, when the first “Luzones Indios” set foot in Morro Bay, CA, on board the manila-built galleon ship Nuestra Senora de Esperanza.
The first permanent Filipino settlement in the continental United States was in 1763 in St. Malo, Louisiana.
Filipino-American Civil War soldier Felix Cornelius Balderry, Company A, 11th Michigan Volunteers. Baldberry enlisted in the Union Army in 1863 at the age of 21 in Kalamazzo, Michigan. He fought in the battles of Chickamauga, Kenesaw Mountain, and the Siege of Atlanta, and returned to Michigan after the war.
The Filipino American community is the second largest Asian American group in the United States, with a population of more than 3 million people. More than a million people of Filipino heritage live in California, by far the largest number in the United States. One in three Filipino Americans live in California!
Pedro Flores, a Filipino American, invented the yo-yo while working as a busboy when he was attending Hastings Law School. He created the Yo-Yo Manufacturing Company in Santa Barbara, California, before selling the company and trademark to Donald F. Duncan, Sr. He continued working with Duncan for many years later.
Thelma Garcia Buchholdt
Thelma Garcia Buchholdt became the first female Filipino American elected to a legislature in the United States when she was elected to represent Anchorage in the Alaska legislature in 1974.
Filipino American servicemen and servicewomen have a longstanding history in the Armed Forces from the Civil War to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, including 25,000 Filipinos who fought under the United States flag during WWII.
Andrew Jackson wrote about the “Manila Men” who fought with him in defense of New Orleans under the command of Jean Lafitte in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.
Nine Filipino American have received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor in action that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the United States Armed Forces.
Fe del Mundo was the first Filipino American, the first Asian and first female student to attend Harvard Medical School in 1936. She was admitted only because the school mistook her gender and assumed she was male. They then decided not to turn her away due to her outstanding credentials. She later established the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines.
Filipino Americans Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Itliong were leaders in the Asian American civil rights movement, the farm workers movement, and including the pivotal 1965 Grape Strike and Boycott.
Filipino Americans have contributed greatly to the arts, music, dance, literature, business, journalism, education, science, healthcare. technology, government, politics, fashion, and other fields in the United States. The Filipino American Community has a proud and distinguished history of making our state and nation stronger and better. I’m delighted to celebrate Filipino American History Month with my Filipino friends and neighbors!
The legislaton allows the State of California to create its own drug label, Cal Rx, and to produce and distribute its own line of biosimilars, biosimilar insulins, and generic drugs, with the aim of improving access for consumers and lowering prices.
The California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) is now authorized to develop manufacturing partnerships to produce or distribute generic prescription drugs, making essential medications affordable and accessible to more patients. It will also inject much needed competition into near monopoly markets that have driven up prices for consumers and help end sometimes critical drug shortages.
Councilmember Melissa Fox and Senator Richard Pan
Because precription drug prices are one of the largest drivers of rising health care costs, this new legislation will also reduce the overall cost of health care.
As Governor Newsom said in advocating for the new law, “Prescription drug prices are too high. I’m proposing that California become the first state in the nation to establish its own generic drug label. It’s time to take the power out of the hands of greedy pharmaceutical companies.”
Governor Newsom further noted, “The cost of health care is way too high. Our bill will help inject competition back into the generic drug marketplace – taking pricing power away from big pharmaceutical companies and returning it to consumers. California is using our market power and our moral power to demand fairer prices for prescription drugs. I am proud to sign this legislation affirming our ground-breaking leadership in breaking down market barriers to affordable prescription drugs.”
As the legislation’s principle author, Dr. (and State Senator) Richard Pan, pointed out, “Prescription drugs don’t work if people cannot afford to take them. We need to ensure that Californians will be able to have access to a reliable supply of affordable generic medications. The state can play a pivotal role in bringing prices down through this authority to negotiate a steady supply for all purchasers and an increase of competition in the drug markets,” He added that the new legislation to open up access to affordable drugs for millions of Californians “is more important than ever, as the COVID-19 crisis brought to light glaring gaps in supplies of essential, lifesaving drugs, and medical equipment and supplies.”
I strongly support this new and innovative approach to lowering precsription drug prices, making critical presciption medicine and health care more available as well as more affordable.
His campaign has received tens of thousands of dollars from the pharmaceutical and medical industries and their political action committies. In addition, according to his legally required Statements of Economic Interests filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission, Choi holds substantial investments in numerous pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Sanofi, Johnson &Johnson, GlaxoSmith-Kline, Celgene, and Novo Nordisk, so that he personally profits from high presciption drug prices.
Unlike Steven Choi, I’ll be part of the solution to the high cost of prescription drugs, not part of — or profit from — the problem.
Each year the FBI ranks the public safety levels of U.S. cities according to population and considers a number of factors including murder, rape, assault, burglary, arson and auto theft.
This is the 15th year in a row Irvine has held the top spot as America’s safest City among cities with a population of 250,000 or more.
Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel credited the department’s positive relationship with the community and strong City leadership for its continued success.
“Irvine continues to be a safe community due to the partnership between the committed men and women of the Irvine Police Department, our City leaders who always make public safety a top priority, and our residents and business community,” Chief Hamel said. “Maintaining public safety, while delivering professional and compassionate service to everyone is always our top priority.”
Councilmember Melissa Fox said, “We are America’s safest city because the men and women of the Irvine Police Department perform their duties at the very highest levels of professionalism and integrity. Our Police Chief, our City Council and our residents expect and require nothing less. Our residents know that our police officers are dedicated to ensuring the safety of our residents and treat everyone with fairness and respect.”
Irvine was also 1 of only 11 police major departments in the nation that did not use deadly force from 2016-2018.
During the protests following the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, our Irvine Police Department helped ensure that all voices were heard. I was glad that Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel stated that he was personally “deeply disturbed” as a member of law enforcement by the “unjust and disgraceful” murder of George Floyd; that it “erodes the trust and confidence we work so hard to reach”; and that he demands that his officers “treat every member of the public with respect and professionalism.”
Irvine’s outstanding safety record is proof that public safety is enhanced, not compromised, by holding police officers to high standards, and is enhanced even more so when the police officers embrace a tradition of holding themselves to the highest standards of accountability and community service.
I was elected to serve as Chair of the Irvine Community Land Trust (ICLT) in 2018, guiding its mission of providing secure, high-quality affordable housing for the benefit of income-eligible families. Like all Irvine Community Land Trust Board Members, I serve as a volunteer, without compensation.
We build high-quality affordable rental, ownership and special needs housing for the benefit of income-eligible families. Located in the heart of Southern California’s one of the most expensive real estate markets, there is a tremendous need for affordable housing.
From time to time, ICLT Executive Director Mark Asturias shares a story about our residents. Here is his latest of our “Stories from Home”:
Cail Cheng
I’m very happy to present the return of the Irvine Community Land Trust’s “Stories from Home” series, where we highlight some of our communities’ exceptional residents, who all make Irvine a better place in their own ways.
This time, we’re featuring Cail Cheng, 27, a former Alegre resident who recently moved out. You may wonder why we’re highlighting a former resident, but Cheng has a truly remarkable story of growth during the few years he spent with us.
At first glance, Cheng seems like anyone else his age – he’s kind, diligent and loves art, photography and video games. But his path through life has been far more challenging than most. Cheng lives with a developmental disability. Five years ago, he wasn’t employed and had experienced very limited independence in his life. Though he has never been very verbal, his mother – June McLaughlin – heard his inner voice loud and clear: he wanted to live his own life.
Right around this time, the ICLT was finishing work on Alegre, one of our first affordable communities. Like our other properties, Alegre included certain units set aside for people living with developmental disabilities. ICLT was offering an affordable cost for a two-bedroom unit with a roommate, ideally meant to serve as a stepping stone for residents to later transition into complete independence. We put out a call for initial residents to apply, and McLaughlin was listening.
When McLaughlin heard about the opportunity and told her son, she saw a fire light up in Cheng’s eyes like nothing she had ever seen. He was still mostly silent, but there was a newfound focus – a quiet determination to grab the reins of his life for himself.
For roughly half of his stay with us, Cheng worked tirelessly to find steady employment, undergoing training that readied him for what the world would expect from him. Two years in, his diligence paid off through a job with Goodwill, where he continues to work to this day.
Just last year, McLaughlin realized that her son had turned a corner. He was much more responsible than he ever had been and was legitimately happy at his job. His time at Alegre had readied him for the next big step – fully independent living in a market rate apartment in the City of Irvine.
Earlier this year, Cheng left our community and moved into the San Mateo Apartments, where he now lives a proud, independent life. Over the course of five years, McLaughlin has seen him grow from a messy boy living at home to a self-made man capable of juggling all his bills and other responsibilities. “It’s been a privilege. I’m grateful for him as a son, to be part of his story,” McLaughlin said. “It’s an honor to be his mom.”
We’re honored, too. It gives us significant pride to have been able to – quite literally – open a door for Cheng as he hungered for new challenges that would help him grow. The fact that he’s moved on means that we’ve played our part, and we wish him the best of luck in his new, independent life!
Sincerely,
Mark Asturias
Executive Director, Irvine Community Land Trust
Thank you to everyone who has helped the Irvine Community Land Trust continue to succeed in its mission of helping people like Cail Cheng and many others.
As Mark Asturias said, it’s an honor to be a positive force in so many people’s lives.
Watch a video on the Irvine Community Land Trust here:
Wound Walk OC tends to the wounds of unsheltered people in Orange County.
Founded three years ago by filmmaker Michael Sean Wright, Wound Walk OC’s mission is to “Practice equity in action. Bring relief to those most in need. Inspire empathetic future healthcare advocates and field medics. Provide encouragement to communities by showing what caring volunteers can accomplish.”
Grateful for the opportunity to help my friends Teresa Lai and Jerry Chen and Asian American for a Better Community contribute 5,000 face masks to Wound Walk OC. With Michael Sean Wight.
The members of Wound Walk OC are street medics who go to where unsheltered people live — in parks and other areas — with a “wound wagon” filled with emergency medical supplies donated by the community.
They offer emergency first aid/medical care to homeless people with wounds and other injuries that, without Wound Walk’s intervention, would go untreated, with serious and potentially deadly consequences. They also provide food, drinking water, underwear and socks.
Their work in helping unsheltered people with wounds and other medical issues is truly on the front lines of the homelessness crisis — even more so under the dangerous conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Spectrum News One has reported, “While doctors and nurses continue to battle on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wright [and Wound Walk OC] is in many ways on the front lines of its humanity.”
Max Fox of Wound Walk OC checks a woman’s blood pressure.
The street medics of Wound Walk OC protect themselves against the pandemic as best they can with disinfectant, multiple layers of personal protective equipment, and sets of gloves, as they provide direct relief for those who need it most.
As Michael Sean Wright recently told ABC News, “For the unsheltered communities, public libraries and fast food restaurants are sometimes their only access to restrooms, and so when those close down, as they have during this pandemic, it’s like the water turned off. If you’re not getting water flowing or the wound covered or cleaned outside, you are exposed to insects, or further trauma that’s coming and infections. When that happens, we urge them to seek medical attention. We have great clinics up and down here that folks don’t know they can go to, so our opportunity is to intro and help them get that care.”
I’m glad that I was recently able to help my friends Teresa Lai and Jerry Chen and Asian American for a Better Community contribute 5,000 face masks to Wound Walk OC.
I’m also proud that my son, Max Fox, has joined Wound Walk OC and is putting his EMT and HazMat training to much needed use while he is on pandemic-break from college and from the Fairbanks North Star Borough HazMat Team.
I was elected to serve as Chair of the Irvine Community Land Trust (ICLT) in 2018, guiding its mission of providing secure, high-quality affordable housing for the benefit of income-eligible families. Like all Irvine Community Land Trust Board Members, I serve as a volunteer, without compensation.
We build high-quality affordable rental, ownership and special needs housing for the benefit of income-eligible families. Located in the heart of Southern California’s one of the most expensive real estate markets, there is a tremendous need for affordable housing.
Both as a member of the Irvine City Council and as Chair of the Irvine Community Land Trust, I have made it a priority to create more affordable housing, especially for working families, verterans, and people with disabilities. I have worked with legislators in Sacramento to cut taxes on affordable housing construction, and I have made for easier to more working people to become homeowners.
As we fight the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, secure and affordable housing has never been more important.
Through a series of special protocols, the Irvine Community Land Trust is continuing construction on our new community, Salerno, even during the pandemic. Out of concern for our construction workers, we’ve undertaen extraordinary measures to ensure they stay safe and healthy while on the job.
I recently received some photos of the progress that we’ve made at Salerno, which will bring 80 affordable homes to the city. Still on schedule to be completed in the Fall of 2020, Salerno will offer affordable rents as low as $550 for a one-bedroom, $625 for a two-bedroom and $695 for a three-bedroom.
Thirty-five of the homes will be reserved for those earning less than 30 percent of the area median income: 15 for veterans; 10 for individuals with developmental disabilities; and 10 for families at risk of homelessness.
When completed in the fall, Salerno will join Parc Derian, Alegre Apartments and Doria Apartment Homes as places where income eligible residents will proudly call Irvine “home.” As the Orange County Register observed, these affordable communities offer “a new beginning for veterans, developmentally disabled people and families at risk of homelessness.”
The interest list for Salerno is currently closed. However, you can get your name on our interest list for future projects and available homes HERE.
We will notify you when a project becomes available.
Here are some photos of our progress at Salerno:
Our next project, Native Spring, is especially exciting For the first time, the Irvine Community Land Trust will build for-sale homes that hard-working residents making less than $100,000 can actually afford to buy.
The Native Spring homeownership project will serve moderate-income families with a 68-house development in Portola Springs that will have all the features of any market rate for-sale project in the city. A young couple earning $76,000 to $94,000 annually will be able to purchase a home for about $370,000.
Additionally, these homebuyers will “pay it forward” by agreeing to resale provisions that keep these homes permanently affordable. This development, which will break ground in 2020, is tremendously exciting for the ICLT as it stands to make the American dream a reality for many first time home buyers.
The ICLT continues to look for corporate donors who can provide grant opportunities, donate materials and items to help build, furnish and landscape new communities. Contact us to learn how to contribute!
You can learn more about the Irvine Community Land Trust at our website HERE.
The City of Irvine is famous for its committment to planning. A crucial part of good planning is public input. You can help us with an important planning decision by giving us your input on a significant project in the Irvine Business Complex (IBC).
The Irvine Business Complex has transformed into an area with diverse land uses, providing the opportunity to live, work, and shop locally. This transformation has created a need for additional connections and new facilities for walking, bicycling, and recreation.
The objective of the Jamboree Pedestrian Bridge Feasibility study is to determine the possibility of constructing a
pedestrian bridge that will cross over Jamboree Road.
The study will identify and evaluate potential locations along Jamboree
Road in between I-405 Freeway and Barranca Parkway.
The bridge will provide a direct crossing for pedestrians over the roadway, separated from vehicular traffic.
A convenient pedestrain/bicycle bridge would also serve to encourage walking and biking and reduce traffic congestion in the area.
The City is looking at the best precise location for the pedestrian bridge. You can help us make this important decision bytaking a short surveyhere.
You can learn more about the project by watching the video of the public informational meeting held on September 10, 2020:
Please share the survey link with your friends and neighbors who may be interested in the project.
Being Ready for Wildfire starts with maintaining an adequate defensible space and by hardening your home by using fire resistant building materials.
In a recent blog post, I presented my firefighter son’s Family Emergency Plan information. Here are several low-cost ways to harden your home to maximize its ability to withstand a wildfire and to keep your family safe when you can’t evacuate.
Nearly all of the 68th Assembly District is considered “Wildland Urban Interface (WUI),” where human made structures and infrastructure (e.g., cell towers, schools, water supply facilities, etc.) are in or adjacent to areas prone to the danger of wildfire. Newer developmnents are pressing ever closer to wildland, increasing the danger of WUI wildfires and the need to be prepared.
Taking the right actions now to prepare your family and home for the next California wildfire can save your property and your family members’ lives.
Roof:
The roof is the most vulnerable part of your home. Homes with wood or shingle roofs are at high risk of being destroyed during a wildfire. Build your roof or re-roof with materials such as composition, metal or tile. Block any spaces between roof decking and covering to prevent embers from catching.
Vents:
Vents on homes create openings for flying embers. Cover all vent openings with 1/16-inch to 1/8-inch metal mesh. Do not use fiberglass or plastic mesh because they can melt and burn.
Protect vents in eaves or cornices with baffles to block embers (mesh is not enough).
Eaves and Soffits:
Eaves and soffits should be protected with ignition-resistant or non-combustible materials.
Windows:
Heat from a wildfire can cause windows to break even before the home is on fire. This allows burning embers to enter and start fires inside. Single-paned and large windows are particularly vulnerable. Install dual-paned windows with one pane of tempered glass to reduce the chance of breakage in a fire. Consider limiting the size and number of windows that face large areas of vegetation.
Walls:
Wood products, such as boards, panels or shingles, are common siding materials. However, they are flammable and not good choices for fire-prone areas. Build or remodel your walls with ignition resistant* building materials, such as stucco, fiber cement wall siding, fire retardant, treated wood, or other approved materials. Be sure to extend materials from the foundation to the roof.
Decks:
Surfaces within 10 feet of the building should be built with ignition-resistant*, non-combustible, or other approved materials. Ensure that all combustible items are removed from underneath your deck.
Rain Gutters:
Keep rain gutters clear or enclose rain gutters to prevent accumulation of plant debris.
Patio Cover:
Use the same ignition-resistant* materials for patio coverings as a roof.
Chimney:
Cover your chimney and stovepipe outlets with a non-flammable screen. Use metal screen material with openings no smaller than 3/8-inch and no larger than 1/2-inch to prevent embers from escaping and igniting a fire.
Garage:
Have a fire extinguisher and tools such as a shovel, rake, bucket, and hose available for fire emergencies. Install weather stripping around and under the garage door to prevent embers from blowing in. Store all combustible and flammable liquids away from ignition sources.
Fences:
Consider using ignition-resistant* or non-combustible fence materials to protect your home during a wildfire.
Driveways and Access Roads:
Driveways should be built and maintained in accordance with state and local codes to allow fire and emergency vehicles to reach your home. Consider maintaining access roads with a minimum of 10 feet of clearance on either side, allowing for two-way traffic. Ensure that all gates open inward and are wide enough to accommodate emergency equipment.
Trim trees and shrubs overhanging the road to allow emergency vehicles to pass.
Clearly Marked Address:
Make sure your address is clearly visible from the road.
Water Supply:
Consider having multiple garden hoses that are long enough to reach all areas of your home and other structures on your property. If you have a pool or well, consider getting a pump.
Watch CalFire’s video on harding your home to protect from wildfire:
Note: Ignition-resistant building materials are those that resist ignition or sustained burning when exposed to embers and small flames from wildfires. Examples of ignition-resistant materials include “non-combustible materials” that don’t burn, exterior grade fire-retardant-treated wood lumber, fire-retardant-treated wood shakes and shingles listed by the State Fire Marshal (SFM) and any material that has been tested in accordance with SFM Standard 12-7A-5.
Please join me, Sharon Quirk-Silva, Cottie Petrie-Norris, and Dave Min for on Tues., September 29, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. for conversation on early child care the education crisis in Orange County!
What: Conversation on early child care the education crisis in Orange County. When: Tues., September 29, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Where: Online. Link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81915074314.
Early Childhood OC is a community collaborative that was formed to develop Orange County’s Early Childhood Policy Framework in order to ensure that young children reach their developmental potential and are ready to succeed in school and life. The Framework ensures adults are knowledgeable, nurturing, responsive and interact effectively with other adults, children and the family unit and environments that impact children are safe supportive, stable and healthy. Through implementation of the Framework, Orange County will attain economic and social benefits.
Pretend City Children’s Museum is “the world in a nut-shell”, designed for children to learn how the real world works while engaging their curiosities and imaginations. The museum is a child-size interconnected city built to balance rich educational intention with boundless fun, where children can assume various real-world roles and let their creativity rule. Through interactive exhibits and activities facilitated by our trained professional staff, children learn foundational math, reading and science skills while fostering curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. They see how academic concepts have real-life application by learning in our unique, hands-on environment. Located at 29 Hubble Irvine, CA 92618. For more information, call 949-428-3900.
Child360 is a leading nonprofit working toward a future where every child has the educational opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Our name reflects our 360 degree approach to improve and expand the vital early learning opportunities our young children need, by working alongside educators, families, partner organizations, policy makers and our communities.
I urge my friends in the City of Orange to stop the dangerous Santiago Creek development. Vote No on Measure AA.
The proposed development — which would squeeze 128 expensive homes on 40.9 acres just south of Santiago Creek, near the already excessively congested intersection of Santiago Canyon Road and Cannon Street — is too dangerous to be approved.
The area of the proposed development is prone to wildfire and has few evacuation routes. Those few evacuation routes are already excessively congested. During the recent 2017 Canyon II Fire, cars were backed up for miles with people trying to flee. This proposed development will create even more congestion, which could prove fatal in the next wildfire.
The area of the proposed development is subject to serious flooding danger. The area is in a flood plain and has a history of dangerous flooding. Major floods in Orange County have occurred in 1810, 1815, 1825, 1884, 1891, 1916, 1927, 1938, 1969, 1983, 1993 and 1997. In February 1969, heavy rains led to catastophic flooding of Santiago Creek that washed out bridges and roads, destroyed homes and cars, and caused hundreds to be evacuated. The danger of flooding in the area remains unabated.
The proposed development is on a known fault line and subject to liquefaction in an earthquake. In addition, two earthen dams upstream of the proposed development are also on a fault line and subject to liquefaction, increasing the danger of catastophic flooding.
There are active methane vents next to the site. The homes built on the proposed site will require methane gas detectors to monitor dangerous levels of methane. The release of methane into the air can cause debilitating health problems, ranging from rashes, nosebleeds and wheezing to headaches, nausea, vomiting, brain injury and death.
The development project is also an affront to democracy. Residents of the area have opposed the development for years, yet the developers and the Orange City Council has ignored their concerns. Despite the people’s opposition, the Orange City Council pushed ahead with approving this project, putting the financial interests of the developers ahead of the wishes and the safety of the people. When this most recent development plan came before the Orange City Council, more than 80% of the Orange residents who spoke at the public hearing opposed the project. The Orange City Council approved it anyway, forcing the residents to overturn their decision through the referendum process. Residents then collected more than 13,000 signitures — nearly double the number needed — in less than 30 days to put Measure AA on the ballot. The people do not want this project!
I’m delighted to join in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15).
Hispanic Americans are the largest minority group in both California and the United States, and generations of Hispanic Americans have helped make our country and our state strong and prosperous. The Hispanic American community continues to shape who we are, what we stand for, and where we’re going.
I’m grateful for the extraordinary contributions that Hispanic Americans make every day to our country, our state, and our county -– as scientists and business owners, doctors and teachers, soldiers and veterans, artists and musicians, labor leaders and public servants, and as essential workers keeping us safe during this crisis.
The Hispanic American Heritage is a vibrant legacy of leadership, vision, creativity, kindness, resilience and commitment. I’m proud to work together with my Hispanic American friends, colleagues, and neighbors to overcome the pandemic and save lives, make our economy stronger and fairer, ensure affordable housing and healthcare for all, fix our broken immigration system, fight climate change, restore our democracy, and make our world a better place for everyone.
I was having dinner with my family to celebrate the Jewish New Year when I learned that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had died. As my friend Lauren Johnson Norris posted on Facebook, “According to Jewish tradition, a person who dies on Rosh Hashanah, which began tonight, is a tzaddik, a person of great righteousness. We found that very comforting. So strange to be eating these apples and honey with this sadness.”
We have lost a woman of valor and righteousness. We have lost our warrior and champion.
Salt water next to our apples and honey.
Mixed with our sadness is the acute realization that the tragic loss of Justice Ginsburg means that a woman’s right to control her own body, already under extreme siege, is more in danger now than at any time since Roe v. Wade was decided nearly 50 years ago.
Now, more than ever, we must ensure that our representatives, at every level of government, are fully committed to protecting our fundamental reproductive rights.
I want to share with you the statement released today by my friend and Irvine Community Services Commissioner Lauren Johnson-Norris. It eloquently puts into words what I and many other women are thinking and feeling at this difficult and pivotal moment in our history:
“Justice Ginsburg is an icon for many women, especially women lawyers, because she dedicated her professional life to a singular focus in moving the law toward equality for women. She entered spaces where women were not welcomed and won time and again, not just because of her brilliant mind and persuasive advocacy, but because she stood on the side of equality. As a jurist, she sought to build consensus but, when that was not possible, she provided an essential voice of dissent that spoke truth to power.
The loss of Justice Ginsburg on the United States Supreme Court is devastating at a time when women’s fundamental rights to reproductive health care is under attack. The right of a woman to make autonomous decisions about her own body is the core of her fundamental right to equality and privacy. As a lawyer, mother, and advocate for women, I know that in order to drive equality, we must commit fully and actively to reproductive rights and healthcare for all.”
RBG gave us all she could. She brought us this far. Now it’s our time to carry on the fight, in her name and in her memory, for ourselves, our mothers, our sisters, and our daughters.
The United States Constitution was signed and adopted as the fundamental law of the United States of America by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia 233 years ago today on September 17, 1787. In so doing, our nation came into being.
Congress has called on each state legislature to send delegates to a convention “for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation in ways that, when approved by Congress and the states, would render the federal constitution adequate to the exigencies of government and the preservation of the Union.”
To amend the Articles into a workable government, 74 delegates from the twelve states were named by their state legislatures; 55 delegates showed up, and 39 delegates eventually signed.
James McHenry, a Maryland delegate to the Constitutional Convention, wrote in his dairy that after the meeting on that day, a woman asked Pennsylvania delegate Benjamin Franklin “What have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” to which Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
In fact, the Preamble of this history-changing document makes clear that this was to be a government of the people: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
As United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court, explained, “What makes the Constitution worthy of our commitment? First and foremost, the answer is our freedom. It is, quite simply, the most powerful vision of freedom ever expressed. It’s also the world’s shortest and oldest national constitution, neither so rigid as to be stifling, nor so malleable as to be devoid of meaning. Our Constitution has been an inspiration that changed the trajectory of world history for the perpetual benefit of mankind. In 1787, no country in the world had ever allowed its citizens to select their own form of government, much less to select a democratic government. What was revolutionary when it was written, and what continues to inspire the world today, is that the Constitution put governance in the hands of the people.”
It is of the nature of constitutions that their meaning evolves over time and in newly encountered situtions. As founding UCI Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky wrote in the University of Chicago Law Review, “[t]he Constitution inevitably must be interpreted. There are countless issues — such as whether the president can fire cabinet officials or rescind treaties or assert executive privilege — where the document is silent, but a constitutional answer is necessary. So much of the Constitution is written in broad language that must be given meaning and applied to specific situations. . .”
It is my hope that one day soon the Supreme Court will recognize that in order to ensure and protect our democracy, we must get unlimited and unaccountable money out of politics, and that there must be limits on the amount of money that individuals, corporations, or other organizations can spend to support or attack political candidates or to influence government policies.
It is my hope, too, that one day soon the Equal Rights Amendment will be adopted so that women will at long last be accorded full and equal rights in the United States.
In fact, our Constitution provides the means to make these changes and improvements in our government and our political process.
Our Constitution remains our best hope of “We the People” forming an even “more perfect Union.”
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
My son, Max Fox, is an EMT and HazMat specialist. He had been studying firefighting and emergency management at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, until he came home for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis. With wildfires raging across the state, I asked him about what he would advise local families that want to prepare for emergencies. Here is what he wrote:
“As Californians, there are certain emergencies that we should all be prepared for: earthquakes, fire, and flood. We should have Family Emergency Plans for these all too common occurrences.
Family Emergency Plans should include (1) an emergency family communication plan in case of separation, (2) consideration of the special needs of each member of your household (such as medications or medical equipment), and (3) plans for your most important documents (such as identification and insurance).
Documents you should consider including as part of your Family Emergency Plan are:
A copy of each family member’s driver’s license and passport
Each family member’s Social Security card or number
A copy of each family member’s birth certificate
A copy of everyone’s medical records and list of vaccinations, including your pet’s
Authorization for treatment
Property titles for your car and home
All of your bank, credit card and investment account numbers and corresponding customer service telephone numbers
Health insurance and life insurance account information
Photographs or videos of all of your property to make potential insurance claims easier
Wills, as well as living wills and a power of attorney
Your latest tax return
Your marriage certificate
Adoption and citizenship papers
Military records
Medications and eyeglass prescriptions
Important files backed up on an external hard-drive
Copies of your favorite family photographs
A Family Emergency Plan for the current COVID-19 pandemic should incorporate many of the same features.
For families with young children, plans should also include lists of other trusted adults who are able to look after your children should a parent become sick and/or hospitalized.
People with children — or people taking care of seniors — should also make a list that has everything the caregiver should know about the children and/or seniors, their allergies, any medical documentation that may be needed, as well as written authorizations for treatment.
Plans should also include provisions for care of your pets, if you are not able to leave them home or continue to care for them.
In an emergency, it is very easy to forget something, so an important part of making your plan should also include making a pre-prepared “go-bag” (a bag of stuff needed in an emergency that is already pack with everything you need). An emergency go-bag might include:
At least three days of water for every member of the family
Non-perishable food options, like nuts, canned goods and granola bars
Changes of clothing and footwear for each member of the family
Sleeping bags or rolled blankets
First-aid kit supplies
Emergency supplies, such as a battery-operated radio, a flashlight with extra batteries, duct tape, plastic bags, water purification tablets, local maps and a compass, aluminum foil, matches and a can opener
Basic tools, like pliers, a wrench, an axe and a utility knife
Personal care items such as toilet paper, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, feminine products, extra eyeglasses and contact lens solution
Money, including a few personal checks.
I hope no one will have to use their plan, but it is always better to have a plan and go-bag and not need it, then it is to need a plan and go-bag but not have them.
Please stay safe. Whether in case of fire, earthquake or other emergency, please remember that COVID-19 is still a killer, so be sure to wear a mask, wash your hands, and maintain social distancing.”
Thanks to tremendous public support, we succeeded!
At the Irvine City Council meeting on September 8, 2020, the Council unanimously agreed to send an official letter to the U.S. Postmaster, on behalf of our residents, to cease and rescind any actions that undermine prompt delivery of the mail, including “expeditious action to re-store mail sorting equipment and remedy the recent changes to USPS polices and procedures that would result in reduced or delayed mail service levels.”
Here is the full text of the official letter sent to the U.S. Postmaster General:
Thank you to everyone who wrote to the Irvine City Council in support of the U.S. Postal Service! This letter is truly the result of democracy in action.
Now, we must keep the pressure on the federal government to ensure that the USPS “to provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and render postal services to all communities, without interruption.”
Through this program, frontline firefighters in California provide SAVE gift cards to eligible victims of fire and natural disasters, so they may purchase basic necessities such as food, clothing or medicine.
The SAVE program has grown steadily since 2014 and has impacted more than 55,000 victims in California to date. The SAVE program is administered directly by participating fire departments across California each day, and mobilizes for rapid disaster relief when communities are impacted by wildfire or natural disasters. The SAVE program is a reliable way for Foundation supporters to provide direct relief to victims, especially in the first 24-48 hours after a disaster.
You can watch a video about the SAVE program here:
The California Fire Foundation provides critical support to surviving families of fallen firefighters, firefighters, and the communities they serve. Your tax-deductible donations will help commemorate fallen heroes, offer scholarships to children of fallen firefighters, provide aid to victims of fire or other natural disaster, and provide fire safety resources to underserved communities across California.
Do you know how to protect yourself, your family and your neighborhood against wildfire? Are you prepared for an emergency?
Wildfire preparedness emphasizes these key messages:Ready, Set and Go.
Ready: Protect your home ahead of time by taking steps to mitigate wildfire risk.
Set: Prepare for an emergency by assembling a bag of important items that you would need in the event of emergency. This includes clothes, medication and other personal items. Develop a family emergency plan that details escape routes and reunification plans.
Go: Leave early in the event of an emergency. Avoid traffic congestion and other complications by evacuating at the earliest opportunity.
Nearly all of the 68th Assembly District is subject to the danger of wildfire! Residents are strongly encouraged to sign up to receive emergency notifications at AlertOC.org.
I recently had a discussion on COVID-19 with renowned pediatrician Dr. Charles L. Schleien, the Philip Lanzkowsky Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatrician-in-Chief at Northwell Health, a nonprofit integrated healthcare network and New York State’s largest healthcare provider.
Our discussion covered several extremely important and timely topics, including the potential impact of COVID-19 on children, new diseases of children that have appeared with COVID-19, the effectiveness of face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for both adults and children, the tremendous strain that COVID-19 has caused on our entire healthcare system, and Dr. Schleien’s own personal story of being hospitalized for, and recovering from, COVID-19 in early March.
Dr. Charles Schleien is a long-time family friend. He received an M.D. from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University. He completed a pediatric residency at Baylor Texas Children’s Hospital; an anesthesia residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital; and a fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Prior to joining Northwell Health, Dr. Schleien was executive vice chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and professor of pediatrics and anesthesiology at Columbia University/New York Presbyterian Hospital. He is past director of the Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, which he founded upon his arrival at Columbia in 1999, and served as medical director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of Columbia University. Dr. Schleien previously served as director of pediatric critical care medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center, and professor of pediatrics and anesthesiology at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
The sky was falling and streaked with blood I heard you calling me, then you disappeared into the dust Up the stairs, into the fire . . . May your strength give us strength May your faith give us faith May your hope give us hope May your love give us love
Today we remember all who lost their lives at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001, including 343 members of the New York City Fire Department, who raced up the stairs into the fire, in an attempt to save others.
The World Trade Center (New York, New York)
Gordon McCannel Aamoth, 32, New York, N.Y.
Maria Rose Abad, 49, Syosset, N.Y.
Edelmiro (Ed) Abad, 54, New York, N.Y.
Andrew Anthony Abate, 37, Melville, N.Y.
Vincent Abate, 40, New York, N.Y.
Laurence Christopher Abel, 37
William F. Abrahamson, 58, Cortland Manor, N.Y.
Richard Anthony Aceto, 42, Wantagh, N.Y.
Erica Van Acker, 62, New York, N.Y.
Heinrich B. Ackermann, 38, New York, N.Y.
Paul Andrew Acquaviva, 29, Glen Rock, N.J.
Donald L. Adams, 28, Chatham, N.J.
Shannon Lewis Adams, 25, New York, N.Y.
Stephen Adams, 51, New York, N.Y.
Patrick Adams, 60, New York, N.Y.
Ignatius Adanga, 62, New York, N.Y.
Christy A. Addamo, 28, New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Terence E. Adderley, 22, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Sophia B. Addo, 36, New York, N.Y.
Lee Adler, 48, Springfield, N.J.
Daniel Thomas Afflitto, 32, Manalapan, N.J.
Emmanuel Afuakwah, 37, New York, N.Y.
Alok Agarwal, 36, Jersey City, N.J.
Mukul Agarwala, 37, New York, N.Y.
Joseph Agnello, 35, New York, N.Y.
David Scott Agnes, 46, New York, N.Y.
Joao A. Aguiar Jr., 30, Red Bank, N.J.
Lt. Brian G. Ahearn, 43, Huntington, N.Y.
Jeremiah J. Ahern, 74, Cliffside Park, N.J.
Joanne Ahladiotis, 27, New York, N.Y.
Shabbir Ahmed, 47, New York, N.Y.
Terrance Andre Aiken, 30, New York, N.Y.
Godwin Ajala, 33, New York, N.Y.
Gertrude M. Alagero, 37, New York, N.Y.
Andrew Alameno, 37, Westfield, N.J.
Margaret Ann (Peggy) Jezycki Alario, 41, New York, N.Y.
Gary Albero, 39, Emerson, N.J.
Jon L. Albert, 46, Upper Nyack, N.Y.
Peter Craig Alderman, 25, New York, N.Y.
Jacquelyn Delaine Aldridge, 46, New York, N.Y.
Grace Alegre-Cua, 40, Glen Rock, N.J.
David D. Alger, 57, New York, N.Y.
Ernest Alikakos, 43, New York, N.Y.
Edward L. Allegretto, 51, Colonia, N.J.
Eric Allen, 44, New York, N.Y.
Joseph Ryan Allen, 39, New York, N.Y.
Richard Lanard Allen, 30, New York, N.Y.
Richard Dennis Allen, 31, New York, N.Y.
Christopher Edward Allingham, 36, River Edge, N.J.
Join us for three weeks of unique, interactive online experiences and two socially distanced drive-in concerts that will highlight memories of festivals past and create new memories uniting the community.
My favorite event of the year is the Irvine Global Village Festival, founded in 1998 by a group of Irvine residents to help promote understanding and build harmony within Irvine’s many diverse cultures. Over the years, the Global Village Festival has expanded from one day to two days, and moved from Col. Bill Barber Park across from Irvine City Hall to the much larger Orange County Great Park.
Because of COVID-19, this year’s festival will be somewhat different. While we can’t gather in person this year, we look forward to celebrating Orange County’s premier multicultural event in innovative ways that keep the public safe, connected, and engaged.
The 2020 Global Village Festival will consist of a series of responsibly planned events that adhere to social distancing guidelines as we navigate these unusual times.
From September 21-October 10, 2020, you’re invited to celebrate Irvine’s multicultural community through music, art, food, and fun:
Browse photo albums and videos exploring the history of the Irvine Global Village Festival. Share your own photos of favorite memories from past festivals to see them included on the City’s social media accounts.
Make new memories of Irvine Global Village Festival at home. Families can take part in weekly themed art activities and classes from home, including downloadable coloring sheets for kids.
Explore a list of multicultural restaurants in Irvine with outdoor dining or take-home options to dine globally and celebrate Irvine’s rich diversity while staying safe at home. Share photos of your festive meals with the City so we can share them online!
Enjoy entertaining videos featuring the international cuisine, dance, and musical performances of previous Irvine Global Village Festivals.
The Irvine Global Village Festival also includes two drive-in concerts at the Orange County Great Park, put on in partnership between the City and Irvine Barclay Theatre. On Friday, September 25, enjoy a live show by Willie Nelson tribute band True Willie and the Boys.
Round out the festival’s celebrations on Saturday, October 10, with a show by award-winning all-female mariachi band Mariachi Divas. Park your cars and enjoy a picnic to pay tribute to the rich musical history of the Irvine Global Village Festival, all while safely practicing social distancing.
Tickets for these concerts are $25 per car for general admission and $40 per car for VIP front-row access. Pre-registration is required.
Tickets will be on sale at yourirvine.org for three weeks prior to the start of each event; the first week of sales is open to Irvine residents only, and the remaining two weeks are open to all members of the public. A $5 non-resident fee will be applied.
Join me on Thurs., September 10 at 5:00 p.m. for a Town Hall on COVID-19 with renowned pediatrician Dr. Charles L. Schleien, the Philip Lanzkowsky Professor of Pediatrics and pediatrician-in-chief at Northwell Health, a nonprofit integrated healthcare network and New York State’s largest healthcare provider.
Dr. Schleien received an M.D. from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University. He completed a pediatric residency at Baylor Texas Children’s Hospital; an anesthesia residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital; and a fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Prior to joining Northwell Health, Dr. Schleien was executive vice chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and professor of pediatrics and anesthesiology at Columbia University/New York Presbyterian Hospital. He is past director of the Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, which he founded upon his arrival at Columbia in 1999, and served as medical director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of Columbia University. Dr. Schleien previously served as director of pediatric critical care medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center, and professor of pediatrics and anesthesiology at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
We are grateful for our firefighters, police and first responders, and for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen.
We also endorse giving to 
Help must include financial assistance to workers who have lost their jobs, families that need help to stay in their homes, and small businesses that need help to keep their doors open and their people employed.
The coronavirus has made it clear that we must invest in the health and safety of our community. Public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic require strong leadership grounded in respect for science. In sharp contrast to my opponent, who has flagrantly rejected the advice of scientists and public health experts, voted with anti-vaxxers, and given his unquestioning support to the disastrous mishandling of this pandemic by the Trump administration, I’ll listen carefully to the voices of scientists, public health experts, and first responders.
Unfortunately, my opponent is fully committed to the Trump anti-science and anti-environment agenda, does not believe that human activity is responsible for climate change, and has a lifetime rating of 6% from the League of Conservation Voters and 0% from the Sierra Club.
In contrast, I believe that global warming is an existential crisis that we must face and solve now. I’ll fight to take decisive action to protect our planet — and our neighborhoods — from havoc and destruction due to climate change. As a member of the Assembly, I’ll advocate for a scientific and research-based understanding of the state of our environment and continue to fight for improved public transportation.
I’m committed to getting more funding for every school and every student in our District by investing in classrooms and teachers, not more bureaucracy. I’m proud to be endorsed by the California Teachers Association, the California Federation of Teachers, and the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges. I
Now more than ever we need someone fighting for the middle-class in our Assembly. I understand the fears and insecurity that people are feeling about this economy — I’ve faced these challenges myself.
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for quality health care for everyone in our community. Now more than ever we need a comprehensive plan for those needing healthcare. Free COVID-19 tests should be easily available to all so that we can protect our families and our community.
Whether or not to have an abortion – or whether to give a child up for adoption – is a deeply personal and often painful decision for a woman or couple to make, and it is a decision they have to make based on their own faith and values, not someone else’s – and certainly not the government’s. That’s why I’m outraged at the attacks on women and their Constitutional reproductive rights from the Trump administration and its allies, and why I’m committed to protecting and defending women’s access to reproductive health care services.
I’m proud that my commitment to women’s reproductive rights has earned the endorsement of Planned Parenthood, Emily’s List, NARAL Pro-Choice California, Women for American Values and Ethics (WAVE); National Organization for Women (NOW), National Women’s Political Caucus, Women In Leadership (WIL), California Women’s List, Fund Her, and the Women’s Political Committee (WPC).
As a quarter-million Californians fled from the path of deadly wildfires and thousands of firefighters did battle on the front lines, President Trump threatened to withhold federal aid and attacked California fire policies. When Californians urgently needed federal disaster assistance, President Trump instead attacked us and played political games with Californians’ lives.
In contrast to our current representative, who has 
I’ll also fight to ensure that homeless veterans are kept a priority, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, I know that far too many veterans remain homeless or struggle with PTSD-related illnesses. We need to invest in funding for regional homeless services, street outreach for veterans, and urgent care beds, in addition to accessible mental health treatment. I’ll also fight to improve health care services for veterans to ensure that they can always obtain the care they need and the respect they deserve.
As an elected official, I’m proud of my record in increasing government accountability, openness, and transparency. I’ve received the Orange County Taxpayers Watchdog Award for “demonstrating dedication to the protection of taxpayer funds and for the advocacy of government transparency and fiscal responsibility.”
In contrast, my opponent allowed highly questionable accounting procedures to hide the true financial condition of the City of Irvine while he was mayor. 
However, on the fire’s first day, two firefighters from our Orange County Fire Authority were critically burned by the Silverado Fire.
· More than 
Register to vote 
Irvine residents in affected neighborhoods been forced to keep their windows closed at all times, and to curtail or cease outdoor activities such as biking or walking their kids to school. The City of Irvine has sued All American Asphalt to stop this noxious practice, but have not received support from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) or the Orange County Board of Supervisors. This situation is unacceptable.
Read the Legal Judgment in my favor 
I am proud that this year, for the first time, based on my motion and my organizing work with the community, 
“Over 2,000 hate incidents were directed at Asian Americans this year as a result of Trump’s hateful words calling the coronavirus the “kung flu” “Chinese virus”. Women, children, grandmothers of all Asian descent were attacked, stabbed, set on fire all across this country. I would have never imagined the day that I would bear witness to that. Me, my kids, our loved ones are viewed as the ‘yellow plague.’ This is why I appreciate so much the folks who have spoken out, denounced racism and shown us love.”
Anti-Asian American attacks and harassment have been stoked by President Trump’s 
I first raised the issue of the COVID-19 outbreak and 
Fe del Mundo was the first Filipino American, the first Asian and first female student to attend Harvard Medical School in 1936. She was admitted only because the school mistook her gender and assumed she was male. They then decided not to turn her away due to her outstanding credentials. She later established the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines.
When McLaughlin heard about the opportunity and told her son, she saw a fire light up in Cheng’s eyes like nothing she had ever seen. He was still mostly silent, but there was a newfound focus – a quiet determination to grab the reins of his life for himself.
Both as a member of the Irvine City Council and as Chair of the Irvine Community Land Trust, I have made it a priority to create more affordable housing, especially for working families, verterans, and people with disabilities. I have worked with legislators in Sacramento to cut taxes on affordable housing construction, and I have made for easier to more working people to become homeowners.
The Irvine Business Complex has transformed into an area with diverse land uses, providing the opportunity to live, work, and shop locally. This transformation has created a need for additional connections and new facilities for walking, bicycling, and recreation.
Roof:
The proposed development — which would squeeze 128 expensive homes on 40.9 acres just south of Santiago Creek, near the already excessively congested intersection of Santiago Canyon Road and Cannon Street — is too dangerous to be approved.
I’m grateful for the extraordinary contributions that Hispanic Americans make every day to our country, our state, and our county -– as scientists and business owners, doctors and teachers, soldiers and veterans, artists and musicians, labor leaders and public servants, and as essential workers keeping us safe during this crisis.
I was having dinner with my family to celebrate the Jewish New Year when I learned that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had died. As my friend Lauren Johnson Norris posted on Facebook, “According to Jewish tradition, a person who dies on Rosh Hashanah, which began tonight, is a tzaddik, a person of great righteousness. We found that very comforting. So strange to be eating these apples and honey with this sadness.”
Salt water next to our apples and honey.
As United States Supreme Court Justice 
Family Emergency Plans should include (1) an emergency family communication plan in case of separation, (2) consideration of the special needs of each member of your household (such as medications or medical equipment), and (3) plans for your most important documents (such as identification and insurance).
The 2020 Global Village Festival will consist of a series of responsibly planned events that adhere to social distancing guidelines as we navigate these unusual times.
Dr. Schleien received an M.D. from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University. He completed a pediatric residency at Baylor Texas Children’s Hospital; an anesthesia residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital; and a fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.