Category: Politics

John Zaragoza re-election fundraiser set for Dec. 8 in Oxnard

A campaign fundraiser for the re-election of John C. Zaragoza to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8 at Ruby’s Cafe, 348 So. Oxnard Blvd., Oxnard. Event includes hors d’oeuvers…

Bilingual report: Williams to host Emergency Preparedness Resource Fair and Workshop on Dec. 10 in Goleta

GOLETA — More than 20 agencies and community organizations will provide information and answer questions on how to prepare your family, pets and workplace in case of an emergency or disaster. This is part of the Emergency Preparedness Resource Fair…

Williams receives perfect rating from seniors

SACRAMENTO — First term Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) received a perfect score from the California Congress of Seniors on their annual legislative report card, Williams’ office reported Monday in a media release. Each year the state’s leading senior citizens…

Víctor Ríos to talk about the impact of juvenile justice policies on Latino youth on Nov. 8 in Santa Barbara

Víctor Ríos to talk about “Punished: Policing the lives of Black and Latino boys’ at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8 at the UCSB Multiculture Center Theater, the university reported in a media release. Ríos analyzes how punitive juvenile crime policies…

Oxnard College to present the migrant farm worker documentary ‘The Purepecha…’ on Nov. 9

Award-winning writer, director and producer Cheryl Quintana Leader will present her short documentary “The Purepecha: Poorest of the Poor” from 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9 at the Oxnard College Performing Arts Complex, 4000 So. Rose Ave., Oxnard. The…

Commentary: The Occupiers

By David Magallanes / Guest contributor We read about them and see them on the daily news: the Occupiers of Wall Street, Chicago, San Francisco, and now even of Ventura. They are protesting the economic conditions that have befallen the…

CVUUF community forum set for Oct. 27 in Newbury Park

The Conejo Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is presenting the CVUUF Community Forum David Korten — “American Awakening: From Wall Street Protests to a Main Street Economy,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27 at Conejo Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 3327 Old…

L.A. Xicano exhibits opens on Oct. 14 with ‘Art Along the Hyphen: The Mexican-American Generation’

One city, five exhibitions, more than eighty artists. An unprecedented view of Chicano art. Organized by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center and curated by Chon A. Noriega, Terezita Romo, and Pilar Tompkins Rivas L.A. Xicano is a unique collaboration between the…

Commentary: Ending class warfare in education

Class warfare in education has been waged for years.  It must end. Cries from the extreme right have accused President Obama of starting a “class warfare” because corporations and the ultra-rich are being asked to pay their fair share in…

Capps announces federal funds for Oxnard College to help Hispanic students earn degrees in science, math, engineering

SANTA BARBARA — Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) on Thursday announced that Oxnard College has been awarded a highly competitive grant from the Department of Education’s Science Technology Engineering Mathematics program for Hispanic Serving Institutions. Oxnard College has been awarded…

Capps applauds repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

  WASHINGTON — Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) applauded the repeal of the military’s failed and discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy, her office reported today in a media release. Capps has long supported the repeal of DADT and…

Williams sides with consumer protections in votes

SACRAMENTO — As issues relating to consumer protection arose for state lawmakers during the first part of the legislative session, Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) sided with consumers 100 percent of the time, the office of Das Williams reported in…

Capps celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

  WASHINGTON — Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) issued the following statement in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 through October 15 every year. “This week we begin celebrating Hispanic Heritage month and will pay tribute to…

Commentary: A Mexican cousin’s view of the U.S.

By David Magallanes /Guest contributor It was their 8/25.  It doesn’t resonate with us as well as “9/11” does and always will.  The events of August 25, 2011, weren’t of the gasping magnitude of 9/11, but it shook Mexican society…

Das Williams: Legislation secures federal funding for energy efficiency retrofits to state buildings

SACRAMENTO — A bill that Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) has authored jointly with the chairman of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce to authorize the transfer of additional money to help finance energy efficiency retrofits in state buildings…

Das Williams: Assembly passes tax relief for middle class families

Plan also Closes Tax Loophole and Helps Small Businesses SACRAMENTO — Assembly Democrats and two Republican’s approved a plan on Sept 8 that includes an income tax break for working families and provides an incentive for job creation here in…

Capps applauds outline of American Jobs Act, urges House leadership to bring bill to the floor

  WASHINGTON – Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) released the following statement in response to President Obama’s address to Congress and outline of the American Jobs Act. “Tonight, President Obama laid out several straightforward, bipartisan proposals to create jobs and…

LULAC’s first fall meeting set for Sept. 10 in Ventura

The League of United Latin American Citizens will hold its first fall meeting of LULAC District 17 from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 at Clinicas del Camino Real, 200 So. Wells Road, No. 200, Ventura. Contact Jorge Napoles,…

Das Williams bill to increase public safety clears senate floor

A bill authored by Assemblymember Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) that provides policy guidelines regarding background screening requirements for Emergency Medical Responders, passed the Senate floor on Sept. 6, according to a media release. Assembly Bill 1245 simply states that if…

Bilingual report: Three bills awaiting governor’s signature

Three pieces of legislation being carried by first-term State Assemblymember Das Williams (D- Santa Barbara) are currently awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature after successfully navigating the legislative process in both the Assembly and Senate. the office of Assemblymember Das Williams…

Bilingual report: Local officials rally to support effort to save McGrath State Beach

  Leaders urge families to help prevent closure of McGrath State Park by Voting online for a chance to win $100,000 in National America is Your Park contest Assemblymember Das Williams (D- Santa Barbara) was joined by Senator Fran Pavley (D- Santa…

Tour de Dreams comes to CSU Channel Islands on Aug. 19

Dreamers without borders will host the Tour de Dreams with a potluck BBQ, discussion, live DJ and Dance at 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19 at CSU Channel Islands at the Student Union Treehouse Courtyard. The Tour de Dreams will be…

Latino Links: Political trends

Rick Perry may have a challenge convincing Latinos to support him after the Texas governor announced on Aug. 13 that he was entering the race for the 2012 Republican nomination. Writer Yolanda Gonzalez Gomez reports in the Huffington Post that…

Commentary: The debt ceiling debate: Was it lunacy?

By Boyd Lemon / Guest contributor Polls show that the vast majority of Americans were appalled this week at the debate over the debt ceiling that seemed to take the country to the edge of economic catastrophe. Did this debacle…

LULAC charges mismanagement of Oxnard gang suppression grants

The League of United Latin American Citizens is calling on the city of Oxnard to halt the practice of hiring former Oxnard Police Department Officials as “gang suppression” consultants and hire an external auditor to examine “perceived conflicts of interest,”…

Das Williams states case for approved state budget

While not liking the recently-approved California state budget because of its deep levels of cuts, Assemblymember Das Williams said it is the only solution that “mathematically works” given early refusal by Republicans to let voters extend tax revenues. Democrats on…

Supporters attend Zaragoza reelection breakfast

A group of more than 500 supporters, including local business owners, elected officials, labor representatives and community leaders joined together at Casa Lopez in Oxnard to celebrate the opening event to re-elect John Zaragoza to the Ventura County Board of…

Groups present redistricting workshop on June 18

In preparation for the California Redistricting Commission public hearing, a redistricting workshop will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 18 at Driffill Elementary School, 910 So. E St., Oxnard. The commission has submitted an initial proposal that…

Capps reports new potential funding for region’s military bases

  Key federal funding for the construction of a new education center at Vandenberg Air Force Base and a training facility at Naval Base Ventura County was included in H.R. 2055, the Fiscal Year 2012 Military Construction-VA Appropriations bill that…

Commentary: Das Williams says no to Ormond Beach project

Dear Friends, A proposed 1,500-unit housing project adjacent to Ormond Beach in South Oxnard will be before the City Council on Tuesday, June 14. I have strongly opposed this project and continue to do so, joining the Environmental Defense Center (EDC),…

Latino Links: Political Trends

The proposed redistricting for California is a “Worst-Case Scenario” for Latinos in California, according to a news report on June 11 by New American Media. The first batch of political maps by California’s new Citizens Redistricting Commission is having exactly the…