Graphics by RUSSELL BRUTSCHE
Will Violations of Brown Act and State Finance Law Be Investigated by Santa Cruz DA?
By SARAH RINGLER
Campaign finance and state laws like the Ralph M. Brown Act were created to keep elected government officials open and accountable to the people who elected them. As stated in government documents, ”the purpose of the Brown Act is to facilitate public participation in local government decisions and to curb misuse of the democratic process by secret legislation by public bodies.”
President Donald Trump ignored a lot of those laws by shady fundraising, concealing documents, personally profiting off his government connections and other abuses of public office that involved not only him, but his family and friends.
Ann Simonton of Media Watch attended a fundraising meeting sponsored by Santa Cruz Together at Stockwell Cellars on May 2. She contends that four members of Santa Cruz City Council, Donna Myers, Martine Watkins, Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson and Renee Golder violated Brown Act provisions. Councilmember Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson may have also violated Santa Cruz County and State Campaign Finance Laws by openly campaigning at an event where donations over $500 were actively requested. You can listen to the May 2 meeting HERE.
In a formal letter, Simonton has requested that Santa Cruz District Attorney Jeff Rosell investigate these violations. I'm still waiting for a response from the letter I sent. Is the DA doing his job? You may write to him at his county email here.
|
|
Homelessness plans updated in Santa Cruz - Crimes Against Humanity
By KEITH MCHENRY - cofounder of Food Not Bombs
Photo by KEITH MCHENRY
On May 10, Santa Cruz City Council received an update on the homelessness response action plan adopted in March. Homeless Response Manager Larry Imwalle listed recent and planned increases in city shelters that include:
- Sixty to 80 shelter beds in the Armory building in a shelter run by The Salvation Army starting in July. County leaders plan to use the building as a shelter through June 30.
- Seventy-five people in tents on the south lawn of the Armory. The site is expected to start May 16 for 20 people.
- Pallet-type “sleeping cabins” purchased by the city for use by Housing Matters.
Imwalle also updated the city’s planned use of a $14 million grant from the state to combat homelessness. He asked the council to approve new staff positions and pursue potential consultant contracts with the funds that include:
- $188,000 contract with the County of Santa Cruz for two additional mental health liaisons to help law enforcement respond to mental health emergencies.
- $336,000 expenditure for a planning and proposal development consultant to help the city develop its homelessness response.
- $216,000 spend for a legislative advocacy consultant to work with the state to influence homelessness policy and help secure more money for the city.
- $111,836 cost for a community relations specialist who will conduct outreach with community members about homelessness projects.
(Hundreds of people will be driven into the doorway, riverbanks and roadsides this summer only to face police sweeps and accusations of starting forest fires.)
City Homelessness plans here.
|
|
When a billion people go hungry each day, how can we spend another dollar on war?
By KEITH MCHENRY - cofounder of Food Not Bombs
The eight college-age anti-nuclear activists who started the first Food Not Bombs collective in May 1980, organized to influence the Boston area community to resist the threat of cuts in social services and escalation in military funding promised by presidential candidate Ronald Reagan and his Wall Street backers. Policies that we believed would magnify the trend that was already forcing many into poverty. We marched against the threat of nuclear war in a demonstration cosponsored with the Cambridge City Council. We delivered groceries to public housing across the Boston area and organized our first Free Concert for Nuclear Disarmament in Sennet Park, becoming the model for what our poet friend and volunteer Dimond Dave would call Soupstock 1989.
After four decades the goals of Food Not Bombs have grown more urgent as the world faces the threat of a nuclear confrontation pushed in the media, and hundreds of millions of people are sinking into deeper poverty. Billions of dollars are poured into buying lethal aid for wars in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa while people become homeless and struggle to feed themselves.
We could never have imagined we would grow into a global movement of volunteers who 42 years later was still busy recovering food that would otherwise be discarded and sharing our free meals with the hungry in over 1,000 cities in more than 65 countries.
We have never been a charity. From the first days when we held our theatrical “bake sales to buy a bomber” we have been dedicated to seeking an end to the crisis of corporate domination and exploitation by taking nonviolent direct action so no one is forced to stand in line to eat at a soup kitchen or live in the streets. Our slogan “Solidarity Not Charity” graces our social media and flyers.
Food Not Bombs was transformed in 1988 when we started a second group in San Francisco, where the police started to arrest our volunteers for the “crime” of making a political statement ultimately making over 1,000 arrests. The police also arrested our volunteers for feeding the hungry in a number of other cities including Middletown, Connecticut, Ft Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando, Florida, Arcata, Los Angeles, California, Moscow, Russia and Minsk, Belarus. A Federal Appellate Court in the 11th Circuit ruled that our Food Not Bombs meals are protected by the First Amendment and may order the City of Ft Lauderdale to pay our lawyers $1.5 million dollars.
The violent campaign in San Francisco against our volunteers resulted In Amnesty International declaring that any Food Not Bombs volunteer sentenced to prison would be considered a "Prisoner of Conscience" and that they would work for our unconditional release.
One of our first actions was to set up a soup line outside of the Federal Reserve Bank to protest the policies of the Bank of Boston and their investments in nuclear weapons, nuclear power and property speculation. Volunteers have continued our protests against the exploitation by the banks, hedge funds and the globalization of the economy by providing meals at protests against the World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund and World Bank. You may have eaten with us at the anti-globalization protests in Seattle, Cancun, Miami, Gutenberg, and Toronto. We helped organize and feed Occupy Wall Street and local Occupy camps in hundreds of cities. We are continuing our four decade resistance to globalization, organizing against the social control of the new Central Bank Digital Currencies. Our struggle against the implementation of a global corporate dystopian future continues.
When capitalism failed to respond to its disasters Food Not Bombs has been there. We organized the food relief effort for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina and Sandy. Our volunteers provided the only free meals for the first three days after the Loma Prieta Earthquake, helped after the Northridge Earthquake and we were among the first to respond to Typhoon Magkhut in the Philippines and the Christmas Tsunami in Indonesia.
Volunteers also provided hot vegan meals to the rescue workers in New York after 9/11, started animal rescue shelters in Slovakia, fed Camp Casey in Texas, border camps in Palestine, Poland and Mexico; striking workers in Korea. Our chapter in Reykjavik helped initiate the protests that overthrew the banker government of Iceland. We have provided food and material support to Aboriginal Tent Embassies and their efforts to protect the environment from mining and Australian military exercises. Our volunteers have been providing the only meals that the poor and unhoused could access during the pandemic. The Santa Cruz chapter has provided hot meals every day since March 14, 2020. Even more amazing our groups in Myanmar not only provided food during the pandemic but did so while under the martial law of the military dictatorship.
Food Not Bombs activists have also started many other autonomous projects like Indymedia, Bikes Not Bombs, Homes Not Jails, Food Not Lawns, the free radio movement, Really Really Free Markets, and Anarchists Against the Wall in Palestine.
Our independence from state and corporate control is at the core of our power and a threat to the institutions of war and exploitation. Our freedom from authority and our work to divert military funding to health care, housing and education seemed to worry the FBI - Joint Terrorism Task Force who sent a memo to the San Francisco Field Office on August 29, 1988, claiming we were a credible national security threat. In a 2009 lecture at Tufts University an Obama State Department official compared Food Not Bombs to Al-Qaeda, stating we were a greater danger to the United States because we were seeking to reduce the military budget and use the savings to fund domestic social needs.
Food Not Bombs works in coalition with groups like Earth First!, Codepink, the American Indian Movement, and the National Union of the Homeless.
We invite you to join Food Not Bombs in taking direct action towards creating a world free from domination, coercion and violence. Food is a right, not a privilege...Solidarity not charity. To volunteer or donate, go HERE.
|
|
Rescheduled - A Disability Revolution Reel Work Labor Film Festival
By SARAH RINGLER
A live showing of "Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution" has been rescheduled to be shown at the Santa Cruz Vets Hall, May 24 at 7 pm. A panel of speakers will also be on hand: panel moderator Brenda Gutierrez Baeza, one of the filmmakers and activist James LeBrecht and local accessibility coordinator, John Daugherty.
This lively film begins in 1971 at a summer camp in New York, called Camp Jened, described as a "loose, free-spirited camp designed for teens with disabilities. Since most of us will find ourselves disabled at some point in our lives, the movie is a testimony to living life at its fullest despite the various physical shortcomings we might have to endure.
The film can also be watched on Netflix.
|
|
Photo by TARMO HANNULA
These doves keep a wary eye out as they visit a bird bath in Watsonville.
|
|
Santa Cruz County Covid-19 Report
By SARAH RINGLER
The Santa Cruz County Health Department regularly releases data on the current status of Covid-19 in the county. Total known cases as of May 19 were 51,598, up 1,360 cases from last week's 50,238, rounding off to a 3% rise. There were no new deaths this week.
The government is issuing four free Antigen Rapid Tests for free here.
Because of all the home tests currently available, these numbers are underestimates according to Corinne Hyland, County Health Services Agency spokesperson. She recommends people with minor symptoms stay home, isolate and rest.
Hospitalizations did not change from last week. Click to view a graph of hospitalizations here.
There have been changes in the last week in the active cases. Active cases in south county increased by 1%, north county decreased by 2% and mid county increased by 1%. See details in the chart below.
On the county's vaccination webpage, the vaccination rate shows that 81% of the county have had at least one dose and 75% have had two doses. Here are more details on the county's vaccination data.
This webpage also has a link where you can get a digital copy and scannable QR code of your vaccination record. Keep track of your four digit code because that is your access to the site.
The county's Effective Reproductive Number is now above one. See chart below. Numbers above one show the spread of the virus is increasing. Below one means the spread is decreasing.
To get information of COVID-19 testing locations around the county visit this site. Click here to make an appointment to get tested.
Any Californian age 12 or up can get vaccinated for free. For information on getting vaccinated, click here.
|
|
 |
% deaths by ethnicity:
White - 57%
Latinx - 34%
Black - 1%
Asian - 6%
American Native - 0%
Unknown - 0%
% deaths by gender/% of population:
Female - 48%/50%
Male - 52%/50%
Deaths by age/262:
25-34 - 2%
35-44 - 3%
45-54 - 4%
55-59 - 2%
60-64 - 6%
65-74 - 20%
75-84 - 23%
85+ - 43%
% active cases testing positive by region/% of population:
Mid-county - 13%/12%
North county - 68%/56%
South county - 18%/32%
Under investigation - 1%
Deaths by vaccination status:
vaccinated - 28/261 = 11%
unvaccinated - 232/261 = 89%
Weekly increases in positive tests:
June 12-19, 2020 - 7%
June 19-26 - 23%
June 26 to July 3 - 22%
July 3-9 - 23%
July 9-16 - 40%
July 16-23 - 20%
July 23-30 - 27%
July 30-Aug. 6 - 13%
Aug. 6-13- 12%
Aug.14-20 - 16%
Aug.20-28 - 10%
Aug. 28-Sept. 3 - 10%
Sept. 3-10 - 6%
Sept. 10-17- 8%
Sept. 17-24 - 7%
Sept. 25- Oct.1 - 5%
Oct. 1 - 9 - 4%
Oct. 9-15 - 4%
Oct. 15-22 - 5%
Oct. 23-29 - 4%
Oct. 30-Nov. 5 - 6%
Nov. 5-12 - 10%
Nov. 12-19 - 11%
Nov. 19-26 - holiday
Nov. 19-Dec. 3 - 29% 2 weeks of data for this week only
Dec. 3-10 - 16%
Dec. 10-17 - 17%
Dec. 17-24 - 14%
Dec. 24-31 - 19%
Jan. 1-7, 2021 - 13%
Jan. 7-14 - 14%
Jan. 15-21 - 11%
Jan. 21-28 - 5%
Jan. 28-Feb. 4 - 5%
|
|
|
|
Feb. 5-11 - 2%
Feb. 11-18 - 2%
Feb. 18-25 - 1%
Feb. 25-March 5 - 1%
March 5-11 - 1%
March 11-18 - 2%
March 18-25 - .5%
March 25 - Apr. 1 - .7%
Apr. 1-8 - 0.1%
Apr. 9-15 - 1%
Apr. 16-22 - 2%
Apr. 22-30 - 2%
Apr. 30 - May 6 - .3%
May 6-13 - 2%
May 13-20 - 0%
May 24 - Data readjustment by county means percentages cannot be calculated this week.
May 27 - June 3 - 0%
June 3-10 - 0%
June 11-17 - .25%
June 18-24 - 0%
June 25-July 1 - 0%
July 2-8 - .3%
July 9-15 - .2%
July 16-22 - .5%
July 23-29 - 1.2%
July 30-Aug. 5 - 2%
Aug. 6-12 - .7%
Aug.13-19 - 4%
Aug. 20-26 - .7%
Aug. 26-Sept. 2 - 3%
Sept. 2-9 - 2%
Sept. 10-16 - 1%
Sept. 17-22 - 1%
Sept. 23-30 - 2%
Oct. 1-7 - 0%
Oct. 8-14 - 1%
Oct. 15-21 - 1%
Oct. 22-28 - 1%
Oct. 29-Nov. 4 - 1%
Nov. 5-11 - 1%
Nov. 12-18 - 2%
Nov. 19 - Dec. 2 - 2 weeks 2%
Dec. 2-9 - 2%
Dec. 9-16 - 1%
Dec. 16-23 - 1%
Dec. 24-30 - 2%
Dec. 31 - Jan. 6, 2022 - 5% Growth of home tests underestimates cases below. See above .
Jan. 7-13 - 9%
Jan. 14-20 - 15%
Jan. 21-27 - 9%
Jan. 28 - Feb. 3 - 31%
Feb. 3-10 - 3%
Feb. 11-24 (2 weeks) - 5%
Feb. 25- March 3 - 1%
March 4-10 - 1%
March 11-17 - 1%
March 18-24 - 0%
March 25-31 - 1%
Apr. 1-7 - 0%
Apr. 8-14 - 1%
Apr. 15-21 - 1%
Apr. 22-28 - 1%
Apr. 20 - May 5 - 1%
May 6-12 - 2%
May 13-19 - 3%
|
|
|
|
Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Fashion Street - After a rally in support of Transit Equity a few months ago, a demonstrator in a Coast Futura electric train hat relaxes out on West Cliff.
|
|
Labor History Calendar for May 20-26, 2022
May 20, 1933: Rubber workers strike in Akron, Ohio.
May 20, 1999: 2,000 carpenters launch wild cat strike in San Francisco.
May 21, 1946: US government seizes coal mines to break a national strike.
May 22, 1911: Trolleymen return to work after 10-day strike defending fired union activists. City-wide general strike wins all demands on May 25 in Montevideo, Uruguay.
May 23, 1838: 4,000 Cherokee die in the Trail of Tears' forced removal by the US Army from the southeastern states to territory in Oklahoma, a distance of 1,200 miles.
May 23, 1946: US railroad strike begins.
May 23, 2008: IWW songwriter Utah Phillips dies.
May 24, 1990:IWW organizers and Cherney bombed in Oakland, CA.
May 24, 2017: 175,000 construction workers strike across Quebec over schedules.
May 25, 1962: AFL-CIO launches campaign for 35-hour work week.
May 26, 1920: IWW Marine Transport Workers strike in Philadelphia.
May 26, 1937: Battle of the Overpass. Ford thugs beat UAW organizers.
May 26, 1952: AFL-CIO goons oust radical Textile Workers officials in Montreal, Quebec.
|
|
Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Sopapillas, Sweet Fry Bread
By SARAH RINGLER
These little pillows, deep fried and dusted in sugar and cinnamon, are very similar to doughnuts, and are just as hard to resist. They are also easy to make but do require deep fat frying which, as always, needs extra attention. Under several names, from sopapillas to cachangas, they are made in kitchens all over the Spanish speaking world.
Also called fry bread, they are a staple of southwest Native American cuisine. This recipe is from the “Pueblo and Navajo Cookery” cookbook by Marcia Keegan. Although beans, squash and corn were the staple foods of Southwest native people going back thousands of years, in 1864 their lives were interrupted when the United States government forced the Navajo out of their native lands in Arizona - in what is known as the “Long Walk” - to walk 300 miles to Bosque Redondo, New Mexico. The new land did not support their staple foods and the government provided flour, salt, sugar and lard to help them survive. Using those ingredients, fry bread was born and when served today, is a reminder of this painful past. According to Spokane-Coeur d’Alene-American writer and filmmaker Sherman Alexie, “Frybread is the story of our survival.”
It is also, according to Chaleen Brewer, a nutritionist at the Genesis Diabetes Prevention Program in Sacaton, Arizona, responsible for the diabetes epidemic in that area. Because of this, Suzan Shown Harjo, a Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee writer, led a crusade against fry bread in the newspaper “Indian Country Today.” She wrote, “If frybread were a movie, it would be hard-core porn. No redeeming qualities. Zero nutrition.”
On that note, I’d like to say that I cut the original recipe in half, but you will still have enough sweet treats to serve six people.
From 1986 to 2019, the Mountain Parks Foundation sponsored Ohlone Days up in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, usually in September. Often there was a fry bread truck. It was an excellent event with hands-on activities, dances, songs, tools, history and language, all related to the people, the Awaswas, members of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, who have called that area their home many thousand years.
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or shortening
2 eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup water, approximately
Oil for deep fat frying – peanut, corn, avocado etc.
Honey or ½ cup of sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter or shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Beat eggs and sugar together until sugar dissolves. Add to the dry ingredients with enough water to make a soft dough. Knead for about 10 minutes on a floured board until smooth and elastic. Cover with a cloth and let stand for 30 minutes or more.
Roll out to an 1/8 inch thick rectangle. Cut into 3-inch squares.
Prepare to fry. These breads do not hold a lot of excess oil so some paper towels on a cookie sheet should be a good place to put them after frying. Heat oil to 385 to 400 degrees in a heavy, stable saucepan. When oil is hot enough, fry 2 or 3 at a time for 2-3 minutes on each each. Drain on paper towels. Serve with honey or dip into a bowl with sugar and cinnamon.
|
|
Send your story, poetry or art here: Please submit a story, poem or photo of your art that you think would be of interest to the people of Santa Cruz County. Try and keep the word count to around 400. Also, there should be suggested actions if this is a political issue. Submit to coluyaki@gmail.com
If you are enjoying the Serf City Times, forward it on to others. We need readers, artists, photographers and writers.
Thanks, Sarah Ringler
|
|
Welcome to Serf City Times Over time, our county has grown more stratified and divided with many people feeling left out. Housing affordability, racism and low wages are the most obvious factors. However, many groups and individuals in Santa Cruz County work tirelessly to make our county a better place for everyone. These people work on the environment, housing, economic justice, health, criminal justice, disability rights, immigrant rights, racial justice, transportation, workers’ rights, education reform, gender issues, equity issues, electoral politics and more. Often, one group doesn’t know what another is doing. The Serf City Times is dedicated to serving as a clearinghouse for those issues by letting you know what is going on, what actions you can take and how you can support these groups.This is a self-funded enterprise and all work is volunteer.
Copyright © 2022 Sarah Ringler - All rights reserved
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
