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Due to COVID-19, the annual Richmond District Autumn Moon Festival is online this year on September 26 at 11:30 am on One Richmond's Facebook page. Please register here to participate. Thank you to our sponsors for their support!

2020 Autumn Moon Flyer available here: 2020 Autumn Moon Festival Flyer

Sacramento – To help build California’s economy back up, state lawmakers today sent to the Governor AB 841 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), a jobs bill that not only puts people to work, but also leads to healthier schools and a greener transportation sector.

“Earning a paycheck is crucial for so many families right now. We need to jumpstart projects that can begin in a matter of months and pay good wages. In the end, my proposal will improve public health and the environment. We all win on so many levels,” said Ting.

AB 841 has two components. First, it temporarily redirects unspent energy efficiency funds from investor-owned utility companies and creates a grant program that schools can use to upgrade their HVAC systems and water fixtures. Poor ventilation is known to have negative impacts on student health and learning. And since COVID-19, experts recommend increasing the air flow in public schools to reduce the spread of the virus. Applications from campuses in low-income communities would receive first priority.

In addition, grants can be used to replace old plumbing fixtures, which often leech lead into students’ drinking water. New pipes also result in better water conservation, saving up to six billion gallons a year.

The second component of AB 841 pertains to the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, requiring the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to act on long-pending applications by March 1, 2021. The current years-long backlog is slowing work orders, and faster approvals would increase the demand for EVs. Consumers have often said they won’t switch to a cleaner car because of the lack of charging stations. Added locations would help more drivers make the transition – a move that lowers our greenhouse gas emissions and ramps up our fight against global warming.

AB 841 achieves a priority from the Joint Economic Stimulus Plan unveiled last month – to improve the environment, combat climate change, and create green infrastructure and jobs. As with all bills sent to the Governor this month by the August 31 deadline, he has until September 30 to act. 

Proposal aims to reduce prison population & associated costs during COVID-19

Sacramento – With California’s prisons at about 111% of capacity, state lawmakers are taking more steps to reduce overcrowding during a pandemic without sacrificing public safety. After Legislative approval today, AB 3234 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) is headed to the Governor, giving judges the discretion to put first-time misdemeanor offenders through a diversion program and allowing more elderly prisoners to be eligible for parole.

“California’s criminal justice system should offer more flexibility and compassion. Time after time, we’ve seen that a second chance is all someone needs to turn their life around. When we do, we often get better rehabilitative and reintegration results,” said Ting.

AB 3234 builds off a successful diversion pilot program in Los Angeles County where the number of jury trials decreased by more than 2,000 over a two-year period, saving the courts $12,000 per day, per trial. Additionally, when first-time offenders charged with low-level crimes successfully completed a diversion program, recidivism rates were lower when compared to those who were prosecuted. Diversion program graduates who never reoffend also avoid having a criminal record that can prevent them from getting jobs and housing.

Ting’s legislation further eases prison overcrowding by making changes to the Elderly Parole Program. The geriatric population can cost California up to $300,000 per year, per person in medical costs. Currently, inmates are eligible for a parole hearing if they are at least 60 years old and have served a minimum of 25 years. AB 3234 safely lowers the age to 50 and minimum sentence to 20 years. Estimates suggest this can be done without great risk to public safety because fewer than 240 individuals would be eligible for this expanded review – although their release, if granted, would result in millions of dollars in cost-savings

Provisions of AB 3234 were originally introduced as part of budget deliberations and championed by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), Chair of the Senate Subcommittee No. 5 on Corrections, Public Safety, and the Judiciary. “Diversion programs rather than jail for those charged with misdemeanors are highly effective. AB 3234 gives judges the authority to expand diversion and recognizes that those who have been incarcerated for 20 years or more have a low risk of recidivism, and thus should be eligible to be considered for parole,” said Skinner.

As with all bills sent to the Governor this month by the August 31 deadline, he has until September 30 to act. 

The California State Legislature gave the greenlight to a resolution designating a portion of State Route 35 in Daly City as the Alice Peña Bulos Memorial Highway, honoring the legacy of a local Filipina leader. The Senate’s approval of ACR 165 today was the final step needed to allow supporters to raise private funds for the cost of signs bearing the new name.

“We see the influence of Alice Peña Bulos throughout our communities, as well as in elected local and state government leadership. That’s why she’s considered the Godmother of Filipino American politics and empowerment. It’s my honor to carry the legislation that celebrates her legacy,” said Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), author of ACR 165.

Bulos was born in the Philippines on March 31, 1930. After earning her degrees at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, she became Professor of Sociology, then Chair of the department. In 1972, she moved to California, where her activism began.

Over the span of four decades, Bulos – affectionately known as “Tita Alice” – empowered and mentored generations of Filipino Americans, encouraging them to amplify their voices through civic participation & public office. In the 1990s, President Bill Clinton appointed her to the National Council on Aging, becoming the first Fil-Am selected by a sitting president to serve on a federal post. She also served on the Filipino American Caucus for the California Democratic Party, the National Filipino Women’s Network, and the National Asian Pacific Democratic Council. Bulos passed away in 2016 at the age of 86.

“Throughout her life, ‘Tita Alice’ was committed to opening doors for young Fil-Ams who wanted to enter public service and politics, but did not see themselves represented in those places of power. Tita Alice has left an everlasting mark in commuters all over California and especially here in the Bay Area where she called home. While she is no longer with us, her memory lives on in her family and the numerous friends, supporters, and pupils she inspired over her decades of service,” said the Filipino American Democratic Club of San Mateo County, whose members include Daly City and South San Francisco Council members, as well as other prominent San Mateo County Filipino American leaders.

The highway signs are expected to be installed next year.