Feature Archives

3/11/05:Last Tuesday, medical marijuana patients, community organizers, and pro-pot activists gathered at the Modesto City Council to counter a vote that would shut down the newly opened "California Healthcare Collective Inc.". Around 20-30 people spoke on behalf of the store, and how they need and use marijuana for medical purposes. With only one person speaking against the store, the vast majority of speakers stood firmly on the side of the store. The fight is far from over. The council enacted a 45-day moratorium, which bars any more stores from opening. In addition, at the end of the moratorium, all open stores could face being shut down. According to Modesto City Attorney Michael Milich, medical marijuana stores lead to "illegal drug activity, theft, robbery and burglary, and a concentration of marijuana use in public places". Read Attorney Milich's report here. Info on how to call and email Attorney Milich here. See an earlier story about the medical marijuana issue in Fresno. here

With Police in Modesto and Ceres stepping up "gang sweeps" in various areas, the Department of Justice has organized a series of meetings to discuss various issus of "public safety", and community based tensions. Community organizers have more concerns, largely those of racial profiling by the police, harassment, police misconduct, and police carrying large automatic weapons. Last week, the DOJ conducted a large meeting in which various questions were withheld from a panel it had selected, ignored and opposed the Brown Act, the Cheif of Police refused to answer questions from people in the community on an open mike, and several community members walked out of the meeting. This weekend, more meetings took place, with activists continually calling for and end to racial profiling and harassment. Reports 1, 2

3/3/05: Unions in California are keeping a close eye on Governor Schwarzenegger these days. On December 10th, he declared a state of emergency and announced that he was going to take away California workers' lunch breaks. He was forced to rescind the "emergency" status of his rule changes, but he is still attacking the guaranteed right to a lunch break for California workers.

The rule changes announced by the Governator would weaken workers' rights to breaks and meal periods and would shorten the amount of time that employers can be held liable for refusing to provide them. Companies like Wal-Mart that are being sued for cheating their workers out of lunch breaks could be off the hook if Governor Schwarzenegger’s changes go into effect.

Because the proposed rule changes are no longer classified as emergency regulations, the public was given 120 days to comment on them. Public forums have been held in Los Angeles, San Francisco (Video | Photos), and Fresno. People can also send written comments to the LWDA.

Hundreds of Workers Protest Governor’s Proposal to Weaken their Rights | California Labor Federation | Labor and Workforce Development Agency

2/28/05: The Californians United for a Responsible Budget, Shadow Commission Hearing in Fresno brought together about 100 people to shine a light on the prison industrial complex and its effect on the Central Valley. During the last two decades over half of California’s new prisons have been built in the Central Valley. Testimony at this hearing came from people who would like to reform the system and some that would like to tear it down. There was testimony from activists that want to move in the direction of restorative justice - a move away from the state using prison as an institution to solely punish offenders. Dr. Su Kapoor, a former member of the Fresno Human Relations Commission, asked “why have so many new prisons been built over the last 40 years and only one new college in the California State University system?” Kapoor went on to say that “it costs about $43,000 a year to incarcerate a person in prison but it costs less than $10,000 for them to go to school.”

2/28/05: Police have once again harassed members of the Direct Action Anti-Authoritarians (DAAA) Collective, simply for engaging in free speech, and handing out literature in downtown Modesto. DAAA has been under attack from police since conducting Copwatch, and trying to educate the public on their rights while in the downtown area. Police ticketed a suspected "leader" of the group, and charged him with "advertising without a permit", even though police officers could not identify what the group was advertising. This is the latest in a long line of harassment against the group by local police. Read report, and what you can do to help here.

2/22/05: In the wake of the police shooting in Ceres earlier this year by Andres Raya, a Marine who did not want to return to duty, Ceres and Modesto Police have begun conducting an aggressive campaign against perceived Latino gang members. This is being done supposedly to "help Latinos", and also under the pretext that gangs are "terrorists" Reports from various sources are now reporting that young people are being profiled and stopped simply for being Latino or wearing certain colors, being stopped at gun point, being verbally harassed and threatened by police, and also having lone police officers raid homes without provocation. Read reports here, here, and here. Raya flyer here.

2/17/05: Since the end of December three ELF actions have occurred in the Sacramento area. Two attempted arsons at developments in Auburn and Lincoln were claimed by an ELF communiqué sent to the Auburn Journal and the Sacramento Bee. A third successful arson at an apartment complex in Sutter Creek was discovered with graffiti that said “WE WILL WIN-ELF”. Recent bomb parts have been found on the steps of a court house and a DMV station, even though Lewis was in jail. The bomb parts are pipe bombs, things that have never been used by the ELF and go against their non-violent, (towards living things), code of ethics. On Tuesday February 8 the FBI arrested Newcastle resident Ryan Daniel Lewis in connection with a recent ELF action. Lewis is being charged with arson and attempted arson of a commercial building. Lewis is charged only with the attempted arson in Auburn and the FBI continues to investigate all three incidences. Lewis was arraigned Thursday and appointed a federal public defender. The FBI has yet to reveal what evidence, if any, it has against Lewis. The criminal complaint against him and the search warrant were sealed in US District court in Sacramento. The FBI investigation into the ELF actions is ongoing. The US Attorney has also convened a grand jury to investigate the recent ELF actions. They have begun visiting area anarchists, suponeaing witnesses, and will hear testimony on February 24th. If you are from the Sacramento area and have been visited by the FBI about this, please get in contact with Sacramento Prisoner Support. Read report here. The photo above (right) is of a member of the Placer County Sheriff Department's bomb squad preparing to inspect a pipe bomb found behind the Department of Motor Vehicles building in Auburn. Photo by Ben Furtado/Auburn Journal