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Food insecurity in CA on rise as food benefits drop

by Suzanne Potter

Nov. 6, 2023 – Despite the roaring economy, food insecurity got worse in 2022 – nationally and in Los Angeles County.

New data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows 12.8 percent of American households were food insecure last year, an increase of more than 2.5% from 2021.

And, a recent report from the University of Southern California found that more than a million households in LA County are food insecure.

Alba Velasquez, executive director of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, said inflation is partly to blame – as the cost of living in California has gone up 19% since 2020.

“So there’s been an increase in housing, in your utility bill, in food,” said Velasquez, “without seeing an increase in livable wages.”

And inflation rose even as millions lost their jobs during COVID. So food pantries have seen an increase in demand.

The most recent state budget put $35 million into the Market Match program to help low-income families afford fresh produce at farmer’s markets.

In addition, families on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) – also known as food stamps – saw a steep drop in their monthly benefits once the pandemic emergency ended.

Velasquez said that means rates of food insecurity will be even worse for 2023.

“During COVID, there was an increased allotment for EBT recipients that was between $36 and $95 per month,” said Velasquez. “It was an emergency, temporary allotment that ended this last March. And so now we’re in a deeper crisis.”

The issue will come up again in the next few months as legislators hammer out a new farm bill, which provides funding for food assistance. Some conservative lawmakers have called for significant cuts in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits.

 

CA colleges work to reduce high cost of textbook

College students pay upwards of $1,100 a year for books and supplies, so many schools are working to try to reduce the burden.

A study from U.S. Public Interest Research Group found the cost of course materials has increased at three times the rate of inflation since the 1970s, due mostly to lack of competition in the college publishing industry.

Cailyn Nagle, open education resources program manager for the Michelson 20 Million Minds Foundation, co-authored the report.

“We see 65 percent of students skip buying a textbook due to cost, and 21 percent of students skip buying access codes because they can’t afford it,” Nagle reported.

Many campus libraries lend out textbooks, and bookstores sell used books and facilitate rentals or digital downloads. Students look for deals online. And schools are also moving toward an Open Educational Resource model where courses use textbooks, journals and other materials available free online. In 2021, the State of California allocated more than $115 million to help schools promote the transition.

Leslie Lange Kennedy, assistant vice chancellor of academic technology services at California State University, said the school works to help students get the materials they need.

“We work really hard to help faculty become aware of zero-cost course materials,” Lange Kennedy explained. “And to help them with the time and effort that it takes to migrate their courses utilizing a free or low-cost material.”
Recently, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 607, which requires colleges and universities to disclose the costs of their courses ahead of time.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

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Why is the US only now admitting Ukraine might need to strike a deal with Russia?

El presidente ucraniano, Volodomyr Zelensky (derecha), le da la mano al presidente estadounidense, Joe Biden, tras el anuncio de la declaración conjunta de las naciones del G7 para el apoyo a Ucrania el 12 de julio de 2023, en Vilnius, Lituania - Foto de Sean Gallup - Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky (R) shakes hands with U.S. President Joe Biden following the announcement of the G7 nations' joint declaration for the support of Ukraine on July 12, 2023, in Vilnius, Lithuania - Photo by Sean Gallup

It’s a terrible shame that Washington is controlled by bloody-minded ghouls who never cease advocating and inciting terrible wars that never achieve anything apart from enriching the Military-Industrial Complex

by John Leake

Just over a quarter of a century ago, George Kennan – the chief architect of the U.S. Cold War policy – published an opinion in the New York Times about the folly of expanding NATO up to Russia’s borders.

Based on elementary “balance of power” principles, he perceived that expanding a military alliance (with accompanying military installations) all the way to Russia would result in precisely the instability – and ultimately the war – that the proponents of the policy proclaimed they wished to prevent.

Everyone knows the U.S. government would never tolerate a Russian military alliance with accompanying military installations anywhere the western hemisphere, never mind right on the U.S. mainland’s border. Since the 19th century, the U.S. government hasn’t tolerated ANY military alliances with European powers anywhere near the territory of the United States.

In 1917, German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman sent an encrypted telegram to the Mexican government in which he proposed a military alliance against the United States. The British navy intercepted and decrypted it, and when it was published in the American press, it immediately swayed public opinion in favor of joining the war against Germany.

In 1962, when Soviet missile installations were discovered in Cuba, a major crisis ensued between the Kennedy and Khrushchev governments and was only defused when the Kennedy administration agreed to remove U.S. Jupiter missiles from Turkey.

Thus, for many years I have wondered why anyone in their right mind would believe that Russia – a country invaded by France in 1812 and Germany in 1941, with catastrophic consequences for its people – would tolerate the U.S. government, intelligence agencies, and NATO setting up shop in Ukraine?

Since December of 2022, I’ve heard nothing but nonsense and humbug from U.S. government officials about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Instead of encouraging Ukraine to settle its differences with Russia through negotiations and compromise, the U.S. government has encouraged a terribly destructive war that has gotten hundreds of thousands of young Ukrainian men killed.

Anyone who has studied military history for a few hours could easily recognize that launching a counter-offensive into Russia’s defensive positions in eastern Ukraine would NOT work.

The strategy of pressing Ukrainian forces into Russian artillery batteries was scarcely better than the Union assault on Marye’s Heights at the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862. During that perfectly futile Union offensive, a Confederate battery commander remarked that if given enough shot and powder, he could kill every man north of the Rappahannock if Union officers kept sending them.

U.S., European officials broach topic of peace negotiations with Ukraine, sources say. The conversations have included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal with Russia.

This was imminently predictable. Since the Ukrainian-Russian crisis entered its final stage (before war) almost two years ago, I have perceived that the Ukrainian government would eventually have to negotiate with the Russians, and should therefore do it before getting hundreds of thousands killed.

It’s a terrible shame that Washington is controlled by bloody-minded ghouls who never cease advocating and inciting terrible wars that never achieve anything apart from enriching the Military-Industrial Complex.

Scarcely two months had elapsed after the calamitous end of the 20-year Afghanistan debacle before the same gang of Neocon knuckleheads started clamoring for a showdown with Russia in Ukraine.

I doubt that any of Washington’s hawks care at all about ordinary Ukrainians. Hillary Clinton expressly stated that supporting war in Ukraine would result in Russia getting bogged down in that country, just as it had gotten bogged down in Afghanistan (aided by the U.S. arming mujahideen like Osama bin Laden).

Other congressmen and policy wonks have made similar statements about the benefits of waging a proxy war in Ukraine – that is, it’s a great way to kill Russians and hurt Russia without having to use American soldiers to do it, and it’s great for the U.S. armaments industry. Obviously they didn’t care at all about the Ukrainians.

The lesson is clear: U.S. foreign policy wonks are stupid and wanton. Most of them have never had a single shot fired at them and have no idea about the terrible reality of war.

Much the same can be said for American people who insisted that negotiating with Russia was anathema. Like cheering the newest football team in the league, they indulged in the brutally sentimental fantasy that it was better for other people to get killed instead of seeking a negotiated settlement. Their understanding of war is akin to a pornography consumer’s understanding of sex – that is, self-indulgent and completely detached from reality.

Reprinted with permission from Courageous Discourse.

 

 

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Post-pandemic, homeowners of color face losing homes – facing foreclosure state-wide

While CA homeowners of color already face many threats to their home, more will risk foreclosure than ever when pandemic-era mortgage relief will run out

by Selen Ozturk

Nov 6, 2023 – California homeowners of color already face many threats to their family home. Now, more will risk foreclosure than ever as millions of dollars in pandemic-era mortgage relief is set to run out before they even know it’s there.

At a Thurs., Nov. 2 briefing co-hosted by Ethnic Media Services and Housing and Economic Rights Advocates (HERA), housing attorneys and mortgage experts explained how homeowners can keep their family homes against these threats, while homeowners of color shared their personal experiences of struggling to preserve generational wealth.

https://youtu.be/Iu3VxkhKevg

Joe Jaramillo, a senior attorney at HERA, a statewide housing legal service and advocacy nonprofit, said the main threats facing vulnerable homeowners are “keeping the family home when a parent or grandparent passes away; financing Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs which risk the borrower’s home if unpaid; and “zombie” second mortgages “that haunt borrowers with unexpected bills and threats of foreclosure.”

The passing of a homeowning relative presents a threat when there is no will or trust, so that loved ones have to go through an arduous, lengthy and expensive probate court to inherit it while property taxes, insurance and mortgages pile up with an unclear responsibility of who’s to pay. Jaramillo said Black and Latino households report consistently higher foreclosure risks from this problem.

He added that PACE, which finances clean energy home improvements like solar with no-money-down loans repaid by adding expensive sums to property taxes, has put thousands of California homeowners of color at risk of foreclosure statewide.

“It sounds good in theory,” said Jaramillo, “but many salespeople and contractors target low-income households and misrepresent costs or install nonfunctioning or nonconnected improvements like solar panels.”

A third factor, he continued, are zombie mortgages: “second loans often taken out at the same time as a larger first lien mortgage, split to allow borrowers to avoid large down payments and apply part of the second to the down.”

Before the 2008 housing crash, many predatory high-interest loans were marketed heavily to lower-income homeowners assured their home values would only rise; after the crash, second-mortgage zombie lenders stopped billing because the homes were worth less than these mortgages, and homeowners assumed the second ones were forgiven, amended with the first, or gone with bankruptcy. Now that home values are up again, however, debt collectors are back with years of interest and fees.

https://youtu.be/BEkAgw1S6C8

The California Mortgage Relief Program is the main way that homeowners have been able to surmount these threats, said Rebecca Franklin, president of the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA).

Since it was launched federally in December 2021, over 23,000 Californians have kept their homes due to the program, which offers grants up to $80,000 per home for a total of nearly $650 million dispersed so far.

However, given that the one-time billion dollar fund is projected to run out by 2025, and likely sooner, she urged homeowners to take advantage.

Unlike Great Recession relief programs, this one “is a grant you don’t have to pay back,” Franklin explained. “Often when homeowners hear about our program, they say ‘Getting $80,000 they don’t have to pay back, that’s too good to be true, this isn’t real.’ And it is real. Certain racial groups were hit harder financially due to the pandemic, and a goal of this program is to retain their generational wealth and protect these first-time homebuyers who sacrificed so much to get a home for their families.”

Even if homebuyers don’t meet the program’s criteria — “low to moderate income, it has to be your primary residence, you’re not able to own other homes in the state” — she said homeowners could contact CalHFA for housing counselors or legal services.

Predatory debts

Even when relief like the mortgage grant is available, many mortgage services don’t tell homeowners about them, leaving many vulnerable to unknown outstanding debt, said Johanna Torres, program coordinator of California Rural Legal Services (CRLA).

Her client, Saul de la Cruz, shared his experience of this debt in the form of a zombie mortgage.

Having bought his family home in Salinas directly before the Great Recession in 2007, de la Cruz got two mortgage loans. The second company stopped contacting him during the crash. He then modified the first mortgage, assumed the second — for $14,600 — was included, and nearly 15 years later received a request from the second lender to begin negotiating to avoid foreclosure. He borrowed the money from family and friends, and is now struggling to maintain both mortgages.

Although laws like the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act require most mortgage companies to provide regular statements to the buyer, added Jaramillo, “this is a common problem we see. These predatory lenders are not providing borrowers with the information that they should be entitled to to figure out if they really owe the amounts that are being claimed.”

https://youtu.be/6Ugz4n_Wu1I

As foreclosure rates return to pre-pandemic levels, grants like California Mortgage Relief are key to protecting families from losing their most valuable intergenerational asset — their family home, said Mary Day, an attorney at HERA.

Her client, Danny Bishop, shared his own story of saving his Richmond home from foreclosure caused by bureaucratic confusion and family health decline. As the previous homeowner, his mother, began suffering dementia in 2015, her sibling neglected the property and began getting cited an ultimate total above $90,000 for code violations and property tax evasions.

Day then worked with the City of Richmond, which said that $56,000 owed for code violations was a mistake, subsequently reduced to under $30,000.

“They would never tell me why they were charging so much,” said Bishop. “They said keep cleaning your backyard, good job, then one day they charged me tens of thousands.”

This bureaucratic unresponsiveness is par for the course when it comes to challenges facing homeowners who seek relief.

“The larger the entity, the more resistant they are to dealing with individual situations,” said Day. “Though there’s a tax code that gives them the discretion to give relief, they told us after six months they wouldn’t provide it. A city mistake and this tax penalty caused just this snowball effect where the family was struggling with foreclosure… and the bureaucracy was what made it difficult. California mortgage relief has been the family’s savior.”

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Luna Mexicana se presenta en San José

por Magdy Zara

La esperada presentación de Luna Mexicana del Oakland Ballet, regresa para su habitual presentación de dos funciones.

Luna Mexicana es uno de los eventos más esperados del Día de los Muertos, por ser de los más elaborados e inclusivos del Área de la Bahía.

Luna Mexicana es una hermosa combinación de danza exuberante, música alegre, trajes coloridos, flores, velas, comida y sobre todo, es una hermosa celebración familiar.

Esta magistral obra cuenta la historia de una niña llamada Luna, que el Día de Muertos, se queda dormida frente al altar que instaló en honor a sus antepasados. Sus seres queridos la visitan mientras ella duerme y la llevan a un viaje al más allá.

Ésta presentación incluye una coreografía del director artístico del Oakland Ballet, Graham Lustig, así como actuaciones del conjunto de danza azteca Nahui Ehekatl and Co. y el Ballet Folklórico de México Danza.

El programa “Luna Mexicana” 2023 de Oakland Ballet Company contará con:

El regreso de Viva la Vida, un ballet inspirado en la vida y el espíritu de Frida Kahlo. Co-coreografiada por Martín Romero del Ballet Folklórico

Director Artístico de México Danza y Oakland Ballet, Graham Lustig.

Ballet Folklórico México Danza que presenta danza folclórica tradicional mexicana.

Mariachi Mexicanisimo presentando música de mariachi.

La primera presentación será este viernes 3 de noviembre 2 p.m., mientras que el día 10 de noviembre será a las 4 p.m., en el Teatro Paramount, Oakland 2025 Broadway.

“Todo lo que hemos perdido”: una ceremonia de recuperación

Todo lo que hemos perdido, es un evento organizado por Headlands Center for the Arts, que busca con una velada espacial “reencontrar” a los inmigrantes mexicanos del área de la Bahía con sus costumbres.

Este programa íntimo consta de actuaciones en vivo, comida y prácticas ceremoniales tradicionales mexicanas y occidentalizadas.

Headlands Center for the Arts invita cordialmente a “Todo lo que hemos perdido: una ceremonia de recuperación”; que contará con la especial participación de Arleene Correa Valencia, becaria del Área de la Bahía de Headlands.

Correa Valencia señala que “muchas familias inmigrantes se esfuerzan por integrarse a la nueva cultura en la que viven manteniendo al mismo tiempo su propia identidad y costumbres, invisibles y visibles al mismo tiempo”.

Luego agrega “a estas familias, en particular a las indocumentadas, se les puede negar momentos importantes de celebración, por miedo”.

Basándose en la experiencia personal de Correa Valencia, “Todo lo que hemos perdido” sirve como una recuperación simbólica de esos hitos de celebración, invitando al público a compartir y ser testigo de un momento de amor y alegría personal y colectivo.

La vestimenta para esta noche se recomienda sea formal, las bebidas estarán a cargo de Cantina Monarca, la comida de Día de Los Tacos, los encargados de la Música son el Mariachi Nueva Generación.

La cita es este domingo 5 de noviembre de 4 p m. a 9 p.m. En el  Headlands Center for the Arts 944 Fort Barry Sausalito, Las entradas tienen un costo de $40  y $50.

KQED presenta “Historias de californianos de raza mixta”

Entender la vida desde la complejidad multiracial puede ser un obstáculo para algunas personas y para otros puede ser una herramienta para su crecimiento, estos serán algunos de los temas que se tocarán en el evento organizado por KQED donde de manera interactiva se narrarán Historias de Californianos de raza mixta.

La identidad siempre es complicada, y para las personas multirraciales que abarcan muchas identidades, puede resultar aislante. También puede ser estimulante y enriquecedor pertenecer a múltiples comunidades y celebrar esa complejidad.

Los presentadores de la serie MIXED de KQED, lleve esa celebración de las amplias experiencias de los californianos mixtos al escenario para una fusión de narración en vivo y documental con W. Kamau Bell y Melissa Hudson Bell y otros.

La narración multimedia en vivo de Cheyenne Bearfoot, comida del concursante de Top Chef y propietario de Sobre Mesa Chef Nelson German, una actuación de Megan Lowe Dances y más.

El evento está pautado para el próximo jueves 9 de noviembre a partir de las 7 p.m., en la sede de KQED, ubicada en 2601 Mariposa Street San Francisco.  Las entradas tienen un costo a partir de los $5, para obtener mayor información:  https://www.kqed.org/

 

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Luna Mexicana performs in San José

by Magdy Zara

Oakland Ballet’s long-awaited performance of Luna Mexicana returns for its usual two-performance run.

Luna Mexicana is one of the most anticipated Day of the Dead events, as it is one of the most elaborate and inclusive in the Bay Area.

Luna Mexicana is a beautiful combination of exuberant dance, happy music, colorful costumes, flowers, candles, food and above all, it is a beautiful family celebration.

This masterful work tells the story of a girl named Luna, who on the Day of the Dead falls asleep in front of the altar that she installed in honor of her ancestors. Her loved ones visit her while she sleeps and take her on a journey to the afterlife.

This presentation includes choreography by Oakland Ballet artistic director Graham Lustig, as well as performances by the Aztec dance ensemble Nahui Ehekatl and Co. and the Ballet Folklérico de México Danza.

Oakland Ballet Company’s 2023 “Luna Mexicana” program will feature:

The return of Viva la Vida, a ballet inspired by the life and spirit of Frida Kahlo. Co-choreographed by Martín Romero of Ballet Folklorico

Artistic Director of México Danza and Oakland Ballet, Graham Lustig.

Ballet Folklorico México Dance that presents traditional Mexican folk dance.

Mariachi Mexicanisimo presenting mariachi music.

The first presentation will be this Friday, Nov. 3, 2 p.m., while on November 10 it will be at 4 p.m., at the Paramount Theater, Oakland 2025 Broadway.

“Everything we have lost”: a recovery ceremony

Everything We Have Lost is an event organized by Headlands Center for the Arts, which seeks with a space evening to “rediscover” Mexican immigrants from the Bay area with their customs.

This intimate program consists of live performances, food, and traditional Mexican and Westernized ceremonial practices.

Headlands Center for the Arts cordially invites you to “All We Have Lost: A Recovery Ceremony”; which will feature the special participation of Arleene Correa Valencia, Headlands Bay Area intern.

Correa Valencia points out that “many immigrant families strive to integrate into the new culture in which they live while maintaining their own identity and customs, invisible and visible at the same time.”

She then adds “these families, particularly undocumented ones, may be denied important moments of celebration, out of fear.”

Drawing on Correa Valencia’s personal experience, “Everything We Have Lost” serves as a symbolic recovery of those celebratory milestones, inviting audiences to share and witness a moment of personal and collective love and joy.

The attire for this night is recommended to be formal, the drinks will be provided by Cantina Monarca, the food will be provided by Día de Los Tacos, the music managers will be Mariachi Nueva Generación.

The appointment is this Sunday, November 5 from 4 pm. to 9 p.m. At the Headlands Center for the Arts 944 Fort Barry Sausalito, Tickets are $40 and $50.

KQED Presents “Stories from Mixed-Race Californians”

Understanding life from multiracial complexity can be an obstacle for some people and for others it can be a tool for their growth. These will be some of the topics that will be discussed at the event organized by KQED where Stories from Californians from California will be told interactively. mixed race.

Identity is always complicated, and for multiracial people who encompass many identities, it can be isolating. It can also be stimulating and enriching to belong to multiple communities and celebrate that complexity.

The hosts of KQED’s MIXED series, bring that celebration of the broad experiences of mixed Californians to the stage for a fusion of live storytelling and documentary with W. Kamau Bell and Melissa Hudson Bell and others.

Live multimedia narration from Cheyenne Bearfoot, food from Top Chef contestant and Sobre Mesa owner Chef Nelson German, a performance from Megan Lowe Dances and more.

The event is scheduled for next Thursday, November 9, starting at 7 p.m., at the KQED headquarters, located at 2601 Mariposa Street San Francisco. Tickets start at $5, for more information: https://www.kqed.org/

 

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Does an ID prevent voter fraud?

What is happening in this great democracy in the United States of America, that accusations of electoral fraud are coming to the surface more and more often?

What could arguably not happen in this great nation where legality and technology would not make such an action possible, is happening.

In Connecticut, Superior Court Judge William Clark threw out the results of the Sept. 12 primary in Bridgeport after a video surfaced showing an individual alleged to have been a supporter of Democratic Mayor Joe Ganim putting several ballots into a ballot box to vote absentee.

Doesn’t this sound familiar when Donald Trump was ignored by the courts when he charged that there was fraud in the election that took the presidency from him and handed it over to Joe Biden?

Of course no one wanted to believe that.

“The videos are shocking to the court and should be shocking to all parties,” said Judge William F. Clark, whose original complaint was filed on Sept. 19, 2023.

The judge ordered the results of the recent mayoral primary in Bridgeport, the state’s largest city, be overturned and new elections held.

Clark’s decision affirmed that allegations that current Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim won his election as a result of significant fraud involving absentee votes were founded. “The volume of evidence in this case, including the hundreds of hours of video surveillance revealed and accepted into evidence, is perhaps unprecedented in the state of Connecticut in an election case,” Clark observes.

After a primary election in September, challenger John Gomes, former chief administrative officer of Bridgeport city government, was leading Ganim among votes cast in person. Ganim then predicted that absentee votes would lead the way, and he ultimately won the absentee votes 1,564 to 861, securing a primary victory by just 251 votes.

After the election, Gomes posted a video of what appears to be city employee Wanda Geter-Pataky, affiliated with Ganim’s campaign, stuffing ballot boxes.

On Aug. 30, just over two weeks before the September primary election, the Connecticut State Election Enforcement Commission recommended criminal charges for Geter-Pataky and two other people associated with Ganim’s campaign related to the mishandling of absentee votes in the Bridgeport mayoral primary in 2019. Ganim also won that election by just about 300 votes after the absentee votes were counted.

Connecticut law requires that only a voter or a voter’s designee can drop a ballot in an absentee ballot collection box.

The case went to court after Gomes sued to have the results of the primary thrown out.

How do we protect the integrity of the elections if when voting you’re not required to show your ID, while you’re required to show it in other transactions?

Currently, there is a petition to change that, called Citizens for Voter ID.

Why this petition matters, states the site Change.org.

“In California, you need ID to board trains, planes, to access government services, and to write checks.  However, you don’t need it to vote! California’s election results have a huge impact on the nation as the most populated state, yet there is no safeguard that the person voting is who they say they are. This needs to change. Pass a law or put an initiative on the ballot requiring voter ID at the polls. The future of fair elections is at stake.”

A total of 35 states have laws requesting or requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls.

During the November 2022 midterm elections, Nebraska became the 36th state to require voter ID when voters approved a citizen initiative requiring photo ID.

Proponents argue increasing identification requirements can prevent in-person voter impersonation and increase public confidence in the election process. Opponents say there is little fraud of this kind, and the burden on voters unduly restricts the right to vote and imposes unnecessary costs and administrative burdens on elections administrators.

Reform California Chairman Carl DeMaio on Aug. 13, 2023, filed a statewide ballot initiative with the Attorney General’s office that would amend the California state constitution to require Voter ID be used in all future state elections and impose several key accountability reforms on state and local election officials in an effort to restore public trust and confidence in the integrity of California’s elections.

Among the requirements in the initiative:

– Holds state and local election officials accountable to maintain accurate voter registration lists including proper verification of citizenship and eligibility.

– Reduces the problem of “orphan ballots” being improperly mailed out by requiring improved verification of current address for voters where residency is in doubt.

– Improves verification of voter identification by requiring a voter to present a Driver’s License for in-person voting or requiring a voter to provide the last three digits of a Driver’s License and a matching signature if voting by mail.

There is no doubt that if voter ID was required, election fraud charges would diminish tremendously.

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The Oaxacan Chileans, popular music with South American origins

Although the Chilean Oaxacan songs emerge from the traditional music of the Andean country, here they mixed with the music of the Costa Chica creating a new genre

Shared from/by Mexico Desconocido

There is no mystery as to their origin, the Oaxacan Chilenas, as their name indicates, come from the so-called Chilean cueca; a musical and dance genre from the Andean country, in turn a product of multiple influences: zambra and Spanish fandango mixed with African American and Peruvian rhythms.

However, how did these rhythmic melodies and their dances so full of life come to our country?

The Oaxacan Chileans and the 19th century

According to some historians, both the music and the dance that would be known as Oaxacan Chileans arrived in 1821 at the port of Acapulco, on a ship of the Chilean Navy, sent by the government of that country to support the insurgents in the fight. for the Independence of Mexico.

However, their arrival coincided with the triumph of the independence movement and Chilean sailors gladly joined the party spirit that predominated in the streets, playing their string instruments and dancing the Chilean cuecas on the beaches, with handkerchiefs in one hand.

Consequently, the happy rhythm of the melodies conquered the people of Acapulque, who mixed it with the traditional music of the region and little by little the Chilean music spread to other areas, especially to the state of Oaxaca.

Dancing to the rhythm of southern music

Currently, Chilean is the representative musical genre of the Costa Chica, a region located between Acapulco and the central coast of Oaxaca. Likewise, it is common for meetings of Chilean musicians to be organized to compose, play and sing this musical genre.

As for the Chilean dance, it involves a lot of tapping, sensual movements and clothing that consists, for the woman, of a wide satin skirt adorned with lace and ribbons; white blouse and beaded figures; as well as a handkerchief hung around the waist or in the hand to wave during the dance.

For their part, the men wear pants and a long white blanket shirt, a palm hat, and two bandanas, one around the neck and the other in the hand, also to wave while they dance.

Finally, the cultural relevance of Oaxacan Chilean women is evident in the Guelaguetza festival, as they represent the region with great pride.

The emblematic music of the southern states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, Chilean music, flourishes in one of the most ethnically diverse regions of Mexico.

A broad collection of subgenres, in both traditional and contemporary hybrid styles, serve populations that are geographically and culturally distinct. This article examines the discourse and rhetorical strategies underlying the stories that tell the origin of Chilena and the efforts to include it in the family of regional sounds of Mexico.

The musical and social aspects of the construction of the genre are related to historical and contemporary narratives that deal with issues of miscegenation, race, regionalism and nation.

During the 19th century, South American music and dance genres, such as cueca, spread along the Pacific coast from Chile and Peru to Mexico and as far north as California. Some forms took root in these coastal areas, combining with native peoples and acquiring distinctive local characteristics.

On the Costa Chica of the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, in honor of the South American origins of the music, a new form became known generically as Chilean. As evidenced in historical and contemporary discourse, like other genres after independence, cueca and chilena contributed to fusing national and regional imaginaries. Just as the cueca was ordained the official musical and dance genre of Chile, the chilena became the emblematic performing genre of the Costa Chica.

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CA approves signature gathering for ballot initiative on voter ID

by Suzanne Potter

California News Service

Backers of a proposed ballot initiative to require government ID to vote have just gotten state approval to start gathering signatures.

A group called Reform California, run by conservative radio host Carl DeMaio, is sponsoring the initiative but did not respond to requests for comment. Its website cites concerns about voter fraud.

Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director at California Common Cause, said cases of voter impersonation are infinitesimal – and voter ID requirements hurt the approximately 10 percent of Californians who don’t have a driver’s license or state ID card.

“You would be solving a ‘problem’ that doesn’t really exist,” said Stein. “So you’re not gaining much. But you are putting barriers in front of young voters, older voters, voters with disabilities and low-income voters. The tradeoffs are not worth it.”

The proposal would also add requirements around maintenance of voter rolls – verification of ballot signatures and audits of the election process.

California already has extensive security measures in place to match voters’ addresses and signatures with those on file, and noncitizens cannot vote.

Stein said a bill on voter ID is introduced in almost every legislative session.

“It never goes anywhere, and because it’s bad policy, and not good for voters,” said Stein. “And I think the proponents are sick of losing in the Legislature and have decided to take this to the ballot.”

Voters have put Democrats in control of California’s executive and legislative branches.

The Reform California website states that so-called “election integrity” measures are necessary to achieve backers’ long-term goal to retake power at the state level.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

During Health Literacy Month, protect yourself from big hospital bills

October is Health Literacy Month and advocates are speaking out against big hospital bills.

Studies show about two-thirds of bankruptcies in the U.S. are tied to medical debt.

Jim Manley, board member of Consumers for Quality Care, noted nonprofit hospitals are required to have financial assistance programs, and cannot take extraordinary collection actions on unpaid medical bills without first attempting to determine a patient’s eligibility for financial assistance.

“Despite these regulations, only 42 percent of hospitals have actually informed patients when they could be eligible for charity care, and 45 percent of nonprofit hospitals routinely send medical bills to patients who qualify for charity care,” Manley reported. “That’s not only against the law, it’s wrong.”

Patients are advised to call the hospital before any planned visits and find out if they qualify for a break on the cost, and check with other local hospitals to compare prices.

A 2021 study found hospital prices varied by nearly 300 percent between the highest and lowest prices for standard outpatient services. Federal rules require hospitals to publish the price of medical services but fewer than one-quarter of hospitals were complying as of last February.

Lawmakers have passed measures to prohibit surprise out-of-network bills from hospitals and ambulance companies. California’s new Office of Healthcare Affordability will be in full operation by 2026.

Rachel Linn Gish, communications director for the group Health Access California, said the agency will set cost growth targets across the health industry.

“Hospitals, providers and insurance companies, they will all have to agree to have their prices not exceed certain benchmarks,” Gish pointed out. “And if they do, then there are enforcement procedures that the state can take on the back end.”

Advocates also warn of the pitfalls of medical credit cards, which may carry a low initial interest rate but shoot up to 25 percent interest later on.

 

 

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Kaiser unions went on strike twice in 12 months. They could return to strike in the first week of November

Empleados de Kaiser Permanente en huelga el 4 de octubre de 2023. Los trabajadores realizaron una manifestación frente a la ubicación de Kaiser Permanente en el sur de Sacramento exigiendo salarios más altos y más personal. Kaiser Permanente employees on strike on Oct. 4, 2023. The workers held a demonstration in front of the Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento location demanding higher wages and more staffing. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

by Kristen Hwang, CalMatters

Health care workers fed up with low pay, burnout and understaffing walked out on Kaiser Permanente twice in 12 months, disrupting care and compelling the health giant to hire thousands of temporary workers.

The company’s blue collar unions put Kaiser on notice two weeks ago that they were preparing to walk out again in the first week of November, raising the stakes as negotiations continued.

Faced with that threat, Kaiser Permanente late last week announced what the Biden administration called a “historic” contract with the union coalition representing its lowest-paid workers, promising steep raises over the next four years.

It was the latest in a string of scorching labor wins in California this year.

In fact, unions did so well in the Capitol that the Kaiser contract wasn’t even the biggest labor victory for health care workers at the end of last week. That designation went to the law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed instituting a new minimum wage for health workers and gradually raising the floor to $25 an hour over a decade.

Kaiser workers will achieve that milestone faster under the contract the health care giant announced Friday, which raises pay for some 68,000 California workers by 21% through 2027.

Kaiser Vice President and Chief of Human Resources Greg Holmes said the terms of the deal help the organization maintain its reputation as “one of the best places to work in health care.” The company plays an outsize role in California health care, where it serves more than 9 million patients.

“We believe this new contract will actually help us continue to have some of the best employees … and with those employees we’ll be able to deliver on our mission of providing high quality, affordable and accessible health care to our members,” Holmes said.

But that optimism for Kaiser’s workforce didn’t come easily.

Less than a week before reaching a deal, more than 75,000 Kaiser workers in four states staged a three-day strike, protesting acute staffing shortages and accusing Kaiser of engaging in unfair labor practices. The short but disruptive strike led to patient appointment cancellations across the country and required Kaiser to hire thousands of temporary workers. Labor leaders said it was the largest health care worker strike in U.S. history.

Just 12 months ago, a strike by mental health workers similarly disrupted the company. Thousands of therapists and other mental health clinicians at Kaiser’s Northern California facilities walked out for 10 weeks, protesting high case volumes, months-long delays in patient care and widespread burnout.

The prolonged strike resulted in reduced caseloads, additional guaranteed time with patients, and a commitment from Kaiser to hire more therapists, but not before the state opened an investigation into the health care giant’s practices. That investigation concluded last week with a $200 million settlement, including a $50 million fine from the state.

U.S. labor secretary mediated contract talks

Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su, who mediated the final tense negotiations last week between Kaiser and its blue-collar unions, said the latest agreement was a testament to labor’s power.

“Collective bargaining works. It may not always look pretty, but unions have throughout our nation’s history built the middle class,” Su said during a press briefing Friday. “And it’s through agreements like this one. President Biden and I support workers’ right to organize.”

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris praised the recent Kaiser deal, too, in a message on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “The President and I strongly believe in the collective bargaining process, and we know that when unions are strong, our nation is strong,” Harris said.

Kaiser’s union coalition represents more than 85,000 workers in six states and Washington, D.C., but the coalition’s largest footprint is in California. About 90% of Kaiser’s workforce is in California, where it operates more than 500 health facilities and three dozen hospitals.

Dave Reagan, president of SEIU-United Health Workers West, the largest of the coalition unions, said the deal helps reestablish Kaiser as an industry leader for patients and workers.

“Although it’s been bumpy, and we’ve obviously had our challenges, there is a commitment on the part of the unions that comprise the coalition to genuinely say to Kaiser, we want to rebuild the partnership,” Reagan said.

‘Stability’ at Kaiser Permanente 

Before the statewide minimum wage deal was announced, Steve Shields, Kaiser’s senior vice president of national labor relations, said Kaiser executives decided bumping California wages to $25 was the “right thing to do” especially for employees on the lowest end of the wage scale.

“Irregardless of the legislation, internally we looked at this and said this makes sense,” Shields said.

Union leaders say the salary increases and other commitments from Kaiser will create “long-term stability” for a workforce that has struggled with high turnover from the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to increased inflation. Hundreds of thousands of health workers have left the profession since 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“We have reached a tentative agreement that unquestionably allows this workforce to not just keep up with but exceed the cost of living that people are struggling with across the country,” Reagan said. “People under this tentative agreement can rightfully expect to make real economic progress in real terms.”

Kaiser representatives did not answer questions about how much its labor agreement is estimated to cost, although they did say that it will not lead to cost increases for Kaiser patients. According to the mental health investigation, Kaiser reported a net revenue exceeding $91.3 billion in 2022.

“It’s not our intention that this agreement will have any impact on rates. We have an obligation to members that we are delivering affordable health care. This agreement alone would not translate into changes in rates,” Shields said.

 

 

 

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Government of Nicaragua declares yellow alert for the entire country

by El Reportero wire services

According to a bulletin from the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (Ineter), the atmospheric phenomenon is located 540 kilometers west of Managua and is almost stationary.

A slow movement towards the East-Northeast is forecast, with maximum winds of 85 kilometers per hour, with the possibility of increasing its intensity in the next 36 hours.

According to the report, the Pacific region and the center and west will continue with intermittent rains due to the slow movement of the system, which could saturate the soils and cause flooding, flash floods, strong waves in the coastal area and landslides. in the volcanic mountain range.

The authorities of the National System for the Prevention, Mitigation and Attention of Disasters (Sinapred) asked to ensure the early warning and activation mechanisms of the communities in critical points due to storm surges, strong winds, floods and landslides to ensure the lives of the communities. people.

Through a statement, they recommended activating appropriate communication mechanisms in the communities in order to maintain a continuous flow of information about the progress of their self-protection measures.

Likewise, they requested to prepare the conditions of shelter and protection sites for people and families who require timely care during the transit of the meteorological phenomenon.

In addition, they highlighted the importance of reviewing the availability of resources and institutional means that allow providing timely care to people, families and communities affected by the different components of the tropical storm.

Sinapred called on the Nicaraguan population to remain calm and pay attention to the information.

The yellow alert is the second of three prevention and care measures applied by the Nicaraguan authorities in the event of the possible entry of a tropical cyclone into the national territory.

Guatemala foresees the arrival of 70 thousand cruise passengers in the 2023-2024 season

The latest projections of the entity, for September-July of next year, indicated the arrival of 33 vessels through the Pacific, whose passengers will have the opportunity to explore different destinations.

On this side, La Antigua Guatemala, department of Sacatepéquez, stands out; Lake Atitlán, Sololá; coffee and macadamia farms on the South Coast; the Auto Safari Chapín, Santa Rosa; and Pacaya Volcano, Escuintla; as well as the Iximché archaeological site, Chimaltenango.

13 ships are waiting on the Atlantic, whose tourists could visit Las Escobas, Cerro San Gil, Amatique Bay, the Ak’ Tenamit community, around the Dulce River Livingston, Río Dulce, Castillo de San Felipe and Quiriguá Archaeological Park, in Izabal, apart from Tikal, in Petén. Days ago, Inguat held a protocol event at the terminal known as “Marina Pez Vela” in Puerto Quetzal, Escuintla, to officially inaugurate the season.

Statistics from its Market Research and Analysis area showed that at the end of last July, a total of 45,544 cruise passengers arrived, with average expenses of $209.80 per day per person.

On that occasion, 65 boats docked on both coasts, which contributed 2.3 million dollars to the country’s economy, with the purchase of tourist packages, crafts, fabrics, textiles, clothing, jewelry, food and drinks.

This sector promotes local economic development and those who disembark generate a direct source of income for the value chain, especially for organized communities.

Inguat seeks to end 2023 with 2.3 million foreign visitors and income of 1,231 million dollars, a figure close to that achieved in 2019, something that points downwards due to the current protests and other factors.

The beauties of Guatemala attracted 1,844,739 tourists last year, a recovery of 72 percent after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to official data.

 

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