Landlords are using AI to raise rents — and California cities are leading the pushback

December 13, 2024

California and federal prosecutors have accused software company RealPage of enriching itself ”at the expense of renters who pay inflated prices”

CalMatters

San Diego’s proposed ordinance, now being drafted by the city attorney, comes after San Francisco supervisors in July enacted a similar, first-in-the-nation ban on “the sale or use of algorithmic devices to set rents or manage occupancy levels” for residences. San Jose is considering a similar approach.

And California and seven other states have also joined the federal prosecutors’ antitrust suit, which targets the leading rental pricing platform, Texas-based RealPage. The complaint alleges that “RealPage is an algorithmic intermediary that collects, combines, and exploits landlords’ competitively sensitive information. And in so doing, it enriches itself and compliant landlords at the expense of renters who pay inflated prices…”

But state lawmakers this year failed to advance legislation by Bakersfield Democratic Sen. Melissa Hurtado that would have banned the use of any pricing algorithms based on nonpublic data provided by competing companies. She said she plans to bring the bill back during the next legislative session because of what she described as ongoing harms from such algorithms.

“We’ve got to make sure the economy is fair and … that every individual who wants a shot at creating a business has a shot without being destroyed along the way, and that we’re also protecting consumers because it is hurting the pocketbooks of everybody in one way or another,” said Hurtado.

RealPage has been a major impetus for all of the actions. The company counts as its customers landlords with thousands of apartment units across California. Some officials accuse the company of thwarting competition that would otherwise drive rents down, exacerbating the state’s housing shortage and driving up rents in the process.

“Every day, millions of Californians worry about keeping a roof over their head and RealPage has directly made it more difficult to do so,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a written statement.

A RealPage spokesperson, Jennifer Bowcock, told CalMatters that a lack of housing supply, not the company’s technology, is the real problem — and that its technology benefits residents, property managers, and others associated with the rental market. The spokesperson later wrote that a “ misplaced focus on nonpublic information is a distraction… that will only make San Francisco and San Diego’s historical problems worse.”

As for the federal lawsuit, the company called the claims in it “devoid of merit” and said it plans to “vigorously defend ourselves against these accusations.”

“We are disappointed that, after multiple years of education and cooperation on the antitrust matters concerning RealPage, the (Justice Department) has chosen this moment to pursue a lawsuit that seeks to scapegoat pro-competitive technology that has been used responsibly for years,” the company’s statement read in part. “RealPage’s revenue management software is purposely built to be legally compliant, and we have a long history of working constructively with the (department) to show that.”

The company’s challenges will only grow if pricing software becomes another instance in which California lawmakers lead the nation. Following San Francisco’s ban, the Philadelphia City Council passed a ban on algorithmic rental price-fixing with a veto-proof vote last month. New Jersey has been considering its own ban.

Is it price fixing — or coaching landlords?

According to federal prosecutors, RealPage controls 80 percent of the market for commercial revenue management software. Its product is called YieldStar, and its successor is AI Revenue Management, which uses much of the same codebase as YieldStar, but has more precise forecasting. RealPage told CalMatters it serves only 10 percent of the rental markets in both San Francisco and San Diego, across its three revenue management software products.

Here’s how it works:

In order to use YieldStar and AIRM, landlords have historically provided RealPage with their own private data from their rental applications, rent prices, executed new leases, renewal offers and acceptances, and estimates of future occupancy, although a recent change allows landlords to choose to share only public data. This information from all participating landlords in an area is then pooled and run through mathematical forecasting to generate pricing recommendations for the landlords and for their competitors.

The San Diego council president, Sean Elo-Rivera, explained it like this:

“In the simplest terms, what this platform is doing is providing what we think of as that dark, smoky room for big companies to get together and set prices,” he said. “The technology is being used as a way of keeping an arm’s length from one big company to the other. But that’s an illusion.”

In the company’s own words, from company documents included in the lawsuit, RealPage “ensures that (landlords) are driving every possible opportunity to increase price even in the most downward trending or unexpected conditions.” The company also said in the documents that it “helps curb (landlords’) instincts to respond to down-market conditions by either dramatically lowering price or by holding price.”

Providing rent guidance isn’t the only service RealPage has offered landlords. In 2020, a Markup and New York Times investigation found that RealPage, alongside other companies, used faulty computer algorithms to do automated background checks on tenants. As a result, tenants were associated with criminal charges they never faced, and denied homes.

Impact on tenants

Thirty-one-year-old Navy veteran Alan Pickens and his wife move nearly every year “because the rent goes up, it gets unaffordable, so we look for a new place to stay,” he said. The northeastern San Diego apartment complex where they just relocated has two-bedroom apartments advertised for between $2,995 and $3,215.

They live in an area of San Diego where the U.S. Justice Department says information-sharing agreements between landlords and RealPage have harmed or are likely to harm renters.

The department in August filed its antitrust lawsuit against RealPage, alleging the company, through its legacy YieldStar software, engaged in an “unlawful scheme to decrease competition among landlords in apartment pricing”. The complaint names specific areas where rents are artificially high. Beyond the part of San Diego where Pickens lives, those areas include South Orange County, Rancho Cucamonga, Temecula, and Murrieta and northeastern San Diego.

In the second quarter of 2020, the average rent in San Diego County was $1,926, reflecting a 26 percent increase over three years, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Rents have since risen even more in the city of San Diego, to $2,336 per month as of November 2024 – up 21 percent from 2020, according to RentCafe and the Tribune. That’s 50 percent higher than the national average rent.

The attorneys general of eight states, including California, joined the Justice Department’s antitrust suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.

The California Justice Department contends RealPage artificially inflated prices to keep them above a certain minimum level, said department spokesperson Elissa Perez. This was particularly harmful given the high cost of housing in the state, she added. “The illegally maintained profits that result from these price alignment schemes come out of the pockets of the people that can least afford it.”

Renters make up a larger share of households in California than in the rest of the country — 44 percent here compared to 35 percent nationwide. The Golden State also has a higher percentage of renters than any state other than New York, according to the latest U.S. Census data.

San Diego has the fourth-highest percentage of renters of any major city in the nation.

The recent ranks of California legislators, however, have included few renters: As of 2019, CalMatters could find only one state lawmaker who did not own a home — and found that more than a quarter of legislators at the time were landlords.

Studies show that low-income residents are more heavily impacted by rising rents. Nationally between 2000 and 2017, Americans without a college degree spent a higher percentage of their income on rent. That percentage ballooned from 30 percent to 42 percent. For college graduates, that percentage increased from 26 percent to 34 percent.

“In my estimation, the only winners in this situation are the richest companies who are either using this technology or creating this technology,” said Elo-Rivera. “There couldn’t be a more clear example of the rich getting richer while the rest of us are struggling to get by.”

The state has invested in RealPage

Private equity giant Thoma Bravo acquired RealPage in January 2021 through two funds that have hundreds of millions of dollars in investments from California public pension funds, including the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, the Regents of the University of California and the Los Angeles police and fire pension funds, according to Private Equity Stakeholder Project.

“They’re invested in things that are directly hurting their pensioners,” said K Agbebiyi, a senior housing campaign coordinator with the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, a nonprofit private equity watchdog that produced a report about corporate landlords’ impact on rental hikes in San Diego.

RealPage argues that landlords are free to reject the price recommendations generated by its software. But the U.S. Justice Department alleges that trying to do so requires a series of steps, including a conversation with a RealPage pricing adviser. The advisers try to “stop property managers from acting on emotions,” according to the department’s lawsuit.

If a property manager disagrees with the price the algorithm suggests and wants to decrease rent rather than increase it, a pricing advisor will “escalate the dispute to the manager’s superior,” prosecutors allege in the suit.

In San Diego, the Pickenses, who are expecting their first child, have given up their gym memberships and downsized their cars to remain in the area. They’ve considered moving to Denver.

“All the extras pretty much have to go,” said Pickens. “I mean, we love San Diego, but it’s getting hard to live here.”

“My wife is an attorney and I served in the Navy for 10 years and now work at Qualcomm,” he said. “Why are we struggling? Why are we struggling?”

Trump on job training promises? High schools have left the goal of ‘college for all’ behind. Will he deliver?

December 13, 2024

frontpg_CollegeforAll_12 copy — Adrian Jurado, un pintor, pinta una pared para un negocio en el centro de Los Banos el 7 de noviembre de 2024. Adrian Jurado, a painter, paints a wall for a business in downtown Los Banos on Nov. 7, 2024. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local.

Career and technical education has strong bipartisan support. But some education experts fear its growth may come at the expense of college preparation programs

by Carolyn Jones

CalMatters

In this politically charged era, there’s one thing both parties agree on: the benefits of high school career pathways.

With strong bipartisan support, career and technical education programs are poised to be a centerpiece of education policy over the next few years — both federally and in California. That’s good news for students taking agriscience, cabinetry, game design and other hands-on courses that may lead to high-paying careers.

Education advocates hail this as a boon for high schools. Students enrolled in career training courses tend to have higher test scores and graduation rates. And business leaders say that strong career education can boost a local economy.

But there are still many unknowns, and some education experts worry that an expansion of career education will come at the expense of college-preparation programs, or lead to a return to “tracking,” in which schools steer certain students — often low-income students — toward careers that tend to pay less than those that require college degrees.

“This could be a great opportunity for career and technical education, but we have to do it right,” said Andy Rotherham, co-founder of Bellwether, a nonprofit educational consulting organization. “There’s a lot at stake.”

Funding is a primary question mark. While Republicans strongly support career education, it’s unclear if that enthusiasm will translate to more money — especially if Congress eliminates the Department of Education, as President-elect Trump has vowed to do.

Career education classes can be some of the most expensive programs in a school district. Supplies, up-to-date equipment, teacher training, smaller class sizes, operation costs and students’ certification exams can cost millions, and the costs only increase over time. Schools spend 20 percent-40 percent more to educate students in career programs than they spend on those who aren’t, research shows.

Most federal funding for career education comes from a 1960s law meant to improve career education. But that funding has not kept up with the escalating costs. Last year Congress allotted $1.4 billion, which was distributed to states through grants. California received $142 million, and supplemented that with an additional $1 billion.

“It’s wonderful to see this bipartisan support, but we’d like it to lead to continued investment,” said Alisha Hyslop, chief policy, research and content officer at the Association for Career and Technical Education, an advocacy group.

Career education and tracking

Career and technical education has waxed and waned since its inception in the early 20th century as a way to prepare students, usually from working-class or immigrant families, for jobs in skilled trades.

For decades, most high schools in the U.S. had some form of vocational education. Those programs came under scrutiny in the 1980s and ’90s as some complained about tracking practices that left many students without the option to attend a 4-year college because they hadn’t taken the required coursework.

Partly in response to that criticism, former President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act in the early 2000s encouraged schools to promote college for all students. As a result, many schools cut back their career education offerings and added more advanced academic classes.

Then the 2008 financial crisis hit. High unemployment coupled with the soaring cost of college led schools to revive their career training programs, but with less tracking. Schools started encouraging all students to take career education classes, and the classes themselves were updated. Welding and auto shop were joined by computer science, graphic design, environmental studies, health care and other fields. In California, students are encouraged to take a career pathway as well as the required classes for admission to public 4-year colleges, although last year only about 11 percent of students completed both, according to state data.

Welders vs. philosophers

Career and technical education is a focal point of Project 2025, the conservative policy roadmap written by the Heritage Foundation as well as the Republican party education platform and President-elect Trump’s nominee for education secretary, Linda McMahon. McMahon headed a pro-Trump political action group called America First Action, whose policies include an emphasis on career education in K-12 schools. The Republican platform reads, “(We) will emphasize education to prepare students for great jobs and careers, supporting … schools that offer meaningful work experience.”

Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, put it more succinctly: “Welders make more money than philosophers. We need more welders and less philosophers,” he said in 2015.

Career education has also been a priority for Democrats. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and the Legislature have all promoted career education. In 2022 Newsom created the Golden State Pathways program, a $470 million investment in high school career education, and followed up a year later with the Master Plan on Career Education, outlining a long-term vision. Newsom described it as “a game changer for thousands of students.”

In California, the goal is to link career training with college preparation coursework, and tie pathways — sequences of two or three classes — to the local job market. For example, a pathway at a high school near the Port of Long Beach includes classes in global logistics and international business. A pathway at Hollywood High trains students for jobs in the entertainment industry.

More ties to business?

But some educators worry about the fate of career education if the Department of Education, which administers the Perkins Act, is eliminated. Project 2025 suggests moving it to the Department of Labor, where it would likely have stronger ties to business and fewer ties to education organizations. That could impact whether pathway programs continue to have academic components, or include college preparation classes.

“Businesses love CTE because it socializes one of their big costs. Taxpayers are paying to train their workers,” said David Stern, education professor emeritus at UC Berkeley who’s an expert on career education.

Hyslop shares that concern.

“Certainly CTE has connections to the economy, but at its heart it’s an education program. It’s about preparing students for their future, whatever that future may be,” she said.

A broader question may be whether the push for career education is part of a backlash against college generally. College enrollment has been dropping steadily for a decade, coinciding with a surge in trade school enrollment.

Meanwhile, Trump has proposed big cuts to higher education, and has often expressed disdain for what he described as colleges’ leftward tilt. Project 2025 calls for the government to place trade schools on equal footing with 4-year colleges.

“This new interest in CTE captures the anti-elitist sentiment of the time,” Stern said. He added that preparation for college does not have to conflict with preparation for careers, and some programs, such as the California Partnership Academies, prepare students for both.

Rotherham agreed. “On the right, there’s definitely antagonism toward college,” he said.

But they both said regardless of the politics behind it, a national focus on career education could be transformative — if it doesn’t railroad students away from college opportunities. Ideally, students can gain career experience in high school, while also learning poetry and civics and other important academic subjects, Rotherham said.

“Power is having choices,” Rotherham said. “That’s what we want for kids. The option to change their mind if they want.”

California’s slow vote count sows doubt. Here’s how one group is trying to fix that

December 8, 2024

The California Voter Foundation launched a tool tracking daily vote counts in 18 close contests for Congress and the state Legislature. The tracker aims to show how counts change over time and dispel misinformation about election fraud, the group says

by Yue Stella Yu

California has a notoriously slow ballot counting process — one that Kim Alexander describes as “a pig in the python.”

“This giant wad of ballots that all arrive at once, that all have to move through the process, and you can’t speed it up,” said Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation. “You have to do every single step, otherwise you lose the integrity of the process.”

To help voters understand and trust that process, Alexander’s group launched a tracker this election that is monitoring the vote count in California’s close contests between Election Day and certification of county results.

Dubbed the Close Count Transparency Project, the tracker — which debuted as a pilot program in 2022 — provides daily updates on the results of 11 competitive U.S. House races and seven state legislative races, as well as the statewide vote count status. The tool tracks candidates’ vote share, votes counted and the number of unprocessed ballots in each county the districts cover.

As of late Tuesday, an estimated 570,500 ballots statewide were yet to be counted, according to the Secretary of State’s office. More than 126,000 ballots needed to be “cured” — they had been rejected for missing or mismatched signatures and voters have time to submit a form to verify their signatures.

A total of eight key contests remained uncalled by the Associated Press as of late Tuesday, including two congressional races, five legislative races and one statewide ballot measure. (CalMatters and other news outlets use AP to declare winners while the vote count is ongoing.)

By making the vote count more transparent, the close contest tracker aims to inoculate against unfounded conspiracy theories about election fraud in California, Alexander said.

Some prominent conservatives, including GOP U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, are spreading unproven claims that Democrats are “stealing” the 45th Congressional District race in Southern California, where Democrat Derek Tran is leading by a razor-thin margin over Republican Rep. Michelle Steel after trailing her for days.

“We wanted to create a record of where the vote count stood each day, so that if someone came along later and said, ‘Something hinky is going on here,’ there would be a reliable source of information people could turn to to see how the vote count evolved over time,” Alexander said.

The tracker also comes as frustration about the lengthy process grows in California. State Assemblymember Joe Patterson, a Rocklin Republican, called the procedure “dumb” on social media, arguing that winners of state legislative races will be sworn in Dec. 2, before the results are certified by the Secretary of State. The lengthy process “sows distrust” in the state’s election system, he told KCRA.

The state Assembly and Senate already held a joint freshman orientation last week for incoming lawmakers, while the five legislative races remain too close to call, Assembly Republicans spokesperson Jim Stanley confirmed to CalMatters.

“It’s a real problem for incoming lawmakers if they miss out on that,” Alexander said.

Why it takes so long to count — and how to speed it up

While voters and campaigns want to see results sooner, it is particularly challenging in California, Alexander said.

The state is home to more than 22 million registered voters, according to the state Secretary of State’s office. As of Tuesday afternoon, a total of 15 million ballots had been counted — a number bigger than the populations of 46 other states, Census data shows.

California has also made it easier for voters to cast their ballots in recent years. A 2021 law made universal vote-by-mail permanent in California, meaning every registered voter receives a mail-in ballot roughly a month before Election Day and the ballots are counted as long as they arrive at county elections offices within seven days after Election Day. In the March primary, almost 90% of all voters voted by mail, according to the Secretary of State.

The widespread use of vote-by-mail slows down the vote count, Alexander said, because they take longer to process.

“We have to open the envelopes, we have to verify the signature, and all of those things before we can actually accept that ballot,” said Secretary of State Shirley Weber in a press conference last week.

Additionally, election officials have to first complete counting mail-in ballots before they move onto ballots cast by voters who register the same day they voted to make sure no voter votes twice, said Jesse Salinas, president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials and clerk-recorder in Yolo County. The number of same-day registered voters has grown over the years, further slowing down the vote count, he said.

But the slow vote count is also because races are closer than more than a decade ago, Alexander said. The state’s independent redistricting commission drew more competitive districts after the 2020 Census, she said, and the top-two primary process was designed to boost candidates who could appeal to a broader range of voters in the general election.

Between 2002 and 2010, before voters approved the independent redistricting commission, there was an average of one or two close congressional races per general election, Alexander said. But following the 2011 redistricting and the 2012 adoption of the top-two primary, there was an average of five close contests per election cycle, she said.

“People would be less patient with our long vote count if we had more decisive victories, but we don’t,” she said.

Still, county election officials could benefit from more staffing and funding for better equipment, Alexander said. Kern County, for example, has acquired high-speed ballot scanners to tabulate votes faster, she said. As of Tuesday, Kern had processed nearly 280,000 ballots and had only about 8,500 to go.

The state could also benefit from spending big on voter outreach, urging voters to mail in their ballots sooner, which would help county officials pre-process more ballots and reduce the workload post-election, Alexander said.

But more importantly, she said, the state should allow voters to opt out of vote-by-mail if they want, although she acknowledged that under current law, voters have the option to cast the ballot they received in the mail in person instead.

“A lot of people don’t want to vote by mail, and then you are stuck with this ballot, and that confuses voters,” she said.

CalMatters reporter Sameea Kamal contributed to this story.

Mexican boxing legend Israel ‘Magnífico’ Vázquez dies at 46

December 6, 2024

by the El Reportero wire services

Legendary Mexican boxer Israel “Magnífico” Vázquez lost his battle with cancer on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 46.

World Boxing Council (WBC) president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed Vázquez’s death, paying tribute to the pugilist in a social media post: “Thank you Israel for the so many great memories that you have given us through your actions inside the ring but most importantly outside of it,” he wrote. “You are now eternal, rest in peace.”

Vázquez, a native of the Mexico City borough of Azcapotzalco, began his boxing career in 1995 at 18 years of age. He compiled a 44-5 record with 32 wins by knock-out.

According to the sports network ESPN, “Magnífico” was “[k]nown for his punching power and hand speed,” describing Vázquez as “one of Mexico’s most celebrated boxers.”

Vázquez had been diagnosed with stage 4 sarcoma in early November. Shortly after, Sulaiman had set up a GoFundMe site calling on boxing fans to show love for Vázquez. The WBC president also hosted a Mike Tyson-Jake Paul watch party fundraiser last month, which raised more than US $10,000 for the boxer.

Freddie Roach, widely regarded as one of the best boxing trainers of all time, also offered his condolences: “Always a world champion and a legend in boxing. One of the best boxers I have had the privilege to work with, a world champion. … My condolences to the Vázquez family and to all those who called Israel their friend.”

Vázquez held the International Boxing Federation world championship in the super bantamweight division from March 2004 to May 2005 and won the WBC super bantamweight title on two occasions, holding the belt from December 2005-March 2007 and again from August 2007-March 2008.

Vázquez is fondly remembered for his fantastic ring rivalry with fellow Mexican Rafael Márquez. The boxing pair met four times, splitting the series 2-2.

Their first three fights are recognized as modern-day classics and are being rebroadcast as a trilogy this week by DAZN, co-sponsored by the WBC.

With reports from El Universal, ESPN, Marca and Boxing News 24/7

Natural remedies and treatments for dry skin spots and other causes

December 6, 2024

by the El Reportero’s staff

Skin spots are common and can have various causes, such as sun exposure, aging, hormonal changes, dry skin, or dermatological diseases. People with dry skin notice that their skin becomes rough and prone to the formation of spots. These may appear due to lack of hydration, malnutrition, or prolonged exposure to environmental factors that alter the skin’s balance.

The main cause of spots is the excessive production of melanin, the pigment that gives color to the skin. When the body produces more melanin than necessary, spots form, especially if the skin is irritated or inflamed, as happens with dry skin. Additionally, conditions such as acne, dermatitis, or skin infections can contribute.

Hyperpigmentation is one of the most common causes of skin spots. In this condition, melanocytes produce more melanin than needed. Overproduction can be triggered by sun exposure, certain medications, or hormonal fluctuations. Also, acne scars leave dark spots due to inflammation.

Melasma, a form of hyperpigmentation that primarily affects women, appears on the face, especially on the forehead, cheeks, and upper lip. It is common during pregnancy or in people using oral contraceptives.

To treat dry skin spots and other causes, natural remedies can be an alternative. Some options are:

– Aloe Vera: Aloe vera gel soothes the skin and reduces inflammation, helping improve the appearance of spots.

– Coconut oil: This oil, rich in antioxidants and fatty acids, hydrates the skin and helps restore the skin barrier, reducing the appearance of spots.

– Lemon and honey: The combination of lemon juice and honey acts as a natural whitener, while honey hydrates and soothes the skin.

– Cucumber: With a high water content and refreshing properties, cucumber helps reduce inflammation and improves skin hydration. health_manchasPiel_spa_12.6.24

– Rosehip oil: This oil has regenerative properties and is effective for lightening spots caused by acne scars or sunburn.

Vitamins also play a crucial role in skin health. Vitamin C, known for its antioxidant properties, helps prevent damage caused by UV rays and reduces the appearance of spots. Vitamin E, on the other hand, is excellent for hydrating the skin and combating inflammation. Additionally, Vitamin A, present in retinol, promotes cell renewal and skin repair.

Dermatologists often recommend topical products with active ingredients like hydroquinone, azelaic acid, and retinoids. These help reduce melanin production, but there is no single effective treatment for everyone due to the different underlying causes.

It is important to remember that natural remedies can be helpful, but results vary from person to person. Consistency in their application is essential to notice improvements. Sometimes, combining several treatments is more effective than using just one.

In cases of persistent or severe spots, it is recommended to consult a dermatologist for professional guidance and to ensure that the treatment is suitable for the skin type and condition.

Skin spots can be treated effectively with good care habits and the use of natural remedies. Keeping the skin hydrated, protecting it from the sun, and using suitable treatments significantly improves the appearance and health of the skin.

Holiday Program with the Symphony: Movies and music in one place

December 6, 2024

by Magdy Zara

As part of the Holiday Program with the Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra has organized a series of concerts for this Christmas that are accompanied by the screening of films, ideal for sharing with the family.

This week, the Muppets’ Christmas Carol is scheduled, so the invitation is to join Miss Piggy and all the fun Muppets in this joyful and magical version of the classic tale by Charles Dickens.

Watch this beloved Christmas classic on the big screen while the Symphony performs the soundtrack live.

The appointment is on December 12 at 7 p.m. and December 14 at 2 p.m., at the Davies Symphony Hall, located at 201 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, starting at XXX.

Ensambles Ballet Folklórico hosts its Christmas Celebration

The Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco is pleased to announce the staging of its new production, Christmas Celebration.

This will be “Pastorela Festiva” full of dance, music and Mexican tradition, featuring live music by Mariachi Mexico de Gilroy.

Tickets are on sale at https://ensamblesbfdsf.brownpapertickets.com/

This year’s Christmas Celebration will be on Saturday, December 14th from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., and Sunday, December 15th from 2 to 4 p.m., at the Cañada School-Teatro Principal, in Redwood City

SF Children’s Choir presents its Winter Concert 2024

The San Francisco Children’s Choir, as every year, organized its Winter Concert Series 2024.

This will be a special occasion to celebrate the holidays with family, friends, and the more than 150 singers of the San Francisco Children’s Choir, who will sing music by Vivaldi, Praetorius, Rossini, and a touch of Latin American spices by Argentine composer Ariel Ramírez.

This concert will feature all levels of the Choir and bell ringers. This majestic performance will be next Saturday, December 14, 2024, at the Calvary Presbyterian Church of San Francisco, located in Pacific Heights 2515 Fillmore St

San Francisco, starting at 2 p.m.

Boleros De Navidad with Tres Souls

Experience the magic of “Boleros De Navidad” with Tres Souls, a festive Latin celebration that combines Christmas classics and beloved Bolero standards in Serenata style.

Alongside Rocío Mendoza, Roberto Carlos and Jesús Martínez you will enjoy an enchanting evening, as they infuse a modern touch to old hits from the 1940s and 1960s and the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema.

This performance will be next Monday, December 16 at the Bankhead Theater, located at 2400 First Street, from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are priced between $25 – $60.

The legacy of the Virgin of Guadalupe unites Latin America

December 6, 2024

by Marvin Ramírez and the El Reportero‘s staff

Every December 12, millions of devotees in Mexico and throughout Latin America celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe, a spiritual and cultural symbol deeply rooted in the region. This date marks the commemoration of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego on the Tepeyac hill, an event that transformed the religious history of the continent.

The story of the Virgin of Guadalupe begins in 1531, when, according to Catholic tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared to a Chichimeca Indian named Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. During these apparitions, she asked him to build a temple in her honor. To convince Bishop Fray Juan de Zumárraga, the Virgin left her miraculous image imprinted on Juan Diego’s tilma, a humble cloak made of maguey fiber. This image, today kept in the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, has become one of the most venerated symbols of Catholicism.

For Catholics, the Virgin of Guadalupe represents hope, love, and unity. She is known as the “Mother of America” and symbolizes the connection between the Christian faith and indigenous roots. Her message of inclusion and comfort has transcended borders, making her not only a religious icon, but also a cultural one.

“Every time I come to the Basilica, I feel that the Virgin listens to me and gives me strength to move forward,” says María López, a pilgrim from Oaxaca who travels to the sanctuary every year. “She is like a mother who never abandons us.”

Father José Luis Martínez, priest of the Basilica of Guadalupe, explains the meaning of these celebrations. “The Virgin of Guadalupe is not only the patron saint of Mexico, but a symbol of unity for the entire continent. Her message of love and compassion remains relevant in these challenging times.”

Although her main celebration occurs in Mexico, devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe extends throughout Latin America and beyond. Countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, and the United States, especially in Mexican migrant communities, celebrate the Virgin with fervor. In many places, processions, special masses and cultural events highlighting Latin American heritage are held.

The Basilica of Guadalupe, located in the north of Mexico City, is the epicenter of these celebrations. Millions of pilgrims come to give thanks for miracles, ask for favors or simply honor the Virgin. Many walk great distances as an act of faith, carrying offerings such as candles, flowers and prayers. Midnight on December 12 marks the most emotional moment, when “Las Mañanitas” is sung in her honor, accompanied by mariachi and traditional songs.

In other regions, the festivities include parades, folk dances and representation of the apparitions of the Virgin. In Los Angeles, for example, a mass is held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, while in Central American cities the streets are filled with decorated altars and popular celebrations.

“Seeing so many people united by their faith in the Virgin is something that fills me with hope,” says Carlos Méndez, a young Guatemalan who participates in processions in his country. “It is a moment to reflect and feel closer to God.”

The Virgin of Guadalupe not only unites Catholics, but also symbolizes the cultural identity and resistance of Latin American peoples. Since her appearance, she has been a source of strength for the oppressed, inspiring social and cultural movements. Her image is found in churches, homes and public spaces, reflecting her importance in daily life.

Beyond her religious dimension, the Virgin of Guadalupe is a bridge that connects generations and cultures. Her legacy lives on, reminding us of the power of faith, hope and solidarity.

San Francisco’s war on cars: Parking policies leave residents frustrated

December 6, 2024

localbriefs_parkingPolicies_12.6.24 — Photo credit to SFTA.

by Marvin Ramírez

The City of San Francisco has escalated its crackdown on drivers, implementing controversial measures that critics say prioritize revenue and ideology over residents’ daily needs. From transforming residential parking into metered zones to closing parts of Highway 1, these policies are leaving citizens scrambling for solutions in their already hectic lives.

At a heated community meeting on Monday, November 11, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) unveiled a proposal to replace free parking with paid meters across Marina and Cow Hollow neighborhoods. The meeting drew a crowd of frustrated residents and business owners who accused the city of using parking as a cash grab or, worse, treating citizens as a financial piggy bank.

“I’m livid. I’m upset beyond belief,” said Marina resident Mike Najjar, 60, who has lived in the area for 35 years. “They’re doing it to cover up their budget shortfalls.”

Under the plan, the affected area spans major streets like Lombard and Van Ness Avenue, potentially disrupting daily life for thousands. Linda Reda, a senior resident, fears the changes will make it harder for locals to park near their homes while enabling bar patrons and visitors to monopolize spaces.

Business owners like Linda Kha, who operates Carats & Stones on Union Street, worry about the economic toll. “It’s very unwelcoming,” Kha said, expressing concerns about losing customers and imposing additional costs on staff unable to afford all-day parking.

For many, these measures seem like a blunt abuse of power and a lack of consideration for hard-working citizens who rely on their vehicles to navigate an already challenging urban landscape.

City officials, however, argue the changes are about improving parking availability rather than boosting the agency’s coffers, despite the $6 million in projected annual revenue. Raynell Cooper, residential parking policy manager, explained that paid parking “encourages turnover,” allowing more people to find spaces.

Some, like transportation planning student Nate Koudler-Balmy, see the move as part of a broader shift toward public transit and reduced car dependency. “I think this is a step in the right direction,” he said, despite pushback from those who believe public transit improvements should precede parking restrictions.

Daylighting law cuts thousands of spaces

Meanwhile, another policy is causing a stir citywide. The new California “Daylighting” law bans parking within 20 feet of crosswalks to improve pedestrian visibility, eliminating 14,000 parking spaces in San Francisco alone, in addition to the hundreds or thousands of parking spaces that have been eliminated over the last decade and so, converting most meters near intersections into red zones.

This is disproportionately affecting low-income business and residential zones, such as the Mission District (District 9), which has long struggled with a mix of challenges, including the proliferation of street vendors with and without permits and the lack of public parking garages. One glaring example is the public parking garage at 24th Street and Capp Street. The city repurposed the space for street vendors, but the vendors largely rejected it as a viable venue for their sales. As a result, the garage has remained almost empty, with the city failing to restore it for public parking.

John Goins, a resident of the city’s dense neighborhoods, supports pedestrian safety but criticizes the one-size-fits-all approach. “I think they should have differentiated large SUVs that obstruct vision from smaller cars,” he said.

Other drivers, like Neema Esfandiari, support the change despite the inconvenience. “People’s lives are more important than a little extra time looking for parking,” she said.

Fines for violations will start in January, compounding frustrations for residents already circling endlessly to find parking.

Highway 1 restrictions compound woes

Adding to the chaos, the recent passage of a controversial proposition authorizes closures on parts of Highway 1 to prioritize bike lanes and pedestrian paths. Critics see this as another assault on drivers, further snarling traffic and eroding accessibility for those who rely on cars for work and errands.

The city’s efforts to discourage car use are meeting resistance from residents who feel sidelined. For many, driving remains essential for commuting, shopping, and maintaining a manageable daily routine. Linda Kha summed up the sentiment: “These policies feel like an attack on hardworking people trying to live their lives.”

As San Francisco continues its war on cars, the fallout is deeply felt by residents and businesses alike. For many, these actions raise the question: Are these policies truly about public good, or is the city simply viewing its citizens as a piggy bank? If the latter, it’s a blunt abuse and a stark disregard for the hard-working citizenry that keeps the city alive.

With reports by ABC7 News and San Francisco Standard.

Giant Motors CEO in Mexico ‘unfazed’ by Trump tariff threats

December 6, 2024

by the El Reportero‘s wire services

The CEO of the only company that makes Chinese vehicles in Mexico is unfazed by the possibility that new tariffs could be imposed on Mexican exports and imports of foreign goods to Mexico.

Elías Massri, chairman of the board and CEO of Giant Motors Latinoamérica, spoke to the Bloomberg news agency about Donald Trump’s threats to slap tariffs on Mexican exports as well as the possibility that Mexico could impose new or additional duties on imports from countries such as China.

Giant Motors Latinoamérica, a joint venture between the Massri family and billionaire businessman Carlos Slim’s financial company Inbursa, assembles JAC vehicles at a plant in Ciudad Sahagún, Hidalgo. The company, which was founded in 2006 with 100 percent Mexican capital and describes itself as “proudly Mexican,” does not export cars to the United States and has no current plans to do so, meaning that it wouldn’t be affected by any tariffs imposed by the second Trump administration.

Still, Massri told Bloomberg that “if they change the rules, we are ready to play by them.”

He noted that Giant Motors has already survived tariffs imposed by the first Trump administration in 2018 as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There have already been many battles, and we have not stopped investing what is required and earning profits,” Massri said.

According to Bloomberg, the CEO said that “Giant Motors’ ambitions are narrowly focused on the Mexican market, and the company will not be poking the bear by attempting to export vehicles to the U.S.”

Massri also said that if new tariffs were imposed on imports to Mexico — products from China, for example — his company could source auto parts and components from countries that are on favorable trade terms with Mexico. “There are free trade agreements in Mexico with many parts of the world,” he said.

Earlier this year, Mexico implemented new tariffs on hundreds of products — including transport and electrical material — from countries with which it doesn’t have trade agreements. That move appeared mainly directed at China. Still, around 10 percent of all cars sold in Mexico in the first 10 months of this year were made by Chinese automakers.

As Mexico comes under increasing pressure from the United States and Canada over its trade relationship with China and Chinese investment in a range of sectors of the Mexican economy, the Mexican government could increase tariffs on Chinese imports.

It is currently pursuing an import substitution plan to reduce reliance on Chinese imports, and last week demonstrated that it is prepared to take strong action against counterfeit Chinese goods when it carried out a raid on a Chinese-operated wholesale shopping complex in Mexico City.

Giant Motors wants to grow, but will more Chinese cars be made in Mexico?

Bloomberg reported that Giant Motors began manufacturing JAC vehicles in Mexico in 2019, when production totaled about 8,000 units. It started selling JAC cars in 2017, before vehicles made by other Chinese automakers such as BYD and SAIC were available in Mexico.

JAC, officially called Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp., is based in the Chinese province of Anhui.

Giant Motors, Bloomberg reported, “buys completely knocked-down kits from JAC in China and adjusts the design of the cars and trucks at its plant to meet the needs of the local market.”

Massri explained that his company makes vehicles with higher suspension and powerful engines to ensure they are suitable for hilly terrain and potholed roads in Mexico.

Production this year is expected to be 30,000 vehicles, with output anticipated to increase to 40,000 units in 2025. Giant Motors’ plant in Ciudad Sahagún, located about 90 kilometers northeast of central Mexico City, has the capacity to assemble 60,000 vehicles annually.

“We are not satisfied with our size. We want to be bigger,” Massri told Bloomberg.

While JAC vehicles are made in Mexico by a Mexican company, some Chinese automakers have announced plans to build their own plants in Mexico. They include BYD, MG Motor and Chery, whose announcements caused — and continue to cause — concern in the United States and Canada.

Although a number of Chinese automakers have announced plans to establish a manufacturing presence in Mexico, none of them has a “firm investment project” here, President Claudia Sheinbaum said last Thursday.

The Chinese automaker that has received the most attention about its plans in Mexico is BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer. BYD has said that it is aiming to settle on a location for its proposed plant by the end of the year.

The Shenzhen-based company says that it will make vehicles in Mexico purely for the Mexican market, but there is speculation that its ultimate aim is to export vehicles from Mexico to the United States, which currently allows products made in Mexico to enter the country tariff-free in accordance with the provisions of the USMCA trade pact.

The possible imposition of U.S. tariffs on all Mexican exports, all vehicles made in Mexico or specifically vehicles made in Mexico by Chinese companies may be causing BYD and other Chinese automakers to rethink their plans, and could be a key reason why they have made scant progress on their proposed projects since they first announced them.

With reports from Bloomberg

Giant Motors CEO in Mexico ‘unfazed’ by Trump tariff threats

December 6, 2024