by the El Reportero’s staff
Visitors for prisoners in Santa Rita County Jail were approached by members of Get Out the Jail Vote-2008 on Sunday, October 19th.
The organization’s stated goal is to inform visitors about prisoners’ right to vote. A press release states that “over 100,000 Californians are being disenfranchised of their right to vote,” referring to inmates.
Get Out the Jail Vote is sponsored by Proyecto Common Trust, a non-profit organization for legal rights of female parolees.
City to attempt earthquake drill
San Francisco’s first “citywide” earthquake drill took place on Tuesday, October 21st. The drill, named “Shake Up San Francisco,” consist of several smaller drills carried out by what the Mayor’s Office described as “city departments, private businesses, non-profits, schools and individuals.”
San Francisco Unifi ed School District’s campuses will engage in a “Stop, Cover and Hold” drill. There were expected approximately 175,000 people to participate.
Businesses recognized for accommodating workplace breastfeeding
Five California businesses received awards from the California Taskforce on Youth and Workplace Wellness on the steps of the State Capitol last week.
The Taskforce said that the awards were given for having workplace policies that “support breastfeeding” implement the state lactation accommodation law.
Santa Barbara County, Rancho Cordova Wal Mart, Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pleasant Hill’s Crestwood Behavioral Health and Babies R Us in Emeryville all received the award, called the “Mother Baby Friendly Workplace Award.”
The awards were presented as part of several events organized by the California WIC Association, California Breastfeeding Coalition, California Department of Public Health WIC and MCAH Divisions and the Breastfeeding Coalition of Greater Sacramento.
Proposition U supporters hold fundraiser
Barry Hermanson, Green Party candidate for Congress, hosted a fundraiser for Proposition U at his San Francisco home last Friday.
The proposition, which supports the termination of congressional funding for the war in Iraq, states: “[it is] the Policy of the people of the City & County of San Francisco that: Its elected representatives in the United States Senate and House of Representatives should vote against any further funding for the deployment of United States Armed Forces in Iraq, with the exception of funds specifically earmarked to provide for their safe and orderly withdrawal.”
Proposition U will be on the city ballot on November 4.
Endorsers include the San Francisco Labor Council, San Francisco Democratic Party, San Francisco Green Party, California Nurses Association and the San Francisco Tenants Union.
Oakland emergency communication system goes into effect
An emergency radio system that allows city agencies to communicate with each other more easily in a disaster situation was activated last Thursday, the Oakland Mayor’s Office said.
Agencies connected to the digital radio network include the Oakland Police and Fire Departments, as well as the Oakland Unified School District.
“This is the first step in our overall effort to interoperate, not only with our own city, but to communicate with other cities in the region,” said Mayor Ron Dellums.
The network is part of the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System (BAYRICS), a communications network for local emergency services in multiple cities.
