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Belmont Beacon

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2014 - SEPTEMBER 21, 2014

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New law requires paid sick leave for California workers by jennifer schlueter According to the governor’s office, “about 40% of California’s workforce — an estimated 6.5 million people — have no paid sick leave benefits at all,” stated the Los Angeles Times. This will change July of next year, because last Wednesday, Governor Jerry Brown signed the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (AB 1522). For both part-time and full-time employees working more than 30 days per year, the legislation requires employers to grant them three days of paid sick leave. For every 30 hours of labor, employees can earn a minimum of one paid sick leave hour to recuperate themselves, or assist a sick family member. Unions and worker’s rights groups have long favored the new law and Brown called the bill by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego “real step forward” for, especially middle-class, workers, who had to choose between forcing themselves to work while sick and thus possibly endangering coworkers, or recover at home losing essential income and fearing job loss. The governor added in a statement: “Whether you’re a dishwasher in San Diego or a store clerk in Oakland, this bill frees you of having to choose between your family’s health and

Port helps fund homeless center garden and solar carport Port contributes $330,000 to green projects

said Mayor Robert Garcia. “This development is a great illustration of the City’s commitment to providing modern, safe, and affordable living options for all Long Beach residents. The building is located at 3290 E. Artesia Blvd., near Ra-

In a festive ceremony, two Port of Long Beach grantfunded environmental projects had their grand openings Wednesday morning, Sept. 10, at the Century Villages of Cabrillo homeless rehabilitation complex in West Long Beach. Century Villages at Cabrillo was awarded grants under the Port’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Grant Program. One $161,455 grant went toward a solar energy system that will provide 150,000 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, and another $170,000 grant for a picturesque urban garden to beautify and also capture harmful emissions. “The Port of Long Beach is proud to support Century Villages through green and sustainable projects that raise the quality of life for its residents as well as the greater Long Beach community,” said Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners President Doug Drummond. The other funding partners were Wells Fargo, NeighborWorks USA, and Southern California Edison. The solar energy grant project involved installing a solar power system on the

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Governor Jerry Brown -Photo by Terry Miller

your job.” After Connecticut in 2011, California has become the second state to grant paid sick leave. Five years prior, San Francisco County was the first county nationwide to adopt such a law for workers within the county.

According to the LA Times, the bill exempts not only “workers subject to certain collective bargaining agreements and airline flight crews and attendants who are under federal labor laws,” Please see page 2

Grand opening of low-income senior living community The City of Long Beach today celebrated the grand opening of Ramona Park Apartments, a two-story, 61-unit rental complex that will provide affordable, quality housing for low- and very low-income seniors. Together with The Long Beach Community Investment Company (LBCIC), Palm Communities, and

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Western Community Housing, the City is proud to open the doors to this warm and contemporary senior living community. “Sustainable housing developments such as Ramona Park Apartments celebrate the multigenerational diversity of our City and further promote a network of strong, viable communities,”

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Governor Brown signs agreement with Ambassador of Japan

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Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Monday signed an agreement with Japan’s Ambassador to the United States, Kenichiro Sasae, to further cooperation between Japan and California on climate change, renewable energy, trade and investment, zeroemission vehicles, high-speed rail and water. The agreement calls for the two entities to collaborate on technologies that will support California’s goal of having 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025, as well as innovation related to high-speed rail, water conservation and renewable energy. Last year, Governor Brown met with Osaka Governor Ichiro Matsui and signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation between California and its sister-state in Japan on clean energy, environmen-

tal protection, tourism and other areas. The agreement follows Governor Brown’s July Trade and Investment Mission to Mexico and meetings with Mexico’s President Enrique Peña Nieto in Sacramento and Los Angeles last month. Over the past year, Governor Brown has also signed accords with leaders from Mexico, China, Canada, Israel and Peru to combat climate change, strengthen California’s economic ties, and expand cooperation on promising research. In February, Governor Brown established the California International Trade and Investment Advisory Council to help expand international business opportunities for California companies and appointed former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Eleni Kounalakis as chair.

Rep. Schiff wants Obama to seek authorization for any continued use of force in Iraq or Syria from Congress Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), a senior Member of the Intelligence Committee and author of legislation to sunset the post9/11 authorization for use of military force, released the following statement: “The threat posed ISIS is very real and must be confronted. The President was right to act in Iraq last month to protect American personnel, prevent a humanitarian crisis, and push back jihadists from continuing their campaign of mass slaughter. However, if the President intends to prolong the military campaign in Iraq or extend it into Syria, he needs to make the case directly to the American people and secure authorization from Congress. “All Americans are repulsed and enraged by the gruesome

murders of two American journalists and the horrors committed by ISIS against the people of Iraq and Syria. As the President outlines his strategy to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIS – a plan he acknowledges will take years – Congress must carefully consider what it is being asked to approve regarding a military campaign that will extend from this Presidency to the next. “The Constitution gives Congress the responsibility to declare war, even while investing in the President the power to wage war once declared and to take limited other actions in defense of the country. Since the actions contemplated by the President go well beyond the immediate imperative of protecting Americans at risk, Congress is required to act.”

Three days of paid sick leave Continued from page 1

but also 363,000 state workers, because its execution would have cost the state of California more money. The Washington Post quoted a statement of the National Federation of Independent Business in California, in which the association’s executive director John Kabateck inquired: “So the state can’t afford its own mandates, but small business owners are supposed to be able to absorb those costs?” He added: “Our small-business owners, who make up more than 99% of the employer community in California, already face an increase in minimum wage, among the highest taxes and more regulations than any other state. This will only serve to eliminate any plans small employers have to grow and expand their businesses.” Jot Condie, president and chief executive of the California Restaurants Assn., also argues

against the law: “Operators essentially have to pay twice — for the staffer staying home and for someone to take their place,” he told the LA Times. “A one-size-fits-all approach to sick leave is inappropriate and onerous.” Others, such as Los Feliz’ Skylight Books owner and manager Kerry Slattery, who already provides paid sick leave and paid vacation, support the new law: “I think it’s a reasonable thing to do,” Slattery said. “It’s investing in professional employees.” Brown justified his decision to improve working conditions for the middle class with the following statement: “When you look at the power and the wealth that is accumulated by a very small percentage, and then you look at the people at the bottom ... this is the least we can do and there’s more in the coming years,” he told the LA Times.

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ICE arrests 9 and recovers $65 million in cash in Fashion District bust Federal authorities Wednesday arrested nine people and seized approximately $65 million in cash in a massive sweep of the Fashion District used as money laundering for Mexican drug cartels. The raids, conducted by approximately 1,000 officers with the DEA, ICE, IRS and FBI, were carried early Wednesday morning on Fashion District businesses in Los Angeles The businesses were suspected of using “Black Market Peso Exchange” schemes to launder drug money for international cartels, the Department of Justice said. In one of three cases unsealed Wednesday alleges that the Sinaloa Drug Cartel used a Fashion District business to accept and launder ransom payments to secure the release of a United States citizen who was kidnapped by the organization after the U.S. government seized more the 100 kilograms of cocaine that he was supposed to distribute. The man was held hostage, beaten, shot, electrocuted and waterboarded at a ranch in Mexico. He was released after relatives paid $140,000 in ransom. The other two cases in the indictment involved defendants who worked for or owned businesses in the Fashion District that operated a Black Market Peso Exchange scheme. The peso broker arranges for the illegally obtained dollars to be delivered to the United States-based vendors, such as the stores in the Fashion District, and these illegally obtained dollars are used to pay for the goods purchased by the foreign customers,” officials said. The scheme is typically used by Mexican cartels to collect money from U.S.-based sale without the risk of smuggling bulk amounts of cash across the border. BMPE also lessens the risk of illegal activity

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being detected. “Los Angeles has become the epicenter of narco-dollar money laundering with couriers regularly bringing duffel bags and suitcases full of cash

to many businesses,” said Robert E. Dugdale, the Assistant United States Attorney who oversees the Criminal Division in the Central District of California.

Long Beach Office 3780 Kilroy Airport Way Suite 360 Long Beach, CA 90806 Ph. (562) 472-0071 Fx. (562) 689-0071 Los Angeles Office 5701 South Eastern Avenue Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90040 Ph. (323) 727-1144 Fx. (323) 727-9198 www.heger-industrial.com Lic. #00814086

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Elvira Hallinan appointed Manager of Marine Operations George Chapjian, Director of Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine, announced today the appointment of Elvira Hallinan as Manager of Marine Operations for the City of Long Beach, effective August 23, 2014. Ms. Hallinan was selected after the completion of a nationwide executive search. She has extensive experience

working with marina operations including Marine Maintenance, Marine Safety/Lifeguards and Marine Patrol, as well as retail tenants, live-aboards and the citizen Marine Advisory Commission. Ms. Hallinan has been instrumental in the $109 million rebuild of the Alamitos Bay Marina, which opened in the 1950s with 1,900 boat slips.

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carport structures adjacent to the Casa de Cabrillo building. The project will help reduce greenhouse gases as well as bring long-term electrical cost savings. The urban forest project included planting about 100 trees on the western perimeter of the housing campus, which will help to sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve air quality.

The urban forest is located adjacent to and expands on the campus landscape barrier that was funded through a previous Port of Long Beach Community Mitigation Grant under the Schools and Related Sites Program. Century Villages, formerly a Navy housing center, serves more than 1,000 individuals a day, including more than 400 children.

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mona Park. The development replaces the former Farmers and Merchants Bank building. “Ramona Park Apartments is a perfect addition to the neighborhood and serves as yet another example of the Uptown Renaissance movement,” said Councilmember Rex Richardson, who represents the 9th District. “This new development provides affordable housing for seniors, while also supporting our long-term goals by restoring economic energy to the local community.” The project compliments the neighborhood with an aesthetically pleasing design and vibrant landscaping. Site amenities include passive sitting/reading areas, a swimming pool, outdoor fireplace, laundry facilities, and a clubhouse that encompasses a kitchen, library, gym, computer

room, and entertainment space. Residents will have access to senior services, educational classes, lifestyle counseling, and social activities. “Palm Communities is proud to partner with Western Community Housing on our second affordable housing project in Southern California. The former Farmers and Merchants Bank site was generously offered to the partnership by Daniel and Henry Walker as an opportunity to increase the supply of desperately needed senior housing in the City. The Long Beach Community Investment Company provided the gap financing required to compete and win an allocation of Federal affordable housing tax credits, and a taxexempt municipal bond. The Ramona Park Apartment project represents a successful public/

private venture that will benefit Long Beach seniors for many years to come,” said Danavon L. Horn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Palm Communities. Ramona Park Apartments will help to create a safe, healthy, and viable neighborhood by maintaining rents affordable to qualified seniors over the age of 55 years. The apartment complex consists of 49 one-bedroom units with rents priced below $800 and 11 two-bedroom units with rents priced under $900. One unit will be reserved for an on-site manager. Property management will be provided by ConAm Management Corporation. “It brings us great satisfaction to see another vital project come to fruition for our seniors with limited income,” said John Thomas, Chair of The LBCIC. “Ramona Park Apartments combines the goals of the LBCIC by providing affordable housing that enhances quality of life, promotes vitality and livability throughout our neighborhoods, and allows the City to thrive.” The apartment building has been constructed to meet a minimum U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification standard and comply with City green building guidelines. The $22-million development was financed through a combination of Federal Low In-

come Housing Tax Credit equity, Federal Tax-Exempt Bonds, and loans from Farmers & Merchants Bank, Citibank, California Community Reinvestment Corporation, and The LBCIC. About The Long Beach Community Investment Company: The Long Beach Community Investment Company (LBCIC) assists in the delivery of housing and neighborhood revitalization services, use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, and continued administration of the City’s affordable housing funds. About Palm Communities: Palm Communities is an integrated real estate development company that specializes in the creation and management of affordable housing for families, seniors and those with special needs. With a portfolio consisting of more than 1,700 affordable multi-family units in 20 communities throughout Southern California, we have earned a strong reputation for innovative design, commitment to lasting quality and delivery of projects on time and on budget. For over 30 years, Palm Communities has been committed to developing physically and economically sustainable residential developments that exceed the expectations of all our stakeholders: our public agency partners, business partners, lenders, investors, and most of all, our residents.