Belmont Beacon
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2014 - NOVEMBER 16, 2014
belmontbeacon.com
Midterm elections: Gov. Brown stays in office for 4th record term, Prop 47 passes by jennifer schlueter Last Tuesday, Republicans celebrated their victories across the nation, which gave them control over the state Senate. In California, they were able to deny the Democrats “a two-thirds legislative supermajority that would consign GOP lawmakers to virtual irrelevance in the state Capitol,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Historically, the win of the Republicans over the Senate should not come as a surprise, because for the last three decades, every two-term president’s party lost their majority during midterm elections of the president’s sixth year (Reagan, Bush, Clinton). Despite the Republican’s nationwide wins, California stayed mostly blue. Democratic Governor Jerry Brown defeated his opponent Neel Kashkari with almost 59% to 41%. Brown, who had served as California’s governor already from 1975 to 1983, now enters his record 4th term, which will also be his final one. The LA Times calls him a “both an expert technician, tweaking government to be more efficient and effective, and a big thinker, transforming the state’s infrastructure and combating climate change.” He is determined to push forward the $68 billion bullet train from Los Angeles to San Fran-
DA unhappy with passage of Proposition 47 By TERRY MILLER
ing to the DOJ, about half of the persons on the APPS list are prohibited possessors due to criminal history, about 30% are due to mental health status, and about 20% are due to active restraining orders. Law enforcement agencies have ac-
According to a report from the Los Angeles DA’s office obtained by this newspaper, officials were extremely displeased that voters approved Proposition 47. The changes enacted by this measure are effective immediately. (Cal. Const. Art. 2, sec. 10.) Numerous drug and theft-related crimes that were previously felonies or “wobblers” are now misdemeanors, unless committed by “Prop 47 Ineligible” criminals—namely, 290(c) registrants, and those with a prior for the very serious crimes listed in PC 667(e)(2)(c)(iv)— such as homicide offenses and crimes punishable by death or by life in prison. A high ranking Law Enforcement officer, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Beacon Media this new proposition not only means more crime but the number of people being let out of prison ( who really deserve to be there) could reach 10,000. “Your houses are going to get broken into more often with these lenient laws…” Except as to “Prop 47 Ineligible” individuals, the following are now misdemeanors: • PC459.5—the new misdemeanor crime of “shoplifting” is entering a commercial establishment, during business hours, with the intent to steal, where value does not exceed $950. “Shoplifting” as defined may not be charged as theft or burglary. • PC 473(b)—forgery of checks and related instruments of not more than $950. •PC 476a—NSF checks to-
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Governor Brown was elected to serve his 4th term- Photo by Terry Miller
cisco, and fight climate change by exploring more renewable energy sources for California, but, he also wants to save the state’s money. “It is a balance between holding my foot on the brake while pushing my other foot on the accelerator. It’s definitely paradoxical,”
the LA Times quotes him. As expected, both of Brown’s Propositions passed with a more than 2 to 1 lead, because Republican and Democratic legislators drafted them together with Please see page 4
Prohibited possessor operation results in 55 guns removed off Long Beach streets According to the California Department of Justice (DOJ), nearly 20,000 Californians possess firearms they are prohibited from having due to criminal convictions, mental illness or being the subject of domestic violence restraining orders. These individuals are in possession of approximately
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39,000 guns, including about 1,670 assault weapons. The DOJ maintains the Armed Prohibited Persons System (APPS), an on-line database that cross-references persons who possess a gun and who, subsequent to possession of that gun, are legally prohibited from possession. Accord-