SEE PAGE 4 FOR noise-induced hearing loss challenge
ANAHEIM PRESS
MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2014 - DECEMBER 7, 2014
anaheimpress.com
No Money, No Problem: Building a Transit Station with Hope by Vickie Vértiz
ARTIC renderings- Courtesy Photo
Even though a founding corporate sponsor has not been secured by city officials, the transit station is still slated to open on December 6. The move will likely create a bud-
get shortfall for the station operations expenses in the next seven months, said The Orange County Register. The Anaheim Transportation Intermodal Center or
ARTIC, is a huge terminal that connects Metrolink, Amtrak, taxis, and buses to residents. The developers and the city Please see page 2
Upset Protestors Rally Against Ferguson Verdict, Block Freeways by Jennifer schlueter With great suspense spectators all over the nation awaited the verdict of the grand jury in Ferguson last Monday whether to arraign police officer Darren Wilson or not. When the man who shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was not
indicted, people everywhere went into the streets to show their disapproval of the jury’s decision. Whereas some protests in Ferguson escalated and shops were lit on fire, demonstrations in LA and its surrounding coun-
ties remained mostly peaceful; however, several freeways including the 5, 110 and 10 were blocked for hours. Sit-ins and rallies in Leimert Park, Beverly Hills, and other areas were Please see page 2
SEE PAGE 3 for push for body cameras for law enforcement VOLUME 1, NO. 31
Leondra Kruger Appointed By Gov. Brown to California Supreme Court Leondra R. Kruger has been selected by Governor Brown for a vacancy on the California Supreme Court. The Governor’s nomination will be submitted to the State Bar’s Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation and must be confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. Ms. Kruger is a member of the Washington, D.C. and California Bar Associations and is admitted to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court. “It is exciting to learn that Leondra Kruger has been nominated for the California Supreme Court. Raised and educated in the 41st Assembly District, her nomination is a reflection of her stellar academic background. Her academic and professional careers have exhibited a commitment to excellence,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena). Ms. Kruger was a resident of South Pasadena and graduated from Polytechnic School in Pasadena as a Presidential Scholar and a National Merit Scholar. She earned her undergraduate degree at Harvard, and her law degree at Yale Law School. She interned with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. She has worked for the U.S. Department of Justice since 2013, and the Office of the Solicitor General prior to that. The last time an AfricanAmerican was appointed to the California Supreme Court was in 1996.
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Online Shopping Could Spur Funding for California’s Vital Public Services As California consumers load up online shopping carts this holiday season, they might not realize these purchases are taxed to support vital public services. Online shoppers who are not charged sales tax may owe use tax, which has been imposed on purchases from out-of-state retailers since 1935. Like sales tax, use tax helps fund public safety, education, health care, and more. Use tax is charged on purchases made from out-of-state retailers on items that are used, stored, or consumed in California. If a buyer makes a taxable purchase (e.g., purchases of books, electronic equipment, and toys) from any outof-state retailer and is not charged
tax, the buyer is responsible for paying use tax. The easiest way to know if you may owe use tax is to review your receipt to see if you were charged sales tax. “The growing popularity of online shopping for the holidays will also be a boon to our state’s economy as retailers nationwide are expected to hire more than 800,000 seasonal workers, and UPS carriers will also double hiring over last year as reported by Fortune Magazine,” said Board of Equalization Chairman Jerome E. Horton. “With more people working, Californians are expected to spend more on holiday purchases, resulting in more sales and use tax revenue to fund vital public services.”
The BOE helps consumers comply with the use tax law on all their online purchases. It is easy to report and pay use tax on the BOE website, or through the BOE’s Mobile App available for Apple and Android devices. Use tax can also be paid on California state income tax forms for which a convenient Use Tax Lookup Table can be used to estimate the amount owed if receipts for the purchases are not available. For other tips on how to comply and avoid penalties, visit: www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/ usetax.htm#Personal. Last year, businesses and California residents paid more than $4.6 billion in use tax. However, BOE estimates that more than
$1 billion goes unpaid each year, enough to pay the salaries of more than 11,000 teachers or 7,000 police officers. Consumers can find out if they owe use tax by looking at receipts from online purchases to see if sales tax was charged. If not, they may owe use tax. Editor’s Note: •Watch the BOE’s use tax video on gift-buying: http://bit.ly/ BOEGIFT •See the BOE’s media resource page on use tax for facts, videos, and graphics: http://bit.ly/ USETAX •Learn more about use tax: www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/usetax. htm#page=Overview
No Money, No Problem: Building a Transit Station with Hope Continued from page 1
were hoping to locate a sponsor to be a primary funding fountain to operate and run the hub. The sponsor would also have naming rights over the hub, similar to places like AT&T Park in San Francisco, for instance. The cost to operate the hub is upwards of $3.6 million, said the Register, but this figure is only to maintain and operate ARTIC through the end of June 2015. Currently, only
half of that amount has been secured. The Register said that those funds are located in an account created so “the transit center could be financially selfsustaining, according to figures provided by city officials.” To operate the hub, during an entire fiscal year, the cost is estimated at more than $5.2 million beginning on July 1, 2015, said the paper. But all is not lost. The paper mentions the idea that “near-term losses
could be offset with potential revenue gained from long-term development of the land surrounding ARTIC,” according to Natalie Meeks, who is head of the Public Works Department in Anaheim. During a tour of the transit terminal, Meeks said that, “We will operate in the red for a while, but then that can then be repaid with potential development on the site in the future.” “That’s the 20-year funding plan for this,” Meeks added. “That there is a shortfall in the beginning, and then with the development and other things coming online with tenants, the leases go up and then you can start to pay back those funds.” The $185 million construction cost was paid for through funds collected as a result of Measure M, a half-cent sales tax in Orange County passed by voters to pay for ARTIC and other transit projects. The Orange County Transportation Authority is the responsible county entity, but the ultimate responsibility of the City of Anaheim. So far this year, the City
has allocated more than $1.5 million to pay for ARTIC expenses, said the Register. “I’m expecting our staff to come up with a way to pay the bill,” Councilwoman Gail Eastman told the Register. “Our first priority was getting the building done and getting the concession leases signed.” Anaheim contracted The Superlative Group to locate a sponsor for ARTIC. The Group is lined up to receive a 10 percent to 15 percent commission, said the paper. Meeks said in a statement quoted by the Register: “Transportation is a new market for sponsorships, and we feel ARTIC has great potential for years to come as a highly visible opportunity for any naming-rights sponsor.” The interim City Manager Paul Emery was hopeful that the right sponsor would be found soon. He told the paper that, “With future revenue opportunities, we are confident with the financial prospects of ARTIC as well as its long-term benefits to the city and the region as a whole.”
DECEMBER 1, 2014 - DECEMBER 7, 2014 | 3
hlr media EDITORIAL
Rep. Schiff Renews Push for Body Cameras for Law Enforcement
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Jennifer Schlueter
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On Tuesday Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), a former federal prosecutor who recently urged the Department of Justice to help fund local police departments’ purchase of small body-worn cameras in order to increase transparency, decrease tensions between police and community members, and create a record of events, released the following statement: "Last night, following the decision of a grand jury not to indict the policeman who shot and killed Michael Brown, several buildings were set ablaze and violence again plagued the streets of Ferguson. Brown's death and this new spate of violence has exposed anew the deep mistrust between many Americans, particularly those of color, and law enforcement. "I join the family of Michael Brown, the Attorney General, and the President in calling for an end to the violence, and for calm and restraint, both by protestors and police. As the President said late last night, we are a nation of laws and the grand jury's decision -- whether we agree with it or disagree -- was theirs to make. "We cannot undo the past -we cannot bring Michael back, but we can create a better future for our children and make our streets safer for citizens and police alike. That will not be an easy task, but a good start would be committing to further diversify our police forces so they are more representative of the communities they police, and equipping officers with body cameras -- cameras that may have put to rest the fevered speculation that has characterized this case, or better yet, avoided the deadly altercation altogether.” Schiff, along with other Members of Congress, recently sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder urging the Department of Justice to help fund local police departments’ purchase of small body-worn
cameras. From the letter: “Police departments around the country have begun adopting small body-worn cameras for police officers on patrol. These cameras provide a visual and audio record of interactions with the public, so that in the event of a confrontation or policeinvolved shooting, such as the one that occurred in Ferguson, there is an inalterable record of the events. There are also indications that the presence of body cameras has a civilizing effect on both police officers and the public, resulting in lower incidences of excessive force complaints and deescalat-
ing tense situations before they become violent. Perhaps most importantly, cameras can instill greater trust in police departments on the part of the public they are sworn to protect. In communities with frayed police-community relations, cameras demonstrate a commitment on the part of the local police department to transparency and accountability, while protecting officers from false or frivolous complaints. For all these reasons, the adoption of body cameras has been well received in the jurisdictions that have begun to use them, both by the public and the officers wearing the cameras.”
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Listen Carefully Contest Challenges Students to Create a PSA About Noise-Induced Hearing Loss To raise awareness about noise-induced hearing loss in teens, Listen Carefully, a Starkey Hearing Foundation program, launched a national video contest November 24 challenging middle school and high school students (ages 13-18) to create public service announcements (PSAs) about the importance of hearing protection. The winning student(s) and their school will win a private concert by Interscope recording artist Aloe Blacc in 2015. The “Listen Carefully Contest” was created in response to data showing that noise-induced hearing loss increased 30 percent in teens over the past decade. Today 1 in 6 American teens has permanent hearing loss due to high volume sounds. Listen Carefully is a domestic program of Starkey Hearing Foundation, an international nonprofit that gives the gift of hearing to people in need around the world.
“From the studio to the stage, my hearing is a critical part of my art,” said Interscope recording artist Aloe Blacc. “I am so honored to join Listen Carefully to help raise awareness about noise-induced hearing loss and look forward to performing at the school of the video contest winner,” he continued. Football games, concerts, portable listening devices, lawn mowers and even hairdryers can damage kids’ hearing in as little as 10 seconds. “At the core of creating a revolution in hearing health is the conscientiousness that teenagers must develop regarding their own ears,” said Dr. Vanessa Rothholtz, a Board Certified Otolaryngologist in Los Angeles, California. “This begins with education and influences in their environment, such as the music industry, their parents and their friends. However, it is ultimately the young adult’s respon-
sibility to actively participate in the protection of their hearing,” she continued. “Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent, but often preventable,” said Tani Austin, Co-Founder of Starkey Hearing Foundation. “We hope this contest will help provide a creative way for students to learn and educate their peers about the longterm health dangers associated with high-volume sounds.” The Listen Carefully contest is accepting 30-second video submissions between November 24 and December 31, 2014 from teens ages 13-18 who are enrolled an accredited U.S. middle school or high school. Video should be submitted to Listen Carefully’s official contest page (http://www. listencarefully.org/video-contest/ ). Qualifying entries will be made public for general voting from January 13-31, 2015. The top three finalists will be notified on
February 1, 2015 and the grand prize winner will win a private concert from Aloe Blacc at his or her school. Second and third place winners will each receive a GoPro© camera and a trip to attend the concert with a parent or legal guardian. Listen Carefully is Starkey Hearing Foundation’s domestic initiative to raise awareness about noise-induced hearing loss and help prevent a hearing loss epidemic. Today, 1 in 6 American teens has permanent hearing loss due to high-volume sounds. Football games, concerts, music players, and hairdryers can damage kids’ hearing in a matter of seconds. Noise-induced hearing loss is permanent, but preventable. For more information, visit Listen Carefully online at listencarefully. org, via Facebook at facebook. com/listencarefully, Twitter.com/ listencarefully, or Instagram.com/ listencarefully_org.
Upset Protestors Rally Against Ferguson Verdict, Block Freeways Continued from page 1
reported, where people raised signs and their hands shouting “hands up, don’t shoot.” The Los Angeles Times quoted a statement of Los Angeles County Sheriff-elect Jim McDonnell, in which he urges angry protestors to “respect the outcome and processes of our
legal system.” He adds: “The greatness of our nation comes from our ability to come together peacefully and lawfully, to speak up about what is on our minds, and to respect one another.” According to the LA Times, Darrin Johnson of Red-
lands signed the petition “We Call on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to file federal criminal civil rights charges against Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the Slaying of Michael Brown” on Change.org. He told the paper: “I’m frustrated beyond belief. Signing this petition is at the moment the closest thing I have to taking action. I want to see people of color treated with the same dignity and humanity that whites are by those in power.” Since the killing of their child, Michael Brown’s family have advocated bodyworn cameras for officers, and started a campaign. In a statement, they wrote: “We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen. Join with us in our campaign to ensure that every police officer working the streets in this country wears a
body camera.” The Anaheim Police Department has implemented body-worn cameras since early September of this year. According to CBS, the “City Council […] voted unanimously in support of the $1.1 million investment, manning the department with 250 body cameras.” CBS quoted Anaheim resident Steven Sweetley who spoke at the city’s council meeting after they had made the announcement: “The city of 14,000 people in Missouri – Ferguson – they are already instituting cameras on police within one month if the slaying of Michael Brown. How many people have been slain in the city of Anaheim, and cameras are still not on cops?” The decision came too late for Genevieve Huizar, whose son was killed by police two years ago, which had caused unrests in Anaheim.