WHY: The Job Center opened in September 2020 and SETA is recommending defunding it. We CANNOT close its' doors. If ever there was ever a need for a Sacramento Job Center, it is NOW, especially coming out of the pandemic when more than ever the black and brown community is looking for work! Now more than ever we need a Job Center serving Oak Park and surrounding neighborhoods. Proposed Talking Points: 1. Oak Park is a critical community where a Job Center is needed. It is in the Promise Zone, Opportunity Zone, and designated an Enterprise Zone by HUD. 2. COVID 19 has significantly impacted Oak Park and has left many of its residents jobless and homeless. Having a Job Center in this area will be key to assisting residents find employment in order to provide for their families. Job Centers are designed to provide opportunities and resources to those most impacted by social determinants and racial equity. 3. The Fruitridge Career Center is part of a collective of non-profit organizations that work to develop the Oak Park community by reducing social and health disparities with children, adults and seniors. 4. SETA compared the performance of the newly established Fruitridge Career Center after seven (7) months of operation, during the pandemic, with the performance of Job Centers that have been open for decades, while acknowledging that even those centers under-performed because of the pandemic. 5. Pivot Sacramento as part of GoBiz operates an employment program that is consistent with the Job Center that targets people reentering from jail or prison. Through that program, we enrolled approximately 760 participants over 18 months, most enrolled during the pandemic. 6. The Fruitridge Career Center has developed relationships with employers and other community stakeholders, including the Black Child Legacy Campaign, CPS, DHA, Alchemist, River Oaks Resource Center, Unite Us and many others. 7. The Fruitridge Career Center partners with the Aggie Square Committee and Community Engagement Department at UC Davis to create employment opportunities for the Oak Park community. The termination of the Fruitridge Career Center will terminate those relationships. 8. SETA claims that funds are allocated to provide activities and services that assist unemployed and underemployed individuals to gain the skills necessary to enter high demand careers in the region. Closing the Fruitridge Career Center in Oak Park which has a high number of unemployed and underemployed individuals, especially as we near the end of the pandemic, contradicts those claims. We need you to SHOW UP and GET LOUD! MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT ON JUNE 3RD (10AM): ~Make a verbal public comment during a meeting. The public comment phone line will open 15-minutes prior to the start of the meeting. ~Refer to the agenda and listen to the live meeting to determine when is the best time to call to be placed in queue to make a public comment (ITEM III-B – 3 – ACTION). ~Dial (916) 263-3827 and follow the prompts to be placed in queue for a specific agenda item (ITEM III-B – 3 – ACTION) on or off-agenda matter. Each agenda item queue will remain open until the public comment period is closed for that specific item.

The Utah State Office of Education is cutting Adult Roles & Financial Literacy as of Fall 2022. We CANNOT, we WILL NOT let this happen! Adult Roles and Financial Lit. has long been the capstone class students take as they exit high school and begin their adult lives and careers. It has been THE course that prepares an individual with the personal, relationship, and financial skills to be successful in life and in ANY career. It IS personal and professional productivity. This course is a legacy in many high schools, and it is being taught to and empowering third and fourth generations in many families. When the Financial Literacy graduation requirement emerged in 2008, it was an unparalleled success. It is the one course where finance is embedded in relationships just as it is in life. Finance is behavioral. Research and data demonstrate that personal and family finance is more than crunching numbers. It is emotional and relational, and when taught in that context, efficacy skyrockets. It has been the shining star in Utah’s unique tradition of education. The Family and Consumer Science (FCS) teachers are uniquely educated and qualified to teach this content. FCS empowers individuals. FCS empowers families. ALL Utah students must continue to have access to this specialized and timely course. #saveadultroles (Sign, Comment & Share)

So many people don’t have access to sufficient internet which disproportionately effects poor people, people of color, people in rural areas. Students have been meeting at fast food restaurants to do homework and attend classes, in parking lots of libraries and town halls. Anyone who is without good internet access is at a major disadvantage for so many things like access to information, education, health care, government services, essential goods.

Police brutality against African Americans in the United States of America has gone beyond reproof. It is beyond time for there to be sensible legislation that affords African Americans the same rights and privileges that American citizenship offers other Americans. We have witnessed: Little to no repercussions for police officers’ blatant murder of African Americans; Perjury in court and/or to grand jury, where officers grandstand on their “fear” of African American citizens they are called upon and paid with taxpayer dollars to protect and serve; A lack of de-escalation techniques employed when interacting with African Americans; No repercussions for individuals who fraudulently call police on African Americans that lead to the harassment and, in most instances, murder of our beloved people. This is highly unacceptable and intolerable. We believe that, in every instance, life should be preserved, which is in accordance with our right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as dictated in the Declaration of Independence and our 14th Amendment right to “due process under the law.” In cases regarding African Americans, we are rarely afforded that constitutional right. We believe that the colors of our skin should not be weaponized against us and should not come with an automatic guilty verdict. The legal right to “equal protection of the laws” is also a right that is afforded to us under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. However, in cases regarding African Americans, we are rarely afforded that constitutional right.

First Class Mail continues to provide an affordable and secure method of communication for millions of Americans. The Delivering for America Plan diverts resources and equipment away from letter processing to prioritize package services. This betrays the mission of the Postal Service to be a vehicle for communication that binds the nation together chasing profits for the private companies that are proposed to handle mail in the expanded implementation of Surface Transfer Centers. Diverting mail outside the Postal network is already creating service delays and increasing the incidents of lost mail as the Postal Service no longer maintains custody of mail throughout the delivery process. Individuals, small businesses, and local governments rely on First Class Mail to exchange information and ideas, receive remittance payments, or issue legal notices. Allowing Postmaster General DeJoy to bull doze the implementation of these changes past the public will forever alter the network that has been built to provide the excellence that has become synonymous with First Class. Do not settle for adequate when the opportunity for excellence is still attainable. Demand more!

To the All Creatures Animal Hospital (ACAH) community of pet parents, rescue organizations, and those who value the role of the local veterinarian in their community, We are veterinary support staff at ACAH. But we are also all pet parents and members of the community. When we walk through the door of our local veterinary hospital seeking care for our furry, feathered, and scaled family members, we also want to see familiar faces who we know we can trust. We feel relief knowing dedicated veterinary staff are only a phone call away when our pets are in need, no matter the species. We understand and appreciate that work requires skills and knowledge and we all want to be assured that the most qualified individuals are caring for our pets. The veterinary profession is rewarding and challenging. For many of us, this is our dream career. We are here because we love helping animals, and providing support to the people who love and care for them. Unfortunately, our profession has long been plagued with burn-out, compassion fatigue, and other systemic issues. The average length of time a veterinary support staff member stays in the field is only 3-5 years. These receptionists, kennel staff, veterinary assistants, and licensed veterinary technicians have valuable on-the-job training and/or traditional education. Many of these highly skilled and educated individuals are forced to choose between their own mental and physical health and doing the job they love. The ongoing loss of such knowledge, and the constant retraining of new staff, leads to a decline in the quality of patient care and a further increase in burn-out for those who remain. We are working to change this trend. We know that patient care is at its best when devoted and skilled individuals are at the forefront, and that can only happen when we are supported by industry leadership with the tools we need to be successful, including: - Fair pay and compensation - Decent and affordable healthcare - Adequate sick leave and paid time off to care for ourselves and our families - Mental health support - Assurances that our own beloved pets will receive quality care - Sustainable staffing and scheduling - Improved staff retention programs - Robust safety measures to protect staff from workplace hazards (including safe COVID protocols) Since the purchase of our beloved hospital, ACAH, by the Cara Corporation in May of 2020, these resources have been cut, threatened, or simply not provided at all. The corporation promised these things and more (most of which we had before the purchase, under our previous ownership). The intention was for ACAH to continue to provide high quality care to its patients as well as open opportunities for employee growth and even better patient care. We are devastated that this has become our reality instead. As the staff of ACAH, we are the bridge between the Cara Corporation and our patients. We are fighting for our rights and to continue our ability to give the high quality care you and your pets deserve. In addition to staff support, we were promised that the Cara Corporation shared the values that we hold dear. The staff and our patients were never supposed to become just numbers: those we serve were to remain the highest priority. After many attempts to discuss our concerns with the Cara Corporation were ignored, we have decided to partner with the National Veterinary Professionals Union and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union to organize our hospital so that the Cara Corporation will be required to negotiate over these issues. Our goal in this fight is to retain our autonomy, to maintain our vision of animal healthcare, and to care for the health of our families. Unionizing will give us the right to be involved in policy, ensuring that conditions remain fair to all involved and that patient care - not just profit - is central to the hospital’s mission. Our goal is to feel safe and heard and to have a stable environment where we can give you - our clients and our patients - everything we have. We will protect our patients and their care from becoming the bottom line. We will retain our authenticity. We will stop the disintegration of our caring staff. The Cara Corporation rejected our request to voluntarily recognize our union and we will soon be holding a union election (with the National Labor Relations Board) secure our union and solidarity to fight for each other. The Cara Corporation is fighting our right to organize by hiring a notorious union-busting law firm, wasting valuable resources that could be spent ensuring the best care possible for your pets. These actions are disrespectful to us and our vision, and also to YOU, the pet parent. Please show the ACAH staff how important we are to you and to our community. Your signature will strengthen our resolve, giving us a strong foundation on which to stand and fight together for what is important. All Creatures Animal Hospital is not a place, it is its people, and the clients and patients we serve are our hearts. Thank you for your support.

Fortunately times have changed and it is considered a "NORM" now to be tattooed all over! Every other state it is legal buy why not here in SC? With this being said most girls love to have a little flower or star behind their ear or a cute little tattoo on the back of their neck but it is not allowed here. What happened to my body my choice? We want to get as many signatures and statements of why you think tattooing in these areas should be legal here in South Carolina!! Please help us challenge these laws!

Child care facilities remain on the brink of closure! Please tell Colorado to give their child care facilities the funds Congress allocated for them. Please ask the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Child Care to provide better oversight of these funds. Please ask the General Accountability Office to investigate misappropriation of these public funds.

Amazon knew exactly what a unionization win by its Bessemer workers would mean: It would have paved the way for more organizing across the country and built power for the working class, who have been exploited to enrich the ultra wealthy time and time again. It’s why Amazon used every union-busting tactic in the book (and even pioneered new ones!) to stop the organizing effort. To prevent a few thousand workers from unionizing, one of the richest companies in the world: hired a Koch-backed anti-union consultant, sent up to 5 harassment texts a day to workers, forced employees to watch anti-union videos, changed the stoplight by the warehouse so organizers couldn’t hand out union flyers to drivers, offered $2,000 severance checks for workers to quit, retaliated against pro-union workers, collaborated with the USPS to put up a fake dropbox for the union votes—and more. These union-busting intimidation tactics aren’t isolated to Amazon—giant corporations have used these and more throughout history to fight back against working people organizing for living wages and better working conditions. If the PRO Act were law right now, Amazon wouldn’t have been allowed to engage in these sorts of repressive anti-organizing tactics, and would be held accountable for union-busting. But since it isn’t, there’s a real risk that other corporations will see what Amazon did in Bessemer and replicate it around the country. Thanks to union members who fought and died to build power for the working class, some workers have weekends off, an 8 hour work day is the norm instead of 12, and kids aren’t forced to work. Unions are good for workers: They protect workers from exploitation, they bring fairness into the workplace, they allow employees to have a say in the workplace policies that affect them, and they win fair wages and protections for all workers, including working mothers, Black, brown and disabled workers, as well as undocumented immigrant workers who are especially at risk for facing exploitation and unsafe working conditions on the job. Giant corporations and the ultra-wealthy, like Jeff Bezos, know that a unified working class will hold them accountable for their anti-worker tactics, abuses, exploitation, and greed. That’s why we need the PRO Act, which would allow the National Labor Relations Board to impose monetary penalties against employers who violate workers' rights, empower collective action and worker strikes, ensure that employees are not misclassified as independent contractors, and eliminate “right-to-work” laws, a relic of the Jim Crow era designed specifically to separate workers and undercut collective bargaining rights. Every Senator who cares about protecting working people from exploitation and intimidation by corporations like Amazon needs to co-sponsor the PRO Act immediately, so we don’t see a repeat of the shameful behavior by Amazon anywhere in the country ever again.

My name is Beth, I live in Ventnor, New Jersey, and I saw the impact of Superstorm Sandy first hand. My house had to be taken down, and I am still not home after 9 years. Very little has changed in Washington, but the climate crisis keeps getting worse. Just look at the heat waves and fires already spreading across much of the U.S. this summer. Our government is still doing too little about the rising sea levels, urgent need to cut pollution, and need to invest in renewable energy. I am genuinely frightened for the planet my grandchildren will inherit. Now, in the middle of a pandemic with our country facing several crises at once, it is clear that Congress must act. I and all signing this petition are calling on Congress to do just that—to act now, with urgency, to create good, union jobs, from clean energy jobs to jobs in the care sector to manufacturing jobs—and to ensure that all of those jobs do their part to reduce the fossil fuel pollution causing climate change. I and those signing this petition also call on Congress to make sure these investments include those who often have been excluded in the past—communities that have lost manufacturing jobs, low-income communities, communities of color, communities facing environmental harm, and fossil fuel communities impacted by the clean energy transition. Prior to Sandy I was like many others. I didn’t understand the reality of climate change until I experienced it. In the same way, how many people thought much about the impacts of a pandemic before Covid hit? Now I understand that this could be the new norm, dangerous pandemics and life-threatening climate disasters that could ruin our communities, unless we reimagine and recreate our economy and build a clean energy future. We need Congress to take action immediately to put Americans back to work in clean energy and care jobs! As an Independent that voted Republican in the past, many might have preconceived notions about what I stand for. But in reality, I believe we must have a country that works for everybody. Right now, I know that we need to come together for this transformational change and recovery. We need to stand together even if we don’t always agree. We need to find common ground especially when it comes to saving our communities, building a clean energy future and protecting our planet. We need to make sure we’re being equitable and everyone is included. And we need to ensure the money is spent wisely, with strong oversight to prevent waste. This goal is bigger than a political divide. This is the moment where we have to take immediate action to create jobs and reimagine the economy in a way that enables all of us to get back on our feet and is sustainable for the earth. Congress must be bold and act now!!

Dr. Birx shared on CNN that in her estimation only 100,000 people should have died from this virus. If things had been mitigated properly 100s of thousands of lives could have been saved. The American People deserved to know the truth during the pandemic and STILL deserve to know the truth now. He caused unneeded hardship, emotional toll, debt and death to people unnecessarily.

We all know that corporations give to both sides of the aisle. It's how they get legislation that's favorable to what they want to do in business. It's been like that for decades, and until we pass legislation to get rid of dark money, it will stay that way. But now Mitch McConnell says corporations must stay out of politics. Well, staying out of politics means no more corporate contributions to politicians then. Since Mitch doesn't want corporations sticking their noses in politics, Mitch has to give back ALL the money he has taken from them. After all, we wouldn't want him to get any more corrupted than he already is, right?