Contra Costa Herald

Sign at the former FCI Dublin women’s prison. Photo courtesy of Jesstess87.

10th at now closed FCI Dublin to plead guilty or be convicted to date

By William Elwood, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of California

OAKLAND – Former Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional officer David Perez pleaded guilty Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, to sexually abusing two female inmates at the Federal Correction Institution (FCI) in Dublin, Calif., a low- and minimum-security federal prison for females.  Perez also admitted to making false statements to federal investigators.

Perez was charged by Information on September 16, 2026.  He is the tenth correctional officer to have either pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial as part of an ongoing federal investigation into sexual abuse of inmates at FCI Dublin.

According to the plea agreement, Perez was employed at BOP from September 1994 to August 2019.  From approximately October 2014 until August 2019, Perez served as a Discipline Hearing Officer (DHO) at FCI Dublin.  In that role, he was responsible for adjudicating disciplinary actions against inmates who allegedly engaged in misconduct while in prison and issuing punishment if he found them guilty.

Between 2014 and 2015, Perez served as the DHO for four disciplinary hearings for a female inmate.  Each time, he found her guilty and assessed various sanctions, which sometimes included time in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) and loss of good time. Between August 2015 and September 2016, Perez repeatedly met with that inmate alone in a room in the Captain’s Complex.  During several of those meetings, Perez kissed the inmate and touched her breasts over and under her clothing.

In July 2016, Perez served as the DHO for another female inmate.  He found her guilty and sentenced her to a little over two weeks in the SHU, among other things.  After her release from the SHU, Perez began calling her to meet with him alone in the Captain’s Complex.  During those meetings, Perez complimented her looks, asked her to show him her breasts, and on one occasion told her that he had the power to add or subtract time from her sentence.  On two occasions when he was alone with this inmate, Perez kissed her and grabbed her breasts and buttocks.  On another occasion, Perez digitally penetrated the inmate’s vulva.

On October 8, 2024, Perez spoke with special agents with the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  During that interview, Perez falsely stated that the only time he had ever touched any female inmate was when he escorted them to and from discipline hearings.

Perez was released on bond.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25, 2027, before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.

Perez faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the count of sexual abuse of a ward in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2243(b), two years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of abusive sexual contact in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2244(a)(4), and eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of false statements to a government agency in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2).  Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Scandal Investigation Leads to Prison’s Closure

The investigation of the sexual misconduct scandal led to the facility’s closure.

According to a website about federal women’s prisons, the facility has been “closed since April 2024. It no longer houses anyone and is not a current federal designation.” It was a “low-security women’s FCI with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp.”

“In January 2024, a 60 Minutes report and FBI activity at the prison brought a new wave of scrutiny. In a class-action lawsuit brought by women held at Dublin, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers moved in March 2024 to appoint a special master to oversee conditions at the prison. Legal advocates described it as the first time a special master had been ordered over a federal prison. Within weeks, on April 15, 2024, the Bureau of Prisons announced it was closing FCI Dublin.”

FCI Dublin Investigation

As part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into FCI Dublin, 11 FCI Dublin correctional officers have been charged with crimes related to the sexual abuse of the female prisoners at the facility.  The status of these cases is below:

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Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Paulson, Sailaja Paidipaty, and Molly Priedeman are prosecuting these cases with the assistance of Amala James, Analisse Iniguez, and Aryan Sawant.  The prosecutions are the result of an investigation by the DOJ OIG and the FBI.

Case No. 4:26-CR-00464-YGR

Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Held on $2 million bail

Police ID victim

By James Laughter, PIO, San Pablo Police Department

San Pablo, CA – As previously reported, on Sunday, October 25, 2026, San Pablo Police Detectives began investigating the homicide of 33-year-old San Pablo resident Luis “Luigi” Ramirez in the 1600 block of 16th Street. After receiving an outpouring of cooperation, support, and information from the community and, utilizing the City’s comprehensive network of public safety technology, SPPD Detectives identified Jose Jesus Cornelio-Aguirre (18-years old, San Pablo, born 12/24/2007) as the individual believed to be responsible for the homicide. Within 48 hours of the initial investigation, Cornelio-Aguirre was located in the 1400 block of North Victoria Court in San Pablo, and subsequently taken into custody in the evening of Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

Based on the preliminary investigation, Detectives believe the victim and suspect were known acquaintances, and that the victim was shot during the early-morning hours on Sunday, October 25th following an altercation with the suspect. At this time, further details of the relationship between the victim and suspect, or cause of the altercation, are still under investigation.

Following his arrest, Cornelio-Aguirre was booked at the Martinez Detention Facility (Contra Costa County) on one charge of PC 187(A) – Murder, pending filing of formal charge(s) in collaboration with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.

This investigation remains active and ongoing; anyone with information is encouraged to contact the San Pablo Police Department Investigations Division at (510) 215-3150.

According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the five-foot, 10-inch tall, 180-pound Cornelia-Aguirre whose race is not listed but also, listed  as unknown, is being held on $2 million bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 13th at 1:30 p.m. in Superior Court Department 5 in Martinez.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

By Dr. Salvatore J. Giorgianni, PharmD, CMHE

I’ve been a pharmacist for more than 50 years. In that time, I’ve witnessed staggering medical advances. Patients now have access — at least in theory — to lifesaving medicines that seemed like science fiction just a decade or two ago.

But in practice, tens of millions of Americans struggle to obtain those drugs. In recent years, I’ve watched more and more patients approach the pharmacy counter, look at the required co-pay on the screen with horror, and glumly walk away without their prescribed treatments.

These patients have insurance. But all too often they can’t afford the out-of-pocket costs that remain after coverage kicks in.

The crisis stems, in large part, from the fact that big insurers like UnitedHealth, Cigna, and Humana don’t merely process claims, anymore. Their parent companies control physicians’ practices and hospitals. They also own pharmacies and operate pharmacy benefit managers — the middlemen that determine which drugs patients can access and what they pay for them.

Today, just three PBMs (pharmacy benefit manager) control prescription drug access for roughly 80% of Americans. In virtually any other industry, that level of concentration would raise serious concerns about competition. Yet these vertically integrated conglomerates have warped the healthcare system to maximize their own profits — and gouge patients — every step of the way.

PBMs typically base patients’ out-of-pocket costs on drugs’ much higher “list” prices, rather than the discounted prices negotiated behind the scenes. Those inflated list prices only exist on paper, yet they justify higher co-pays while also generating larger rebates for PBMs and more profit for the companies that own them. In some cases, PBMs collect more from patients via co-pays or co-insurance than they actually reimburse pharmacies for dispensing a drug.

PBMs also profit by making it harder for patients to access the medicines their providers prescribe.
One of their most common tactics is prior authorization. Providers must justify prescriptions they have already determined are appropriate and wait for the insurer’s approval before patients can begin treatment. The process can delay care for days, weeks, or even months. Faced with those hurdles, up to eight in 10 patients forgo treatment altogether.

Then there’s “step therapy”, sometimes called “fail first”. Patients must first try one or more older, less expensive medicines before gaining access to the treatment their provider originally recommended. That may reduce short-term costs for insurers, but it can also delay effective care and, in some cases, seriously harm patients.
Together these, and other, barriers contribute to unmanaged chronic disease, avoidable hospitalizations, and more than 100,000 preventable deaths every year.

Fortunately, Washington is beginning to crack down. The Federal Trade Commission has sued the nation’s three largest PBMs over practices that inflate drug prices. The Department of Labor recently proposed a rule that’d require PBMs to better disclose the fees and compensation they receive. And earlier this year, Congress passed legislation requiring PBMs to increase transparency and pass through more of the discounts they receive to employers.
It’s a great start — and a much more viable way to decrease Americans’ pharmacy bills than one of the other ideas frequently tossed around Capitol Hill. Some lawmakers want to mimic other nations’ price controls on prescription drugs. But artificially lowering what biotech companies charge for medicines would deter research investments — meaning that the pharmacists of the future will have fewer lifesaving drugs to dispense to patients.
Until policymakers decisively confront PBMs, Americans will continue to pay more, get less of the care they need, and be at risk of worse health.

Salvatore J. (Sal) Giorgianni, Jr, PharmD, CMHE is vice-president and cofounder of Healthy Men, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the health of boys, men and their families. He is chair-emeritus and cofounder of the American Public Health Association Caucus On Men’s Health. This piece originally appeared in Issues & Insights.

Families encouraged to enroll by November 30 for priority placement at their resident school

By Office of Communications, Family and Community Engagement, San Ramon Valley Unified School District

Danville, CA (October 29, 2026) – The San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD) will open enrollment on November 1 for all incoming Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Kindergarten students for the 2027-28 school year.

The enrollment process can be completed entirely online, making it convenient for families to get started. Families are encouraged to complete enrollment by November 30, 2026, to receive priority placement at their resident school. Enrollment will remain open after that date; however, placement at a resident school will be based on a first-come, first-served basis and is subject to space availability.

“We look forward to welcoming our newest TK and Kindergarten students next fall,” said Superintendent CJ Cammack. “These early learning experiences provide a strong foundation for future academic success, curiosity and a love of learning.”

Eligibility Guidelines

Children are eligible for the 2027-28 school year if they meet the following age requirements:

• Transitional Kindergarten (TK): Children who turn four years old on or before September 1, 2027.
• Kindergarten: Children who turn five years old on or before September 1, 2027.

Families can visit the SRVUSD website to complete online enrollment and learn more about the enrollment process.

Student photo 

Students photo

Teacher/Student photo

About San Ramon Valley Unified School District: Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD) is one of the highest-achieving school districts in California. With approximately 28,500 students, the district encompasses the communities of Alamo, Danville, San Ramon, and a small portion of Walnut Creek and Pleasanton.

SRVUSD has been recognized at state and national levels with many awards and achievements and is designated as a Learning 2025 Lighthouse District by AASA, the School Superintendents Association. Based on a foundation of academic excellence, the district’s work is guided by its Strategic Directions and Learner Profile. SRVUSD is committed to preparing students for their future by providing a strong academic foundation, supporting their well-being, and equipping them with the skills and confidence to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Read tips and reminders for voting in the November 3rd General Election

By Dawn Kruger, Community and Media Relations Coordinator, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department 

Regional Early Voting Sites open today, Friday, October 30th with convenient times to vote in-person, and polling places are open on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Voters can still return their ballots by mail, postmarked on or before Election Day – to ensure mailed ballots are received on time, voters mailing their ballots should go into the post office and ask for a postmark. To avoid stress and ensure the Elections office receives their ballot on time, voters can drop their ballot off at one of the County’s 43 official drop boxes before 8:00 PM on Election Day.

“We want Contra Costa Voters to know that they can vote their way with confidence,” said Kristin B. Connelly, the County’s Registrar of Voters. “The Elections office is here to ensure that your vote is counted and your voice is heard.”

In-Person Voter Services

If you prefer to vote in-person or need in-person services to cast your ballot, Contra Costa County residents have early voting options at five Regional Early Voting sites throughout the county.

All Contra Costa registered voters will be able to vote at any of the Regional Early Voting locations, which will be open Friday, October 30th from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM; Saturday, October 31st from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM; and Monday, November 2nd from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Here are the locations of Contra Costa’s Regional Early Voting sites:

• Oakley Recreation Center, 1250 O’Hara Ave, Oakley
• Pittsburg Library-Community Room, 80 Power Ave, Pittsburg
• Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond
• San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church, 902 Danville Blvd, Alamo
• Center for Community Arts Auditorium, 111 N Wiget Ln, Walnut Creek

Voters can also come to the Elections Office at 555 Escobar St in Martinez, Friday, October 30th from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday October 31st from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday November 2nd from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Election Day, Tuesday November 3rd from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Polling Places

Polling places will be open on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.  Please go to our website and check “My Voting Information.” to find your assigned polling place.

Conditional Voter Registration

If you missed the voter registration deadline, you can still register and vote in-person using Conditional Voter Registration. It is a one-stop opportunity to register and cast your ballot and is available (1) at our office at 555 Escobar St in Martinez, (2) at Regional Early Voting sites, and (3) at all polling places.

Accessible Voting Equipment and Additional Language Access

Official ballots and voting instructions are provided in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Additional language resources are available through ballot translation guides which are available online and at all in-person voting locations. Ballot marking equipment with accessible features is available at every in-person voting location for voters who may need assistance.

Be Prepared

If you vote in-person, many voters find it helpful to come prepared. Make your choices ahead of time and bring your pre-marked Sample Ballot to the polls to help you save time. Copies of the Voter Information Guide are available at the polls and the information is also available online.

No Electioneering within 100 Feet of Polling Place – Leave Campaign T-Shirts, Buttons and Hats at Home

Please remember that voters have the right to cast a ballot free from intimidation or distraction. Under California law, electioneering is prohibited within 100 feet of any voting location.  Anyone wearing items promoting any position in this election will be asked to remove or cover them while they are at the voting location.  Please help our poll workers by refraining from electioneering and leave your campaign t-shirts, buttons, and hats at home.

For more information on voting options for the November 3rd General Election, visit www.contracostavote.gov or call 925.335.7800.

In Concord Nov. 4th

By State Building and Construction Trades Council

As AI reshapes the Bay Area job market and raises questions about the future of white-collar careers, more than 1,000 Contra Costa parents and students have signed up to explore alternatives to a traditional four-year college degree at “Building Trades Parents Night” at Concord High School, Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.   The event highlights well-paying careers in the building trades and gives students and parents an opportunity to meet trade professionals, try hands-on activities and learn how apprenticeships provide training and a pathway to rewarding careers.

Sparks will fly as students try their hand at welding and soldering, while others test their skills at pole climbing under the guidance of skilled trade professionals.

As families consider the rising cost of college and changing job opportunities, careers in the building trades offer an attractive alternative. Apprenticeships provide hands-on training and opportunities to earn while learning valuable skills for in-demand careers.

This is a unique partnership between the Mt. Diablo School Unified District, the Torlakson Whole Child Institute, and the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California.

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, County Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston, other elected officials, and union leaders will be in attendance.

Concord High School is located at 4200 Concord Blvd.

Defendants facilitated secret cash payments using Livermore drop box targeting U.S. military personnel for China’s Ministry of State Security

The FBI San Francisco Field Office was assisted by FBI’s Portland, Houston and San Diego Field Offices, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service

By William Elwood, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of California

OAKLAND – Two nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) were sentenced today to federal prison for conspiring to act as agents of the PRC government and acting as agents of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General.  Liren “Ryan” Lai, 40, and Yuance Chen, 39, were each sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar.  The defendants agreed to operate under the direction and control of the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), carrying out clandestine intelligence activities in the United States that included facilitating secret “dead drop” cash payments in exchange for information related to the national security of the United States, gathering information about U.S. military personnel and installations, and assisting efforts to recruit potential intelligence assets from within the U.S. military.

“These defendants were directed by a foreign intelligence service to gather information about the U.S. military in the hopes of undermining our national security.  This office and our federal law enforcement partners stand watch day and night to prevent our adversaries from doing just that, and we will continue to do so,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “There are many nations around the world that wish this country ill.  And today’s sentences should demonstrate our commitment to holding accountable anyone who poses a similar threat to our nation.”

According to court documents, Lai and Chen began acting as agents of the MSS no later than May 2021.  The MSS is the PRC’s principal civilian intelligence service, responsible for conducting foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations.  Lai recruited Chen into the scheme and initially served as an intermediary between Chen and MSS intelligence officers.  Chen subsequently received assignments directly from MSS officers.

As detailed in the government’s sentencing memorandum, Lai and Chen facilitated a clandestine cash payment of approximately $10,000 in January 2022.  While the defendants were in the PRC, they coordinated with individuals in the United States to leave a backpack containing the cash in a locker at a recreational facility in Livermore, California.  Such arrangements, known as “dead drops,” allow intelligence operatives to transfer money or information without directly meeting the intended recipient.

The defendants’ illegal activities extended beyond facilitating covert payments on behalf of the MSS.  Beginning in 2022, Chen gathered information about U.S. military installations and personnel at the direction of Lai and MSS intelligence officers.  These activities included obtaining photographs of Navy Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, and photographs and videos of military recruits and active-duty sailors inside a Navy recruiting station in Southern California.  Chen also collected personal identifying information about a U.S. Navy employee and maintained detailed biographical information about military personnel who were potential intelligence targets.

In March 2023, Lai traveled to the U.S. and delivered a cell phone to Chen for covert communications with the MSS referred to by Chen as a “state secret.”  Chen later traveled to China in 2024 and 2025, where he met with MSS officers and received additional assignments concerning U.S. service members.

In April 2025, Lai again traveled from China to the U.S. to carry out assignments for the MSS.  The following month, the MSS directed him to travel to Phoenix to facilitate another clandestine cash payment of approximately $20,000 in furtherance of its intelligence operations.

Lai and Chen were arrested on June 27, 2025, during a coordinated Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) counterintelligence and law enforcement operation.  A federal grand jury in the Northern District of California returned an indictment on July 1, 2025, charging both defendants with conspiracy to act as agents of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and act as agents of a foreign government without prior notification, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 951.

Lai pleaded guilty to both offenses on December 12, 2025.  Chen pleaded guilty to both offenses on February 20, 2026.

The FBI San Francisco Field Office led the investigation, with assistance from the FBI’s Portland, Houston and San Diego Field Offices, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

The National Security, Cyber & Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section handled the prosecution of the case.  Significant operational support and assistance was also provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Oregon, the Southern District of Texas, and the Southern District of California.

Case No. 4:25-cr-00186-JST

A voter casts a ballot during the presidential primary election on Super Tuesday in Oakland. Photo: Andrew Reed/EdSource

PRO: Teachers’ union leader says Prop. 3 would help lock in hard-won resources for student well-being

By Gloria Martinez, EdSource.org – republished with permission

When I was a special education teacher, I learned that one of the cruelest questions you can ask an underfunded school is: What can you afford to go without?

Before California voters passed Proposition 30 in 2012, this was not a hypothetical question. I saw firsthand how budget constraints affected students’ daily lives, especially in less affluent communities where resources were already stretched thin. Some schools lacked the counselors, school psychologists and social workers needed to recognize when a child was struggling. Teachers did what they could, but in classrooms of 30 or more students, we could not replace these trained professionals or meet every child’s needs alone.

By raising taxes on California’s highest earners (currently, couples earning more than $742,000), Proposition 30 generated additional revenue for public schools and higher education. In the years that followed, teachers across the state used collective bargaining to advocate for improvements that directly affected students and school communities: smaller class sizes, art and music programs, and mental health professionals who helped schools better support students’ overall well-being.

In Los Angeles, those resources also helped create conditions for educators to pursue further gains through common-good bargaining, including community schools, the Black Student Achievement Plan, and additional staffing. These were more than budget line items. They meant more readily available support for students, expanded opportunities for children from low-income backgrounds and from immigrant communities and communities of color, and greater capacity for schools to intervene when students and their families needed help.

Today, as voters consider Proposition 3, which would make these existing tax rates permanent for California’s highest-income earners, we must remember what it took to build that stronger foundation and what we stand to lose if it erodes.

If the tax rates expire in 2031, California would give its wealthiest households a massive tax cut and forgo an estimated $5 billion to $15 billion a year in state revenue. This financial pitfall will make it harder for school districts to sustain the programs and staffing students rely on, including mental health and student support services. Counselors, school psychologists and social workers — positions we worked to expand in our schools — could be at risk.

If the tax rates expire in 2031, California would give its wealthiest households a massive tax cut and forgo an estimated $5 billion to $15 billion a year in state revenue.

Protecting that investment is especially urgent as students face increasingly complex mental health challenges. For young people experiencing depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts, school-based mental health services reach more than twice as many as primary care or child welfare services. For many students, school may be the most accessible place to find help.

The need is not theoretical. Despite declines in youth suicide in California, serious mental health challenges persist. Schools need trained professionals who can recognize warning signs, respond to crises and connect students with appropriate care.

Students also bring fears into school that originate far beyond campus. Immigration raids across California have exacerbated students’ anxieties about family separation, fears for parents’ safety, and difficulty concentrating in class. In moments like these, psychiatric social workers have provided students with weekly check-ins, psychological counseling and information about legal support services. They have also facilitated community circles where students can discuss unfolding events and how those events affect them.

If schools lose these professionals, students and families will have fewer places to turn for help. Families with the means to do so may be able to pay for private counseling, but families without those means can lose access to critical support altogether.

The gains made possible by Proposition 30 demonstrate what sustained public investment can achieve. Without continued funding that would come from Proposition 3, it’s hard to see how schools can maintain those hard-won gains, preserve mental health services and build the capacity they need to respond to students’ changing needs.

Years from now, our students will have to live with the consequences of the choices we make during this election. Children need more than academic instruction to thrive. They need the stability and support that allow them to recover from setbacks, develop confidence and imagine a future beyond their immediate challenges.

Proposition 3 will not magically fix California’s schools. But without this revenue, schools will struggle to maintain the staffing and programs our students deserve. The question we must ask is not simply what California can afford to fund, but what we are willing to risk going without.

Gloria Martinez is the president of United Teachers Los Angeles.

Voters at a polling place. Credit: Andrew Reed / EdSource

CON: Taxpayers leader says California doesn’t need another forever tax

As statewide student enrollment declines

By Robert Gutierrez, EdSource.org – republished with permission

Proposition 3 asks voters to approve a massive tax increase that would not take effect until 2031, when California’s finances may look completely different from how they do today. Voters should reject Proposition 3 and keep their options open.

In 2031, there will be a new president in the Oval Office, a new governor, and a different political landscape in California — especially if voters approve Proposition 40 to impose a wealth tax that could prompt an exodus of the taxpayers targeted by Proposition 3.

The state also will have significantly fewer students in our public schools. The Department of Finance projects a decline of 710,500 students from 2026 through 2036, and by the midpoint of this decline, we undoubtedly will see some major changes in the education structure.

This is only the beginning of the list of unknowns. Other questions include:

• Will Californians still be paying billions of dollars per year for a nonfunctioning “high-speed” railroad system in 2031, rather than prioritizing schools for that spending?
• Will taxpayers still be paying for ineffective programs that haven’t solved homelessness?
• Will startups launch in California, or take their jobs and economic benefits to states with more competitive tax rates?

In short, it makes no sense to amend the state constitution to commit to a tax increase now, five years in advance, when we have no idea what condition the state will be in when the tax would take effect.

What difference could five years make?

California’s finances can change substantially in a short period. Total state revenue for the current fiscal year is projected to be $21.5 billion higher than the amount collected five years earlier. The Department of Finance also recently reported that general fund revenue was running $5.5 billion above the projection used to draft the 2026-27 budget just six months earlier. This means the education funding guarantee will go up, too.

It makes no sense to amend the state constitution to commit to a tax increase now, five years in advance, when we have no idea what condition the state will be in when the tax would take effect.

Timing is only one of the problems. While Proposition 3 is marketed as a “tax extension” that would only affect high-income residents, the truth is that it’s a major tax increase that would hit millions of small businesses as well as high-income individuals. The result: California’s affordability crisis gets worse.

The small-business aspect of Proposition 3 hasn’t received enough attention. California’s tax structure does not neatly separate business income from personal income, and many small businesses operate as sole proprietorships, partnerships, or S corporations that report business earnings on personal income tax returns.

This means the higher tax rates imposed by Proposition 3 would increase taxes on many small businesses, ultimately leading to higher prices for customers, fewer job opportunities for workers, or both.

The Public Policy Institute of California reported in February that sole proprietorships accounted for more than 3 million California businesses in 2023. But the number of those businesses whose owners would be impacted by Proposition 3 depends on their taxable income.

To the extent that Proposition 3 would hit high-income earners, it would make California more reliant on the most volatile source of revenue, while simultaneously making it even more volatile by giving high-income residents a new incentive to leave the state.

California already imposes the nation’s highest personal income taxes and would have a top personal income tax rate of 10.3% on income over $1 million without Proposition 3. The state also imposes a 1.3% State Disability Insurance tax on all income from salaries and wages, bringing the top tax rate to 11.6% on those forms of income, without Proposition 3.

As for the issue of an “extension” versus an “increase,” the fact is clear: If Proposition 3 is approved, Californians will pay $5 billion to $15 billion a year more in state income tax than if the initiative is defeated (according to estimates by the Legislative Analyst’s Office). That’s an increase — and a very large one, at that.

Finally, the measure would continue the trend in which “temporary” taxes in California never seem to go away. As the proponents of Proposition 40 are discovering, voters are extremely distrustful of taxes described as temporary. Why? In large part because of Proposition 3 and its predecessor, Proposition 55 of 2016, asking voters to renew a tax originally described as a temporary charge to cover an emergency.

The ballot argument for the original initiative, Proposition 30 of 2012, said the taxes “are temporary, balanced and necessary to protect schools and safety” — one of the argument’s five mentions of the allegedly temporary nature.

With revenue arriving above projections and the state spending billions on questionable programs without proper controls or a review of effectiveness, it can no longer be said that California has a fiscal emergency.

The voters should give much-needed relief to small businesses and their customers, avoid making fiscal decisions prematurely, and let the “emergency tax” expire on schedule. Vote NO on Proposition 3.

Robert Gutierrez is president of the California Taxpayers Association, which is celebrating its 100th year of serving as the state’s largest and oldest association representing taxpayers in this state.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author. EdSource welcomes commentaries representing diverse points of view.

Dear Editor,

I live in Walnut Creek, and I’m voting for Jeff Frese for Congress in District 10. I recently posted on Nextdoor to ask my neighbors to give Frese a look before they fill out their ballots.

Mark DeSaulnier has been in Congress for twelve years. In that time, two of his bills became law. One named a post office. The other moved a park boundary. Twelve years is long enough to judge someone’s work, and that is the work.

Jeff Frese lives in Moraga. He isn’t a career politician, and the first thing on his list is one every parent in this county can get behind: no federal income tax on public school teachers. The people we trust with our kids all day shouldn’t need a second job to live in the towns where they teach.

Frese has challenged DeSaulnier to a debate. DeSaulnier won’t debate him. When you’ve never had to earn the vote, you never have to show up.

One party has held every statewide office in California since 2011. We pay the highest gas prices in the country. More people are leaving this state than any other, and the U-Haul one-way exodus is the receipt. Doing the same thing and expecting a different result hasn’t worked.

I’m not asking anyone to change parties. I’m asking them to consider hiring someone who will actually show up and do the job. Someone who will prioritize the interests of his constituents over his self-interest or his allegiance to any political party. Someone who is determined to act and to create a brighter future for our children and grandchildren. Talk is cheap. The time to act is now.

Ballots are due Tuesday, November 3. I’m voting for Jeff Frese, and I hope you’ll join me. For more information visit https://freseforcongress.com.

Regards,

Philip Ho

Walnut Creek

Provides additional results schedule

By Dawn Kruger, Community and Media Relations, Coordinator, Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department 

The first report of results will be released shortly after 8:00 PM on Election Night, Tuesday, November 3rd, and posted to the Elections website immediately afterward. The initial posted results will include counted Vote-by-Mail (VBM) ballots and in-person ballots from Regional Early Voting Sites.

The second report, with results from the polls, will be issued at approximately 9:30 PM with subsequent updates at least once an hour until all precincts have reported their votes from in-person voting. The final Election Night report is expected to be issued by 12:00 AM. Typically, the Election Night report only represents approximately half of the total vote that our office ultimately will receive.

The first interim report will be posted by 5:00 PM on Friday, November 6th, and will contain additional results from Vote-by-Mail ballots received on or after Election Day as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. Additional results will be posted twice a week, by 5:00 PM until canvass activities have been completed. Any final signature cures submitted by the deadline will be included in the final report at certification on December 3rd, 2026.

The availability of updated reports will be communicated via X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, using the hashtag #CoCoVote. Changes to the reporting schedule, if any, also will be communicated on these social media sites.

The Contra Costa Elections Division social media pages are:

https://x.com/cocoelections

https://www.facebook.com/ContraCostaElections/

Local election results will also be available throughout Election Night on Contra Costa Television (CCTV) beginning at 8:00 PM on Comcast channel 27, Astound channel 32, and AT&T U-Verse channel 99.