Due to domestic violence, I recently lost a wonderful friend, Dr. Amie Harwick. She was murdered as a result of poorly written laws that do not protect the victims and properly punish the offenders. I refuse to let her death be in vain. She was a Doctor in the Mental Health Field and advocate in the community. We need to do the same and advocate for Amie. So I am launching JUSTICE 4 AMIE! Amie had a restraining order in place against a violent ex boyfriend she dated over a decade ago. The restraining order had expired before her untimely death. In the last week of January 2020, this ex boyfriend attended an event, at which she was making an appearance, and continued his harassment of her. He began to stalk her thereafter and on late Valentine's night decided to attack her in her own home. This man clearly needed treatment, incarceration and/or punishment for years prior to this attack. She should have never been in this situation like so many other victims. The process to get a restraining order is very difficult, traumatizing and must be repeated when the restraining order expires. With this in mind I believe the laws and statues need to be re-written as follows: 1. No expiration date or a longer protection term and to not be lifted until victim requests it to be cancelled. 2. Mandatory affirmative obligation for long term counseling for the stalker/abuser if a restraining order is violated even a minor offense. If they are deemed a harm to the victim or society, then institutionalization may be ordered. 3. Victims should not have to testify in a courtroom close to their abuser/stalker. There should be an option to live stream in a safe space in a satellite location for the hearing with the judge. It's a traumatic experience that the victim is already dealing with and should not be subjected to it again if they do not feel they can. That is why many abusers get away with their actions: many victims back out of trial due to fear of facing their perpetrator. 4. Just like sex offenders, a National Restraining Order Registry should be made to warn others of offenders that have restraining orders.  There can be levels just like Sex Offender Registry.  A national database so that you can look up an individual and see if they have multiple restraining orders out on them.  It is very difficult to search an individual now to determine if they have had more than one Restraining Order without knowing the Victim etc.  5. Financial Abuse by Abusers is very serious and is another major reason why most victims find it difficult to leave their abuser.  Identity Theft since the abuser may have all the personal and financial information of the victim. Their Credit Scores ruined by partners running up charges and not paying their debts to hurt the victim.   Coercive Abuse.     UPDATE for 5. -  SUPPORT SENATE BILL 1141 by Senator Rubio who is currently pushing for Legislation on this matter in California. 6. Free access to Attorneys just like criminals have free access to public defenders.  A victim should not have to bear the legal fees that are incurred when seeking protection.  7.  The personal addresses of anyone should be blocked from public access and remain private per individuals request.  Voter Registration and Business Registration is an easy way to access someone's personal home information which gives Stalkers and Abusers access to the victim's home address.  Privacy matters!    UPDATE for 7.  = https://www.sos.ca.gov/registries/safe-home/ 8.  Supporting Current Bills to pass like SACRAMENTO, CA – Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) has introduced Senate Bill 1141, which will expand legal protections for survivors of domestic violence by criminalizing threats, humiliation, intimidation, and other coercive actions that are used to frighten and control a victim. SB 1141 makes coercive control a crime punishable by imprisonment in jail not to exceed one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison, or by a fine not exceeding $1,000. The bill defines coercive control as the deprivation or violation of the victim’s personal liberty, which can be established through a course of conduct including force, duress, isolation, or economic abuse. Examples of coercive control include controlling a person’s finances; isolating a person from family and friends; and monitoring a person’s day-to-day activities. “Current domestic violence laws do not reflect how domestic violence is practiced in reality,” Sen. Rubio said. “The new crime of coercive control recognizes that domestic violence encompasses more than just physical abuse. This change protects survivors of domestic violence by making their cases harder to dismiss and easier to prosecute.”  “SB 1141 authored by Sen. Rubio recognizes that domestic violence is not limited to physical violence,” said Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, the bill’s sponsor. “This legislation addresses the very real harm of coercive control and strengthens the State’s protections for domestic violence survivors.” England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland have had coercive control laws for several years, encouraging changes in how their societies view individual acts of violence as part of a broader pattern of abuse. The unique harms suffered by domestic violence survivors occurs as much from the deprivation of liberty achieved through a pattern of power and control as it does from discrete physical acts of violence.   If anyone has any other ideas, we would love to hear them. People shouldn't have to die to make changes. As she helped countless numbers of other people in life, we need to use Amie’s passing as a catalyst for change. So her family, friends, and loved ones’ pain from her death is not in vain. Enough is Enough. 1 in 4 will experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. 1 in 3 women will experience rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. 3 women a day are killed by domestic violence. #Justice4Amie Lets get a Million Signatures & More

The Retired Police Canine Foundation is supporting this petition and this is the goal: Give retired law enforcement, Military and off-duty k9s the same exemptions as service animals – let them live anywhere with their owners and accompany their owners on public transportation.   In most places an off-duty police or military k9 is considered a pet when not on duty but a service animal can accompany their civilian owner in public and on public transportation. An off-duty police or military k9 can be denied housing but a civilian service animal can not. These rules are doing a disservice to these American heroes and their handlers. Police and military k9s are highly trained and certified by state, local and in some cases national organizations. Police and military k9s off duty or retired are a deterrent to crime and terrorism. K9s are one of the most effective crime fighting tools. They are in most cases trained to search for lost children and the elderly. They faithfully serve our country and community. Having an off duty or retired k9 living in your building or riding on a train or airplane with you offers you and your community an extra layer of protection and safety.  Military personal are returning from serving our country suffering from PTSD and are unable to adopt there k9s because they cannot find housing that will accept the type of dog that they have. Police officers are experiencing the same resistance.These heroes  and their retired and off duty k9s protect your community and our nation from all kinds of threats.  Military working dogs fearlessly serve our nation saving thousands of lives each year. These animals deserve to remain with their handlers and need to be exempt from outdated housing rules and public transportation ordinances. These heroes deserve the same exemptions as civilian service animals when they are with their respective handler.  www.policek9help.com    

I want to give, peace, love and closure to the family, friends and fans of Nipsey hussle. He said " ya'll better ride for me" and thats what I'm doing, for him, the community he was rebuilding and for his family. I truly believe, having a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, in honor of his legacy, will give a great tribute to his legacy. With the help of the community, the influencers and organizations they can give the city, the state and the rest of the world something that they can come and visit. It will effectively get through to our youth that this man left behind, enough accomplishments that impacted my family and myself. My family and I are really doing our best to cope with such a great loss, we lost a father a friend and a visionary we needed. Our city is in pain, it is going through something very devastating and it's going to take alot to to uplift the people. with the killings and murders in the streets, los Angeles is already dealing with alot, but now his death has brought a peace treaty and unity with the gangs. in Hope's that we can all continue carrying on what he left behind, his legacy and all the great things he has accomplished. This addition to what the people have already accomplished, will give great tribute to his marathon he was running. 

UPDATE: If you are registered to vote in the City of Los Angeles and can help gather signatures on paper, please help! The official petition can be downloaded on the recall website at: www.recallthelamayor.com Let's get to 400,000 and more! Please sign and share far and wide! Send the message Mayor Garcetti MUST GO! This Change.org petition is a symbolic effort to gather signatures to send a message to recall Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti. Mayor Garcetti’s inaction and lack of prioritization for the citizens of Los Angeles has caused third-world conditions, with disease breeding devastation on the homeless of Los Angeles who are forced to live in conditions that are a danger to all of the public health. Visit the Recall Website for the latest and please donate here! www.recallthelamayor.com Blog: https://recallthelamayor.blogspot.com/  Facebook Group Page: Recall L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti Use hashtag #recallgarcetti  According to The Los Angeles Times, as of June 4th, 2019, homelessness in the City of Los Angeles has soared to 36,000 people, a 16% increase. County-wide, homelessness has increased by 12% totaling 58,936 people (Source: Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority). These alarming numbers represent 3,000 homeless veterans (The Los Angeles Times). In 2011, the homeless population was 39,411 (LAHSA), there is an increase of 19,522 homeless people in Los Angeles County to date. According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, every day of 2018, 133 homeless people moved into permanent housing, but another 150 people became homeless. The L.A. Times cites, one of the largest increases are people 18 to 24 years old. In a recent statement, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti called the crisis “heartbreaking.” What is heartbreaking is the second largest City in the nation has a Mayor who remains behind the scenes, instead of making an aggressive effort to help the very citizens he took an oath not to harm. This petition seeks the public’s help to remove this ineffective public servant from office! Please sign this petition and let the homeless know they are being seen and heard, and that the people of the City of Los Angeles, will no longer tolerate this type of inaction on a crisis endangering all of the public health. Source: https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-homeless-count-encampment-affordable-housing-2019-results-20190604-story.html Visit the Recall Website for the latest stories: https://recallthelamayor.blogspot.com/  Media Contact: (213) 446-2980 Email: frontpageindex@gmail.com      

Please sign this petition to help save my family’s iconic Latino-owned tortillería, La Gloria Foods, from going out of business as the result of an unjust action by the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works ("the City"). If you’ve ever eaten at a Mexican restaurant or taco truck in Los Angeles, or even nachos from one of LA's local MLB stadiums, chances are you’ve eaten a La Gloria Foods product. We need your signature to show our elected officials and City decision makers that we stand firmly against this government injustice and support La Gloria. Legal background: Through eminent domain, the City has already taken (for public use) one of the Boyle Heights factories in which La Gloria has operated for 67 historic years. As part of this taking, the City is obligated by the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to provide La Gloria with just compensation. To be clear, just compensation means to place the owner in the same relative position as if the taking did not occur. In the case of La Gloria, part of this compensation requires the City to pay us relocation fees to help move the factory’s tortilla-making equipment to a new location so that it can continue to do business. After six exhausting years of negotiations, the City recently made a ruthless power play and is reneging on its word. It is now offering La Gloria zero in relocation fees.  Without relocation fees, La Gloria’s existence is put in jeopardy, which would be a blow not only to my family’s legacy, but to our beloved community of Boyle Heights and to the larger Latino community of Los Angeles. We ask that you please sign this petition in support of La Gloria Foods’ upcoming September 10th hearing with the City. Your signature can help La Gloria receive the fair compensation it deserves. Let me share some background on La Gloria, and why this injustice runs so much deeper than money. It would be a loss not only for my family but for the community of Angelenos who have grown up on our products. La Gloria is one of the oldest-running tortillerías in Los Angeles. We represent a unique part of Los Angeles history. The Mexican people of Los Angeles first began buying tortillas in bulk from La Gloria back in 1954 when tortillas weren’t mainstream and couldn’t be found in supermarkets anywhere. Because of the scarcity of tortillas back then, Mexicans would drive from all over the greater Los Angeles area to buy our tortillas in bulk. They would go home and freeze them to use, as needed over months, for their everyday meals. For 67 years, our products--tortillas, chips, masa, and taco/tostada shells--have been part of family gatherings, holidays, and celebrations. Tens of thousands of people have grown up on La Gloria tortillas, and have continued to be loyal to our brand their entire lives. La Gloria has been called “a living museum” by the president of the Boyle Heights Historical Society. In the midst of recent events with the City, one La Gloria supporter commented that “this would not be happening if it were Canter’s Deli.” We absolutely believe there are elements of racial and economic discrimination that underlie the City’s actions. Next, let me describe why the City's ruthless offer is specifically hurtful and offensive to my family. La Gloria was founded by my grandparents, Manuel and Antonia Behar, two immigrants from Mexico. When their three daughters (Maria, Lourdes, and Sylvia), who continue to run the company today, see that "zero offer" on the letter written to us by the City, they are brought literally to tears. They first-handedly witnessed the blood, sweat, and tears that their parents put into growing their company until their last day. They cannot accept that their parents' life's work, which has become their own life's work-- 67 years of serving the community-- could be devalued by the City to zero.  The founding of La Gloria is an immigrant success story that exemplifies the American Dream. My grandparents started La Gloria in a small, one-room business space with only two employees: themselves. Their three daughters were ages 4-6 when it was founded, and grew up in the business. Despite not speaking any English, Manuel and Antonia put in endless hours of work, and over a couple of decades La Gloria grew exponentially, eventually occupying two separate factories. Together, they grew the business to the extent that their products began to be sold internationally, as distantly as Australia and South Korea, a reality which continues today. La Gloria continues to be a labor of love for the Behar family, who as a family now in its third generation, continues to operate the business. It is our family’s desire to continue to bring joy and togetherness to people through our food products.  With the passage of time, tortillas have become mainstream and La Gloria products are now enjoyed by all, regardless of race or ethnicity. As Mexicans, we proudly celebrate how tortillas are now used by different cultures in endless ways (think wraps and Korean tacos to name a couple).  La Gloria has weathered many obstacles throughout the nearly 7 decades it’s been in business: We’ve endured numerous economic recessions. We’ve made it past supermarket slotting fees, which forced us out of major retail stores that required payment for placing our product on their shelves. We’ve overcome the fierce competition of major corporate business competitors who joined the industry as tortillas became mainstream. We’ve survived the brutal COVID pandemic. Can we survive this eminent domain action against the City of Los Angeles? We believe we can, with your support. Please sign and support La Gloria Foods tortillería. Your signature can help La Gloria receive the fair compensation it deserves. For more information on our case, please read this Los Angeles Times article written by the very influential Gustavo Arellano, which has brought La Gloria valuable support.  LA Times article on La Gloria

Help protect our native woodlands, its ecosystems  and preserve 23 acres of natural habitat. Say no to LA Zoo’s expansion plans! LA Zoo is planning a $650 million expansion. Officials are considering a controversial transformation, hoping it would give it a competitive edge in a market dominated by powerhouse tourist attractions. “The zoo’s plan is another attempt to squeeze more money out of Griffith Park, a designated L.A. Cultural-Historic Monument,” said Clare Darden, a board member of the Griffith J. Griffith Charitable Trust. “There is no need for another amusement park in L.A. But there is dire need for preserving its increasing rare native ecosystems.” Wild animals should not be kept in captivity for our entertainment, the mere idea of depriving a creature of its freedom for the sole purpose of our enjoyment, it’s something that we, as a society,  should have abandoned long ago. Help preserving protected lands and its habitants. Help us by sharing this petition, we are running against time. Thank you for your support!

Change must start from with it. Step by step. During a live broadcast Police Chief Moore said “the blood of George Floyd is on the hands of the protesters” this is a clear indication of how he and most police offers are trained to view the general public. “Us vs them” we need to take a stand to make change. Together we can. Step one by removing police officers who may carry the same “gang member mentality” 

The murder of George Floyd highlights the truth of systemic racism and police brutality in America. What is police brutality? Police brutality is the unwarranted or excessive and often illegal use of force against civilians by police officers. Forms of police brutality include, assault/battery, harassment (such as false arrests), intimidation, verbal abuse, and murder. We are calling for an end to police brutality through a sustainable, nation-wide reform, of all police departments. Our demands are as follows: 1. The Department of Justice (DOJ) will conduct an in-depth investigation of any civilian/police encounter where lethal force was used. 2. Within 24 hours, all officers involved in an incident where lethal force was used will be removed from their position, without pay and arrested. DOJ will then conduct their investigation and try the officer(s) accordingly. 3. The National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) will create a clear, non-negotiable guideline for the "rules of engagement" when an officer interacts with a civilian; resulting in the expectation to have safest interaction and outcome possible for all involved. 4. Any officer affiliated with one or more known hate groups ( i.e. Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Nazi/Anti-Semitic groups, etc) will be permanently removed from their position, without further pay, and will be banned from holding any position of public service. 5. All officers will complete 100 hours of mandatory Cultural Sensitivity training, to equip them with the tools to safely interact with those outside of their culture, with recurrent training required once a year. 6. All officers will complete 100 hours of mandatory Disability and Inclusion training for safe interaction with civilians with developmental disabilities, with recurrent training required once a year. 7. All officers will be required to see a mental health professional for a minimum of 2 hours per month, and they will supply their supervisor with documentation that confirms their participation. 8. All officers will be required to demonstrate their knowledge of the laws/bi-laws of their specific state with a written test, with recurrent testing required once a year. 9. Upon beginning a shift, all officers will be required to document their current mental state (i.e. stressed, calm, happy, etc.) and have documented approval to begin their shift from their superior, who agrees the officer is in a clear, non-aggressive mental state. 10. Nation-wide legislation will be passed meeting or exceeding the aforementioned demands no later than January 1, 2021, with all police departments expected to adhere to these standards by January 1, 2022.

In 1887, Arcadia Bandini De Baker, donated prime West LA real estate to our veterans to be used for veteran housing. The VA has had countless plans to provide housing to our disabled homeless veterans but through all these years and plans nothing has ever come to fruition. They claim it’s due to funding issues. Instead, they have made MILLIONS on ILLEGAL LAND LEASES. Millions that have not benefited our disabled homeless veterans. If the VA is making millions from these land leases, it brings to question if their claim to funding issues has any precedent over the situation at all. Our veterans have been denied housing and resources, and pushed out off of the land that was solely intended to house them. Our veterans are now camped out along the fence of the west LA VA on the sidewalks forming what is known as “Veterans Row.” For decades this has been an ongoing fight. We are asking our communities to take a stand to put an end to this. Once again, the wealthy, political people of power, are manipulating the situation to benefit them and line their pockets. Meanwhile, we have veterans in need, living quite literally in the gutter. We are demanding the West LA VA hold true to their promises, and designate the property to house our disabled homeless veterans. No more excuses of funding issues, no more illegal land leases to UCLA buildings, Jackie Robinson Stadium, the elite private Brentwood school and their athletic facilities, the list is long. In 2013, a federal judge ruled these “leases” to be Null and Void! However, in 2015 that win was short lived and those leases were renewed for another 10 years! We cannot allow this to keep happening. Veteran homelessness is an epidemic with a perfectly good solution of using the land intended to house them, to HOUSE THEM. Let’s hold these people, organizations, and the VA administration accountable and force them to do the right thing for once. In the last 6 months there have been two homicides outside the gates of this West LA VA campus on veterans row. If they had been doing things the way they claim to this would never happen! Let’s get things rolling in the right direction so no more veterans are added to this list. Let’s help our veterans get what they so rightfully deserve! No more “looking the other way,” “no more ignoring it hoping it will just go away.” It is not going to go away! Take a stand for our nations hero’s. They fought for us, now it’s our turn to fight for them. 

With the onset of COVID-19 in the United States, many thousands of workers have become temporarily displaced due to closures relating to the now global pandemic. A lot of workers who have been affected are gig workers and workers who rely on tips to earn an income. Nightclubs, theaters, bars, restaurants, and other destination-type venues are being hit the hardest right now, and most of us are wondering how we are going to pay rent, as we see the government passing legislation to bail out industries with our tax dollars. We need some assistance too! I am proposing that the state of California institutes a hold on all rent and mortgage payments, payments for utilities, and put a moratorium on evictions until the threat of COVID-19 has been eradicated. It is simply unAmerican for us to live in fear of not being able to pay rent and to be evicted during a global pandemic that has been exacerbated by the inaction of our leaders in a country where we need to create gofundmes to subsidize our medical expenses.