Rubicon is carefully monitoring COVID infection rates and weighing risk factors to determine when to return to work sites. It’s a complicated decision, to say the least, but Rubicon is taking this unprecedented moment in history as another opportunity to put our commitment to being an antiracist organization into action.

Along with guidelines and data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization, (WHO) and county health authorities, Rubicon has added to our return-to-site indicators a measure that adjusts for the heightened vulnerability of our participant community due to social determinants of health, including race, income level, and the related prevalence of working in essential services. 

This adjustment was a natural step for an organization that “takes an equity lens to everything we do,” said Adrienne Kimball, Rubicon’s Chief Talent Officer. Kimball was studying the county indicators for her work on the committee that is determining when to return to site when she noticed something alarming: “These indicators are not for the people we serve.” She was unsurprised by the oversight. “We know that Black, Brown, and poor people are not usually centered in general population indicators, stats, or recommendations.”

According to the CDC, “long-standing systemic health and social inequities have put some members of racial and ethnic minority groups at increased risk of getting COVID-19.” Nationwide African Americans are five times more likely, and Latinx Americans are four times more likely to contract the virus than are white Americans. In addition, low-income communities and communities of color are at a higher risk of severe illness if infected.

Kimball said she did not have to sell the rest of her committee members on the idea of the equity buffer. They quickly added .5% to the WHO-recommended return-to-site community infection thresholds. Kimi Barnes, Rubicon’s Special Projects Manager, said that in addition to the equity buffer, she is looking at micro-populations in her data analysis. For example, “it’s not what’s happening in Contra Costa County; it’s what’s happening in Richmond. We have a commitment to what’s happening in our communities.” 

Rubicon recently put a hold on tentative plan to bring some staff back to job sites the week of June 15 due to recent spikes in infection levels across Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, as well as the fact that both counties are now on the State’s Watch List of counties that are not meeting State threshold criteria for the specific indicators. No new date has been set. Rubicon will continue to prioritize participant and employee health in our decision making.   

Use the power of your vote to end poverty in the East Bay

On Tuesday, November 6th, 2018, voters across California will weigh-in on the state’s future by selecting new elected officials and approving—or rejecting—propositions and measures that impact all of our lives.

It’s crucial that we don’t sit on the sidelines; this election is far too important to be ignored. The future of criminal justice reform, housing affordability and the economy are at stake. Will our government work to end poverty, or will it simply accept the status quo?

That’s why Rubicon Programs believes that encouraging our participants, staff and community to participate in the process is absolutely essential to accomplishing our vision of an East Bay—and California—without poverty. Local elections like this one are where you can truly make your voice heard.

ENDORSEMENTS FOR STATE AND LOCAL MEASURES

This Election Day, voters will be able to weigh-in on many specific policy proposals, and also select our local representatives. Rubicon carefully reviewed each of the propositions and measures on the ballot and we are sharing our positions with you. We have also provided a brief explanation—listed after our endorsements—for each of the offices on the ballot. We hope this will help you in your decision-making process.

Here are our endorsements for state and local propositions in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties:

 

PROPOSITION 1: YES

Affordable Housing Bond. Prop 1 provides $4 Billion in housing-related programs, grants, projects and housing loans for veterans, the homeless and people with disabilities.  Since housing is the largest monthly cost to people in poverty, they will benefit the most from this easier access to affordable housing. More Information.

 

PROPOSITION 2: YES

Homeless Housing Bond. Prop 2 authorizes $2 billion in bonds to fund the No Place Like Home Act of 2016 and permits unused mental health funds to be spent on services and housing for the homeless. Many people in poverty who have a mental illness will benefit from these funds. More information.

 

PROPOSITION 3: NO RECOMMENDATION

Water Bond. Authorizes $8.9 billion in bonds for water-related infrastructure and environmental projects. Although Prop 3 provides funding for worthwhile water infrastructure and environmental projects, a handful of environmental groups are in opposition due to its impact on certain ecosystems and because it diverts some cap-and-trade funds away from climate change prevention efforts. Since there is disagreement among the environmental community, we encourage you to look closer at this measure and decide for yourself. More information.

 

PROPOSITION 4: YES

Children’s Hospital Bonds. Issues $1.5 billion in bonds for improvements to children's hospitals. Prop 4 would help boost declining children's hospital infrastructure, with some funds specifically dedicated to Oakland Children's hospital. Many families on MediCal would benefit from these improvements. More information.

 

PROPOSITION 5: NO

Property Tax Transfers. Prop 5 revises the process for home-buyers who are age 55 or older to transfer their tax assessments between counties when buying a new house of greater value. In effect, this measure would introduce a new property tax loophole that will reduce state property tax revenue by up to $2 billion, adversely affecting critical education and health services. More information.

 

PROPOSITION 6: NO

Elimination of Road & Public Transit Funding. Prop 6 would repeal 2017's fuel tax and vehicle fee increases, and would require a vote on all future increases. Prop 6 would significantly lower investment in much-needed road improvements and public transit opportunities for people in poverty. Many of these projects are long overdue and would pose a safety risk – and cost in wear-and-tear – to drivers if repealed. More information.

 

PROPOSITION 7: NO RECOMMENDATION

All-Year Daylight Savings Time. Prop 7 would permit the state legislature authorize all-year daylight savings time with a two-thirds vote and approval from the U.S. Congress and the President. Some argue that this would lead to a later sunrise that could endanger children walking to school in the dark, and that it introduces costs and complications in aligning interstate business and air travel. Others argue that it could lower energy costs and the risk of heart disease. We encourage you to examine the issue further yourself. More information.

 

PROPOSITION 8: NO RECOMMENDATION

Cap on Dialysis Profits. Prop 8 would put a 15 percent cap on profits for dialysis service providers and was created in an effort to control healthcare costs. Unfortunately, the measure is written in a way that could make it difficult for many providers to include certain unavoidable expenses in their calculations for the cost of services, thus making the business unsustainable. This could lead to closures and fewer service providers, particularly in low-income communities, just as diabetes and kidney disease rates are starting to rise. We agree with the stated goal but are unsure of its practical impact, and leave it to you to weigh the pros and cons. More information.

 

PROPOSITION 10: YES

Allows Local Governments to Institute Rent Control. Housing costs are skyrocketing across California and in the East Bay, and pose a clear barrier to people in poverty. By repealing the Costa–Hawkins Rental Housing Act, Prop 10 would give cities the option to intervene and implement more comprehensive rent control policies. This would provide municipalities with one more tool to tackle the affordable housing crisis. For that reason, we recommend support for Prop 10, and encourage policymakers to explore additional efforts to increase the affordability of housing. More information.

 

PROPOSITION 11: NO RECOMMENDATION

On-Call Ambulance Employees. Prop 11 would allow private ambulance providers to require workers to remain on-call during their breaks. Prop 11 would prevent ambulance costs from rising by approximately 25 percent, and ensures maximum coverage in communities that already have long response times. Unfortunately, it would do that at the expense of a worker’s opportunity to have an uninterrupted lunch and/or break period. We leave it to you to weigh the pros and cons. More information.

 

PROPOSITION 12: NO RECOMMENDATION

Farming Standards for Animals. Prop 12 would ban sale of meat from animals confined in spaces below specific sizes. Prop 12 helps many animals. It could also increase the cost of food, which will impact our clients. We leave it to you to decide. More information.

 

OAKLAND CITY MEASURE AA: YES

Parcel Tax for Childcare and Early Education. Early Childhood Education (ECE) is the number one preventive measure to end intergenerational poverty. Measure AA is a $198 per year parcel tax that would fund up to $30 million annually for preschool and other ECE services that can help break poverty in the East Bay.

 

OAKLAND MEASURE W: YES

Vacant Property Tax for Homeless Services. Measure W enacts a vacant property tax on parcels used less than 50 days per year, at annual rates of $6,000 per parcel, $3,000 for condominium units, and other specified rates; raising about $10,000,000 annually for 20 years; to fund homeless services. This will help alleviate homelessness while also incentivizing property owners to rent out properties, increasing the housing supply.

 

OAKLAND MEASURE Y: YES

Eviction Protections. Measure Y extends just cause eviction protection to residents of duplexes and triplexes, and permits the city council to increase protections for tenants. This will benefit renters and people in poverty in particular.

 

OAKLAND MEASURE Z: YES

Workplace Protections and Minimum Wage. Measure Z installs regulations to protect housekeeping and janitorial staff at large hotel chains, increases the hotel minimum wage to $20, and establishes a department to set additional workplace standards for non-hotel workers. This will benefit many of our participants who may take jobs in this industry and others, and generally encourages better treatment of workers in the City of Oakland.

 

RICHMOND CITY MEASURE H: YES

Real Estate Documentary Transfer Tax Increase. Richmond Measure H will increase revenue for crucial city services by charging more on higher-value property sales and transfers. The tax will primary impact high-net-worth landowners and benefit average Richmond residents.
 

RICHMOND CITY MEASURE T: NO RECOMMENDATION

Vacant Property Tax. Richmond Measures T incentivizes the utilization of residential property, lowering the cost of housing in the long run by implementing a tax on vacant properties. Funds raised may be used to fund homeless services and housing, as well as blight and dumping elimination. Since the funds will be distributed by the City's Housing Commission, it is unclear what share of the funds will go to end homelessness, and how much could be spent on the clearing of encampments with no alternatives for people who are being moved.

 

OTHER LOCAL MEASURES: YES

The following local measures make essential investments in city, county or school operations, and in some cases, necessary facilities improvements. Each has a minor fiscal impact on the average individual – with most of these Measures primarily impacting high net-worth homeowners or purchasers of luxury goods. In exchange, the community and people in poverty receive a significant benefit to the local economy, their quality of life and their education.

• Antioch City Measure W
• Contra Costa Measure R
• East Bay Parks Measure FF
• Hayward Measure T      
• Hayward USD Measure H            
• Martinez Measure X      
• Martinez USD Measure G
• Mt. Diablo USD Measure J
• Oakland Measure X
• Peralta Community College District Measure E
• Peralta Community College District Measure G 
• Pittsburg USD Measure P

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE ELECTION

This Election Day, residents of Contra Costa County and Alameda County, including most of Rubicon Programs’ participants and staff, will also have the opportunity to vote for some of the following local elected officials:

• The County Superintendent, who oversees school districts and provide education to incarcerated minors and those with special needs.
• Community College Board Members, who manage East Bay two-year colleges and contribute to the development of the region’s workforce.
• School Board Members, who manage the policies and budgets of our K-12 schools.
• Special District Board Members, who manage our water, parks, public safety and sanitary districts.
• City Councilmembers & Mayors, who oversee city operations like law enforcement and housing development, and write local laws.
• Judges, who interpret the law and sentence in criminal proceedings.

They will also choose State Constitutional Officers and legislators, including the:

• Governor, California’s Chief Executive, responsible for approving the state’s budget and implementing the state’s laws.
• Lieutenant Governor, who serves as a critical member of the state’s many policy commissions, and fulfills the duties of the Governor when he or she is out of state or indisposed.
• Attorney General, who prosecutes the law, determines who is charged with state crimes and plays a major role in shaping statewide criminal justice policy.
• Controller, Treasurer and Board of Equalization Member, who each ensure the state pays its bills, invests its funds, and assesses its taxes responsibly.
• Superintendent of Public Instruction, who oversees California’s schools, community colleges and universities.
• Secretary of State, who manages elections and the administration of business.
• State Senator, State Assemblymember, U.S. Congressmember and U.S. Senator, each of whom write state and federal laws on legislation covering nearly every topic imaginable.

We hope that you - each of our readers and participants - study each of the candidates’ positions, so that you can identify and support candidates that reflect your priorities for criminal justice reform, early childhood education, affordable housing, and social programs as we all work to end poverty in the East Bay and throughout the State of California.

Please note, Rubicon does not endorse any specific candidate or political party. If you would like to compare all of the candidates, propositions and measures, and review nonpartisan, unbiased summaries online, please visit www.votersedge.org.

 

Don’t Forget to Vote on November 6!

Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 6, 2018.

If you have not yet registered to vote, be sure to do so by the state’s voter registration deadline for the General Election, October 22, online here. If you are unsure of your status, or wish to find your polling place, visit either the Contra Costa County Elections Office or Alameda County Elections Office online.

And remember, many individuals with a criminal record are allowed vote. If you’re unsure of you rights, check here for further information.

You can also vote-by-mail. Learn how by visiting the Contra Costa County Clerk or Alameda County Clerk. Additionally, Contra Costa residents may also vote at Regional Early Voting Sites located across the county.

Thank you for participating!

Sources: Maplight’s Voter’s Edge, League of Women Voters of California Education Fund's Easy Voter Guide, and the California Secretary of State, Alameda County Clerk-Recorder and Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder.

In 2015, Rubicon conducted its first org-wide cultural assessment. We knew that achieving our vision of an East Bay without poverty would take not only outstanding services for our program participants, but also carefully building a Rubicon culture and infrastructure that would empower every single employee to bring all of their talents to the table. 

The survey results were promising - our staff felt highly engaged to their work and to each other. What an overwhelming percentage of respondents wanted to better understand, however, was Rubicon's commitment to dismantling racism and systemic inequity in our communities.

To define our stance, a diverse group of Rubiconians came together over a period of six months to examine the history and legacy of racism in our country and communities. They looked at the ways systemic injustice has, and continues to, impede our progress toward achieving our mission. The Antiracism Stance grew out of their learnings, hope for the future, and Rubicon's unequivocal commitment to doing the hard work of calling-out racism where we see it - starting first with our own practices and workplace culture. 

Rubicon’s Antiracism Stance

Rubicon unequivocally opposes racism. We are resolved to explicitly and publicly affirm our identity as an anti-racism organization. We will understand and eradicate racism’s impact within our organization. We will ensure that prejudices and stereotypes do not creep insidiously into the work we do and how we do it.

We recognize that when we are not actively dismantling systemic racism, we are passively upholding systemic racism. Rubicon refuses to uphold a racist system which opposes our values of Hope, Justice, and Humility, and devalues life. We know that dismantling racism, in our lives, our organization, our field and our community, is a prerequisite to achieving our mission and upholding our values. We will lead or join the work to breathe life into a new system of equity.

We exist in a culture of white supremacy. A culture that requires people of color to explain themselves, to prove systemic racism’s existence, to demonstrate the gravity of its effects, and to justify the necessity of dismantling it. A culture that wields these tools solely to retain power and to divide and destroy. However, we are too strong and determined to allow people to be belittled, questioned, and silenced. We will not wield these tools any longer. We are crafting our own tools. We commit to uprooting the damage done by the culture of white supremacy and systemic racism while cultivating a more just society.

• To cross the Rubicon is to commit to an irrevocable act. To that end, we commit to:
• Examine and recalibrate inequitable power relationships and resource allocations throughout the organization
• Foster full participation by people of color in decisions that shape Rubicon
• Value the contributions and interests of employees of color in shaping our culture, and determining our policies and practices
• Acknowledge in our work with participants that poverty is a result of oppressive systems
• Engage each other through a daily ritual of mutual respect
• Truly value racial diversity as an asset instead of simply tolerating or managing it
• Confront and dismantle racism within the organization and the broader community
• Earn community legitimacy as an antiracist organization
•  Partner with others in combating all forms of racism

The work for justice and equity is informed by the backs of those who withstood lashes and beatings, endured genocide, internment camps, exploitation, and police brutality. We follow in the footsteps of those who bravely spoke out and demanded justice despite great risk. We expect discomfort and pain; no transformative change happens without it. However, we will not use that as an excuse to avoid this work; we will sit with pain and discomfort until equity is realized. When challenged, we will respond with love, passion, curiosity, tenacity, and a desire for shared growth, until we crumble the very foundation of systemic racism.

We will not always get it right, but we will always strive for what is right. We ask every person who reads this statement to help transform Rubicon and the communities we serve into places where we connect with Humility, act with Hope, and live with Justice.

***
Racism is the systematic oppression of people of color; occurs at the individual/internalized, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels; may be overt or covert, intentional or unintentional.

White supremacy is a historically based, institutionally perpetuated system of exploitation and oppression of continents, nations and peoples of color by white peoples and nations of the European continent; for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power and privilege.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Countywide Collaborative Will Expand Access and Quality of Resources for Those in Need of a Job or Career Change

MARTINEZ, CALIF., AUGUST 14, 2018 … Even though the Bay Area job market may feel red-hot, nearly 20,000 Contra Costa residents remain unemployed and are looking for work. To help these individuals find a job or start a new career, ten organizations have partnered with Contra Costa County and its Workforce Development Board (WDBCCC) to create an unprecedented network of service providers.

“The Contra Costa Workforce Collaborative is the first effort of its kind in California,” said Bhupen Amin, Chair of the Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County. “We’re pooling all of our resources so that unemployed Contra Costans can quickly find a good job or start a new career. Now, it will be easier than ever to access the technical resources, coaching and training necessary to thrive in this evolving job market.”

The effort, called the Contra Costa Workforce Collaborative (CCWC), will help reduce the unemployment rate and put people on a path to prosperity by bringing disparate services together and locating job search resources closer to those who need them.

The CCWC will be coordinated by Rubicon Programs, a nonprofit that works to end poverty in the East Bay, as well as the following CBOs and educational institutions:

• Mt. Diablo Adult Education (MDUSD)
• Liberty Adult Education (LUHSD)
• Martinez Adult Education (MUSD)
• Pittsburg Adult Education (PUSD)
• Contra Costa Community College District
• Lao Family Community Development
• New Horizons
• Opportunity Junction
• San Pablo EDC

These local organizations came together because they have a shared mission, a strong track record of collaborative work, and a desire to provide high impact services to underserved populations.  Each brings a long history of providing high-quality employment and training services, strong connections to the county’s industry sectors and a deep understanding of the unique employer and job-seeker needs in each region of the county.

“Before this collaborative, individuals looking for a job would often have to travel across the county to access services,” says Jane Fischberg, President and CEO of Rubicon Programs, the CCWC’s lead agency. “Now, each of our organizations will offer these resources on-site and within the community, leveraging each of our strengths to bring more to the table.”

The CCWC will offer intensive support services at an America's Job Center of California (AJCC) in Concord that will be managed by Rubicon Programs, while each of the other nine organizations will offer satellite services and specialized resources in offices located from San Pablo to Brentwood. Participants will be able to access one-on-one counseling, computers and printers, job boards and workshops that will give them a boost in their job search.

“We’re excited to be part of this incredible effort to expand access to these lifeline services,” said Vittoria Abbate, Director of College & Career and Adult Education at Mt. Diablo Unified School District, a founding member of the new collaborative. “We believe that we can accomplish more together and that we’ll be able to make it easier for vulnerable families to get back on their feet, avoiding a fall into long-term, intergenerational poverty.”

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors officially approved funding for this new project on August 14, 2018. Each of the ten members of the Contra Costa Workforce Collaborative now offer their new services to unemployed Contra Costa County residents.

# # #

Rubicon Programs is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to transform East Bay communities by equipping people to break the cycle of poverty. The organization serves the people of Contra Costa and Alameda counties, and provides services that help low-income individuals enter the workforce and develop fulfilling lives.

CONTACT: Jonathan Bash  |  jonathanb@rubiconprograms.org  |  (925) 335-6784

At Rubicon, we are saddened and moved to action by the latest federal policies punishing children and families seeking refuge in the United States.

These federal actions victimizing immigrants and refugees are the epitome of hate and bigotry. 

Regrettably, these policies – which change daily – are just the most recent chapter in our nation’s shameful legacy of violence against people who look and act different from those who are in power. 

No matter where we’re from, what we look like, or what language we speak, we should all care. The legacy that this administration is perpetuating includes the scourge of slavery and its separation of Black children from their families. 

It includes the Native American boarding schools of the 19th and early 20th century, forcing apart Native American children from their families. During World War II, the federal government placed Japanese and Japanese-American families in internment camps in California. Today, we’re seeing an escalation of the mass incarceration of people of color. The most recent federal actions are but new methods to achieve the same unjust ends. It’s happening throughout the country, and it is happening right here in the Bay Area. 

As reported by Time magazine on June 22, the U.S. Navy is preparing plans to build immigrant detention centers at decommissioned naval bases in Alabama, Arizona, and California, including at the Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS).  CNWS has been the subject of longtime plans to develop affordable housing, a move that would support families looking to thrive rather than tearing them apart.

On June 25, the Mercury News reported that two adolescent girls who have been separated from their parents under the “zero tolerance” immigration policy are being held in a shelter in Contra Costa County.

The proposed conversion of the former base in Contra Costa County to an ICE detention center – pushing aside longstanding plans for affordable housing and replacing them with institutional hate – along with this news of the first detention of immigrant children in the Bay Area under the new policy, has only galvanized our commitment to advocate for justice.

Some say that the current hateful policies do not exemplify who we are. In truth, the policies are in keeping with a shameful national history.  But, we can end that legacy now, in our lifetimes, before more generations are persecuted, before more lives destroyed. Change is possible.

We can, and we must do this. Our children, and subsequent generations, are depending on us to heal our country and do the right thing by taking action.

Please join us on Saturday, June 30 to make the Bay Area a safe place for all families. More than 130 rallies are planned across the country – including many here in the East Bay.

Only through collective action can we stop yet another wave of hateful persecution, and instead advance justice, and hope.

Visit Families Belong Together now to find the event closest to you.

I hope you will join us in this effort to be on the right side of history by ending the unlawful detention of minors, people of color, and other groups targeted by those in power. ​

​In solidarity,

 

 

​Jane Fischberg
President & CEO