Thurs 3/26: 3rd time’s the charm. Let’s fix what the Senate missed. Also – why not state-wide renter protection, Gov. Newsom?

Image: Why renter protection is important. Eviction notice for non-payment of rent, after Katrina hit New Orleans on Aug. 29th 2005. There had been no mail service in the city under mandatory evacuation since late August.

Action #1 – Call your Rep and ask them to improve the Senate GOP bill.

The third coronavirus relief bill will NOT be passed by unanimous consent – voting will take place on Friday. “Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Pelosi said Democrats want the next phase to include stronger paid leave provisions, a pension fix and additional worker protections — many of which were left on the cutting room floor in negotiations for the previous bills.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy stated: “I’m not convinced yet that we need a fourth bill.”

We need to be sure worker and taxpayer protection in THIS bill!

Minimal script: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Rep [___] to make sure these minimum guidelines are included in the bill.

Increase election security and access to voting, including financial support for states to implement vote by mail before November,
Add guardrails for the hundreds of billions of dollars in corporate bailouts in the bill. 6 months cap on buybacks is ridiculous! Companies that get bailouts retain should ALL of their employees, dissolve corporate boards that put buybacks first, put employees, union heads and represenatives for taxpayers on instead, and forbid using money on executive bonuses stock buybacks, dividends or golden parachutes
Corrupt companies that have repeatedly abused taxpayer aid and are coming after more, after actually killing people, should be nationalized. (Boeing, we’re looking at you.)
Provide universal paid sick leave, not just for some people — everyone,
Improve the cash assistance provisions of the bill by making the payments recurring and available to all people, including immigrants, and
Provide rent/mortgage relief for everyone! (Just in case the governors miff this.)
Support patients and health care workers by expanding federal Medicaid funding, ending surprise billing, and ensuring frontline workers have the protections they need to stay safe.
Want more? Go here and pick your favorites concepts for a democracy that looks like us.

Contact
Rep. Julia Brownley: email, (CA-26): DC (202) 225-5811, Oxnard (805) 379-1779, T.O. (805) 379-1779
or Rep. Salud Carbajal: email.(CA-24): DC (202) 225-3601, SB (805) 730-1710 SLO (805) 546-8348
Who is my representative/senator?:https://whoismyrepresentative.com

Action #2 – Call Gov. Newsom and tell him to make eviction protections for renters state-wide.( Also email your councilperson!)

On 3/17/2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to help prevent evictions for renters and homeowners during the coronavirus outbreak, stating that “An increase in evictions, terminations of housing assistance, foreclosures, and related negative actions will affect the ability of community members to maintain good hygiene and take the basic measures that we have all been advised to take in order to protect ourselves and our communities.“ The letter also called for a range of temporary policies, including a 45-day or more moratorium on foreclosures and eviction notices, utility shutoffs and new unlawful detainer filings.

Tenant-rights groups have been pushing for a statewide moratorium on nearly all evictions except those necessitated by domestic violence or similar circumstances. However, his order stopped short, leaving the authority to halt evictions to local governments.Some cities and counties are interpreting protection to apply only to cases where tenants can demonstrate a negative financial impact from the public-health crisis and renters remain subject to eviction for other reasons.

Camarillo, Ojai, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark and Simi Valley all enacted eviction moratoriums this week, protecting tenants from eviction due to non-payment of rent caused by the coronavirus. Other Ventura County cities, including Ventura, Santa Paula and Fillmore, are considering similar tenant protections.

“So many of those in Ventura who work in either the retail or service sector are seeing either layoffs or reduced hours, we’re living through an emergency situation right now where people’s livelihoods are being affected, and as a city we need to do everything we can to keep people in their homes,” said Ventura Mayor Matt LaVere.

The Ventura City Council will consider the eviction moratorium on March 30 at the latest, but that date may be moved up. In December of 2019, Ventura did pass an emergency eviction ordinance halting “no-cause” evictions until Jan. 1, when a new statewide tenant-protection law takes effect.

(Some of this is from Ojai’s order.)

Minimal script: I’m calling to ask Governor Newsom to extend his executive order to ALL California renters, both commercial and residential, who are unable to pay rent due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including income loss for workplace/gig employment slowdown or closure, childcare expenditures due to school closure, health care expenses related to being ill with COVID-19 or having to care for an ill household member or from government-ordered emergency measures. Such affected tenants should be given up to six months following the local emergency measure to repay back-due rent.

Contact: Governor Gavin Newsom: email, (916) 445-2841

Contact your city councilperson: Also, express your support to your local councilpeople: Find your councilperson on this district map, then send them an email, along with one to the mayor and the “at large” councilmembers.