Friends,
Here is my June e-news. In this edition, I review our experience with the recent wildfires, share some photos of my swearing in as Speaker of the Assembly, and invite you to join me for a San Diego swearing in celebration. You may also want to check out a profile of the iconic piers of the 78th Assembly District, read about my legislation to protect seniors, and learn how you can protect yourself from wage theft.
IN THIS ISSUE:
A NOTE FROM TONI
Last month, San Diegans experienced an early start to our fire season when numerous fires broke out around the county. At one point, ten different fires were burning at the same time.
I want to take this opportunity to thank our heroic and hard-working first responders, several whom sustained injuries, although, thankfully, none were life-threatening. The body of a person believed to have been living in a homeless encampment was also burned, although no official cause of death has yet been determined. I also want to express my sympathy for those who lost their homes and other property during these fires.
While these fires were daunting, disruptive to residents' lives, and damaging, the consensus is that our regional response was much improved over what we experienced during the devastating 2003 and 2007 wildfires. Our public safety agencies were better coordinated. Communication was vastly improved. And we were able to take advantage of military aircraft, nighttime water and fire retardant drops, and other resources that were unavailable the last time we faced this challenge.
The State of California played a critical role in our response. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire, is an important partner for local fire departments, providing crews and equipment throughout the state. While they were helping to battle the blazes here in San Diego, Cal Fire was also responding to as many as 40 fires a day throughout California, while also lending assistance to the State of Nevada for a fire outside of Reno.
If you did suffer losses from the fires, the County of San Diego can provide assistance. Visit http://sdcountyrecovery.com/ to find out how to get help.
Unfortunately, an increased fire danger is now more the rule than the exception in California, due to climate change and drought. Between January 1st and May 3rd, Cal Fire responded to over 1,200 wildfires. In an average year for the same time period, Cal Fire would typically respond to fewer than 600 wildfires.
This makes fire prevention and preparedness even more important than ever. Cal Fire has an excellent checklist called "Ready, Set, Go!" with tips on how to keep your home and family safe and be prepared for a fire emergency. I encourage everyone to visit http://www.readyforwildfire.org/ for life and property-saving ideas.
Local governments also offer many emergency related services. One of the most valuable is the County of San Diego's reverse 911 system, AlertSanDiego. You can go to http://www.readysandiego.org/alertsandiego/ to register your cell phone number, VoIP phone number, and email address so you can receive notices of evacuation or other emergency information specific to your address. There is also an option for people with hearing or sight loss to receive specialized notifications. I urge you to take a moment to do this right now. The County also has an emergency app for smart phones available at http://www.sdcountyemergency.com/.
As we enter into the highest risk period of what is now a year-round fire season, I will closely monitor the state's response to ensure that we all get through this together in the best possible way. Please do not hesitate to call my San Diego office if we can provide you with any assistance on this or any other matter related to state government.
Warmly,
Speaker of the Assembly, Toni G. Atkins
TONI G. ATKINS
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE SAN DIEGO INAUGURAL CELEBRATION OF THE 69TH SPEAKER OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY
ASSEMBLY PASSES LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE PROTECTIONS AT ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES
My legislation, AB 1523, has been passed by the Assembly and now awaits action in the State Senate. This bill ensures that residents of assisted living facilities, also called residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFEs), are financially protected in the event of injury or death by requiring the facilities to carry liability insurance coverage.
Neither statute nor regulation requires any RCFE to carry liability insurance as a condition of licensing. As a result, many facilities lack even the minimum liability coverage, exposing both them and residents to great financial risk. Currently, the only recourse for residents and their families is civil litigation, a lengthy and costly process.
I was very surprised to learn that these residences entrusted with the care of our seniors are not required to have insurance that would compensate them or their families in a case of neglect or abuse. We require home child care facilities to be insured; we should have the same standard for ensuring adequate compensation for older Californians should a tragedy at an assisted living facility occur.
This bill is part of a comprehensive legislative package called the RCFE Reform Act of 2014. Bills that are part of the Act are designed to address a variety of troubling failures to protect senior residents of assisted living facilities that have recently been brought to light by community activists and media reports.
Two of these activists are San Diegans whose personal family tragedies led them to take up the cause of improving safety and accountability at RCFEs. Chris Murphy founded Consumer Advocates for RCFE Reform (CARR) after her mother's experience at an assisted living facility. Aaron Byzak founded Hazel's Army in his grandmother's name. Both groups are sponsors of AB 1523.
For more information about this bill and others that I am carrying, please visit my Assembly website.SPOTLIGHT ON THE 78TH: TAKE A WALK ON A PIER
Reaching out into the ocean or bay, California's piers are an iconic part of our coastal culture and the 78th AD has among the best. Whether you are interested in a walk over the water, fishing, or sunset viewing, here are a few of our piers to choose from:
Imperial Beach Pier
Located on a long, sandy beach off Seacoast Drive in IB, this is the southernmost pier in California. It extends 1,491 feet into water that is nearly 20 feet deep. It was originally constructed in about 1909 to house a massive wave-action activated machine called the Edwards Wave Motor. This machine was intended to generate electricity for this small city that was quickly becoming a tourist destination. Unfortunately, the machine was an abysmal failure and was ultimately removed.
Then, in 1948, the pier was washed into the sea during a large storm and it was not rebuilt until 1963. Another storm came along in the 1980's and destroyed the pier again. The current pier was constructed in 1989 and, along with the nearby park, is an homage to the big wave surfing culture that has been so important to Imperial Beach.
The entrance to the pier features a massive piece of public art titled "Surfhenge," which consists of four 16-20 foot surfboard shaped arches. Nearby surfboard benches are a tribute to surfboard design and history. Each bench contains a plaque that explains a facet of Imperial Beach's big waves and their impact on surfing pioneers like IB resident Bob Simmons, who is considered the father of the modern surfboard.
The Imperial Beach Pier is walking distance from the international border and on a clear day the Coronado Islands are visible to the southwest.
Crystal Pier
Crystal Pier is an 872 foot long wooden pier at the end of Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach. It is the only public pier in the state with a hotel. The 21 cottages of the Crystal Pier Hotel and Cottages have views of the sand and surf below.
Originally constructed as the Crystal Pleasure Pier Ballroom and Joy Zone, the pier opened on July 4th weekend in 1927. The dedication festivities included student pilots flying airplanes, a surfing exhibition, and nail-driving competitions for men and women. The main attraction was a ballroom that sat at the end of the pier, but the rocking of the pier caused swaying lights and seasickness, severely undermining the popularity of the attraction. Ultimately, the pier and ballroom were condemned because of the swaying.
In 1936, a new and remodeled pier opened, complete with 10 cottages and a soda fountain. Fishing was the main attraction. But in 1953, two derelict fishing vessels being towed by a barge broke loose during a large storm and collided with the pier. Ten pilings were snapped and one of the cottages, luckily empty, was dumped into the ocean. The pier has had its ups and downs since then, including major storm damage in 1983, but the community has always come together to restore this popular destination.
Crystal Pier is an ideal location for watching the sun set into the ocean.
Ocean Beach Fishing Pier
Extending 1,971 feet into the ocean, this pier is the second longest on the West Coast and claims to be the longest concrete pier in the world. This pier was built to help OB fishermen keep their lines and lures from getting tangled in the kelp and rock beds near the shore, but it quickly became popular with all locals and tourists after its christening in 1966.
The first fish caught off the pier was an 8-inch perch. The second and third fish caught were a gray shark and a crab. Then-California Governor Edmund G. (Pat) Brown made the first cast off the new pier and reportedly fished for 5 minutes, although he did not catch anything.
The OB Pier is located at the foot of Newport Avenue and offers a panoramic vista of Mission Bay and the La Jolla promontory. To the south, you can watch planes take off from Lindbergh Field. Be sure to check out the tidepools around the pier at low tide as well.
Embarcadero Marina Park and Shelter Island Piers
These short piers are notable because of their close proximity to downtown, making them ideal for an after work stroll.
The Embarcadero Pier is located immediately southwest of the convention center. It is a very popular fishing spot and an ideal location for watching marine traffic leaving and entering the harbor under the Coronado Bay Bridge.
The Shelter Island Pier is on Shelter Island Drive and is another very popular fishing spot. The pier offers land and water views in all directions.
Coronado Ferry Landing
Not a pier in the usual sense of the word in that its main function is to serve as a docking point for the ferry between Coronado and downtown San Diego, this short pier nevertheless is an outstanding destination. The pier and the mini-beach next to it offer what is arguably the best view of the San Diego skyline anywhere, as well as a vista of San Diego Bay, including naval ships and the Coronado Bay Bridge. Fishing is also popular at this pier.
Wage theft occurs when employers do not pay workers according to the law. Examples of wage theft include paying less than minimum wage, not paying workers overtime, not allowing workers to take meal and rest breaks, or taking tips.Wage and hour laws are enforced by the California Department of Industrial Relations and the State Labor Commissioner, Julie A. Su. The Department recently unveiled a campaign to educate workers about their rights and to provide easily accessed information about how the state can help them reclaim their stolen wages.
"Workers in low-wage industries are particularly vulnerable to wage theft, but they may not be aware of their rights, may fear retaliation, or may mistakenly believe they are not protected," says Labor Commissioner Su. The industries that are particularly impacted by wage theft include agriculture, garment, construction and hospitality.
A new website http://wagetheftisacrime.com/File-Wage-Claim.html contains a wide range of information about employees' rights and how to file a claim. Anyone working in California can file a wage claim, even if they are paid "under the table" in cash or do not have papers to work. Labor laws protect all workers, regardless of immigration status. You do not need a social security number or a lawyer to file a claim and the Labor Commissioner has interpreters who can assist non-English speakers.
It is also illegal for employers to retaliate against workers. This means your boss cannot punish or fire you or your co-workers for taking steps to enforce your labor rights, such as reporting a labor law violation or a workplace safety hazard.
It's your pay and you're protected. Visit the "Wage Theft is a Crime" website for more information or call my San Diego office for assistance at 619-645-3090.
SELF-HELP WORKSHOPS FOR CIVIL LAW APPEALS
Civil Appellate Self-Help Workshops are held at the San Diego Law Library on the third Tuesday of each month. Upcoming dates include:
June 17
July 15
August 19
September 16
October 21
November 18
December 16
All workshops run from 4 pm to 6 pm and are held at the San Diego Law Library, 1105 Front Street, San Diego, CA 92101. Seating is limited, so be sure to call ahead to pre-register at 619-471-2781.
Workshop leaders can tell you about the appellate procedures and rules, explain unfamiliar words, tell you about sources of information and provide you with helpful hints on how to fill out forms and comply with the court's rules and procedures. They cannot handle your appeal, act as your lawyer, or give you legal advice, however.
The Civil Appellate Self-Help Workshop is a joint project of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division One; the Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc.; the San Diego County Bar Association's Appellate Court Committee; and the San Diego Law Library.
AROUND THE CAPITOL
On May 12, I was sworn in as the Speaker of the Assembly. I am honored and thrilled to have been selected for this important leadership position. Here is a small selection of photos from that day:
My spouse Jennifer LeSar was by my side as I took the oath of office as administered by former Speaker and member of Congress Karen Bass in the front of the Assembly Chamber. My nephew Thomas Phillips held the bible. Also looking on are Governor Jerry Brown and Speaker Emeritus John A. Pérez.
I was delighted to join the members of the Legislative Women's Caucus for a reception prior to my swearing in. I am only the third woman to hold the position of Assembly Speaker.
My staff gave me a gift of the sign that hung outside my office when I served as Majority Leader. This photo was taken in my new office in the historic portion of the State Capitol Building.
My friend San Diego Superior Court Judge David Rubin traveled to Sacramento to officially administer my oath of office. Following this, I was ceremonially sworn in by former Speaker and member of Congress Karen Bass.
And it's official.
Warmly,
Speaker of the Assembly, Toni G. Atkins
Toni G. Atkins
Speaker of the Assembly
78th Assembly District
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California Assembly Democratic Caucus
Website: http://www.asmdc.org/speaker
Email: Speaker Toni G. Atkins
Capitol Office:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0078 United States
Tel: (916) 319-2078
Fax: (916) 319-2178
District Office:
1350 Front Street
Room 6054
San Diego, CA 92101
Tel: (619) 645-3090
Fax: (619) 645-3094
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