California Black Media

Black, Latino Leaders Denounce San Jose Mayor’s Comments on Prop. 36

California community leaders denounced the comments of San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan regarding Proposition 36, demanding that he disavows his “woefully ignorant” statements in a recent interview with Elex Michaelson of the Fox network. The community advocates said Prop 36 is a dangerous measure on California’s November ballot that aims to restart the failed War on Drugs.

Published

4 months ago

September 22, 2024

Oakland Post

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Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The community advocates said Prop 36 is a dangerous measure on California’s November ballot that aims to restart the failed War on Drugs.

During the interview, Mahan said that Black and Brown communities stood to benefit from Prop 36.

Advocates opposing the measure argued that passing the law would cut money for drug treatment and make simple drug possession a felony, increasing mass incarceration affecting communities of color.

“Mayor Matt Mahan’s comments are woefully ignorant of the ways that decades of failed criminal justice policies destroyed thousands of lives in California,” said the Rev. Jethroe Moore, president of the NAACP San Jose-Silicon Valley Branch.

“This is especially true for Black men, who are ten times more likely than their White counterparts to be incarcerated. We are not going back to Proposition 36’s failed approach and the harm those policies inflicted on so many families across our state.”

Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), agrees with Moore.

“I was a mayor, and I know the mayor knows better. It is clear what will happen if Proposition 36 is passed – thousands of lives will be destroyed, and most of those lives will be Black and Brown men,” said Wilson.

“We need to increase money for treatment programs that work, not make the deep cuts to drug treatment that Proposition 36 would inflict,” she added.

Hilda Solis, member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, stated that Black and Brown communities need real solutions from leaders who understand the problems that people experience statewide.

“Proposition 36 is nothing but a bunch of empty promises, proposing cuts to proven treatment programs, while wasting billions of dollars on additional jail and prison spending. Incarceration strategies have proven ineffective, and treatment and jobs are better ways of addressing systemic poverty and crime,” said Solis.

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2024 in Review: 7 Questions for Former Assemblymember Chris Holden

While in office, Holden championed efforts to improve education outcomes for students and advocated for social and racial justice. Legislation he wrote or sponsored also focused on, innovation in transportation, protecting developmental disability service providers and improving public health, more broadly.

Published

2 weeks ago

January 6, 2025

Oakland Post

Hon. Chris Holden. File photo.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

In 2012, Assemblymember Chris Holden was first elected to the California State Assembly representing the 41^st District in the San Gabriel Valley.

He was re-elected to that position for the following four terms.

Holden, a graduate of San Diego State University, lives in Pasadena with his wife, Melanie, and children Nicholas, Alexander, Austin, Mariah and Noah. Holden is the son of former State Senator and LA City Councilmember Nate Holden.

Before he closed out his final year of service in the Assembly, California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Holden. He reflected on his accomplishments this year and his goals moving forward.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why? 

A project I’ve been working on for well over 36 years — the light rail system — made its way into Pasadena from downtown LA. Now it’s making its way through the San Gabriel Valley to Pomona.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

Having an opportunity to represent a multi-ethnic and diverse district is exciting, but to be able to bring a voice for a lived African American experience from the San Gabriel Valley is very important.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

I still am frustrated that we aren’t seeing the kind of progress on affordable housing to allow underrepresented communities to be able to afford to live in the community that they grew up in.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

There has been a lot of movement around reparations through community engagement. Dr. Shirley Weber put forth the bill to establish a reparations task force and that task force met for a number of years. Two members of our caucus served on it, Sen. Steven Bradford and Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer. A thousand-page report and a hundred recommendations or more came out of that. And now we’re in the process of finding ways to implement some of those recommendations. It’s going to be a longer process, but I’m hopeful because California, once again, is on the front end of taking on a really challenging issue.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

Always be mindful how quickly the winds can change. We’ve gone from 10 years of having budget surpluses to this year having a $45 billion deficit.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Inequality.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

Well, I won’t be in the legislature in 2025, but I love public policy. I’d like to find myself in a position where I’m continuing to have an influence on how public policy is shaped and formed. I’m just looking forward to being a vital voice going into next year in a different role. It will also be an opportunity to lay a foundation to take another run, possibly for a seat on the LA County Board of Supervisors in 2028.