Commentary

Opinion: Rob Bonta for California Attorney General

Published

5 years ago

December 30, 2020

Kiki

Assembly member Rob Bonta

Due to Sen. Harris’s soon to be ascension to the Vice Presidency, and Gov. Newsom’s selection of Secretary of State Padilla as V.P. elect Harris’s replacement to the U.S. Senate, Gov. Newsom has been gifted the ability to make appointments, to the incredibly consequential statewide offices of Attorney General and Secretary of State.

Gov. Newsom recently announced his historic nomination of Sen. Shirley Webber of San Diego, who if selected would be the first black woman to serve as CA Secretary of State. Gov.

Newsom again has the power to make another historic nomination, by selecting Asm. Rob Bonta of the 18^th assembly district, who would be the first Filipino American Attorney General in state history.

Rob grew up watching his parents work with Caesar Chavez for the United Farm Workers of America to organize Filipino and Mexican American farmworkers.

Watching his parents work to achieve peaceful social, racial, and economic justice, for United farm Workers inspired him to pursue a career in public service.

To prepare himself for a career in public service, Rob obtained his Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School after attending Yale College and Oxford University in England.

He later served as a Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, where he represented the City and County and its employees, in addition, he worked as a private attorney fighting to protect Californians from exploitation and racial profiling. Rob was undefeated at trial, never losing a jury verdict for his clients.

Asm. Bonta has had many accomplishments in his career but among the most consequential have been his legislative work and accomplishments during his tenure as a California State Assemblymember. He has been focused on reforming our criminal justice system and addressing systemic and structural racism, by working on legislation such as SB 10, signed into law in 2018, took a transformational step forward to correct a fundamental injustice by abolishing the for-profit, private, predatory money bail system. AB 32, signed into law in 2019, ends the use of for-profit, private prisons and detention facilities in California. AB 32 made California the first state in the nation to ban both private prisons and civil detention centers. AB 1196 (Co-Author with Asm. Gipson) bans the use of certain police chokeholds (carotid artery restraint). AB 1506 (Joint Author with Asm. McCarty) ensures a thorough, independent, and outside investigation will be conducted when a law enforcement officer is involved in a shooting of an unarmed Californian that results in death.

I have also personally worked with Asm. Bonta to address issues that affect his constituent’s safety that use public transit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, the AC Transit District like all other municipalities, businesses, and individuals were in desperate need of procuring personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves, masks, face shields, and hand sanitizer for its employees. It was in this time of urgent need that I was able to turn to my friend Asm. Rob Bonta, for help in securing hand sanitizer.

Asm. Bonta was able to leverage his relationship with Saint George Spirits distillery in Alameda and facilitate AC Transit receiving a donation of more than five gallons of hand sanitizer.

It is for the reasons I have listed, the commitment he would have to all Californians, and the commitment to using the powers of the Attorney Generals’ office to do good in the public interest that I wholeheartedly endorse Asm. Rob Bonta’s nominations as California’s next Attorney General!

Mark Williams is AC Transit Director, Ward 4 Alameda County Democratic Central Committee – member elect 20^th Assembly District 20.

His titles are for identification purposes only and this piece is solely his personal opinion.

Kiki

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Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

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2 weeks ago

March 22, 2026

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Advice

Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC