Mendocino County Today: Thursday, Apr 30, 2015

• Guilty, Guilty, Guilty
• Nepal Earthquake
• Navarro Beach
• Talk & Squirt
• Police Reports
• Catch of the Day
• Sire of Sorrow
• May Day
• College Educated
• Chorus Concert
• Aigner's Obscenity
• Closing Offshore Loophole

NEWS FROM THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE:

1. Jeremy Jason Freeman: Guilty plea to 2nd degree murder and personal firearm use. Faces sentence 19 years to life. Sentencing on 5/22 in Courtroom A. Prosecutor: Kevin Davenport

2. Ina Selena Medina: Guilty plea to aiding the sexual abuse of a child. Faces sentence of 20 years to life. Sentencing on 6/12 in Courtroom A. Prosecutor: Paul Sequeira

3. James Lawrence Perkins: jury returned guilty verdict of assault by force likely to produce great bodily injury, and found true that defendant actually inflicted great bodily injury. Sentencing on 5/22 in Courtroom B. Prosecutor: Shannon Cox

* * *

1. UKIAH, April 29. — Defendant Accused of Covelo Murder Pleads Guilty.

The jury trial of Jeremy Jason Freeman, age 22, of Lakeport, scheduled for this coming Monday, for the murder of Rosalena “Belle” Rodriguez in Covelo on May 25, 2014, has been vacated. This afternoon Freeman plead guilty to having committed murder in the second degree and admitted that he had personally fired the firearm that killed the victim. The matter was referred to the adult probation department for a background study and sentencing report. Formal sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. in Department A of the Mendocino County Superior Court before the Hon. Ann Moorman. Anyone interested in this case is welcome to attend that hearing.

By stipulation, the sentence that will be imposed on the 22nd is an indeterminate state prison commitment of 19 years to life. The defendant was also required to waive any right to jail credits he has accumulated for time spent in the county jail from the date of his arrest to the date of sentencing. If this defendant is ever deemed suitable for release from prison after having first served 19 years, he will be under parole supervision for life.

The prosecutor who prepared the case for trial, handled the negotiations, and accepted the change of plea this afternoon was Deputy District Attorney Kevin Davenport. The investigating law enforcement agency was the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, in particular the Sheriff's team of detectives.

* * *

2. UKIAH, April 29. — Jury Trial Result: A jury returned from its deliberations Wednesday afternoon with a guilty verdict against James Lawrence Perkins, age 37, of Ukiah. With their deliberations lasting less than an hour, the jury found the defendant guilty of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury. The jury also found true a special allegation that the defendant had actually inflicted great bodily injury on the victim. After the jury was released, the truth of whether Perkins had also suffered a prior serious or violent conviction was tried before Judge Benhke sitting as the trier of fact. Based on documentary evidence offered by the prosecutor and admitted into evidence, the Court found true that the defendant had suffered a prior Strike conviction in 2006 in Alameda County, namely Sexual Penetration by Force. The Court also found true that this conviction constituted a five-year sentencing enhancement (known as a "nickel prior") under a separate penalty section. The matter was thereafter referred to the adult probation department for a background study and sentencing recommendation. Pending sentencing, the defendant was remanded into custody and is being held at the Low Gap jail without bail. Formal sentencing is now scheduled for May 22, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. in Department B. Anyone interested in this case is welcome to attend that hearing.

The prosecutor who presented the People's evidence at trial was Deputy District Attorney Shannon Cox. The investigating law enforcement agency was the Ukiah Police Department. The defense was directed by Public Defender Linda Thompson.

* * *

3. Ukiah, April 29. — Wife Accused of Aiding Child Sexual Abuse Pleads Guilty.

During an afternoon court appearance today before Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Ann Moorman, defendant Ina Selena Medina, age 49, formerly of Talmage, plead guilty to the aggravated sexual assault of a child during the time period of January 1998 through December 1998. She also plead guilty to lewd and lascivious acts with a child by force during the time period of January 1999 through December 1999. The matter was referred to the adult probation department for a background study and sentencing report. Formal sentencing is scheduled for June 12, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. in Department A. Anyone interested in this case is welcome to attend that hearing.

By stipulation, the sentence that will be imposed on the 12th is an indeterminate state prison commitment of 20 years to life. If this defendant is ever deemed suitable for release from prison after having first served 20 years, she will be under parole supervision for life and also have to register for life with law enforcement as a sex offender.

The attorney who has been handling the prosecution of this defendant is Assistant District Attorney Paul Sequeira. The investigating law enforcement agency was the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, in particular the Sheriff's team of detectives.

THE AVA'S MAN IN NEPAL, ANDREW LAFRENZ, REPORTS:

I finally got out of Kathmandu and am now in Bangkok with access to internet and a bed so now I can give you a brief summary of my experience with the situation. I haven't slept in four days.

I actually didn't get into Kathmandu until about five hours after the main earthquake. I was on a layover in Guangzhou, China when I was told by a fellow passenger (who was Nepalese) that an earthquake at hit Nepal. Due to no internet access and the censorship of media in China we had no idea that it was as large as it was. The airline also said nothing before we took off for Kathmandu. Since we had no information on it and the airline didn't seem concerned I didn't think it was going to be too bad. As soon as we flew into Kathmandu I could tell it was much worse than everyone thought.

There were complete blackouts around the airport with only generators powering certain buildings in the city. The airport had minor damage with some floor buckling and cracked walls. I found out later that the airport was built to withstand a 9.0 earthquake. Luckily I had booked a cheap hotel just half a mile from the airport so I could walk to it. The airport was crowded with passengers due to the cancelation of flights after the quake. No ATMs or credit card machines were working and I made the mistake of not bringing any currency with me (US or Rupee). Most people were outside since there were constant aftershocks (around 1-2 per hour with many in the 3-4.0 range). The small hotel I went to strongly suggested that all the guests stay in the lobby with the ongoing threat. I wanted to be able to quickly run outside in case another large quake occurred so I tried to get some sleep in the lobby. Every time a aftershock hit everyone went running into the street. The next two days were spent trying to find a flight out since my conference on International Epidemiology was canceled. Originally I had a flight to Pokhara where the conference was, but all domestic flights were grounded except for rescue operations. The problem was that everyone else was trying to get out too and the Kathmandu International Airport is shockingly small and not equipped to handle a large number of flights each day. In addition, many international military planes were trying to get in to provide assistance. My family was able to book a flight to Bangkok a few days later so I spent those days sleeping in the park with most of the locals. There were official notices that they were expecting another large quake so no one wanted to be inside buildings. About 24 hours after the large quake there was a 6.4 quake that caught me inside a building but I was able to get out quickly. It was very clear from the beginning that Nepal was woefully underequipped to deal with such an emergency. Nothing seemed organized and it was evident that limited resources were present for the task at hand.

When I went to the hardest hit parts of the city (the poorest) there were bodies piled outside buildings and only a few organized rescue attempts. Even though there were some official rescue operations, they were being done by the local Nepal police and army and it was clear that they were not formally trained in rescue operations. With buildings completely or partially collapsed, there should have been engineers and structural experts working to make sure the rescuers were safe to go in. I tried to help as much as I could but not speaking the language and the disorganized nature of the situation prevented me from doing much. The last day I was there the city started to run out of bottled water and staple foods so I think it will get worse before it gets better. I heard it was hard to get supplies in due to the small airport. I was able to get some food (MREs) from the US Embassy outpost which was an old officer’s country club. They had tents up but I didn't spend the night since I wanted to be near the airport in case I was able to get a flight out. I spent a lot of time at the airport and saw Spain, Israel, France and other countries actively evacuating their citizens but no such efforts by the US. From what I was told the US rarely evacuates if commercial flights are still going out. Despite the nature of the situation, I found the Nepalese extremely warm and hospitable. While spending time in the parks at night I was offered food and tarps to protect from the rain (I still had no money since everything was offline). This was despite the fact that these people had very little themselves. The sad truth is that this happened to the poorest country in Asia. Bad roads (many affected by landslides), limited infrastructure and resources and a poorly equipped airport are all going to make a huge impact on the recovery operations. An already impoverished country is going to be affected for years, especially since the climbing and tourist industry contribute to most of their economy. Everest will most likely be closed for the foreseeable future (despite just recently opening after the big avalanche last year). After talking to many locals I began to learn that most people were aware that a large quake had been predicted but hardly anyone seemed prepared with supplies. Many of the buildings seemed ill-equipped to deal with a large quake in this well known quake prone region. Some of my epidemiological training is in disaster epidemiology and emergency preparedness so it was very hard to see how unprepared this country was. Hopefully they can fully recover and become better prepared for more inevitable quakes but it will take an enormous amount of international support and aid. Anyway, these are just my experiences and thoughts about the situation.

NAVARRO RIVER BEACH STILL CLOSED TO VEHICLES — Despite nearly a half inch of rain last weekend and some brutal pounding from 10-foot plus waves, the sandbar at the mouth of the Navarro has refused to breach. This was the "high noon" view from the Hwy 1 Navarro Grade.

(Courtesy, MendocinoSportsPlus)

MRC: LET US HELP YOU REGULATE US

MRC has posted their "talk & squirt" memo on their website (in two different forms, html & pdf):

http://www.hrcllc.com/news/letter-to-the-mendocino-county-board-of-supervisors/

http://www.hrcllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ltr_Mendocino-Co-Board-of-Supervisors_4-24-15_MEJ.pdf

SHERIFF’S PRESS RELASES

ON APRIL 27, 2015 at approximately 8:00 PM, Deputies from the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office responded to a residence on Logan Lane in Covelo for the purpose of conducting a probation check. The resident, Felix T. Swearinger of Covelo was on felony probation and out on bail for a previous weapon related offenses. Swearinger's probation terms included a clause which required him to submit his person and place of residence to search. The purpose of the contact was to conduct a probation search and determine whether Swearinger was abiding by the terms of his probation. Almost immediately upon contacting Swearinger in a back bedroom, four baggies of suspected methamphetamine were located in his pants pocket. A female with him in the room was arrested for a Mendocino County misdemeanor arrest warrant. An additional baggie of suspected methamphetamine was found in the garage. All five baggies contained approximately .02 grams of methamphetamine each. Evidence at the scene indicated the methamphetamine was possessed for sale. In the room where Swearinger was located, a pump-action 12 gauge shotgun with a pistol grip was found under the mattress. It was loaded with five shotgun shells and an additional four shells in a holder mounted to the receiver. Swearinger was arrested for violation of probation, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of methamphetamine for sale and committing a crime while released on bail. Swearinger was transported to the Mendocino County Jail where he was to be held without bail.

* * *

ON APRIL 28, 2015 Deputies from the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team assisted by agents from the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force served a search warrant on a residence and property located in the 11000 block of Shigom Road in Ukiah, California. Located on the property were 737 marijuana plants, approximately 3 pounds of processed bud marijuana, items used to manufacture concentrated cannabis by a chemical extraction method and a digital scale. Located and arrested on the property was Brian Woodson, 39, of Ukiah who was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on the listed charges where he subsequently was released on $50,000 bail.

* * *

ON APRIL 23, 2015 Deputies from the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team went to a residence in the 12000 block of Adobe Creek Road in Hopland, California to serve an arrest warrant on Brian Tipton, 37, of Hopland. On the Deputies arrival they arrested Tipton without incident and located evidence that Tipton was manufacturing honey oil via the butane extraction process. The scene was secured and a search warrant was obtained for the property. A search of the property revealed an active butane extraction laboratory, approximately half a pound of concentrated cannabis, a digital gram scale, shake marijuana, 62 growing marijuana plants and over $20,000 in US currency. Tipton was arrested on the warrant (cultivation of marijuana) and a new charge of manufacturiung a controlled substance, and was booked into the Mendocino County jail. Tipton was subsequently released from custody after posting $60,000 in bail.

* * *

ON THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office was contacted by Caltrans representatives regarding an item that was located during an archeological dig near the north end of the Willits bypass construction area. Upon arrival Sheriff's Office personnel learned that Caltrans representatives were conducting a planned archeological dig near the construction site when they located a tooth. Sheriff's Office personnel subsequently obtained photographs of the tooth and took possession of the tooth. On Wednesday, April 29, 2015 the found tooth was transported to the Anthropology Department located at Chico State University. Upon examination of the tooth by an on staff anthropologist it was determined that the tooth was of animal origin. Due to the fact that this tooth was determined to be of non-human origin this coroner’s investigation has been concluded.

CATCH OF THE DAY, April 29, 2015

JUNE ANDERSON, Covelo. Under influence of controlled substance, failure to appear.

ALFONZO AYALA, Ukiah. Misdemeanor hit&run, no license.

JOSEPHA BASURTO, Covelo. Court order violation.

CURTIS BETTENCOURT, Fort Bragg. Under influence of controlled substance. (Frequent flyer.)

JOHN BOLTON, Ukiah. Probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)

SEAN FLINTON, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

ANTONIA GONZALEZ, Ukiah. Vandalism, petty theft, fake ID, probation revocation.

TRAVIS ‘THE HUMP’ HUMPHREY, Talmage. Indecent exposure. (Frequent flyer.)

KRYSTAL MALONE, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

JUSTIN MCGUIRE, Willits. Drunk in public.

DANNY MOORE, Ukiah. Under influence of controlled substance.

ODESSA ONEIL, Ukiah. Under influence of controlled substance. Drunk in public.

ERIC QUADRIO, Ukiah. DUI-Drugs.

DAVID RAMOS, Ceres/Ukiah. Probation revocation.

ANTHONY ROJAS, Ukiah. Probation revocation.

BALAZS SCHREIL, Fort Bragg. Refusing to leave.

FELIX SWEARINGER, Ex-felon with firearm, possession of meth for sale, armed with firearm, probation revocation.

WILLIAM VANTREESE, Ukiah. Shoplifting, camping. (Frequent flyer.)

BRIAN WOODSON, Ukiah. Pot cultivation, possession for sale, honey oil extraction.

THE SIRE OF SORROW (JOB'S SAD SONG)

Let me speak let me spit out my bitterness

Born of grief and nights without sleep and festering flesh

Do you have eyes?

Can you see like mankind sees?

Why have you soured and curdled me?

Oh you tireless watcher! What have I done to you?

That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?

 

Once I was blessed; I was awaited like the rain

Like eyes for the blind, like feet for the lame

Kings heard my words, and they sought out my company

But now the janitors of Shadowland flick their brooms at me

Oh you tireless watcher! What have I done to you?

that you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?

 

(Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow)

I've lost all taste for life

I'm all complaints

Tell me why do you starve the faithful?

Why do you crucify the saints?

And you let the wicked prosper

You let their children frisk like deer

And my loves are dead or dying, or they don't come near

(Antagonists: We don't despise your chastening

God is correcting you)

 

Oh and look who comes to counsel my deep distress

Oh, these pompous physicians

What carelessness!

(Antagonists: Oh all this ranting all this wind

Filling our ears with trash)

Breathtaking ignorance adding insult to injury!

they come blaming and shaming

(Antagonists: Evil doer)

And shattering me

(Antagonists: This vain man wishes to seem wise

A man born of asses)

Oh you tireless watcher! What have I done to you?

That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?

 

(Antagonists: We don't despise your chastening)

Already on a bed of sighs and screams

And still you torture me with visions

You give me terrifying dreams!

Better I was carried from the womb straight to the grave

I see the diggers waiting, they're leaning on their spades

 

(Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow

Sure as the sparks ascend)

Where is hope while you're wondering what went wrong?

Why give me light and then this dark without a dawn?

(Antagonists: Evil is sweet in your mouth

Hiding under your tongue)

Show your face!

(Antagonists: What a long fall from grace)

Help me understand!

What is the reason for your heavy hand?

(Antagonists: You're stumbling in shadows

You have no name now)

Was it the sins of my youth?

What have I done to you?

That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?

(Antagonists: Oh your guilt must weigh so greatly)

Everything I dread and everything I fear come true

(Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow)

Oh you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true

— Joni Mitchell

THE REAL MAY DAY

by Dick Meister

May Day. A day to herald the coming of Spring with song and dance, a day for children with flowers in their hair to skip around beribboned maypoles, a time to crown May Day queens.

But it also is a day for demonstrations heralding the causes of working people and their unions such as are being held on Sunday that were crucial in winning important rights for working people. The first May Day demonstrations, in 1886, won the most important of the rights ever won by working people ­ the right demanded above all others by the labor activists of a century ago:

"Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will!"

Winning the eight-hour workday took years of hard struggle, beginning in the mid-1800s. By 1867, the federal government, six states and several cities had passed laws limiting their employees' hours to eight per day. The laws were not effectively enforced and in some cases were overturned by courts, but they set an important precedent that finally led to a powerful popular movement.

The movement was launched in 1886 by the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, then one of the country's major labor organizations. The federation called for workers to negotiate with their employers for an eight-hour workday and, if that failed, to strike on May 1 in support of the demand.

Some negotiated, some marched and otherwise demonstrated. More than 300,000 struck. And all won strong support, in dozens of cities ­ Chicago, New York, Baltimore, Boston, Milwaukee, St. Louis, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Denver, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Detroit, Washington, Newark, Brooklyn, St. Paul and others.

More than 30,000 workers had won the eight-hour day by April. On May Day, another 350,000 workers walked off their jobs at nearly 12,000 establishments, more than 185,000 of them eventually winning their demand. Most of the others won at least some reduction in working hours that had ranged up to 16 a day.

Additionally, many employers cut Saturday operations to a half-day, and the practice of working on Sundays, also relatively common, was all but abandoned by major industries.

"Hurray for Shorter Time," declared a headline in the New York Sun over a story describing a torchlight procession of 25,000 workers that highlighted the eight-hour-day activities in New York. Never before had the city experienced so large a demonstration.

Not all newspapers were as supportive, however. The strikes and demonstrations, one paper complained, amounted to "communism, lurid and rampant." The eight-hour day, another said, would encourage "loafing and gambling, rioting, debauchery, and drunkenness."

The greatest opposition came in response to the demonstrations led by anarchist and socialist groups in Chicago, the heart of the eight-hour day movement. Four demonstrators were killed and more than 200 wounded by police who waded into their ranks, but what the demonstrators¹ opponents seized on were the events two days later at a protest rally in Haymarket Square. A bomb was thrown into the ranks of the police who had surrounded the square, killing seven and wounding 59.

The bomb thrower was never discovered, but eight labor, socialist and anarchist leaders ­ branded as violent, dangerous radicals by press and police alike ­ were arrested on the clearly trumped up charge that they had conspired to commit murder. Four of them were hanged, one committed suicide while in jail, and three were pardoned six years later by Illinois Gov. John Peter Altgeld.

Employers responded to the so-called Haymarket Riot by mounting a counter-offensive that seriously eroded the eight-hour day movement's gains. But the movement was an extremely effective organizing tool for the country's unions, and in 1890 President Samuel Gompers of the American Federation of Labor was able to call for "an International Labor Day" in favor of the eight-hour workday. Similar proclamations were made by socialist and union leaders in other nations where, to this day, May Day is celebrated as Labor Day.

Workers in the United States and 13 other countries demonstrated on that May Day of 1890 ­ including 30,000 of them in Chicago. The New York World hailed it as "Labor's Emancipation Day." It was. For it marked the start of an irreversible drive that finally established the eight-hour day as the standard for millions of working people.

Copyright 2015 Dick Meister, former San Francisco Chronicle labor correspondent (dickmeistersf@earthlink.net).

ON-LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

First, college-educated means nothing today. I know plenty of college educated people that can’t string together coherent sentences or do simple arithmetic in their thick heads. I have one friend, in his early 40s, who hasn’t read a book since college. “I don’t have time for that” is his excuse. Yet he has time to watch ESPN for hours. He’s a fucking dolt. Second, having a college degree does not allow you an extravagant income, necessarily. I have a college degree, am at least two standard deviations to the right of the mean on the Bell curve, yet I make a meager salary. Third, today there are millions of people making high five-figure or low six-figure salaries that are living virtually paycheck to paycheck for various reasons, some of them their own doing, but not all. Millions of Americans are college-educated but can hardly be described as “elite.”

REDWOOD CHORUS CONCERT

The Redwood Community Chorus presents its Spring Concert on May 8 at 7:00 p.m., and on May 9th at 2 p.m. at the Mendocino Presybterian Church. Conducted by Jenni Windsor, the Chorus will sing two choral requiems, Lux Aeterna, and the fourth movement of Brahms’ German Requiem, and familiar ballads, including If Music Be the Food Of Love, and Bobby Shafto. The A Cappella group Trebl’d Women will open the concert with the Italian madrigal, "O Occhi Manza Mia." "There is Sweet Music Here," with text by Alfred Lord Tennyson, follows. The all-American favorite, "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" concludes the set. Admission to the concert is free, but donations to the church and choir are encouraged.

The Redwood Community Chorus performs two concerts each year. Members enroll in a music class at Mendocino College, Ukiah. There are no auditions. A short video of their performance in the Fall 2014 concert is on YouTube at http://youtu.be/04T8sL3flW8

AIGNER’S OBSCENITY

My Letter To The FCC

Memorandum

TO: Peter H Doyle
Federal Communications Commission
445 12^th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20554

FROM: Mary K Massey

RE: Obscenity, Profanity, Indecency Violation, Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, KZYX/KZYZ

DATE: April 29, 2015

I am filing a formal complaint against Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, KZYX/KZYZ, for the airing of profanity and obscenity.

On March 30, 2015, the Program Director, MCPB, aired profanity on a show she was producing, hosting, and engineering. The show, Women’s Voices, aired that Monday from 7-8p.m. Mary Aigner, the Program Director, allowed a pre-recorded segment to air without first checking the segment for content. This is a must where the host is engineering pre-recorded segments for ease of transition, content and for timing. Ms. Aigner failed to do her job.

I wrote to the Board of Directors through the on-line website form. Stuart Campbell, Vice-President & Board Liaison, responded to my complaint. The email exchange of our letters is included as a printed attachment. In addition to the aired obscenity, I was making the Board aware that the web stream was down that entire day (March 30) and that the day before, while the web stream was working, there was loud static over top the programming.

Ms. Aigner is still on the air and still the Program Director. In short, nothing was done by the GM or Board. They simply looked the other way.

Subsequently, I have learned other programmers were dismissed by Ms Aigner for profanity beyond the volunteers’ control. This is clearly a double standard. Ms. Aigner has been the only Program Director in the station’s 25 year history, and at a minimum, failed to perform her job to the best of her ability by not screening her show content so easily done in her own private office. This incident was not beyond her control.

I am requesting that the FCC look into this matter at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Respectfully,

Mary K Massey

Mendocino

ATTA BOY, MIKEY.

(BTW Where's that other Healdsburg guy, the dentist? We never hear from him.)

Wednesday, April 29, 2015 — State Senator Mike McGuire's offshore oil drilling ban passes Senate Natural Resources Committee SB 788 would close the offshore oil drilling loophole and protect California's environment and $40 billion coastal economy

Sacramento, CA - Senator Mike McGuire's bill to forever protect California's coast from new offshore oil development in state waters passed with a sweeping vote of support from the Senate Natural Resources Committee Tuesday afternoon. SB 788 - The Coastal Protection Act - will close the loophole in the Coastal Sanctuary Act that currently would allow the State Lands Commission to grant new leases for offshore oil and gas development. New offshore oil leases are a real possibility in California and developers are already testing the political waters. "One code section is all that stands between new offshore oil development and forever protecting our coast from drilling, Senator Mike McGuire said. "After all of the work that we have done to protect our coast and our environment, it's unconscionable to think that there is a loophole that could lead to additional drilling in state water. It poses too great a risk." In 1969, for 11 days, more than 4 million gallons of crude oil blew into the ocean just off of Santa Barbara's coast. Two hundred square miles of ocean and 35 miles of California coastline were oiled and thousands of animals were killed. As a result, California has taken a position to intentionally forgo any revenue from new offshore oil development due to the unacceptably high risk, and has instead focused on developing clean renewable energy. "Leaving open the option for new offshore drilling undermines California's push to be a national leader on renewable energy, energy efficiency and reducing our reliance on petroleum," Senator McGuire said. "Our coastal economies contribute $40 billion annually and 500,000 jobs, we need to protect this valuable economic engine." California has the world's 8th largest economy. Coastal communities contribute $40 billion annually to the state's economy, and provide nearly half a million important jobs. Commercial fisheries in the state are valued at more than $7 billion annually. Ocean dependent tourism is valued at over $10 billion annually. Recreational fishing is valued at over $2 billion annually along California's coast. SB 788 will help our coastal economy thrive and permanently protect California's coast from the impacts of an offshore oil spill. The bill will now move forward to Senate Appropriations. SB 788 has broad support. Principal coauthors are Senators Jackson and Leno and Assemblymember Levine. Coauthors are Senators Allen, Hancock, Wolk and Monning and Assemblymembers Dodd, Wood, Mark Stone, and Williams. Also supporting SB 788 are: California Coastkeeper Alliance, California Coastal Protection Network, California League of Conservation Voters, California Sea Urchin Commission, California Sport Fishing League, California Trout, Center for Biological Diversity, Clean Water Action, Coast Seafoods Company, Defenders of Wildlife, Environment California, Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, Environmental Defense Fund, Fishing Vessel Corregidor, Golden Gate Salmon Association, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, Heal the Bay, Hog Island Oyster Company, Humboldt Baykeeper, Kayak Zak's, Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, League of Women Voters of California, Mad River Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council, Ocean Outfall Group, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, Santa Barbara Environmental Defense Center, Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Sierra Club California, Smith River Rancheria, Surfrider Foundation, The Northcoast Environmental Center, The Wildlands Conservancy, Union of Concerned Scientist, West Marin Environmental Action Committee.

For more information or questions, please contact Kerrie Lindecker, Communications Coordinator, at 707-319-3654.