Pressila Blanco
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Elmer Romero
Sunday, November 3, 2024 12:37 PM
Downey City Clerk - Public Comment
MEASURE D SHAMEFUL DESCRIPTION
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City of Downey CA As preparing to vote I notice the
Pop D + 1/4 cent sales tax hike
same as
Pop D + 0.25% sales tax hike.
Why not saying 0.25% tax additional to the already high 10% sales taxes (new Downey Sales Tax to be 10.25%)
I guess the proponent is sure no one will notice it,
but get fooled in the process and approve this nonsense send me the publication...
Sincerely, El Romero.
Pressila Blanco
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Michelle Farina
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 2:19 PM
Horacio Ortiz; Mario Trujillo; Dorothy Pemberton; Claudia M. Frometa; Hector Sosa; Downey City Clerk - Public Comment; Contact DFH
Mothers and Babies in Gaza - Resources and Links for you to see for yourselfSubject:
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Dear Council Members,
My focus today is on bringing the mothers and babies of Gaza to your attention. My sister had a healthy beautiful baby two weeks ago which is why I missed the last council meeting. We are overjoyed and grateful for our most precious blessing, but we cannot help feeling the intense heartbreak and shame knowing what is happening to the mothers and babies in Gaza. Our tax dollars are continuously being sent to Israel as their military mercilessly destroys the lives of every single living person in the Gaza strip.
Mothers are suffering unimaginably and babies are being born in the most dire and horrific circumstances. The world is watching and so many of us are feeling deep and terrible pain along with justified rage because of the inaction of those who could have done something. All of us play a part in this story. You, especially, have more responsibility than the average Downey resident. You are our elected representatives.
You cannot pretend you didn’t know or didn't have access to this information. There are no excuses left for ignoring a full blown live-streamed genocide happening before our eyes that is being paid for with our U.S. tax dollars. Don't act like you have no power to stop it. Many of us have been coming to you for months and months and have been very clear about what you could do to help stop this.
We ALL have power if we come together and join the rest of humanity in calling for an END TO THIS SENSELESS VIOLENCE. THIS IS EVERYBODY'S PROBLEM! We are not separate from the Middle East. . We are ONE WORLD. Global issues don't stop at the borders outside of Downey. We are not in a bubble. WAKE-UP. And if you don't want to listen to my pleas for unity with the world then listen to this crazy idea, that I even bet some of you agree with for other reasons.... OUR TAX DOLLARS SHOULD STAY HERE WITH US. OUR TAX DOLLARS SHOULD HELP OUR COMMUNITy
STOP WASTING OUR MONEY ON BOMBS THAT ONLY CAUSE MORE VIOLENCE, DEATH AND HATE AND BRING NO ONE SAFETY, ANYWHERE.
Please, do something. For God's sake. For their sake. For your own sake.
From Humanitarian Organizations:
UNICEF Press Release - Born into Hell
Gaza: 'Babies slowly perishinR under the world’s gaze’ , UNICEF warns Babies Born Into Chaos of War in Gaza Need Help Now
Women self-inducing labour and facing life-threatening complications in pregnancy after nine months of Gaza conflict - Save the Children
Gaza child dies following repeated permit delays by Israel More women and children killed in Gaza by Israeli military than any other recent conflict in a single year – Oxfam Over 2% of Gaza’s child population killed or injured in six months of war- Save the Children GAZA: One in 50 of Gaza’s children killed or injured in six months of war - Save the Children Forced Starvation (as a war tactic)
'StrugRle, struggle, struggle.' What new and expecting mothers are facing in Gaza -NPR Displaced Gazan mothers struggle to care for their newborns 1 REUTERS 1 Newborns die of hunger and mothers struggle to feed their children as Israel’s siege condemns Gazans to starvation - CNN
Children are dying of starvation in their parents’ arms as famine spreads through Gaza - CNN As Israel inflicts starvation, I am fighting to feed my baby in Gaza - Al Jazeera In Gaza, babies have no more nappies, milk, as Israeli bombing continues - Al Jazeera Babies killed by senseless, neverending violence
KNOW THEIR NAMES - Palestinian children killed in Israeli Attacks on Gaza - Al Jazeera 'Not a normal war’: doctors say children have been targeted by Israeli snipers in Gaza - The Guardian 'We give birth only to lose them’: Injured Palestinian mothers grieve for babies killed in Gaza - CNN Number of children missing, separated from families in Gaza may be as high as 21,000: Report - ABC News Air Strike on Twin Babies & their mother
Their mother was a doctor. The whole world mourned their deaths and were heart broken for the father. How about you?
Father says baby twins killed by Israeli strike in Gaza as he registered births - BBC As a father was registerinR his twins' birth in Gaza, an airstrike killed the 3-day-olds and their mother at home - ABC News
Newborn twins killed in Israel's offensive in Gaza as their dad went to get their birth certificates - NBC News Hospital Staff forced to leave premature babies to die alone.
Abandoned babies found decomposing in Gaza hospital weeks after it was evacuated - NBC News Infants found dead and decomposing in evacuated hospital ICU in Gaza. Here’s what we know-CNN Harrowing video shows premature babies dead in Gaza hospital - VIDEO The return of POLIO
'He can’t move at all’: A Gaza mother’s agony over baby with polio - Al Jazeera Baby contracts Gaza’s first case of polio in 25 years - BBC Never giving up on you and my fellow community members coming around and opening your eyes and hearts and minds to the truth,
Love and light,
Michelle Farina
Lifelong resident of Downey
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Dn. Mario A. Guerra
Tuesday, November 12, 2024 9:32 AM
[email protected]; Hector Sosa; Dorothy Pemberton; Claudia M. Frometa; Horacio Ortiz; City Clerk
Roger Bradley; Vaniah De Rojas; John Funk
Consideration on District Representation
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Subject: Consideration on District Representation
Honorable Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem and Downey City Council, I hope this message finds you well. Firstly, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your dedicated service to our community. I have great respect for each of you and appreciate your ongoing commitment to doing what is best for our city.
As you deliberate tonight on the issue of district representation, I urge you to consider the importance of our current system. Our forebears and residents chose a structure with four districts and one larger district, ensuring that each person in our community has two representatives. This arrangement fosters better representation and engagement among our citizens. It has worked well for our entire 60 years after being incorporated.
When we first became incorporated our residents voted on not having a city wide elected Mayor but liked the idea of dual representation. This is the current system, where everyone gets to vote for their two representatives.
I believe moving to a single representative in each district would diminish this representation and overlook the diverse needs of our community.
While I understand that the cost of citywide elections is a concern. I urge you to focus on the principle of representation rather than financial implications. Elections are inherently costly, but that should not be a deciding factor in this critical matter. Representation should. You should not arbitrarily think that because it is a city wide election only those of means could win. That has been proven time and time again over the past 25 years. The cost of running an election should NOT be a consideration. You have all proven that to be a fact.
1 (I was part of the council who enacted campaign donation limits. We made the amount larger for District 5 as it had more ground to cover. This has worked well to be fair to the candidates without allowing an unusually large amount to any candidate where the election could be bought by outside groups).
As a resident of Downey (District 2) 1 have always found comfort that I have TWO elected officials always representing me. 1 and our residents like that and do not think that should change.
Additionally, I encourage you to consider reaching out to Assemblywoman Blanca Pacheco to discuss the possibility of an amendment to the Voter Rights Act ( I have mentioned it to her). Our city has thrived under the current system, and we are not in violation of any laws; the concerns raised by the law firm are more technical than substantive. It would be a technical issue at best, and I believe it is doable without extreme measures being considered. A law firm that is looking for a quick payout should not overturn something that has been working for our residents for all these years.
In conclusionf I respectfully ask you to maintain the existing structure of our districts and explore legislative amendments rather than shifting to five districts. At the very least explore the option of changing the minor technical issue and have discussions with our elected officials at the State level. Please do not rush into a decision u>ithout all the proper options explored as this could hat>e unintended consequences for our city for decades to come.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued service.
Mario A. Guerra
Downey Resident ( 7702 Yankey Street)
Former Downey Mayor
UNCLASSIFIED
Dn. Mario A. Guerra CPIA
Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army
Cell 562-7o6-4114
[email protected]
u>lou>.MarioAGuerra.com
Be All You Can Be!
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T c) B
Michelle Farina
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 3:03 PM
Mario Trujillo; Horacio Ortiz; Dorothy Pemberton; Claudia M. Frometa; Hector Sosa; Downey City Clerk - Public Comment; Contact DFH
BDS: Boycott, Divest, Sanctions MovementSubject:
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Hi Council Members,
Here is information about the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement. I really hope you take the time to learn about the movement so that you can help get our community on the right track.
We are all complicit in this genocide and we have to turn ourselves around and stand up for humanity. Here is the best way we could do this.
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) is the Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality and the most effective tool to support Palestinian rights. BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity. Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, the BDS call urges action to pressure Israel to comply with international law.
BDS is now a vibrant global movement made up of unions, academic associations, churches and grassroots movements across the world. Since its launch in 2005, BDS is having a major impact and is effectively challenging international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism
Since 1948, Israel has denied Palestinians their fundamental rights and has refused to comply with international law.
Israel maintains a regime of settler colonialism, apartheid and occupation over the Palestinian people. This is only possible because of international support. Governments fail to hold Israel to account, while corporations and institutions across the world help Israel to oppress Palestinians.
Because those in power refuse to act to stop this injustice, Palestinian civil society has called for a global citizens’ response of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice and equality. https://bdsmovement.net/loca l-governments
Local governments have a key role to play
Local government bodies such as municipal and regional councils play a key role in our political systems. They often have relationships with companies and institutions that help Israel to oppress Palestinians. Campaigning for local governments to take action in support of Palestinian rights is a vital way to build meaningful solidarity that reflects community values.
Here is a list of companies City of Downey should not be doing business with:
1 Act Now Against These Companies Profitihg
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I appreciate your time in looking over this information. Please let me know if we can meet in person to discuss the actions Downey City Council can take to stop what is happening in Gaza. You all know very well by now that this genocide has everything to do with us. Our tax dollars are used to make the weapons used on Palestinians who are suffering, while the weapons manufacturers get richer and more powerful and the companies listed above make a profit off of death and human suffering. This is a war on children and we all must do our part to stop it.
Love and Justice,
Michelle Farina
Lifelong Downey Resident (38 years and counting)
[email protected]