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Bend The Arc: Jewish Action

Bend The Arc: Jewish Action Endorsements

Bend the Arc: Jewish Action is the only national Jewish organization focused exclusively on progressive social change in the U.S. We have a significant base of leaders throughout California, with chapters in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Silicon Valley, San Luis Obispo, and we are growing in other parts of the state. Bend the Arc organizes Jews of all identities to work in partnership with our allies to build an inclusive, multi-racial democracy that lives up to our values of justice and equity for all.

8th Congressional District

Depending on where you live, you may have one of the below congressional districts on your ballot.

Elect Chris Bubser to push CA-08 in the right direction.

About the Position
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 53 congressional representatives. There is no term limit for this position.  

About the District
California’s 8th congressional district includes parts of Inyo, Mono, and San Bernardino Counties. This district was represented by Nancy Pelosi until 2012, when redistricting allowed Republican Paul Cook to flip CA-08 from blue to red. Rep. Cook is retiring from Congress, leaving this seat open in the 2020 race. This district has favored Republican candidates in recent state and national elections, voting for Republican John Cox by a 19.6 percent margin in 2018, and for Donald Trump by a 15.1 percent margin in 2016.

About the Race
In the primary, Democrat Chris Bubser trailed Republican State Assemblymember Jay Obernolte by a margin of 6.2 percent. Bubser’s campaign is not funded by corporate PAC money or fossil fuel money, and she has the endorsement of End Citizens United. Obernolte’s campaign has not committed to refusing fossil fuel money, has received donations from the San Bernardino County Safety Employees’ Benefit Association PAC, and is backed by the Republican Majority Committee PAC, which is dedicated to winning a Republican Majority in the House of Representatives.

About the Candidate
Chris Bubser is from Pennsylvania and has lived in Mammoth Lakes for over 13 years. According to campaign materials, she is running to bring responsive representation to California’s 8th congressional district.

Bubser is a biotech engineer and health-care advocate. When the Affordable Care Act was under attack in 2017, she used her professional knowledge and personal experience with care management to advocate for affordable health care. Bubser’s interest in science extends to the outdoors, and she has a strong desire to work to protect California’s natural resources. She is also cofounder of the community group HangOutDoGood (HODG), a grassroots coalition of volunteers working to elect progressive candidates, and she serves as a trustee at her temple.

Chris Bubser is endorsed by a strong majority of progressive groups in the district, including Indivisible, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action PAC and Equality California. In contrast to Trump-endorsed Assemblymember Obernolte, who has focused his platform on defending freedom and being tough on crime, Bubser will bring to this seat a progressive perspective rooted in science and collective action. She will apply her focus to improving the lived experience of constituents in the areas of health-care access, natural-resource protections, and public-education improvements. According to our analysis, Chris Bubser is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.

Last updated: 2023-04-05

Elect Chris Bubser to push CA-08 in the right direction.

About the Position
The United States is divided into 435 congressional districts, each with a population of about 710,000 individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. California has 53 congressional representatives. There is no term limit for this position.  

About the District
California’s 8th congressional district includes parts of Inyo, Mono, and San Bernardino Counties. This district was represented by Nancy Pelosi until 2012, when redistricting allowed Republican Paul Cook to flip CA-08 from blue to red. Rep. Cook is retiring from Congress, leaving this seat open in the 2020 race. This district has favored Republican candidates in recent state and national elections, voting for Republican John Cox by a 19.6 percent margin in 2018, and for Donald Trump by a 15.1 percent margin in 2016.

About the Race
In the primary, Democrat Chris Bubser trailed Republican State Assemblymember Jay Obernolte by a margin of 6.2 percent. Bubser’s campaign is not funded by corporate PAC money or fossil fuel money, and she has the endorsement of End Citizens United. Obernolte’s campaign has not committed to refusing fossil fuel money, has received donations from the San Bernardino County Safety Employees’ Benefit Association PAC, and is backed by the Republican Majority Committee PAC, which is dedicated to winning a Republican Majority in the House of Representatives.

About the Candidate
Chris Bubser is from Pennsylvania and has lived in Mammoth Lakes for over 13 years. According to campaign materials, she is running to bring responsive representation to California’s 8th congressional district.

Bubser is a biotech engineer and health-care advocate. When the Affordable Care Act was under attack in 2017, she used her professional knowledge and personal experience with care management to advocate for affordable health care. Bubser’s interest in science extends to the outdoors, and she has a strong desire to work to protect California’s natural resources. She is also cofounder of the community group HangOutDoGood (HODG), a grassroots coalition of volunteers working to elect progressive candidates, and she serves as a trustee at her temple.

Chris Bubser is endorsed by a strong majority of progressive groups in the district, including Indivisible, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action PAC and Equality California. In contrast to Trump-endorsed Assemblymember Obernolte, who has focused his platform on defending freedom and being tough on crime, Bubser will bring to this seat a progressive perspective rooted in science and collective action. She will apply her focus to improving the lived experience of constituents in the areas of health-care access, natural-resource protections, and public-education improvements. According to our analysis, Chris Bubser is the strongest choice for equitable and representative leadership in office.

Last updated: 2023-04-05

Los Angeles County Ballot Measures

Depending on where you live, you may have one of the below ballot measures on your ballot.

Voting has changed in Los Angeles County this year. The Voter’s Choice Act was enacted in the county to make voting more convenient. Changes include an expanded period of in-person early voting, every registered voter in the county will receive a vote-by-mail ballot, and every registered voter in the county is able to vote in-person at any Vote Center in their county. Also, in-person voters in Los Angeles County will have the opportunity to use the new Ballot Marking Device, a touchscreen with audio features, to mark their ballots. Have questions about the changes to voting in Los Angeles County? Find out how to vote in Los Angeles County.

VOTE YES

Invest in Alternatives to Incarceration

Vote Yes on Measure J to increase spending on housing and mental-health services while decreasing funding for law enforcement.

Measure J will divert at least 10 percent of Los Angeles County’s unrestricted funding to community-based programs, such as affordable housing and rent assistance, job training, and mental-health and social services. These funds will not be invested in police departments, jails, or prisons. Based on the current $34.9 billion budget, an estimated $360 million to $490 million will go to community-based needs. In the event of a budget emergency that threatens mandated programs, county supervisors can vote to decrease that amount.

Why Voting YES on Measure J Matters
  • Los Angeles County runs the world’s largest jail system, with an inmate population of 17,000, nearly one-third of whom have mental-health concerns, making the system the largest de facto mental-health facility in the country.

  • According to the RAND Corporation, more than half of the inmates in the Mental Health Unit at Los Angeles Jail are candidates for diversion to community programs rather than incarceration.

  • California’s penal code criminalizes poverty, substance abuse, and mental-health illness while denying residents of color their fair share of community resources needed to thrive.

  • In recent years, residents and advocates have won key victories with the Board of Supervisors, creating new investments in housing and care for those experiencing homelessness. The essential element to scale up these interventions is funding. With more than 40 percent of Los Angeles County’s local tax revenues going to incarceration and policing, there are not enough resources for programs that can make a real difference in communities. Measure J could help close this gap.

  • This measure responds to the growing calls from the community to defund the police and prioritize public services by requiring that at least 10 percent of the county’s local revenues go to investments that support communities – including affordable housing, community counseling, mental-health services, youth-development programs, small businesses, and job creation.

Funders of Measure J
  • Top funders in support of Measure J include philanthropists Patty Quillin and Nicole Shanahan and the ACLU of Southern California.
  • Top funders in opposition to Measure J include the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs and the Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association.
Misinformation about Measure J
  • "The measure will further challenge the county's essential workers, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic." -- FALSE. Funding for essential workers is not being challenged. The measure would guarantee at least 10 percent of unrestricted funding to address racial injustice, overreliance on police interventions, and health and housing disparities.
  • "The measure will raise taxes." -- FALSE. The proposed ballot measure does not involve a tax increase; instead, it redistributes existing local tax revenue.

 

Last updated: 2023-04-05

Vote Yes on Measure J to increase spending on housing and mental-health services while decreasing funding for law enforcement.

Measure J will divert at least 10 percent of Los Angeles County’s unrestricted funding to community-based programs, such as affordable housing and rent assistance, job training, and mental-health and social services. These funds will not be invested in police departments, jails, or prisons. Based on the current $34.9 billion budget, an estimated $360 million to $490 million will go to community-based needs. In the event of a budget emergency that threatens mandated programs, county supervisors can vote to decrease that amount.

Why Voting YES on Measure J Matters
  • Los Angeles County runs the world’s largest jail system, with an inmate population of 17,000, nearly one-third of whom have mental-health concerns, making the system the largest de facto mental-health facility in the country.

  • According to the RAND Corporation, more than half of the inmates in the Mental Health Unit at Los Angeles Jail are candidates for diversion to community programs rather than incarceration.

  • California’s penal code criminalizes poverty, substance abuse, and mental-health illness while denying residents of color their fair share of community resources needed to thrive.

  • In recent years, residents and advocates have won key victories with the Board of Supervisors, creating new investments in housing and care for those experiencing homelessness. The essential element to scale up these interventions is funding. With more than 40 percent of Los Angeles County’s local tax revenues going to incarceration and policing, there are not enough resources for programs that can make a real difference in communities. Measure J could help close this gap.

  • This measure responds to the growing calls from the community to defund the police and prioritize public services by requiring that at least 10 percent of the county’s local revenues go to investments that support communities – including affordable housing, community counseling, mental-health services, youth-development programs, small businesses, and job creation.

Funders of Measure J
  • Top funders in support of Measure J include philanthropists Patty Quillin and Nicole Shanahan and the ACLU of Southern California.
  • Top funders in opposition to Measure J include the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs and the Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association.
Misinformation about Measure J
  • "The measure will further challenge the county's essential workers, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic." -- FALSE. Funding for essential workers is not being challenged. The measure would guarantee at least 10 percent of unrestricted funding to address racial injustice, overreliance on police interventions, and health and housing disparities.
  • "The measure will raise taxes." -- FALSE. The proposed ballot measure does not involve a tax increase; instead, it redistributes existing local tax revenue.

 

Last updated: 2023-04-05