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LAC sees low voter turnout on 2020 Election Day

Syan Haghiri
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LAC sees low voter turnout on 2020 Election Day

Patriotic music could be heard throughout the morning of Election Day at LBCC’s Liberal Arts Campus, as voters steadily came in and out of the voting site.

The morning was quiet, with no line forming besides a few people right as the polls opened.

First-time poll worker Kevin Cho said it was slower than expected, but he anticipated a rush during lunchtime.  “I was expecting thousands of people just waiting, but it’s been busier than other days,” said Cho.

One voter, Maury Long, in her “Vote Donald Trump 2020” T-shirt and American flag mask, was turned away at the door and told she had to change before casting her vote.

“I respect everything, but I have the right to wear it because of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects me,” she said.

Campaign apparel is in fact prohibited at polling sites in California. 

“I want to change exactly this. We have the right to say and show everything that we want to say, I have the right to wear this shirt, I have the right to have my signs,” said Long.

As for her support of President Trump, Long said she has been impressed with how hard he has worked, and “nobody appreciates that.” 

“Everybody on both sides has good people, bad people, but he’s a very, very, very good person … He loves the nation, he’s for everybody. He protects his family, and at the same time, he’s protecting my family, my kids, the family for everybody.”

Long said that more people should be thankful to have a president that cares and wants to protect the country. 

Regarding criticisms of the president’s response to the pandemic and perceptions that he is racist, Long said, “He has a good heart. The way he is with his family- he has a nice, beautiful family, and we should be more respect [sic]. That’s not the way to treat [him], that’s our president. We have to respect him if we want respect. He has a family who suffers a lot, the way they bully and say a lot of things, and I think people just talk badly because the way they see is very superficial, but they have to look more and respect. The country is first, and the president needs respect.” 

Many voters on Tuesday said they appreciated the tradition of voting in-person on Election Day.

Lynette Powell, who came to LAC to vote with her son, Sherman, said, “I felt like the tradition to vote in person is very important, because my ancestors, African Americans, worked so hard to get the generation to get up and do this. I feel like when I’m voting in person, it’s straight from the heart, instead of a piece of paper, and I don’t trust the paper.”

Powell anticipated longer lines, so she brought a bag of snacks in preparation. 

She said her biggest concern during this election was to eradicate and get a vaccine for COVID-19, and having a president who “[looks] out for our health and our safety.”

LBCC kinesiology instructor Tony Klune also anticipated longer lines, and due to COVID-19 did not come to the polls with his family as he normally does on Election Day. 


“Since I was a little kid, I couldn’t wait till I was able to vote, and now I saw the initiative to allow 17-year olds. So I think it’s great, I think it’s something we should take a lot of pride in.” 

His biggest concerns this election cycle are COVID-19 and providing healthcare to all Americans.

Several voters cited distrust of the mail-in system as a reason that led them to vote in-person, such as Romel Alberson.

“The last time I voted, I voted traditionally, and the mailing has been all messed up. I’ve lost stuff in the mail, so I’m not going to trust my vote to get in and get counted,” he said.

LBCC student Jasmine Cortes also said she had concerns about mailing in her ballot, and even considered not voting. 

“I was torn at first, as if it was gonna matter, then I was like, well is it going to hurt? I can’t ask for change without participating.”

Cortes said she chose to vote at LAC as it was a relatively smaller polling site in comparison to others, making her feel safer amid the pandemic. 

Mother and son Lynette and Sherman Powell pose outside of LAC after casting their votes on Election Day. Lynette’s biggest concern this election cycle is the pandemic. Photo by Tess Kazenoff/Viking News

Voting stations were situated six feet apart, with tape indicating where voters should stand. Masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer was provided to those who needed it.

A couple of 50 years, Nancy and Terry Reffner showed up to the polls in matching American flag masks. 

“We’re just old school, we believe in doing it in person and on Election Day. It’s tradition. I feel like it’s kind of the duty to do on Election Day,” said Nancy.

The couple expressed concerns about continuously rising property taxes. 

“It goes up every year. We’re retired, on a fixed income … If it continues rapidly the way it is, I could see us leaving. It’s getting too hard to live in California for the cost of living, taxing us to death. And they will want more. We can only go so far as a taxpayer,” Nancy said.

The other main issue on the Reffners’ minds this election cycle was crime and increasing violence, they said.

“We’ve had presidents that we haven’t voted for, but we didn’t have unrest. I think everybody [is] expecting unrest this year no matter who wins, and that’s not right,” said Nancy.

“We’re a country that’s supposed to be together, yes we have differences, yes we have opinions, but we’re not supposed to be violent, that’s not our nature. Now people want to sway you, ‘you’ve got to believe my way.’ That’s not the way it’s supposed to be,” Terry said.

Voter Amy Nelson also said she was concerned about the division within the country.

“No matter what I voted for in there, I feel like it’s something that will benefit everybody as a whole, and I think that’s where we’re divided at the moment, and that’s the issue that bothers me the most. We’re not together right now. Hopefully, by the end of this, we’ll be more together,” she said. 

“There are many things at stake, many political issues, social issues, cultural issues, so I thought it was important that I try my best to show my support for the candidate that I did, and help others make their own decisions by working as a poll worker,” said Cho.

Cho also said, “I thought it was very important that I give my input to the city and community in this important election, and I feel very proud that I did.”

Poll worker Kevin Kinnear said, “There have been unique people coming in from all walks of life, different ages, ethnicities, and cultures. Long Beach is one of the most diverse cities in the world, and they’re coming to vote.”

Voters making it count at Pacific Coast Campus

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Voters making it count at Pacific Coast Campus

Voters arrived at PCC to cast their vote in the general election on November 3rd, which is the final day to vote.

Voters were making their final decisions at PCC to drop off their mail-in ballot or vote in person to be counted in the 2020 general election.

Poll workers have been working steadily since the first day of early voting began to the final day of November 3rd as the final voters turned in their ballots. 

Poll worker Tiffany Davy has seen consistent attendance since day one of early voting began. This was due to voters taking advantage of having early voting options.

“It is consistent in early voting  and we have more voters taking voting in general elections over the primary,” Davy said.

Donald Johnson voted on election day and hopes to see change for the better at a federal level.

“I expect them to reach to the people and co-operate to work together to make huge changes,” Johnson said.

Alma Estrada came to vote on election day in person because it was her day off and had positive views of prop 22 and candidate Joe Biden.

“It makes sense to support that measure to give drunk people the option to get a ride [rather] than drive drunk,” Estrada said in Spanish when talking about the benefits of proposition 22. 

Estrada also said, “I have voted for Biden since he can make the situation better.”

Lisa Yang voted in person on election day since she hadn’t yet decided who to vote for.

“I’m hoping to see divestment in the police and more investment in green technology and more diversity as well,” Yang said.

“I like the proposition where people who are on parole have the ability to vote since they still do have the right to vote, and the removal of the cash bail system,” Yang said in remarks of the state measures.

Goddey Amadi voted in person today because he felt more confident than he had previously felt, and wants to see a more unified nation.

“We need a more unified country, we are one and not to be divided,” Amadi said 

Amadi also said, “I voted for Biden since he has the same agenda as I have.”

It is one of the most important and the biggest election in their lifetime according to Davy.

Voters at LBCC PCC are casting in thier votes during election day on Nov. 3, 2020. Photo by Jorge Hernandez.

Ten vie for two spots on the Paramount School Board

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Many students at Long Beach City College live in surrounding cities such as Paramount, a city that is home to approximately 54,387 people, as of 2018. 

Fighting to represent those residents are 10 official candidates currently in the running for Paramount School Board. 

Beginning in 2017, the L.A. Times broke a story that Paramount had experienced an uptick in exposure to the toxic chemical Hexavalent Chromium. This caused ongoing contention between the local community and several metal manufacturing companies responsible. It also hypercharged engagement in local politics.

One candidate in the running is Gerald Cerda, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and former 2018 candidate for the School Board. According to SmartVoter.org, he received 1,561 votes or 4.74% of the total vote in that election. 

“I have been involved [in the community] since the Paramount Air Crisis began… part of my plan is to make sure technology is brought up to speed… In some of the school board meetings, we discovered some of the policy language was over thirty years old,” said Cerda. “We also want to bring in  MERV-16 air filters into the classrooms.”

“There are a lot of questions that need to be asked. What happens when a Zoom call is dropped, what is plan B? Parents have questions about IEPs. We need to make sure the classes are safe to return to after the pandemic is over,” Cerda said.

One of the current members of the Paramount School Board, Sonia De Leon spoke about the election and her own endorsement.

“I want to improve our communication and emphasize data at our meetings. In December 2018, we fought to make the meetings recorded for people who could not attend the meetings. We thought it was unfair for them not to. Transparency is still an issue,” said De Leon.

“The current school board is too interested in its own self-interest. We need things like the  MERV-16 air purifiers.” she continued. “I am endorsing Gerald Cerda because he has always been a strong advocate for the health of our community.” 

Eddie Cruz, a Long Beach Unified School administrator and Paramount High School alum, is also in the running. 

“I have always been involved in my community through my school or my church… There’s love and passion for serving my community,” said Cruz. “[One of the things] I’d like to take a look at is Paramount High School West Campus… My concern with that school is if we are accomplishing the goals with that campus and if not, we should revisit that design.”

“I have been endorsed by the Teacher’s Association of Paramount, California School Employers Association Chapter 447. I also received an endorsement over the weekend by State Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell. And local hero and former school board member Tony Pena has also endorsed me,” said Cruz.

And yet another candidate is Sandra Cuevas, a local social worker.

“I have lived here all my life and I want to give back to my city and my community… As a social worker, I try to teach parents to advocate for their children. I see there are a lot of barriers to education like language and I would like to reduce these barriers,” said Cuevas.

Cuevas has no endorsements currently.

Many of the other school board candidates were contacted for an interview, but they were unavailable for comment by publication.

Undocumented ally training part two

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Undocumented ally training part two

Part two of the Undocu Ally Training focused on mental health and trauma. This topic was led by Lupita Martinez, Mental Health Clinician for LBCC Student Services with a total of 36 participants. 

The three main points discussed were mental health relevance to students, prescriptive allyship and practice, and resources on campus. 

Undoubtedly, many undocumented students may be dealing with compiled stress. It derives from a variety of experiences such as fear. Fear can result due to family deportation or family separation. Anxiety can be experienced due to an uncertain future and pressure from not knowing what can happen to them. Shame comes from blaming and alienation. Lastly, depression can present itself as an issue due to substance abuse and thoughts of suicide. 

Martinez said, “Most of these issues are not new. DACA was never a permanent policy so the worry of the future has always been there for undocumented students.”

She noted that in order to help your peers you have to make sure to be taking care of your own mental health as well. “Self care is important because many of the problem our undocumented peers have can be triggering and challenging to comprehend,” said Martinez.

An overload of stress can be detrimental to one’s health. When experiencing stress there is a hormone release in our bloodstream called cortisol. Also known as the fight-or-flight hormone. 

Many students can be experiencing an overload of stress which can negatively affect their view in life. 

Martinez said, “Ongoing stress can alter the view of life and many of our undocumented peers are living in a state of fear. Being in a constant state of fear and alert can make people irritable, affect reproductive health, and increase insulin resistance.”

A few ways to help reverse cortisol levels and its effects are physical exercise, meditation, and practicing grounding exercises such as focusing on the here and the now instead of the future. A few signs we can watch out for are people who are being more quiet than usual, decrease involvement in class, or lower grades. 

A method to help our undocumented peers is called, “CARE.” Jose Gutierrez, LBCC DREAMS Services coordinator said, “This acronym stands for, Confidentiality, Assurance, Resourceful, and Empower.”

Guttierrez said, “I attended undocu ally trainings from others schools and I felt I was walking away with no tools to help undocumented students. If a student comes up to me and shares he/she is undocumented I want to be able to know how to respond.” This is how CARE was developed. 

Confidentiality is the confidence that you are trusted with personal and sensitive information from a student. 

Assurance is knowing it is okay to not know all the answers on how to help or knowledge of immigration policies. The best option is working in unison to find the answers with peers instead of giving false information. 

Resourceful is being proactive and reaching out to allies such as DREAM services on how to further help. 

Lastly, Empower is to help assure students that LBCC is behind and supporting them. 

If you can commit to CARE, another valuable thing you can do is listen and validate. 

Martinez said, “Listen and remain calm and by no means is it a request for you to solve the problem, all they need is someone to listen. When this happens, step into your peer’s shoes and let go of any judgement. Hold space for them to share, listen and don’t interrupt.”

Another important reminder Martinez said was, “When a student reveals they are undocumented, do not interrogate them. They will tell you when they are ready to share. It can cause stress. Also, recognize there may be others that are intolerant to undocumented students or you as an ally, that’s just the way it is.”

Lastly, being an ally is a process. It’s important to not be afraid to not have the answers and find someone on campus who may have answers. 

Some resources on campus are student health services, basic needs and DREAM services. Check the links provided below for more information.

Student Health Service information click here

LBCC Basic Needs click here

DREAM Services click here 

Long Beach City College hosts Undocu Ally Training Part One

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Long Beach City College hosts Undocu Ally Training Part One

Undocu Ally Training part one of two was hosted via Zoom on Tuesday, October 27th with a total of 65 participants. Part one of the training covered an overview of US immigration history and state and federal legislation. 

The training began with a few ground rules. A few were to hold confidentiality for any individual stories shared, mutual respect and understanding, and be in a space to participate, ask questions and enjoy the process of learning, 

The three learning outcomes were to increase awareness of relevant state and federal laws that affect undocumented students, understand the significance of being an ally, and describe and implement strategies to support undocumented classmates. 

Undocu Ally training has been offered to faculty and staff for about seven years. This is the first time the training is offered to students. 

The curriculum was created based on compilation from different training from other ally training done for faculty and staff in other college campuses. With permission, usage of specific reference material was included,” said Jose Gutierrez, Counselor and DREAM services coordinator. .

“We want participants to walk away with practical tools, knowledge and empowerment of what to say and not say to students who are undocumented,” said Gutierrrez.

The topic of intersectionality was covered to help students understand how undocumented students are affected by identities. Identities one can associate with are race, ethnicity, education, family, socio-economic status, sexuality, religion, age, and more. 

Language is powerful and understanding the terms used to refer to undocumented people is important. For example, a common term often used is illegal. 

Illegal is used to describe someone who is undocumented but a word like that can be offensive and often times dehumanizes the immigrant community. It is highly advised to not use that term. 

Next, the topic of U.S. immigration history was discussed. US immigration history can be complex and often changing. The banning or allowing of entire racial or ethnic groups from entering the United State is not new. 

Briefly, in 1882 the U.S. passed the Chinese Exclusion Act which banned Chinese immigration for ten years. Then, Immigration Act of 1917 banned imigration from the Asia-Pacific zone. In 1921, the U.S. capped immigration based on nationality.

 In 1962, the U.S. stopped limiting immigration based only on race which still had limited spots and was based on quotas.. Then, in 1965 the quota system was repealed and allowed more diverse immigrants from south and central america and Asia.

 In the 1970’s and 80’s a larger population of Asian migration occurred. Lastly, in the 1990’s the U.S. increased immigrantion capacity to 700,000 annually. 

Today, the U.S. is faced with similar issues such as the previous Syrian refugee crisis, the travel ban of 2018 against muslim-majority countries, North Korea and Venezuela. 

In regards to LBCC, undocumented students are welcome and can attend school. There are two types of undcomumneted students, one are DACA recipients or AB-540 students.

DACA stands for  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. This applies to immigrant students who were brought to the country as children. With DACA students receive a work-permit and temporary protection from immigration. This was introduced during Obama’s presidency. 

With AB-540 students are eligible for in-state tuition and California financial aid through the DREAMS act application. 

Under the current administration, DACA is in motion to end by the current presidential administration, but a recent ruling by the supreme court called for it to remain in place. DACA was never a permanent policy but during Trump’s presidency it is the first time it’s livelihood has been threatened. 

This training was for students only. The next student training will be held on November 17th and 19th.  The faculty and staff training were held in late September and early October. For more details click here. 

Part two of the training will focus on mental health and trauma. 

For more info on DREAM service at LBCC, click here.

Libertarians are another voice in a divisive political climate

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Libertarians are another voice in a divisive political climate

In L.A. County, 28.8% of voters are listed as a no-party preference, according to the California Secretary of State’s Office, and 25,508 of those people represent the Libertarian Party.

According to a recent census tally, the bulk of voters in the Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Anaheim Metro Area are 71.8% Democratic and only 22.4% Republican, according to BestPlaces.net. 

Third parties in the United States often represent a smaller margin but strong following in recent national elections. 

In 2012, the Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson touted that his candidacy represented another path forward for Americans tired of the two party duopoly. 

That year, the Libertarians received approximately 1.3 million or nearly 1% in the national popular vote, but no Electoral College votes, the most in the party’s history. 

The last third party to receive votes in the Electoral College was the George Wallace campaign for the American Independent party in 1968, where he received 46 electoral votes.

“I think Gary Johnson created the perception that the Libertarian Party was some kind of middle-of-the-road party when it’s really not,” said party chair Mimi Robson.

Mimi Robson is the Libertarian Party Chair for the State of California. She ran for the 33rd District of the California State Senate in 2016 and the 70th District State Assembly in 2018. She was unsuccessful but her vote tallies in 2016 were 48,316 or 21.35% of the total vote and in 2018 38,706 or 27.1% of the total vote, according to Ballotpedia.

Long Beach does not currently have a candidate for the Libertarian or Green parties, two of the largest third parties in terms of voters in Los Angeles County. 


However, the Libertarian Party is supporting Jo Jorgensen as their presidential nominee, along with Spike Cohen as their vice presidential nominee. Jorgensen is an academic and political activist, and she was the party’s nominee for vice president in 1996.

“I am optimistic that the Libertarian Party can break through and possibly become the second largest party in California, even beating out the Republicans,” said Mimi Robson.

“The Libertarian Party, simply put, stands for freedom to do what you want without interference from the government. We also believe in the non-aggression principle which means voluntary exchange of your participation,” she said.

For more information about the Libertarian Party of California, they can be reached at: ca.lp.org. 

Viking News reached out to the Green Party of Long Beach, but they did not respond by publication.

Trump campaign in Long Beach prepares for election day

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Trump campaign in Long Beach prepares for election day

Nancy Vitale leads a local Trump campaign volunteer group in Long Beach, with many of her other activities also extending into Los Angeles.

“I have been a Long Beach resident for two years now. I worked on the campaign for John Goya in 2014 and during this time I became very familiar with the 70th District, and said some day I am going to move here. After that election, I became more involved in various non-profit boards but I am basically retired,” she said.

John Goya was the Republican candidate for the 70th State Assembly District in 2014 but was unsuccessful against State Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell. 

“I met John Goya and we became friends and later he asked me to be his campaign director. It was the start of my political activities and also work with nonprofits,” she said.

According to BestPlaces.net, Republicans represent approximately 27.2% of the vote in the “strongly liberal” Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim Metro area, and are 22.4% in the rest of Los Angeles County, less than a quarter of the populace. 

“[Before that], I was more involved in business and that was where my focus was… I grew up on the east coast as a Democrat but it was after my tenure as campaign director for John Goya that I switched my party affiliation,” she said.

For many, the words of President Trump are highly divisive and inextricable from the rest of the policies of the Republican Party. But for others, there is more to supporting President Trump than just his actions and policy stances.

When asked why the MAGA movement and President Trump’s candidacy appealed to her she said, “It’s not a bad idea or ideal to aspire to. Certainly there are areas where we can improve as a country.”

“We have had a number of people look in [to the office]. They are not thrilled that it is a Trump office and we get various reactions but nothing major,” she continued. “It’s been a positive experience.”

“Despite the short time, we have had a good number of volunteers participate,” she continued.

“We have to keep up an open communication… the more there is a respect or rapport for our perspective the better. It’s a very divisive environment,” she continued.

“There are pockets of support for Trump here in Long Beach,” she continued.

For more information, the Long Beach Area Republicans can be reached at: longbeachrepublicans.org

Scientific healing through yoga

Caitlyn Thiele
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Scientific healing through yoga

On October 19, the workshop Healing Through Yoga Part 1 was hosted by LBCC Professor Sylvia Garcia, and included an instructional yoga seminar presented by Jaclyn Padgett. 

The seminar mainly demonstrated and emphasized the importance of moving the body and breathing through the practice of yoga.

The seminar lasted one hour and began at 1:30 p.m.

Before getting into the exercises, Padgett explained the premise of yoga and the history behind its origin.

“Yoga, to yoke, a union, to bring together. That’s kind of this whole idea. It’s more than just exercise. It’s more than just thinking,” Padgett said. “It’s almost activating our survival brain, our autonomic nervous system. That’s kind of what is happening.”

Courtesy of LBCC Healing Through Yoga workshop.

During the demonstrations, Padgett started off with the various materials or props that yoga practitioners use in their art. 

“Props. If you have blocks, grab them. They come handy for some things. Helpful tools,  blankets. If you have a blanket or something that is very beneficial, especially if you have knee issues. Anything, just be creative. Find the things you have in your house that you can roll up if you need to make some modifications,” Padgett said.

The exercises required patience and perseverance. There were many holds and relaxing positions that helped the muscles to release tension, the body just falling into a relaxed state. Breathing was a constant flow, which helped regulate sensitivity and energy consumption. 

All involved participants appeared to be very focused and in a peaceful state of mind.

Padgett best summarized the experience in her own words: “Healing is to make whole again. There’s something about moving the body; energy needs to move. Anytime, anything that you’re doing doesn’t feel right in your body, either just take a break, sit down, even just putting your hand one hand on your forehead, one hand on the back of your head, allowing yourself to just release.”

The goal of yoga is to become one with the universe, to become nothingness while the “self” still exists, to dissolve the ego, “To come with an open mind,” Padgett said.

LBCC Professor Rick Anderson also shared his perspective and experience with yoga. Anderson is a very active practitioner of yoga and recognizes many of its benefits.

“The word yoga, you want to break it down, is to yoke. Basically to join the mind and the body. And when you practice yoga, you train the mind to sit in stillness. And that’s the traditional yoga practice 2000 years ago,” Anderson said.

Yoga is similar to meditation as both practices encourage inner peace and synchronization with the environment.  

“We can’t do everything we could do. Our bodies get slow, our minds get slow. And what yoga does is it makes that mind focus on your body, your breath, your self, meaning that it focuses more on centering yourself instead of thinking too much and worrying too much,” said Anderson.

Anderson compared the process to strengthening one’s emotional stability. “It makes you calm down, it makes you a better person, it makes you relax, it makes you less anxious, it makes your attitude better. It takes repetition and practice, and once you do it, it comes naturally,” Anderson said. 

Long Beach City College hosts a virtual election night watch party.

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Long Beach City College hosts a virtual election night watch party.

Long Beach City College is hosting a virtual election night watch party called “Election Night 2020 Watch” hosted by Vivian Linderman, a reference and instruction librarian at LBCC, in hopes of providing “a chance to meet and discuss with other students outside of classes.”

The watch party will be joinable via Zoom on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Dr. Jerome Hunt, a political-science professor at LBCC, and Walter Hammerworld, a journalism professor at LBCC, will be offering live insight via Zoom to help students reach a deeper understanding of election night news coverage. 

“There are so many issues with this election including the mail-in balloting, the handful of swing states, voter suppression challenges, etc.,” said Linderman, who organized the watch party and asked Hammerworld and Hunt to speak within their realms of expertise.

“We are going to let students and various members of the public to watch election results as they come in with us via Zoom and ask questions and get a richer sense of what is going on,” said Hammerworld.

Hunt said he thinks tuning into the watch party will be more insightful versus watching network news, because, “You can get your immediate answers to the questions that you have. Hopefully we will be able to explain what it means for you locally in terms of what is happening … hopefully we can get some information on what the props have to say.”

The event will be available to join via Zoom from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m., and students are encouraged to ask as many questions they would like to make sense of the coverage that will be happening during election night. 

“We are interested in the counting of the ballots and show the speeches,” said Hammerworld who has a firm belief that the election will not be called on election night, since many states still need to count mail-in-ballots.

According to a report by the New York Times, nearly 97 million Americans have already voted before Election Day, which equals out to two-thirds of all votes casted in the 2016 election. 

 “I hope this election cycle will really encourage our students to be more actively involved in the community, that they will seek out the knowledge that they need to be impactful members,” said Hunt.

With the pandemic in its third wave in the U.S. and with nearly 1,000 cases being reported every 24-hour reporting period, events like these will be the norm at least until late 2021.

Information will be provided below to attend the event.

Zoom ID: 919 718 2349

Password: LBCC2020

Opinion: Vote Yes on Prop21

Matthew Choi
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Opinion: Vote Yes on Prop21

Proposition 21 wants to establish rent control on rental properties that are at least 15 years old. A vote yes for Proposition 21 is essential for California residents to continue being able to afford housing by restricting landlords on how much they can increase rent every year.

California is one of the most expensive places to live in the United States, with the average cost of rent in Long Beach alone being $2,106 according to rentcafe.com. 

Now with COVID-19 on the rise and with millions of people out of work, people are struggling to be able to make ends meet.

With the high cost of rent and people being out of work due to COVID-19, many California residents are unable to afford rent and other living essentials. Proposition 21 will protect California residents from being unable to afford housing and homelessness, an increasing problem in California. 

Proposition 21 would also help protect cities from gentrification. 

With minimum wage at $12.00 in California, most residents are unable to afford housing and many college students in particular need to have multiple roommates to be able to live in an apartment. 

With the average college student in $32,731 of student loan debt according to educationdata.org, students are struggling to pay it off, buy essentials for living such as food, and afford rent. 

This is a big problem for college students that stays with them after they graduate, with the worry of finances.

With Proposition 21 being passed, this will help students and single home families living in California, giving residents relief from more financial burden. 

There are also many supporters for Proposition 21. According to CalMatters, the California Democratic Party, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and the Eviction Defense Network are all in support of Proposition 21.

Bill of rights for voters posted outside of the polling booth. Photo by Victoria Tafoya- Turoldo/ Viking News

The opposition to Proposition 21 wants to raise prices so they can make changes to the properties that they own. Changes like altering the look of the apartments is important, but the people are more important. The people and their well being is more important than beautifying small aspects of a residential property. 

While having rent control could postpone creating more rental properties in the near future, it is more important for people to be able to afford housing that is available right now. There is no real point in making more housing if there are homeless people that cannot afford to live in any place with rising prices.

With the upcoming election just a day away, it is important to go cast your vote and to vote yes for Proposition 21.

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