By Multiple Authors (see bottom)
As the race for District 4 County Supervisor begins to take shape, we are surprised to see incumbent Jim Provenza advertise that he is “proud to have [Yolo DA] Jeff Reisig’s endorsement.”
To us, it doesn’t feel that long ago that we were fighting to bring change to the Yolo DA’s office, and so naturally we view Supervisor Provenza’s embrace of DA Reisig with concern.
Lately (especially since the closer-than-expected 2018 election), DA Reisig has tried to fashion himself as a “progressive prosecutor.” We find this hard to square with his record of fighting progressive reform.
For example, we have read a lot about the Yolo DA’s office expunging cannabis-related convictions. However, what often gets left out of the coverage and press releases is that these expungements are required by the passage of Proposition 64, a proposition made law by a majority of the voters, and one which DA Reisig opposed when it was on the ballot.
But to many of us this is not just a matter of public policy. We’ve also seen firsthand the impact that draconian policies and outright misconduct in the DA’s office have had on community members and their families in Yolo County.
Many of us stood with Yolo County Board of Education candidate Maria Grijalva when DA Reisig publicly accused her of “campaign finance violations,” just as absentee ballots were released and as her election was starting, only to see the charges completely “withdrawn” two weeks later after the political damage had been done. It is deeply concerning to us that DA Reisig used his public office to attack a respected community leader and political rival (Maria was Dean Johansson’s top donor) of criminal activity without any evidence. We believe this is a clear abuse of power.
Several of us were also there when Patti Pape spoke out in May 2018 about the tragic death of her son Eric Pape. Eric was accused of injuring a nurse while he himself was in the midst of a mental health crisis after being committed to Sutter Hospital in January 2017. Despite the obvious mitigating circumstances and Eric’s sincere desire to seek mental health treatment, the Yolo DA’s office vigorously pursued felony charges against Eric for over a year. According to Eric’s mother Patti, Eric’s “self-worth [and] his future were being held hostage by the courts, and he saw no hope,” and “the stress of his felony trial contributed to his eventual suicide.”
And for a few of us, this goes back much further, to April 2009 and the death of a young farm worker named Luis Gutierrez. Luis was walking home to meet his mother for lunch when he was stopped by plainclothes officers in the Yolo County Gang Task Force because his appearance was “consistent” with that of “known gang members.” Luis ran away from the plainclothes officers, who proceeded to chase him and eventually shot him in the back. The officers claim that Luis threatened them with a knife sometime after he started running away. The Yolo DA’s office had a legal and moral responsibility to investigate this incident and to ensure that justice was served. Instead they cleared all of the officers of any wrongdoing and released a report that — in the words of retired California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso — “raised more questions than answers.”
Tragically this story repeated itself in February 2017 when Michael Barrera died after being beaten and repeatedly tased by Woodland police officers. According to the DA’s own report, Michael became unresponsive while handcuffed, face down in the mud, with an officer’s knee pressed against his shoulder, and shortly after telling the officers that he couldn’t breathe. He never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead less than an hour later. Yet, once again the District Attorney’s office cleared the officers, and Michael’s family is still fighting for justice with a federal civil rights lawsuit.
Endorsements matter. They help establish networks of trust that many voters find useful in making their decisions. So when a candidate asking for our vote advertises an endorsement for or by DA Jeff Reisig, it raises concern that they don’t know or don’t care about the injustices we have witnessed in our local criminal justice system. We urge all candidates seeking to represent residents of Yolo County to be clear about where they stand.
Signed By:
Erica Ballinger
Marissa Barrera
Lee Bartholomew
Susan Bassein
Grace Park Bassett
Katelynn Bishop
Ann Block
Joan Cadden
Robert Canning
Marilu Carter
Nancy Erickson
Marilee Eusebio
Richard Farrell
Janet Foley
Capt. Paul B. Fullerton
Teresa Geimer
Steve Geller
M E Gladis
Dave Griffin
Maria Grijalva
Nina Gordon
Wayne Chris Hawkes
Jen Higley-Chapman
Emily Hill
Roy Kaplan
William Kelly
Elizabeth Lasensky
Victoria Lopez
Nora Oldwin
Patti Pape
Frank Pinto
Desirèe Rojas
Nan Rowan
Seth Sanders
Bapu Vaitla
Luanna Villanueva
Jennifer Watanabe
Matt Williams
Natalie Wormeli
Francesca Wright
A lot here about why you all don’t like Reisig little about Provenza other than his touting an endorsement from someone you don’t like. You would think that after 20 years serving this community on both the school board and as a county supervisor people would focus on Jim’s own record instead of one endorsement out of hundreds.
Jim has been involved in many good things for our community over the years like building new elementary and junior high schools, supporting hard working immigrants, locating the KDVS radio tower at the dump instead of near El Macero, keeping the Yolo Crisis Nursery alive, providing services for the homeless, protecting farmland and keeping water from being exported from the Delta. This is a list that comes off the top of my head so I’m certain there are many more things that could be included.
Perhaps as this campaign gets closer to Election Day we will see more about the issues and fewer guilt by association hit pieces. I’m hopeful but I’m doubtful. This is the second time David has published a piece like this. Any bets on how many more by Election Day? My guess with four months to go is at least ten.
“This is the second time David has published a piece like this”
This was a submitted piece – I played no part in writing it. If Jim or his supporters wish to respond, they will get published as well.
As I said you published it.
I think Ron responded appropriately. Are the authors going to write something like this about other people who have endorsed Jim as part of their campaign strategy to discredit him? Jim has worked hard for this community and has done so much good for the community that this mudslinging just makes me sad.
I am amazed at the argument that because Jim Provenza, Yolo County Board of Supervisors, endorsed Jeff Reisig, we should ignore Jim’s many years of successful advocacy on behalf of women, children, families and the mentally ill. I didn’t vote for Jeff Reisig, but I am voting for Jim. He helped save the Yolo Crisis Nursery, is working to put Pine Tree Gardens on a better financial footing and is leading First 5 Yolo and the Aging Alliance. He has also worked to improve the criminal justice system with a plan to establish a day reporting center as an alternative to incarceration and also to develop an alternative to arrest and incarceration of the mentally ill. His many years of service demonstrates his commitment to the vulnerable in our community.
RG, many great deeds yes, but he forgot the most important one: “kiss the Vanguard’s arse”.
Vote Provenza!
I don’t understand your comment?
This was an attack that was encouraged and previewed by the Vanguard here:
https://davisvanguard.org/2019/10/sunday-commentary-the-specter-of-das-race-progressive-prosecution-battle-in-supervisor-race/
“That is a huge advantage for Linda Deos because it puts people who support Jim Provenza but oppose Jeff Reisig in a bad position…. he has now opened the door to an issue that can give Linda Deos traction. We will see if this one has legs.”
Let me get this straight: you disapprove of the D.A., but are using this space to call out a man who has spent his entire 40-year career tending the very issues you purport to support?
Jim helped write the hate crimes law, made stalking illegal, paved the way for domestic violence and sexual assault victims to have rights, was instrumental in establishing our second mental health court opened in Yolo, helped create the Day Reporting & Mental Health Crisis Centers (both are alternatives to incarceration). and on it goes. But you’re stuck on his facebook post regarding the district attorney’s endorsement. You forgot to mention that he specifically linked this to the D.A.’s effort to create greater compassion for the homeless (see the link on his fb post).
Your litmus test has very little to do with the truth and everything to do with a smear campaign conveniently orchestrated by his opponent’s supporters. Such activities are exactly why Democrats lost the White House.
“ Jim helped write the hate crimes law, made stalking illegal, paved the way for domestic violence and sexual assault victims to have rights”
None of which address people’s concerns about mass incarceration. I know Jim opposed Prop 57 since he wrote a letter on it. What about Prop 47 – Reisig opposed it, did Jim? What about three strikes? What about the death penalty? These are the issues that got people to back the alternative to Reisig – and you’re silent on them.
I’m sure those could all be salient issues when or if Reisig runs for re-election. What they have to do with the job description of the county supervisor, I don’t know. Do you care where all the city council candidates stand on these issues as well?
Except that there are two aspects here that are very pertinent. First, the BOS controls the budget for the DA’s office and the jail. Second, Jim Provenza was there with Probation and Jonathan Raven when the county did the outreach for the Community Corrections Partnership and there he was singing the praises of Reisig’s reform. This is all tied in together because the BOS controls the purse strings.
Board of Supervisors has no control over three strikes or the death penalty. This is just beginning to sound like a demand for ideological purity, regardless of the actual job duties of the supervisors. Given Jim’s long record in regard to the things the county actually does, I think this is very shortsighted and counterproductive.
But he has control over the CCP.
That point aside, people keep suggesting his long record – what are his major accomplishments as a county supervisor?
We aren’t writing a book here, which would be required if we were to detail Jim’s extensive work. But since you decided to take on my words, let me ask you this: how many hands of victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and hate crimes have you held? They also know what it means to be “incarcerated” by a lack of legal protection. There’s an appropriate evolution of this debate going on and I think you’d be happy with Jim’s stance. Have you asked him with an open heart?
To Craig Ross: We aren’t writing a book here, which would be required if we were to detail Jim’s extensive work. But since you decided to take on my words, let me ask you this: how many hands of victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and hate crimes have you held? They also know what it means to be “incarcerated” by a lack of legal protection. There’s an appropriate evolution of this debate going on and I think you’d be happy with Jim’s stance. Have you asked him with an open heart?
Just added my name to Jim Provenza’s endorsements here: https://jimprovenza.org/endorsement/
Me too. And to the extent endorsers influence my vote, the impressive list of progressive current and former public officials endorsing Jim Provenza overwhelmingly outweigh an endorsement from Reisig.
For me, it only does on “tweeners”… whether an individual, or a proposition… never my first ‘source’ towards decision-making… sounds like you feel similarly… would more voters think first, then look at endorsements later…
Me, too. You’ll see me listed as: “Alan Miller, annoying Davis citizen”
But all blanking aside, I met Provenza recently at a political function and talked with him at length. I asked him some tough questions, and I expected to dislike him. Turned out, he’s really open and thoughtful and didn’t strike me as much of a party-line politician at all. I decided I was a supporter then, but this gives me an opportunity to make it official.
Are you kidding me?
You are upset with Jim because he appreciated an endorsement, really?
If you’d take a moment from your unfounded and vile attacks and read just a few of Jim’s accomplishments and realize that this man, Jim Provenza, has dedicated his entire career to helping others, you’d realize how ridiculous your “article” is. What is it with you people? This isn’t your first blatant attack and likely won’t be your last.
Wow. So disappointing to see this attempt by a number of Deos supporters to try to discount over 20 years of hard work and dedication to our City and County by Jim. Looks like a desperate attempt by their campaign to try to discourage support for Jim. It is bad enough that these kind of attack tactics are going rampant nationwide, but now to see it starting in a local election is very disappointing.
Jim has had years of accomplishments serving the public which have helped so many, particularly the disadvantaged and oppressed such as saving the Yolo Crisis Nursery, getting funding for First Five for at-risk kids and leading the Yolo County Healthy Aging Alliance just to name a few.
Historically, Jim also worked on legislation to help prevent child and elder abuse and for the protection of women affected by domestic violence and sexual assault.
Hopefully, readers will see though this attempt to inflict damage to Jim’s reputation by some of his opponent’s supporters.
I would say this article backfired.
Unless it was three-dimensional chess, where a bunch of Provenza supporters got together and decided to write a ridiculous, vile attack article against Provenza based on an endorsement acknowledgement, thereby creating sympathy and support for the candidate being attacked. Brilliant!
nah . . .
You would would you. Most of the people on this list posting comments were already strong Jim Provenza supporters long before this article
But here’s a question for those who might be inclined to respond – what specific things has Provenza done that you support? And why is the DA issue, which falls into Provenza’s purview in terms of county policy not an important issue – remember not only did Reisig endorse Provenza – Provenza endorsed Reisig.
BTW, if it backfired like you said, why are a whole bunch of people that have never posted on the Vanguard before, suddenly posting?
Ever heard the phrase “speak only when it improves the silence?” We’ve stated many of his accomplishments, but they require ears to hear. So on that note, farewell.
One recent thing is he got an immigration attorney position funded in the Public Defender’s office.
I, also, just added my name to the list of Jim Provenza endorsers and will vote for him. I will not repeat Jim’s good works that others have listed above, but I will state why I oppose Linda Deos. I read and saved her comments to the UC Davis Young Demeocrats, when she ran for city council, saying she opposed the renewal of Measure R. But after being criticized by supporters of Measure R, she flip-flopped and said she supported renewal of Measure R – maybe, or kinda’ or if….
“This is all tied in together because the BOS controls the purse strings.”
A misunderstanding of what the Board of Supervisors does. Most of the county budget is pass through spending from the state. The appropriate question is what has he done with the discretionary part of the budget? I wrote about the immigration attorney he voted to fund and then there was funding for the Yolo Crisis Nursery when it was in dire need and almost closed. To get a better understanding of Jim’s record on discretionary funding requires a deep dive into the county budget.
I’ve known Jim for close to twenty years. I haven’t agreed with him on everything but if you expect politicians to vote with you on everything you will always be disappointed. Still by and large Jim has been on the right side of history. One other thing that nobody has mentioned was his steadfast support for Field and Pond.
One non-budget thing that hasn’t come up is Jim’s excellent constituent service. Have an issue with the county? Call Jim. His staff will help you.
I don’t reside in Provenza’s district, and I don’t follow county politics closely, so I don’t have a strong opinion about his matter other than the fact that I don’t like Reisig and tend to look askance at those he endorses. But more curious to me is the fact that Saylor has endorsed Deos rather than his BOS colleague. What’s going on between those two?
I don’t believe they’ve ever really gotten along. When Don was on council, they were on different sides of the council divide.
When was Provenza on the CC?
I said when Don was on the council. That said, I didn’t phrase that as well as I should have. There was a divide in politics during that time – 2004 to 2010 – Provenza and Saylor were on different sides of that divide and have by most accounts never really gotten along.
The OpEd says … “Endorsements matter. They help establish networks of trust that many voters find useful in making their decisions. So when a candidate asking for our vote advertises an endorsement for or by DA Jeff Reisig, it raises concern that they don’t know or don’t care about the injustices we have witnessed in our local criminal justice system. We urge all candidates seeking to represent residents of Yolo County to be clear about where they stand.”
Ron Glick said … “I’ve known Jim for close to twenty years. I haven’t agreed with him on everything but if you expect politicians to vote with you on everything you will always be disappointed. Still by and large Jim has been on the right side of history. One other thing that nobody has mentioned was his steadfast support for Field and Pond.”
Jim Frame … “I don’t reside in Provenza’s district, and I don’t follow county politics closely, so I don’t have a strong opinion about his matter other than the fact that I don’t like Reisig and tend to look askance at those he endorses.”
As one of the signees of the OpEd, and also a reader of Gloria Partida’s comment last week here on the Vanguard abut districting, when I read all the comments yesterday here I felt much the same way Gloria did last week. It is very clear to me that most of the commenters did not read the OpEd through to the end before they put fingers to keyboard and hit the send button to register their horror.
Read the OpEd again, and especially the concluding paragraph, which I have copied and pasted above. The OpEd does not endorse any candidate in the race, nor does it call for the readers not to vote for anyone in the Supervisor’s contest. What it does do is challenge Jim Provenza to do better. Endorsement offers do not have to be accepted when they are offered. For example, if Donald Trump offered an endorsement to Jim, would Jim accept it, or politely decline?
Robb Davis refused more than endorsement during his campaign, and returned at least one contribution check. During my campaign I did likewise. When Reisig offered his endorsement, Jim could have politely refused. That was a choice he had. It is actually a choice that Jim still has.
The OpEd clearly provides the reasons why the signers feel the Reisig endorsement is a negative, with supporting details. I personally don’t have a close knowledge of each of those details, but I do support the progressive principles they connect with. Last week after a meeting at Jim’s office about the Mace Mess, Jim and I had a one-to-one conversation about his candidacy. I shared with him my reservations that he was not progressive enough … a bit too cautious if you will … and he said he felt he was a lot more progressive than I might think, and he looked forward to discussing that further when I got back to town. The issues described in the OpEd are likely to be front and center when we meet.
I would like to say that Ron Glick’s and Jim Frame’s comments above do a good job of striking a balanced tone … acknowledging all the good things Jim has done and also acknowledging that there are always opportunities to do better. I signed the OpEd to challenge both Jim and the Yolo County community to do better.
JMO
One of the reasons I liked him when I met him. He was clearly left leaning, but not leaning so much that he toppled over, like most of y’all do on a daily basis.
I read the whole thing Matt. I saw it as a guilt by association hit piece.
The irony is that Does represented the CCPOA, the prison guards union. The CCPOA is probably the most regressive organization in the state on justice reform. Yet she gets a pass, even though the only reason I know it is from Deos’ CC campaign material, from the same people holding Jim to account over a single endorsement because they don’t like Reisig. In all honesty, I don’t think either of these things, Jim touting Reisig’s endorsement of or Linda touting her work for CCPOA should make a bit of difference. But what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
Ron, I completely agree with you that the closing sentence of the OpEd, “We urge all candidates seeking to represent residents of Yolo County to be clear about where they stand” applies to all the candidates. All of the corners and nooks and crannies of “the boat” should be floated higher.
FWIW, your comment is the first “touting” of the CCPOA work that I have seen anywhere and by anybody. Thank you for sharing.
With that said, I believe you are falling into the polarized “either/or” trap that Willie Brown described in his July 2019 OpEd in the San Francisco Chronicle (see LINK for the whole piece). Selected portions of that OpEd read as follows:
Instead of trying to shout down the OpEd authors, I would hope that all Davisites would do as you have in your two most recent comments above, and engage the issues raised in the OpEd and allow those issues to inform a productive dialogue that makes our community better.
JMO
“I believe you are falling into the polarized “either/or” trap”
Perhaps a little projection there. It seems to me the authors are the one’s taking a hard stand. I reject taking either Jim’s endorsement from Reisig or Deos’ working for CCPOA too seriously and meant to say so so above but wrote “should” when I meant should’t.