A Small Business Owner Weighs in on California's "Tough on Crime" Legislation

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• Over the weekend, firefighters gained the upper hand on a number of small blazes in Northern and Southern California, as dry and windy conditions gave way to an uptick in humidity. In the Oakland hills, the Keller Fire damaged two homes and forced more than 500 people to evacuate before crews started to contain the fire. The evacuation order was fully lifted last night. Meanwhile in Riverside County, crews contained a blaze burning through heavy vegetation on the Santa Ana River bottom.

• Technology giant Intel has filed a notice with state authorities indicating that it will cut part of its California workforce. Two-hundred and seventy two Intel workers could lose their jobs at a facility in Folsom and 47 others in San Jose, effective November 15th.

• Workers at the Marriott Union Square hotel in Downtown San Francisco have been striking since Friday, calling for higher wages and affordable healthcare That’s after their contract expired in August. It’s one of several hotel strikes currently taking place across the city. The latest happened Sunday, when workers at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel went on strike. That hotel is also owned by Marriott.

His Experience as a Store Owner Shaped His Support for Prop 36

One of the most high-profile ballot measures that Californians will vote on come November 5th, is Proposition 36. The bill would undo criminal justice reforms that voters approved more than a decade ago; that means tougher sentencing on non-violent crimes, reclassifying some misdemeanors as felonies, and placing harsher penalties on repeat offenders.

A few weeks ago, we spoke with an opponent of Prop 36, a woman who was placed in a rehab program after she was arrested for theft, instead of being sent to prison. She told us how the alternative to incarceration helped turn her life around.

Now, we hear from the owner of a 7-Eleven franchise in Los Angeles, whose store has been targeted by thieves at least twice. He tells us how his experience shaped his feelings about the “tough on crime” legislation.

Kaiser Permanente Workers in Southern California Get Ready to Go on Strike

More than 2,400 mental health workers with Kaiser Permanente in Southern California went on strike this morning, setting up picket lines at facilities from Los Angeles to San Diego.

Represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, the mental health professionals mobilized to strike over the weekend, after rejecting Kaiser’s terms on Friday.

The workers are asking for more time between appointments to prepare for patients, along with the same wage increases and pension benefits that Kaiser gives its Northern California workers.

One clinician told CalMatters that their current workload includes having one-hour sessions with between 32 to 35 patients per week.

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