Fiona Ma for State Assembly: News

Profiles in Prominence: Fiona Ma

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

“Don’t waste time being something someone else wants you to be–listen to your heart.”

FIONA MA: THE DUTIFUL DAUGHTER

Born in New York in 1966 Fiona Ma, member and Speaker Pro Tempore of the California State Assembly, spent much of her life before politics as a self-proclaimed “dutiful daughter” in a Chinese American household.

Growing up, she was a tomboy, interested in sports, Girl Scouts and academics. Fiona was concurrently captain of the basketball, volleyball, tennis and softball teams in high-school while maintaining straight A’s. After speaking with her, even briefly, you get the impression that she doesn’t like to lose at anything–and rarely does.

She credits her success to a unique combination: the competitive world of sports; the value of service to others instilled by the Girl Scouts (which rewards scouts for service activities) along with her mother’s work for Fiona’s grandfather, the Rev. William Doo (a minister at Chinese Presbyterian churches in New York, Toronto and San Francisco); and her father’s sole focus on professional services and business.

It is fate, Fiona believes, that guides your journey through life. “Doors open, and if you’re looking for the opportunities and then listening to your heart, your choices lead you down the path intended for you,” she says. Before entering politics, she tried a lot of things and found that “if it fights with your being, then it isn’t what’s for you.”

The eldest child of Dr. William and Sophia Ma, who were both born in China, she has a brother younger by two years, (also a GGU alumnus), and a sister younger by sixteen years. Perhaps her outspoken nature was cultivated by growing up a native New Yorker, despite being the only Chinese American kids in their Long Island, New York neighborhood, or perhaps it’s just Fiona.

A product of New York public schools, she attended Baker Elementary and Great Neck North Middle and High schools. Education was highly prized in the Ma household. “Dad always told us school is the number-one equalizer; knowledge is the gateway to success and with proper preparation and diligence, the sky is only the stepping stone,” she recalls. As a result the family is highly accomplished academically. “It’s true that education is the one thing no one can take away.”

Her father was a mechanical engineer with a bachelor’s degree from Canada, a master’s degree from National College, London, England and a PhD. From the University of Glasgow, Scotland. After entering the business world in New York, he realized that he needed more knowledge in running successful business enterprises, so when Fiona was six year old, he went back to Columbia University and earned a MBA. He is a licensed Professional Engineer by trade.

He founded or co-founded six companies and holds four patents on mechanical devices in solid waste compaction. He was President and Chairman of the Board of a public company and later specialized n construction claims and litigation before his recent retirement.

Her mother had both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in fine arts education from the City University in New York City and taught art at a public high school for 20 years before moving the family to San Francisco to be closer to her parents.

When counseling his children on their education and eventual careers, Fiona’s father encouraged an “honorable” profession–one that fit “the LEAD” (Doctor, Engineer, Accountant, Lawyer). Ever the dutiful daughter, Fiona received a bachelor’s degree in accounting at Rochester Institute of Technology with a listing in the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges in 1988 honoring the nation’s most noteworthy graduates of high learning, a master’s degree in taxation from Golden Gate University, a MBA from Pepperdine University and her CPA license to practice. Her younger brother Mike says that Fiona’s role in the family is as a “trailblazer” who always leads by example. Fiona’s perspective is that she has always intuitively understood there is a time and place for everything. She says by listening both externally to the people and situations around you, as well as internally, you’ll know when the time and opportunity are right; and then you can’t be afraid to go for it.

In 1993 she was at Ernst and Young–one of the “big six” accounting firms at the time–and while she hadn’t yet hit the glass ceiling, she saw it looming. There were no female partners and few female managers. She decided it probably wasn’t going to be a good place to seek her future and decided to leave.

She and an associate started their own accounting practice. A scary prospect for some, but Fiona was influenced by her father’s entrepreneurial spirit and her parents’ encouragement growing up to “go for it” no matter what. In 1994 she was elected president of the Asian Business Association and found herself at San Francisco City Hall and at the state capitol in Sacramento lobbying for business issues that affected women and minorities.

Had she always dreamed of being a politician? Not even close. “I was exposed to the political process about once a year when my dad forced us to watch the presidential State of the Union address. I thought it was so boring!”

As a result of her work on behalf of the Small Business Association, she was elected in 1995 as a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business under President Bill Clinton. As her interaction with Washington, D.C. and lawmakers increased at a national level, she began to believe in the importance of government and its ability to create positive change. Fiona’s advocacy work in that role helped lead to socially responsible contracting for minorities and women in San Francisco. She saw firsthand how, through politics, she could make a contribution to the community and help people. She was hooked.

Fiona also applied for and was appointed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to the Assessment Appeals Board and began to understand what she had to offer the world of politics. With her accounting and tax education, love of service and competition, drive and desire to help people, she was sure she could do a better job than the elected officials around her. And so her quest began.

That year Fiona embarked on her public-service career as a part-time district representative for then-State Senator John Burton. When considering the job, she found herself again pulled between duty and aspiration: to continue to please her parents or to follow what her heart had begun to tell her was a life-long passion–her calling. After some negotiation with her parents, who most certainly had not dreamed of having their first-born daughter become an American politician, a compromise was struck. She would continue to practice as a CPA and work part-time for Senator Burton. For the next seven years she served on the senator’s staff about two-and-a-half days a week. Her task was to help constituents with Medi-Cal, Workers’ Compensation, Unemployment Insurance, Franchise and Employment Development Department taxes, and professional licensing. A funny thing happened during her “part-time” work though, and she found herself spending virtually all her free time campaigning, researching and otherwise working in politics.

It was time to enter the political arena as a career; and at thirty-four, her parents were ready to let her go. In 2002 Fiona Ma was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and from 2002 to 2006 represented District 4, which encompasses the Central Sunset, Outer Sunset, Parkside, Outer Parkside and Pine Lake Park. “My parents always said ‘go ahead, give it a try’ about everything while we were growing up and then made us feel good about the attempt, regardless of the outcome. Entering politics full-time wasn’t scary for me. Failure never occurred to me. I’m sure that was an advantage.”

Starting with her small-business advocacy and continuing in her service on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, a pattern of giving voice to those without, creating equality where none exists, improving the human condition, and standing up for what she believes to be right, emerged in the politics of Fiona Ma. As a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors her major legislative push was to shut down massage parlors that were involved in illegal trafficking of immigrants for purposes of prostitution. Following the passage of Proposition 209, which barred public institutions from considering sex, race or ethnicity, she led the effort to create San Francisco’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program, which enables small businesses to more easily participate in public-works projects. As a direct result of her work, the San Francisco Public Transportation Authority now states: “The Authority and its employees shall not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability in the award and performance of Authority contracts.” This measure broadens the scope of inclusion, leveling an important playing field for small businesses in San Francisco.

What Fiona considers one of her most important legislative wins–something she hopes will become part of her lifetime legacy–is helping to protect the nation’s toddlers from toxic toys. The years-long effort, which culminated in federal law enacted in 2009, bans phthalates, which are known to be harmful to human health. It started with Fiona Ma in San Francisco City Hall.

She watched as a member of the California State Assembly tried, and failed, to pass a bill that would have prevented these chemicals from being used in the state. Fiona explains that she knew the San Francisco Board of Supervisors with their guideline to err on the conservative side where detriment to human health is concerned, would have no problem passing what was an obviously needed piece of legislation. She decided to start at the local level and then to use that as leverage, putting pressure on the statehouse. Ordinance Number 060107 amended the San Francisco Health Code to “prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution in commerce of any toy or child-care article that is intended for use by a child under three years of age if it contains bisphenol-A or other specified chemicals, and to require manufacturers to use the least toxic alternative to those substances.” As Fiona had predicted, the ordinance passed the San Francisco Board of Supervisors easily. The next step would be at the statewide level. As it happened, Fiona Ma would be the one to shepherd it through.

Four years later, in the November 2006 elections, Supervisor Ma chose not to seek re-election after winning the Democratic nomination for California State Assembly District 12, which includes San Francisco, Daly City, Colma and Broadmoor—some 420,000 constituents. Fiona soon was off to Sacramento as an assemblywoman, one of eighty members of the California Assembly. She got off to an auspicious start in Sacramento and the speaker appointed her as the Majority Whip, making her responsible for marshalling votes to ensure the passage of crucial legislation to improve public education, expand healthcare access and protect the environment.

During her first year in office she introduced what came to be known as the “Rubber Duck” bill, so named because the phthalates are often used in the manufacture of soft plastic toys and other baby products such as bath books, rubber ducks, and baby teethers. AB 1108 virtually mirrored the San Francisco ordinance she’d sponsored four years earlier. At the time she said, “California continues to lead the nation in protecting children from dangerous chemicals and in safeguarding our environment. AB 1108 sends a clear message to the Consumer Product Safety Commission that if the administration won’t act, states will.” Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill into law in October 2007; it took effect on January 1, 2009. Other states followed suit, and act, the administration ultimately did.

In March 2008, Fiona Ma’s bill was used as a model in federal legislation when California Senator Dianne Feinstein wrapped a ban on phthalates into the U.S. Senate version of a Consumer Product Safety Commission bill that Congress passed in February 2009 and which went into effect the following August. As Fiona observes, “Banning phthalates across the whole country and helping keep kids healthy. That’s pretty good work, right?”

The next item on her “legacy list” is high-speed rail for California. “I carried this one over the finish line,” she says. As a joint author of Proposition 1-A and the convener of the High Speed Rail Caucus, Fiona Ma is the legislature’s leading advocate to bring high-speed trains to California.

The caucus fought to keep the issue in front of the voters, but in the end, it was a wild ride that brought the important, but otherwise “less than sexy” issue to the forefront of California transportation policy. In April 2007 Assemblywoman Ma was aboard the world-record-breaking high-speed train. The V150, a French TGV (Train a Grande Vitesse) reached a top speed of 357.2 mph. As the only American aboard the record-setting train, she caught the attention of many and succeeded in elevating the conversation.

She continued her work, leading the effort to maintain $21 million in funding after the governor proposed in 2007 to slash the High-Speed Rail Authority budget to less than $2 million. In 2008, she jointly authored AB 3034, the Safe Reliable, High- Speed Train Bond Act for the 21st Century (Proposition 1-A), which was approved by 53 percent of the voters in the November 2008 election. She continues to work tirelessly– because she knows no other way–to gain the federal funding necessary to have what she hopes will be the system’s first segment from San Francisco to Los Angeles completely up and running by 2018.

Assemblywoman Fiona Ma was appointed in 2010 Speaker pro Tempore by Speaker of the Assembly John A. Pérez. As presiding officer and member of the leadership team, she runs the daily business of the assembly, responds to parliamentary inquiries, issues rulings on points of order when necessary, and is responsible for guiding legislative priorities.

On top of the “business as usual” duties attached to being a highly placed member of the California Assembly, she serves on a number of key committees: Agriculture, Business and Professions, Governmental Organization, Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security, and Utilities and Commerce.

Amidst this morass of obligations, she uses a spark of creativity and sometimes shock-value to keep what she considers to be the important topics in the public eye. Her utilization of the social media channel, Twitter, has become famous or infamous (depending upon which side of the issue you sit). As one San Francisco Bay Guardian reporter observed, “What can we say; the woman is a Twitter savant.” Leading to such proclamations are her tweets including:

“Happy 90th Bday to Jane Morrison! Her wish is to have high-speed rail in CA by her 100th bday.”

“Sturgeon General Warning: Don’t grab one by its tail! White and Greens take 7-9 yrs to produce caviar (avg) and can weigh up to 1800 lbs.”

“Found: SF 1939 Treasure Island World’s Fair Hook & Ladder Fire Truck in heart of Amador
County; home 2 oldest Zin Vineyard & 40 diff wineries”

And while those are clever, informative and engaging on topics from high-speed rail to the environment to a plug for California’s economy, as for the provocative part of her strategy, you need look no further than her controversial ad campaign about Hepatitis B, “Which One Deserves to Die?” That effort received national coverage that featured Ma in the New York Times and was covered widely by radio stations across the nation.

And that brings us to number three on her “legacy list.” At the age of twenty-two, Ma learned she has hepatitis B (HBV), a virus that causes 80 percent of all liver cancer if left untreated and one that shows no symptoms until it’s almost too late. Almost 1.4 million Americans are infected with HBV, and more than half are Asian/Pacific Islander Americans. An estimated one in ten is chronically infected with the virus. Like most Asian Americans, Ma contracted the disease from her mother at birth via perinatal exposure. San Francisco has the highest rate of liver cancer in the nation because of its high Asian population, and HBV-related liver cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among API men living in California. In true Fiona fashion, she decided to tackle the issue head-on and call as much attention to it as possible—a big jolt to a community that had attached such stigma to the illness it was considered best to keep it quiet.

As the “poster child” in the fight against hepatitis B, Ma serves as unofficial chairperson for San Francisco Hep B Free– the largest, most intensive healthcare campaign for APIs in the U.S. and one that is looked upon as a model for the nation in eliminating HBV. In May 2010, San Francisco Hep B Free launched its “Which One Deserves to Die?” campaign featuring all-Asian groups of ten people smiling–ranging from beauty queens to a basketball team, from family portraits to dignitaries–each asking, “Which one of us deserves to die?”

Ma takes this bold approach to help remove the stigma of the disease within the Asian community by actively speaking out about the importance of testing and vaccination. In 2008, she introduced Assembly Bill 158, which would have required the Department of Health Care Services to apply for a federal waiver to expand Medi-Cal eligibility for individuals with chronic hepatitis B. It was deemed that the costs associated with the bill were too high, and it failed to pass. In response, she introduced a resolution declaring May 2009 as Hepatitis B Awareness Month in California. While she continues to shine the spotlight on the issue, she’s still grinding away to support it with law. “How amazing would it be to help eradicate a disease?” she asks. Amazing indeed.

To round out what she hopes to leave behind when her six-year term in Sacramento is up, Ma cites “water” saying, “Water is the backbone, the driver of our state’s economy. Enough good, clean, working water for the whole state is what makes us viable. This is an important issue and I hope the voters understand it that way.”

With her immediate goals firmly in place, she reflects on her future. “I’m not sure what opportunities are coming my way. I think I’d like to run for California State Controller at some point, but I’ll just have to wait and see.”

When that day does come—and if it’s on Ma’s radar, you know it will—Fiona believes that her education is one of the many things that will make her a better candidate. With her accounting and tax degrees, she staffs her own committees so she doesn’t have to rely on others to interpret data for her. Getting it firsthand makes for better-informed decisions. “I’m far more familiar with the practice and laws than are my aides, so it’s more efficient and effective this way,” she explains.

Given her penchant for juggling, Ma loved the multiple focus GGU gave her–integrating the learning with her daily work, and interacting with other professionals in the field who were her classmates and professors. She thrives on multitasking and going to GGU while working enabled her to stay fully engaged and focused at the same time. “Every time I attended class, I found it totally relevant.”

Fiona loves what she does–and for the foreseeable future she wants to keep on doing it. Oh, and her advice? “Don’t waste time being something someone else wants you to be–listen to your heart.” The duty is necessary, the passion wins.

This story was written by Tasia Neeve, Director of Marketing and Communications at Golden Gate University.

Fiona Ma was interviewed by Ms. Neeve on May 24, 2010

Family Connections honors supporters including Fiona Ma

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Family Connections, a tuition free nonprofit preschool for low-income families, honored three important supporters at their Night of Dreams event at the Sharon Heights Country Club Tuesday, Feb. 26.

More than 200 friends, elected officials, donors and supporters gathered to honor three outstanding partners and to help raise funds for its free preschool and parent education programs.

More than $60,000 was raised thanks to the contributions of event attendees, sponsors and fund-a-need contributors.

The event also provided an opportunity to introduce Young Scholars, an educational and mentoring program. The evening opened with a welcome by former Assembly speaker pro tem Fiona Ma. Brad Lewis, former San Carlos mayor and producer of Pixar’s Oscar-winning film “Ratatouille” served as event emcee.

The honorees were Little Wonders, a play-based, parent participation program serving Bay Area Peninsula families since 1992; the Sequoia District Adult School and Cris Adair, former Family Connections board president. Parent speakers/presenters were Yadira Cardenas, Farrah Johnson, Genaro Solorio and Genaro Solorio Jr.

Women encouraged to seek leadership posts in politics

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Women aren’t represented in equal numbers in gubernatorial appointed positions or the California Legislature, and a statewide organization is hoping Ventura County leaders can help change that.

California Women Lead, a nonpartisan women’s leadership association, hosted a training Thursday in Oxnard to inspire and recruit local women for leadership positions at the state level.

“We’re working very hard to try to balance this, and we want to support women who are interested in serving,” said Fiona Ma, California Women Lead state board member and former speaker pro tem of the State Assembly, who helped organize the event. “We want to make sure we have a pool of women here who can represent this area.”

About 100 women attended the training, held at the Tower Club, including many local politicians, businesswomen and community leaders.

Four takes on success for women CPAs, by women CPAs

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600

One way for women to address the challenges of the accounting profession is to seek out advice from successful female mentors. I have had the privilege of meeting many such women over the years—women who possess distinct opinions on everything from advancing a career to obtaining higher compensation. Here’s a look at what some of them learned from their successes and how those lessons can help you.

Jillian Phan

Partner with Meloni Hribal Tratner LLP

As a partner in a CPA firm, do your “female characteristics” influence your style of leadership?

I lead by example. To be specific, if there is an urgent deadline that must be met, I expect to see everyone from each level, including myself, participating in order to complete the project. I am there with my team to support, mentor, guide, train, and motivate. The team members reciprocate and work harder to complete the work. I am also a good listener and encourage a culture where people are free to disagree and express their thoughts. Many great ideas and resolutions are uncovered when an issue or challenge is opened up for discussion.

Do you have any suggestions on how women can get better work assignments and progress in their career?

Volunteer to take on assignments other than your routine duties. Step outside of your comfort zone and don’t be afraid to make mistakes or be challenged. That way, you show that you are both ambitious and a team player. When you complete the assignment well, you build credibility and earn the respect of your superiors. Then, when a challenging assignment becomes available, you will be the preferred choice.

Michele Heyman

Recently started her own firm, Michele M. Heyman PLLC

On the critical choice preceding the establishment of her firm:

One of the most difficult decisions I’ve made that has impacted my career in several ways was to accept one more position in the consulting department of a large local accounting firm. Even though this decision postponed the launch of my own firm by five years, it was time well spent. In addition to performing my job, I took advantage of every opportunity to learn management skills and also created new service areas. I realized the importance of, and began developing, my own personal brand. I actively expanded my network. These experiences proved very valuable and taught me a lot about the type of firm that I envisioned having. As a result of the decision to remain with that firm, I now run my own firm in the form I visualized, with a well-known brand, good set of clients, and specialized core service areas.

Can you give some examples of the things you learned that helped you succeed?

First is personal accountability. Second is to have a solution in mind before bringing a problem to someone’s attention. Third is following through on commitments. Follow-through goes hand-in-hand with trust and confidence. When [someone is] given a task, the person assigning the task should be confident that it would be completed in a timely manner. Fourth, be a “servant leader.” Fifth, be an active listener. True listening builds teamwork, trust, and a sense of belonging. People deserve to be acknowledged and understood. Finally, learn good conflict-resolution and negotiation skills. It is important that we as women learn these skills and avoid acting as a peacekeeper. Conflict is inevitable. We should see opportunity in conflict, and use conflicts to hone decision-making skills.

What about negotiating and the gender pay-gap issue?

Appropriate compensation and asking for it can be perceived as rocking the boat, causing conflict. The answer is to ask for more, using conflict-resolution skills and negotiation skills. Do not expect that others will take care of you. Do your research and ask for what you are worth. It will not always result in what you want; however, it is good for your employer to know that you know the value of your skills, knowledge, experience, and education.

Fiona Ma

CPA and former California State Assembly speaker pro tempore

What are some of the hallmarks of your leadership skills?

Being on time or early and never late, if I can help it. Multitasking. Responding as soon as I can to emails and text messages. … Being able to commit early and stick by my commitments—sometimes I schedule out six months in advance. Flexibility and always being prepared for the unexpected or a change of plans. Care about people and treat people with respect. Positive and can-do attitude, which comes from my dad. Delegating work and not expecting perfection, or else I’d do it myself. And, I don’t complain…I figure out how to fix the problem and move on.

Do you have any suggestions for others who want to “get ahead”?

Don’t be late. Professionals value other people’s time. Dress for success. Appearances do matter. Go beyond what is expected of you as an employee; get involved in outside activities and take on leadership roles. Be positive. Be helpful to others. Treat others as you’d like to be treated. Be generous with your time. Don’t say, “I don’t know,” but if you don’t know say, “I will find out.” Be there when the boss needs someone to do something. Be dependable, reliable, and resourceful. Pick a boss who will mentor you and learn from him/her.

Kristen Contreras

Corporate controller for a medical device company

How did you make the conscious choice to develop a career?

The most important decision of my career was in choosing to have a career and not just a job. So many people around me seemed to be interested only in doing their jobs and no more. They weren’t unhappy; they just lacked passion. I had a steady accounting job, but it became clear to me that if I didn’t change the way I thought, I would remain at more or less the same position for the rest of my life. I decided to find out what makes a job a career and go for it. It struck me that passion and a deeply committed interest were the essential differences between a job and a career.

What leadership skills are necessary to be a leader in modern business?

I feel that in order to be a highly effective leader, especially as a woman in today’s world, it is important to be completely prepared, or prepared to wing it, with absolute confidence. Women do tend to be more introspective and therefore tend to dwell on the fact that they don’t know everything. The key is to know that nobody knows everything, bite back fear, and take on a challenge or speak up.

The paths of these women are all different, but certain themes recur in their stories of success. I encourage you to have your own discussions with friends and business contacts about these issues.

STATE: RCRC gives aEUR~Legislator of the YearaEUR(TM) award to former Assemblywoman Fiona Ma

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600

The Regional Council of Rural Counties (RCRC) announced that it has selected former Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) as one of two recipients for the annual “Patti Mattingly Award” for 2012.

The Patti Mattingly Award is given to a policymaker who has demonstrated leadership on rural issues and an understanding of the unique challenges that rural communities face.

“It is with much appreciation that RCRC selects former Assemblywoman Ma for her important work in 2012 on behalf of rural counties in the State Assembly,” said Supervisor Kim Vann of Colusa County and chair of the Regional Council of Rural Counties. “Fiona’s efforts – particularly in the area of supporting our local fairs – reflect the public policy and budget challenges that rural areas face in California.”

RCRC’s Patti Mattingly Award was established in memory of former Supervisor Patti Mattingly of Siskiyou County who had tremendous courage, commitment, and ability to promote constructive solutions surrounding rural issues. The recipient is selected by the RCRC Board of Directors.

“The member counties of RCRC applaud former Assemblywoman Ma’s efforts this past year. Even though she did not represent a rural county, her work reflected a commitment to issues which impact the state as a whole,” said Tehama County Supervisor Bob Williams – a member of the RCRC Board of Directors – who worked closely with Assemblywoman Ma on a variety of issues of importance to RCRC.

During her tenure, Assemblywoman Ma’s important actions included working to address the concerns of rural counties over her AB 845/AB 1178, which addressed the disposal of solid waste, and authoring Assembly Bill 2345 to continue support for local fairs.

She also authored numerous bills to address and promote California’s agricultural industry.

During her time in the Legislature, Ma made a point of visiting rural communities around the state, including Lake County, where she attended one of a series of AgVenture events in 2010 sponsored by the Lake County chapter of the California Women for Agriculture.

In addition to Ma, Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen (R-Modesto) was selected to receive the Patti Mattingly Award for her efforts on behalf of rural counties.

RCRC is an association of 32 rural counties that advocates before the Legislature, Congress and state and federal government agencies on behalf of rural issues.

Headquartered in Sacramento, county supervisors comprise RCRC’s governing board.

Wrapping up the 2012 Legislative Session

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0600

SAN FRANCISCO, CA- Fifteen of Seventeen new laws authored by former Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) signed this fall by Governor Brown, will go into effect on January 1, 2013. These new laws build on Assemblywoman Ma's first two terms where she focused on creating jobs, securing funding for education and public safety, and improving the quality of life in San Mateo and San Francisco neighborhoods.

“In the last six years, I have authored legislation to protect young children from dangerous chemicals, I have authored bills to prevent the spread of Hepatitis B, we have worked to increase access to quality healthcare, and provide equal rights for all Californians. I have authored laws to combat graffiti; and have been a strong advocate for our State's parks like the Joss House in Weaverville and my team and I helped introduce more Bison to the Golden Gate Park. Most recently, Governor Brown signed two of my bills to protect incarcerated victims of domestic violence. Together, you and I have worked together to lead California forward into a prosperous, greener, and more innovative future,” said Fiona Ma.

Below is a snap-shot of some of Assemblywoman Ma's legislation which was signed by Governor Edmund G. Jerry Brown Jr. upon the conclusion of the 2012 legislative session.

2012 Legislation Signed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.:

AB 593-Domestic violence: battering: recall and resentencing

This bill expands the provisions allowing a habeas corpus petition in cases where intimate partner battering was not introduced into evidence to include cases where the evidence was not competent or substantial and where such evidence may have changed the sentence not just the conviction.

AB 733-Pupil records: privacy rights

This bill makes numerous technical changes to conform state law with the federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act regarding access to pupil records without parental consent or judicial order, as well as makes more substantive changes that are permitted by federal law.

AB 812-Solid waste: recycled asphalt

This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to establish specifications for the use of up to 40% reclaimed asphalt pavement for hot asphalt mixes on or before January 1, 2014.

AB 845-Solid waste: place of origin

This bill clarifies the intent of the Integrated Waste Management Act (IWMA) to prevent discrimination prohibiting the disposal of waste based on its geographic origin.

AB 907-Processors of farm products

This bill authorizes California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to impose sanctions three times the amount of unpaid or underpaid license fees, as well as requires any bond or irrevocable guarantee, placed in lieu of proof of financial responsibility, to include both past and future debts owed as a requirement of obtaining a processor’s license.

AB 1593-Parole: intimate partner battering

This bill requires the Board of Parole Hearings (BPH), when reviewing a prisoner’s suitability for parole, to give great weight to any information or evidence that, at the time of the commission of the crime, the prisoner had experienced intimate partner battering and provide that they cannot use the fact that the prisoner brought in the evidence to find that a prisoner lacks insight to his or her crime.

AB 1674-Child custody: visitation

This bill clarifies the role of a professional supervised visitation provider ensuring that professional visitation providers are properly trained in cases of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual abuse and allow the court discretion in choosing a nonprofessional provider.

AB 1777-Disposition of cremated remains

This bill authorizes cremated remains to be transferred from a durable container into a scattering urn, as defined, no more than seven days before scattering the cremated remains at sea from a boat.

AB 1839-Veterinary medicine: veterinary assistants

This bill authorizes Registered Veterinary Technicians and veterinary assistants to help sick animals by allowing them to administer medication considered to be a controlled substance, and requires the fingerprinting of "veterinary assistants."

AB 1877-Repossession agencies: exemptions

This bill exempts, until January 1, 2018, a dealer and his or her bona fide employees from licensure as a repossession agency if they regularly sell specified collateral that is subject to a security agreement of the manufacturer or a manufacturer’s affiliate.

AB 1925- Real Property: rent control

This bill limits sets reasonable daily relocation rates for landlords who must relocate a tenant temporarily for San Francisco. The amount would be prorated in the amount to a daily fee of $275 and would require the landlord to continue to pay for moving expenses if necessary to move a tenant's possessions.

AB 1966- Natural Resources: oil and gas: drilling

This bill requires a mineral rights owner to provide specified notices to the owner of real property if the mineral rights owner intends to enter the real property to undertake surface-disrupting or non-surface-disrupting activities.

AB 2564-Environmental quality: pipelines: project applicants

Expands the application of an existing California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption for pipeline projects less than one mile in length.

AB 2618- Sales and use taxes: auction: vehicles

This bill limits who can acquire salvage certificate vehicles to those persons that are licensed dealers, dismantlers, auto repair dealers, or scrap metal processors.

AB 2643-Property taxation

This bill makes several changes to the statutes related to property tax collection.

The Buzz: Pacquiao Knocked Out

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Celebrity Fighter: Boxing aficionados had been anxiously awaiting the rematch of Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao against Juan Manual Marquez of Mexico. For the first five rounds, the match was close as in the past, however Marquez hit a perfect punch in Round 6 to knock out the Pacman last weekend in Las Vegas. An emotional Pacquiao went on national TV and apologized for letting down his country however he said he intended to fight again. I’m sure pundits are blaming his loss on his “distractions.” Pacquiao was elected to the House of Representatives in the 15th Congress of the Philippines in May 2010, representing the province of Sarangani, his wife’s home town. And earlier this year, the couple opened their first hotel in General Santos City, Manny’s hometown. However his $23M “show” purse will go a long way until his next fight….fans hope it will be against Floyd “Pretty Boy Money” Mayweather. Both are eight time world champs, about the same age, height, reach with impressive fight records and charismatic sportsmen. Floyd doing the dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNWqDgI2Vl0

Red Hot: There’s hardly an “Us Weekly” that doesn’t feature the leggy Olivia Munn in the latest outfit-of-the-week and she made Gerard Butler blush on last week’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Lisa Olivia Munn was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to a Chinese mother and a German/Irish father. As an Air Force child, she moved frequently but lived predominantly in Tokyo, Japan where she learned to speak Japanese. It now makes sense…she was so impressive as her character “Sloan” on “The Newsroom” directly interrogated a Japanese nuclear power plant executive in English and fluent Japanese. She later moved back to the US, launched her TV career as a teen surfer (uses a 7 foot 4 board today) in “Beyond the Break” (2006) and has worked steadily ever since. Her ranking with Maxim readers has also steadily improved: she was ranked #99/100 in 2008’s Hottest Women, #8 in 2010 and #2 in 2011 beating out Katy Perry, Cameron Diaz and Mila Kunis. Fun Fact: She competed in the Rock, Paper, Scissors World Championship in Toronto in 2009 where the US handily defeated Canada.

A Pioneer: I’m not into fancy cars or driving fast but I’m slowly warming up to professional racing. “Days of Thunder” and Ricky Bobby gave amateurs a glimpse into NASCAR (second only to Football amongst US television ratings.) On the international Formula 1 front China may start getting some traction with its first F1 driver after building a brand new state of the art race track outside of Shanghai in 2004. This summer, the 24 year old Ma Qing Hua became the first Chinese-born driver to test in Formula One, completing 82 laps at the British Grand Prix. Ma has previously competed in Formula Renault, A1 Grand Prix, Formula Three, and Superleague. Lets’ see if attendance improves at the annual Formula 1 China Grand Prix in April 2013.

James Kyson Lee, Sherri Bryant, Jennifer Sanderson and Adrian Zaw

Poker Faces: Last month’s star studded CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) poker tournament event raised $100,000 for the “I AM…ALL IN” public service announcements highlighting positive Asian American Pacific Islander role models in the community. The night was full of bright stars that brought together a diverse, cross section of celebrity players: Brian Tee will surely be using his Japanese language skills in next year’s “The Wolverine” starring Hugh Jackman; If you can’t get to Hawaii, feel the vibe on “Hawaii Five O” with Ian Anthony Dale; Who can forget Carrie Ann Inaba’s comeback cameo in the 2002 hit “Austin Powers” spy comedy as Fook You, twin sister of Fook Mi; Veteran Amy Hill started her career with the famed Asian American Theater Company in San Francisco; Another comedian, artist, and a fashion designer, Hana Mae Lee plays one of the divas in “Pitch Perfect” (released in October); and Avid outdoorsman and TV Guide’s “Hollywood’s 25 Hottest” James Kyson didn’t disappoint.

PS: If you have pesky neighbors this holiday season and are as Psy-ched and obsessed as I am, try this for amusement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jWN5Myxtwg&feature=related)

The Kiss and One Hit Wonders

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0600

The Kiss: Fiat Heir Lapo Elkann had been hanging around with a relatively unknown China actress/singer (no Wiki page on her yet) — before their infamous kiss in France! However the actress, simply named Zhu Zhu, is not just another pretty face. She studied electronics and information engineering at Beijing Technology and Business University and then attended Parsons School of Design in NY but chose to return to China to be a host on MTV China. Zhu released a solo album in 2009 and starred in the 2012 China remake of “What Women Want.” More recently she raised eye brows again at the “Cloud Atlas” premiere in Los Angeles (Zhu Zhu should not to be confused with Zhou Zun, the Chinese actress in the movie or Korean actress Doona Bae). Welcome to Hollywood! Hope she gets some celebrity tips from Bai Ling.

Guanxi: ”Cloud Atlas” with its six story lines was too much for me. Call me simple but I really like action movies with a good love story. Having said that, I’m not embarrassed to say that I’m a fan of all the “Fast and Furious” series regardless of what critics and my family members think. By the way, they all make money…and lots of it….so others must like Paul Walker and Vin Diesel too! First off, there’s never a dull moment. Second, there’s always a strong woman who’s playing with the boys. And third, the cast is always diverse with at least two Asian co-stars. (See http://www.asianweek.com/2012/08/27/some-girls-chase-boys-verna-mei-just-passes-them/) A winning duo is Director Justin Lin and Actor Sung who have appeared in the last three “prequels” together. The two started working together on Lin’s breakthrough film and directorial debut “Better Luck Tomorrow.” Mr. APA wrote in his blog following Fast Five: “Fast and Furious Part Four and Five are prequels simply because the Asian American Director Justin Lin wanted his buddy Sung Kang to be in the movie even though he already killed him off in part three.” WHATEVER…nice to have friends who can help each other in business. Fast and Furious 6 is due out May 2013…cant wait!

One Hit Wonder: I loved seeing “Psy” on the Jumbotron during the Giants 7th Inning Stretch. He’s the rage amongst the young people. I mentioned my recent trip to Korea and our search for Psy paraphernalia and SF Supervisor David Chiu asked me if I remembered “Jin” and his 2003 hit “Learn Chinese.” Chiu recalls seeing Jin, who played Jimmy the Mechanic in “2 Fast, 2 Furious” (I guess Supervisor Chiu is a fan too. LOL) MC Jin was born Jin Au-Yeung in Miami and later moved to New York to hone his street skills. He is considered the first Chinese hip hop artist to get a major solo record deal and collaborate with such big names as Wyclef Jean and Kanye West. People do evolve… 10 years after his first hit; he’s back in New York but as a mature and thoughtful married man with a newborn baby rapping a very different message on his album “Crazy Love Ridiculous Faith.”

Go Big or Go Home: Jean-Claude Van Damme may not like to get hit filming a movie but Cung Le doesn’t mind…in fact he relishes the opportunity, even if he gets beat up by a lady. In the recently released Tarantino Production “The Man with the Iron Fists” starring Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu, Cung Le plays Gold Lion (he’s prominently listed on the movie posters next to the other stars so he’s Big Time) where he can been seen doing his signature high leg flying scissor takedowns and doing battle with Liu. Le left Vietnam three days before the fall of Saigon with his mother under heavy gunfire and spent several months in a refugee camp in the Philippines before being sponsored by a family in San Jose, CA. Growing up, he was skinny and constantly picked on so his mother signed him up for Taekwondo classes at age 10 and the rest is history. Le excels in many martial arts disciplines and has won many championships over his career. On November 10th, Le faced former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin in a long awaited battle in Macao that was over in the blink of an eye. Just 2:17 into the first round, Le scored a devastating right hook that knocked out Franklin before he even hit the mat. Check out Le’s moves in “Dragon Eyes” (available on DVD) with Jean-Claude Van Damme as the mysterious “Mr. Miyagi” mentor released earlier this year. Move over Bruce Lee and Jet Li…there’s a New Fighter in town.

Karaoke Caucus Continues: Congrats to all APIs who won elections across the U.S. In California, as I and four other API legislative members term out this December, I’m glad that there are four capable members who will continue the Karaoke Caucus which I informally started. A big welcome to Phil Ting, Ed Chau, Al Muratsuchi and Rob Bonta, the first Filipino member ever elected to the California Legislature. These guys fall under the new 12 year-in-either-House term limits so they can take more time to find the bathrooms and navigate the stairwells. On the Federal level, the API Caucus is expanding exponentially with the election of Senator-Elect Mazie Hirono and Reps-Elect Tammy Duckworth, Tulsi Gabbard, Grace Meng, and Mark Takano. Dr. Ami Bera’s race is still too close, but he’s gaining, so look for him too.21 Gun Salute: As we celebrate Veteran’s Day, I’d like to give a special shout out to Tammy Duckworth. As Captain in the National Guard and Black Hawk pilot, she was deployed in 2004 to Iraq. On November 12, 2004, her helicopter was hit and she lost both her legs and part of the use of her right arm in the explosion. “I could have died when my helicopter was shot down in Iraq. Now, I believe that this time in my life is a second chance for me, a “bonus time.” We salute you Tammy for your patriotism, positive attitude and belief that you will be a unique voice for peace in the world.

The Ever Fashionable First Lady: Who will win the First Lady Lottery? Over the past four years, Mrs. Obama has helped launch the careers of many young designers including Jason Wu (Taiwan), Thakoon Panichgul (Thailand), Naeem Khan (Indian) and Doo.Ri Chung (Korea). These young stars are replacing the 80′s fashionistas Anna Sui and Vera Wang. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Mrs. Obama said “I don’t buy a designer. I buy a dress.” The public awaits ….

Fiona Ma pays attention to details

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the second installment of a four-part series examining the laws enacted in 2012 thanks to our local electeds. Last week, state Sen. Mark Leno was in the spotlight and this week we turn our attention to Assemblywoman Fiona Ma. Like Leno, Ma began her political career as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Elected to the state Assembly in 2006 and again in 2008 and 2010, Ma is now running to be a member of the state Board of Equalization, the body that collects and distributes certain state taxes.

Ma has been the speaker pro tempore of the Assembly since 2010, which means she presides over the daily activities of the Assembly. She spends a lot of time standing at a podium with a gavel repeating, “All members vote who desire to vote.” In addition to that, she authored almost 20 pieces of legislation that were signed into law in 2012.

Victims of domestic violence have historically had a friend in Ma who continued her advocacy this year by introducing two bills that make it easier for persons convicted of crimes against abusers to introduce evidence of that abuse.

Ma also authored two bills that change initiatives passed by voters in Solano County and San Francisco. Measure E was passed by Solano County voters in 1984 and limited the amount of waste imported into the county to 95,000 tons per year; at the time it was importing 500,000 tons from San Francisco. The measure was never enforced because of a legal technicality and significant importing continued, but in 2010 a judge fixed the problem.

According to the legislative analysis of Ma’s bill AB 845, “This bill will essentially nullify Measure E and the Solano County Superior Court ruling by prohibiting a local government from restricting or limiting the importation of solid waste based on the place of origin.”

An initiative passed by voters in San Francisco in 2006 requires landlords to pay more than $5,000 whenever they relocate a tenant, even for a few days to make repairs. Ma authored a law that lowers that relocation payment to $275 per day for relocations less than 20 days.

A remarkable number of Ma’s bills that have passed into law address hyper-specific issues. Making it easier to collect sales tax on resold cars, allowing veterinary assistants to administer controlled substances and specifying that cremated remains may be let into the ocean in a special urn are all among her legislative achievements. Then again, attention to detail is what we need from representatives on the tax board.

Fiona Ma Tells SF Weekly What the State Assembly Taught Her About California

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Over six years in the California state Assembly, Fiona Ma, who represents San Francisco's western half, quickly worked her way to Majority Whip and then to Speaker Pro Tem. During that span, she passed bills that made California the first state to ban phthalates (a toxic chemical) from baby products, regulated tattoo parlors, and allowed incarcerated women who committed their crime against an abusive partner to petition for freedom.

Fresh off her final term in the Assembly, Ma, who isshooting for the Board of Equalization in 2014, spoke with SF Weekly about her time in office, from the nuances of the state legislature to why California spends more on prisons than schools.

SFW: Not many elected officials come into office with the aspiration to balance the budget. Most have grand dreams of all the proposals they want to push through. But what you do is limited by when you come into office. How were you able to reconcile the aspirations you had coming into office with the realities of the problems you had to deal with?

Ma: I tell people that I didn't get elected to make cuts to the programs. Being on the Board of Supervisors for four years [2002-2006], we had difficult times, but we had a budget analyst who would advise us on where there was waste or duplication. At the state level it's a little more difficult to figure that out.

SFW: Why is that?

Ma: Because you're asking departments to self-report, which they're not going to do. We don't have the mechanisms in place to hire an auditor to go in and make sure that agencies are as efficient as possible. There's so much that happens in government, in terms of agencies and people and programs and relationships to the federal government and local government.

I think I know a little bit about most of the agencies, but I still don't know about every agency. Unless you deal with it on a daily basis, unless you're a chair of the water committee or the parks committee, it's a lot. So we learn to be generalists. In six years, we're just not going to be experts at anything, so I decided that I wanted to know as much as possible. So, I think I've been on 17 committees. For me, you learn on the sub-committees, so I believe changing committees is really where I learn the substance of what's going on in terms of bills and issues.

SFW: What is the difference between governance at the local level and at the state level -- something you might not have known when you first arrived in Sacramento?

Ma: Local level is very hands-on. It's very grassroots. It's understanding who your constituents are, being accessible and really trying to fix the problems. When you get to the state level, now you're dealing with a larger population. I'm also expected to vote on issues affecting 40 million people. Meetings are not just my constituents -- people come from all over.

That's different, in terms of being able to look at a bigger picture versus micromanaging. Whereas before I used to be able to call [the Department of Public Works] and say, "Where is my garbage can?" and follow up, and I know who to call, know it's gonna get done, I can keep following up, and it's gonna get done. You can't really do that at the state level.

SFW: One tangle a lot of states have gotten into right now is this kind of "race to the bottom," where everybody's trying to undercut everyone else and it's all about who can offer the most tax breaks, or other incentives, to businesses. How do you see this playing out over the years? How can a state make this process work without just giving a company whatever it wants?

Ma: I think that that is what's happening, right. There are some states that are more aggressive in attracting businesses. I think each state needs to figure out what their focus is gonna be and what their priority is gonna be. We can't be the capital of every industry, so what is it that California wants to see? What is our priority? And we haven't done that as a state. We don't have a five-year plan. We deal with issues on an emergency basis.

SFW: What should our priorities be?

Ma: Tech. Biotech, high-tech, nano-tech. Silicon Valley is very well-reselected. The companies that are here want to stay here. They understand that education is important. Being close to the West is very important for global businesses now. So that should be a priority.

Agriculture. I personally like to know that my food is grown here because I know that it's the freshest and it's the safest. I can't guarantee that food imported from South America, or Mexico, or China, or India is gonna have the same high standards.

We need to make sure we maintain high-quality educational institutions. Kids now who are graduating high school, some of them don't even have a fifth-grade reading level. That is unacceptable for California. While we keep cutting the budgets, kids don't feel like there's a job out there, they don't feel like there is any hope. We need to refocus on making our education system the best that we can make it.

SFW: With our state's budget crisis, some red states might see California as an example of the dangers of big-government liberalism -- of growing a public sector too expansive and expensive, with huge pensions for government employees. What does California say in response to that?

Ma: Our defense would be, we have cleaner air than other states. We have higher regulations. That means our water is probably cleaner. We can drink out of the tap. We can still swim in out oceans. We can eat our food right out of the ground. That's our defense.

We're the most diverse. Where everybody has an opportunity, and not everybody feels like that in some of these red states perhaps.

SFW: Anything you wish you could alter about the state?

Ma: I personally have an issue with the initiative process. Even though California is the most progressive -- anyone with a million dollars can get signatures and put it on the ballot. If there was ways to make it more accountable -- initiatives don't have to be reviewed by the Attorney General for legal correctness, it doesn't have to pass the legislature to make sure that we can afford it. Anyone can put it on. And that's why we continue to have problems.

A lot of people always ask, "Why do we spend more on prisons than schools?" I say, "Did you vote for three strikes? Did you vote for Megan's Law? Did you vote for Chelsea's Law? There's a human trafficking law on the November ballot, are you gonna vote for that?" Every time we vote for that, it means that's a priority, and more money gets shifted from the general fund and all the programs that we have. And that's been the problem.

If you're gonna put an initiative on the ballot, and it costs money, you need to find a funding source. That will continue to be California's Achilles heel. And until we figure out how to make it more accountable to the programs that we have, the budget, whether we can afford it, it's gonna continue to bring us down.

Jailed Domestic Abuse Victims Get Chance At Freedom

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Click here to listen to the story on the NPR website.

Brenda Clubine is a platinum blonde with focused blue eyes and a no-nonsense demeanor.

She spent 26 years in prison for killing her husband. After enduring beatings and emergency room visits, she says, it finally ended in a locked motel room where he told her to give him her wedding rings.

"I said, 'Why?' He said, 'Because tomorrow they won't be able to identify your body without them,' " Clubine says.

She hit him in the head with a wine bottle, and he died of blunt force trauma. She got out of prison four years ago, but many women with stories similar to Clubine's are still behind bars.

LaVelma Byrd, photographed at the California Institution for Women in Chino, Calif., was convicted of murdering her husband in 1994. She never let on that her husband beat her on a regular basis. She is not eligible for parole until 2020.
Enlarge Misty Dameron/Courtesy of Sin by Silence

LaVelma Byrd, photographed at the California Institution for Women in Chino, Calif., was convicted of murdering her husband in 1994. She never let on that her husband beat her on a regular basis. She is not eligible for parole until 2020.

Now, those women may have a chance at release. California Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed a bill to allow new evidence to be considered in the cases of women serving decades-long sentences for killing their abusive partners.

At least once a month, Clubine returns to the prison to attend the support group she started more than two decades ago, Convicted Women Against Abuse.

Sitting in a circle are women of all ages, but the older ones stand out. Some have walkers, while others have bandaged legs or arms. Other wounds are invisible.

"My arrest photos show [my husband's] kick prints all up and down my back," says inmate Glenda Virgil.

Virgil is in a wheelchair. She has had back surgery and a number of medical issues that she counts off on her fingers. She's 65 and has spent close to 27 years in prison.

"He had said — threatened — to kill me before, but he had never said he was going to kill himself and me in the same breath, and then our dog too. He was going to take us all," Virgil says.

The prison-issued muumuu that Rosemary Dyer is wearing looks like something out of the 1950s: white polka dots on slate gray. She's 60 years old and has been in prison since 1988 for killing her husband.

Dyer says that in the past few years she has received letters from victims of domestic violence asking for advice. For six months, she corresponded with a young woman being abused by her baby's father. One day, the letters stopped. She later heard what happened.

"He killed both of them," Dyer says, fighting back tears. "And the only thing I could think of was what more could I have said to express to her the importance to get away."

About a half-dozen of the women in the support group, including Virgil and Dyer, are featured in a documentary about incarcerated battered women called Sin By Silence.

The film's director sent a copy of the documentary to California Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, chairwoman of the Select Committee on Domestic Violence. After seeing the film, Ma wrote legislation she called the Sin By Silence Bills. One of the new statutes allows incarcerated victims of domestic violence to refile for a writ of habeas corpus.

"These cases were tried prior to Aug. 29, 1996, and back then the judge did not allow expert testimony related to battered women syndrome as part of the defense," Ma says. "Had they presented it today, they probably would have received no sentence or involuntary manslaughter."

Cory Salzillo, the legislative director of the California District Attorneys Association, says the new law gives too much leeway for dealing with new evidence.

"We think it makes it too ambiguous and opens the door too broadly," Salzillo says. "Originally, it was you can only bring this writ if the evidence wasn't introduced at trial. This bill would say you can also bring a writ if the evidence wasn't competent or substantial. And those terms are vague in the sense of the law."

The law doesn't guarantee freedom or even a hearing. It's hard to find pro bono lawyers to take the cases, because the process can take years.

Back at the California Institution for Women, Virgil says that since landing in a wheelchair, she has lost the one prison job she enjoyed — training service dogs. She has had one parole hearing after another, but this change in the law gives her hope.

"I don't think I have much life left. I'm going to fight for it, though," Virgil says. "A year ago I didn't really much care. I just want to be a grandma. I want to be able to hold my grandchildren."

The two-hour support group ends, and the women file outside where the temperature has finally dropped below three digits. Under a half moon, they join other inmates strolling the familiar cement paths of the prison yard.

At 9 p.m., it's the yard recall. The women return to their cells, locked in for the night.

Opponents Of Domestic Violence Mark Start Of Awareness Week

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Local politicians and domestic violence victim advocates gathered in San Francisco's Chinatown Wednesday to mark the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and to encourage victims to come forward if they need help.

"Domestic violence is still a very serious issue in our society," said state Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, noting that it is estimated that a woman is the victim of domestic violence every nine seconds in the U.S.

Victims "can get help," Ma said. "They should get out of an abusive relationship before they put their lives and other families' lives in danger."

Some of the domestic violence experts who attended Wednesday's news conference in Portsmouth Square noted that victims often do not report the crimes because of lack of knowledge about services available to them or hesitancy due to their immigration status or language and cultural barriers.

Samina Masood, executive director at the Asian Women's Shelter, said in some cultures, "Women are totally forbidden from bringing up the topic."

Masood said, "We have a lot more work to do to get this out to the public."

Kathy Black, executive director of La Casa de las Madres, noted the case of suspended San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, who is set next week to appear in front of the Board of Supervisors, which will decide whether he gets to keep his job.

Mirkarimi was suspended by Mayor Ed Lee after he pleaded guilty in March to misdemeanor false imprisonment in connection with an incident in which he grabbed his wife's arm during an argument, causing a bruise.

"This is bigger than one person and one incident," Black said.

She said a vote by a supervisor in favor of Mirkarimi staying in office as sheriff "mocks the real danger of the issue and the painful realities faced by victims in San Francisco every single day."

Modernization dream now reality

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Caltrain modernization took a big step forward yesterday as the state released about $40 million for a new signaling system that will ultimately lead to the electrification of the commuter rail line by 2019.

A host of elected officials lauded the news yesterday during a press conference at the Millbrae Caltrain station, which will one day also be a high-speed rail stop.

The demand for Caltrain is greater than ever as ridership has climbed nearly 75 percent since 2004 when it introduced its baby bullet service.

U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, is credited with securing the state funding, about $127 million, for that project, which required the addition of passing tracks in San Francisco and Brisbane.

Caltrain even named one of its engines after Speier back in 2004 when she was a state legislator.

Speier said yesterday that the baby bullet concept once seemed like a distant dream as modernization may seem now but that 2019 is not that far off.

While San Mateo County Supervisor Adrienne Tissier, the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board chair, called Speier the “queen of the baby bullet,” Speier said much of the credit for bringing Caltrain closer to modernization today should go to Tissier.

“She quietly did incredible things without grabbing headlines,” Speier said of Tissier’s efforts to improve the commuter line.

The two were also joined by state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco/San Mateo, Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo and Ann Schneider, with the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Millbrae Mayor Marge Colapietro and Burlingame Mayor Jerry Deal were also on hand.

Although Deal has publicly opposed the state’s high-speed rail project, he told the Daily Journal yesterday that modernizing Caltrain is a necessity.

“We’ve got to get more cars off the road. Modernization will allow for more trains per hour and the hubs will expand,” said Deal, who also sits on the JPB board.

He anticipates a boom in transit-oriented development once the system is modernized.

Currently, Caltrain has about 50,000 daily riders but that number could climb to 75,000 or more once the old diesel engines are scrapped for cleaner, quieter electric trains.

The investment is part of the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s “early investment” program that will fund improvements for commuter rail connectivity in Southern California and the Peninsula through Proposition 1A bond proceeds.

Caltrain’s modernization effort is expected to cost about $1.5 billion. The state has earmarked $705 million for the local project with the federal government and regional transit agencies footing the rest of the bill.

About 9,600 jobs are expected to be created locally with Caltrain’s modernization effort, officials said.

The Sierra Club’s Schneider, however, said one of the biggest benefits of modernization will be a reduction of pollution.

The $9.8 billion bond measure, Proposition 1A, passed in 2008 on the statewide ballot with about 53 percent support.

“It was passed during the worst recession ever,” Ma said about the vote. “It is definitely a strong mandate that the people want it. It is great to see the money finally come in.”

Ma was instrumental in getting the bond measure on the November 2008 ballot as then governor Arnold Schwarzenegger opposed it.

Both Yee and Hill said modernization will be an economic boost to the three counties that support Caltrain.

Electrification, Hill said, will take thousands of cars off the roads and bring much-needed traffic relief to the Peninsula.

The California Transportation Commission voted yesterday to release $39.8 million for Positive Train Control, a signaling system that will provide the foundation for improved operations and safety and the advancement of electrification work later.

In addition to being quieter than current trains and reducing emissions by 90 percent, the increased ridership and revenue from an electrified system could cut the required contributions to Caltrain by transit agencies in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties by as much as 50 percent.

The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board owns and manages Caltrain. The JPB is a partnership among the San Mateo County Transit District, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the city and county of San Francisco through the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. SamTrans is the managing partner.

Caltrain currently runs 86 trains day during the week but starting Oct. 1 it will 92 trains a day during the week.

The Caltrain Modernization Program will help prepare the corridor to eventually accommodate California’s statewide high-speed rail service, which is planned for 2029. Caltrain and high-speed rail will primarily share Caltrain’s existing tracks, operating on a blended system.

Caltrain Receives $39.8 Million For Signaling System

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Assemblyman Jerry Hill, U.S. Representative Jackie Speier, state Senator Leland Yee and Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, along with environmentalists and public transit supporters, gathered Thursday at the Millbrae Caltrain Station in celebration of the approval of allocating $39.8 million towards the electrification of Caltrain by the California Transportation Commission.

“Today is a milestone. We are here to reboot Caltrain,” said Speier of the 150-year-old train system. “It’s a huge step.”

The nearly $40 million is the first amount out of a total $705 million the leaders secured from state high speed rail bond money to upgrade Caltrain by 2019. The funds will be matched by federal and local agencies to complete the $1.5 billion project.

The electrification project is expected to bring 9,600 jobs to the area.

The $39.8 million, approved by the CTC Thursday morning, will go towards an advanced signaling system, the foundation for the planned electrification by providing a safer, more efficient operation.

It includes Positive Train Control, which helps prevent train-to-train collisions and increasing protection on the Caltrain right of way. It will allow for more trains per hour to meet growing ridership numbers.

Electrifying Caltrain, managed by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, will provide faster, more efficient, quieter transit, with 90 percent less emissions. Besides putting an advanced signaling system in place, the modernization includes implementing electrification and buying electric multiple unit vehicles.

“One of the great things about the new Caltrain, it’s going to be much quieter and it’s going to be much cleaner,” Speier said. “It going to be faster, cleaner, cheaper…what more could you ask for?”

More frequent trains are expected to bring in higher ridership from about 45,000 to around 70,000 passengers, and therefore higher revenue, which could result in reduced necessary funding from San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Francisco transit agencies by half, Hill said.

Elected officials have pushed for Caltrain electrification for years and even decades, with securing funds as the primary obstacle. Officials said voter approval of Proposition 1A in 2008 is the main reason this upgrade is possible, and that Thursday’s allocation for an updated signaling system is the first step.

“This is probably one of the most exciting days of my political life,” said Hill. “There’s nothing I believe more significant that we can do than we’re doing today.”

On The Money: California Spending Mandatory "Court Reporter Fees" On Other Things

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Struggling courts across California are laying off court reporters, unable to afford them, a CBS13 investigation has found.

One reason may be that the state Judicial Branch is spending millions that was intended to fund those reporters.

Those filing for civil court in California are required to pay a “court reporter fee” — part of the larger Uniform Civil Filing Fee collected across the state — but $6.5 million dollars last year went to other expenses, including basic costs like janitors.

“If it weren’t for the janitor then the court might not have stayed open in the first place,” said Zlatko Theodorovic, who oversees finances for the Judicial Council of California — the agency that runs and appropriates funding in courts across the state.

It’s perfectly legal according to government code, he said. The Judicial Council is allowed to take from the court reporter fund to make up for other budget shortages.

Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) called the reappropriating of these funds unacceptable.

“If you are paying for something, you expect to get a service,” she said.

Placer County court reporter Pam Katros knows the problems all too well, she said.

She learned this month her job may be eliminated, as the county plans to privatize its court reporters for civil cases.

“It’s crazy, what’s happening,” she said.

CBS13 has learned layoffs are happening across the state from courts in San Francisco and San Diego to San Joaquin, Alameda, Ventura and Los Angeles counties — which have all laid off court reporters in the last year.

But litigants are still required to pay the court reporter fee in those courts — and if they want a record of what happens, they’ll have to hire their own reporter at their own expense.

Katros believes it could result in a two-tied system — those who can afford access to transcripts and those who cannot, she said.

“It’s not fair, and people are going to be hurt by this,” she said.

The Judicial Branch blames Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget — which cut Judicial Branch funding 15 percent this year.

“We wouldn’t have these problems if we didn’t have the money crunch,” Theodorovic said, adding that the agency only took about 20 percent of the total money generated by court reporter fees.

Because court reporter fees are mandatory, however, Ma believes court reporters should be the last thing to go — ensuring access to justice, she said.

“People should care whether their proceeding is going to be recorded or not recorded,” Ma said.

“It’s embarrassing to me,” Katros said. “To think that we’ve gotten to where we are.”

The Judicial Council told CBS13 it plans to continue taking some of that court reporter money to cover other budget cuts and will continue to charge those court reporter fees.

10 Tips for Women Trying to Succeed in Politics, from Asw. Fiona Ma

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Overlooking the San Diego harbor, tonight marked the first night of the California Women Lead’s Women’s Empowerment Conference, a three-day conference bringing women from throughout the state of California together to give them the skills and tools necessary to empower, engage, and elect. This year, because the conference is located in San Diego, the Independent Voter Network has the opportunity to attend.

CA Women Lead and Independent Voter Network representing in San Diego, California. From @IVNetwork on Instagram

Among the guests attending tonight’s reception was Speaker Pro Tempore of the California State Assembly, Fiona Ma. Introduced by Senior Vice President for Walmart’s Pacific Division, Kimberly Sentovich, Ma has been involved in politics for almost 20 years. Having worked her way up the political ladder, she provided attendees with anecdotal advice on running for office as a women.

Here are Assemblywoman Fiona Ma’s 10 tips for women trying to succeed in politics:

1. Channel a Honey Badger

If you haven’t been on YouTube lately, the personality traits Ma is referring to can be foundhere. Honey badgers are fearless and are known for not caring about what other people think. Uninhibited, the honey badger doesn’t care about the obstacles that stand in their way. In a honey badger’s case, the goal is food. But women trying to success in politics face an uphill battle, one riddled with challenges. The bottom line is don’t let these obstacles stand in the way of your future as a leader.

2. Show Me The Money

Know that running for office is hard work. You can assemble the best staff in the state, but at the end of the day, no one will care more about the outcome of your campaign than you.

3. The Media

In Fiona Ma’s own words, “they can be your friend or your foe.” Expect negative media. In Ma’s case, she knows what to expect, which is why she manages two Facebook pages, sends her own tweets, and constantly monitors her Wikipedia Page. Ma doesn’t rely on the media to talk her up, rather she creates her own media through the use of social networks.

4. Maintain Your Own Contacts

Contacts are the most important part of a campaign and in order to get elected, you need a substantial amount of contacts. Speaking from experience, she advises women running for office to manage and maintain their own contact list, instead of handing them off to consultants. Unfortunately, she learned this lesson the hard way.

5. Respect

Respect goes a long way in the political world, and as in all aspects of life, she encourages women running for office to treat others with the same respect they would want in return. And that includes staff members!

6. Compromise

While party polarization is at an all time high, this piece of advice should resonate with all members of government. Politics is all about compromise and you must develop a set of standards while also leaving room for compromise. Now if only Congress would listen.

7. Don’t Let Guilt Get You Down

Women are expected to do everything, Ma explains, and feel guilt when they can’t complete every task, fulfill every need, play every role. Speaking from experience, Ma reminds women to let go of guilt when running for office.

8. You’re Not Always Going To Be Loved

Inherent in the job of any politician, you cannot please everyone. Quoting Eleanor Roosevelt, she encourages women to, ”Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway. You’ll be damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.”

9. Find a Supportive Spouse or Partner

On a more personal note, Fiona Ma delved into her passed relationships, warning women that some men won’t be comfortable with a career-driven female. Tying into tip #7, it’s hard for women to fulfill every role expected of them, which is why Ma suggests finding a partner who “gets it.”

10. Find Mentors

Running for office is all about people and relationships. Find mentors, Ma continues, who you can start to build a team with. Ma began her career working under former state Senate President John Burton, whom she referred to in her speech as her mentor.

Statement by Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Fiona Ma Regarding Veto of AB 2200

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500

SACRAMENTO -Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Fiona Ma's (D-San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) released the statement below after Governor Edmund Brown Jr. vetoed AB 2200, a bill which would cut commute time from San Francisco to Sacramento.

"I am very disappointed that Governor Brown vetoed AB 2200. This bill received overwhelming bipartisan support by the legislature as it moved through the process because many of their constituents have also been caught up in traffic while the high-occupancy vehicle lane between the Bay Bridge and Carquinez Bridge remains unused. Nonetheless, I hope the Governor will take a look at this corridor with his Caltrans leadership as even they admitted in testimony during policy committee hearings that this HOV lane is highly underutilized. Perhaps now that the discussion has taken place, Caltrans will be more receptive to making the administrative changes that will benefit the people who actually use these lanes. People need to get to work, get their kids to school and make other appointments and they want government to work for them. An empty HOV lane in a busy corridor does not make sense."

To View NBC Bay Area's "Ride Along with Assemblywoman Fiona Ma on the HOV lane between the Bay Bridge and Carquinez Bridge" watch by clicking the image below or visit here: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Lawmaker-Wants-to-Remove-HOV-Lane-on-I-80-170623946.html

The Nooner for September 18, 2012

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Good morning, there are only 48 news cycles left before election day. If you're a Mitt Romney supporter, that's both a good and bad thing. Republican candidates are already running from him after his "My job is not to worry about those people" secretly taped quote.

David Brooks excoriates Romney in a column entitled "Thurston Howell Romney:

"The people who receive the disproportionate share of government spending are not big-government lovers. They are Republicans. They are senior citizens. They are white men with high school degrees. As Bill Galston of the Brookings Institution has noted, the people who have benefited from the entitlements explosion are middle-class workers, more so than the dependent poor."

Personally, I think he’s a kind, decent man who says stupid things because he is pretending to be something he is not — some sort of cartoonish government-hater. But it scarcely matters. He’s running a depressingly inept presidential campaign. Mr. Romney, your entitlement reform ideas are essential, but when will the incompetence stop?"

The less talked about--but perhaps more damaging--excerpt from the video was Romney joking that if he had been born to Mexican parents (instead of to American parents living in Mexico), he would have an easier time winning the race.

You have to ask why a very wealthy candidate is spending time within E-49 raising money in Orange County and talking to Latinos in Los Angeles instead of campaigning in a dwindling number of swing states. Latinos in Florida and Virginia will likely decide this race. Mr. Romney, write a check, and get your butt to Columbus, Tallahassee, Denver, and Richmond.

Readers, I have previously disclosed that I have contributed to Obama. However, as a true fan of the game, I would rather see nine innings well played than a blowout. Nobody really wants to see the picture of Dukakis in a tank continue to repeat itself.

And, remember: Unless you are huddling with your political consultant in the shower with the water running, everything is on the record. I don't like it, but it is a new immutable law of politics.

LEGISLATORS OF THE YEAR

Over 200 subscribers voted in the 2012 Legislators of the Year awards. I'll be unveiling Assembly Republicans today, Assembly Democrats tomorrow, Senate Republicans on Wednesday and Senate Republicans on Thursday. This is for entertainment purposes only, as there is no "perfect sample" and voting was open to all Nooner subscribers. The margin of error is +/- 50%.

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRAT - MOST EFFECTIVE

1. John Perez - "Perez keeps the mod in check and was able to score a GOP and independent backer from the other side of the aisle," "Makes folks line up," "Delivered on-time budget that disgusted members of his caucus."

2. Fiona Ma - "Because she told Tim Donnelly 'Honey Badger Don't Care,'" "Very hard worker," "Her ability to look at what is actually in the bill often supersedes the block voting of the party."

3. Richard Gordon - "Quality character," "Thoughtful man," "Known to find common ground among competing constituencies."

4. Henry Perea - "He is the leader of arguably the most powerful caucus in the Legislature and he leads them well," "He moved deftly behind the scenes to put his imprint on bills - good and bad."

5. Gil Cedillo - "It took a long career, but no one had more signature legislative achievements this year."

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRAT - MOST TRUE TO PARTY

1. Tom Ammiano - "You can ALWAYS count on him to be the liberal democrat we all once were!"

2. Gil Cedillo - "Love him," "One bill."

3. John Perez - "The complete package; Latino, gay, labor background who can embrace Indian tribes and deal with business."

4. Nancy Skinner - "Classic party hack. Even when presented with facts, she will vote the party line," "Nancy Rocks!! I love her spunk and how strong she stands for Dem values."

5. Fiona Ma - "Asm. Ma is the first person I think of when I think of a CA State Assembly Democrat. She stands up for the big issues and little alike," "Probably the best Speaker pro Tem in decades. Strong with the gavel, able to cross factions within her party, does the dirty work for the Speaker when done."

Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Fiona MaaEUR(TM)s Statement on Counties Misuse and Abuse of Domestic Violence Fees

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500

SACRAMENTO –As Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Domestic Violence, one of the issues that I have had to face every year, is the lack of funds and cuts to domestic violence shelters in California. In many cases, the access to services such as counseling, safe visitation centers, emergency housing and food can be the difference between life and death.

This is why I am shocked and outraged at the findings of the audit released today by the California State Auditor, which outlines the fact that some cities and counties like Santa Clara County turned a blind eye to our most vulnerable.

I requested this audit in 2011 after hearing complaints from domestic violence shelters throughout the state that collection of fees from payments made by individuals convicted of crimes of domestic violence, were not being received. These fees are usually one of many stipulations of their probation. The audit confirmed that these fees were not being adequately collected and were not being sent to their local shelters. For example, in 2009-2011 Santa Clara collected and sat on over $715,000.

It is very disheartening to find that in the four counties that were examined, based on the review of 135 domestic violence cases for a four-year period, nearly 68% of the initial assessments were not collected. Collections in Los Angeles County averaged 57% of the amount assessed, while collections in San Diego County averaged only 12%.

The overarching sentiment underlying the audit is that some counties have shortchanged their local shelters by failing to disburse funds. For example, Sacramento County maintained an excessive level of reserve funding in its special fund when compared to disbursements, while Santa Clara County did not comply with state law when distributing its funds.

As a result, I am demanding a hearing to discuss the next steps necessary to assist California shelters in receiving the funding that is owed.

I will continue to work to ensure that California’s domestic violence programs receive the funding they were promised. Even in this downturn economy, the State as well as local governments are entrusted with providing a safety net for those in need. Our priorities need to be clear; victims who turn to shelters in fear for their lives and the lives of their children should not have to worry about shelters closing their doors because counties were not doing their job.

PG&E: Culture moves to safety

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Utility giant Pacific Gas and Electric Company is transforming itself into a company with safety emerging as its clear cultural cornerstone, Nick Stavropoulos, executive vice president of gas operations, said yesterday.

He made the claim following the company’s completion of four recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board to strengthen its gas emergency response plans following the pipeline explosion and fire nearly two years ago that left eight San Bruno residents dead and 37 homes completely destroyed in the Glenview neighborhood.

“I’m very proud of how our employees have pursued the NTSB’s recommendations with vigor and urgency,” Stavropoulos wrote in a statement yesterday.

PG&E has now completed four of the safety actions recommended by the NTSB in response to the 2010 pipeline accident in San Bruno, according to a recent letter from the federal agency.

But local state lawmakers said the company still has much to do and has only tackled the “easy” recommendations.

Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, said the company is doing the “little things” and has yet to take firm action on testing and replacing its aging pipe transmission lines.

“They certainly haven’t tackled the major, most significant recommendations,” Hill told the Daily Journal yesterday.

In the past year, pipeline explosions and fires in Cupertino and Roseville exposed a vulnerability to brittle, older plastic pipe. The NTSB had recommended that pipe’s replacement, but those recommendations were not heeded, Hill said.

Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, has crafted legislation that should ease PG&E’s effort to upgrade its pipelines called Assembly Bill 2564 that is currently on the governor’s desk.

“My husband is a firefighter and I always worry when he’s at work. So I applaud PG&E’s speed in completing the safety plans but know a lot still needs to be done to upgrade our aging system,” Ma wrote the Daily Journal in an email yesterday.

The three recently completed recommendations include:

• Emergency procedure: PG&E has established a comprehensive response procedure to large-scale emergencies on gas transmission pipelines. The procedure identifies a single person to assume command and specifies duties for all others involved; includes development and use of trouble-shooting protocol and checklists; and requires periodic tests or drills to show that the procedure can work.

• 911 notification: PG&E’s gas control room operators, who keep 24-hour watch of the utility’s transmission pipeline network, are now required to immediately notify the 911 call centers for the communities affected when a possible pipeline rupture is detected.

• Toxicological tests: PG&E has revised its post-accident toxicological testing to ensure it is timely and incorporates all potentially involved employees.

The utility completed the fourth recommendation as of spring 2012, after having conducted an intensive records search and having validated the maximum allowable operating pressure for its 2,088 miles of transmission pipelines in populated areas. The records meet the NTSB’s threshold for traceable, verifiable and complete, according to PG&E.

“The progress we’re making on these steps mirrors the transformation that’s happening within PG&E, with safety emerging as our clear cultural cornerstone. We want every employee and contractor to understand the importance of performing his or her job with the utmost attention to getting it right,” Stavropoulos wrote in the statement.

But Hill told the Daily Journal PG&E is responding because of recent legislation the state has passed.

“They are responding because they have to. It’s the law,” Hill said.

Without the legislation, “they wouldn’t do it,” Hill said about PG&E’s safety efforts.

San Francisco-based PG&E has 20,000 employees and serves 15 million residents in northern and central California.

Lawmakers allow two hospitals to expand cardiac procedures

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Two prominent California hospitals will be allowed to perform some cardiac procedures in outpatient buildings thanks to legislation approved on Friday.

The bill involves cardiac catheterization, in which a small tube is inserted into an artery or vein and threaded to a patient’s chest to help diagnose or treat ailments. Such procedures have been allowed only in main hospital buildings, but supporters say they can now be done safely in new outpatient buildings planned for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.

The bill received overwhelming support in the Assembly and Senate on Friday, and it was sent to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature or veto.

The California Nurses Assn. fiercely opposed the bill, saying there would be fewer safeguards if something goes wrong during a procedure. It also pointed out that outpatient buildings don’t need to meet the same standards for earthquake safety.

“What they’re proposing to do will seriously compromise patient care safety,” said Bonnie Castillo, the association’s legislative director.

The California Hospital Assn. and the hospitals themselves rejected those concerns, pointing out that the outpatient buildings will be connected to the main hospital, giving patients the same access to operating rooms in case of an emergency.

Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco), the bill’s sponsor, said expanding into outpatient buildings is important to avoid long waits for cardiac catheter procedures.

“It becomes more and more dangerous to the patients the longer they need to wait,” she said.

The bill was originally supposed to apply to all hospitals in the state, but was later restricted to Cedars-Sinai and Scripps Memorial. It is particularly beneficial for Cedars-Sinai, which broke ground on a new $350-million outpatient building in 2009. Cardiac catheterization is one of the procedures it expected to be able to perform there.

The building is scheduled to open in late 2013. If the bill hadn’t passed on Friday, legislative rules would have made it unlikely the change could take effect until the beginning of 2014.

“In the past few weeks, it became clear that new legislation is necessary to meet patients’ needs for outpatient cardiac catheterization services,” said Sally Stewart, a spokeswoman for Cedars-Sinai.

Scripps Memorial is in the planning stages for its own new outpatient building.

Scripps President and Chief Executive Chris Van Gorder said expanding the procedures at two hospitals was the right way to start.

“The state is getting an opportunity to evaluate two very good programs,” he said. “I suspect the state will expand it to the other hospitals as well under the same regulations.”

Relieve traffic congestion

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0500

I appreciate Andy Ross and Phil Matier and The Chronicle's coverage of AB2200 ("Carpool lane a bump in the road for S.F. Assemblywoman Ma," Aug. 22). However, there are a number of key facts that were left on the roadside.

1. I term out this December. After this week, I will not be commuting between Sacramento and San Francisco, and the bill would go into effect in 2013. Do the math.

2. According to a Legislative Analyst's Office report produced in 2000 and a UC Berkeley study from 2005, HOV lanes have been operating at two-thirds of their capacity and could actually increase overall congestion.

3. According to Caltrans' own website, HOV lanes are woefully underutilized. They even stopped keeping data after 2003 because the numbers were not showing a strong use of HOV lanes.

It makes little sense to have a carpool lane that requires three people in a car during both peak and non-peak hours when the rest of California requires two people in a vehicle during commute times. This underutilization of our carpool lanes is increasing congestion and environmental impacts.

AB2200 had numerous hearings in both houses and passed with bipartisan support. Government should be in the business of helping working people, not slowing them down.

In peace and friendship,

Fiona Ma, Assembly speaker pro tempore, Sacramento

Some girls chase boys, Verena Mei just passes them

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Don’t underestimate an Asian woman with mission and a passion. Verena Mei is a member of True Car Racing’s “Women Empowered” Initiative and a Rally America Driver. She’s appeared in the blockbuster movies “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” and “Rush Hour 2.” I got a chance to meet and talk with the beautiful and affable “fastest Asian-American female in the US” at the Indy Grand Prix Sonoma races this past Saturday.

How did you get into this business?

I started as a model for the automobile industry and wanted to get behind the wheel. So I put myself through stunt driving school, built my first Drift car in 2004 and spent 5 years competing in Formula Drift and transitioned into Time Attack which led me to my dream of participating in Rally Racing.

What is Rally Racing?

Rally Racing is a two person “survivor” type race where we drive through rough conditions, mud, water, snow, rain. Each race has 60-70 cars at the start and the race is about time and crossing the finish line. Each race course (and conditions) is different. It’s normally a 2-3 day race where my co driver and I spend 8-10 hours per day in the car. There can be between 11-24 stages and we are timed for each stage and the total quickest time in all stages wins. We get “Stage Notes” for each race, which is thick spiral bound book describing the conditions of the course. The only time we do a run-through of the course is the day before the race where we drive about 15-35 miles/hour and edit the Stage Notes based on our perspective. On race day, I must trust and depend on my co driver Leanne Munilla and just “go for it.” Compared to other types of races, we only “see 1, 000 corners once” so it’s very challenging.

Which championship did you just win?

In mid July, my co-driver and I won the Rally America National Championship in the “B Spec” class. This was the first time an all female American team won this race. Since this is my first year, I really want to learn to be the best driver I can be. I drive a 2011 Ford Fiesta which is a “slower” car, relatively speaking, but I believe if I can learn to drive a slow car fast, then I will be able to drive a fast car faster.

What’s it like being a women competing Rally racing?

First off, I want to thank True Car for giving me this amazing opportunity to have all the tools (a car) to compete. Perhaps an advantage for Leanne and I is that we’re lighter than other teams however if our car flips, crashes or breakdowns, we can’t call a crew to help us. It’s up to us to lift our car out of the mud or turn it over so that could be a difficult. This sport also requires mental strength however in Rally, men and women can compete on a level playing field.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now and what’s your training like?

I grew up in Pearl City, Hawaii and ethnically Chinese. I live in Littleton, New Hampshire now which is close to the best top Rally race school in the U.S. I am a pescatarean, eat well and work out a lot. When not racing, I practice on different types of tracks but spend most of my time editing Stage Notes so when it comes to race day, there’s no thinking twice when my co driver calls out a command.

What are your goals?
I want to be a positive role model, empower women, and to educate teens about car control and the importance of safe driving.

In December 2011, Verena signed with TrueCar, as one of six female race car drivers that make up the TrueCar Racing Women Empowered Initiative. 2012 is her first year in the Rally America National Championship, and has finished 5 out of 5 races, with one more to go. Verena is currently 1st in the B-Spec National Championship, and 5th in 2-wheel drive.

Check out the other female speed enthusiasts: Katherine Legge and Shea Holbrook racing at Indy Grand Prix Sonoma; Ashley Freiberg, Shannon McIntosh, and Emilee Tominovich.

FDA and CDC warn of tainted tattoo ink

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Drawing in $2 billion dollars a year, the tattoo industry has reached staggering heights—even your neighborhood grocer is living in a world of permanent ink. Recently, however, the FDA and the CDC warned that there is no law or regulation requiring tattoo inks to be sterile. The inks are considered to be a cosmetic, which means that ink manufacturers must use pre-market approved ingredients, but little attention is paid to the ink once it’s been mixed. Last week, doctors in Rochester, New York, diagnosed a young man with a “a persistant granulomatous rash,” caused by an organism affectionately called Mycobacterium Chelonae, which the CDC and FDA says came from tainted ink. So far, nineteen cases have been diagnosed, and while all patients have recovered, both the CDC and the FDA are calling for higher standards within the tattoo industry.

WEIGH IN:

Do you have any tattoos? Will this change your mind about getting any? Do you think this will be a trend or an isolated incident?

Guest:

Danny Wild, Tattoo artist at Tattoo Mania, a tattoo parlor in West Hollywood, CA

Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-CA, 12th District), Speaker Pro Tempore; introduced AB 300, or “The Safe Body Art Act,” which went into effect in California on July 1, 2012.

California counties step up tattoo shop inspections

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0500

As county officials work to implement state legislation requiring tattoo and piercing shops to register and pass a battery of tests, some area practitioners question the need for the new regulations and ask whether the government will crack down on underground artists.

AB 300 created California inspection and registration protocols for tattoo and piercing shops, as well as the artists, but left it to the counties to do the legwork. The bill, authored by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, is aimed at protecting the public from exposure to hepatitis C and other blood-borne pathogens. It took effect in July.

Ma said she was shocked six years ago to learn there were no state rules on the operation of tattoo parlors.

"I wanted to do something about this to ensure diseases would not be shared through needles," Ma said.

With the backing of industry trade groups, her legislation was passed in 2011.

The legislation also allows counties to assess shops and practitioners to fund annual inspections.

Placer County took action Tuesday, adopting a fee schedule under which Placer County tattoo and piercing practitioners must pay $80 a year. Other fees were assigned for permanent facilities, temporary events and in various other categories.

In Sacramento County, which charges practitioners $142 a year under its fee schedule, environmental specialist Anne Frey was busy Thursday implementing the new rules. By early afternoon, Highland's Finest Tattoos in North Highlands became just the 13th county location to pass inspection.

"It's the intent of this law to protect the client and the artist," said Frey, as she wrapped up the one-hour-plus inspection.

During her visit, she watched tattoo artist Art Pillado set up his workstation, examined the shop's training records and ensured that needles were disposed of properly, among other things.

Shop owner Kenya Bell was pleased to pass and said she was supportive of the inspection requirements.

"I really think it will be better for the profession," Bell said. "I think people will respect it more."

Frey left after placing a green "pass" placard in the shop's window. Displaying the placard is voluntary. The inspections are mandatory.

Sacramento County officials say there are more than 175 facilities that will need inspections, but so far only 47 have asked for them.

Some tattoo shop owners believe the county's estimate is low, and complain that it doesn't take into account people who work from home without a business license.

A search of the online classified site Craigslist revealed seven people offering tattoos, one offering permanent makeup, one selling piercings, three selling tattoo equipment and one guy soliciting a tattoo in exchange for an Xbox 360 video game system.

"If they don't go after people who are working out of their house and not compliant, what is the point?" asked Dave O'Connor, owner of Sacramento Tattoo.

O'Connor said the registration revenue should be used to go after the underground artists.

Whether counties will have the time or resources to go after unlicensed practitioners remains to be seen. Alicia Enriquez, deputy chief of the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department, said inspectors will act on tips, but noted that tattoo shop inspections will be just one of many duties for them.

Ken Stuart, interim director of environmental health for Placer County, was blunt, noting that "none of the fees" go toward enforcement.

O'Connor and others said the best tattoo and piercing practitioners had taken blood-borne pathogen training and done 90 percent of what is required by AB 300 before it became law.

"People's health and welfare isn't being threatened by people working out of a shop, it's being threatened by people working out of their house next to their cat box," said Drew Howell, an artist at Sacramento Tattoo.

Britton McFetridge, owner of Royal Peacock Tattoo, questioned the need for the law. He said the county can't point to any local instance where hepatitis C was spread by tattoo artists' dirty needles.

"For us, there was never a problem," he said.

The new rules have prompted some changes in operations at local shops. Highland's Finest installed a new sink with a touch-free faucet. Sacramento Tattoo will be installing two new sinks, has added a new test to its already fastidious cleaning regimen and updated some paperwork.

"Most of what AB 300 requires, we were already doing," O'Connor said.