News
Press Release - May 27, 2008
Subject: Antioch & Oakley Press Endorses Agopian.
The first question that voters in the county’s Fifth Supervisorial District must decide is whether Federal Glover should be given a third four-year term on the Board of Supervisors, or whether a change is needed. We believe it’s time for a change.
While Glover has not been a bad supervisor, he also has not been the dynamic, proactive, forceful leader fighting for residents’ interests that his constituents need and deserve.
His slow response to concerns about mismanagement by the County Housing Authority overseeing the Section 8 program, his initial vote to study placing a prison next to an Antioch high school under construction and his opposition to Antioch’s wishes to place Roddy Ranch inside the urban limit line are three examples of that.
The question then becomes which of his challengers is best suited to become the next supervisor. Antioch School Board Member Gary Agopian is literally and figuratively head and shoulders over the other candidates.
First, he has experience. He’s the only candidate other than Glover who currently holds an elected office, having been elected to the board in 2004. He currently serves on the Mello-Roos Board and he’s served on the Antioch Economic Development Commission.
Second, he has the qualities of leadership. Agopian is intelligent, articulate and a forceful speaker for his positions. Unlike Glover, whose campaign literature portrays him as the slow and steady tortoise that wins the race, Agopian is a quick-witted, fast-talking, hard- working hare – qualities more suited for the fast pace of the 21st century Internet age.
Third, Agopian has been active in the community. He’s attended Antioch’s Quality of Life Forums, regularly attends school events, spoke at the supervisors’ meeting against the Antioch prison proposal, reached out to the Oakley City Council and recently he literally helped clean up Antioch by picking up trash and painting over graffiti.
Agopian merits your serious consideration and deserves your vote on June 3.
To comment, visit www.thepress.net
Press Release - May 14, 2008
Subject: City, police named in discrimination lawsuit CC Times
May 14, 2008 Today, I opened my paper and read about the discrimination lawsuit filed by Bay Area Legal Aid against the Antioch Police Department alleging that the Community Action Team (C.A.T.) unfairly targets (emphasis added) African American families enrolled in the housing choice voucher program known as "section 8".
They are alleged to have engaged in a "concerted and unlawful campaign to seek evidence which could lead to the termination of participants' section 8 voucher benefits". This lawsuit, in my opinion, is an attempt to raise the spector of "bigotry" as an attack against lawful investigation of citizen complaints. I marvel at the intentional efforts to disregard why compliants occur. Our Police Department has provided detailed information on all cases as reques ted by Bay Area Legal Aid.
I have read the resulting report provided by them (B.A.L.A.) and it is clear to me that one has to disregard facts in order to arrive at their conclusion. In order to see nefarious motivation, one would have to have proof of "targeting". This would imply evidence, a "smoking gun" that leadership had instructed officers or that offficers had planned and carried out on their own, deliberate investigations on a racial class with an end in mind. Nothing could be further from the truth!
The C.A.T. team was formed as a result of detailed and extensive community forums that heard from residents their concern about unlawful and criminal behavior in neighborhoods. It is well documented that the Contra Costa Housing Authority has a history of poor management, lax standards and questionable results. It took painful federal reports and community "push back" to get the attention of anyone in County leadership. I was present at those fourms. Change was grudging, but it is occuring. One reason for this positive change is the C.A.T. team. When a complaint occured, they were dispatched to investigate and if, only if, the tenant was potentially in violation of the law or of Housing Authority rules ( which the tenant has a contract to obey), then appropriate action would be taken. The model is "complaint driven". Does that sound like a deliberate attempt to target any racial or tenancy class to you? It doesn't to me. It is color blind and tenancy blind. It is a response to a complaint alone. I will close with this. It is fascinating to me that below the article in the Times today about this lawsuit was a large picture of Contra Costa firefighters responding to a call regarding a burning van in Antioch. They were doing their job!
They are responders and we honor them for their work in public safety. Imagine for a moment that they would not respond for fear of being charged with discrimination because they are NOT responding enough to a particular race or tenant or that they target the same. It would be ludicrous to make any claim like that, because they are responders. They aren't lighting the fires. They put them out! Were someone to have evidence that they were lighting the fires, then it would be moral to correct the wrong. But if they were targeted by a group and disparaged without cause, we would have a moral obligation to stand up for them. I am standing with our Antioch Police. They are being wrongly accused. The facts regarding C.A.T. complaint driven investigations point to potential unlawful behavior by residents not by police. They aren't lighting fires, they are putting them out!
Press Release - February 29, 2008
Subject: Gary Agopian runs for County Supervisor
Antioch school board member Gary Agopian took out papers today to run for County Supervisor in the 5th Supervisor District currently held by Federal Glover.
Agopian said, “The straw that broke the camel’s back in deciding to run is the Antioch prison issue and what happened at the last Board of Supervisors meeting. Our supervisor voted for the Antioch location and supported it until the public pressure got so great he couldn’t ignore it. The other candidate in the race was notably absent. On an issue as important as this, we deserve better.”
Other issues Agopian will be focusing on are:
- Reducing Neighborhood Crime
- Protecting Home Property Values
- Supporting School & Education
- Expediting Traffic & Transportation Improvements
Antioch Unified School District Board of Trustees – 2004 to Present
Antioch Economic Development Commission – 2002 to 2005
Mello-Roos Board – 2007 to Present
Corporate Membership Antioch Chamber of Commerce
Antioch Unified School District Budget Advisory Committee – 2003 to 2005
PTA Member – Antioch High School & Deer Valley High School