In California’s major cities, homicides rose by roughly 17 percent in the last year. Homicides in Los Angeles reached their highest total in 15 years. (Photo: Eva Carre/Shutterstock)
SEIU and Wealthy Donors Trying to Kill California’s Retail Theft Reform Bills
Doesn’t retail theft impact everyone in the state?
By Katy Grimes, April 7, 2024 11:31 am
The SEIU has thrown down its cards and is now trying to kill retail theft reform bills – even the bills authored by Democrats. And they are joined by the wealthy spouses of real estate developers, tech billionaires and daughters of oil barons – people who live behind tall walls and secured gates. Their cars and homes aren’t broken into.
Yet because they don’t shop at Target, Walgreens, Home Depot, Walmart, or even Nordstrom and Macy’s, somehow the bills targeting repeat retail theft, organized retail theft, enhancing penalties for selling fentanyl, and making it easier to prosecute car thieves, just aren’t of interest to them – so much so that they are trying to kill them.
Doesn’t retail theft impact everyone in the state – not just the supporters who are collecting signatures to overturn parts of Proposition 47? Nearly 50% of the stores in San Francisco have closed and residents are fleeing the city.
Escalating crime throughout California’s cities and communities has taken its toll on the state’s residents and businesses. Because of Proposition 47, there is no accountability when it comes to these crimes, theft is underreported and some stores are even told not to report theft crimes. And we all are paying the price for the rampant thefts.
The proposed ballot initiative to amend Prop. 47 is currently collecting signatures for the November 2024 ballot.
However, as Politico reports:
“Criminal justice reform advocates are mobilizing to thwart a ballot initiative that would reverse California’s recent turn away from tougher criminal penalties.
The counteroffensive signals that those advocates fear the initiative to crack down drug and property crimes, backed by prosecutors and major retailers, has a strong chance of landing on the November ballot. If it does, it could unravel a series of recent political victories seeking to overhaul sentencing and incarceration.
A six-figure digital advertising campaign, funded by some of the same groups and people that have championed lighter criminal penalties, urges Californians to reject the tough-on-crime ballot measure and instead push for changes in the Legislature.
A newly launched committee supporting the advertising campaign has reported donations from Quinn Delaney and Stacy Schusterman, who have together poured millions into California prosecutor and crime ballot measure campaigns, and an organization whose leader, Tinisch Hollins, has championed efforts to reduce criminal penalties.”
Don’t you want to know why?
Some of these same “donors” spent $3.7 million alone to elect George Gascón Los Angeles District Attorney, the failed pro-criminal justice reform DA who has harmed victims, their families, and the average taxpayer who faces the indirect burdens of his actions, Aidan Chao wrote for the Globe. “Over the last two years, property crimes have increased a staggering 14 to 42%, highlighting a troubling correlation: a spike in crime, particularly retail theft and “smash-and-grab” incidents, have surged under overly lenient policies like zero-bail and the elimination of the three-strike system. This uptick not only undermines public confidence but also imposes substantial economic burdens on a county already wrestling with affordability crises and inequality.”
These same “philanthropists” also tried to pass Proposition 16 in 2020, the initiative to bring back race-based preferences in hiring and education (to overturn Proposition 209). As Edward Ring wrote for the Globe:
“And while the unions came up with $1.7 million to support this bill, another $17.5 million came from private donors, including $5.5 million from M. Quinn Delaney – who along with her wealthy husband Wayne Jordan are among California’s premier limousine liberals.”
Philanthropy – The effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations – is wonderful and noble, particularly if it is properly conducted and administered.
How is what these donors are funding philanthropy? How is it progress? What is it with these super-wealthy women? Are they compelled out of guilt to fund disruption and destabilization in California? Are they self-loathing America-hating anarchists? Do they see themselves as female versions of George Soros? Too much of today’s “philanthropy” tears down institutions, supports abortion and assisted suicide, supports hardened criminals and subjugates victims, resulting in dangerous living conditions for the masses.
During their acceptance speech for the @carnegiemedal, Lynn and Stacy Schusterman reflected on the origins of their family’s giving and the urgent need to ensure all people can access the opportunity to realize their full potential. Watch here: https://t.co/dKkyLrPIuZ #CMoP pic.twitter.com/KQcRkKEbKN
— Schusterman Family Philanthropies (@Schusterman_Org) October 20, 2022
Stacy Schusterman is an oil heiress from Oklahoma: “Stacy Schusterman, a major Democratic donor, helms both her family’s philanthropic foundation and the new incarnation of the family’s drilling company, called Samson Energy,” Jewish Telegraph Agency reported in 2022. “The Schustermans’ foundation is known as a funder of liberal and progressive efforts in a wide array of areas, including voting rights, education, criminal justice reform and gender and reproductive equity. The family donates millions to Democratic party campaigns,” and supports”#JewsForAbortionAccess,” because “Reproductive freedom is a Jewish value.”
Today’s Politico article reported:
“They have raised more than $7 million and, in a sign that the idea could resonate with California’s overwhelmingly Democratic electorate, they have won endorsements from San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, both Democrats,”
However, nowhere in the article does Politico link to this new committee or the advertising campaign.
And now we have the SEIU also opposing retail theft reform efforts, claiming it is a race issue, in a letter to Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Public Safety (letter below):
“On behalf of SEIU California and our over 700,000 members, we would like to express our opposition to AB 1990 (Carrillo), which would allow a police officer to, without a warrant, arrest a person for shoplifting not committed in the officer’s presence if the officer has ‘reasonable cause’ to believe that the person has committed shoplifting. This bill would also prohibit the use of citations in lieu of custodial arrest for individuals arrested for shoplifting regardless of the circumstances.”
Our members, the majority of which are people of color, are not only workers in various sectors across the state but they are also members of the community that are concerned about policies that disproportionately impact people of color as it relates to the criminal legal system.
AB 1990 is not only unfair but can harm black and brown communities and have an impact on various workforces.”
SEIU laughably claims existing law is already effective in shoplifting matters:
“Existing law provides effective procedures for the detention and arrest of shoplifters. Current law provides shopkeepers and their agents, including security officers, the power to detain individuals for shoplifting. Current law also gives shopkeepers and their agents the power to make citizen arrests and turn the arrestee over to the police for processing and criminal prosecution.”
And if those weak and flawed arguments don’t pass muster, the SEIU claims:
“This bill is unfair and believed to be unconstitutional. For these reasons, we strongly oppose this bill and request your ‘NO’ vote.”
CDCR.ca.gov has a bio posted for Tinish Hollins on their website, and says she “has over two decades of professional experience in community organizing, guiding government systems, and informing public policy to make social change. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of Californians for Safety and Justice (CSJ), one of the nation’s most effective criminal justice reform advocacy organizations.”
So the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is now taking “guidance” from a community organizer bent on social justice, criminal justice reform and social change?
Or from the bored wives and daughters of wealthy philanthropists? Politico identified Delaney and three others in 2021 as “4 wealthy donors fueling overhaul of California’s criminal justice system.”
The 2021 article continues: “social justice advocates are preparing to defend the state’s top prosecutor, Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is closely aligned with the reform movement and one of the nation’s most liberal AGs.”
“The four donors — Patty Quillin, Quinn Delaney, Elizabeth Simons and Kaitlyn Krieger — channeled $22 million toward criminal justice ballot measures and allied candidates the previous two years.”
“Delaney has been involved in criminal justice fights for decades, launching a foundation with her husband Wayne Jordan — a prominent Bay Area real estate developer — after voters passed a 2000 ballot proposition toughening sentencing for youth offenders.”
The female “donors” and now the SEIU are venturing into dangerous territory. California is already on shaky ground having now dabbled in failed social justice experiments for 10 years following the passage of Propositions 47 and 57 in 2016.
Because it’s not just about retail theft run amok – everyday people are getting hurt and even killed with so much money having been spent to defend criminals – in the name of “social justice.”
Perhaps that is what they want.
AB 1990 (Carrillo) .docx
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This article erases any doubt I had that the current crime wave is organized by some very wealthy and connected people.
I wonder if these rich woke progressive donors will have a “change of heart” if they themselves become the targets and victims of their own misguided philanthropy. Their money is a clarion call to criminals who are entering the country through open borders and targeting high-income communities for burglary. Perhaps it will not sway them since these people live behind walls and have the means to hire security; whereas us poor folk do not. Cannot grasp their thinking except that they are attempting to create some kind of new world order per WEF.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/gangs-from-central-and-south-america-entering-the-us-and-targeting-luxury-homes-sheriff/ar-AA1hAWYj
Comedy writer/performer and L.A. Westsider Larry David once upon a time was honest enough to say (years ago) in an L.A. Times opinion piece that he (and his wife at the time) believed their wealthy-white-celebrity guilt (paraphrasing) was likely behind their embrace of progressive/left causes. His wife, whose first name I cannot remember, was a RABID and unthinking environmentalist. It was a rare confession of wealthy celebrity silliness and thus notable. It’s tempting to put EVERYONE like him in the same category. Not sure if we can do that but I think it’s fair to generalize somewhat.
Yes! What many may or may not see is that the more the properties are devalued the mega rich can swoop in and purchase the properties, THEN support/restore law and order, and the rich get richer on our backs.
I wonder, are these wealthy people of how they got rich by sending people to steal for them? I would think they would welcome RULE OF LAW Crime enforcement and not to stop a bill like this. What are these people afraid of? mmmmm… to me it tells me these people who have opposition to this bill are part of the crimes happening in CA. They have money to protect the with their walls and surveillance and armed guards, but what about the rest of us. A bunch of low life rich people promoting crime in CA. Very sad indeed.
Such a good point made that this is not philanthropy on the part of the ultra-wealthy, who once upon a time left art museums in their wake, funded scholarships for penniless worthy students, donated a necessary new wing on a hospital, or set up foundations for, say, foster children, to provide those who sought its largesse a chance at a good start in life.
No, this is hell’s version of philanthropy, and what a wasteful, destructive, and sick version it is, for the elite class to seek social cachet by undermining what is need for a civilized society under cover of empty pretend-virtue (on steroids).
Furthermore, the proof that the “bored wives” of the wealthy don’t even believe in the real helpfulness of their “cause” is that they are hiding out from California’s vast array of societal problems in gated protected enclaves where none of the inevitable results of the mess, which they have helped to create, can touch them. Thus they are total phonies, too, and not even so-called “true believers.”
The tough-as-nails-looking SEIU head and her upper echelon (the membership are robots) also don’t believe in the crap they spew. They are self-centered Marxists who are motivated by a sort of hostile greed and seek societal chaos for fun and profit.
This is disgusting and upside-down, as usual for California. Hope good normal people will prevail anyway against it. Guess we’ll see! sigh
Whoops I made a mistake — the woman pictured is not the Ca SEIU boss but (as was plainly labeled and stated in the article) is Tinish Hollins, Executive Director of Californians for Safety and Justice, a “criminal justice reform” organization. She is a community-organizer social-justice-warrior type apparently advising the CA Department of Corrections (!!!), or that’s what we would assume because she is posted with bio on their website. Which is obviously even worse.
We are going to find out how smart or how stupid the voters in California are.
Journalism such as the above article may help to inform the uninformed, but this type of insight needs to be carried by the lamestream media of California.
Good Work Katy!
Excellent article and deeply disturbing at the same time.
These donors aren’t cynical. They actually believe they are on to “right side of history” even though you’d have to ignore the news, crime statistics, recidivism rates, retail shrinkage losses, store closings, political news, polling results, and basically anyone with common sense in their social circles. That’s quite impressive!
Ban all government employee unions. Pound sand, SEIU.
The next time you see TV news footage of an SEIU-led protest, notice the red Hammer-and-Cicle flags in the crowd. It’s not hard to imagine the SEIU organizing a revolution that begins in fast food restaurants’ kitchens by workers who’ve been convinced that such “careers” should be enough to support a family.
We are already funding the most successful equal opportunity system on the planet- the California Community College system, with their locally elected boards of trustees.
If something is not working in your community and you need public education and training programs to remedy these local needs, including prison education programs so anyone can leave with a skills certificate that can land them an entry level job (Eg: Serv-Safe food handling certificate), your local community college board of trustees needs to hear from you.
California invested wisely and strongly putting low cost or free community colleges in the reach of every single Californian. Stop re-inventing new programs, while ignoring the one that is already working right in the middle of your own community.
And if it is not working for you, fire your current community college board, weed out the unions and special interests, and get your community college working for YOU! Visit Transparent California, look up the compensation schedules for your local community college employees – are you currently getting value for the dollars you are already investing in your own local college. If not, make the changes you need and want to see.
Killing babies is NOT a “Jewish value”.
Stop lying, lady.
No kidding, Jaye, what a completely bizarre thing to say.
Thank you again for all the good, practical, useful information you always share with us.
How did SEIU become so racist – hiring only POC, so they no longer look like California. These are our tax dollars they are spending to run their “majority POC” membership operation. File a Civil Rights complaint against SEIU.
Raid the treasury and hire the relatives is how you destroy your own government from within. SEIU needs to be audited on every level before they get another single tax dollar to fund their blatently racist operations.
We can only hope that whoever is in charge of counting ballots is in favor fixing the destruction caused by prop 47. Otherwise it hasn’t a chance in hell of passing.
SEIU members in all Calif county election offices count the ballots and adjudicate questionable ones, with little direct oversight .
SEIU members have a direct, immediate and existential interests in election outcomes – who will be writing their paychecks and handing out their perks and pensions. This is an abhorrent conflict of interests.
It’s interesting to see the list of the very very rich Democrats who are funding the lawlessness and destruction of California?
So why would an oil heiress from the mostly conservative state of Oklahoma like Stacy Schusterman fund radical leftist causes in California? How did her Jewish father Charles Schusterman emigrate from the Soviet Union to Oklahoma and then go on to establish the Samson Investment Company that includes oil fields in the United States, Canada, Venezuela and Russia? Why does foundation that he established (the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation) support radical leftist causes and Democrat politicians in California? Something doesn’t add up? Maybe Kazarian mafia hiding behind a Jewish identity?
According to the website InfluenceWatch, it appears that Quinn Delaney and her husband Wayne Jordan co-founded the Akonadi Foundation in 2001 which is a radical left racial justice grantmaking group primarily focused in Oakland, CA. It has given 1,900 grants totaling $43 million to racial-advocacy groups primarily located in the Bay Area. Nearly all the Akonadi Foundation’s funding comes from its co-founders. In 2019, all donations to Akonadi came from Jordan and Delaney, amounting to over $4 million. Nearly all the rest of the foundation’s $7 million in revenue that year came from its endowment and the sale of assets.
According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records, in 1996, Wayne Jordan listed himself as employed by Contra Costa College, a community college in San Pablo, California. Shortly after that he had also listed his employment as “real estate developer” and “attorney.” In 1998, Jordan founded Jordan Real Estate Investments, a real estate company based in Oakland, CA with projects throughout the United States.
In the 1990s, Quinn Delaney worked for the San Francisco-based investment bank Hambrecht and Quist, and for her husband’s real estate company, Jordan Real Estate Investments. Quinn Delaney has also worked as an attorney for the National Center for Youth Law and the ACLU of Northern California.
It’s curious as to how two attorneys like Quinn Delaney and her husband Wayne Jordan were able to became so wealthy in such a short amount of time and how they are able to give away millions of dollars to radical left causes and Democrat candidates? Where is all that money really coming from and who are they working for?
As Katy Grimes suggested, these Democrat connected philanthropists seem to deliberately want retail theft to run amok while everyday people are getting hurt and even killed with so much money having been spent to defend criminals in the name of “social justice.”
All one needs to do is look at the highest dollar budget items on California’s budget every year and then everything falls into place.
The opportunities for grabbing unfathomable amounts of our taxpayer dollars during the Covid “crises”
were immense.
What is not shut down or eliminated is privatized and auctioned off to the highest bidder or a few well connected lobbyists.
Look at the company monitoring released sex offenders.
Sold to the highest bidder at our expense.
It is not a coincidence that our most well known death row residents are up for new trials.
Let’s start the bidding, who has two million for this seat in Congress?
…..I hear two….can I get three million….?
Defund politics and Re-fund the police…
Looks like SEIU would rather have criminals on payroll.
It sounds like SEIU plans on unionizing criminals. God only knows how they got to be a growth industry!
Yes! What many may or may not see is that the more the properties are devalued the mega rich can swoop in and purchase the properties, THEN support/restore law and order, and the rich get richer on our backs.
The decent thrust behind much political correctness, the desire to respect the personhood of others, actually comes from Christianity itself. Of course, the left has taken that very Christian, very Western idea and turned it into a totalitarian system of groupthink and racism. –Mark Gavreau Judge