For years, Kipp Kahlia felt stuck. The Long Beach guitarist used to tour the country with reggae artists. But 20 years ago, after contracting intestinal parasites on a trip abroad, Kahlia had to take a step back from gigging.

Her health deteriorated and visits to doctors drained her savings. Recently she decided to start a business performing social justice songs at events. But with no extra funds or time, she had to pause the venture.

“With all the struggling I was doing, my attitude took a hit,” Kahlia said. “The more you witness yourself being down and out, the more you feel down and out, and the more stuck you feel.”

Now Kahlia is getting a chance to get unstuck. Kahlia was selected as one of 1,000 participants in L.A. County’s guaranteed income program, called Breathe.

It’s one of the largest guaranteed income programs in the nation, giving participants $1,000 a month over three years, more money over a longer period of time than other similar income programs. Last year, the program added an additional 200 participants who are former foster youth.

The pilot program will allow researchers to track its impact in a large, diverse region, said Sean Kline, director of the Stanford Basic Income Lab, which studies guaranteed income programs across the country.

“Whenever L.A. city or county or Chicago or New York do something bold like this, it’s a really important signal that this big policy idea found its footing during COVID and represents a possible way forward in terms of supporting low income people across America,” Kline said.

Guaranteed income’s impact

One question the Breathe program raises, Kline said, is what does it mean to have extra money for months versus several years? “If you knew the money was coming for three years, it’s a much longer runway. Can you go back to school? Can you quit your job now and look for a new one? Can you care for your aging parents?”

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are surveying the 1,000 Breathe participants, along with a control group of people not receiving funds. Every six months, program participants and members in the control group receive the same survey questions about their wellbeing, financially and mentally, said Amy Castro, director of Penn’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research.

Program participants are assigned a personal coach to guide them through any needs, financial or otherwise, that arise during the duration of the program.

Guaranteed income pilot programs first garnered mainstream attention in 2019, when Stockton launched a pilot program in his city, giving families $500 monthly for two years. The idea was to see how people use financial aid when it doesn’t have restrictions.

That pilot is one of the only experiments with published study results. While there were positive impacts on mental health and wellbeing the first year, when the pandemic broke out, the benefits were less pronounced, according to Penn’s research.

Interest nevertheless grew in the last few years as COVID-19 exacerbated income inequality throughout California, researchers said.

Advocates point to the expansion of the federal child tax credit as proof that direct cash payments to families reduce poverty. In 2021 child poverty decreased to 9% from 17.6% in 2019.

‘I had to get stronger and healthier, clear space, and lay a foundation first. Pulling yourself out of a hole often doesn’t look dramatic. ‘
— Kipp Kahlia, singer and musician participating in L.A. County’s guaranteed income pilot

Since then, guaranteed income programs’ popularity remains strong at the local and state level. In the last two years, there have been 150 to 200 guaranteed income pilot programs launched in the U.S. In California, more than 12,000 people received money through several dozen similar pilots.

Still some opponents said these types of programs discourage participation in the labor market, are too costly and fail to sufficiently reform the welfare system to bring working people out of poverty.

Most of these programs don’t yet have published results, and it’s unclear how they’ll contribute to federal policy, but California is taking the lead.

In November 2023, California launched its first state-funded guaranteed income pilot programs focused on former foster youth. The pilots will give 150 Ventura County residents $1,000 and 150 San Francisco residents $1,200 monthly.

“There is so much we don’t know yet,” Castro said. “We don’t know how long people need to receive cash to create what level of change.”

A work in progress

More than halfway through the Breathe program, Kahlia said she and her business remain a work in progress, but the funds have given her an ability to move forward in a way she hadn’t before.

“It’s taking me from always putting out fires to being able to actually make some moves to advance, not just being stuck,” Kahlia said.

The money came at the perfect time. Because of the pandemic, Kahlia had stopped teaching guitar lessons in person at parks and recreation centers and transitioned to virtual teaching. But one by one, her clients dropped off.

“I didn’t expect to be accepted,” to the Breathe program, Kahlia said. “When I was, I was really, really pleasantly surprised. It definitely took the edge off.”

She figured $1,000 a month for three years would be enough to start investing in her business. She performed in a few experimental shows in 2017 when she sang about social justice issues and got positive responses from audiences.

Singing about social justice allows Kahlia to be a performer again and return to her roots as a reggae artist. She promised herself she would make this business work and focus on her health.

As the world recovered post-pandemic, Kahlia resumed giving virtual guitar lessons from her living room. During the lessons, she sits on a narrow carpet with a binder filled with sheet music propped in front of her. She places lamps near her laptop so students can see her well.

Kahlia said she doesn’t keep track of how she spends the Breathe money. A lot of it has gone to health expenses, and some has gone to her business. But she also spends it on day-to-day things like groceries, or a taco night out with friends, she said.

Kipp Kahlia in Long Beach, next to the car she was able to lease, as part of L.A. County’s guaranteed income program. November 15, 2023. Photo by Julie A. Hotz for CalMatters

Her biggest expense has been a new car she leased after her 28-year-old Toyota Corolla started breaking down.

Kahlia thought if she was going to meet clients for her business, showing up in an old, dinged up car wouldn’t do a lot for her image.

Other smaller expenses include spending money on a website for her business and hiring a freelance IT worker.

Under other circumstances, Kahlia would have thought twice before spending that money.

“I’m probably getting more comfortable with spending money,” she said. “Just learning to say yes to stuff. There’s some stuff that, at the beginning of the program I felt was, you know, almost extravagant. And now I’m like ‘Oh my god, I really needed that for my business to move forward.’”

What research shows about guaranteed income

Though data from the L.A. County guaranteed income program is limited, the Stanford Guaranteed Income Lab tracks 31 pilot programs throughout the country, including the Breathe pilot.

The lab found, in general, that food and groceries are the top way participants are spending money, making up 35% of the funds spent. Retail sales and services are a close second at 31%.

Participants also spent the money on transportation (10%) and housing and utilities (8%). They spend a smaller percentage on educational expenses, miscellaneous expenses and health care or medical expenses.

There’s also anecdotal evidence that participants are spending some on things that may help them build wealth, like starting a business or saving for a down payment on a home, said Brian Arredondo, a coach for program participants.

The program’s coaches, provided through Wilmington-based Strength Based Community Change, personally support participants as their lives change.

Arredondo regularly checks in with about 300 participants. He said participants come to him with a huge variety of needs, from questions about investing and money management to how to find a good mechanic.

He assists them in applying for state programs, such as CalFresh, and helps some enroll in schools or colleges. He even has helped families sign their kids up on sports teams with the extra funds.

Strength Based Community Change also offers workshops on financial literacy, investing and credit repair.

‘It can’t just be the money.’

When Kahlia wanted to lease a new car, she went to Arredondo, who helped her research the used car market. He has helped other participants look for new cars and accompanied them to dealerships.

“People need help with normal, everyday interactions that may be easy for some individuals,” he said. “But for others, they don’t have any prior experience with them.”

Researchers and advocates stress how no-strings-attached cash not only improves peoples’ financial situations, but gives them peace of mind and improves mental health.

Participants report feeling more free to spend money on self care, outings with family members or sharing their wealth with community members. It’s those hard-to-measure impacts that are key, said Ely Fournier, who oversees the program coaches at Strength Based Community Change.

“It can’t just be the money,” Fournier said. “It’s the opportunity and the access to experiences sometimes that really make a big difference when there is even a little bit more resources folks can have. ”

A year and a half into the program, Kahlia’s business isn’t off the ground yet. But she’s made some progress. The program funds have given her time, she said. Normally she’d be stuck in a cycle of teaching guitar lessons to make money, but wouldn’t have time for her business.

Now Kahlia is taking a step back from teaching and spending time writing new arrangements of music to perform for clients. She’s working on updating her website and making calls to potential clients.

“I haven’t gotten to the sexy part yet,” Kahlia said. “I had to get stronger and healthier, clear space, and lay a foundation first. Pulling yourself out of a hole often doesn’t look dramatic. For me it’s been the ability to do some fairly tedious stuff over an extended period of time, over and over again.”

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

A mother’s hug was on California Sen. Aisha Wahab’s mind when she authored a controversial state bill that would allow social workers and therapists to decide when to confine someone against their will so they can be treated for mental illness.

Wahab was once a member of the Hayward City Council, and she’d just voted to create a local program that would send medical and mental health professionals to certain 911 calls, in an effort to reduce police officers interacting as much with mentally ill people.

After the vote, a woman came up and embraced her. The woman, Wahab said, was the mother of a large Black man with autism, who often wore headphones. He doesn’t speak and gets agitated in tense situations. The mother told Wahab she was terrified of her son getting hurt or killed if police – instead of mental health professionals – were ever called to detain her son.

“The problem here,” Wahab told CalMatters in an interview, “is that the individuals that are actually trained in this science, in this profession, in this industry, are not empowered enough to make the best decision for the people they work with the most.”

That’s the rationale behind Wahab’s Senate Bill 402, which passed out of the 40-member Senate Monday. Republican Sen. Janet Nguyen of Huntington Beach cast the lone “no” vote.

The bill would expand those who can issue 72-hour involuntary confinements to psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists and clinical counselors. In each county, a behavioral health director would have discretion to choose which professionals could initiate involuntary detentions.

Under current law, police officers, members of mental-health crisis teams, those in charge of treatment facilities and county-designated officials are allowed to decide when someone is such a danger to themselves or others that they need to be placed against their will in a mental health facility or hospital for a 72-hour mental health evaluation.

In most cases, police end up initiating what’s known as a “5150” hold, named after a section of California’s legal code. Hospital emergency rooms are often where a mentally ill person is taken for initial assessment and treatment.

Wahab says community organizations that work with marginalized groups and immigrant populations increasingly have mental health professionals on staff who interact with mentally ill people and their families, so they know best when someone is starting to spiral out of control. They should be able to decide if someone needs to be placed into mandatory care – and without involving police as much in the process, said Wahab, an Afghan immigrant and a former board member of the non-profit Afghan Coalition.

In the 2020-2021 fiscal year, 120,402 adult 5150 holds were issued across the state, according to a report from the California Department of Health Care Services.

Patients with behavioral health diagnoses accounted for one in five of all emergency room visits in 2021, according to the California Hospital Association. One Fresno hospital saw 6,100 patients last year for psychiatric holds, most of which police initiated, according to the bill’s legislative analysis.

Each state has a law that allows a mentally ill person to be detained for a period of time, but who can issue the holds and the rights of the person being held vary widely, according to researchers. For instance, at least 14 states allow social workers to issue holds.

Will threat of 5150 frighten those needing help?

The California Police Chiefs Association announced Monday the organization was supporting the bill, citing the benefits of more trained professionals interacting with the mentally ill instead of relying so much on officers.

“In many situations where an individual presents a danger to themselves or others, there will be a need for law enforcement, but it remains important to pass legislation like SB 402 to expand mental health professionals’ role during those events,” Alex Gammelgard, the association’s president, told CalMatters in a written statement.

But disability rights activists oppose expanding involuntary confinement for the mentally ill. Last year, they objected to a bill Gov. Gavin Newsom signed that expanded who could be confined against their will to those whose substance abuse disorders were so severe they couldn’t care for themselves.

State Sen. Aisha Wahab, a Hayward Democrat, submitted a bill to allow therapists and social workers to issue 5150 involuntary confinement holds. Here, she votes during the Senate Appropriation Committee meeting at the Capitol in Sacramento on Sept. 1, 2023. Photo by Rahul Lal for CalMatters

With this latest bill, the activists argue that it would discourage people from seeking help if they know the social workers and therapists they are interacting with have the power to lock them up.

In testimony earlier this month before the Senate Health Committee, Debra Roth, an advocate for Disability Rights California, also brought up logistical concerns.

“We don’t see how they’re going to transport a person who does not want to go to the hospital, to the hospital,” she told the committee. “And we think law enforcement is going to get called, and that’s how it will play out in real-time.”

Sen. Caroline Menjivar, a Democrat who’s a former domestic violence crisis therapist and emergency medical technician from Van Nuys, had similar reservations, though she eventually voted for the bill.

“Some of the concerns for me are the unintended consequences in terms of what happens in real life,” Menjivar told the committee. “If a therapist then puts me on a hold, do I then wait on the sofa? Who comes in? … Does the therapist then drive this individual to their local ER?”

California police free to use 5150

Wahab countered that the bill doesn’t prevent police from being called to detain someone, though the hope is they may not be needed.

“As for nonprofits, they can simply get a grant and retrofit a vehicle, a bus, a van, something like that,” she told the committee. “But we have also seen a lot of collaboration with the hospitals, with the ambulance service.”

The hope is that if a therapist, a case worker or a social worker whom a mentally ill person trusts institutes the hold, it can make the process less confrontational – and less dangerous – without needing to call police away from other duties, Wahab said.

And it’s not as if anyone can issue the holds, she said.

“We are also limiting it to people that are actually in this field,” Wahab told CalMatters. “So you could be a therapist and only work with children and never seek the ability to do a 5150, because that’s not your job. That’s not your area of interest. But there are other therapists that … work in mental-health institutions and facilities and nonprofits and so forth and their only goal is in the space. So we have been very, very narrow and focused in exactly what we are trying to do here.”

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Danny Simons, aged 73, peacefully passed away at his residence in Holmes Flat on January 15, 2024.

Born in Scotia on June 3, 1950, Danny was the son of the late Bruce and Janet Lewis. He is survived by his daughter, Danielle Simons, grandchildren Justice Simons and JT Silverstein, sister and brother-in-law Connie and Jerry Walling of Washington, sister Jackie Bruner of Santa Rosa, sister and brother-in-law Penny and Roy Clements of Alaska, and seven nieces and nephews. In heaven, he is reunited with his beloved son, Shane Simons.

The initial five years of Danny’s life were spent on a dairy farm in Arcata, where he cherished farm animals, played in the barn, had a fondness for toys with wheels, and preferred outdoor play. His favorite toys included his John Deere farm set and peddled tractor, reflecting his love for farm life since his early days. Inspired by his childhood idol, Daniel Boone, he proudly wore his coonskin hat.

The family relocated to Holmes Flat when Danny was six. During his elementary school years, he thrived in the freedoms of growing up in the country during the 1950s and 1960s. Social and with many friends, young and old, Danny had a fulfilling childhood.

Family was paramount to Danny. The love he had for his two children, parents and grandparents was undeniable, evident when he shared stories of his life. Despite being the little brother to three sisters, he was quick to defend them, always cherishing the visits and phone calls over the years. He showed the same adoration when his grandchildren were born. Being a grandfather brought him great pride and joy, and he loved to brag about their accomplishments to anyone who would listen.

Not one to have a desire to stray far from home, Danny enjoyed farm life to its fullest. He was a loyal and trustworthy friend who was always willing to extend a helping hand. Those who knew him well understood that if the garage door was open, he was just waiting for a visit with a beer fridge stocked full and a greeting of “grab a beer and sit down.”

For more than 40 years, Danny worked as a diesel mechanic for Lewis Logging, earning a reputation throughout Humboldt County as the go-to person to fix anything. Even in retirement, he could be found under a piece of equipment or the hood of a car, working on his own projects or helping others with theirs.

An avid fisherman, he spent hours at the river with a six pack of bud, a cigar, and his dog just waiting for a bite. Flashing that well known smile upon his return whether the fish were biting or not, just happy to have been at the river. Neighbors could see that same smile from out in the field while he bounced along on his tractor, cutting and bailing hay for the flat. A joy and a job he inherited from his father and, even during his season of sickness, refused to give up.

Danny’s passion for racing was undeniable, bringing him immense joy, whether cruising in his ‘55s, pushing the limits in his Corvette, or trailering his yellow trucks to the strip for quarter-mile races. Known as “Dan the Man,” racing was in his blood, and he lived for each thrilling moment on the track.

Danny will be missed by everyone who knew him. The dependable, hardworking, funny, and sincere man of few words with the hands of a giant left a mark on his community and his family. He loved deeply, had strength beyond words, and spoke the truth at all costs.

A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 25th at the Fortuna River Lodge, located at 1800 Riverwalk Dr., Fortuna. Family, friends, and those who wish to pay their respects, are invited to gather and share memories of Danny Simons.

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Steven Arne Gustafson passed away peacefully on the evening of Monday, January 1, 2024 at the age of 64 after a nine-year journey with early onset Alzheimer’s and dementia. He is survived by Lynnette Chen, his wife of 15 years, daughter and son-in-law Kelsey and Andrew Grootsky, son Huxley Gustafson, grandson Alexander Gustafson, brother Bruce Gustafson, sister Marta Gustafson and uncountable friends and family. Steve is preceded in death by his mother, Marjorie Louise Gustafson, father Arne Bruce Gustafson and step-mother Carol Blanche Gustafson.

Steve was born December 30, 1959 and grew up in Alameda and Walnut Creek. He graduated from Ygnacio Valley High School and earned a BS degree from Humboldt State University. His love for nature and conservation was solidified during his years working with the California Conservation Corps on backcountry trails and subsequent seasons with the National Parks Service. Later he worked for Rogers Machinery Company, Inc. and then for the Humboldt County Division of Environmental Health. He was a founding member of Marsh Commons Co-Housing in Arcata and a frequent walker at the Arcata Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary.

Steve always had a ready smile and easy laughter, loved playing all types of games and finding ways to incorporate everyone’s level of skill or interest if he could. He organized many outdoor game days and regular game nights for tabletop gaming. Steve was a devoted husband, beloved father, and a dedicated brother. And he readily formed many friendships great and small. He valued time spent outdoors, improving the neighborhood through small projects and work parties, and sharing his love of music. Steve touched many lives with his charm and goofiness.

Enduring thanks to the caring staff at Redwood R and R, Adult Day Health Care of Mad River, Hospice of Humboldt, and Ayres Family Cremation.

For details about Steve’s Celebration of Life event in April, please contact Kelsey on Facebook or by email: gustafsonApril24@gmail.com

If you would like to make a donation in Steve’s honor:

• UCSF’s Alzheimer’s research - Memory and Aging Center: makeagift.ucsf.edu
• California Conservation Corp: https://www.cccfoundation.net/
• Friends of the Arcata Marsh - Arcata Marsh Interpretive Center: accepts donations in person
• Hospice of Humboldt: hospiceofhumboldt.org

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Filming for Paul Thomas Anderson’s new movie — known only as “BC Project,” for now — continued in Humboldt County on Monday. Traffic and pedestrians were allowed controlled passage past the day’s filming location in front of the Murphy’s Market in Cutten and more than a few people captured some imagery of a hippied out Leonardo DiCaprio rushing to a pay phone as part of one scene.

Video above and photos below courtesy Kari Helgeson

Humboldt resident Kari Helgeson passed along the clip above and told us the production was “very organized.” She said the crew “guided us out of filming range but made sure we could still see.  Everyone watching was very respectful as well. Nice to see.”

Law enforcement vehicles emblazoned with “Baktan Cross Police Department” decals were also scene patrolling the area. 

Anderson’s movie has been shooting throughout the county for the last couple of weeks with many locals taking on roles as extras. Filming is set to continue in Northtown Arcata tomorrow. 

PREVIOUSLY: 

• Film Set to Shoot in Eureka is From Renowned Director Paul Thomas Anderson, With Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Regina Hall, According to Industry Reports

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Arcata drivers may want to avoid Northtown tomorrow, as many streets in the area will be closed to parking and/ or traffic while the section of A-town becomes a filming location for the production everyone in Humboldt is talking about, codenamed the “BC Project.” 

Locals have been abuzz about the major film – produced by Warner Bros., directed by renowned filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood) and featuring several A-list actors, including Leonardo DiCaprio – for weeks now, as folks have caught glimpses of police cars, filming crews and even, allegedly, of Leo himself in various locations around Humboldt. 

Details of  the film’s plot have been tightly kept under wraps, though we do know that filming locations have included Eureka High School, Cutten Plaza, Trinidad and Murray Fields, and on Tuesday the cast and crew are set to film on and near the pedestrian bridge at 18th and G Streets in Arcata. A notice was sent out to residents and businesses in the area last week, letting them know of street closures, parking restrictions and traffic control happening during filming and preparation.

“The BC Project is preparing to film in your neighborhood on Tuesday, January 30th, 2024,” the notice, shared with the Outpost by several people, states. “There will be pedestrian limitations with posted ‘no parking’ signs on certain city blocks, street closures, intermittent traffic/ pedestrian control and sidewalk closures.” 

The notice states that filming will occur on Tuesday between 1 p.m, and 1 a.m. that the pedestrian bridge leading to 18th and G will be closed for the duration of the filming, and other sections of the neighborhood, including the 101 North onramp, will be closed intermittently or open to “local traffic only.” The notice also says that filming will include “simulated police activity and special effects.” 

In addition to the street closures, the crew has been prepping 18th Street for filming, with several of the businesses being made over with fake signs and façades. Similarly to how the production transformed Cutten Plaza into a Mexican mini-mall, 18th Street between G and H seems to have been transformed into a small Chinatown. 

Though the general feeling surrounding the filming seems to be excitement, some business owners in Northtown are a little concerned about how the closures will impact their business. 

Brian Koneko, owner of True Nature Tattoo, said that as a business that is appointment-driven, he plans to remain open, but he was a little concerned about how the parking and traffic closures might impact customers. 

Koneko reached out to the location manager, he said, and was told that it “shouldn’t impact people with appointments,” but he is messaging people with appointments to let them know to arrive early and plan for potential delays. Though True Nature is mostly reliant on appointments, the business does take walk-ins and sometimes makes a fair amount of money from foot traffic. 

Josh Hand, owner of Japhy’s Soup & Noodles, told the Outpost that after careful consideration, he’s decided to close the restaurant on Tuesday. As a popular lunch spot that’s very dependent on foot traffic, especially from Cal Poly Humboldt students, Hand was concerned that business would be extremely slow. 

“I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing,” Hand said in a phone interview Monday morning. “I just felt like it would have been a loss for me.” 

And though he might be losing business on Tuesday, Japhy’s was asked to cater for the crew’s wrap on Wednesday. Hand said he was surprised by the request, since Japhy’s does not usually cater, but he’s happy for the business. 

Other business owners don’t seem concerned at all. Scott Henderson, co-owner of ¡Hey Juan! Burritos said that since the restaurant is closed on Tuesday anyway, the filming won’t impact business. He said he plans to come down to the area just to see if he can catch a glimpse of the filming. 

For anyone else planning to be a looky-loo, know that there will be police officers securing the entrance points in the area, with both APD and CHP officers helping to direct traffic. Those who live and work in the area are promised local access, but there may be delays during filming periods. 

And if you’re not trying to gawk and just want to go about your normal day, you might want to avoid the area altogether if you can.

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Humboldt County’s social mediasphere has been abuzz with breathless reports of Leo sightings and firsthand accounts of simulated police chases as a Warner Bros. film crew continues its locally shot production of the new movie by renowned director Paul Thomas Anderson (“Boogie Nights,” “There Will Be Blood,” “Licorice Pizza”).

Most recently, some shops inside Cutten Plaza, including Babe’s Pizza and the nearby laundromat, were transformed into a Mexican grill and a lavandería (“laundromat” in Spanish), respectively.

The production, which is being filmed under the working title of “B.C. Project,” has been in town for the past week and a half, at least, and pre-production efforts date back years, according to Humboldt-Del Norte Film Commissioner Cassandra Hesseltine.

See photos of the remade Cutten Plaza below. And scroll down for photos and video of a police car chase scene that was shot in Trinidad about a week ago.

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And below you’ll find some photos and video submitted to the Outpost by Carrie Peyton-Dahlberg: