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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — On Friday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) held a “Coffee with Our Congressman” community event for residents in the Middletown area to meet him and ask questions about the latest news out of Washington.
The event was hosted at The Twin Pine Event Center, with over 150 residents in attendance.
“My event today was open to the entire Middletown community. Residents from both parties showed up and it was clear from the beginning that many residents are concerned about the chaos coming out of the administration. As your Congressman, I’m working to fight back against the president’s unlawful actions in Congress, in the courts, and in the court of public opinion,” Thompson said Friday.
“Thank you to the over 150 community members who attended today's event, and the countless more who have written me, called my office, and raised their voices against this administration’s unlawful and unethical actions,” Thompson said. “There’s a reason that Republican leaders are urging their party not to hold town halls. Americans are rightfully angry over threats to their personal data, health care, veterans’ services, Social Security, and more. The president and his party are losing in the court of public opinion.”
Friday’s event was one in a series of community events Thompson has hosted across our district.
Since the president took office in January, Thompson has worked to combat the Administration’s unlawful actions and protect Americans’ sensitive data from DOGE.
Some of Thompson’s actions include:
Congressional action
Rep. Thompson voted no on the Republican Budget, which slashed Medicaid, nutrition funding and other services, and voted no on Congressional Republicans’ partisan Fiscal Year 2025 funding bill, which enabled deeper Trump-Musk cuts to programs Americans rely on every day.
Congressional Republicans’ proposed cuts to health care and nutrition programs add up to the exact cost for their planned tax cuts for the ultra-rich. Congressional Republicans are sacrificing the programs Americans rely on in order to fund tax cuts for the ultra-rich. That’s why Rep. Thompson has coauthored dozens of bills and letters to demand answers from the President and hold him accountable.
Rep. Thompson continues to use his position on the powerful Ways and Means Committee to hold the president’s feet to the fire. Rep. Thompson, alongside Ways and Means Democrats, has introduced a resolution of inquiry to obligate the Department of Treasury and DOGE to answer questions on their unlawful access to sensitive taxpayer information and the federal payment systems. He also joined his Democratic colleagues to introduce a resolution of inquiry to demand answers from the Social Security Administration on their proposed mass layoffs and closures of field and regional offices.
Rep. Thompson has also cosponsored the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, which will protect the nation’s payment system from reckless and unlawful interference and ensure that anyone who accesses the federal government’s central payment system with a personal financial conflict faces criminal penalties.
Court action
Rep. Thompson has joined House Democrats to support over 108 lawsuits against the president’s unlawful executive orders, including his firing of inspectors general and termination of civil servants.
Public opinion
Rep. Thompson stands with the millions of Americans who are outraged at the president’s unlawful actions. Since January, Rep. Thompson has held community events and posted updates online reaching over half a million people. Through town halls, coffees, press conferences, and online video updates, Rep. Thompson is working daily to update Americans about the chaos coming out of Washington and how Democrats are working to combat it.
Thompson said public pressure is yielding results. Already, Congressional pressure, litigation, and public outrage have:
• Stopped the funding freeze for federal programs.
• Forced the reinstatement of tens of thousands of federal workers.
• Prevented DOGE access to certain sensitive data.
• Stopped the president’s attempt to end constitutional birthright citizenship.
• Reinstated bird flu researchers.
• Reinstated nuclear safety engineers.
• Stopped efforts to remove air traffic control workers and other FAA employees making flying safer.
• Rehired some agriculture researchers including those doing smoke exposure research.
Thompson’s office said this is only the beginning, that he remains committed to working on behalf of Fourth District residents to protect the programs they rely on and strengthen our democracy.
Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — It’s because of Yuba College’s summer volleyball camp that Kellie Tongson fell in love with the sport.
During the Thea Post era (volleyball coach from 1986-2005), it was Tongson’s impressionable experience as a young camper that kicked off a playing career that ultimately led to coaching.
“That was a big piece of our summers,” Tongson said. “Me, my friends, my sisters, we loved it and looked forward to it. It makes me emotional just thinking about it … being able to bring that back to our community.”
In a full circle moment, with the approval of the Yuba College Board of Trustees on March 13, Tongson was appointed the women’s volleyball coach for the 49ers.
“This will be a new experience being at the college level, but I think she’s really going to enjoy working with the older athletes and taking them to another level with their skillset,” said Yuba College Athletic Director Erick Burns.
Coaching at the college level wasn’t on Tongson’s radar. As the River Valley High School and a club coach for a top 18s team, Tongson enjoys youth development, fundamentals and seeing their growth.
But she started to notice a trend: her graduating players weren’t staying local. In fact, a couple of years ago, her entire roster of 12 all went on to play in college, but no one went to Yuba College, the most local option.
Tongson wants to change that.
“I know that not everyone can afford to go away for college,” Tongson said. “I want them to be able to play and not feel like they have to commute so they can play. I guess it’s filling that need and rebuilding. Thea left a legacy and that’s super important to me.”
Tongson is building a local legacy of her own. She became involved, as both a player and a coach, with Yuba Elite Volleyball Club, a local competitive volleyball league.
With no home base, gym space was rented from Yuba College or local schools, which occasionally led to canceled practices due to school events taking precedence.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Tongson zeroed in on facility ownership. In 2022, she opened the Yuba Elite Sports Facility in Yuba City, creating a home court for her volleyball club along with creating opportunities for the community to enjoy, including youth and adult recreation leagues and fitness training.
As part of the club’s academy program, Tongson’s system is teaching 130 kids ranging from seven-years-old to teens, volleyball fundamentals in preparation for the junior high level and beyond.
“It’s led to some really good improvements in our club and our high school volleyball as well,” Tongson said.
Tongson prides herself in building a good culture and community within her programs, emphasizing to the young players to be good people first, then good athletes. If they play for Yuba Elite, they're expected to meet a certain standard; a standard Tongson will carry to the college level.
“We talk about having integrity, doing the right thing when no one is watching, being kind and being good daughters,” she said.
Burns looks forward to having Tongson’s positive energy in the Yuba College program.
“She’s very organized and energetic and has a vision for the direction of the program,” he said.
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- Written by: LAKE COUNTY NEWS REPORTS
As Tax Day approaches, many Californians may seek out assistance with filing their state and federal tax returns.
Through the IRS Direct File and CalFile programs, eligible California taxpayers can file their 2024 federal and state taxes for free.
“For many families, tax season brings an opportunity to get a catch up on bills, build some financial breathing room for emergencies, or finally take the car in for repairs,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Many consumers turn to third-party tax preparation services for help filing their tax returns and too often wind up paying when they could file for free. To keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets, I encourage Californians to file early and find out if they qualify for free tax help.”
IRS Direct File and CalFile allow eligible taxpayers to file federal and state tax returns, respectively, free of charge, quickly, and securely.
By removing barriers to filing, these programs may allow consumers to get tax refunds and claim critical tax benefits like California’s Earned Income Tax Credit and Young Child Tax Credit. After completing their federal return with IRS Direct File, California taxpayers are provided a link to CalFile to complete their state tax return for free.
• IRS Direct File is a free service that allows eligible taxpayers to electronically file their federal tax returns directly with the IRS. To see if you qualify, check here.
• Franchise Tax Board’s CalFile is California's free e-filing service for state tax returns. The FTB’s CalFile program allows qualified individuals to quickly e-file their state tax return directly to the FTB, free of charge. To see if you qualify, check here.
More tax preparation resources
The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program provides free tax help to people who make $64,000 or less annually, persons with disabilities, and people who do not understand English well. The Tax Counseling for the Elderly program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those over 60, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues. More information on these programs is available here.
More cash in your pocket: You may qualify for cash back or a reduction of the tax you owe under the Earned Income Tax Credit and the California Earned Income Tax Credit programs.
Need more time to prepare? You can use IRS Free File to electronically request an automatic tax-filing extension, regardless of your income. You will then have until Oct. 15 to file a return. More information on how to request an extension can be found on the IRS website.
Find a reputable tax preparer: If you decide to hire a tax preparer, make sure your tax preparer is reputable and qualified to provide tax services. In California, only an attorney, certified public accountant, IRS-enrolled agent, or registered-tax preparer can prepare tax returns for a fee. To confirm whether a tax preparer is registered with the IRS, check here.
If you believe you have been the victim of a tax-related scam or other misconduct, you can file a complaint with our office at oag.ca.gov/report or with the IRS.
To learn about how to protect yourself and your loved ones against fraud, visit our website at https://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/taxes.
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- Written by: Dennis Fordham
Typically the settlor of a revocable living trust is also the initial trustee until they either resign or are unable to manage the affairs of the trust due to incapacity or death.
While the settlor is alive and competent, however, the settlor of a revocable trust may still direct the trustee’s administration of the settlor’s trust owned assets.
This is because assets in a revocable trust belong to the person who has the power to revoke the trust (usually the settlors) and own the assets free of trust.
With revocable trusts, the settlor may provide written directions, acceptable to the trustee, telling the trustee what to do with trust assets.
Alternatively, the trustee may delegate this power of direction over the trust administration to another person who can likewise direct the trustee’s actions (Probate Code section 16001).
Since January 1, 2024, with the California Uniform Directed Trust Act (Sections 16600 et seq. Probate Code), a power of direction over the trust is not limited to revocable trusts but may be expressly included within the trust document itself. That is, both revocable and irrevocable California trusts can be drafted as directed trusts to include a trust director with a power of appointment over, “some aspect(s) of the trust administration.”
The subject matter of the power of direction, for example, might be the power to direct investing the trust assets (brokerage accounts), to manage trust owned property (e.g., rentals), and to decide when and how to make distributions to or for the benefit of trust beneficiaries (section 16602(d) Probate Code).
With a directed trust arrangement, the directed trustee is required to take reasonable steps to implement the power of direction given by the trust director (section 16614(a) Probate Code). The directed trustee’s role (involvement) in the trust administration is, therefore, reduced to the same extent that authority is given to one or more trust directors.
The trust director’s power of direction (authority) needs to be clearly defined. One approach is to allocate certain trustee duties and/or powers wholly to the trust director. The trust could even appoint separate trust directors over separate aspects of the trust administration. Thus, settlors can appoint trusted advisors as trust directors.
A directed trust creates a decentralized administration of the estate where the trustee(s) and the trust director(s) collectively manage the assets and affairs of the trust estate as a team.
Whereas the traditional sole trustee administration makes the trustee responsible for all aspects of administration.
While the trustee can delegate some (not all) duties he is still responsible to supervise the delegated duties, with the limited exception of delegation to an independent investment advisor.
A directed trustee, however, is not responsible to supervise a trust director, and vice versa. In fact, the directed trustee and the trust director are relieved of liability for each other’s actions and inactions (Sections 16612 and 16614 Probate Code).
Moreover, the new law also applies to the co-trustee arrangement. That is, it is possible to segment the trustee duties or compartmentalize assets and duties amongst co-trustees.
Co-trustees otherwise are collectively and severally responsible for the entire administration of all trust assets and cannot delegate the entire office of trustee to one co-trustee.
Now, however, it is possible for a trust to narrowly segment (carve out) certain aspects of the overall trust administration and specifically allocate the same to one co-trustee (Section 16620 Probate Code).
Furthermore, it is possible for a trust to more broadly compartmentalize the administration of certain (special) assets and allocate all responsibilities over such assets to one co-trustee (a special co-trustee). Thus, co-trustees can now operate autonomously of each other with respect to some duties over all assets or with respect to all duties over special trust assets.
In sum, trusts can divide out responsibilities amongst several fiduciaries by taking authority from the trustee(s) and allocating authority to trust directors or co-trustees.
This new estate planning tool can provide creative and useful solutions where the estate planning goals are otherwise unattainable.
Dennis A. Fordham, attorney, is a State Bar-Certified Specialist in estate planning, probate and trust law. His office is at 870 S. Main St., Lakeport, Calif. He can be reached at
