Can an Undocumented Person in California Get a Driver's ...

My father is 82 and his CA Driver's License will expire in a few months. I want him to a have a current and valid state ID. I'm fine with renewing his DL (even though he doesn't actually ever drive anymore), but I have a feeling they will want him to test. If that is the case, I'll just get a CA State ID for him. Could we do this online or would we have to go into a DMV office (a painstaking experience) to get this done? Thanks

Senators:
My name is u/preciseshooter, I live in Seattle, and I am representing myself in this letter.
I am writing to correct a lot of misinformation about guns that were presented in the testimony in front of Law and Justice Committee in discussion of Bill 5078 on Monday, January 25, 2021.
I have been an avid gun collector specifically interested in gun technology since 2007. I have been writing prolifically about firearms accuracy (http://www.preciseshooter.com/library.aspx), manufacturing accurate ammunition (reloading), and gun ownership and safety. I built one of Seattle area's biggest gun stores, which I am currently running. My original education is in physics and I am also a software engineer, and I published software that helps users understand and analyze firearms accuracy.
I feel that my background makes me qualified to speak on firearms safety authoritatively.
The testimony from the supporters’ side was roughly organized around the following talking points.

1. "High capacity" magazines increases the speed at which a gun is fired. The time it takes to reload allows for an opportunity to stop the shooter.
2. "High capacity" magazines are "linked" to mass shootings
3. My son/daughterelative were shot from a firearm with a "high capacity" magazine.

I would like to address these arguments.

1. "High capacity" magazines increases the speed at which a gun is fired. The time it takes to reload allows for an opportunity to stop the shooter.

The "evidence" that has been often cited during the testimony was "in mass shooting X the shooter was stopped when his gun jammed".
First, allow me to explain the difference between changing a magazine and clearing a jammed firearm. When magazine runs out of ammunition and needs to be replaced, all that is involved is pressing a button conveniently located where the thumb of the shooter usually is positioned. The magazine would slide out and drop to the floor. At the same time a shooter would, with their left hand, reach into the pocket, withdraw another magazine, and replace it.
Here is a demonstration of the movement in practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q-QVBQVYTA
Usually, replacing a magazine takes only 2-3 seconds.
By comparison, a gun is jammed when a round of ammunition ends up missing a chamber (this is called "failure to feed") and gets lodged between the barrel and the slide or a bolt. To extricate such a round one has to turn the firearm ejection port up, pull back the slide, and use the fingers to fish out the round. This usually takes tens of seconds. Another condition of jamming is when the casing, after firing, is either not pulled from the chamber ("failure to extract") or instead of being ejected, gets stuck in between the slide and the barrel ("failure to eject"). Failure to extract occasionally requires a special took and may require services or a gunsmith. Failure to eject is handled the same as failure to feed, and takes the same time, tens of seconds.
With this in mind, in practice, the speed with which the gun is fired is dominated by ability to acquire the target, not the time it takes to replace a magazine. Here, for example, is a video where a Sheriff of Indiana County is staging an experiment and determines that magazine capacity is not a factor in a gun throughput, both in cases where a shooter is experienced as well as in cases where a shooter is not. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCSySuemiHU Ny personal experience is similar to what is shown in this video.
It is important to distinguish the case of defensive and offensive uses of gun. I do agree with the testimony of pro-gun side pointing out that limiting capacity of the magazine negatively impacts DEFENSIVE use of firearms. The distinction is that in offensive uses of firearms - such as mass shooting - a shooter will bring extra magazines, always. It doesn't matter to them whether it is 10 15 round magazines, or 15 10 round magazines. In defensive use, someone usually just has what's inside a handgun: if you wake up to a sound of someone crashing through your front door, you will not be fumbling in your safe for extra magazines.
To summarize, the claim that "high capacity" magazines allow shooting the gun faster, while popular among people inexperienced with guns, is not true in practice. The speed of shooting is dominated by time it takes to aim the gun, not changing magazines.

1. "High capacity" magazines are "linked" to mass shootings

Almost all guns available for sale today come standard with what the authors of this bill call "high capacity" magazines. There are very few exceptions for really small guns - but these guns aren't often used by mass shooters or criminals because of other issues unrelated to capacity (for example, small guns are much harder to aim because they have smaller sight radius, smaller sights, and so on). Outside the states that specifically ban "high capacity" magazines, the "low capacity" magazines are difficult to acquire. My store, Precise Shooter, simply doesn't carry them, nor do other stores in the State of Washington.
We can, of course, special-order reduced capacity guns that were made for California, but they are never requested, because they are usually more expensive than guns with standard capacity magazines.
Let me reemphasize this - in majority of the country what you call "high capacity" are the lowest capacity magazines available. That is the reason mass shooters and criminals use them - because they are common, not because gun "shoots faster" with them.
An important note here is - extended capacity magazines are commonly available for most popular guns. For example, Glock 17 ships with 17 round magazine by default, but 33 round magazines can be easily bought in stores and online, for example, here: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1020182879. They are not much more expensive, for example, Glock 17 round magazine (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/930445055) is sold for $27.99 as of this writing, and Glock 33 round magazine is sold for $39.99, above link. Extended capacity magazines - up to 100 rounds for AR-15 and up to 50 rounds for Glock (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1021087561?pid=679120) - do exist, but are almost NEVER used by mass shooters.
If these magazines were better for mass shooting scenarios, would you not expect most mass shooters use them? But in fact, they don't. Nor do criminals.

1. My son/daughterelative were shot from a firearm with a "high capacity" magazine.

The claim that is being made here is, if "high capacity" magazines were banned, this would not have happened. But in fact, "high capacity" magazines HAVE been banned between 1994 and 2004, nationwide. Department of Justice has commissioned a study examining the effects of the ban after the expiration, which is available here: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/204431.pdf
The study failed to find any impact of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban - which included "high capacity" magazine ban on gun mortality.
In Section "9.2. Shots Fired in Gun Attacks and the Effects of Weaponry on Attack Outcomes" the study notes:
"The evidence most directly relevant to the potential of the AW-LCM ban to reduce gun deaths and injuries comes from studies examining shots fired in gun attacks and/or the outcomes of attacks involving different types of guns. Unfortunately, such evidence is very sparse."
Section "9.2.1. Will a 10-Round Magazine Limit Reduce Gunshot Victimizations?" specifically examines the magazine restrictions to 10 rounds.
While noticing the limitations in data availability, it finds that...
"The few available studies on shots fired show that assailants fire less than four shots on average (see sources in Table 9-1 and Goehl, 1993), a number well within the 10-round magazine limit imposed by the AW-LCM bann, but these studies have not usually presented the full distribution of shots fired for all cases, so it is usually unclear how many cases, if any, involved more than 10 shots."
And in conclusion to the section it states...
"any effects from the ban (should it be extended) are likely to be smaller and perhaps quite difficult to detect with standard statistical methods (see Koper and Roth, 2001a), especially in the near future, if recent patterns of LCM use continue."
Overall, the study concludes, in reference to all of Federal Assault Weapons Ban...
"Should it be renewed, the ban’s effects on gun violence are likely to be small at best and perhaps too small for reliable measurement. AWs were rarely used in gun crimes even before the ban. LCMs are involved in a more substantial share of gun crimes, but it is not clear how often the outcomes of gun attacks depend on the ability of offenders to fire more than ten shots (the current magazine capacity limit) without reloading."
Here again, while "high capacity" magazines are used often - because they are available - it is pretty obvious that they are highly substitutable, and banning them will not impact the rates of victimization at all.
So what will the ban do?
As others pointed out, it will affect people who use firearms in self-defense scenarios. It will limit availability of guns to Washington sports shooters, because only few popular guns have models that ship with reduced capacity magazines, usually only two or three models per manufacturer. Most guns manufactured today will be illegal here. It will impact gun collectors hard, as many historically significant firearms do not come with reduced capacity magazines. These will be illegal to own here as well. These guns never turn up in criminal cases.
As others also pointed out, and as a licensed dealer I can confirm, this will create a legal morass both for the state as well as for the gun owners. Magazines are not serialized or tracked at the federal level. Anyone can walk into any guns store in any of the neighboring states and purchase any magazine, no ID required. The date of the manufacturing of these magazines are not stamped on the magazines, and in most cases cannot be inferred from their design. The authors of the bill punted the question on enforcement to the Office of Attorney General, who, in a "wink-wink, nod-nod" manner ignored the questions, but as someone well versed in the current firearms law, I can tell you that this law will absolutely not be used to actually prosecute criminals, and thus will only impact legal gun owners.
In conclusion, please allow me to say this. In the recent years the State of Washington has seen a flourish of antigun activities, all funded primarily by a very small number of extremely wealthy individuals, and pushed through by the same “Alliance of Gun Responsibility”. As a result, we had I-594, I-1639, and others made laws here. The antigun activists promised "Safe Schools, Safe Communities", but the numbers do not lie - none of this activity, none of these laws resulted in actual reduction of firearms mortality. Washington follows the same trends as the rest of the country, with or without these laws. All these laws do is create undue burden on gun owners, but they never deliver the progress on any of the promises that antigun community is making.
No wonder - these people ignore physics and technology of firearms with which they themselves have no familiarity. Please do not trust them!
Thank you very much,
u/preciseshooter Owner and Managing Member, Precise Shooter LLC
Address (abstracted) Phone (abstracted)

You may know the name Laci Peterson, but do you know the names of the other women missing from Northern California? Around the time that pregnant Laci Peterson went missing, it has often been said that five other women pregnant women went missing from the Modesto area… But is this really the case?
Few months ago, I did an extensive two-part write-up on the case of Laci Peterson, a young pregnant woman from Modesto, California who was murdered by her husband Scott Peterson in 2002. For whatever reason this case has stayed in the public eye for almost two decades and although her husband is behind bars waiting execution for the murders of Laci and her unborn son, rumors still swirl online that Scott Peterson is innocent and was railroaded Modesto Police Department and the rabid media. If you are interested in this specific case, I would suggest you read my two-part right up which you can find here. https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/ie57ja/extensive_twopart_write_up_on_the_murder_of_laci/ and https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/ie5c6h/extensive_twopart_write_up_the_murder_of_laci/
In case you are unaware here's a brief rundown of Laci Peterson's case. Laci Rocha Peterson was 27 years old 2002. She was married to a 30-year-old man named Scott Peterson and the couple was expecting a baby in February of 2003. Christmas Eve 2002 Laci Peterson went missing and her husband Scott soon came under suspicion. Within days Scott was the prime suspect in Laci’s disappearance. The case of the pregnant mom to be and her handsome husband soon became a media sensation that garnered more attention than anyone ever would have expected. Within a couple of months, it emerged that Scott had had a number of affairs and was uninterested in being a father. Several years later he was convicted for the murder of his wife and son. Laci's body washed up on the shores of the San Francisco Bay less than a mile from where Scott Peterson was fishing on that fateful Christmas Eve, nearly 100 miles from the Petersons’’ home. Due to the passage of time only Laci's torso was found.
For reasons that are somewhat unclear to me, Scott has hundreds or even thousands of supporters online who are convinced of his innocence. Scott's family has paid for several documentaries to be made (Such as the ID network’s “The Murder of Laci Peterson”) that have painted Scott in a good light and made the jury and investigators look like bumbling idiots. Even though Scott has been in jail for 16 years, his supporters still rally around him and create Facebook pages, Innocence websites, petitions, and even primetime documentaries to tout his innocence.
One of their favorite things to bring up is the fact that five pregnant women went missing from the Modesto area within a couple of years Laci going missing. Many Scott supports have claimed that there was clearly a serial killer or a cult targeting pregnant women in the area and that this should create reasonable doubt regarding the guilt of Scott Peterson. Some defenders of Scott have even gone so far to say that all the women missing have similar characteristics. One Facebook page claims that all the missing women were pregnant and Hispanic or Hispanic- passing, like Laci*. On one of the Petersons’ family websites, it claims that many of the women were found in water, and were health conscious as well. If all these things were true, a serial killer would have be considered as a possibility in Laci’s case.
*Just to clarify, Laci was full Portuguese and passed for Hispanic. Her missing flyer even had to note that she was white, but did not look white.
The case discussed most extensively online is the case of Evelyn Fernandez whose headless body was also found washed up on the shores of San Francisco Bay. Various articles and documentaries have talked about the similarities between Evelyn's case and Laci's case, but they also point to these five, other mysterious women who went missing in Modesto during the same timeframe. Evelyn's case has gotten some media attention due to documentaries but it didn't seem like the other women had their stories documented anywhere.
The discovery of Evelyn’s case with circumstances which were so similar to Laci Peterson's disappearance, has also reminded people that attractive, white (or white looking), middle-class women get more media coverage than anyone else. The cases of people such as Evelyn fall by the wayside, meanwhile Laci's case is remembered decades later. And what about the other women? Surely, they deserve some attention as well.
Today, I planned on remembering the women that didn't get the media attention while also looking into the similarities and differences between these women’s cases and the case of Laci's murder, but I discovered something that I did not expect. These pregnant women so often talked about in documentaries and online simply don’t exist.
As many of us know, intimate partner violence is a major problem all over the world. Sadly pregnant women are more likely to be abused or killed by partner than non-pregnant women. Some studies have even shown that homicide is one of the leading causes of death for pregnant people. Most of the time the woman's current or ex romantic partner, and usually the father of the child she is carrying, is the perpetrator of these crimes. When I sat down to write this piece I expected to find stories that fit this scenario, however, this wasn’t the case.
The only information I could find was information on Evelyn and Laci. Begrudgingly, I decided to use the list on ssi.com (which stands For Scott is Innocent), and I found a list of 20 women on this website who the author (Scott’s family and the SPA team) claimed disappeared under similar circumstances to Laci “near” Modesto. However, as I began exploring these cases it quickly became apparent that a majority of the missing persons cases bore no resemblance at all the disappearance and murder of Laci Peterson. And the term “near Modesto” simply meant in California or Washington state. Most of the cases mentioned on the website are solved. But most importantly, some of the women on the list do not even exist and the citations provided for them are websites that don’t work or articles that don’t exist.
Some of the women listed were missing at one point but have since been found alive (1 or 2). Another group were women who were missing at one point but whose cases have now been solved (4). Some cases are mostly solved, but remain unprosecuted (6-7). A fourth group of women on the list, completely do not exist (6, although 2 appear to be a simple mistake). In other words only 4 or 5 of these cases have the potential to be related to the murder of Laci Peterson. Only three women on the list came from Modesto, none of whom were pregnant and two of the cases happened in the 1980s, decades before Laci vanished.
The people on this list come from different backgrounds, regions, races, and ages. Some were mothers or grandmothers, others were high schoolers. As far as I can tell, the five mysterious women who are all pregnant and missing from Modesto never existed. This false piece of information has been spread by Scott Peterson’s supporters for years. Not only is the narrative of a serial killer stalking the area false, it is incredibly rude and disrespectful to these women who have passed on. The Peterson family are using people’s daughters’, mothers’, and friends’ stories to create a false narrative in order to exonerate Scott Peterson, a family annihlator, who is exactly where he needs to be. Let’s look at these cases that are supposed to “prove” that pregnant women were going missing from the Modesto area. All names are taken from the SII website.
Jeannine Sanchez Harms of Los Gatos, California (90 miles from Modesto) went missing in July, 2001 after a night out. The 42 year old worked at a computer company and was not pregnant. Harms case was cold for a few years but has since been solved. Her killer, a spurned lover of Jeannine’s, has since passed away and the case is considered solved and closed.
Toni Clark of San Francisco was a senior in high school and a talented athlete in 1990. Clark was driving home one night when she was struck from behind by another vehicle and presumably flew into the San Francisco bay. Her body was never recovered and she is assumedly decreased. The driver of the other car was tried for vehicular manslaughter but was not convicted as Toni’s body was missing and the jury felt that the no one could prove that Toni had actually died. Toni was about six weeks pregnant at the time. Her case is tragic, but law enforcement believes it was nothing more than a fatal car crash.
Karen Modaffi is one of the women listed on SII.org but she doesn’t exist.
Kristen Smart, a Cal Poly student was a college freshman when she was last seen. She was not pregnant and lived 217 miles from Modesto. The main suspect in her case is a man named Paul Flores who was found to be in possession of some of Smart’s bloodied jewelry. He has never been charged in her case. Law enforcement has confirmed that this case is not related to Laci’s case.
Tera Smith was 16 years old and not pregnant in 1998 when she vanished from Redding, California, 250 miles north of Modesto. The blonde high schooler left her home one day to break up with her boyfriend- a married 29-year-old father. She never returned home and her body has never been found. Tera’s boyfriend was sentenced for statutory rape due to Tera’s age but has never been charged with her murder or disappearance. It is considered closed.
Heather Marie Carpenter was 22 years old in Aug 2003 when she attended a party, doomed to be her last. Carpenter was living in Redding (a five-hour drive from Modesto) and was not pregnant at the time of her death. Patrick Michael Larmour confessed to killing Carpenter and was sent to prison. The case is solved and closed.
Angelina Evans was last seen in Sacramento in May 2001 when she was 26 years old. She was seven to eight months pregnant. She went for a walk, and was never seen again. Very little information is available; however, the case does bear a resemblance to Laci Peterson’s story.
According to SII.org, Consuelo Lomeli, was apparently 8 months pregnant when she last seen in 2002 in Tulare, California. She apparently disappeared with three or four of her children. However, I can find no information on this case. The only place their names are mentioned at all are on a Charley Project blog post comment section with no additional information. It appears she was found alive. This case does not exist.
Guadalupe Areias like Consuelo above was apparently 8 months pregnant when she was last seen 11/26/2001 Longview, WA. However, this person again does not exist.
→ A little digging has led me to believe that Guadalupe they meant to mention was actually Guadalupe Castro who disappeared in Washington state after going to meet with her estranged husband, Gergorio. Sadly, Guadalupe and her older daughter Agueda age 3, have never been located. Gregorio fled the area and has not been seen since shortly after the disappearance of his family. He is considered the prime suspect.
Jeanette Gomez Espeleta of Fullerton, California, a five-hour drive from Modesto, was last seen in November 1998. She was 8 months pregnant. Jeanette was excited to be a mom and had a baby shower planned when she went missing. Jeanette’s ex-boyfriend who was purportedly the father of her unborn child, confessed to killing her and dumping her body in the ocean. He took investigators to the place he dumped her body and although her body was not recovered, he is in prison and the case is considered closed.
Ornaith Murphy and her husband Kieran Murphey were both last seen 12/16/2001 aboard their vessel Sola III which was docked in Jack London Square, near Oakland. The couple were both Irish nationals in their 50s. Ornaith was not pregnant. She and her husband are believed to be lost at sea or victims of a murder suicide. Either way this case does not bear resemblance to Laci’s murder in any way shape or form.
Wendy Jamie Abrams-Nishikai was last seen in Berkeley in 1989. She was not pregnant at the time. Very little information is available.
Amparo Aguilar, age approximately 18, was purportedly last seen in 1999 East Palo Alto. Very little information is available. This woman may be no longer missing, meaning that this case, does not exist.
Kristen Modafferi went missing June 23rd 1997 in San Francisco. She was attending summer classes at UC Berkeley and she was not pregnant at the time. Kristen’s case is odd but there is a prime suspect in her case.
Kathy Irene Sweet, 32, had been dead only a few hours when a Stanislaus County sheriff's deputy found her nude body inside a pickup parked in a north Modesto almond orchard Jan. 14, 1998. She was not pregnant at the time of her death. Her death is believed to be homicide but no other information is available besides one Facebook post from the California DOJ. This case in Modesto bears little resemblance to Laci’s case.
Teiaar Nakea Rowe of Stockton, California was 24 years old when a farm worker found her body dumped in an almond orchard. Teiaar was not pregnant when she passed away. The only information on her case is one Facebook post, and one find a grave memorial.
Lynsie Ekelund, was a physically disabled college student in her early 20s when she disappeared from Placentia, California a six-hour drive from Modesto. She was not pregnant. Her 2001 disappearance was solved after a confession from a man named Christopher Michael McAmis who led investigators to her body. Her case is considered solved and closed.
Ruth Bender, 33, was last seen getting into a green van at the Greyhound bus station in Modesto in 1986, according to the SII.website but his woman does not exist.
→ I believe the woman they tried to profile was actually 15-year-old Susan Robin Bender who went missing in Modesto after getting into someone’s car in 1986. Susan was acquainted with Loren Hertzog, a serial killer and he is presumed to be her killer. An old friend of Susan’s is also a suspect.
Ruth Leamon, 16, went to a Modesto store for a soda in 1982 and never returned. Like Susan, Ruth knew Loren Herzog and he is presumed to be her killer. Leamon was not pregnant when she went missing. Herzog and his accomplice, Wesley Shermantain were in jail at the time of Laci’s disappearance.
Evelyn Hernandez - See information below. Law Enforcement has a prime suspect and the case is considered solved, but not closed.
All in all, four of the women’s cases are solved and closed (Lynsie Ekelund, Jeanette Gomez Espeleta, Jeannine Sanchez Harms, and Heather Carpenter). Seven cases are not closed but have been practically solved (Tera Smith, Ruth Leamon, Susan Bender, Kristen Smart, Kristen Modafferi, and Toni Clark). Five cases-Karen Modaffi, Consuelo Lomeli, Guadalupe Areias, Ruth Bender, and Amparo Aguilar-do not exist at all. Aguilar and Lomeli may have been located alive. Ornaith died at sea in what was most likely an accident.
The only cases that are unsolved are, Teiaar Nakea Rowe, Kathy Sweet, and Angelina Evans, Wendy Abrams-Nishikai, and of course Evelyn Hernandez. Let’s take a closer look.
The Unsolved
Teiaar Rowe was found dead in Stockton, California in an almond orchard. Rowe was 24 or 25 years old at the time. She was clad in only a black-and-white skirt. Detectives said they believe someone dumped Teiaar Nakea Rowe's body in an orchard after killing her elsewhere. The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department located Rowe's car in south Stockton. Rowe left behind a husband, four siblings, and several children. Her cause of death was stabbing. Rowe was a similar age to Laci, but she was not pregnant. Rowe was also African American and she was not found in or near the water. If you have any information on Rowe’s case, please call the San Joaquin county sheriff’s office cold case unit at (209) 468-5087.
Kathy Irene Sweet was found dead inside her boyfriend’s truck in north Modesto in 1998. Kathy’s boyfriend has been questioned and partially cleared by the sheriff’s office. Sweet was in her 30s at the time of death. Sweet also used the name Kathy Irene Meadows and sometimes went by the name Cindy. She was not pregnant, she was white, and she was not in water. Tragically, there is only one Facebook post on this case; that is the only information available. Please call Stanislaus area crime stoppers at 209-521-4636 if you have information on this crime.
Angelina Evans was 26 years old when she was last seen in Sacramento, California in May, 2001. From the Charley Project,
“Witnesses saw Evans get into a pickup truck painted black with primer. She has never been heard from again. Evans's family members told authorities that it is uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning. A baby was abandoned shortly after Evans was reported missing, leading to speculation that she was the child's mother. That theory has never been confirmed. Evans's case remains unsolved. Evans's family says she was associating with a rough crowd at the time of her disappearance. She is a Hiram Johnson High School dropout who left behind five children when she disappeared. She was living in a motel on Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento.”
Like Laci, Angelina was pregnant and in her mid-20s. However, she is not Hispanic or Hispanic passing nor was she found in water. Angelina was believed to be a doe who was found in a burnt-out dumpster in June, 2001, but DNA has ruled it out. If you have any information about Angelina’s disappearance please call the Sacramento Police Department at 916-264-7895 or 916-264-5655. This case unlike the others is somewhat similar to Laci’s case.
Wendy Jamie Abrams-Nishikai, age 21 was a UC Berkeley student with a young daughter. Wendy was last seen on Halloween 1989. She was not pregnant at the time. Although her race is listed as white, she could pass for other races such as Asian or Hispanic/Latina. Abrams-Nishikai is still missing and very little information is available in her case. If you have information please contact the Berkeley Police Department at 510-981-5938.
Evelyn Hernandez- For years, Evelyn has been called the other Laci. Her case was first compared to Laci’s case by attorney Matt Dalton who was briefly a member of Scott Peterson’s defense team.
Evelyn Hernandez was an immigrant from El Salvador who was living in San Francisco in 2002. She was 24 years old and had a five-year-old son named Alexis who she was raising on her own. Alexis’ father was a man in a navy who Evelyn had briefly dated but he was no longer in Evelyn or Alexis’ lives. By age 24 Evelyn was working in the medical profession and was dating a mechanic named Herman Aguilera. Evelyn was 39 weeks pregnant in May 2002, when she was last seen at a convenience store near her boyfriend’s home. Some sources say she was last seen at her son’s school on the same day. At the time Evelyn had just discovered that Herman, the man she had been seeing for quite some time, was actually married. According to family members, Herman was upset that Evelyn was pregnant and told his friends that he didn’t want another child. On May 7th, 2002 Herman reported Evelyn and Alexis missing. In July a pair of legs and a torso washed up on the shore of the Bay only a few blocks from Aguilera’s work place. DNA testing showed that the body was Evelyn’s. Herman immediately “lawyered up” and his wife provided him with a rock-solid alibi. Herman has since left the area but law enforcement has always considered him the prime suspect in the murder of Evelyn and the disappearance of her son Alexis. Tragically, the body of Evelyn’s full-term baby boy, Fernando, has never been located. Please call the San Francisco Police Department at 415-553-1071 if you have any information.
This story is all too tragic, and the parallels to Laci’s case are astounding. Evelyn and Laci were about the same age. Both women were hugely pregnant. Both were recovered from San Francisco Bay, headless and armless. But most importantly, neither appear to be the work of a cult or serial killer, rather both were most likely victims of domestic violence. Evelyn’s case may mirror the case of Laci but it does not prove that pregnant women were disappearing without a trace. Besides this story, none of the other women disappeared or died in circumstances similar to Laci Peterson.
Let’s look now at the cases of the pregnant women
Toni Clark died it was likely a tragic car accident in San Francisco, 90 miles from Modesto.
Guadalupe Castro was last seen in Washington state, 1000s of miles from Modesto, and her husband is most likely to blame.
Jeanette Gomez Espeleta’s case has been solved. Again, her boyfriend was perpetrator. And she lived in San Diego area, not anywhere near Modesto.
Angelina Evans’ case is a little like Laci’s but there is not enough evidence to know anything for sure.
Evelyn Fernandez’s case is similar to Laci’s but her boyfriend is the most likely suspect.
What about those in Modesto?
Kathy Sweet was not pregnant and was in her 30s when she was found dead in Modesto. Very little is known about this case- but it doesn’t bear any resemblance to Laci’s disappearance and murder.
Susan Robin Bender age 15 from Modesto went missing in Modesto after getting into someone’s car in 1986 at the bus station. Susan was not pregnant. Susan was acquainted with Loren Hertzog and Wesley Shermaintine, a serial killer pair who are presumed to be her killers. An old friend of Susan’s is also a suspect. (Shermantine and Herzog, the Speed Freak Killers, were in jail at the time of Laci’s disappearance.)
Ruth Leamon, 16, went to a Modesto store for a soda in 1982 and never returned. Like Susan Ruth knew Loren Herzog and he is presumed to be her killer. Leamon was not pregnant when she went missing. She is also white and the case does not resemble Laci’s case
Conclusion
In conclusion, I set out to write up the cases of the missing pregnant women from the Modesto area but instead I discovered something stranger. After reading about all these people and looking into the unsolved cases, I think it is safe to say that the missing, pregnant Modesto women don’t exist and the outcry about a serial killer being involved in the murders of Laci or Evelyn, was not a misunderstanding. It was a well calculated, fear mongering tactic used to by the Peterson family to create doubt that simply doesn’t exist. And the media ate it up like a salacious sex scandal. So, the next time your friend tries to convince you that Scott Peterson was nothing more than an adulterer, and that a serial killer or satanic cult was actually to blame, remind them that the victims of the killer don’t even exist. And without victims there isn’t a crime spree.
Sources
http://charleyproject.org/case/ornaith-murphy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Freak_Killers
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/homicide-leading-cause-pregnancy-associated-death-louisiana
http://charleyproject.org/case/alexis-geraldo-hernandez
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Kristen_Modafferi
https://www.altaonline.com/dispatches/a5143/a-tale-of-two-killings/
http://charleyproject.org/case/wendy-jamie-abrams-nishikai
http://pwc-sii.com/Research/research/serial.htm
https://www.sjgov.org/sheriff/coldcases/03-17268.pdf

TL;DR Timeline for Los Angeles, CA at the bottom.
My husband (Nigerian) and I (female U.S. Citizen) met in mid-2019 on Tinder (for real, it's not just hookups on there haha), and began dating in Los Angeles, while he was in the US for the 4th time on a Business Visitor Visa (B1). After a whirlwind romance, and basically being inseparable, just the two of us got married at a Chapel (in a mall) in Las Vegas on November 22nd, 2019.
We weren’t aware of the 90 day rule when getting married. Coincidentally, we got married 10 days after my husband’s 90 days since entering the States ended.
We used the Simple Citizen website, instead of a lawyer, to file our initial Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status Petition (I-485), Petition For Alien Relative (I-130), Application for Travel Document (I-131), and Application for Employment Authorization (I-765) in Los Angeles, CA on February 3rd, 2020 (we filed on paper, not electronically, and sent it using UPS to receive tracking). Simple Citizen was an inexpensive and very thorough alternative to a traditional filing with a lawyer. They also easily included our information about using a joint sponsor. They had all of our documents quickly prepared and we experienced no requests for information or delays from USCIS.
The Chicago lockbox received our petition on February 5th, and we received our receipt numbers via text on February 13th (the physical receipt followed soon after). My husband went in for his biometrics on March 3rd, 2020; a few weeks before the Covid closures began (were also reused for a later biometrics notice that was canceled due to COVID from USCIS). The Case Tracker App updated to “Ready to be Scheduled for an Interview” sometime in April 2020.
My husband was approved for his Employment Authorization Document (EAD I-765)/Advance Parole (AP I-131) Combo Card, 5 months after filing on June 29th and received it on July 22nd. We also moved to another apartment in LA during the petition process and promptly informed them of our new address by filling out form AR-11 online. USCIS confirmed our new address through email about a week later.
Our interview was scheduled for February 3rd, 2021 (informed it was scheduled via Case Tracker on December 24, 2020 and notice received January 4th, 2021) at the USCIS Field Office in Los Angeles (300 N Los Angeles St rm 7631, Los Angeles, CA 90012). We woke up bright and early at 4:30 AM and left for the Field Office at 6:00 AM. A few days prior, we chose business casual attire to wear. My husband wore a plaid burgundy button-down shirt, black dress pants, his wedding band, and black dress shoes. I wore a pretty blue and gray floral sleeveless blouse, black dress pants, and black flats. I also wore short, dangly silver earrings, my wedding ring, a silver bracelet, and I brought a black blazer just in case I got cold. I didn’t wear any makeup because I never wear it anyway.
We had a straightforward and enjoyable interview that was scheduled for 7:15 am (one of the first ones of the day). We received the interview notice about a month prior to the scheduled appointment, but I was notified that it was scheduled 42 days before the actual appointment through the Case Tracker app. I couldn’t see the actual interview date in the app or on the USCIS system.
We parked in the garage (221 N Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90012) across from the Field Office for $17 (cards are accepted). It was early in the day and finding a parking spot was not hard at all. When we left the interview and returned to our car around 8:30 AM the garage was almost completely full, so plan accordingly for parking.
We arrived about 20 or 30 minutes late to the interview office due to the long line to enter USCIS Los Angeles in DTLA. We arrived at 6:40 am in the parking garage and had some trouble finding the correct building because we mistakenly went all around the courthouse looking for USCIS so that delayed us some. This happened because we foolishly followed behind a different couple and lost track of where they walked. This caused us to go to the courthouse instead. Luckily, we still had our phones, which are allowed as long as they are turned off during the interview, and found our way using google maps.
Once we found the Field Office the line to enter the building from the right was super long and slow-moving (this was the only line we could see at the time). Later, after already waiting in the slow line, we learned that there was another line on the left, if looking directly at the building, which was faster according to a man we thought was an Officer. I later learned that he was just a good samaritan who wanted to help people with early appointments get in on time (he was in the fast line and had been to this Field Office numerous times). We tested this theory by splitting up to see who would get near the front of the line first and periodically speaking on the phone to keep each other updated on our progress. I also called my mom to distract myself from the growing anxiety about being late (which could lead to a canceled interview/denied petition which then could lead to the deportation of my husband or restarting the whole tedious Petition process-as you could see I was getting frantic). Luckily I was able to stay calm.
Soon, my husband called and said he was near the front and I came back to the slow line. As I walked back to join my husband in the other line an Officer in the front of the building also confirmed that the other line was faster (the Officer wanted to know why I was leaving the fast line). The slow line/fast line theory seemed true based on my experience but I went back to join my husband in the slow line because he mistakenly thought he was closer than me. Thankfully, we had absolutely no problems as a result of being late (we both were worried while waiting outside in the line. I was probably more worried though). As you can see the anxiety of being late is no fun. I would recommend you arrive really early to be on the safe side. While going through the metal detectors and having our belongings x-rayed; I asked the Officer what was the fastest way to the USCIS Field Office. He let us know the way and once we got to the office, on the 8th floor, we were called into the interview soon after being checked in.
In the interview room, we were sworn in and then started the interview. The Officer (who was a very kind and chatty Latinx woman) wanted to see our passports and original birth certificates, our certified marriage certificate, my husband's EAD and DMV real ID application, my California driver’s license, and evidence of our relationship. Some of the questions she asked were: how we met, describe our first few dates, when we met each other’s parents, when we got married, questions about our siblings, what my husband does for work, what I do for work, when my husband entered the U.S. and on what visa, and when we moved in together. We were able to answer these questions together or she directed them to my husband. In all, she directed most of the questions at my husband and asked us our respective verification questions (SSN, mailing address, residential address, phone number, our parent’s names, and date of birth). I barely had to say anything the entire interview and all of the questions directed at us were easy as pie. We also brought a photo album and the Officer looked through it.
I definitely over-prepared for the interview with all the documents and evidence (I started prepping as soon as we got the interview notice a month prior). We also brought our joint sponsor’s tax returns and W-2’s from 2018 and 2019, employment letters from 2020 and 2021, and his last 2 month’s pay stubs. The Officer didn’t ask for any of those documents, which made up the bulk of all the things I printed (around 1200 pages). For some of the printing, Staples print services came in handy and I used CVS to print the pictures. The only thing the Officer asked us about our sponsor was how we knew him (he is a friend of my husband; they met through a previous contracting job). I also re-printed our entire Adjustment of Status application, but better to be too prepared than under right? The Officer looked at/kept roughly 100 pages of the stuff I brought.
The Officer kept the evidence of our relationship (bank statements, health insurance, trips, our pandemic puppy’s AKC and ICA registration which showed both of our last names, leases for the 2 apartments we rented in our time together, SoCal Gas and LADWP utility bills for the past 3 months, renters insurance for both apartments, couples therapy bill and video call screenshots, and about 30 photos of us with descriptions and dates on the back of them. We also provided pictures of our 2 apartments. The Officer said she wanted to copy our passports, my husband’s EAD and DMV Real ID application, and my driver’s license. Then she came back with our approval letter!
Overall, the interview was about 15 or 20 minutes. We are so happy and we had a really simple Adjustment of Status process overall! The main issue was delays due to COVID closures but everyone has been dealing with that.
Overall the waiting process has been, coincidentally, exactly a year (we sent in the petition on February 3rd, 2020 and we were approved Feb 3rd, 2021)! My husband sent in his medical exam (I-693) with our original petition in 2020 so that most likely allowed us to be approved during the interview. We are getting the conditional Green Card so we will apply for the 10-year green card (I-751 Petition) 3 months before the 2 year Green Card expires in November 2022.
My advice to you is not to worry (easier said than done, I was worrying basically the entire process). As long as you are in a real, loving marriage everything will be fine. Just be sure to have all the documents, evidence, and original (non-expired) identification (follow the interview notice carefully). Don't be afraid to over-prepare (start preparing as soon as or before you get the interview notice so that you won’t get overwhelmed) and don't try to rehearse your answers, as that may send red flags.
Also, take a ton of pictures of you and your spouse with family, friends, pets, in your home, on trips, and doing activities and print them (you can’t use any digital methods to show the pictures). Be sure to keep the pictures sorted so that you can use them in an album, with dates and descriptions.
Wait patiently for the slow process to progress and eventually, the interview notice will appear (make sure you have a secure location to receive the notices. We have a PO Box at UPS). Using the free Visa Journey website was an especially helpful and reliable way to see when you may have petition milestones as everyone updates their timelines depending on the type of petition they are filing Be sure to update your timeline too so that you can help others. In the interview just act natural and look at it like a conversation/sharing the journey of your relationship/marriage with the Officer. I hope this helped to ease your anxiety about this process and I wish you all the best!
TL;DR Timeline for Los Angeles, CA:
Married in Las Vegas: 11/22/19
Sent in Petition via UPS (I-485, I-130, I-131, I-765 and included Medical Exam I-693): 2/3/20
Petition Received at Chicago Lockbox (notified via Case Tracker App): 2/5/20
Receipt Numbers Texted to Us: 2/13/20
Receipt Numbers Received by Mail: 2/20/20
Biometrics Appointment Notice Received by Mail: 2/25/20
Biometrics Appointment (also reused for later biometrics appointment notice that was canceled due to COVID): 3/3/20
Case Tracker App Updated to "Ready to be Scheduled for an Interview": Sometime in April 2020
EAD (I-765)/AP Combo Card (I-131) Approved, notified via Case tracker App: 6/29/20
EAD/AP Combo Card Received: 7/22/20
Case Tracker App Updated to Interview Scheduled: 12/24/20
Interview Date Notice Received: 1/2/21
Interview/Approval of I-485 (approved in the interview, coincidentally, exactly a year later): 2/3/21
Conditional Green Card Received: 2/10/21

TL;DR Timeline for Los Angeles at the bottom.
My husband (Nigerian) and I (female U.S. Citizen) met in mid-2019 on Tinder (for real, it's not just hookups on there haha), and began dating in Los Angeles, while he was in the US for the 4th time on a Business Visitor Visa (B1). After a whirlwind romance, and basically being inseparable, just the two of us got married at a Chapel (in a mall) in Las Vegas on November 22nd, 2019.
We weren’t aware of the 90 day rule when getting married. Coincidentally, we got married 10 days after my husband’s 90 days since entering the States ended.
We used https://simplecitizen.com/, instead of a lawyer, to file our initial Marriage-Based Adjustment of Status Petition (I-485), Petition For Alien Relative (I-130), Application for Travel Document (I-131), and Application for Employment Authorization (I-765) in Los Angeles, CA on February 3rd, 2020 (we filed on paper, not electronically, and sent it using UPS to receive tracking). Simple Citizen was an inexpensive and very thorough alternative to a traditional filing with a lawyer. They also easily included our information about using a joint sponsor. They had all of our documents quickly prepared and we experienced no requests for information or delays from USCIS.
The Chicago lockbox received our petition on February 5th and we received our receipt numbers via text on February 13th (the physical receipt followed soon after). My husband went in for his biometrics on March 3rd, 2020; a few weeks before the Covid closures began (were also reused for a later biometrics notice that was canceled due to COVID from USCIS). The Case Tracker App updated to “Ready to be Scheduled for an Interview” sometime in April 2020.
My husband was approved for his Employment Authorization Document (EAD I-765)/Advance Parole (AP I-131) Combo Card, 5 months after filing on June 29th and received it on July 22nd. We also moved to another apartment in LA during the petition process and promptly informed them of our new address by filling out form AR-11 online. USCIS confirmed our new address through email about a week later.
Our interview was scheduled for February 3rd, 2021 (informed it was scheduled via Case Tracker on December 24, 2020 and notice received January 4th 2021) at the USCIS Field Office in Los Angeles (300 N Los Angeles St rm 7631, Los Angeles, CA 90012). We woke up bright and early at 4:30 AM and left for the Field Office at 6:00 AM. A few days prior, we chose business casual attire to wear. My husband wore a plaid burgundy button-down shirt, black dress pants, his wedding band, and black dress shoes. I wore a pretty blue and gray floral sleeveless blouse, black dress pants, and black flats. I also wore short, dangly silver earrings, my wedding ring, a silver bracelet, and I brought a black blazer just in case I got cold. I didn’t wear any makeup because I never wear it anyway.
We had a straightforward and enjoyable interview that was scheduled for 7:15 am (one of the first ones of the day). We received the interview notice about a month prior to the scheduled appointment, but I was notified that it was scheduled 42 days before the actual appointment through the case tracker app. I couldn’t see the actual interview date in the app or on the USCIS system. Case Tracker App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/case-tracker-for-uscis/id921827126
We parked in the garage (221 N Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90012) across from the Field Office for $17 (cards are accepted). It was early in the day and finding a parking spot was not hard at all. When we left the interview and returned to our car around 8:30 AM the garage was almost completely full, so plan accordingly for parking.
We arrived about 20 or 30 minutes late to the interview office due to the long line to enter USCIS Los Angeles in DTLA. We arrived at 6:40 am in the parking garage and had some trouble finding the correct building because we mistakenly went all around the courthouse looking for USCIS, so that delayed us some. This happened because we foolishly followed behind a different couple and lost track of where they walked. This caused us to go to the courthouse instead. Luckily, we still had our phones, which are allowed as long as they are turned off during the interview, and found our way using google maps.
Once we found the Field Office the line to enter the building from the right was super long and slow-moving (this was the only line we could see at the time). Later, after already waiting in the slow line, we learned that there was another line on the left, if looking directly at the building, which was faster according to a man we thought was an Officer. I later learned that he was just a good samaritan who wanted to help people with early appointments get in on time (he was in the fast line and had been to this Field Office numerous times). We tested this theory by splitting up to see who would get near the front of the line first and periodically speaking on the phone to keep each other updated on our progress. I also called my mom to distract myself from the growing anxiety about being late (which could lead to a canceled interview/denied petition which then could lead to the deportation of my husband or restarting the whole tedious Petition process-as you could see I was getting frantic). Luckily I was able to stay calm.
Soon, my husband called and said he was near the front and I came back to the slow line. As I walked back to join my husband in the other line an Officer in the front of the building also confirmed that the other line was faster (the Officer wanted to know why I was leaving the fast line). The slow line/fast line theory seemed true based on my experience but I went back to join my husband in the slow line because he mistakenly thought he was closer than me. Thankfully, we had absolutely no problems as a result of being late (we both were worried while waiting outside in the line. I was probably more worried though). As you can see the anxiety of being late is no fun. I would recommend you arrive really early to be on the safe side. While going through the metal detectors and having our belongings x-rayed; I asked the Officer what was the fastest way to the USCIS Field Office. He let us know the way and once we got to the office, on the 8th floor, we were called into the interview soon after being checked in.
In the interview room, we were sworn in and then started the interview. The Officer (who was a very kind and chatty Latinx woman) wanted to see our passports and original birth certificates, our certified marriage certificate, my husband's EAD and DMV real ID application, my California driver’s license, and evidence of our relationship. Some of the questions she asked were: how we met, describe our first few dates, when we met each other’s parents, when we got married, questions about our siblings, what my husband does for work, what I do for work, when my husband entered the U.S. and on what visa, and when we moved in together. We were able to answer these questions together or she directed them to my husband. In all, she directed most of the questions at my husband and asked us our respective verification questions (SSN, mailing address, residential address, phone number, our parent’s names, and date of birth). I barely had to say anything the entire interview and all of the questions directed at us were easy as pie. We also brought a photo album and the Officer looked through it.
I definitely over-prepared for the interview with all the documents and evidence (I started prepping as soon as we got the interview notice a month prior). We also brought our joint sponsor’s tax returns and W-2’s from 2018 and 2019, employment letters from 2020 and 2021, and his last 2 month’s pay stubs. The Officer didn’t ask for any of those documents, which made up the bulk of all the things I printed (around 1200 pages). For some of the printing, Staples print services came in handy and I used CVS to print the pictures. The only thing the Officer asked us about our sponsor was how we knew him (he is a friend of my husband; they met through a previous contracting job). I also re-printed our entire Adjustment of Status application, but better to be too prepared than under right? The Officer looked at/kept roughly 100 pages of the stuff I brought.
The Officer kept the evidence of our relationship (bank statements, health insurance, trips, our pandemic puppy’s AKC and ICA registration which showed both of our last names, leases for the 2 apartments we rented in our time together, SoCal Gas and LADWP utility bills for the past 3 months, renters insurance for both apartments, couples therapy bill and video call screenshots, and about 30 photos of us with descriptions and dates on the back of them. We also provided pictures of our 2 apartments. The Officer said she wanted to copy our passports, my husband’s EAD and DMV Real ID application, and my driver’s license. Then she came back with our approval letter!
Overall, the interview was about 15 to 20 minutes. We are so happy and we had a really simple Adjustment of Status process overall! The main issue was delays due to COVID closures but everyone has been dealing with that.
Overall the waiting process has been, coincidentally, exactly a year (we sent in the petition on February 3rd, 2020 and we were approved Feb 3rd, 2021)! My husband sent in his medical exam (I-693) with our original petition in 2020 so that most likely allowed us to be approved during the interview. We are getting the conditional Green Card so we will apply for the 10-year green card (I-751 Petition) 3 months before the 2 year Green Card expires in November 2022.
My advice to you is not to worry (easier said than done, I was worrying basically the entire process). As long as you are in a real, loving marriage everything will be fine. Just be sure to have all the documents, evidence, and original (non-expired) identification (follow the interview notice carefully). Don't be afraid to over-prepare (start preparing as soon as or before you get the interview notice so that you won’t get overwhelmed) and don't try to rehearse your answers, as that may send red flags.
Also, take a ton of pictures of you and your spouse with family, friends, pets, in your home, on trips, and doing activities and print them (you can’t use any digital methods to show the pictures). Be sure to keep the pictures sorted so that you can use them in an album, with dates and descriptions. I got my album from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003WSUYOY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_itW1xSYVBpCqo
Wait patiently for the slow process to progress and eventually, the interview notice will appear (make sure you have a secure location to receive the notices. We have a PO Box at UPS). Using https://www.visajourney.com/ was an especially helpful and reliable way to see when you may have petition milestones as everyone updates their timelines depending on the type of petition they are filing Be sure to update your timeline too so that you can help others. In the interview just act natural and look at it like a conversation/sharing the journey of your relationship/marriage with the Officer. I hope this helped to ease your anxiety about this process and I wish you all the best!
​
TL;DR Timeline for Los Angeles:
Married in Las Vegas: 11/22/19
Sent in Petition via UPS (I-485, I-130, I-131, I-765 and included Medical Exam I-693): 2/3/20
Petition Received at Chicago Lockbox (notified via Case Tracker App): 2/5/20
Receipt Numbers Texted to Us: 2/13/20
Receipt Numbers Received by Mail: 2/20/20
Biometrics Appointment Notice Received by Mail: 2/25/20
Biometrics Appointment (also reused for later biometrics appointment notice that was canceled due to COVID): 3/3/20
Case Tracker Ready to be Scheduled for an Interview: Sometime in April 2020
EAD (I-765)/AP Combo Card (I-131) Approved, notified via Case tracker App: 6/29/20
EAD/AP Combo Card Received: 7/22/20
Case Tracker App Updated to Interview Scheduled: 12/24/20
Interview Date Notice Received: 1/2/21
Interview/Approval of I-485 (approved in the interview, coincidentally, exactly a year later): 2/3/21
Conditional Green Card Received: 2/10/21

speedy edit: https://pretzel.substack.com/p/nimbyimby for the one with images.

There us a deeply insidious faux-movement called "YIMBYism" that rebrands Friedmanite economics, deregulation, and the steamrolling of the working poor by developers as a "pro-housing" and "progressive" agenda. Don't fall for it.

I feel like I could genuinely write an entire post about why this specific tweet is horrifyingly snooty and should be ridiculed. But no. There’s more. Everyone’s favorite privately educated champion of the working class has something to say about housing now, too. I didn’t hate what he had to say. Just the way he said it, and the conclusions he made.
“We need a radically democratic preservationism.”
I think my favorite part about the new weird upper-west-side-socialism is that somehow adding democratic in front of something, makes it good. NIMBYism is the bane of my existence as a yuppie, admittedly, I could likely afford the kinds of rents Nathan strawmans the reader with later in the article. This rebuke is not for me, it isn’t about wanting to pay less to live closer to my white-collar job. This is about how weird blue-collar fetishists and online LARPers constantly do more harm than good.

Payment processing company Stripe gave California YIMBY $1 million in 2018; the label is especially popular in Silicon Valle. […] But while YIMBYism is presented as the forces of progress and social justice fighting against wealthy entrenched interests, the picture is misleading. As a Guardian report on the phenomenon noted, YIMBYs are not anti-capitalists…
It’s certainly true that YIMBY groups tend to embrace economic ideas associated with free-market thinkers like Rand. The idea, generally, is that the problem of affordable housing is a problem of supply. Thus zoning restrictions should be rewritten to allow for more development. There is little interest in having the government build new public housing.

The more I read the article, the more I think that Nathan’s only gripe with YIMBY’s is that they tend to be, at least in part, well funded politically and made of pragmatists rather than rigid idealists. YIMBYs come from a very diverse background politically, I have met people at city council meetings that are pro development, and identify all over the place. Some want new private and public housing with rent control and might be Sanders-Democrats, some want only private housing and are staunch free-market libertarians; the point is, it is a broad ideological base of people who want to come together and democratically tell NIMBY’s to shove it.
I think that, admittedly, most of the active YIMBY crowd tend to be capitalists — at least in the sense that they are fine with private developers building new housing. I do not see how you can weasel your way out of the fact that the housing crisis in most of California, and high demand areas like NYC, tend to be exacerbated in part by the lack of supply. I personally am a pragmatist, so I have zero issue with public housing nor rent vouchers nor most forms of economic intervention when it comes to housing — I would consider myself a Georgist at least in some sense of the word. But what Nathan says next, isn’t incorrect. I think he just doesn’t have the full picture and is attacking YIMBY’s as a result.

In the “Econ 101” fairy tale about housing, more housing helps everyone no matter what kind of housing it is. Thus it does not make any sense to oppose development, and we should relax zoning codes (and forget about historic preservation, which is pure nostalgia, or rent control, which is a doomed attempt to interfere with market forces) to maximize the number of available units.
The story is insidious because it makes intuitive sense. Like many Econ 101 tales (e.g., raising the minimum wage kills jobs), it has a superficially compelling logic, and it is only when you think a bit harder (i.e., when you get past the “101” class) that you realize it might be false.

My fiancée (who has a minor in Econ) rags on me about it — because I am a finance student and not an Econ student — but I did take advanced Econ! I took econometrics! That counts Kiera! STOP BULLYING ME!
But Nathan does in-fact, have a point, the type of housing supplied is not accounted for in those wonderful little Econ 101 supply and demand graphs on Wikipedia pages and in textbooks. I think that everyone, YIMBYs, NIMBYs, Nathan and myself get caught in this fog of assigning x as the bigger issue and y as the externality and vice versa. The real estate market is a very complex beast of a system.
What the NIMBY’s and Nathan get right is that we’ve got the land owners, the land developers, the home builders and landlords — all wanting to make a profit on new housing. Additionally, there is easily 3 layers of brokers (e.g. lenders, building managers and holders) and the massive financialization of the housing sector which includes mortgage lenders, GSEs, REITs, private and public issuance ABSx and the list goes on and on — all also wanting profits.
What the YIMBY’s get right is the myriad of complex barriers to entry in housing. Minimum lot sizes, parking requirements, zoning specific restrictions (height, noise, style etc.), environmental impact studies (which, I agree with), traffic surveys and finally local governments ability to arbitrarily deny or conditionally accept building requests, which has been academically proven time and time again to impact housing costs negatively.
What is ultimately true for both of these is that the costs of this get passed down. There is little literature on how regulation affects the propensity of lenders (easily the most important cog in this machine) to agree on projects in the first place. In Washington, D.C., for example, this is somewhat avoided by lax regulations on acquiring older buildings and gutting them to make multi-unit housing, or adding infill — now don’t go celebrating — a lot of times this are simply renovated and upsold. Which obviously, is the antithesis of affordable housing. On the other hand, places like the lion’s share of Houston are… effectively zoneless and housing has remained relatively affordable compared to cities with similar growth.
So… what do we do then?
Wonderful for you to ask. Nuance! I’m fucking with you, I’m not that big of an asshole. I tend to model my views on a lot of Brookings stuff, because that is what I tend to agree with most. So disclaimer there.
The “3-legged stool approach”, by Jenny Chuetz at Brookings
I find myself agreeing with this framing, because it is easy to understand, so with attribution out of the way, I can steal this idea.
Part 1: Zoning laws are bad, actually. (so is preservationism)
It is going to turn off the socialists, but, a more laissez-faire approach to housing regulations is desperately needed. 3/4 of land in US cities are zoned to nothing larger than single family dwellings. Even in places where this cap doesn’t exist, there is often minimum lot sizes or height limits that completely torpedo a lot the feasibility of getting financial backing. So let’s… tone that down. My views here are not that complex.
Part 2: Land value taxes
Henry George was right! Unlike property taxes which are flat on the land and the structures on them, LVT charges more for land and far less for structures — for the expressed purpose of encouraging people who own expensive land to improve it. The most famous example of this in the US is its use in PA. LVT successfully shifted tax burden from renters and owner-occupants to speculators. This conveniently gets passed on, as the city governments can now use the tax dollars newly-acquired from speculators or landlords to improve. In PA’s case, the city of Clairton was able to triple its budget. I think that this is something everyone can get behind, why should developers be able to extract surplus value (did I use that right?) from a neighborhood in which they do no improvement but hold land and wait for it to gain value? “Everyone works but the vacant lot.”
Part 3: subsidies (building more, too)
Building housing can reduce costs. It doesn’t always — but often it does. HUD says you should spend no more than 33% of your income on rent. That is impossible in most states. The obvious solution (which we discussed earlier) is to build more. Which, yes, but that doesn’t help the lowest rung. In real estate markets like California, redevelopment of low-income neighborhoods has worsened unaffordability problems for the poorest of society; this is a point Nathan makes that I agree with — average unit cost goes down but new larger buildings that are state-of-the-art are often still unattainable to the previous tenants.
So, without getting into any other reasoning for this, on top of building more housing the federal government can build more housing themselves, which I generally disagree with but again — I am a pragmatist — anything is good. Issue more vouchers, increase EITC amounts or raise the minimum wage are all more than fine ways to alleviate these problems. Expansion of these discretionary (not entitlement!) programs could help those lowest on the totem pole — especially during COVID19. (There is also evidence vouchers can help alleviate the problem of low-labor-mobility!)
The potential alleviations to the housing crisis are nearly boundless. Just do something.
A lot of this rests on local governance, by which you can go their meetings and tell them to do it. Which is where all you active young leftist come in. I know how annoying you can be. Go be annoying in a city council meeting about this shit and do something. A lot of this rests on state or federal governance. So start calling and emailing!
Original article that inspired: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2021/01/the-only-thing-worse-than-a-nimby-is-a-yimby
Additional Reading:
https://www.brookings.edu/research/housing-costs-zoning-and-access-to-high-scoring-schools/
https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190711_metro_Is-California-Apartment-Market-Broken-Schuetz-Murray.pdf
https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Schuetz_Policy2020_BigIdea_Improving-Housing-Afforability.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094119009000576
https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/policy-basics-non-defense-discretionary-programs
https://www.economist.com/briefing/2018/08/09/the-time-may-be-right-for-land-value-taxes
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/06/18/upshot/cities-across-america-question-single-family-zoning.html
https://www.urban.org/research/publication/case-more-not-less-shortfalls-federal-housing-assistance-and-gaps-evidence-proposed-policy-changes
https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/public_indian_housing/programs/hcv/about/fact_sheet
https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257%2Fpol.20130064
https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/20190606/z1.pdf
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/social-mobility-memos/2016/08/16/zoning-as-opportunity-hoarding/
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2019/06/25/six-facts-about-wealth-in-the-united-states/

I've seen a lot of posts here asking what a send sale is (which is totally fair since they're not something most stores do!) so just wanted to make a guide in the event people want to learn more about them/how to do one!
What is a send sale?
A send sale is a way to get an item that is available in a store but not online*. It's done by contacting a store that has that item and having them send the item to you.
*Some people will also use send sales to get an item that may be discounted in a certain store, but not online. This can occur when someone returns an item to a store and it's the only one the store has, so they'll put it on markdown. Note that GEC and the lululemon app will not be able to tell you the price of the item in the store as that's up to a store's discretion, but sometimes users here will post that an item is on markdown in their local store which can prompt a send sale.
How do I do a send sale?

1. Figure out what store has your item in stock. While you can do this on the website, you can only search within x miles of a certain zip code. So the easiest way to do this is to use the lululemon app, where you can search inventory for all stores. Here is a great video on how to look up inventory in the app. If the item is not showing in the app because it's out of stock completely, you'll need to contact GEC (lululemon's customer service team) and they will tell you what stores have it in stock, if any.
2. Call the store. It's common for stores to not answer the phone, especially during peak hours. If the store doesn't answer, it's best to leave a voicemail stating that you're looking for a send sale and your call back number but also to call them back later. It really depends on the store how available educators are to answer the phone.
3. Give the educator your info. Once they locate your item, you'll give them your shipping information/credit card number and they'll process your order over the phone. They'll then ship your item directly to you!

Will I get an order confirmation/tracking information?
It's 50/50 on if you'll automatically receive an email with your order confirmation/tracking info. If you don't receive one, you can call the store you ordered from and they should be able to provide that to you. GEC will not be able to help get you tracking info as they operate independently from stores.
Alternatively if you sign up for FedEx Delivery Manager you’ll automatically get an email when there’s a new package headed to your address.
Does it cost extra?
Nope! Shipping is always free, all you need to pay is the cost of the item(s) + applicable tax.
Does every store do send sales?
None of the outlets can do send sales. When it comes to regular stores, some stores may not, especially during busy times like Black Friday or Boxing Day.
The app/GEC told me that x store has my item in stock, but when I called them they don't! What gives?
This can happen for a variety of reasons such as the item being recently sold to someone in person, being on hold for in-store pickup, or just a plain inventory error. That's why I'd recommend first calling the store that has multiples of your item in stock, because there will be a higher likelihood that the item will actually be there.
Can I use my discount (sweat collective, healthcare, military, etc.) during a send sale?
Unfortunately most stores will not honor a discount over the phone.
However some users have reported that a "hack" for this is to go to your local store in person before you buy the item, and the educator can call the store to request the send sale after verifying your ID/the discount applies to you.
Lululemon also states on their website that they will not do price adjustments for discount holders that bought items without using their discount at the time of purchase. However some users have reported success getting a price adjustment by bringing their item to their local store. So it seems like it depends on the store, but know it is technically Lululemon's policy to not perform price adjustments for this reason.
Can I do a send sale internationally?
No, you can only do a send sale from a store within your country.
Do I get a bag with my purchase?
I've personally always received a free bag when I do a send sale, but this seems to depend on the store you purchase from. I assume that states that charge for bags (ie. California) will not include a bag, but I cannot confirm.
Can I buy the item online and set it to pick up in store (BOPIS) to reserve it for myself and then call the store to do a send sale of that item?
In order to pick up a BOPIS order the educator needs to verify your ID to make sure you’re the person who purchased it, which they cannot do over the phone. I assume that they also cannot cancel a BOPIS order (so you can then do a send sale) over the phone either because they can’t confirm you’re the person who made the order, but would love for an educator to confirm.
Educator u/periwinkleravenclaw says their store's policy is they cannot do a send sale for the BOPIS item for the first 24 hours because the product is spoken for, but then after 24 hours they'll cancel the order and put the item back on the floor. So it seems as if the item would be available to do a send sale with after 24 hours have passed, but at that point you’d still have to call to request a send sale anyway so it doesn’t seem worth the effort.
That's all I can think of, but if y'all have any other FAQs about them, comment and I'd be happy to add them. Hope this helps y'all get the items you want :)

Been pushing this stock since June. As of close on 1/25/21 OPTI closed at just under it's 52 week high! Congrats longs!
OPTEC International, Appoints David OJEDA as Chief Operating Officer for Z2O Division https://stockdaymedia.com/optec-international-appoints-david-ojeda-as-chief-operating-officer-for-z2o-division/
OPTEC International, Inc. Acquires Z2O the Uber "App" of On-Demand Cleaning & Disinfecting Services https://www.accesswire.com/624280/OPTEC-International-Inc-Acquires-Z2O-the-Uber-App-of-On-Demand-Cleaning-Disinfecting-Services
https://microcapdaily.com/optec-international-inc-otcmkts-opti-gaining-fast-as-zoom-shareholder-call-looms/129616/
CEO confirmed plans to BUY BACK SHARES AND RETIRE THEM. (source conference call) https://optecintl.com/optec-international-inc-2020-annual-shareholder-event-via-zoom-dec-29-2020-previously-recorded/
Ive been big on $OPTI for quite some time (JUNE 2020) and have made great gains here. If you are looking for an OTC stock to play, this could be your huckleberry. Its been running up lately due to the investor call on 12/29 and people are expecting details on the $2 billion PPE deal as well as the "several" others being arranged. The transparency everyone has been waiting for.
Negatives are this stock was hit this Summer by toxic dilution as Restricted shares became Unrestricted. With how low OPTI stock went, these investors wanted out when this popped. Effectively driving the price right back down to where it started. It bounced a few times between then and now giving people 100% gains again and again after the 400% run.
Good news is the dilution is done, no reverse splits in the future and talks of share retirement, per CEO and investor RB Capital. This has really helped in its most recent push into the conference. With overall investor sentiment this thing may go parabolic on Monday and Tuesday. Kevin Harrington will be on the call as well as the CEO https://twitter.com/HarringtonKevin/status/1341079632276275202.
I have more confidence in this stocks growth potential than any other stock I own. I suggest you do your own DD but here's a place to start.
Birds eye video of warehouse. https://twitter.com/deborahrachelb/status/1347770623037108232
New photos showing 3M and Honeywell. https://twitter.com/BrettRosen325/status/1343701662838398976?s=19
​
WEBINAR REGESTRATION LINK https://twitter.com/optecfuelintl/status/1343631190193041414
https://www.accesswire.com/622428/optec-international-inc-opti-december-29th-annual-shareholder-zoom-call-dial-in-credentials
Macroaxis Forcast for OPTI. This forcast has been dead on since 12/15 https://www.macroaxis.com/forecast/OPTI
Macroaxis for OPTI https://www.macroaxis.com/invest/Overlap-Studies/Parabolic-SAR---Extended/OPTI
Technical Chart analysis https://t.co/C5AX6smR82?amp=1
​
Who they are:
Optec International, Inc.
2721 Loker Avenue West
Carlsbad, CA 92010
United States
760-444-5566
http://www.optecintl.com
OPTEC is located in Vista, California and is driven by a strong passion of providing green technologies for continued worldwide reduction of fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to pollution, there is now a global need for increased sanitation and disinfection for the safety of the world’s population. OPTEC’s UV-C LED technology falls directly in line with the company’s main goal towards global sustainability. Eliminating the use of harmful chemicals such as bleach, ozone and ammonia, UV-C provides a better, safer clean environment. Our mission is to provide an effective, proven, non-toxic cleaning solution that protects people from harmful bacteria and ultimately prevent illnesses and diseases. Safety, effectiveness and ease-of-use are all factors of our product design and engineering.
What are their money makers?

1. Fuel Injectors. This was their main profit maker and draw up until the pivot to UVC and PPE.
2. UV Wand and Rovers. This is the new product that will catapult them to epic stock growth.https://www.jpost.com/health-science/tel-aviv-research-999-percent-of-covid-19-germs-dead-in-30-seconds-with-uv-leds-653315

Note, they have immediately sold out on their rovers multiple times.

1. They received patent pending approval for their cell/tablet UV-C technology.
   
2. A new line of FDA approved PPE (believe the deal is with 3m)
   
3. Future prospects in the EV industry. https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/CBS/SearchResults?filing=&SearchType=NUMBER&SearchCriteria=C4670067
   

​
Videos, pics, audio links, etc.
Dr. Drew pumping iWand https://twitter.com/drdrew/status/1340747487896686592
Promotional Video https://twitter.com/optecfuelintl/status/1321482599835992064
OPTEC podcast https://stockdaymedia.com/optec-international-inc-discusses-the-growing-demand-of-uv-c-technology-and-ppe-products-with-the-stock-day-podcast-opti-october-22-2020/
DD on Barwicki Investor Relations https://twitter.com/JoshuaRauterkus/status/1320759522567356419
Video of Optec billboard in L.A. https://twitter.com/AyyoubFrank/status/1321650182006607872
Photo of billboard on Santa Monica Blvd. https://twitter.com/optecfuelintl/status/1321513006249857024
​
Company Growth and news.
​
OPTEC announces Shareholder meeting for 12/29/20 https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-OPTI-to-Hold-Annual-Shareholder-Call-via-Zoom?id=283812
OPTEC Shareholder update https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-OPTI-Shareholder-Update-Letter-December-2020?id=282813
OPTEC announces deal with Nasdaq company BBIG https://t.co/87nqyVjHJJ?amp=1
Stock Day Media interview with CEO https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/Stock-Day-Media-OPTEC-International-OPTI-CEO-Interview-Podcast-Monday-November-16th-2020?id=280333
OPTEC announces Dr. Drew Pinsky joining AB https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/Dr-Drew-Pinsky-Dr-Drew-Joins-OPTEC-International-Advisory-Board?id=279999
OPTEC releases quarterly report ending 9/30 https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-Quarterly-Report-Period-Ending-September-30-2020?id=279958
OPTEC announces significant deal in excess of $2 BILLION November 5, 2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Secures-Significant-PPE-Contract?id=279132
SEC Link https://t.co/mXPMXSmxN9?amp=1
OPTEC Launches promotional billboards around L.A. October 28, 20202
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-OPTI-Launches-OPTEC-iWandTM-Promotional-Billboards-Across-Los-Angeles-California?id=278298
Optec International Retains Barwicki Investor Relations to Expand Its Global Financial Communication & Investor Outreach Program Press Release 10/19/2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/Optec-International-Retains-Barwicki-Investor-Relations-to-Expand-Its-Global-Financial-Communication--Investor-Outreach-?id=277393
OPTEC International, Inc. (OPTI) Delivers Touchless Temperature Scanners and UV-C Room Sterilizers to Schools as Pandemic Cases Increase Among Children Press Release 10/08/2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-OPTI-Delivers-Touchless-Temperature-Scanners-and-UV-C-Room-Sterilizers-to-Schools-as-Pandemic-Ca?id=276408
OPTEC SURPASSES PREVIOUS QUARTER’S INCOME & REVENUE BY OVER 600% FOR PERIOD ENDING SEPTMBER 30, 2020
https://optecintl.com/optec-surpasses-previous-quarters-income-revenue-by-over-600-for-period-ending-septmber-30-2020/
OPTEC International Engages Prominent Los Angeles "MindMedium(R)" Agency to Develop Seasonal Social Media Marketing Campaign for OPTEC iWand product line Press Release 09/29/2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Engages-Prominent-Los-Angeles-MindMediumR-Agency-to-Develop-Seasonal-Social-Media-Marketing-Campaign?id=275483
OPTEC International, Inc. (OPTI) Secures $5,000,000 + Financing for Expansion of UV-C Sterilization Products to Help Safely Re-Open Economy Amidst Increased Pandemic Case Reports Press Release 09/24/2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-OPTI-Secures-5000000--Financing-for-Expansion-of-UV-C-Sterilization-Products-to-Help-Safely-Re-O?id=275051
OPTEC International, Inc. (OPTI) Introduces UV & UV-C Hydroxyl Air Purifier Solutions for Commercial and Personal Applications Press Release 09/22/2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-OPTI-Introduces-UV--UV-C-Hydroxyl-Air-Purifier-Solutions-for-Commercial-and-Personal-Application?id=274801
OPTEC Introduces Advanced New FDA Approved PPE Products for On-Line Resale & Distributor Network, Including "Breast Cancer Awareness Month 13+" Limited Edition Face Mask Press Release 09/16/2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-Introduces-Advanced-New-FDA-Approved-PPE-Products-for-On-Line-Resale--Distributor-Network-Including-Breast-Cancer-?id=274171
OPTEC ADDS NEW DISTRIBUTORS TO INTERNATIONAL SALES PROGRAM & INCREASES PPE PRODUCT LINES SKU’S
https://optecintl.com/optec-adds-new-distributors-to-international-sales-program-increases-ppe-product-lines-skus/
Optec announces they have paid off ALL debt!
https://optecintl.com/corporate-information-statement-2/
Optec to introduce a safer way to re-open schools! 7/30/20
https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/optec-international-to-introduce-a-safer-way-to-re-open-schools-using-a-suite-of-optec-products-2020-07-30
Kevin Harrington Joins the Optec Advisory Board. Shark Tank original investor and Global Infomercial Inventor! 7/28/20
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shark-tank-original-investor-global-123000974.html
Optec CEO Receives US patent-pending approval for UV-C led light use in cellphones and tablets. 7/13/20
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/optec-ceo-receives-united-states-120000195.html
Optec purchase 22000 square feet to expand production and distribution. 7/8/20
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/optec-expands-production-capability-22-123000529.html
Optec Rover Goes up for sale online. Sells out! 7/6/20
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/optec-rover-uvc-sterilizer-now-103000514.html
Optec "I Wand" goes up for sale online. 6/25/20
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/optec-iwand-now-available-online-184000697.html
Optec appoints former Amazon Senior Exec, David Ojeda, to advisory board. 6/19/20
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/optec-international-inc-appoints-david-190100316.html
​
NOTABLE BOARD MEMBERS
Dr Drew Pinsky
David Drew Pinsky (born September 4, 1958 ), commonly known as Dr. Drew, is an American media personality and internist, addiction medicine specialist. He hosted the nationally syndicated radio talk show Loveline from the show's inception in 1984 until its end in 2016. On television, he hosted the talk show Dr. Drew On Call on HLN and the daytime series Lifechangers on The CW. In addition, he served as producer and starred in the VH1 show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, and its spinoffs Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew
Kevin Harrington:
His ability to commercialize globally and the success of having done it before. Notice the news immediately following his joining the board is about "re-opening" and what they offer the world. Get ready for more news on a regular basis. I fully believe he had a lot to do with the most recent $2 BILLION deal.
David Ojeda:
Who better to bring in to establish the legitimacy of your online sales as well as the knowledge to be at the front of production, distribution and website presentation? That's right, a former Senior Amazon Exec!
​
In closing, OPTI is set to uplist to OTCQB status 1st quarter and expects to uplist to Nasdaq by the end of the year or beginning of 2022, per CEO. Growth is the focus for this company and when their EV play comes to fruition I believe this stock can be a game changer. As always, do your DD and feel free to ask questions. This stock has all the risks related to any stock and this is not financial advice. Just my opinion.

As of close on 1/29/21 OPTI closed at just under it's 52 week high! Congrats longs!
OPTEC International, Appoints David OJEDA as Chief Operating Officer for Z2O Division https://stockdaymedia.com/optec-international-appoints-david-ojeda-as-chief-operating-officer-for-z2o-division/
OPTEC International, Inc. Acquires Z2O the Uber "App" of On-Demand Cleaning & Disinfecting Services https://www.accesswire.com/624280/OPTEC-International-Inc-Acquires-Z2O-the-Uber-App-of-On-Demand-Cleaning-Disinfecting-Services
https://microcapdaily.com/optec-international-inc-otcmkts-opti-gaining-fast-as-zoom-shareholder-call-looms/129616/
CEO confirmed plans to BUY BACK SHARES AND RETIRE THEM. (source conference call) https://optecintl.com/optec-international-inc-2020-annual-shareholder-event-via-zoom-dec-29-2020-previously-recorded/
Ive been big on $OPTI for quite some time (JUNE 2020) and have made great gains here. If you are looking for an OTC stock to play, this could be your huckleberry. Its been running up lately due to the investor call on 12/29 and people are expecting details on the $2 billion PPE deal as well as the "several" others being arranged. The transparency everyone has been waiting for.
Negatives are this stock was hit this Summer by toxic dilution as Restricted shares became Unrestricted. With how low OPTI stock went, these investors wanted out when this popped. Effectively driving the price right back down to where it started. It bounced a few times between then and now giving people 100% gains again and again after the 400% run.
Good news is the dilution is done, no reverse splits in the future and talks of share retirement, per CEO and investor RB Capital. This has really helped in its most recent push into the conference. With overall investor sentiment this thing may go parabolic on Monday and Tuesday. Kevin Harrington will be on the call as well as Dr. Drew and the CEO https://twitter.com/HarringtonKevin/status/1341079632276275202.
I believe you will get a sell the news moment, with slight retracement on Tuesday or end of day Monday. Plan your entry accordingly. Using Ciceros methods will help.
I have more confidence in this stocks growth potential than any other stock I own. I suggest you do your own DD but here's a place to start.
Birds eye video of warehouse. https://twitter.com/deborahrachelb/status/1347770623037108232
New photos showing 3M and Honeywell. https://twitter.com/BrettRosen325/status/1343701662838398976?s=19
​
WEBINAR REGESTRATION LINK https://twitter.com/optecfuelintl/status/1343631190193041414
https://www.accesswire.com/622428/optec-international-inc-opti-december-29th-annual-shareholder-zoom-call-dial-in-credentials
Macroaxis Forcast for OPTI. This forcast has been dead on since 12/15 https://www.macroaxis.com/forecast/OPTI
Macroaxis for OPTI https://www.macroaxis.com/invest/Overlap-Studies/Parabolic-SAR---Extended/OPTI
Technical Chart analysis https://t.co/C5AX6smR82?amp=1
​
Who they are:
Optec International, Inc.
2721 Loker Avenue West
Carlsbad, CA 92010
United States
760-444-5566
http://www.optecintl.com
OPTEC is located in Vista, California and is driven by a strong passion of providing green technologies for continued worldwide reduction of fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to pollution, there is now a global need for increased sanitation and disinfection for the safety of the world’s population. OPTEC’s UV-C LED technology falls directly in line with the company’s main goal towards global sustainability. Eliminating the use of harmful chemicals such as bleach, ozone and ammonia, UV-C provides a better, safer clean environment. Our mission is to provide an effective, proven, non-toxic cleaning solution that protects people from harmful bacteria and ultimately prevent illnesses and diseases. Safety, effectiveness and ease-of-use are all factors of our product design and engineering.
What are their money makers?

1. Fuel Injectors. This was their main profit maker and draw up until the pivot to UVC and PPE.
2. UV Wand and Rovers. This is the new product that will catapult them to epic stock growth.https://www.jpost.com/health-science/tel-aviv-research-999-percent-of-covid-19-germs-dead-in-30-seconds-with-uv-leds-653315

Note, they have immediately sold out on their rovers multiple times.

1. They received patent pending approval for their cell/tablet UV-C technology.
   
2. A new line of FDA approved PPE (believe the deal is with 3m)
   
3. Future prospects in the EV industry. https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/CBS/SearchResults?filing=&SearchType=NUMBER&SearchCriteria=C4670067
   

​
Videos, pics, audio links, etc.
Dr. Drew pumping iWand https://twitter.com/drdrew/status/1340747487896686592
Promotional Video https://twitter.com/optecfuelintl/status/1321482599835992064
OPTEC podcast https://stockdaymedia.com/optec-international-inc-discusses-the-growing-demand-of-uv-c-technology-and-ppe-products-with-the-stock-day-podcast-opti-october-22-2020/
DD on Barwicki Investor Relations https://twitter.com/JoshuaRauterkus/status/1320759522567356419
Video of Optec billboard in L.A. https://twitter.com/AyyoubFrank/status/1321650182006607872
Photo of billboard on Santa Monica Blvd. https://twitter.com/optecfuelintl/status/1321513006249857024
​
Company Growth and news.
​
OPTEC announces Shareholder meeting for 12/29/20 https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-OPTI-to-Hold-Annual-Shareholder-Call-via-Zoom?id=283812
OPTEC Shareholder update https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-OPTI-Shareholder-Update-Letter-December-2020?id=282813
OPTEC announces deal with Nasdaq company BBIG https://t.co/87nqyVjHJJ?amp=1
Stock Day Media interview with CEO https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/Stock-Day-Media-OPTEC-International-OPTI-CEO-Interview-Podcast-Monday-November-16th-2020?id=280333
OPTEC announces Dr. Drew Pinsky joining AB https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/Dr-Drew-Pinsky-Dr-Drew-Joins-OPTEC-International-Advisory-Board?id=279999
OPTEC releases quarterly report ending 9/30 https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-Quarterly-Report-Period-Ending-September-30-2020?id=279958
OPTEC announces significant deal in excess of $2 BILLION November 5, 2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Secures-Significant-PPE-Contract?id=279132
SEC Link https://t.co/mXPMXSmxN9?amp=1
OPTEC Launches promotional billboards around L.A. October 28, 20202
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-OPTI-Launches-OPTEC-iWandTM-Promotional-Billboards-Across-Los-Angeles-California?id=278298
Optec International Retains Barwicki Investor Relations to Expand Its Global Financial Communication & Investor Outreach Program Press Release 10/19/2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/Optec-International-Retains-Barwicki-Investor-Relations-to-Expand-Its-Global-Financial-Communication--Investor-Outreach-?id=277393
OPTEC International, Inc. (OPTI) Delivers Touchless Temperature Scanners and UV-C Room Sterilizers to Schools as Pandemic Cases Increase Among Children Press Release 10/08/2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-OPTI-Delivers-Touchless-Temperature-Scanners-and-UV-C-Room-Sterilizers-to-Schools-as-Pandemic-Ca?id=276408
OPTEC SURPASSES PREVIOUS QUARTER’S INCOME & REVENUE BY OVER 600% FOR PERIOD ENDING SEPTMBER 30, 2020
https://optecintl.com/optec-surpasses-previous-quarters-income-revenue-by-over-600-for-period-ending-septmber-30-2020/
OPTEC International Engages Prominent Los Angeles "MindMedium(R)" Agency to Develop Seasonal Social Media Marketing Campaign for OPTEC iWand product line Press Release 09/29/2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Engages-Prominent-Los-Angeles-MindMediumR-Agency-to-Develop-Seasonal-Social-Media-Marketing-Campaign?id=275483
OPTEC International, Inc. (OPTI) Secures $5,000,000 + Financing for Expansion of UV-C Sterilization Products to Help Safely Re-Open Economy Amidst Increased Pandemic Case Reports Press Release 09/24/2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-OPTI-Secures-5000000--Financing-for-Expansion-of-UV-C-Sterilization-Products-to-Help-Safely-Re-O?id=275051
OPTEC International, Inc. (OPTI) Introduces UV & UV-C Hydroxyl Air Purifier Solutions for Commercial and Personal Applications Press Release 09/22/2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-International-Inc-OPTI-Introduces-UV--UV-C-Hydroxyl-Air-Purifier-Solutions-for-Commercial-and-Personal-Application?id=274801
OPTEC Introduces Advanced New FDA Approved PPE Products for On-Line Resale & Distributor Network, Including "Breast Cancer Awareness Month 13+" Limited Edition Face Mask Press Release 09/16/2020
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OPTI/news/OPTEC-Introduces-Advanced-New-FDA-Approved-PPE-Products-for-On-Line-Resale--Distributor-Network-Including-Breast-Cancer-?id=274171
OPTEC ADDS NEW DISTRIBUTORS TO INTERNATIONAL SALES PROGRAM & INCREASES PPE PRODUCT LINES SKU’S
https://optecintl.com/optec-adds-new-distributors-to-international-sales-program-increases-ppe-product-lines-skus/
Optec announces they have paid off ALL debt!
https://optecintl.com/corporate-information-statement-2/
Optec to introduce a safer way to re-open schools! 7/30/20
https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/optec-international-to-introduce-a-safer-way-to-re-open-schools-using-a-suite-of-optec-products-2020-07-30
Kevin Harrington Joins the Optec Advisory Board. Shark Tank original investor and Global Infomercial Inventor! 7/28/20
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shark-tank-original-investor-global-123000974.html
Optec CEO Receives US patent-pending approval for UV-C led light use in cellphones and tablets. 7/13/20
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/optec-ceo-receives-united-states-120000195.html
Optec purchase 22000 square feet to expand production and distribution. 7/8/20
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/optec-expands-production-capability-22-123000529.html
Optec Rover Goes up for sale online. Sells out! 7/6/20
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/optec-rover-uvc-sterilizer-now-103000514.html
Optec "I Wand" goes up for sale online. 6/25/20
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/optec-iwand-now-available-online-184000697.html
Optec appoints former Amazon Senior Exec, David Ojeda, to advisory board. 6/19/20
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/optec-international-inc-appoints-david-190100316.html
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NOTABLE BOARD MEMBERS
Dr Drew Pinsky
David Drew Pinsky (born September 4, 1958 ), commonly known as Dr. Drew, is an American media personality and internist, addiction medicine specialist. He hosted the nationally syndicated radio talk show Loveline from the show's inception in 1984 until its end in 2016. On television, he hosted the talk show Dr. Drew On Call on HLN and the daytime series Lifechangers on The CW. In addition, he served as producer and starred in the VH1 show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, and its spinoffs Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew
Kevin Harrington:
His ability to commercialize globally and the success of having done it before. Notice the news immediately following his joining the board is about "re-opening" and what they offer the world. Get ready for more news on a regular basis. I fully believe he had a lot to do with the most recent $2 BILLION deal.
David Ojeda:
Who better to bring in to establish the legitimacy of your online sales as well as the knowledge to be at the front of production, distribution and website presentation? That's right, a former Senior Amazon Exec!
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In closing, OPTI is set to uplist to OTCQB status 1st quarter and expects to uplist to Nasdaq by the end of the year or beginning of 2022, per CEO. Growth is the focus for this company and when their EV play comes to fruition I believe this stock can be a game changer. As always, do your DD and feel free to ask questions. This stock has all the risks related to any stock and this is not financial advice. Just my opinion.