Childhood obesity is a big problem in Merced. A group of local teens are doling out a dose of reality about the link between sugary drinks and obesity to parents and children—and talking about a proposed remedy. The teen group wants to educate locals about a soda tax introduced in the assembly this February.
While Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers wrestle with the budget crisis, some Californians are adamant that much of the problem can be laid at the feet of people who are in the country illegally. Their message is: stop teaching the kids, cut-off welfare checks and ship the prisoners back home. That way, billions of dollars spent on services could be put to work cutting the deficit, paying for vital programs and keeping tax increases at bay. But that’s easier said than done.
The salsa competition provides a fun way to promote eating fresh and healthy at home, an important message for a community that struggles with high health disparities.
In California’s state Capitol, they call it counter-cyclical, a mundane term used to describe the volatile rollercoaster effect of a bad economy on government-run social programs. As the economy and tax revenues decline, demand for many state-run programs increases, putting more stress on the budget just when it can handle it least. The grand daddy of all counter-cyclical programs: Medi-Cal, the state and federal program that provides health care for the poor.
In Salinas, health officials could soon issue a new warning: Don’t even think of applying for a job at the Monterey County health department or the county hospital, Natividad Medical Center, if you smoke.
California is the nation’s most populous state, the owner of the world’s eighth largest economy, the home of Silicon Valley and Hollywood, and the global leader in biotechnology. And yet, the fortunes of its state government depend on a small group of people.
Richmond, California, is a city of contradictions. Chevron operates its second largest oil refinery on the city’s western border. The city is emerging as a leader in “urban greening” – city planning that upgrades public spaces with walkable and bikable routes and natural vegetation. It’s as if ex-spouses are living next door to each other.
Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers last month passed what might have been the biggest package of spending cuts in state history, more than $11 billion in reductions to almost every part of the government. But when the next fiscal year ends less than 15 months from now, many of those cuts will have failed to deliver their promised savings.
Juan-Carlos Gonzalez is an artist and advocate for youth in East Salinas. He is deeply involved in planning and organizing of community events and uses art as a vehicle for social change.
Last month marked the one-year anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act (ACA). Much has happened in the past 12 months to get the new health law up and
running and positive results – especially for America’s seniors – are beginning to show.