EL CHICANo Weekly
Vol 58, NO. 17
April 15, 2021
Gover nor Gavin Newsom brings 500 COVID-19 vaccines to Seventh-day Adventist Church in San Ber nardino By Manny B. Sandoval
www.iecn.com
County residents can apply for emergency rent relief
O
n Friday, April 2, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom met with 5th District County Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr., Congressman Pete Aguilar, and Assemblymember Eloise Gomez Reyes at the 16th St. Seventh-day Adventist Church in San Bernardino. At the clinic, 500 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines were administered as part of the Governor’s effort to bring 25,000 doses to places of worship for communities of color across the state during the month of April. “As elected officials, it is our responsibility to ensure that we provide our communities with equitable access to vaccinations. Vaccine, cont. on next pg.
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JOE BACA, JR.
San Bernardino County Board Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. and California Governor Gavin Newsom at the 16th St. Seventh-Day Adventist Church in San Bernardino, ahead of the COVID vaccination clinic.
San Ber nardino City allocated $84 million in
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American Rescue Plan funding By Maryjoy Duncan
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Va l l e y D i s t r i c t par ticipates in new water, wastewater career pathways init iative Pg.8
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“The goal is to help bridge some of the economic issues that resulted from the pandemic,” Aguilar explained. “Cities rely heavily on sales tax revenue, and the bill recognizes declining city sales tax revenue due to declining economic activity.”
he City of San Bernardino will receive $84.89 million in pandemic relief under the American Rescue Plan (ARP), half of which is accessible within 60 days of President Joe Biden signing the bill on March 11, and the other half 12 months later.
As a measure in terms of equity, the cities of Fontana and San Bernardino have similar populations but Fontana is receiving $52 million as a result of the formula guided by certain HUD calculations that acknowledged underserved communities.
“We welcome the dollars coming that is appropriated to the city; I’m very excited and elated,” San Bernardino City Mayor John Valdivia expressed. “We’re $85 million richer as a community, so I want to put these dollars to work for our community.” Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands) provided information on what that funding would entail for the City of San Bernardino during a recent city council meeting, noting over a million state and local employees were laid off during the pandemic, and the legislation secured $350 billion to state and local government.
“I want to be clear that we are doing our share to recognize some of the inequities within the system and those communities that need it most,” noted Aguilar.
PHOTO SCREENSHOT
Rep. Pete Aguilar explains to San Bernardino city leaders the American Rescue Plan funding and possible uses for the money.
The bill discusses 5 fiscal years that are eligible, so the economic loss that San Bernardino has faced as a result of the pandemic is an eligible expense, Aguilar Funding, cont. on next pg.