Rep. Panetta Seeks Another Term • Cabrillo VP Charged with Embezzlement at his Former Job

COMMUNITY NEWS

Rep. Panetta Seeks Another Term

On Dec. 27, U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D- Carmel Valley, announced he will run for re-election in the newly drawn 19th Congressional district.

In December, the independent California Citizens’ Redistricting Commission drew and finalized all of the congressional districts for the State of California, based on the 2020 census figures. The new 19th Congressional District contains much of Panetta’s old district including the coastal areas of Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, and adds the northern part of Santa Cruz County, the southern part of San Jose city, and the northern part of San Luis Obispo County.

“Although the shape of our district has changed, it will not change my dedication and desire to enhance the lives and ensure the livelihoods of my constituents by making the federal government work them,” Panetta said. “I look forward to introducing myself to the few communities that were added to the new 19th Congressional District and letting them know, as my existing constituents already know, that it has been an absolute honor and privilege to represent the Central Coast, and that I will continue my fight for opportunities for working families and the future of our democracy.”

Panetta, 52, was first elected in 2016 with 70 percent of the vote in a district Ballotpedia rated safely Democratic. His victory margins in 2018 and 2020 were larger.

According to Open Secrets.org, his campaign committee had $1.5 million cash on hand as of Sept. 30. His top five donors in the past year were Honeywell International, $10,000, Foothill Packing, $7,900, Mainspring Energy, $7,400, American Hospital Association, $7,300, and Blue Diamond Growers, $6,000. He has served on the House Committees on Ways & Means, Armed Services, and Agriculture. Those key committees have jurisdiction over some of the nation’s most important federal programs benefiting families and businesses on the Central Coast. Jimmy Panetta He cites as a legislative victory the reversal of the previous administration’s environmental regulations in order to sustain coastal and ocean resources. He also pushed for more federal funding for affordable housing, to reduce homelessness, and to increase the amount of safe and secure housing for farmworkers and military families. The House passed his legislation to make funds available to homeless veterans and those at risk of homelessness. Last year, Panetta secured compensation for restaurants, small businesses, farmers, farmworkers, and hospice care providers to offset losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. He co-authored the House-passed bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act to provide an earned pathway to citizenship for essential workers. Most recently, Panetta secured funds in the bipartisan infrastructure law that could be invested in key Central Coast projects including water resources, wildfire resiliency, energy grids, and supply chain solutions.

In the pending House-passed Build Back Better Act, he secured funds for agricultural research and conservation and tax credits for electronic bus and bicycle purchases to help reduce carbon emissions.

Panetta is one of only eight chief deputy whips in the House Democratic leadership. He is member of the Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus, the Bipartisan Working Group, and is a founder of the For Country Caucus that consists of military veterans who are members of Congress that work together on policies for a more productive government.

“Panetta” page 9

Cabrillo VP Charged with Embezzlement at his Former Job

On Dec. 9, Paul De La Cerda, vice president of instruction at Cabrillo College, was charged with overbilling his former employer for trips he took.

De La Cerda, 47, was charged with one felony count each of misappropriation of government funds and embezzlement of government funds, according to a press release issued by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.

De La Cerda is expected to be arraigned on Jan. 7 in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles. He is on administrative leave from Cabrillo until Jan. 31

He is accused of overbilling East Los Angeles College, where he was dean, about $1,575 for several hotel stays between March 2017 and 2019. He allegedly forged documents he submitted for reimbursement, according to Gascón.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Fraud and Cyber Crimes.

De La Cerda joined Cabrillo in June of this year.

Cabrillo spokeswoman Kristin Fabos said via email, “We cannot discuss details due to the fact that it is a confidential personnel matter.”

She provided a statement on behalf of the college:

“The Cabrillo Community College District is actively engaged in working on this matter. We take this development very seriously and recognize this is creating concern among employees, students, and the community. We acknowledge that concern, but are restricted in what we can publicly share as this is a confidential personnel matter. Please know that this has our full attention and that we will share additional details as we are able. The best interests of the College, its students and employees, and our community continue to be paramount.” n •••

The Cabrillo College Governing Board meets virtually Monday, Jan. 10, at 6:15 p.m.

“Panetta” from page 8

Prior to being elected to Congress, Panetta worked as a prosecutor and served in the military.

After graduating from Santa Clara University School of Law, he was a deputy district attorney for Alameda and Monterey counties where he focused on pursuing justice for victims, protecting families, and making communities safer. He was appointed to the California Councils on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, which advises the Governor’s Office.

As a member of the United States Navy Reserve, he was mobilized to active duty after the attacks of 9/11 and deployed to fight in Operation Enduring Freedom.

He served in Afghanistan as an intelligence officer assigned to a Special Operations task force. Based on his meritorious service in a combat zone, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

After returning home, he became a board member of the Veterans Transition Center where he worked to address veterans’ homelessness and championed the opening of Monterey County’s first Veterans Treatment Court.

With local leaders and veterans, he helped establish the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery. He was named a Monterey County Veteran of the Year in 2015.

The son of former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Sylvia Panetta, CEO of the 24-year-old Panetta Institute for Public Policy, Jimmy Panetta was raised and educated on the Central Coast, where he lives with his wife and their two daughters. n •••

For info, visit www.jimmypanetta.com

“COVID Update” from page 7

Pajaro Valley Unified School District reports 97 active student cases and seven active staff cases in December. The district is on winter break, with classes to resume Jan. 10.

The most student cases are at MacQuiddy Elementary, 13, Mar Vista Elementary, 11, and Watsonville High, 9, Rolling Hills Middle School, 7, Landmark Elementary, 7, Pajaro Valley High, 6, Bradley Elementary, 6.

In Aptos, Aptos High reports 8, Aptos Junior High, 5, and Valencia Elementary, 2.

With Inspire Diagnostics, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education has conducted 135,900 PCR tests for COVID at no charge to those tested, and reports a 14-day positivity rate of 1.11 percent, up from .44 percent a week ago.

Testing for the school community is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. when the regular schedule resumes Jan. 3.

Regular testing hours are: Cabrillo’s parking lot K, 2-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday; the PVUSD District Office parking lot, open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, and the county Office of Education, 400 Encinal St., Santa Cruz.

Students and their families, and staff and their families can get tested free; fill out the registration once at http://sccoe. link/inspiresc and go to any site --no appointment is needed.

Boosters & Mandates

Following authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine are available at the three local clinics for 16-17 year-olds who got their second dose at least six months ago.

Booster doses of all three vaccine types are available locally for all school staff. For appointments see https:// santacruzcoe.org/boosters/

Booster shots are available for school staff who got their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago, or who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 2 months ago.

Shortly before Christmas, as the CDC estimated Omicron made up a majority ot cases, Gov. Newsom ordered health care workers to get a booster shot by Feb. 1.

A CDC analysis published Nov. 18 in the American Journal of Infection Control found 30 percent of healthcare workers in more than 2,000 U.S. hospitals were unvaccinated against COVID-19 as of Sept. 15.

Deaths are still rising — 820,000 in the United States, 75,500 in California, 228 in Santa Cruz County — and part of President Biden’s strategy is to mandate vaccines or weekly tests for employers with 100 more employees (part time as well as fulltime — independent contractors are not counted).

The deadline to comply is Jan. 4, but due to legal challenges, the future of the mandate is not known.

Four judicial rulings put mandates on hold, finding the administration’s orders mandating vaccines exceeded the power Congress had given the executive branch.

In Florida v. Department of Health and Human Services, a Florida district court upheld the CMS mandate. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit affirmed it on Dec. 6.

The Biden administration backed off on penalties this year for federal workers and military personnel not fully vaccinated (or requested a religious or medical exemption) by Nov. 22.

Enforcement will begin in 2022, when the unvaccinated may get a letter of reprimand. About 92 percent of federal employees are vaccinated.

92% One Dose

Health experts had surmised that once 70 percent of the population (or 80 percent or 85 percent) was vaccinated against COVID-19, the new coronavirus would fade away — the world could return to normal.

That hasn’t happened.

The CDC Covid Tracker says Santa Cruz County has 92.5 percent of those 12 and older with one dose and 82.2 percent of that age group fully vaccinated.

Studies show protection from Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccine begins to wane after a few months, which is why booster shots are available to those 18 and older whose shots were six months ago.

Dominican Hospital’s vaccine clinic has provided COVID-19 booster shots every Thursday since they were approved by the FDA and CDC. To make an appointment, see myturn.ca.gov.

Although protection wanes, studies show the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are highly protective against hospitalization.

The CDC said people can “mix and match” vaccines.

The Dignity Health Medical GroupDominican pediatric practices in Aptos and Capitola began offering the Pfizer vaccine to their patients 5 years and older after the FDA granted authorization.

Some parents worry about myocarditis, heart inflammation, which has been reported in adolescent and young adult males. It is a rare condition and Dr. Steven Black, co-director of the Global Vaccine Data Network, a consortium researching vaccine safety, told The New York Times that physicians will know to look for it.

Some parents worried about longterm side effects do not want to vaccinate their children. In other cases, if the children have had COVID, the parents contend they have natural immunity.

Jobs

Santa Cruz County had a healthy 103,400 jobs as of mid-November, and unemployment was 4.9%, down from 6.6% a year ago. Many businesses still have “help wanted” signs, including Palace Art & Office Supply in Capitola.

Cabrillo College has several jobs posted on Indeed.com, including a part-time adjunct instructor for communications, outreach coordinator starting at $4,750 per month, and accounting technician, starting at $4,100 per month and pat-time athletic trainer, $3,140 per month. Trader Joe’s in Capitola is offering $16-$18 for a cashier. n •••

Total COVID cases: 22,399

•••

COVID Deaths: 228

As of Dec.29

Age

85 and older: 98 • 75-84: 51 • 65-74: 41 60-64: 14 • 55-59: 3 • 45-54: 9 • 35-44: 7 25-34: 5

Underlying Conditions

Yes: 181 • No: 47

Race

White 126 • Latinx 83 • Asian 16 Black 1 • Amer Indian/Alaskan native 1 Gender Male: 117 • Female 111 Aging Facility Yes: 107 • No 121