$1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Passed: What’s in it for Santa Cruz County

COMMUNITY NEWS $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Passed

What’s in it for Santa Cruz County?

On Nov. 5, Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) voted to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to make $1.2 trillion in investments in the nation’s physical infrastructure.

The bill was approved 228-206 after 13 Republican members of the House of Representatives joined 215 Democrats to vote yes. The Senate passed the bill 69-30, with 19 Republicans joining all 50 Democrats. With support from some Repub- Jimmy Panetta licans, the bill was dubbed by supporters as bipartisan.

President Joe Biden hailed the bill’s passage but did not immediately sign it. He is expected to sign it once Congress returns the week of Nov. 15.

“For far too long we’ve underinvested in our nation’s infrastructure,” said Panetta. “This legislation will make significant investments in our infrastructure that will improve our supply chains, bolster our economy, increase jobs, help prevent wildfires, enhance rural broadband, broaden our water resources, and fight the effects of climate change. I’m proud to have worked on and supported such a transformational and bipartisan bill that clearly will strengthen the foundation upon which our democracy can go forward and lead in the 21st century.”

According to Panetta’s office, the bill includes:

Wildfire Risk Reduction: $3.369 billion to the Department of the Interior and USDA-Forest Service for wildfire risk reduction by providing funding for community wildfire defense grants, mechanical thinning, controlled burns, the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program, and firefighting resources.

It also includes provisions of Panetta’s REPLANT Act, designed to create nearly 49,000 jobs over the next decade and prevent damaging mudslides after intense wildfire seasons.

Supply Chain Fixes: $17 billion for port infrastructure, to help expand ports and ease the supply chain crisis.

$9.5 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers $4 billion for Operations and Mainte-

nance, the account that funds dredging in the Santa Cruz Harbor as maintenance.

Water Infrastructure: $55 billion including $8.3 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation for Western water infrastructure.

$3.2 billion for aging water infrastructure

$1.15 billion for water storage, groundwater storage, and conveyance projects

$250 million for desalination projects $1 billion for rural water projects $300 million for a Drought Contingency Plan $400 million for WaterSMART water and energy efficiency grants $100 million for the Cooperative Watershed Management Program $250 million for the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program $100 million for multi-benefit watershed projects

Repairs to Roads & Bridges: $110 billion for new roads, bridges, and major surface transportation projects.

$40 billion for bridge repair,

replacement, and rehab.

$5.25 billion for the Low-No (emission) bus grant program.

Public Transit: $39 billion in new investments for public transit, which will benefit Monterey-Salinas Transit and Santa Cruz Metro.

Expands Broadband: $65 billion with the goal to ensure every American has access to reliable high-speed internet, critical after COVID.

$40 billion in grants to states $600 million for Private Activity

Bonds to finance broadband deployment, specifically for projects in rural areas.

$2 billion for broadband programs

administered by the UDSA, including the ReConnect Program, which provides loans and grants to fund construction, acquisition, or improvement of facilities and equipment for broadband service in rural areas

Energy Grid: $27.65 in grid infrastructure designed to help keep the lights on in the face of extreme weather and natural disasters, reducing the need for Public Safety Power Shutoffs.

Clean Energy Supply Chains: $7.7 billion for clean energy supply chains.

$3 billion for battery materials $3 billion for battery manufacturing and recycling grants

EV Charging Stations: $7.5 billion to build a national network of electric vehicle charging stations, with the goal to accelerate consumers buying electric vehicles. n

“COVID Update” from page 7

Rally For Choice

While some parents are eager to have their younger children vaccinated in hopes of returning to normality, others contend vaccines should be a choice, not a mandate.

On Nov. 3, hundreds of parents rallied in Santa Cruz to register their dismay with Gov. Newsom’s plan to mandate vaccines for children attending school in person.

The rally, sponsored locally by GuardiansofYouth.com, was part of the worldwide walkout initiated by attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He’s the founder of Children’s Health Defense, which opposes mandatory vaccination of children at K-12 schools and school staff, college students and staff, and employees and calls for freedom of choice.

Dr. Jefferson Jones of the CDC shared these statistics with the vaccine advisory committee.

In 17 months from Jan. 1, 2020, to Oct. 16, 2021, COVID-19 claimed the lives of 94 children age 5-11.

For comparison, he showed causes of death for kids 5-11 in 2019, the year before the pandemic.

The most fatalities, 949, were due to accidents, followed by 525 due to cancer tumors, 274 due to abnormalities at birth, 207 homicides and 115 to heart disease.

Some parents are worried 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.

Enrollments in California’s K-12 public schools — and in Pajaro Valley — dropped from pre-pandemic levels, and homeschooling in California has tripled in two years, with some reports that parents are moving to Idaho and Utah because of SB 277, the 2015 law banning all but medical exemptions for vaccines.

As of Nov. 11, there were 19,887 recovered in Santa Cruz County ; statistics are updated on Mondays and Thursdays.

The CDC tracker reports 80 percent of those eligible in Santa Cruz County are fully vaccinated, and a test positivity rate of .1.37 percent, lower than the statewide rate of 2.3 percent. The state rate has been declining.

For local vaccine information, see www.santacruzhealth.org

Business Rebound

Signs of business confidence: The Aptos Chamber of Commerce plans its first in person breakfast meeting on Nov, 18 with Sheriff Jim Hart.

Local business owners are gearing up for Small Business Saturday, Nov. 27, in hopes people will opt out of chain-store shopping on Black Friday, Nov. 26, and shop local.

Jeff Hickey, co-owner of Soul Salad in Aptos, switched his schedule to Tuesday through Saturday.

Soulmate, a new clothing and footwear store, opened in Aptos.

Aptos St. Barbeque is smoking non-GMO free-range turkeys for Thanksgiving; quantities are limited, so order in advance.

Tabitha Stroup, proprietor of Friend in Cheeses Jam Co. and Terroir in a Jar, was dealing with a “very severe” glass shortage with no 8 oz. jars to be had. Now she’s leased the former Miramar restaurant space at 532 Main St, Watsonville, and her sister Jennifer Santillana, opened SHEF, which sells vintage cookware and houseware.

Many businesses have “help wanted” signs. Mr. Z’s Crepes in Aptos asked customers to be patient because of short staffing.

Numbers posted Oct. 19 show a healthy 105,100 jobs in Santa Cruz County in September, and unemployment down to 5.4%. Indeed.com plans a virtual job fair for veterans on Nov. 19.

The New York Times advised people to shop earlier this year because of expected shipping delays due to pandemic-induced supply chain problems.

Shopping local is a way to avoid that problem. n

••• Total cases: 20,517 ••• COVID Deaths: 222 As of Nov. 11 Age 85 and older: 98 • 75-84: 48 • 65-74: 40 60-64: 13 • 55-59: 3 • 45-54: 8 35-44: 7 • 25-34: 5 Underlying Conditions Yes:176 • No: 46 Race White 122 • Latinx 82 • Asian 15 • Black 1 Amer Indian/Alaskan native 1 Gender Male: 113 • Female 109 Aging Facility Yes: 105 • No 117