Rep. Panetta Seeks Another Term

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, including Scotts Valley, 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.

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

“Return the Favor” from page 6 • Valley Churches United

Additionally, the credit union sponsored three organizations (Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Homeless Garden Project, and Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes) to receive additional funds through the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco grant matching program, a total of $25,000.

“We’re grateful to the FHLB and are thrilled they approved the additional funds for these organizations,” explained Fairbairn. “We’re confident the money will

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Medical training required a visit to snowy New England, where she earned her medical degree from the Frank H Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.

She was grateful to come home to California to complete her residency at Natividad in Salinas.

She joins the team at Santa Cruz Community Health, offering care for all ages, sexes, and genders including prenatal and reproductive care. She has a special focus on gender and sexual minority health including care for LGBTQ+ patients. A safe, trauma-sensitive environment is her goal for all her patients.

“We want to serve our patients where they are,” Conner said, noting that many current Santa Cruz Community Health patients live in the San Lorenzo Valley. “SLV is a remote region compared to much of Santa Cruz and it has long been underserved. Our goal is to increase access to

Jimmy Panetta

help so many in need, especially over the holidays.”

For 2021, the credit union contributed $240,000 through donations, sponsorships, community giving programs, and FHLB grant sponsorships.

“As a certified community development credit union, we pledge to continue to support our community in a way that creates change, including more access to financial services and financial learning,” said Beth Carr, Santa Cruz Community Credit Union’s president/CEO.

The credit union plans to sponsor the Return the Favor campaign again in 2022. n 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.

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high-quality, affordable health care for the mountain community.”

Santa Cruz Community Health a Federally qualified health center with nearly 21,000 patients.

It operates the Women’s Health Center in downtown Santa Cruz and the East Cliff Family Health Center in Live Oak. The clinics offer primary care, pediatrics, prenatal care and education, mental health and substance abuse counseling, chronic disease management, health insurance enrollment, food distribution and more. During the pandemic, clinics have been providing Covid testing and Covid vaccines.

Santa Cruz Community Health is building a new 20,000-square-foot-clinic on Capitola Road in Live Oak. The project, in partnership with Dientes and MidPen Housing, is to open in late 2022. The 57 units of affordable housing are to be completed in 2023. n