Proposition 35, one of 10 ballot measures before California voters this fall, would dedicate tax revenue to pay doctors more if they see low-income patients with Medi-Cal insurance. Its critics worry the plan could run afoul of the federal government.
Election 2024
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Kim De Serpa is the hardest-working person I know
In a letter to the editor, an Aptos resident voices his support for District 2 Santa Cruz County supervisor candidate Kim De Serpa.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Christopher Bradford is the only person in politics I trust
In a letter to the editor, a Boulder Creek resident outlines her support for District 5 Santa Cruz County supervisor candidate Christopher Bradford.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Letter to the editor: Monica Martinez has the skills to serve District 5 residents
In a letter to the editor, a Felton resident outlines her support for District 5 Santa Cruz County supervisor candidate Monica Martinez.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
County supervisors’ response to CZU recovery investigation ‘does not align’ with reality, District 5 candidates say
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is deflecting criticism from a civil grand jury report accusing the county of mishandling recovery from the 2020 CZU wildfire. The two candidates running in this November’s election for an open District 5 supervisor seat — Christopher Bradford, a fire victim, and Monica Martinez — criticized the board’s response this week and called for more accountability and expedited rebuilding.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Familiar names highlight state races in 2024 general election
As the campaign trail stretches on toward November, there are a number of state and federal races on the ballot for Santa Cruz County residents, including three state Assembly seats, a state Senate seat and two U.S. congressional seats. In each of those races, there are familiar faces and big names looking to retain their seats.
Posted inEducation
Six compete for three seats on Scotts Valley Unified School District board
Scotts Valley Unified School District’s five-member governing board has three seats up for election this November. The two incumbents and four newcomers who are running talked to Lookout about their goals and why they think they’re the right candidates.
Posted inLatest News
Fresh off court case, Dutra faces ex-member Coffman-Gomez for Watsonville City Council seat
Incumbent Jimmy Dutra and former city councilmember Trina Coffman-Gomez are competing for the District 6 seat on the Watsonville City Council on the Nov. 5 ballot, only weeks after a jury found Dutra liable for sexual abuse of a minor in a civil lawsuit. It’s the only one of three council seats up for election this cycle that’s being contested.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Measure Z: Why the sugar-sweetened beverage tax is a health and equity win for Santa Cruz
Big Soda has long targeted low-income families and communities of color by hooking them on unhealthy, sugary drinks, write local leaders Sepideh Taghvaei, Elaine Johnson and Scott Roseman. These communities have higher rates of diabetes, obesity and dental decay. Santa Cruz city ballot initiative Measure Z will right that historic inequity, they argue, by taxing these sugary drinks and reducing consumption by the most vulnerable populations. The revenues will then fund city programs and services that maintain community health, overseen by a citizen board. They encourage a yes vote on Measure Z.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Measure Z: An illegal tax on Santa Cruz’s working families
The City of Santa Cruz’s Measure Z might seem like a good idea, writes Sarah Henne, a former public-school teacher and Santa Cruz resident who now works as a field representative for the California Federation of Teachers. But if you dig deeper, it’s an unfair tax that would burden low-income families and have no significant impact on community health. She urges the public to vote no.