For months, the leaders of the the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors have expressed concern about the potential loss of a key source of revenue, saying the situation could threaten vital safety net services, so with no resolution in sight midway through the 2023-24 fiscal year, County Executive Mike Callagy recommended the Board of Supervisors hold a special study session on a looming issue that could also impact future spending plans.

“We are short $69 million,” Callagy said during the Board of Supervisors’ regular meeting scheduled for next Tuesday. “This is something we are working on with our (state) legislators. That would be a huge blow to this county, and it only grows every year.”

The potential shortfall is fueled by possible cuts in what are known as vehicle licensing fees in lieu, or VLF, a form of property tax on motor vehicle ownership. 

Under a long-standing agreement, cities and counties receive additional property taxes from the state to replace revenue that was cut under a two-decade-old budget deal.

The latest state budget proposal released by the governor's office in January does not include full funding for VLF. This could also pose a threat to the budgets of local cities that also receive that type of revenue.

“This will impact public safety and the direct services that cities and the county provide to our most needy population if it’s not funded by the state,” Callagy said. “And we certainly believe that the state owes us that.”

San Mateo County local governments could face a loss of more than $114 million before the fiscal year ends on June 30, 2024.

Supervisors expressed concern for the area's most vulnerable residents.

“Our continued focus must be on expanding opportunities for all, and that starts with ensuring we have a robust array of programs and services to meet the needs of individuals and families,” said Warren Slocum, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.

“Our residents want to make ends meet, put food on the table, pay for college, save for retirement. It’s our job as elected officials,” Slocum added, “to work with our partners across the state to ensure we can continue to fund vital services that help all of our residents achieve their goals.”

A special study session is expected to be scheduled shortly.

News of the projected VLF deficit comes amid a number of growing financial concerns.

At the February 14 Board meeting, Callagy and Chief Financial Officer Robert Manchia presented the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Mid-Year Budget Update, a snapshot of the economic and demographic trends driving both the need for services and the revenue available to pay for them.

With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the county has shifted “its focus from pandemic response and recovery to long-term strategic planning,” the report said.

The document also describes “contrasting trajectories” for key economic indicators. It says unemployment overall remains low, while the cost of goods and services is rising for everyone, and median household income is moving in different directions for certain demographic groups.

However, median household income has declined for Black or African American households (10.2 percent from 2021 to 2022). There are significant disparities between the median household incomes of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and certain other demographic groups (41.8 percent of Asian household incomes, for example).

Of note, the rising cost of living (3.4 percent increase in consumer prices from December 2022 to December 2023) and obstacles to finding affordable housing pose challenges for many. 

A search for a one-bedroom apartment shows current rents of more than $2,800 in both Redwood City and San Mateo. So an income of about $100,000 a year is needed to afford such an apartment, according to a commonly used “30 percent rule,” which says people should spend no more than 30 percent of their gross income on rent.

The report states that “demographic trends indicate an aging population on relatively fixed incomes struggling to keep pace with rising costs. If this trend continues, there may be increased demand for County services to address these evolving needs.”

You may be interested in: Ask candidates for District 16, they organize a forum in Half Moon Bay

By Bay City News.

El Departamento de Policía de San Francisco está pidiendo la ayuda del público para localizar a una joven de 16 años.

Mizan Dadres-Oman fue vista por última vez por una persona de la Biblioteca de Chinatown, alrededor de las 20:00 horas del jueves, dijo la policía de San Francisco este viernes por la noche.

Dadres-Oman es afrodescendiente, mide 5 pies y 3 pulgadas de alto, pesa 170 libras, tiene cabello negro y ojos marrones, dijo la policía en una descripción actualizada publicada en las redes sociales.

Un comunicado de prensa anterior la describió como de 5 pies y 6 pulgadas de alto, pesando 130 libras y vista por última vez alrededor de las 16:30 horas del miércoles en el vecindario Miraloma Park, en el área de Foerster Street y Teresita Boulevard.

Se le considera “en riesgo” porque tiene un trastorno del procesamiento auditivo central y tiene la lógica y el razonamiento de una niña de 10 a 12 años, dijo la policía.

Fue descrita con una sudadera con capucha negra, una camisa color salmón y pantalones deportivos granate.

Se emitió una alerta de ébano en los condados de San Francisco, Alameda y Contra Costa.

Cualquier persona que vea Dadres-Omán debe llamar al 911.

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We are in the middle of the election season and, at the local, state and federal level, it is important to know and understand who the candidates for a seat or position are, since they will represent us. In light of this, organizations have coordinated a forum so that residents of District 16 can hear proposals and ask questions to those who will be their voice in government.

The appointment is this coming Tuesday, February 20, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., in person at Half Moon Bay.

The organizers of this upcoming Candidate Forum are Thrive Alliance, Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS), Coastside Hope, Pacifica Resource Center, Puente de la Costa Sur (Puente), Senior Coastsiders, and South Coast Sustainable.

This collaborative effort brings together a coalition of community organizations dedicated to fostering positive change. Together, they will introduce Congressional District 16 candidates to the vibrant and diverse communities along the coast. 

These Candidate Forums serve as a vital platform to elevate and address the most pressing issues facing nonprofit organizations and their communities in San Mateo County. 

The attending candidates are:

• Peter Dixon, Co-Founder, With Honor
• Rishi Kumar, Chief Revenue Officer, nFolks Data Solutions
• Sam Liccardo, former mayor of the city of San Jose
• Julie Lythcott-Haims, Palo Alto City Councilwoman
• Joe Simitian, Santa Clara County Supervisor

District 16 includes the cities of Atherton, La Honda, Ladera, Loma Mar, Menlo Park, Pacifica, Half Moon Bay, Pescadero, Portola Valley, and Woodside in San Mateo County.

Additionally, in Santa Clara County it concerns the cities of Campbell, Cambrian Park, Fruitdale, Lexington Hills, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Parts of San Jose, including unincorporated communities, Saratoga, and Stanford.

To attend this forum it is registration required.

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Scams in 2023 had a larger economic impact than the previous year, with consumers reporting losing more than $10 billion, a record figure that represented a 14 percent increase over 2022 reports.

The data recently published by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) indicate that in 2023, consumers lost more money to investment scams reaching $4.6 billion, which represented an increase of 21 percent compared to 2022.

This was stated by experts during a briefing held by Ethnic Media Services, who stated that The imposter scam was the second most evident in 2023, with the second highest amount in losses, at almost 2.7 billion dollars, with bank transfers and the use of cryptocurrencies being the most used payment methods.

Maria Mayo, acting associate director of the Division of Consumer Response and Operations at the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said that reports of losses have increased this year, and she thought that the more information was provided and work was done on prevention this year, the more losses could decrease, something that did not happen. 

“The most surprising thing was the amount that was lost, because I thought that last year it was very high, 9 million, but this year it rose to 10 million, it surprises me even though the number of complaints did not change that much during 2023.“, commented Maria Mayo. 

The most relevant categories during 2023 were the following: 

Impostors

It refers to a person who pretends to be another person from a company or institution, it is also related to false romantic partners, sometimes they use family members or friends to create complicated situations where they ask for financial help. 

Online shopping

The most common scams related to online shopping are through fake websites with purchases of fictitious products, or on sites where they can access private information, as they carry out identity theft and clone cards or steal banking information.

Prizes and raffles

These types of scams make you believe that you have won some wonderful prize or some incredible promotion, but before you can collect it you must pay taxes or share your bank details. They generally put pressure on the supposed winner by making them believe that it is for a limited time and they must do what is asked immediately. 

Investments

In these cases, the most common thing is that a person invites you to invest in cryptocurrencies or digital investments, in such a way that when you deposit your money it seems real, but they warn you of the risk of loss, where at some point the money disappears, the promise is to earn a lot with little and in a short period of time. 

Business and job opportunities

In this case, you are asked to join a company with a small investment that could be recovered and earn much more by generating sales. Generally, the promise is to generate a lot with a minimum amount of investment. A strict schedule is not required, so it is a good offer for some people who need a free schedule. In the end, you do not generate any money, but you do invest.

Social Networking 

Contact through social networks has increased, and since it is something that is used daily, people have become very vulnerable. It must also be considered that people who use social networks are of different ages, allowing for a broader reach within the community. In some cases, scams are directed at very specific sectors of the population, such as Latinos, Chinese, African-Americans, etc.

The most commonly used payment method in this type of scam is bank transfer, recording a loss of 1.9 billion dollars. On the other hand, cryptocurrencies have also been used, leaving a loss of 1.4 billion dollars during 2023.

Report and prevent fraud

It is important to fight fraud, you can educate to prevent and warn, thus reducing the number of money losses; now, regardless of the language, there are options to make reports in different languages, in this way more complete reports are generated to prevent the community. 

To help people identify fraud, information is provided in 12 different languages, and to report it, you must enter the site https://reportefraude.ftc.gov/#/                                                                       

There are also simple resources available to help you find out what to do if you have paid a scammer, tips on protecting small businesses, and useful information for refugees and migrants.

Experts stressed that the FTC continues to work and seek more options to protect consumers from the different scams that are currently being generated. Prevention and information are key to achieving a 2024 with fewer economic losses due to scams. 

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Senate candidates Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff They want to reach the United States Senate, so they have presented their perspectives, proposals and lines of work, as well as their concerns and priorities for the American community, touching on topics such as housing, communities of color, migration, education, health, economy, daycare centers, ecology and the environment, topics that will determine the future of the country.

In a forum held by Ethnic Media Services, the candidates had the opportunity to introduce themselves and share their proposals and ideas, as well as their way of working and answer open questions. 

Veteran California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein has died at age 90, leaving a tough spot to fill, and the race to fill that U.S. Senate seat is now underway, with 27 candidates vying for the post. 

In this forum, Barbara Lee of District 12, California, said she grew up in El Paso, Texas, and comes from a migrant community, so she is no stranger to migration issues, which she said are extremely important to her, as well as issues related to the environment, since she saw firsthand the problem of garbage that impacted communities of color.

She grew up with a stepmother who was Japanese but spoke Spanish, and with this, she understood more closely the diversity of the communities; later they went to live in California, where they thought they would have more opportunities, and that freedom and racism were minimal. 

“I wanted to be a cheerleader at school, but I didn't meet the selection requirements and had to seek help to change the process so that girls of color could participate.“, Barbara Lee commented.

He said he really knows how to deal with the problems that California has because he has faced those same situations and challenges for a long time, and because of his life experiences he knows the needs of the community.

“I support undocumented workers because they are a very important part of our economy, they deserve to be treated fairly and the processes must be fair and humane… I support everyone having Medi-Cal“Lee added.

For his part, Adam Schiff, from the 30th District, commented on the border package that included funding for Ukraine, saying that he does not agree, since he believes that it is not worked from a border policy.

He also believes that a real package must include other communities and areas that truly foster the country's growth.

“TWe must take a leadership role to protect our institutions, such as the press“Schiff added.

Adam Schiff came to California as a child seeking the American dream. His father was a businessman and had the opportunity to give them a place to live with dignity, with the opportunity to study and progress, so he wants to give a life like that to all Californians. 

She has fought against pollutants, as well as for voting rights and for bills to make health care a civil right. She is involved in issues affecting the African-American, Asian-American, and Latino communities. Another issue that interests her is the fight against gun violence.

“I protect the planet, I protect democracy, I want to make sure people can afford housing, pay for child care; I care about representing everyone and I'm going to make sure I represent every Californian.”, Schiff stressed.

The Senate candidate said he will fight to bring resources to California that are distributed equitably and directed to communities of color. He also supports the LGBT+ community and seeks to elevate women, men, and young people of color, “all communities.”

Katie Porter, from the 47th District, commented that for her, one of the main functions of Congress is oversight, and this should involve asking for answers, “because politics is not just about giving speeches, but asking for answers.”

“I have never sold out, I am the only elected official in this political race who has never received money from packages for corrupt decisions, and you can see the results in the work I do, in how I manage Congress, holding people accountable.“, he commented Porter.

The candidate wants the federal government to invest in communities so that people can buy a home, and she wants to fight against the damage caused by the distribution of political territories, while working on a plan to have decent housing and more opportunities.

Porter supports and admires the work of women in the Afro-descendant and Latina community because she knows their great work in advancing rights and spaces, which is why she supports them to continue opening spaces for diverse communities. 

The candidates agreed on the importance of voting and choosing who will represent the voices of California, so they called on people to register and exercise their right to vote.

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By Bay City News.

Cuatro personas, incluidos dos niños, fueron encontradas muertas en una casa de San Mateo este lunes por la mañana; las autoridades no han publicado información sobre cómo murieron.

La policía respondió a las 9:13 am a una llamada para un control de bienestar para una casa en la cuadra 4100 de Alameda de las Pulgas, según la portavoz de la policía de San Mateo, Jeanine Ovalle.

Un hombre, una mujer y dos niños fueron encontrados en el interior “con evidentes signos de muerte”, según un comunicado de prensa de la policía.

La cuadra 4100 de Alameda de las Pulgas y las intersecciones cercanas están cerradas al tráfico, dijo la policía.

La policía señaló que el incidente es aislado y no hay peligro para el público.

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