{"id":25832,"date":"2024-09-25T09:55:13","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T16:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/?p=25832"},"modified":"2024-09-25T10:54:48","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T17:54:48","slug":"candidate-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/candidate-forum\/","title":{"rendered":"Gauthier and Lopez debate at San Mateo County Board of Supervisors 4th District Candidate Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_25833\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25833\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-25833 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-2-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Gauthier and Lopez debate at San Mateo County Board of Supervisors 4th District Candidate Forum\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-2-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-2-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-2-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-2-1068x801.jpg 1068w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-25833\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">During the Candidates Forum, Lisa Gauthier and Antonio L\u00f3pez presented their ideas and plans for the elections next November. Credit: Ra\u00fal Ayrala P360P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-25832-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Viviana-5259437.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Viviana-5259437.mp3\">https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Viviana-5259437.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><em>[We are on WhatsApp.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaKsQjT5K3zOISbFea2Q\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Start following us now<\/a>]<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effective solutions for the large number of people living on the streets and concerns about the effects of climate change on communities were some of the issues addressed by two candidates seeking renewing the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in the elections next November.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the Fair Oaks Community Center in Redwood City, Lisa Gauthier and Antonio Lopez presented their ideas and plans to about 45 attendees via Zoom on Monday, September 23, for an election in which three of the five seats in the county legislature will be up for grabs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Candidate Gauthier is a member of the East Palo Alto City Council, and Lopez is currently the mayor of that city. Each is seeking to represent District 4 on the Board that oversees county departments, programs and properties, and which has a budget of more than $4 billion for that purpose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the issue of homeless people forced to live in public places, Lisa Gauthier said she prefers a policy similar to the one implemented in East Palo Alto, where services, food and psychological help are provided wherever the homeless person is.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Antonio L\u00f3pez argued that, for him, cities should not face the problem in isolation but together, in order to act more efficiently, and he defined the situation as \u201ca social crisis but also a health crisis.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for climate change, Councilwoman Gauthier noted that her city installed a flood defense wall on the San Francisquito Creek, which she said helped lower insurance costs for families living nearby. She also considered it prudent to reduce dependence on natural gas in the medium term, replacing this energy source with electricity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lopez acknowledged that it is difficult to interest people who live \u201cpaycheck to paycheck\u201d in the issue of climate change, but warned that people must understand that in order to try to find solutions, it is they who must get involved and do their part. \u201cIt is a personal investment,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There was also talk about the cost of living in the county, and specifically about access to childcare for working parents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_25834\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25834\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-25834 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-1068x801.jpg 1068w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-25834\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effective solutions for the large number of people living on the streets and concerns about the effects of climate change on communities were some of the issues discussed by two candidates for reelection to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. <\/span>Credit: Raul Ayrala P360P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Mayor Lopez, current laws need to be adapted so that private individuals can open child care services in more areas of cities. He urged counties to pressure the state of California, and the state in turn to pressure federal authorities, to rectify and update the so-called \u201cbenchmarks\u201d or limits on access to financial and health assistance services.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indeed, these limits are too exclusive, according to Lopez, since in order to &quot;qualify&quot; a family must earn very little in the year, which benefits only the very low-income sectors and leaves out lower- and middle-class households.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gauthier proposed making it easier for those interested in establishing child care services to obtain permits, and said the county government should support providers so they can receive better salaries and more space.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two legislators were asked how to involve citizens in the electoral process, and Lisa Gauthier considered that \u201cit is very important to let young people know that their vote matters and counts. Many of my ancestors had to die so that they could access the right to vote.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Antonio L\u00f3pez said that he sees every day that young people feel disillusioned by politics. \u201cThey tell me: &#039;The government is not working for me,&#039;\u201d he said, and insisted on the need for candidates to be trustworthy and to truly attract the attention of voters, but for their qualities. \u201cLike when Obama emerged,\u201d he recalled.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among those attending the forum was Ana Huerta of East Palo Alto, accompanied by her daughter Yuliana. \u201cI liked what they both presented, I think they talked about the issues that are important\u201d for the district, Ana assured Peninsula 360 Press.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Asked about the most pressing problems facing her city and region, Huerta said she was concerned about rising sea levels. \u201cI was not directly affected by the recent floods, but I saw many families\u201d who suffered, she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_25837\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25837\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-25837 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-3-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-3-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-3-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-3-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-3-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-3-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-3-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Foro-candidatos-distrito-4-3-1068x801.jpg 1068w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-25837\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Among those attending the forum was Ana Huerta of East Palo Alto, accompanied by her daughter Yuliana. \u201cI liked what they both presented, I think they talked about the issues that are important\u201d for the district, Ana assured Peninsula 360 Press. In the photo from left to right: Ana Huerta, her daughter Yuliana, Blanca Rodr\u00edguez and Estela. Credit: Ra\u00fal Ayrala P360P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blanca Rodr\u00edguez was in Ana Huerta&#039;s group, and also resides in EPA.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI feel that both candidates are very committed\u201d to improving the situation in the city, admitted Blanca. However, \u201cI would have liked them to talk about employment. If there are no jobs, how are we going to survive in East Palo Alto?\u201d asked this young Latina.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYears go by and more and more people are moving from EPA to Modesto, to Stockton, because there is not much work and rent is very expensive,\u201d said Blanca Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another concern, she said, was the state of many apartment buildings in her city after the floods. \u201cIt affects people a lot, especially children,\u201d she said, and she wondered if the owners had taken steps to eradicate the mold with the support of the county.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monday&#039;s forum was organized by the Thrive Alliance of nonprofits, the County Leadership Council and Choose Children, a project of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>You may be interested in:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/joaquin-jimenez-mayor-of-half-moon-bay\/\">Farmers are key to tackling climate change: Joaquin Jimenez, mayor of Half Moon Bay<\/a><\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[Estamos en WhatsApp.\u00a0Empieza a seguirnos ahora] Las soluciones efectivas para la gran cantidad de personas que viven en la calle y la preocupaci\u00f3n por los efectos del cambio clim\u00e1tico en las comunidades fueron algunos de los temas que trataron dos candidatos a renovar la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de San Mateo en las elecciones [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":25833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-25832","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-community"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25832"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25832\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25844,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25832\/revisions\/25844"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25833"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}