Despite the
“darkening clouds” gathering over the County of Santa Clara and
its finances, District 2 County Supervisor Blanca Alvarado urged
county employees, leaders and citizens to think positive in her
State of the County address.
Despite the “darkening clouds” gathering over the County of Santa Clara and its finances, District 2 County Supervisor Blanca Alvarado urged county employees, leaders and citizens to think positive in her State of the County address.
In the speech, titled “Revere Our Children – Cherish Their Future,” Alvarado urged county onlookers to “choose light over darkness and hope over despair” and remember the human faces behind budgets and programs.
“These are in some peoples’ view, the worst of times,” she said. “But we will not let the worst of times make the worst of us.”
Supervisors often use the annual speech to roll out new proposals in more flush times. But this year, they face the prospect of deep service cuts and layoffs from an unprecedented budget deficit that has already reached $120 million and could climb tens of millions higher. The approximate $1.8 billion budget is spread mostly among social services, law enforcement and health care.
And like her predecessor Don Gage did last year – when the county faced an $85 million shortfall – the newly seated board chairwoman chose instead to highlight uplifting achievements made through current programs. She especially targeted those that affect children on both sides of the spectrum, such as juvenile justice and early childhood development.
“We are creating efficiencies and innovations in a system that some thought was without hope,” Alvarado said. “At the same time, we’re creating hope for many kids who have little opportunity to succeed on the outside.”
Alvarado noted the percentage of uninsured children in the county has plummeted from 13 percent to just 3 percent through the Healthy Kids Program.
Meanwhile, she said the county will soon boast a new early-age assessment center through the “First 5 Commission,” a program that earmarks tobacco tax funding for school resources, child-care training, public health services for new mothers and other early-childhood development services.
Alvarado also praised the work of the Juvenile Detention Reform Planning Committee, which is undertaking a review of the juvenile justice system to eliminate what she called “unnecessary and inappropriate” incarceration of children and overrepresentation of minorities in the system.
She stressed the importance of diversion programs and noted that the average population at juvenile hall has dropped by 28 percent in the last year.
“By taking care of our children at an early age and intervening with our juveniles before they get too deeply into the juvenile justice system, it seems to me we can ensure that every child has a healthy start or new beginning,” she said. “They can be given a head start, a fair start, a safe start and a moral start in life and the successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.”
