New state report reveals Kaiser still isn’t providing timely therapy
Good Morning, I’m Katie Anastas, in for Debbie Cruz….it’s Tuesday, April 1st.>>>>
A new state report shows Kaiser still isn’t providing timely therapy.More on that next. But first... the headlines….#######
City officials are hosting an open house at 5:30 today (Tuesday) at the Skyline Hills Branch Library to discuss proposed trash and recycling fees.
San Diego voters approved Measure B in 2022 allowing the city to charge single-family homes for trash and recycling.
The fees aren’t finalized, but there’s an initial proposal of 53 dollars per month for 95-gallon bins.
If you can’t make tonight’s open house, there is a virtual meeting on Sunday and two in person events next week. A full list is at clean green SD dot org.
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STATE LEADERS ARE URGING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS ENTERING FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITIES NEXT YEAR TO SUBMIT FINANCIAL AID APPLICATIONS BY TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY).
California Student Aid Commission EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DAISY GONZALES SAYS MEETING THE DEADLINE IS KEY TO ACCESSING STATE AID.
FAFSA 2A [6s]
It's a really critical deadline to ensure that students can compete for what we call the priority deadline competitive grants.
THOSE INCLUDE CAL GRANTS AND THE MIDDLE CLASS SCHOLARSHIP.
THE PRIORITY DEADLINE APPLIES TO BOTH THE FAFSA – AND THE CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT APPLICATION.
THIS YEAR, THAT APPLICATION IS OPEN TO BOTH UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS AND THOSE FROM MIXED-STATUS FAMILIES.
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Strong winds in our mountain and desert areas are expected through tomorrow (Wednesday), with the strongest winds today (Tuesday).
Gusts through the I-8 pass could be up to 70 miles per hour.
And for anyone planning to go to the beach to swim or surf, high surf and a high risk for rip currents are expected today and tomorrow.
There’s a chance for rain in our coasts, valleys and mountains throughout the week with the highest chance of rain on Thursday.
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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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THE KAISER MENTAL HEALTH WORKER STRIKE HAS ENTERED ITS 25TH WEEK.
HEALTH REPORTER HEIDI DE MARCO SAYS A NEW STATE REPORT REVEALS KAISER STILL ISN’T PROVIDING TIMELY THERAPY, LEAVING SOME PATIENTS IN LIMBO.
KAISER 1 1:07. SOC
I'm a patient at Kaiser, and I haven't been in therapy since October 2024.
Julia Romero has been struggling with her dark thoughts.
JULIA ROMERO
There’s a lot things that trigger me during the strike that makes me want to kill myself.
Feeling hopeless, she wrote a letter to Kaiser’s CEO Greogory Adams in February.
JULIA ROMERO
I kind of need the therapy. That’s why I wrote the letter so maybe if they hear it from a patient it would change.
A new state report shows Kaiser still hasn’t fixed 19 of 20 mental health care violations from 2022.
In response to the report, Kaiser released a statement saying it has made “significant improvements” in health care access for their members.
JULIA ROMERO
And the therapy really helps me not want to do anything illegal.
Romero has a criminal record and relies on the connection she has with her longtime therapist to stay on the straight and narrow.
JULIA ROMERO
Every day I hope that this strike will end. But every day I'm losing hope.
For her, the end of the strike can’t come soon enough.
Heidi de Marco, KPBS News.
If you or someone you know are having thoughts of suicide, you can call the suicide and crisis lifeline at 9-8-8.
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REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN DARRELL ISSA SUED EARLIER THIS MONTH TO STOP THE COUNTING OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS RECEIVED AFTER ELECTION DAY.
CALIFORNIA LAW ALLOWS MAIL-IN BALLOTS POSTMARKED ON OR BEFORE ELECTION DAY TO BE COUNTED IF THEY’RE RECEIVED WITHIN SEVEN DAYS. IN A STATEMENT TO KPBS, ISSA WROTE quote “IT’S TIME TO ESTABLISH A COMMON SENSE STANDARD AND SUPPORT CLEAR LAW TO ENSURE THAT EVERY CALIFORNIA VOTER CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN OUR ELECTIONS.”
CONGRESSMAN JUAN VARGAS, A DEMOCRAT, BELIEVES ISSA’S SUIT WILL FAIL.
ISSASUIT 2A 0:05
“but it's not going to go anywhere. I mean, the law is the law and California can do this and it did, and that's that.”
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN MIKE LEVIN SAYS HE BELIEVES ISSA’S LAWSUIT IS INTENDED TO GIN UP MORE DOUBT ABOUT ELECTIONS.
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IF GOVERNMENT IS FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE THEN SOME ARE TURNING AWAY FROM THE JOB. PUBLIC MATTERS REPORTER AMITA SHARMA JOINED KPBS’s DEBBIE CRUZ TO TALK ABOUT POLITICAL DETACHMENT.
TUNEOUT (as) 4:22 last words "thank you Debbie" LIVE TAG
Amita, you've spoken to a number of San Diegans about why they're tuning out politics. What have they told you?
One local pediatrician, an independent who leans Democratic, actually didn't want her name used. She told me she has felt helpless and hopeless in the face of federal cuts to children's programs. So what she's doing is compensating by hyper-focusing on the deep impact she can have in her day-to-day work with youngsters and their families instead of lobbying for them on a bigger platform.
A Republican woman I spoke with, who also did not want her name used, says she used to channel her political upset into action. But over the last few years, the environment has turned so toxic that she started to feel powerless too and simply withdrew. Some people tell me they are too deeply affected by the daily onslaught of negative news out of Washington and must disengage to protect their mental health.
Now, historian Heather Cox Richardson suggests taking a break and doing something you love, but ultimately re-engaging and not isolating.
"Making you feel overwhelmed and making you turn away is a key technique of authoritarians. They want you to turn away. They want you to throw up your hands and say everybody's alike, I just can't think about this—or worse, to say everything is so confusing, we need to have a strong man assert control over everything so that once again we have order."
Cox Richardson says happiness and socializing are especially important now.
"One of the things that political scientists will tell you is that the way a population becomes dominated by an authoritarian is by sucking all the hope and joy and community out of it."
And there are other reasons for disengagement, right?
Yes. First, there are people who are struggling to get by and truly cannot find the time to learn more about politics and its effect on their daily lives. Then there are some, especially among the affluent, who believe that no matter what happens politically, their wealth will always protect them, so they simply don't care too much that others in society are suffering.
Some of the people I have spoken with have retreated from staying on top of the news and stepped back from political participation because they feel like their voices just don't matter. San Diego Congresswoman Sarah Jacobs says that is especially true among newer voters.
"And I know for a lot of young people, it really feels like none of this matters to me. Even when you guys were in power, you didn't address the things that matter to me. We here in San Diego know the cost of living has been an issue for a very long time, but the party took much too long to realize that that was an issue."
She says she understands the feeling that the system is broken beyond repair.
"And so, yeah, maybe go ahead, let Elon blow it all up. I think what's going to happen is that people are going to start to feel actually how much the government is involved in their lives."
So what is the solution to the disengagement?
I think it may come back to voters—people deciding that it is their responsibility to commit to being informed and doing their job as citizens. Kareem Creighton, a vice president at the Brennan Center for Justice’s D.C. office, describes it this way:
"Recognize that the people who are in power work for you and that they are accountable to you, but only accountable if you show up and demand that they be."
In November of last year, 86 million of the 245 million eligible voters did not cast ballots. Here in San Diego, about 25% of voters stayed home. My final point here is that disengagement is not uniquely American, and it is not unique to this time.
Plato said more than 2,300 years ago that the price of apathy toward public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.
Amitha, thank you.
Thank you, Debbie.
TAG: That was KPBS Public Matters reporter Amita Sharma speaking with Debbie Cruz.
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A COUNTY PARK IN SAN DIEGO’S SOUTH BAY WILL REOPEN TODAY (TUESDAY), DESPITE EFFORTS BY A LOCAL UNION TO KEEP IT CLOSED.
THE SEIU LOCAL 221 REPRESENTS RANGERS WHO WORK IN THE PARK. THEY SAID IT’S PART OF AN AREA THAT’S SORELY IMPACTED BY HUMAN AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE FROM MEXICO… AND IT’S UNSAFE TO THE HEALTH OF BOTH WORKERS AND GUESTS IN THE CAMPGROUND.
IMPERIAL BEACH MAYOR PALOMA AGUIRRE SAID SHE SUPPORTS KEEPING THE PARK CLOSED, EVEN THOUGH IT WILL BE MISSED.
TJRIVER 2A :08 “We need more green recreational spaces, green open spaces. But not when you’re exposing, potentially exposing people to harmful pollutants.”
THE UNION SAYS THEY WILL FILE AN UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE SUIT AGAINST THE COUNTY.
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PROTEST MARCHES AND RALLIES HAVE BECOME A FAMILIAR SIGHT.
BUT NORTH COUNTY REPORTER TANIA THORNE BRINGS US THE STORY OF TWO LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO ARE PROTESTING IN THEIR OWN WAY.
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Many protests have erupted since President Trump took office.
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They’re mostly loud… with diverse faces waving flags and signs.
But two San Diego photographers knew a picture could be worth a thousand words…
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They’re protesting in their own way -with a photo series highlighting immigrants in their communities.
Marcelo Olvera is a San Diego-based content creator.
I knew there was going to be a bunch of content revolving around everything that's going on with our people and ice, and how it's affecting us. So me being a creator, I wanted to do it, but do it differently and stand out with our stories.
He partnered with photographer Jordan Verdin.
storytelling is a form of peace building, but also protest in terms of helping people see truth. So many times people see so many stories of our people and they're quick to believe them. Or so what I the way that I approaching this project is every story is an opportunity for people to see truth, to build peace, and to protest the way that we're perceived.
They’re sharing those stories on Instagram, with photos of people they frequently see in the community.
I knew we had all the resources we needed here at the studio, and I figured we see these vendors on the corner of the street… the food on our table. Like all those people, you never see them in a place like a studio environment. You never see or you never even hear about anything like that.
Their first photo profile shows three family members identified only as Juan, Maria and Elizabeth. .
the grandfather, mother and granddaughter. Three generations of agricultural workers here in North County. But that was a story that was close to my heart, because that's like it was my family's story, too
The photo sets that followed were on flower and fruit vendors.
you see the rainbow umbrellas and you see all the colorful fruits. It's always been like a staple in every city. And whether you're in San Diego or in Los Angeles, it's something that to me, just like you see it from a mile away, and it brings a sense of joy.So I knew that I wanted to do something like that here.
The photo captions include a brief history of the person.
The ups and downs…. the struggles…. and the triumphs of people like Eduardo Aguilar..
Eduardo Aguilar, Ed.D/ Ethnic Studies and History Professor
I was undocumented, when I was in middle school, but my dad had been here for a long time, so that meant he was here, in 1986, when IRCA the Immigration Reform and Control Act was passed by president Reagan, Republican president.And that was the last time immigration reform happened. And that was, what helped us, eventually, get documentation
Aguilar is now a doctor of education.
He teaches Ethnic Studies and history at various San Diego colleges.
That journey is one Verdin and Olvera wanted to highlight in their photo series.
it's great that they collecting when when they, you know, like videos that are impactful about ice arrest and and protest and, you know, interviewing experts and lawyers and organizations and all of that. But it's also important to collect the stories of people, so that we know, you know, those stories, especially the stories that are people that have, you know, like gone against, you know, the whole world against them. And they have made great things of themselves, and they have contributed greatly, as we have in this country for, you know, the last hundred and 72 years, 73 years, in different ways.
Aguilar says he’s proud to be a part of the photo series because it allowed him to share his own story… and hear the stories of other immigrants that play an important role in this country.
There's so many people out there that can teach you so much for me. You know, a PhD professor from UCSC all the way to a homeless person in Oceanside. There's a lot to learn from them. And there's a firefighter. A gardener can teach you a lot
And at a time when cuts are being made around diversity, equity, and inclusion… Aguilar thinks it's those conversations the world needs more of.
We need to start talking to each other because we don't really talk to each other too much, you know? So let's let's begin that conversation in this really make America great again in a good way.
Verdin and Olvera hope their photos will spark that conversation.
They don’t have a name for their project, or plans for a physical showcase yet…but they do plan to continue capturing the stories of immigrants throughout the community.
TT KPBS News
TAG OUT: THE PHOTO SERIES CAN BE SEEN ON KPBS DOT ORG
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For César Chávez Day two busloads of San Diego workers traveled more than 250 miles to Delano.
There, they joined thousands for a rally supporting labor and immigrant rights.
The labor unions behind the rally say it honors not just laborers, but also the efforts families make to ensure better lives for their children.
Arturo Suarez says that’s why he’s made the trip.
CHAVEZ 2a
“Me being able to go to school, get a job, pursue my career, my dreams. It's only because a very strong, proud immigrant was willing to break their back. Day in and day out to give me what I have now.”
The United Farm Workers calls federal deportation policies an attack on the Latino community and working-class people.
The union says the rally sends a message to all workers: organize to protect each other.
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
