‘Lives are in danger.’ Latino leaders want audit of Fresno County’s coronavirus spending
With the coronavirus pandemic ravaging Latino communities across California, some state and local leaders are worried counties with high concentrations of migrant and essential workers aren’t acting quickly enough to combat the spread.
In a letter this week to Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Latino Legislative Caucus expressed concern over the growing number of cases among Latinos, particularly those working in factories, fields, and offices.
Now, the caucus wants Newsom to require businesses to report infections and investigate local governments’ use of federal relief funds, explicitly calling into question Fresno County officials for failing to address the needs of rural communities.
“We believe there is a lack of urgency from the Fresno County supervisors to fight this pandemic and in particular, this lack of urgency is impacting essential workers from the fields to the packinghouses to our health care facilities,” Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula said. “It is harming our most vulnerable people who live in our rural communities.”
Arambula, D-Fresno, confronted county supervisors about his concerns on July 17. He said “it is evident” the county “has not been effectively utilizing taxpayer dollars to combat this vicious virus.”
Board of Supervisors President Buddy Mendes shot down those remarks this week in an interview with The Bee, doubling down on his stance that Arambula was politicizing the county’s coronavirus response for political gain.
“There’s no basis other than it’s just political grandstanding,” he said, adding that state leaders are “out of their lane” for suggesting an audit of federal dollars.
But Arambula said healthcare and the pandemic should not be politicized.
“I brought urgency because, as a doctor, I believe you have to be direct when people’s lives are in danger,” he added.
Latinos hardest hit by coronavirus
The letter is the latest in a string of efforts from Fresno County’s Latino representatives pushing for more action to address the rising cases among Latino workers.
As one of the hardest-hit demographics in the state, Latinos represent nearly 60% of all cases and 45% of all deaths, according to Chair Lorena Gonzalez and Vice-Chair Maria Elena Durazo, who co-authored the letter.
“The increase in these numbers coincides with the gradual reopening of our economy and suggests our frontline and essential workers still do not have sufficient testing, protective materials, and workplace protections,” the letter reads.
Fresno County, as of Thursday, had 11,412 positive coronavirus cases and 104 deaths, according to the California Department of Public Health.
The state’s numbers have also climbed to 427,261 cases and 8,154 deaths.
California has reported 17,862 cases since Tuesday — the state’s highest daily tally on record.
As part of their call to action, the caucus also wants Newsom to mandate protective equipment in all facilities and access to sick leave.
The county has received $81.5 million from the federal government and $16 million from state-issued grants from the CARES Act. Last week, county officials began rolling out a plan that would potentially reach out to rural and ethnic communities to address challenges during the pandemic.
Mendes said county leaders were launching mobile testing sites and implementing several programs, such as a partnership with the Farm Bureau and working with Cal OSHA to “help guarantee safe workplaces.”
“We’ve spent millions of dollars... we’ve allocated the money,” he added.
COVID-19 spending plan for Latinos
But some Latino residents said the county plan misses the mark.
Julia Mendoza, a resident of the small Fresno County community of Cantua Creek, said she would like to see financial investment in her community and more immediate aid for things like rent and utility bills, which residents tend to struggle to keep up with.
“Now that there is funding available, why not focus on these areas?” she said in Spanish. “The people are very interested.”
In his preliminary spending plan, Fresno County Chief Administrative Officer Jean Rousseau said the county planned to provide financial support to some rural clinics for contact tracing and testing.
But for residents like Mendoza, the nearest clinic is a 20-minute drive to San Joaquin.
Arambula is advocating for mobile testing sites in farmworker communities operating during “non-traditional hours.” The sites and mobile clinics would help alleviate the burdens faced by older residents in small communities who no longer drive or those who can’t make the drive to nearby towns for medical appointments or coronavirus testing, added Mendoza.
The apparent confusion over the county’s COVID-19 spending plan among Fresno-area elected officials ratcheted up again Friday. In an interview with The Bee, Arias said county officials told him they were “negotiating” to send $5 million to the Farm Bureau, a claim the Bureau and the Board of Supervisors strenuously denied late Friday.
“That is 100% false, and I don’t even know where that number came from,” Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen said, adding that the agency has only secured about $150,000 for outreach efforts.
However, reached for comment again Friday, Arias doubled down on his statement.
“That information was provided to us from the supervisors, and it’s very important that they circle back,” Arias said. “That’s why it’s important for the county to be fully transparent.”
City and county leaders are planning a joint workshop on July 28 to discuss the spending plan for the CARES Act funds. The county will release information beforehand on whether the public will have a teleconferencing option to attend the meeting.
This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 12:51 PM.