Improving Government Services

Greetings!

It's March of 2026, and California's County Health and Human Services programs are suffering major funding reductions.  One-time revenues from the federal government resulting from Covid-relief efforts from the federal government (ARPA) are ending.  Republican-controlled Congressional budget bills have begun to restrict Medi-Cal enrollments and reimbursements.  

My last thirty years, pre and post-retirement, have taken advantage of expanding federal and state revenues to create many government safety-net services.  Now I am anticipating years of hard work trying to preserve and improve them.

In my home county (Sonoma), I have been appointed to two key county advisory committees by the county board of supervisors.  On an oversight committee for a local tax measure (Measure O), and on the Sonoma County Behavioral Health Board, I am in a position of receiving staff information monthly and being asked for comments.  I am also a long-time advisor to the Homeless Continuum of Care established in support of federal funding to the County for homeless facilities and services.

I have convinced the trustees of a small local funding source (Homeless Emergency Assistance Program Association -www.HEAPA.org) to fund the California Transparency Project.  The work of the CTP is to enlarge citizen engagement in the planning of local government health and human services.

Posts to the HEAPA website will be to educate, answer questions, and solicit information from the general public about the work of the advisory committees to which I have been appointed.