latimes--2020-12-10--Column: Should California's next U.S. senator be Black or Latino? Both if Feinstein quits

When the leader of California ’ s Legislative Black Caucus talks about why it should be a Black woman who replaces Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate , she often comes back to the old adage about political power .
“ If you don ’ t have a seat at the table , ” Assemblywoman Shirley Weber ( D-San Diego ) told me , “ then you ’ re on the menu.
” And Black people in California rightly have no intention of being on the menu .
For the second time this week , an amalgam of Black leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Newsom on Wednesday , urging him to pick Rep. Karen Bass of Los Angeles or Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland to fill the seat soon to be vacated by Vice President-elect Harris .
“ Representation matters , ” they wrote .
“ Our democracy should reflect the vibrant diversity of California and reward African American women for continuing to power the Democratic Party to important victories nationwide , including regaining the White House.
” Only problem for Newsom is that Latino leaders are making a similar argument .
“ California is blue , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez ( D-San Diego ) said last month .
“ It is the work that Latinos did on the ground .
It is our housekeepers and our janitors .
We built California as a new California , as a California that elects Democrats time and time again.
” The Latino Legislative Caucus is pushing Newsom to appoint Secretary of State Alex Padilla — especially now that another potential pick , California Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra , has been nominated to become the nation ’ s next Health and Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a governor who loves to talk about equity to do when faced with this phalanx of qualified candidates of color ?
Here ’ s a thought : We should help him out by urging Dianne Feinstein to step down early — preferably before the next Congress — so that California will have two open seats in the U.S. Senate instead of just one .
While it ’ s not the easiest solution to Newsom ’ s political problem , it is the right solution .
Representation does matter , and the more I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it on behalf of a state that is becoming more diverse every year , the less I understand why our senior senator is still in office , blocking progress .
In truth , I didn ’ t entirely understand it in 2018 either , back when Feinstein was running for reelection against now-L.A. City Councilman Kevin de León .
Then a member of the Sacramento Bee ’ s editorial board , I remember listening carefully when we asked her why she wanted to return to the U.S. Capitol after spending decades in Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because there ’ s so much more I can do.
” Feinstein went on to talk about the importance of her seniority on the high-profile Senate Appropriations , Intelligence and Judiciary committees — leadership of which she has agreed to drop — and her apparently unique proficiency in securing grants .
And then she said this : “ I think I represent the values of the state.
” Yeah , no .
That just doesn ’ t ring true anymore .
Certainly not after the year we ’ ve had , with racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upheaval that has devastated poor and middle-class Californians alike and a pandemic that continues to disproportionately claim Latino and Black lives .
At 87 years old , Feinstein is the oldest member of the U.S. Senate , a member of the Silent Generation in a state dominated by people under 40 .
She is a wealthy woman in a state overrun with poverty , and the homelessness that too often accompanies it .
Criticism of Feinstein has been escalating in recent months , especially from the progressive left after confirmation hearings of now-U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amy Coney Barrett .
Persistent questions about her mental acuity — particularly her short-term memory — haven ’ t helped , with staffers frequently having to clarify statements that Feinstein has made to reporters .
Given all of this , it would make perfect sense for Feinstein to be selfless and retire early with California ’ s gratitude for a distinguished career .
Now is absolutely the time to be an ally to communities of color and let another younger lawmaker represent the evolving values of this state .
For to adequately address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything from healthcare to housing , California needs a Black senator and a Latino senator .
But politics rarely , if ever , makes perfect sense .
What ’ s far more likely to happen is that Feinstein will serve until her term ends in January of 2025 .
That means it will be up to Newsom to ensure that California has a real shot at this multicultural future in the U.S. Senate — and the only way to do that is to appoint Lee or Bass to replace Harris now .
Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the governor doesn ’ t , the sad truth is it could be extremely difficult — if not impossible — for either of these highly qualified women to ever become a U.S. senator , even though each deserves the seat .
And , if history is any indication of the future , it will take several more years for another Black woman to have a real shot at the upper chamber , given that there are only a few of us at the highest levels of government .
Harris was only the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate , after Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois .
And with Harris becoming vice president , there are now only three Black women in California ’ s congressional delegation — and none in the Senate from this state or any other state .
“ The ability around the nation to recognize and to support Black women in statewide positions is very bleak , ” Weber said .
“ You got 100 people in the Senate and you don ’ t have one Black woman ” without Harris .
Weber recalls the “ extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get Harris in front of voters statewide for the first time , and scoffs with anger at the idea of having to do it again rather than being able to rely on the visibility that comes with incumbency .
It is particularly galling at a time when Democrats are hailing Black women for being the “ backbone ” of the party and are depending on another Black woman , Stacey Abrams , to ensure enough voters turn out in Georgia next month to flip the Senate back to Democratic control .
A Latino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would likely have better luck with voters while running for Feinstein ’ s seat — assuming again that history is any indication of the future .
Already a quarter of California ’ s congressional delegation and about half of the current statewide officeholders are Latino .
That ’ s why Weber , joined by Black politicians and activists up and down California and across the U.S. , isn ’ t giving up .
And rightfully so .
“ This is our seat , ” she said .
“ We have fought to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason why we fought for the seat .
And we should not have to justify it .
”

California’s U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein, left, and Kamala Harris, now the vice president-elect, at the Capitol in September 2017.
When the leader of California’s Legislative Black Caucus talks about why it should be a Black woman who replaces Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate, she often comes back to the old adage about political power.
“If you don’t have a seat at the table,” Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) told me, “then you’re on the menu.”
And Black people in California rightly have no intention of being on the menu. For the second time this week, an amalgam of Black leaders sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, urging him to pick Rep. Karen Bass of Los Angeles or Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland to fill the seat soon to be vacated by Vice President-elect Harris.
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“Representation matters,” they wrote. “Our democracy should reflect the vibrant diversity of California and reward African American women for continuing to power the Democratic Party to important victories nationwide, including regaining the White House.”
Only problem for Newsom is that Latino leaders are making a similar argument.
“California is blue, blue, blue because of us,” Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) said last month. “It is the work that Latinos did on the ground. It is our housekeepers and our janitors. We built California as a new California, as a California that elects Democrats time and time again.”
The Latino Legislative Caucus is pushing Newsom to appoint Secretary of State Alex Padilla — especially now that another potential pick, California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, has been nominated to become the nation’s next Health and Human Services secretary.
So what’s a governor who loves to talk about equity to do when faced with this phalanx of qualified candidates of color?
Here’s a thought: We should help him out by urging Dianne Feinstein to step down early — preferably before the next Congress — so that California will have two open seats in the U.S. Senate instead of just one.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, visits Dodger Stadium with Secretary of State Alex Padilla on Oct. 30, 2020. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
While it’s not the easiest solution to Newsom’s political problem, it is the right solution. Representation does matter, and the more I listen to Black and Latino leaders demand it on behalf of a state that is becoming more diverse every year, the less I understand why our senior senator is still in office, blocking progress.
In truth, I didn’t entirely understand it in 2018 either, back when Feinstein was running for reelection against now-L.A. City Councilman Kevin de León. Then a member of the Sacramento Bee’s editorial board, I remember listening carefully when we asked her why she wanted to return to the U.S. Capitol after spending decades in Congress.
Her answer? A dubious “because there’s so much more I can do.”
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Feinstein went on to talk about the importance of her seniority on the high-profile Senate Appropriations, Intelligence and Judiciary committees — leadership of which she has agreed to drop — and her apparently unique proficiency in securing grants.
And then she said this: “I think I represent the values of the state.”
Yeah, no. That just doesn’t ring true anymore. Certainly not after the year we’ve had, with racial reckonings over white supremacy, an economic upheaval that has devastated poor and middle-class Californians alike and a pandemic that continues to disproportionately claim Latino and Black lives.
At 87 years old, Feinstein is the oldest member of the U.S. Senate, a member of the Silent Generation in a state dominated by people under 40. She is a wealthy woman in a state overrun with poverty, and the homelessness that too often accompanies it.
Criticism of Feinstein has been escalating in recent months, especially from the progressive left after confirmation hearings of now-U.S. Supreme Court Justices Brett M. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Persistent questions about her mental acuity — particularly her short-term memory — haven’t helped, with staffers frequently having to clarify statements that Feinstein has made to reporters.
Given all of this, it would make perfect sense for Feinstein to be selfless and retire early with California’s gratitude for a distinguished career. Now is absolutely the time to be an ally to communities of color and let another younger lawmaker represent the evolving values of this state. For to adequately address the many long-standing, race-based disparities in everything from healthcare to housing, California needs a Black senator and a Latino senator.
But politics rarely, if ever, makes perfect sense. What’s far more likely to happen is that Feinstein will serve until her term ends in January of 2025.
That means it will be up to Newsom to ensure that California has a real shot at this multicultural future in the U.S. Senate — and the only way to do that is to appoint Lee or Bass to replace Harris now. Black people can’t wait.
From left, Reps. Karen Bass, Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters of California in Washington. (Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press)
If the governor doesn’t, the sad truth is it could be extremely difficult — if not impossible — for either of these highly qualified women to ever become a U.S. senator, even though each deserves the seat. And, if history is any indication of the future, it will take several more years for another Black woman to have a real shot at the upper chamber, given that there are only a few of us at the highest levels of government.
Blame systemic racism and sexism.
Harris was only the second Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, after Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois. And with Harris becoming vice president, there are now only three Black women in California’s congressional delegation — and none in the Senate from this state or any other state.
“The ability around the nation to recognize and to support Black women in statewide positions is very bleak,” Weber said. “You got 100 people in the Senate and you don’t have one Black woman” without Harris.
That is unacceptable.
Weber recalls the “extremely expensive” fight that was necessary to get Harris in front of voters statewide for the first time, and scoffs with anger at the idea of having to do it again rather than being able to rely on the visibility that comes with incumbency.
It is particularly galling at a time when Democrats are hailing Black women for being the “backbone” of the party and are depending on another Black woman, Stacey Abrams, to ensure enough voters turn out in Georgia next month to flip the Senate back to Democratic control.
A Latino candidate, on the other hand, would likely have better luck with voters while running for Feinstein’s seat — assuming again that history is any indication of the future. Already a quarter of California’s congressional delegation and about half of the current statewide officeholders are Latino.
That’s why Weber, joined by Black politicians and activists up and down California and across the U.S., isn’t giving up. And rightfully so.
“This is our seat,” she said. “We have fought to get the seat, and there was a reason why we fought for the seat. And we should not have to justify it.”
I hope Newsom is listening.


latimes--2020-12-10--Column: In Becerra as first Latino health secretary, Biden gets a team player who's tough in a fight

In Xavier Becerra , President-elect Joe Biden is getting a team player , savvy politician and competent manager — who excels at being in the right place at the right time .
He ’ s also a truly nice guy who won ’ t be an administration troublemaker , but he can be tough in a fight .
And he ’ s Washington-ready , not a naïve outsider who needs D.C. training wheels .
But , unlike many in politics , he ’ s not a media-seeking grandstander .
The California attorney general is unquestionably a liberal , but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allege .
Becerra once said he supported “ Medicare for all.
” But what does that mean ?
Leftists who advocate for that don ’ t mean real Medicare , which is supplemented with private insurance .
They want government-only medical coverage .
Becerra has said he favors Biden ’ s more moderate , practical proposal to expand the Affordable Care Act — Obamacare — with a “ public option ” of government-funded insurance .
That ’ s just one of the complicated , heated battles Becerra will face as Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a snake pit of programs that attract fiercely competing interests and ideologies and can overwhelm someone trying to lead it .
The sprawling agency spends more than $ 1.4 trillion annually and is responsible for the health coverage of more than 100 million Americans , mostly through Medicare and Medicaid .
Becerra , 62 , seems up to the job based on his four-year tenure as California ’ s “ top cop ” running a large bureaucracy and 12 terms previously as a U.S. House member representing Central Los Angeles .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maneuver Obamacare through the House .
The son of working-class Mexican immigrants , he would be the first Latino U.S. health secretary if confirmed by the Senate .
He also was California ’ s first Latino attorney general .
It was a smart move by Biden to settle on Becerra for the job after two earlier potential nominees botched their chances to become prestigious cabinet members .
New Mexico Gov .
Michelle Lujan Grisham , a co-chair of Biden ’ s transition team , was eager to run HHS , according to published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead and turned it down , upsetting the president-elect ’ s top advisors .
She wound up getting nothing so far .
Rhode Island Gov .
Gina Raimondo was about to be offered the HHS job , according to news reports .
But she has kids in school and wasn ’ t keen on moving to Washington .
She also fretted about turf — how much of a role she ’ d have in fighting the pandemic and vaccinating Americans .
So , the governor publicly announced she didn ’ t want the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Becerra , who had already been vetted and was on the short list for U.S. attorney general .
Becerra didn ’ t hesitate .
He jumped at the offer , realizing that an opportunity to become a cabinet secretary is usually a once-in-a-lifetime priceless gift .
You ’ re powerful and treated like royalty , especially as a top player in a new administration .
You don ’ t get choosy about the job or fight over turf before you ’ re even nominated .
Biden showed strength in sticking to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preferences of the two governors .
Becerra was in the right place at the right time — as he was in 2016 when then-Gov .
Jerry Brown selected him to fill the attorney general post being vacated by Kamala Harris .
Harris had just been elected to the U.S. Senate , an office she would use as a springboard to vice president-elect .
Right before the 2016 general election , Becerra was in Sacramento campaigning for two congressional candidates .
At a reception , he ran into a former Washington acquaintance : the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top aide .
They talked for a long while .
Harris seemed a cinch to win the Senate seat , and Brown hadn ’ t decided on a replacement .
McFadden started thinking : “ What about Xavier ?
” McFadden suggested Becerra to Brown , who was impressed with the congressman ’ s résumé and political smarts , she told me later .
The governor talked with Becerra on the phone and offered him the job .
“ It wasn ’ t a hard decision , ” she said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lots of sense for the Democrat to give up his House seat and return to his hometown of Sacramento to become state attorney general .
Donald Trump had been elected president , and Republicans would control both houses of Congress .
Becerra probably caught Biden ’ s eye by filing more than 100 federal lawsuits against the Trump administration over , you name it : the administration ’ s attempts to scuttle Obamacare , its anti-immigration policies , efforts to undermine California ’ s environmental protections and weaken the state ’ s attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been steadily winning in court .
Critics thought he was too obsessed with suing Trump .
“ We don ’ t wake up looking to pick a fight , but when the Trump administration threatens our people , values and resources , we ’ re ready , ” Becerra has said .
Becerra has also been criticized by many Republicans for writing official titles and summaries of ballot propositions with a Democratic bias .
And they ’ re right .
Chalk it up to his being a party team player .
There was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ select Becerra to replace Harris as senator .
But that wasn ’ t going to happen .
And Becerra wasn ’ t even campaigning for the Senate seat .
He assumed — most likely correctly — that it will go to Secretary of State Alex Padilla , a longtime Newsom loyalist .
Maybe Becerra ’ s first task now should be to teach his future boss to pronounce his name .
Biden butchered it twice introducing his new nominee to a national TV audience .

California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra is President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services. He’s not a naïve outsider who needs D.C. training wheels, columnist George Skelton writes.
In Xavier Becerra, President-elect Joe Biden is getting a team player, savvy politician and competent manager — who excels at being in the right place at the right time.
He’s also a truly nice guy who won’t be an administration troublemaker, but he can be tough in a fight.
And he’s Washington-ready, not a naïve outsider who needs D.C. training wheels.
But, unlike many in politics, he’s not a media-seeking grandstander.
Advertisement
The California attorney general is unquestionably a liberal, but not a far-left radical as some Senate Republicans allege.
Becerra once said he supported “Medicare for all.” But what does that mean? Leftists who advocate for that don’t mean real Medicare, which is supplemented with private insurance. They want government-only medical coverage.
Becerra has said he favors Biden’s more moderate, practical proposal to expand the Affordable Care Act — Obamacare — with a “public option” of government-funded insurance.
That’s just one of the complicated, heated battles Becerra will face as Biden’s secretary of Health and Human Services, a snake pit of programs that attract fiercely competing interests and ideologies and can overwhelm someone trying to lead it.
The sprawling agency spends more than $1.4 trillion annually and is responsible for the health coverage of more than 100 million Americans, mostly through Medicare and Medicaid.
Advertisement
Becerra, 62, seems up to the job based on his four-year tenure as California’s “top cop” running a large bureaucracy and 12 terms previously as a U.S. House member representing Central Los Angeles. He was chairman of the Democratic Caucus and helped maneuver Obamacare through the House.
The son of working-class Mexican immigrants, he would be the first Latino U.S. health secretary if confirmed by the Senate. He also was California’s first Latino attorney general.
It was a smart move by Biden to settle on Becerra for the job after two earlier potential nominees botched their chances to become prestigious cabinet members.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a co-chair of Biden’s transition team, was eager to run HHS, according to published reports. She was offered Interior secretary instead and turned it down, upsetting the president-elect’s top advisors. She wound up getting nothing so far.
Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo was about to be offered the HHS job, according to news reports. But she has kids in school and wasn’t keen on moving to Washington. She also fretted about turf — how much of a role she’d have in fighting the pandemic and vaccinating Americans. So, the governor publicly announced she didn’t want the job.
The Biden team quickly turned to Becerra, who had already been vetted and was on the short list for U.S. attorney general.
Becerra didn’t hesitate. He jumped at the offer, realizing that an opportunity to become a cabinet secretary is usually a once-in-a-lifetime priceless gift. You’re powerful and treated like royalty, especially as a top player in a new administration. You don’t get choosy about the job or fight over turf before you’re even nominated.
Biden showed strength in sticking to his guns and not giving in to the preferences of the two governors.
Becerra was in the right place at the right time — as he was in 2016 when then-Gov. Jerry Brown selected him to fill the attorney general post being vacated by Kamala Harris. Harris had just been elected to the U.S. Senate, an office she would use as a springboard to vice president-elect.
Right before the 2016 general election, Becerra was in Sacramento campaigning for two congressional candidates. At a reception, he ran into a former Washington acquaintance: the late Nancy McFadden, Brown’s top aide. They talked for a long while. Harris seemed a cinch to win the Senate seat, and Brown hadn’t decided on a replacement. McFadden started thinking: “What about Xavier?”
McFadden suggested Becerra to Brown, who was impressed with the congressman’s résumé and political smarts, she told me later. The governor talked with Becerra on the phone and offered him the job.
“It wasn’t a hard decision,” she said. “It just made sense.”
It also made lots of sense for the Democrat to give up his House seat and return to his hometown of Sacramento to become state attorney general. Donald Trump had been elected president, and Republicans would control both houses of Congress.
Becerra probably caught Biden’s eye by filing more than 100 federal lawsuits against the Trump administration over, you name it: the administration’s attempts to scuttle Obamacare, its anti-immigration policies, efforts to undermine California’s environmental protections and weaken the state’s attempts to fight climate change.
Becerra has been steadily winning in court.
Critics thought he was too obsessed with suing Trump.
“We don’t wake up looking to pick a fight, but when the Trump administration threatens our people, values and resources, we’re ready,” Becerra has said.
Becerra has also been criticized by many Republicans for writing official titles and summaries of ballot propositions with a Democratic bias. And they’re right. Chalk it up to his being a party team player.
There was speculation that Gov. Gavin Newsom might select Becerra to replace Harris as senator. But that wasn’t going to happen. And Becerra wasn’t even campaigning for the Senate seat. He assumed — most likely correctly — that it will go to Secretary of State Alex Padilla, a longtime Newsom loyalist.
Maybe Becerra’s first task now should be to teach his future boss to pronounce his name. Biden butchered it twice introducing his new nominee to a national TV audience.


latimes--2020-12-11--More than half of youths in L.A. County juvenile detention facilities were in quarantine this week

More than half of the youths in L.A. County ’ s juvenile detention facilities were in quarantine this week — a move that officials say was done out of an abundance of caution after a surge in positive cases of the coronavirus among staff .
According to the department ’ s Dec. 8 daily report on coronavirus in its facilities , 272 of its 521 youths in juvenile halls and camps were in quarantine due to possible exposure to COVID-19 .
Ten youths were also in isolation after testing positive .
During a Probation Commission meeting Thursday , Tom Faust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said that like Los Angeles County , which has seen a rapid rise in cases , there ’ s been a spike of positive tests among staff .
The quarantines , he said , are based on a staff member testing positive “ much more so than a youth.
” As of Thursday morning , about 35 probation officers from the juvenile detention facilities were in isolation because of positive results on COVID-19 tests .
Juvenile Court Health Services has taken the approach of placing an entire building in quarantine even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the living quarters .
Faust said that within the last 30 days , officials had re-tested about 100 youths at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar , where various units have been on quarantine .
Three tested positive for COVID-19 .
“ We want to make sure that in an abundance of caution that we ’ re going to quarantine those units any time we have any possibility where there might have been some exposure , ” he said .
But quarantine , which lasts 14 days after the last date of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has sometimes resulted in the cancellation of virtual social programming .
Juvenile justice advocates have expressed concerns about how the measures may further isolate youths and affect their mental health .
“ This causes incredible distress and further trauma to kids who are already separated from their families , ” said Brooke Harris , a managing attorney at Loyola Law School ’ s Juvenile Justice Clinic .
“ Quarantine is becoming routine , and my clients have been in quarantine on multiple occasions in multiple facilities over the recent months.
” All youths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probation facilities and they remain separated from others until they receive the results .
If there is a confirmed exposure , an entire potentially affected housing unit is placed on quarantine for 14 days .
Even with a negative test result , the youths remain in quarantine .
As of Thursday , 108 youths in L.A. County juvenile detention facilities had tested positive for the virus , and of those , 70 had tested positive upon admission to probation facilities .
As of that date as well , 305 probation department employees and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 147 of them working in juvenile detention facilities .
According to the department , quarantined youths have received additional access to phone calls and virtual visits .
Officials said that all youths under quarantine have full programming and that they still participate in group activities but don ’ t interact with youths from outside of their units .
During Thursday ’ s meeting , Probation Commissioner Cyn Yamashiro asked for a “ granular understanding ” of what quarantine physically looks like .
“ It ’ s not isolation , ” Faust responded , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still able to go outside , as long as they stay with the peers in their unit and wear masks .
But several attorneys representing youths in the juvenile facilities say that those in quarantine have largely been confined to their living facilities .
And staff that provide programming say that youths have sometimes lost access to virtual classes .
Jerod Gunsberg , an attorney who often defends juveniles , said that a 17-year-old client told him last week that he had been in his unit at a juvenile hall almost 24 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was miserable — absolutely miserable , ” said Gunsberg .
“ He said he was mostly in his room.
” Gunsberg said that although he was understanding of the precautions the Probation Department has been taking , a preferable alternative should be regular testing of staff .
“ Quarantining kids for weeks on end seems like it should be the last resort , ” he said .
Elida Ledesma , the executive director of the Arts for Healing and Justice Network , which has been running virtual arts programming in juvenile detention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said that its workshops have been operating in a “ stop and go ” fashion since March because of quarantines .
Youths in the camps , she said , will congregate in a room and get a virtual lesson in drawing or music over a video conference .
If a unit is in quarantine , she said , staff might be reassigned to a different one or officials “ will cancel all programming until further notice.
” “ I think it has added an extra layer of being really isolated , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of enrichment programs with New Earth , another organization that has been providing virtual arts programming , said there have been only a few instances in which staff have been able to teach during a quarantine .
It seems to correlate , she said , with teachers who advocate strongly to get laptops into living quarters .
“ It is more common that when the students are in quarantine , we don ’ t teach , ” she said .
“ It makes no sense that kids have no access to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their cottages when even if they are in their classrooms the teachers aren ’ t present anyway.
” In a statement , the department said that the L.A. County Office of Education had recently expanded wireless networks at housing units in Central Juvenile Hall and at Nidorf Juvenile Hall .
Officials said the county has also prepared carts with individualized laptops , so that if students can not go to school because of a quarantine the laptops are delivered to their units for remote education .
The juvenile detention population has declined substantially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 2 to 514 on Thursday .
Early on , juvenile justice advocates pushed for widespread release of juveniles , expressing concern that social distancing was not being enforced and that youths were being housed in crowded dormitory settings .
Ricardo Garcia , the county ’ s top public defender , said that attorneys can communicate with juveniles in quarantine , who can still participate in virtual court hearings .
Since learning of the high number of youths in quarantine , he said his attorneys have made a more pronounced effort to expedite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday expressed concern about probation staff who may be exposed to the virus , with one suggesting that staff be tested regularly .
They addressed a Dec. 2 letter from Faust , in which he answered questions from the commission about how the virus was being handled .
According to the letter , staff are trained to wear masks and the department conducts contact tracing after a positive test .
Faust wrote that staff are notified when they have been exposed to someone who had tested positive but that not every staff member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case must quarantine .
Because of “ critical staffing needs , ” if asymptomatic , staff at the juvenile halls and camps may continue to work with protective equipment and enhanced instruction to self-monitor , Faust wrote , adding that the department was following guidance from county health agencies .
“ Nervous .
Concerned for my safety , ” one adult probation officer , who requested anonymity to be able to speak freely about the department , said of that protocol .
He said officers have criticized the department for failing to adequately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have been exposed to the virus .
“ That ’ s been one of the pressing concerns , ” he said .
“ Possible exposure , lack of contact tracing , lack of being notified if a minor had tested positive.
” Some attorneys also worry about enforcement of social distancing and other precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus .
Attorney Ed Geil , who has an 18-year-old client at Nidorf Juvenile Hall , said the teen ’ s unit is one of many under quarantine and that youths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health warnings .
“ He says they have masks .
They have soap and water , but it ’ s impossible to maintain social distancing , ” Geil said .

More than half of the youths in L.A. County’s juvenile detention facilities were in quarantine this week — a move that officials say was done out of an abundance of caution after a surge in positive cases of the coronavirus among staff.
According to the department’s Dec. 8 daily report on coronavirus in its facilities, 272 of its 521 youths in juvenile halls and camps were in quarantine due to possible exposure to COVID-19. Ten youths were also in isolation after testing positive.
During a Probation Commission meeting Thursday, Tom Faust, acting chief deputy of juvenile services, said that like Los Angeles County, which has seen a rapid rise in cases, there’s been a spike of positive tests among staff. The quarantines, he said, are based on a staff member testing positive “much more so than a youth.”
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As of Thursday morning, about 35 probation officers from the juvenile detention facilities were in isolation because of positive results on COVID-19 tests. Juvenile Court Health Services has taken the approach of placing an entire building in quarantine even if staff worked in only one area of the living quarters.
Faust said that within the last 30 days, officials had re-tested about 100 youths at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, where various units have been on quarantine. Three tested positive for COVID-19.
“We want to make sure that in an abundance of caution that we’re going to quarantine those units any time we have any possibility where there might have been some exposure,” he said.
But quarantine, which lasts 14 days after the last date of exposure, precludes in-person family visits and has sometimes resulted in the cancellation of virtual social programming. Juvenile justice advocates have expressed concerns about how the measures may further isolate youths and affect their mental health.
“This causes incredible distress and further trauma to kids who are already separated from their families,” said Brooke Harris, a managing attorney at Loyola Law School’s Juvenile Justice Clinic. “Quarantine is becoming routine, and my clients have been in quarantine on multiple occasions in multiple facilities over the recent months.”
All youths are tested for COVID-19 when they enter probation facilities and they remain separated from others until they receive the results. If there is a confirmed exposure, an entire potentially affected housing unit is placed on quarantine for 14 days. Even with a negative test result, the youths remain in quarantine.
As of Thursday, 108 youths in L.A. County juvenile detention facilities had tested positive for the virus, and of those, 70 had tested positive upon admission to probation facilities. As of that date as well, 305 probation department employees and contract staff had tested positive — with 147 of them working in juvenile detention facilities.
According to the department, quarantined youths have received additional access to phone calls and virtual visits. Officials said that all youths under quarantine have full programming and that they still participate in group activities but don’t interact with youths from outside of their units.
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During Thursday’s meeting, Probation Commissioner Cyn Yamashiro asked for a “granular understanding” of what quarantine physically looks like.
“It’s not isolation,” Faust responded, while another official explained that youths are still able to go outside, as long as they stay with the peers in their unit and wear masks.
But several attorneys representing youths in the juvenile facilities say that those in quarantine have largely been confined to their living facilities. And staff that provide programming say that youths have sometimes lost access to virtual classes.
Jerod Gunsberg, an attorney who often defends juveniles, said that a 17-year-old client told him last week that he had been in his unit at a juvenile hall almost 24 hours a day while in quarantine.
“He was miserable — absolutely miserable,” said Gunsberg. “He said he was mostly in his room.”
Gunsberg said that although he was understanding of the precautions the Probation Department has been taking, a preferable alternative should be regular testing of staff.
“Quarantining kids for weeks on end seems like it should be the last resort,” he said.
Elida Ledesma, the executive director of the Arts for Healing and Justice Network, which has been running virtual arts programming in juvenile detention facilities for several hundred youths every week, said that its workshops have been operating in a “stop and go” fashion since March because of quarantines.
Youths in the camps, she said, will congregate in a room and get a virtual lesson in drawing or music over a video conference. If a unit is in quarantine, she said, staff might be reassigned to a different one or officials “will cancel all programming until further notice.”
“I think it has added an extra layer of being really isolated,” she said.
Marjan Goudarzi, the director of enrichment programs with New Earth, another organization that has been providing virtual arts programming, said there have been only a few instances in which staff have been able to teach during a quarantine. It seems to correlate, she said, with teachers who advocate strongly to get laptops into living quarters.
“It is more common that when the students are in quarantine, we don’t teach,” she said. “It makes no sense that kids have no access to their classes just because they are quarantined in their cottages when even if they are in their classrooms the teachers aren’t present anyway.”
In a statement, the department said that the L.A. County Office of Education had recently expanded wireless networks at housing units in Central Juvenile Hall and at Nidorf Juvenile Hall. Officials said the county has also prepared carts with individualized laptops, so that if students cannot go to school because of a quarantine the laptops are delivered to their units for remote education.
The juvenile detention population has declined substantially during the pandemic, from 840 on March 2 to 514 on Thursday. Early on, juvenile justice advocates pushed for widespread release of juveniles, expressing concern that social distancing was not being enforced and that youths were being housed in crowded dormitory settings.
Ricardo Garcia, the county’s top public defender, said that attorneys can communicate with juveniles in quarantine, who can still participate in virtual court hearings. Since learning of the high number of youths in quarantine, he said his attorneys have made a more pronounced effort to expedite the release of youths.
Commissioners on Thursday expressed concern about probation staff who may be exposed to the virus, with one suggesting that staff be tested regularly. They addressed a Dec. 2 letter from Faust, in which he answered questions from the commission about how the virus was being handled.
According to the letter, staff are trained to wear masks and the department conducts contact tracing after a positive test. Faust wrote that staff are notified when they have been exposed to someone who had tested positive but that not every staff member who comes into contact with a positive case must quarantine.
Because of “critical staffing needs,” if asymptomatic, staff at the juvenile halls and camps may continue to work with protective equipment and enhanced instruction to self-monitor, Faust wrote, adding that the department was following guidance from county health agencies.
“Nervous. Concerned for my safety,” one adult probation officer, who requested anonymity to be able to speak freely about the department, said of that protocol.
He said officers have criticized the department for failing to adequately conduct contact tracing and notify staff if they have been exposed to the virus.
“That’s been one of the pressing concerns,” he said. “Possible exposure, lack of contact tracing, lack of being notified if a minor had tested positive.”
Some attorneys also worry about enforcement of social distancing and other precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Attorney Ed Geil, who has an 18-year-old client at Nidorf Juvenile Hall, said the teen’s unit is one of many under quarantine and that youths still wind up in clusters despite public health warnings.
“He says they have masks. They have soap and water, but it’s impossible to maintain social distancing,” Geil said.
Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-12-11--Despite calls for help, school districts fend for themselves on campus coronavirus tests

Lennox School District Supt .
Scott Price has dealt with academic programs , union negotiations and budget deficits .
But nothing has prepared him or other education leaders to make decisions about a pressing medical issue : How to — or even whether to — provide school-based coronavirus testing to students , teachers and other staff .
Many experts view regular , universal testing at schools as a crucial component to helping campuses reopen and remain open , while also contributing toward curbing the raging pandemic .
Yet California does not require school-based testing and no one has offered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is going to take a pass — with some misgivings — and try to keep his staff and 5,000 students safe through other means when they are able to return to campus .
“ In a small school district , we don ’ t have the resources or expertise with which we could implement a comprehensive testing program , ” Price said .
Price ’ s dilemma — and his decision — appear to be the default for many school systems across Los Angeles County and beyond .
Frustrations over closed schools continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November in a letter to Gov .
Gavin Newsom from leaders of seven of the state ’ s largest school systems .
They called for the testing of all students and staff , uniform testing guidelines , and the resources to pay for it — but have not yet received a response , said Los Angeles schools Supt .
Austin Beutner .
Assemblyman Patrick O ’ Donnell ( D-Long Beach ) said the state needs to provide more leadership and clarity , including on testing — a conclusion several other legislators have echoed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state health department did not respond Thursday to a request for comment , but officials have moved incrementally toward clarifying the situation as the pandemic stretches into its 10th month , with millions of students unable to learn on campus since March .
One such step is a task force charged with developing guidelines for school testing and how to increase it , said Daniel Thigpen , a spokesman for the state Department of Education , which is a member of the task force .
And several school districts will be participating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s new testing lab in Valencia .
In the meantime — depending on a county ’ s coronavirus rates and local decisions — schools districts have remained closed , have reopened or have partially reopened without the data and assurances that proactive testing , typically called surveillance testing , has the potential to provide .
When it comes to coronavirus testing there is no consensus on what ’ s best .
At one end are experts who call for testing virtually the entire nation twice a week so that people with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 .
Others shudder at the cost and logistics of that approach .
Members of President-elect Joe Biden ’ s incoming administration have advocated for expanded nationwide testing .
Biden has also called for rapidly reopening schools , but it isn ’ t clear what role testing would play .
In the fall , colleges in the Northeast partnered with the Broad Institute in Massachusetts to test students once or twice a week and avoided large , sustained outbreaks — in direct contrast to colleges elsewhere that lacked such a program .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safety protocols that don ’ t include costly surveillance testing .
They point to schools that appear to be successful with fidelity to masking , social distancing , hygiene and keeping students in small , separate groups .
There ’ s also disagreement over how much surveillance testing is adequate , a debate that has played out in New York City .
Backers of extensive proactive testing include Beutner , who says it has the potential to prevent or minimize outbreaks at a school , keeping more people safe and preventing frequent academic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campus shutdowns .
Price has been tracking the high number of cases and deaths in the Lennox area , a low-income community near Los Angeles International Airport that is heavily populated with essential workers .
Cases have especially exploded in the last few weeks .
His district ’ s health resources are thin — a few health clerks and one school nurse shared by eight schools .
“ It would be very difficult to have our community and staff feel confident enough for any type of campus-based learning at this time , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an emotional issue , and people are scared.
” Both L.A. Unified and San Diego Unified , the state ’ s largest and second-largest school systems , have crafted their own surveillance testing .
San Diego is scheduled to launch a pilot Monday .
L.A. 's more ambitious effort envisioned one to three tests per person per week along with contact tracing and school-by-school release of testing data .
But because of the pandemic , L.A. County schools have only partially reopened .
L.A. Unified has been especially cautious ; less than 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beutner ordered a new , temporary shutdown this week .
Through Dec. 5 , L.A. Unified said it had used 201,545 tests .
According to the contract schedule , the district was supposed to have used about 1.4 million tests by this point .
Regardless , L.A. Unified is obligated to pay in full for a $ 48.9 million testing contract that runs through June .
The district hasn ’ t necessarily spent unwisely — the tests are reportedly good for three years and could be resold — and widespread availability of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beutner said the district is in discussions over extending the contract to account for the slower rollout .
But it ’ s possible that the district won ’ t be reimbursed for its costs by other government agencies because it has moved forward on its own .
Beutner has estimated the full cost of the testing program , which includes personnel and software costs , at $ 150 million .
“ As far as I know , we ’ re the only school district doing what we ’ re doing because it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I believe it will stand the test of time.
” Other school systems are simply relying on city and county testing that is free to them , but typically intended only for people who are feeling sick or who have been possibly exposed to someone who tested positive .
Whether that ’ s enough to protect schools is difficult to know because of inconsistent and incomplete data collection and disclosure about schools that have reopened .
On a cost-per-test basis , L.A. Unified inked what still looks like an exceptionally good deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park .
Prices start at $ 20 a test and drop to $ 10 after 2 million tests .
According to the company and L.A. Unified , the low price is a result of volume purchasing and automated processing .
Across the nation , other innovations are being refined , including home tests that provide immediate results .
But it may prove difficult to make fast and deep cost reductions because expenses also include field staff , software engineers and customer service , said Agatha Becelar , general manager for California of Curative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees when she joined in March and now employs about 2,600 — and continues to hire .
Curative is providing tests that are free to those who stop by at sites across L.A .
The city pays Curative for those not covered by insurance or federal CARES Act funding , said Haley Albert , the company ’ s director of growth in California .
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy , which operates seven charter schools and an early education center , has partnered with Curative to provide free tests to all who want them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of privacy restrictions under this setup , the school network has no access to testing information that could assist in its planning .
Curative also provided tests free of charge for about 60 Camino Nuevo staff members on two occasions — Curative can send the bill elsewhere because teachers are considered essential workers .
But the price for students would be about $ 115 a test , which is comparable to what others are charging .
The charter network has about 3,500 students and 550 employees .
Camino Nuevo turned down an opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing program for an estimated $ 250 for each student and staff member .
School leaders concluded that price tag to be unaffordable .
They are still trying to chart the best path forward .
“ We know that testing is going to be the thing that helps slow the spread , ” said Adriana Abich , Camino Nuevo ’ s chief executive .

Lennox School District Supt. Scott Price has dealt with academic programs, union negotiations and budget deficits. But nothing has prepared him or other education leaders to make decisions about a pressing medical issue: How to — or even whether to — provide school-based coronavirus testing to students, teachers and other staff.
Many experts view regular, universal testing at schools as a crucial component to helping campuses reopen and remain open, while also contributing toward curbing the raging pandemic. Yet California does not require school-based testing and no one has offered to pay for it. So, Price is going to take a pass — with some misgivings — and try to keep his staff and 5,000 students safe through other means when they are able to return to campus.
“In a small school district, we don’t have the resources or expertise with which we could implement a comprehensive testing program,” Price said.
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Price’s dilemma — and his decision — appear to be the default for many school systems across Los Angeles County and beyond. Frustrations over closed schools continue to increase and were expressed in early November in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom from leaders of seven of the state’s largest school systems. They called for the testing of all students and staff, uniform testing guidelines, and the resources to pay for it — but have not yet received a response, said Los Angeles schools Supt. Austin Beutner.
Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) said the state needs to provide more leadership and clarity, including on testing — a conclusion several other legislators have echoed.
The governor’s office and the state health department did not respond Thursday to a request for comment, but officials have moved incrementally toward clarifying the situation as the pandemic stretches into its 10th month, with millions of students unable to learn on campus since March.
One such step is a task force charged with developing guidelines for school testing and how to increase it, said Daniel Thigpen, a spokesman for the state Department of Education, which is a member of the task force. And several school districts will be participating in a state-funded pilot involving the state’s new testing lab in Valencia.
In the meantime — depending on a county’s coronavirus rates and local decisions — schools districts have remained closed, have reopened or have partially reopened without the data and assurances that proactive testing, typically called surveillance testing, has the potential to provide.
When it comes to coronavirus testing there is no consensus on what’s best. At one end are experts who call for testing virtually the entire nation twice a week so that people with the virus can enter quarantine and avoid spreading COVID-19. Others shudder at the cost and logistics of that approach.
Members of President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming administration have advocated for expanded nationwide testing. Biden has also called for rapidly reopening schools, but it isn’t clear what role testing would play.
In the fall, colleges in the Northeast partnered with the Broad Institute in Massachusetts to test students once or twice a week and avoided large, sustained outbreaks — in direct contrast to colleges elsewhere that lacked such a program.
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Some experts say K-12 schools can rely on safety protocols that don’t include costly surveillance testing. They point to schools that appear to be successful with fidelity to masking, social distancing, hygiene and keeping students in small, separate groups. There’s also disagreement over how much surveillance testing is adequate, a debate that has played out in New York City.
Backers of extensive proactive testing include Beutner, who says it has the potential to prevent or minimize outbreaks at a school, keeping more people safe and preventing frequent academic disruptions resulting from classroom quarantines and even campus shutdowns.
Price has been tracking the high number of cases and deaths in the Lennox area, a low-income community near Los Angeles International Airport that is heavily populated with essential workers. Cases have especially exploded in the last few weeks.
His district’s health resources are thin — a few health clerks and one school nurse shared by eight schools.
“It would be very difficult to have our community and staff feel confident enough for any type of campus-based learning at this time,” Price said. “It’s an emotional issue, and people are scared.”
Both L.A. Unified and San Diego Unified, the state’s largest and second-largest school systems, have crafted their own surveillance testing. San Diego is scheduled to launch a pilot Monday.
L.A.’s more ambitious effort envisioned one to three tests per person per week along with contact tracing and school-by-school release of testing data. But because of the pandemic, L.A. County schools have only partially reopened. L.A. Unified has been especially cautious; less than 1% had returned for in-person services before Beutner ordered a new, temporary shutdown this week.
Through Dec. 5, L.A. Unified said it had used 201,545 tests. According to the contract schedule, the district was supposed to have used about 1.4 million tests by this point. Regardless, L.A. Unified is obligated to pay in full for a $48.9 million testing contract that runs through June.
The district hasn’t necessarily spent unwisely — the tests are reportedly good for three years and could be resold — and widespread availability of a vaccine could be many months away. Beutner said the district is in discussions over extending the contract to account for the slower rollout. But it’s possible that the district won’t be reimbursed for its costs by other government agencies because it has moved forward on its own. Beutner has estimated the full cost of the testing program, which includes personnel and software costs, at $150 million.
“As far as I know, we’re the only school district doing what we’re doing because it’s hard,” Beutner said. “I believe it will stand the test of time.”
Other school systems are simply relying on city and county testing that is free to them, but typically intended only for people who are feeling sick or who have been possibly exposed to someone who tested positive. Whether that’s enough to protect schools is difficult to know because of inconsistent and incomplete data collection and disclosure about schools that have reopened.
On a cost-per-test basis, L.A. Unified inked what still looks like an exceptionally good deal with SummerBio, a start-up in Menlo Park. Prices start at $20 a test and drop to $10 after 2 million tests. According to the company and L.A. Unified, the low price is a result of volume purchasing and automated processing.
Across the nation, other innovations are being refined, including home tests that provide immediate results. But it may prove difficult to make fast and deep cost reductions because expenses also include field staff, software engineers and customer service, said Agatha Bacelar, general manager for California of Curative, another start-up. It had 12 employees when she joined in March and now employs about 2,600 — and continues to hire.
Curative is providing tests that are free to those who stop by at sites across L.A. The city pays Curative for those not covered by insurance or federal CARES Act funding, said Haley Albert, the company’s director of growth in California.
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, which operates seven charter schools and an early education center, has partnered with Curative to provide free tests to all who want them in a campus parking lot. Because of privacy restrictions under this setup, the school network has no access to testing information that could assist in its planning.
Curative also provided tests free of charge for about 60 Camino Nuevo staff members on two occasions — Curative can send the bill elsewhere because teachers are considered essential workers. But the price for students would be about $115 a test, which is comparable to what others are charging. The charter network has about 3,500 students and 550 employees.
Camino Nuevo turned down an opportunity to buy into L.A. Unified’s testing program for an estimated $250 for each student and staff member. School leaders concluded that price tag to be unaffordable. They are still trying to chart the best path forward.
“We know that testing is going to be the thing that helps slow the spread,” said Adriana Abich, Camino Nuevo’s chief executive.


latimes--2020-12-11--Million-dollar views, cheap rent and allegations of favoritism at California state parks

It ’ s a coveted perk for state parks employees : For just a few hundred dollars a month , they can live in government-owned homes in some of California ’ s most scenic and sought-after locations — beachfront cottages , historic houses in pricey neighborhoods and cabins surrounded by stretches of pristine wilderness .
The benefit was created so California Department of Parks and Recreation staff could live close to the natural treasures they protect or maintain .
But the well-intentioned program has been poorly managed , with current and former employees alleging that state property is being used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members , according to a Times investigation .
The department ’ s nearly 500 occupied state-owned houses , mobile homes , dorms and trailers rent — on average — for $ 215 a month , according to a Times analysis of state housing data .
At those prices , the revenue from renting homes to employees is not enough to cover the cost of maintaining them .
A review of state housing data , county tax assessor documents and other public records also found that the agency has disregarded state policies outlining when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State policy requires rent to be raised to market value whenever an employee tenant moves out , but three years of records show that rental prices have not increased in the vast majority of cases .
And there are other issues in the parks department ’ s housing program , including allegations from current and former employees about questionable spending to upgrade homes and claims that favoritism plays a role in who is awarded the benefit .
In addition , error-ridden record keeping has complicated oversight .
In one case , the parks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cottage in Point Lobos State Natural Reserve , although the agency told The Times it has yet to decide what to do with the property .
The historically preserved home sandwiched between employee houses has remained vacant since last year .
In another instance , a family who donated a 19th century Monterey home to the state argues that they were led to believe it would be opened to the public as a museum paying tribute to Cannery Row history .
It has instead been used as employee housing for $ 193 a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by The Times show that a superintendent moved into a coastal home in Santa Barbara last year and his rent dropped nearly 50 % compared to what was paid by the previous tenant , a park ranger .
The parks housing program is “ a gift of public funds that is being given without any particular merit , without any oversight , and it ’ s wrong , ” said former Orange County Assemblyman Chuck DeVore , who wrote a law in 2006 that attempted to fix problems in the program .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parks department said in a written statement that it is “ evaluating the department ’ s housing policy and program to review rental rate increases , housing assignments , and other elements , and update policies where needed.
” The department conceded that “ adjustments to rents have not been made on a consistent basis.
” California State Parks Director Armando Quintero , who was appointed by Gov .
Gavin Newsom in August , said in a statement that his 22 years of experience as a park ranger showed him that having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parks is critical .
But he said a review is underway by a statewide task force to look at the department ’ s housing policies .
He declined to be interviewed .
“ The Department of Parks and Recreation understands it has a responsibility , especially at a time when California families are facing historic housing costs , to ensure the Parks Department ’ s employee housing policies effectively steward department resources and prevent abuse , ” the department statement said .
Steps from the shore at Crystal Cove State Park in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beach sits an 1,100-square-foot cottage with French windows and unobstructed ocean views .
A state parks employee lives there for $ 232 a month .
Two doors down , a three-bedroom home designated as employee housing goes for $ 395 a month .
Meanwhile , vacation cottages next door are advertised as affordable rentals available to the public for up to $ 269 a night — generating about $ 8,000 a month — and are booked solid six months in advance , according to the parks department website , Reserve California .
Employee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so low .
California law calls for government-owned homes to be rented at “ fair and reasonable ” rates , which DeVore wrote into the 2006 bill .
DeVore introduced the legislation after learning that parks employees were paying extraordinarily low rents for coastal cottages at Crystal Cove State Park .
He was particularly irked that a parks superintendent was living there at a low rate while renting out a home he owned nearby for far more — a practice that several parks employees told The Times is common .
That same year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention of California ’ s state auditor , who criticized the parks department and other agencies for pricing employee housing too low , warning that subsidized rent represented a loss of millions in revenue to the state .
The law DeVore authored requires the California Human Resources Department to set rental policies and the director of each state agency to follow those regulations .
But the law does not specify what is “ fair and reasonable , ” and with little incentive to raise rates , most rents have remained stagnant for decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with providing housing to select public employees at substantially below-market value : There are far more employees than there are available homes , ” said DeVore , who now works for the Texas Public Policy Foundation , a conservative think tank .
“ And what ends up happening is that some employees do very well and live like kings in amazing locations in California , and other employees don ’ t have that opportunity and perhaps never will.
” Chuck Bancroft lived in state housing for most of his three-decade career as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reserve near Carmel .
“ It ’ s an extremely nice benefit , ” Bancroft said .
“ The downside was you responded to calls at all hours.
” Though the program is intended to allow state rangers and lifeguards to better care for public lands and respond to emergencies , Bancroft said he ’ s also seen employees use state-owned homes for their private benefit .
One parks superintendent moved into a stunning home with ocean views and stopped allowing the public to access the property , he said .
Bancroft said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were less likely to respond to emergency calls took the nicest homes or awarded those properties to favored employees .
Those criticisms were echoed by more than a dozen current and former parks employees who spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity , citing fear of retribution , and said the housing program is long overdue for a deep clean .
One current employee said parks superintendents effectively act as their own landlords , while their employees are their tenants .
The arrangement leads to problems , including inequitable rents and housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the source said .
“ This is entirely managed at the whims of who is in charge , ” a former parks employee said .
“ There are no checks and balances in this system .
A district superintendent can approve $ 30,000 in repairs for their state home and I couldn ’ t get a screen door.
” State housing data and county tax records from 2018 show that two nearly identical homes next door to each other at El Capitan State Beach in Santa Barbara County rented for vastly different rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better view went to a park superintendent at $ 232 a month while a park ranger paid $ 499 for the other one .
After the ranger moved out last year , Channel Coast District Supt .
Greg Martin moved into the home in June and the rent dropped to $ 264 , state housing data and property records show .
Martin did not respond to a request for comment .
Asked why Martin paid nearly 50 % less than the previous occupant , the parks department declined to comment on the arrangement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set in accordance with state policies and union contracts .
The department acknowledged , however , that rental amounts charged to employees are inconsistent .
After The Times ’ inquiries , the parks department said the governor ’ s office had formed a statewide task force to review potential changes to housing policies .
“ State Parks is evaluating its housing program to ensure it is being a good steward of the people ’ s money and how it serves the public , ” the department said .
There are no limitations on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parks housing .
Some reside in state-owned houses for decades , either remaining at the same property or moving from house to house , county tax records and state housing data show .
Former parks department director Rusty Areias said the housing program “ merits a review , ” but defended the need for the benefit .
“ These are essential workers , and state parks employees are generally underpaid , ” Areias said .
“ You can ’ t pay your mortgage or your kids ’ tuition or a lot of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these people are making .
I ’ m not saying there aren ’ t abuses or situations that don ’ t meet the smell test , but it ’ s very complex because of the number of parks in remote or expensive areas.
” The parks department said it doesn ’ t consider whether an employee already owns a home when determining whether to assign a residence to them .
In Monterey , a parks superintendent who has for the past 10 years rented a historic adobe home for $ 211 a month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was marketed as a $ 4,000-a-month rental , according to a now-expired listing .
“ I understand that optically that doesn ’ t look good , ” Areias said .
Quintero , the parks director , said in a statement that having staff in state-owned housing has allowed parks employees to respond quickly to emergencies .
Quintero lived in federal parks housing for about four years while working for the National Park Service , the department said .
“ When Big Basin Redwoods State Park was burning earlier this year , staff that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … while their own park residences were lost to the fires , ” he said , adding that the department will continue to work with the task force to evaluate housing policies and “ implement any recommended changes.
” The agency said it determines rental rates using factors including square footage and the age of a structure , and that rents were raised on all properties by 25 % in 2017 .
Still , some parks employees pay as little as 5 % of market value for their housing , according to annual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send to the Department of Human Resources , known as CalHR .
In many cases , the market values listed for the properties are four to five years old , suggesting that employees are getting even better deals than outlined in state data .
Thad Sigourney ’ s mother wanted her Monterey home and its sizable lot to go to the state when she died .
In a philanthropic gift , Mary Sigourney requested that her home pay tribute to Portuguese fishermen like her grandfather , who settled in Monterey in the late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials led them to believe that the home , located in the city ’ s historic district about a mile from Cannery Row , would become a museum .
The deed to the nearly half-acre property — valued at $ 486,500 in 1989 — states it is “ subject to the condition that the properties are to ... commemorate the role of the Portuguese and other working people in early Monterey history.
” In 1990 , then-Chief Deputy Parks Department Director Les McCargo wrote that the home would allow the department “ to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early Monterey history and the role of the Portuguese people , ” according to a letter provided to The Times by Sigourney ’ s family .
But shortly after Sigourney ’ s estate handed over the property , the parks department starting using it for low-cost employee housing , and the home has been a staff residence ever since .
“ It was never used as my mother intended , ” said Thad Sigourney , a retired schoolteacher .
Property records show the first employee to move in was parks historian Robert Reese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sigourney ’ s donation because he believed the home would make a good “ period house museum , ” according to a 1989 acquisition proposal .
Reese lived in the home for more than a decade with his wife Gloria Bauder-Reese , a parks administrative employee .
In some of the years the Reeses lived there , the signature of the supervisor on the rental agreements belonged to Bauder-Reese .
Efforts to reach the couple were unsuccessful .
The parks department said Bauder-Reese signed off as a supervisor on required documents for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signature was also required , the department said .
This year , the Monterey home rented for $ 193 a month to a state parks museum curator , who moved into the residence in 2005 .
The last appraisal on the property four years ago estimated the home could fetch $ 2,000 a month .
Nearby homes advertise online for $ 3,000 to $ 4,000 a month .
Thad Sigourney has campaigned to have the parks department change how it uses the property , urging the agency to open the three-bedroom home and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His son-in-law , Robert Schroeder , filed numerous public records requests to try to determine how the home could have been become a private low-cost rental for employees .
That question still remains , he said .
“ They accepted the gift on the promise of turning it into a museum , ” Schroeder said .
“ And they have no plans to .
It ’ s a joke .
It would be one thing if this was a house in the middle of nowhere , but this is in downtown Monterey .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a perk and it ’ s absurd.
” The agency said that because the word “ museum ” is not in the deed , staff housing is an appropriate use .
In June , the agency made a small change to the property , adding two small signs noting that it is part of the Monterey State Historic Park cellphone tour , with a phone number leading visitors to a recorded message with information about Portuguese fishermen .
For Sigourney , the department ’ s response was too little and three decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be charging thousands and they are offering it for practically nothing , ” Sigourney said .
The low-cost employee housing perk has long irritated Augie Louis , a former president of the Point Lobos Foundation , which raises money for the reserve .
Louis said the parks department has failed to look at some of the state-owned properties as revenue sources , including the Hudson House in Point Lobos that once belonged to his wife ’ s family before the state acquired it by eminent domain in the 1970s .
He said such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or meeting spaces , which would help pay for trail upgrades and park maintenance .
Too often , Louis said , the parks department turns to voters for bonds to cover those costs .
Initially , half of the Hudson House was used as a community meeting space and the other half as employee housing .
Louis said that changed when a superintendent moved into the home a decade ago and made it a private employee residence .
Located off iconic Highway 1 , the house sits above acres of scenic coastal trails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lining the beaches in spring .
The state ’ s 2016 appraisal notes the 2,400-square-foot-home could rent for $ 3,800 a month , a conservative estimate given its sizable lot looking toward Pebble Beach .
The house is currently rented for $ 255 a month to a lifeguard supervisor .
Louis said the parks housing benefit began with good intentions of offering employees a place to live in remote areas and ensuring that emergency and maintenance workers are able to respond quickly .
Over time , Louis said , the department began to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefited employees instead of what benefited the public .
“ When you look at the economics of it , it ’ s clear , ” Louis said .
“ It was a good idea that was run off the rails .
”

It’s a coveted perk for state parks employees: For just a few hundred dollars a month, they can live in government-owned homes in some of California’s most scenic and sought-after locations — beachfront cottages, historic houses in pricey neighborhoods and cabins surrounded by stretches of pristine wilderness.
The benefit was created so California Department of Parks and Recreation staff could live close to the natural treasures they protect or maintain. But the well-intentioned program has been poorly managed, with current and former employees alleging that state property is being used for the benefit of some favored staff members, according to a Times investigation.
The department’s nearly 500 occupied state-owned houses, mobile homes, dorms and trailers rent — on average — for $215 a month, according to a Times analysis of state housing data. At those prices, the revenue from renting homes to employees is not enough to cover the cost of maintaining them. A review of state housing data, county tax assessor documents and other public records also found that the agency has disregarded state policies outlining when its cut-rate rents should be increased.
State policy requires rent to be raised to market value whenever an employee tenant moves out, but three years of records show that rental prices have not increased in the vast majority of cases.
And there are other issues in the parks department’s housing program, including allegations from current and former employees about questionable spending to upgrade homes and claims that favoritism plays a role in who is awarded the benefit. In addition, error-ridden record keeping has complicated oversight.
In one case, the parks department spent $350,000 to renovate a cottage in Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, although the agency told The Times it has yet to decide what to do with the property. The historically preserved home sandwiched between employee houses has remained vacant since last year.
In another instance, a family who donated a 19th century Monterey home to the state argues that they were led to believe it would be opened to the public as a museum paying tribute to Cannery Row history. It has instead been used as employee housing for $193 a month in rent.
Do you have a tip? Have insight or feedback about how the Department of Parks and Recreation is managing its employee housing program? Share your tips with state government reporter Melody Gutierrez.
melody.gutierrez@latimes.com Or use our tip line
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Public records obtained by The Times show that a superintendent moved into a coastal home in Santa Barbara last year and his rent dropped nearly 50% compared to what was paid by the previous tenant, a park ranger.
The parks housing program is “a gift of public funds that is being given without any particular merit, without any oversight, and it’s wrong,” said former Orange County Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, who wrote a law in 2006 that attempted to fix problems in the program.
When presented with The Times’ findings, the parks department said in a written statement that it is “evaluating the department’s housing policy and program to review rental rate increases, housing assignments, and other elements, and update policies where needed.” The department conceded that “adjustments to rents have not been made on a consistent basis.”
California State Parks Director Armando Quintero, who was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in August, said in a statement that his 22 years of experience as a park ranger showed him that having staff live inside or close to state parks is critical. But he said a review is underway by a statewide task force to look at the department’s housing policies. He declined to be interviewed.
“The Department of Parks and Recreation understands it has a responsibility, especially at a time when California families are facing historic housing costs, to ensure the Parks Department’s employee housing policies effectively steward department resources and prevent abuse,” the department statement said.
Point Lobos State Reserve is home to Hudson House, which was acquired by the state through eminent domain in the 1970s and initially was partly used as a public meeting space but is now a private employee residence. (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)
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Steps from the shore at Crystal Cove State Park in the pricey enclave between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach sits an 1,100-square-foot cottage with French windows and unobstructed ocean views. A state parks employee lives there for $232 a month. Two doors down, a three-bedroom home designated as employee housing goes for $395 a month.
Meanwhile, vacation cottages next door are advertised as affordable rentals available to the public for up to $269 a night — generating about $8,000 a month — and are booked solid six months in advance, according to the parks department website, Reserve California.
Employee rents are not supposed to be priced so low. California law calls for government-owned homes to be rented at “fair and reasonable” rates, which DeVore wrote into the 2006 bill.
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DeVore introduced the legislation after learning that parks employees were paying extraordinarily low rents for coastal cottages at Crystal Cove State Park. He was particularly irked that a parks superintendent was living there at a low rate while renting out a home he owned nearby for far more — a practice that several parks employees told The Times is common.
That same year, the cheap rental prices drew the attention of California’s state auditor, who criticized the parks department and other agencies for pricing employee housing too low, warning that subsidized rent represented a loss of millions in revenue to the state.
The law DeVore authored requires the California Human Resources Department to set rental policies and the director of each state agency to follow those regulations. But the law does not specify what is “fair and reasonable,” and with little incentive to raise rates, most rents have remained stagnant for decades.
“Here’s the issue with providing housing to select public employees at substantially below-market value: There are far more employees than there are available homes,” said DeVore, who now works for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank. “And what ends up happening is that some employees do very well and live like kings in amazing locations in California, and other employees don’t have that opportunity and perhaps never will.”
Cottage 17 at Crystal Cove State Park, and Cottage 19 down the beach, are rented to state employees for $232 and $395 a month. Meanwhile, vacation cottages next door are advertised as bargains available to the public for up to $269 a night. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Chuck Bancroft lived in state housing for most of his three-decade career as a park ranger in Point Lobos State Natural Reserve near Carmel.
“It’s an extremely nice benefit,” Bancroft said. “The downside was you responded to calls at all hours.”
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Though the program is intended to allow state rangers and lifeguards to better care for public lands and respond to emergencies, Bancroft said he’s also seen employees use state-owned homes for their private benefit. One parks superintendent moved into a stunning home with ocean views and stopped allowing the public to access the property, he said.
Bancroft said there was friction when higher-ranking supervisors who were less likely to respond to emergency calls took the nicest homes or awarded those properties to favored employees. Those criticisms were echoed by more than a dozen current and former parks employees who spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity, citing fear of retribution, and said the housing program is long overdue for a deep clean.
One current employee said parks superintendents effectively act as their own landlords, while their employees are their tenants. The arrangement leads to problems, including inequitable rents and housing maintenance requests that are prioritized unfairly, the source said.
“This is entirely managed at the whims of who is in charge,” a former parks employee said. “There are no checks and balances in this system. A district superintendent can approve $30,000 in repairs for their state home and I couldn’t get a screen door.”
State housing data and county tax records from 2018 show that two nearly identical homes next door to each other at El Capitan State Beach in Santa Barbara County rented for vastly different rates in 2018. The home with a better view went to a park superintendent at $232 a month while a park ranger paid $499 for the other one.
After the ranger moved out last year, Channel Coast District Supt. Greg Martin moved into the home in June and the rent dropped to $264, state housing data and property records show. Martin did not respond to a request for comment.
Asked why Martin paid nearly 50% less than the previous occupant, the parks department declined to comment on the arrangement, but said that the rent was set in accordance with state policies and union contracts.
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The department acknowledged, however, that rental amounts charged to employees are inconsistent. After The Times’ inquiries, the parks department said the governor’s office had formed a statewide task force to review potential changes to housing policies.
“State Parks is evaluating its housing program to ensure it is being a good steward of the people’s money and how it serves the public,” the department said.
There are no limitations on how long an employee can live in parks housing. Some reside in state-owned houses for decades, either remaining at the same property or moving from house to house, county tax records and state housing data show.
Former parks department director Rusty Areias said the housing program “merits a review,” but defended the need for the benefit.
“These are essential workers, and state parks employees are generally underpaid,” Areias said. “You can’t pay your mortgage or your kids’ tuition or a lot of other things on the salary that many of these people are making. I’m not saying there aren’t abuses or situations that don’t meet the smell test, but it’s very complex because of the number of parks in remote or expensive areas.”
A state-owned historic adobe in Monterey is rented for $211 a month by a parks superintendent who owns a home in nearby Carmel that has been marketed as a $4,000-a-month rental. (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)
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The parks department said it doesn’t consider whether an employee already owns a home when determining whether to assign a residence to them.
In Monterey, a parks superintendent who has for the past 10 years rented a historic adobe home for $211 a month owns a home nearby in Carmel that was marketed as a $4,000-a-month rental, according to a now-expired listing.
“I understand that optically that doesn’t look good,” Areias said.
Quintero, the parks director, said in a statement that having staff in state-owned housing has allowed parks employees to respond quickly to emergencies. Quintero lived in federal parks housing for about four years while working for the National Park Service, the department said.
“When Big Basin Redwoods State Park was burning earlier this year, staff that lived in the park safely evacuated people … while their own park residences were lost to the fires,” he said, adding that the department will continue to work with the task force to evaluate housing policies and “implement any recommended changes.”
The agency said it determines rental rates using factors including square footage and the age of a structure, and that rents were raised on all properties by 25% in 2017.
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Still, some parks employees pay as little as 5% of market value for their housing, according to annual reports that the department is required to send to the Department of Human Resources, known as CalHR. In many cases, the market values listed for the properties are four to five years old, suggesting that employees are getting even better deals than outlined in state data.
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Thad Sigourney, left, Rob Schroeder and his son Remy stand in front of a home in Monterey given to the state by Sigourney’s family on the understanding that it would be used as a museum. But now it’s a staff residence. (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)
Thad Sigourney’s mother wanted her Monterey home and its sizable lot to go to the state when she died. In a philanthropic gift, Mary Sigourney requested that her home pay tribute to Portuguese fishermen like her grandfather, who settled in Monterey in the late 1800s.
The family said parks department officials led them to believe that the home, located in the city’s historic district about a mile from Cannery Row, would become a museum.
The deed to the nearly half-acre property — valued at $486,500 in 1989 — states it is “subject to the condition that the properties are to ... commemorate the role of the Portuguese and other working people in early Monterey history.”
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A portion of the 1989 grant deed for the Monterey property donated by Mary Sigourney to the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
In 1990, then-Chief Deputy Parks Department Director Les McCargo wrote that the home would allow the department “to extend its interpretative program to cover ... early Monterey history and the role of the Portuguese people,” according to a letter provided to The Times by Sigourney’s family.
But shortly after Sigourney’s estate handed over the property, the parks department starting using it for low-cost employee housing, and the home has been a staff residence ever since.
“It was never used as my mother intended,” said Thad Sigourney, a retired schoolteacher.
Property records show the first employee to move in was parks historian Robert Reese, who urged the state to accept Sigourney’s donation because he believed the home would make a good “period house museum,” according to a 1989 acquisition proposal. Reese lived in the home for more than a decade with his wife Gloria Bauder-Reese, a parks administrative employee.
In some of the years the Reeses lived there, the signature of the supervisor on the rental agreements belonged to Bauder-Reese. Efforts to reach the couple were unsuccessful.
Thad Sigourney has campaigned to have the parks department change how it uses the Monterey property his mother gifted to the state, urging the agency to open the three-bedroom home and its once-lush garden to the public. (Tomas Ovalle/For The Times)
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The parks department said Bauder-Reese signed off as a supervisor on required documents for her employee housing. A parks district superintendent signature was also required, the department said.
This year, the Monterey home rented for $193 a month to a state parks museum curator, who moved into the residence in 2005. The last appraisal on the property four years ago estimated the home could fetch $2,000 a month. Nearby homes advertise online for $3,000 to $4,000 a month.
Thad Sigourney has campaigned to have the parks department change how it uses the property, urging the agency to open the three-bedroom home and its once-lush garden to the public. His son-in-law, Robert Schroeder, filed numerous public records requests to try to determine how the home could have become a private low-cost rental for employees. That question still remains, he said.
“They accepted the gift on the promise of turning it into a museum,” Schroeder said. “And they have no plans to. It’s a joke. It would be one thing if this was a house in the middle of nowhere, but this is in downtown Monterey. They are giving housing to each other as a perk and it’s absurd.”
The agency said that because the word “museum” is not in the deed, staff housing is an appropriate use.
In June, the agency made a small change to the property, adding two small signs noting that it is part of the Monterey State Historic Park cellphone tour, with a phone number leading visitors to a recorded message with information about Portuguese fishermen.
For Sigourney, the department’s response was too little and three decades too late.
“These places should be charging thousands and they are offering it for practically nothing,” Sigourney said.
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Augie Louis in front of Hudson House, formerly owned by his wife’s family, at Point Lobos Nature Reserve. The home, which features spectacular views toward Pebble Beach, was acquired by the state through eminent domain and initially used as a community meeting space. But now it is a private employee residence renting for $255 a month. (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)
The low-cost employee housing perk has long irritated Augie Louis, a former president of the Point Lobos Foundation, which raises money for the reserve.
Louis said the parks department has failed to look at some of the state-owned properties as revenue sources, including the Hudson House in Point Lobos that once belonged to his wife’s family before the state acquired it by eminent domain in the 1970s.
He said such homes could be used as wedding venues or meeting spaces, which would help pay for trail upgrades and park maintenance. Too often, Louis said, the parks department turns to voters for bonds to cover those costs.
Initially, half of the Hudson House was used as a community meeting space and the other half as employee housing. Louis said that changed when a superintendent moved into the home a decade ago and made it a private employee residence.
Located off iconic Highway 1, the house sits above acres of scenic coastal trails where hikers can see harbor seal pups lining the beaches in spring. The state’s 2016 appraisal notes the 2,400-square-foot-home could rent for $3,800 a month, a conservative estimate given its sizable lot looking toward Pebble Beach. The house is currently rented for $255 a month to a lifeguard supervisor.
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Louis said the parks housing benefit began with good intentions of offering employees a place to live in remote areas and ensuring that emergency and maintenance workers are able to respond quickly. Over time, Louis said, the department began to prioritize using the properties in ways that benefited employees instead of what benefited the public.
“When you look at the economics of it, it’s clear,” Louis said. “It was a good idea that was run off the rails.”