All posts by Roger Straw

Editor, owner, publisher of The Benicia Independent
2020 elections, Benicia City Council, Benicia elections, Terry Scott

Terry Scott: Change is coming to Benicia

To:  My fellow Benicians
From: Terry Scott, Candidate for City Council

Now that the campaign is coming to a close, I thought I’d share my perspective on the campaign and our future:

Change is coming to Benicia as we prepare for a new Council and a new Mayor.  The process of running for office will be instantly changed to the business of running a city.

The challenges of talking about policy and acting on policy move from the philosophical and theoretical to the practical and implementable.

COVID-19 changed all the traditional ways of campaigning. Face to face became Zoom to Zoom.  Social Media became extremely fractured and reflected narrower and narrower bases and voices.

Through this unique, and mostly virtual campaign, I have been so encouraged by the engagement, spirit, and commitment of our community in the political process—for the most part.

I’m sure my fellow candidates would agree, we heard what our citizens want; we all believe in a brighter future; and, we all share a commitment of making Benicia a better, safer, welcoming place for all.

Obviously, the paths to getting there may be different.  But in reality,  when you look at the big picture,  the small town, core values of this community are our greatest strength as a City.

While we have very difficult and demanding challenges ahead of us, I believe our community will prosper and sustain itself during and after the pandemic because we are a community that shares the desire to be better.

Perhaps that’s naïve.  But for me, the campaign reaffirmed my belief that our community is solid, strong and willing to meet the challenges ahead.

I’m proud to call Benicia my home.  I’m honored and humbled by those who support me.  I respect those that don’t.

Thanks, Benicia, for your engagement in the political process.

Perhaps the legendary author on urban development and change, Jane Jacobs, said it best:

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”

VOTE FOR TERRY SCOTT
Terryscottforbeniciacitycouncil.org

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

Solano County playing catch-up? Huge increase in COVID hospitalization numbers

[Source: Solano County Coronavirus Dashboard.  For a complete archive of day by day data, see my Excel ARCHIVE.]

Tuesday, October 27: 61 new cases overnight, no new deaths, 106 (!) new hospitalizations.
Since the outbreak began: 7,445 cases, 529 hospitalized, 76 deaths.Compare previous report, Monday, Oct. 26:Summary –  BIG NEWS – HOSPITALIZATIONS!  SEE BELOW…

  • Solano County reported 61 new cases overnight, by far the largest single-day increase since August 20.  Daily average of new cases over the last two weeks: 41.1 per day.  Total of 7,445 cases since the outbreak started.
  • Deaths – no new deaths reported today.  Total of 76 Solano deaths since the pandemic began.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 12 additional ACTIVE cases today, total of 275.  Note that only 24 of these 275 people are hospitalized, so there are a lot of infected folks out among us, hopefully quarantined.  Is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  Who knows?  To my knowledge, Solano County has offered no reports on contact tracing.
  • HOSPITALIZATIONS – Solano County reported the number of currently hospitalized persons fell by 1 overnight, total of 24.
    But Total Hospitalized INCREASED DRAMATICALLY, ADDING 106 PREVIOUSLY UNREPORTED HOSPITALIZATIONS!!  This huge increase is inexplicable unless the County is updating previously held back reports.     My speculation is that the numbers were held back from the State in order to garner a less-restrictive tier assignment.  For manual calculation of total, see age group stats below.
  • ICU Beds – The County reported a sharp decrease in ICU beds available today, down from 57% to 34%.  (Still no information about availability of ventilators.)

By Age Group

  • Youth 17 and under – 6 new cases overnight, total of 846 cases, representing 11.4% of the 7,445 total cases.  The County reported 7 new hospitalizations among this age group today, doubling the total to 14 since the outbreak began.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 31 new cases overnight, total of 4,411 cases. The County reported 43 new hospitalizations reported in this age group today, total of 179 hospitalized since the outbreak began.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 11 new cases overnight, total of 1,433 cases.  33 new hospitalizations reported today, total of 149 hospitalized since the outbreak began.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 13 new cases overnight, total of 753, representing 10% of Solano’s 7,445 total cases.  23 new hospitalizations were reported today, total of 187.

My normal COVID update is unavailable until later today – ask my endodontist why…   🙂  – Roger Straw

More…

The County’s new and improved Coronavirus Dashboard is full of much more information, too extensive to cover here on a daily basis.  The Benicia Independent will continue to summarize daily and highlight a report or two.  Check out the Dashboard at https://doitgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=055f81e9fe154da5860257e3f2489d67.

Coronavirus, Covid 19, Solano County CA

COVID kills two more in Solano County, one 18-49 years and another over 65

[Source: Solano County Coronavirus Dashboard.  For a complete archive of day by day data, see my Excel ARCHIVE.]

Monday, October 26: 98 new cases over the weekend, 2 new deaths, no new hospitalizations.  Since the outbreak began: 7,384 cases, 423 hospitalized, 76 deaths.Compare previous report, Friday, Oct. 23:Summary

  • Solano County reported 98 new cases over the weekend, total of 7,384 cases since the outbreak started.
  • Deaths – 2 new deaths today, one in the 18-49 age group and one in the 65+ age group.  Total of 76 Solano deaths since the pandemic began.
  • Active cases – Solano reported 43 fewer ACTIVE cases today, total of 263.  Over the previous two weeks, Solano reported over 300 active cases for the first time since September 4.  Note that only 25 of these 263 people are hospitalized, so there are a lot of infected folks out among us, hopefully quarantined.  Is the County equipped to contact trace so many infected persons?  Who knows?  To my knowledge, Solano County has offered no reports on contact tracing.
  • Hospitalizations – Solano reported the number of currently hospitalized persons rose by 8 over the weekend (!), total of 25.  Total hospitalized remained inexplicably at 423 today.  For manual calculation of total, see age group stats below.
  • ICU Beds – despite the reported increase in current hospitalizations, the County reported a sharp increase in ICU beds available today, up from 35% to 57%.  I have no idea how this is possible!  And I wish we had better reporting for you, but this seems all we have….  (Still no information about availability of ventilators.)
  • Testing – The County reports today that 1,707 more residents were tested over the weekend, new total of 102,933.  We still have a long way to go; only 23% of Solano County’s 447,643 residents (2019) have been tested.  (And even less, considering that some individuals have been tested more than once.)

Positive Test Rate

Solano County reported today that our 7-day average test rate fell today from 5.2% to 5.0%.  Average percent positive test rates are among the best metrics for measuring the spread of the virus.  The much more stable California 7-day test rate has been on the rise lately, rising today, from 2.9% to 3.2%.  (Note that Solano County displays past weeks and months in a 7-day test positivity line graph which also shows daily results.  However, the chart does not display an accurate number of cases for the most recent days, as there is a lag time in receiving test results.  The 7-day curve also lags behind current unknown results.) 

By Age Group

  • Youth 17 and under – 10 new cases over the weekend, total of 840 cases, representing 11.4% of the 7,384 total cases.  No new hospitalizations were reported among this age group today.  Thankfully, no deaths have ever been reported in Solano County in this age group.  But cases among Solano youth rose steadily over the summer, from 5.6% of total cases on June 8 to 11% on August 31 and has plateaued just over 11% since September 30, increasing to 11.4% for the first time last week.  Youth are 22% of Solano’s general population, so this 11.x% may seem low.  The significance is this: 1) youth numbers increased steadily and at a faster rate than the other age groups, and 2) youth are SERIOUSLY NOT IMMUNE (!) – in fact 7 youth have now been hospitalized.
  • Persons 18-49 years of age – 53 new cases over the weekend, total of 4,380 cases. This age group is 41% of the population in Solano, but represents just under 60% of the total cases, by far the highest percentage of all age groups.  The County reported no new hospitalizations in this age group today, total of 136 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  The County reported 1 new death in this young group today, total of 6 deaths.  Some in this group are surely ignoring public health orders, and many are providing essential services among us.  I expect this group is a major factor in the spread of the virus.
  • Persons 50-64 years of age – 24 new cases over the weekend, total of 1,422 cases.  This age group represents over 19% of the 7,384 total cases.  No new hospitalizations reported today, total of 116 hospitalized since the outbreak began.  No new deaths in this age group today, a total of 15 deaths.
  • Persons 65 years or older – 11 new cases today, total of 740, representing 10% of Solano’s 7,384 total cases.  No new hospitalizations were reported today, total of 164.  In this older age group, 22.5% of cases required hospitalization at one time.  The County reported 1 new death in this age group today, total of 55 of our elders who died of COVID.  This group accounts for 55 of the 76 total deaths, or 72%.

City Data

  • Benicia added 1 new case today, total of 187 cases since the outbreak began.
  • Dixon added 9 new cases today, total of 475 cases.
  • Fairfield added 21 new cases today, total of 2,385 cases.
  • Rio Vista added 1 new case today, total of 58 cases.
  • Suisun City added 9 new cases today, total of 541 cases.
  • Vacaville added 30 new cases today, total of 1,314 cases.
  • Vallejo added 27 new cases today, total of 2,401 cases.
  • Unincorporated areas remained steady today, total of 23 cases.

Race / Ethnicity

The County report on race / ethnicity includes case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths and Solano population statistics.  This information is discouragingly similar to national reports that indicate significantly worse outcomes among black and brown Americans.  Note that all of this data surely undercounts Latinx Americans, as there is a large group of “Multirace / Others” which likely is composed mostly of Latinx members of our communities.

  • Asian Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 10% of cases, 11% of hospitalizations, and 20% of deaths.
  • Black Americans are 14% of Solano’s population, and account for 11% of cases, but 18% of hospitalizations, and 25% of deaths.
  • Latinx Americans are 26% of Solano’s population, but account for 28% of cases, 29% of hospitalizations, and 17% of deaths.
  • White Americans are 39% of the population in Solano County, but only account for 22% of cases, 26% of hospitalizations and 29% of deaths.

More…

The County’s new and improved Coronavirus Dashboard is full of much more information, too extensive to cover here on a daily basis.  The Benicia Independent will continue to summarize daily and highlight a report or two.  Check out the Dashboard at https://doitgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=055f81e9fe154da5860257e3f2489d67.

#VOTE, 2020 elections, Benicia elections, Benicia Mayor, Steve Young

Steve Young: It is time to make a Choice

Email from Steve Young, October 26, 2020

Dear (Name);

As this campaign draws to a close, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to those who have stood with me and supported me through what has been a very difficult period.

No one likes to be attacked so mercilessly. It bothered me to be accused of “living off the taxpayers” because I have a pension; or to have my $379 monthly stipend and health care benefits described as “taking thousands of dollars a month from the City” in an effort to attack my integrity and character. But, I realize that seeking elected office in a small community means having to put myself out there and expose myself to all forms of public scrutiny, real or imagined.

As challenging as running for office can be, the real work begins when I take office, assuming I win on November 3rd.  In order to accomplish the things that need to be done, there will need to be compromises on the part of the Council. The Mayor’s powers are limited and it will still take three votes for us to effect change or enact solutions. I commit to work with the entire Council regardless of past disagreements or oppositions in order to move our City forward.

Throughout my campaign, I’ve made a variety of pledges to the people of Benicia. I will carry those pledges with me into the Mayor’s office. To recap, I pledge to:

    • Maintain as much transparency as possible.
    • Stay active on social media as a means to stay in touch with my constituents.
    • Respect the outcome of Measure D and honor the people’s vote
    • Refuse to accept corporate or union contributions.

I intend to be a conscientious Mayor for all Benicians; representing seniors, families, youth, longtime residents, and new arrivals. And in spite of their determination to defeat me, I will do my part to repair the discord with Valero and request their leadership meet with me on a monthly basis to improve our understanding and communication.

We have many challenges in front of us: economic recovery from the pandemic for both businesses and residents; improving efficiencies at City Hall; and dealing with our underfunded pensions, roads and utility infrastructure.

None of this will be easy. But all of it is necessary.

I ask for your vote and help, elect me as your next mayor on or before November 3rd.

Stay healthy, Benicia.

Steve Young for Mayor of Benicia
Website SteveYoungforMayor.org
Facebook @SteveYoungforMayor2020
YouTube @SteveYoungforMayor2020
Instagram SteveYoungforMayor