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Remember Bush reading “My Pet Goat” while planes hit the World Trade Center? Here’s Lou!
As the county’s two largest cities, where Covid 19 is having its most baleful impact, are the two cities represented by Lou Correa, I sort of expected a more pro-active role on the crisis from his office. I checked his website and the information on Covid was very general, without any update on current actions being taken to stop the spread of the virus.
Then I stumbled across this press release sent to the county by several congresspeople, on one of their more informative websites (Cisneros’.)
June 26, 2020
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representatives Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39), Mike Levin (CA-49), Katie Porter (CA-45), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), and Linda Sanchez (CA-38) sent a letter to the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) pressing for more information regarding testing disparities between Orange County and other counties. Click here to read the full letter.
“Fast, accessible, and widespread testing is critical to protecting public health and preventing a resurgence as we continue to reopen. Ensuring accessible testing will not only reassure the public on behalf of businesses seeking to reopen, but will also support the contract tracing needed to control future outbreaks,” wrote the Members. “We urge all parties to acknowledge this gap in testing and work to increase testing utilization and improve communication with the public. We appreciate the County’s recent efforts to use funding provided by the federal government through the bipartisan CARES Act to launch a community outreach and advertising initiative to increase awareness of free COVID-19 testing options, but we believe that additional steps are necessary to ensure that all residents can conveniently access no-cost testing in Orange County.”
“Last month, the Orange County Congressional Delegation requested information from the OCHCA regarding the County’s low COVID-19 testing volume in comparison with other counties. They received both a briefing and a written response to their inquiries, but constituents continue to face barriers to testing, particularly in traditionally underserved communities. Representatives Levin, Cisneros, Porter, and Lowenthal conducted surveys of their OC constituents and found that of those who wanted a test, 62.2 percent had not gotten one because they were denied or did not know how to get one.”
Why didn’t Lou Correa, who happens to be my representative (I wish the other Lou, Noble, would be my rep) join on this letter and press release, knowing that his district – Santa Ana and Anaheim – is the most densely populated by vulnerable populations, and where the virus is causing the most devastation?
CVS is adding some testing sites in Anaheim, but they have the same restrictions of their original sites, and probably out of pocket fees will be charged as well. What is the status of HR 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, that established free testing for all?
It’s said that Lou Correa does not like making noises, that he accomplishes things in a quiet manner, although he never misses an opportunity to send reminders of how much he supports military-veterans related events.
Whatever his reasons, his low-profile, almost non-existent voice in this crisis in our district is appalling.
As you bring up Lou’s fetish for things veteran…
Someone I know well has been involved in veterans’ education issues for… maybe decades now. During this time he’s dealt with a lot of politicians.
He describes politicians from both parties who really care and help and put time and effort into the issue. That includes Josh Newman and Sharon Quirk-Silva.
And he describes other politicians, from both parties, who just show up to get their pictures taken, shake a few hands, and leave real quick. That includes Lou.
Oh, the one other OC Congressman missing from this press release – Harley Rouda, for some reason. But you’re right that Lou should be in the forefront on this issue.
Exactly, Correa should be in the forefront on this issue. At least Rouda has a comprehensive Covid section, it jumps at you when you open his website. Correa’s is just a banner that is easy to miss. Granted, he has the information on Spanish and Vietnamese.
The issue is his lack or inadequate action on the crisis. Who is advising him?
Rouda at least answers his constituents, per a friend who lives in Westminster. Nevertheless, his district has a sizeable vulnerable population who could benefit from widespread testing.
Quirk was put on the Vet Committee. That’s what they’re supposed to do.
Many legislators have Chaired the Vets Committees without coming as close as she has repeatedly come to solving the problem.
That’s hilarious. She came so close so many times. Brava!
Agran repeatedly stopped it from happening, brainchild. She fought long and hard — and now, whether in Anaheim or Irvine or both, will have been the main legislator responsible for its success.
“I sort of expected a more pro-active role on the crisis from his office.”
And I’m sort of surprised you would expect that.
I expected it based on his informational meetings regarding immigration. I guess that was a safer issue for him, as any resolution is mostly a Federal one.
The Covid crisis in his/our district requires to deal with local powers (BOS/Sheriff/HCA/.Pharma players/donors) and his classical “don’t ruffle the feathers” approach overrides the needs of his constituents.