By Khalida Sarwari
New Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President George Shirakawa said in his ‘State of the County’ address Tuesday in San Jose that implementing public health initiatives and establishing an anti-gang alliance would be among his top goals for the year.
Shirakawa said he would propose to the board that the county conduct a health assessment of the Latino community. By mid-century, Latinos are projected to comprise 43 percent of the county’s population, he said.
He said he would follow in the footsteps of Supervisor Dave Cortese who, as president of the board last year, initiated an assessment study of the Vietnamese community.
“We have to make sure that all of our communities are healthy,” Shirakawa said.
He outlined several initiatives to that end, including developing an integrated system of care for current and new Medi-Cal beneficiaries, partnering with the Veteran’s Administration to offer services at the Downtown Medical Clinic when it opens, pursuing a funding mechanism for a
water fluoridation system, and setting higher standards for the county’s public health department.
Shirakawa also discussed initiatives toward gang prevention and said he would propose to establish the Santa Clara County Anti-Gang Alliance, which would allow a broad group of stakeholders and cities to share information and provide resources to communities impacted by gang violence.
He said he would form a committee on the county’s Re-Entry Network created last year to bring together public agencies and private business to make jobs available to those recently released from custody.
Protecting seniors and at-risk youth will also be priorities this year, Shirakawa said.
He said he would pursue a study of the senior nutrition program and a plan to maximize public guardian services to ensure that the assets of the elderly are protected from predators.
For the youth, Shirakawa said he would call on the board to help eradicate the “silent, growing problem with child pornography,” and ask for a review of juvenile services.
He urged the board to support the Silicon Valley Education Foundation’s initiative to implement the A-G curriculum, a policy that makes college entrance requirements the curriculum, at every school district in the county.
“There will be much to do in 2012 as we work our way toward prosperity and better days,” Shirakawa said. “There is still a tough road ahead, but the economy is showing signs of a slow but steady recovery.”
