Febuary 06, 2023
NEWS
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Santa Clara County’s investment in mental health BY AUDREY SUN
“These investments will position us to support more “The county allocates funds for projects committed to people getting connected to the resources and services they putting people into housing,” Santa Clara Vice Mayor Kevin ue to rising rates of suicide and drug overdoses, need when they need them most,” District Four Supervisor Park said. “An example of this is Project Homekey, the program Santa Clara County declared a mental health crisis as Susan Ellenberg told San José Spotlight. “Santa Clara County provides the homeless population with transitional housing.” of January 2022. In response, is serious about addressing this Along with the newly funded programs, the county made the county passed a bill on Jan. 10 public health crisis and will continue an effort to expand the 988 mental health crisis hotline to invest millions of dollars into to seek to maximize state funding by investing $1.3 million in their crisis centers. There are MILLION to add treatment beds at all levels.” currently 13 certified centers in Calif. for the 988 hotline, mental health programs, working to strengthen the overall community to continue residential Previously, the Santa Clara County and $20 million was given by the California Department of mental health support system. board did Health Care Services to support all treatment services and “I think the competitive culture not prioritize centers. In previous years, individuals other mental health alleviating the in the Bay Area contributes to requiring mental health support programs. the mental health crisis,” junior MILLION mental health would be referred to the 911 hotline Kaawon Kim said. “Students in issues arising for 38 new full-time job instead. However, with the recently the Bay Area are very result oriented and think mainly among residents and reduced the developed hotline, anyone in need can positions within mental connect with mental health experts about the big picture, which can be overwhelming.” number of hospital systems catering In the seven months following the declaration of the crisis, toward mental illnesses. Psychiatric health programs for and counselors to receive individual 106 residents were reported to have died by suicide and 188 and medical care facilities in the county families, seniors, the mental health guidance and resources. from drug overdose. As such, the crisis was finally addressed were closed, causing a significant “In 2021, additional funding was LGBTQ+ community and given to the hotline for them to open a this year after a recent Board of Supervisors meeting. increase in homelessness. As a growing $9.5 million was decided for the use of funding mental community that is often overlooked texting line so that people could have more. health programs including residential treatment services, by the county’s government, Santa another option to get help,” Park said. recovery centers and mental health service providers. Clara’s homeless population has long been struggling The county plans to continue monitoring Another $1.6 million went toward preventing people with with mental health. More than 40% of Santa Clara’s the 988 hotline and will add additional mental health illnesses from falling into homelessness. homeless population is in need of mental health support. funding to newly developed support programs.
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New year updates to minimum wages and taxes BY ASHLEY HUANG
earning more than minimum wage.” National income tax, which would n January, minimum wages be implemented if the Fair Tax Act increased across the Bay Area passes, would apply higher taxes to and the Fair Tax Act, which has goods and services and eliminate yet to be passed, was introduced. taxes for household income. This With these developments, household idea was first introduced in July incomes may dramatically change 1999 and has been re-proposed in the new year, with a notable to Congress every two years since. difference being that unemployed The bill introduced this year also students and parents will be taxed. provides households with a monthly After the enactment of Senate Bill check equal to 23% of the poverty Three on Jan. 1, local minimum wages threshold for their household size. increased. Furthermore, on Jan. 9, Rep. “An earlier version of the bill would Earl L. Carter introduced the Fair Tax increase the federal budget deficit by Act for Congress to vote on at a later $10.6 trillion over ten years,” Rep. Anna date. The act would replace federal Eshoo said. “In order to make up the income tax with a 30% national lost revenue from abolishing existing consumption tax and abolish the federal taxes, the proposed sales tax Internal Revenue Service tax would need to administrator and collector. Richmond: $16.17 be 64% — more The regional Consumer than twice the Price Index measures the rate proposed in the Fair Tax Act.” monthly changes in consumer The potential update in income tax prices each year and the U.S. wages may impact student workers Bureau of Labor Statistics negatively determines the new and positively. Oakland: $15.97 “As I’m earning barely Palo Alto: over minimum wage, income tax has $16.50 taken away a lot of money,” Hayward: $15.50 Penumudy said. minimum wage. Based on the “It may not seem CPI, Cupertino’s GRAPHIC like a lot each ILLUSTRATION BY minimum wage time, but the amount MAPLE LEUNG increased by they take away adds up 4.87%, from by the end of the year.” San Jose: $16.40 in 2022 to Opposers of the $17.00 $17.20 this year. bill state that the rich Similarly, San may be subject to less taxes and the tax burden Mtn. View: would be increased among Cupertino: households who aren’t $18.15 earning as much money. $17.20 Jose’s minimum wage Moreover, everyone is increased by 4.94%, subject to the national from $16.20 to $17.00. consumption tax, including Increases in wages Sunnyvale: people who do not earn income. that are higher than “Retired seniors would $17.95 minimum wage are up be particularly impacted to employers to decide. because they have paid “For students earning more than taxes on their incomes minimum wage, there should be a casefor their entire working lives by-case basis for who gets a raise,” said and will have to pay significantly junior Saketh Penumudy, who works higher prices,” Eshoo said. at Brighter Future Learning Center. On the other hand, supporters “For example, students who work to of the bill argue that the amount help support family income should of consumption is correlated with get a boost in wages even if they are the amount of household income
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earned, and therefore, the tax burden would not change significantly for anyone. The bill’s intention is to allow workers to keep more of the money that they make and push forward the ideology of consuming less and saving more. However, since people without income would also need to pay national consumption tax if the bill is passed, opponents counter that it would increase the tax burden of 90% of taxpayers and benefit only the top 10% of households.
“When you work, you pay more attention to how income tax and wages can have huge impacts on the amount of money you actually bring home,” said sophomore Avani Khanvilkar, an employee at Saratoga Star Aquatics. With the change in minimum wage in the Bay Area and the possibility of income tax being replaced with national consumption tax, student workers and households face looming and drastic changes in their paychecks.