Contra Costa Herald

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier and former Rep. Matt Gaetz. Official photos

Voted to release investigative report as member of House Ethics Committee 

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA-10) made the following statement on former Representative Matt Gaetz’s decision to withdraw from consideration for Attorney General.

“As a member of the Ethics Committee, I cannot comment on the Committee’s investigation into former Representative Matt Gaetz, but his decision to withdraw from consideration for Attorney General is clearly in the best interest of the country.”

Former Florida Congressman Gaetz resigned last week prior to the release of an Ethics Committee report of an investigation into allegations of sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl and possible sex trafficking of her and others. The committee split 5-5 along party lines to release the report.

According to a report by GovEx.com, “The Department of Justice investigated the sex trafficking allegations against Gaetz but ended its investigation last year without bringing criminal charges. Gaetz and his attorneys have consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing and pointed to the Justice Department under Biden administration Attorney General Merrick Garland declining to pursue charges.”

In a post on his X/Twitter feed on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, Gaetz wrote, “I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition. There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.

“I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”

If the Gaetz report was released, which House Speaker Mike Johnson opposed as it’s not typically done for private citizens, only sitting Members of Congress, other House Members and members of the public called for the release of all investigations by the Ethics Committee, and details on the secret slush fund payments made to previous accusers and victims of sexual and other complaints.

Former Congressman Gaetz was handily re-elected to his same seat on Nov. 5 by 66% to 34% over his opponent and can return to the House of Representatives on January 6, 2025.

DeSaulnier represents most of Contra Costa County in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Photo: MTC

By Marc Joffe

As if the $1 toll hike on January 1, 2025, is not enough, commissioners at the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) plan to approve a series of five fifty cent increases starting in 2026. By 2030, tolls on the Bay Area’s seven state-owned bridges will reach $10.50 for FasTrak users and $11.50 for drivers paying by invoice. Included in the increase are these four bridges with landings in Contra Costa County:

• Antioch (Senator John A. Nejedly) Bridge
• Benicia-Martinez (George Miller) Bridge
• Carquinez Bridge
• Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

Aside from toll hikes, motorists are facing a gasoline price increase arising from the California Air Resources Board’s recent imposition of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. According to a research center at the University of Pennsylvania, LCFS could cost drivers up to 85 cents extra per gallon. And this is on top of California’s highly elevated fuel prices, driven by taxes that rise annually under SB1 (2018).

Despite increasing maintenance costs, the Bay Area bridges are quite profitable. BATA expects total revenue of $1.058 billion this year. The costs of operating the bridges, running FasTrak, and paying debt service are projected to total just $757 million, leaving $300 million to spare.

As BATA admits in its own FAQ on the toll increase, $3.00 of the current $7.00 toll is already being siphoned off for purposes other than bridge operations, maintenance, and seismic safety (this will increase to $4.00 of $8.00 on January 1). For example, almost $6 million is diverted annually to the Transbay Joint Powers Authority to operate its empty bus terminal and to pursue its hopeless plan to bring high-speed rail trains into the Salesforce Transit Center. Bridge toll money is also being used to subsidize Bay Area ferries, SF Muni, AC Transit, Golden Gate Transit, and the NAPA Vine bus service.

The toll hike on the Antioch Bridge is especially egregious. BATA is charging the same tolls on all its bridges despite their vastly different lengths. The Bay Bridge is 8.4 miles long while the Antioch Bridge is just 1.8 miles long. Also, unlike all other Bay Area bridges, the Antioch Bridge has just one lane in each direction.

And then there is the question of income. While many Bay Area drivers are wealthy enough to easily absorb the toll hike, that is less true of people living near the Antioch Bridge. According to Census Reporter, Antioch’s per capita income is only 56 percent of the average for the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro region. Rio Vista, the first sizable community on the north side of the bridge, clocks in at just 67 percent of the metro area’s income per person.

At minimum, BATA should exempt the Antioch Bridge from its planned toll hikes. But better yet, the Authority should shelve its entire toll increase plan, stop siphoning off toll money for other purposes, and live within its means.

Marc Joffe is President of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association.

Bay Bridge Toll Plaza from MTC website. By Noah-Berger

Until Dec. 18

Authority board considering increasing to as high as $11.50 to pay “exclusively for bridge preservation and operations” in spite of three voter-approved $1 increases

“A Thanksgiving/holiday season decision is a hide the ball strategy. Not good.” – State Senator Steve Glazer

By John Goodwin & Rebecca Long, MTC

November 20, 2024 update: The public comment period on the Bay Area Toll Authority’s proposed toll increase and HOV policy changes is extended through the end of public comment heard on the agenda item for BATA’s December 18, 2024 meeting.  All public written and oral comments provided through that time will be incorporated into the record. However, in order for comments to be summarized and published in the agenda packet and distributed in advance of consideration of this item at the December 11, 2024, BATA Oversight Committee meeting, they must be submitted by 5 p.m. December 3, 2024. 

BATA — which is required by state law to fund projects to preserve and protect the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges — today heard again a proposal for a toll increase that would be used only to pay for the maintenance, rehabilitation and operation of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. If approved by BATA at its December 18 meeting, the toll increase would be phased in over five years, beginning Jan. 1, 2026. 

Source: BATA

The toll increase proposal includes a tiered rate structure aimed at encouraging more customers to pay electronically with FasTrak® toll tags, as this form of payment carries lower administrative costs than payment through a license plate account or returning payment with an invoice received by mail. Under the proposal, customers would pay a premium for using a pre-registered license plate account or for invoiced tolling. To give customers ample time to sign up for FasTrak, this premium would not begin until 2027. 

The proposed toll hike is separate from the $3 increase approved by Bay Area voters in 2018 through Regional Measure 3 to finance a comprehensive suite of highway and transit improvements around the region. The first of the three $1 Regional Measure 3 toll increases went into effect in 2019, followed by another in 2022. The last of the RM 3 toll hikes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025, bringing the toll for regular two-axle cars and trucks to $8.

The proposal heard today by BATA calls for tolls for all regular two-axle cars and trucks to increase to $8.50 on Jan. 1, 2026. Tolls for customers who pay with FasTrak tags would then rise to $9 in 2027; to $9.50 in 2028; to $10 in 2029; and then to $10.50 in 2030. Tolls for customers who use a pre-registered license plate account would rise to $9.25 in 2027; to $9.75 in 2028; to $10.25 in 2029 and to $10.75 in 2030. Invoiced tolls would rise to $10 in 2027; $10.50 in 2028; $11 in 2029; and $11.50 in 2030. The Golden Gate Bridge has used a tiered pricing schedule since 2014. Golden Gate Bridge tolls by July 2028 will range from $11.25 for FasTrak to $11.50 for license plate accounts to $12.25 for invoice customers.

Under the proposed toll increase, tolls for large freight trucks and other vehicle/trailer combinations with three or more axles would rise by 50 cents per axle each year from 2026 through 2030. 

Removing spalled on concrete on pier cap 305. Photo: CalTrans

“I’m sensitive to the overall cost of living in the Bay Area,” acknowledged Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza, who also serves as chair of both BATA and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). “Working families really feel the impact, not just in transportation but back at home with utilities, groceries, children. This one is hard. But it’s the right thing to do.”

BATA and MTC invite members of the public to weigh in on the proposed toll increase during a comment period that begins Monday, Nov.4, and continues through the end of BATA’s Dec. 18 meeting. Comments may be sent via email to info@bayareametro.gov. As part of its regular November meeting, BATA today held a public hearing in San Francisco to receive testimony about the proposal from Bay Area residents, businesses and other interested parties. 

Today’s presentation by BATA and MTC staff also proposed updates to the policies for high-occupancy vehicles on approaches to the Bay Area’s state-owned toll bridges. These updates would take effect Jan. 1, 2026, concurrent with the proposed toll increase. BATA’s  existing toll schedule allows vehicles with three or more occupants (HOV 3+) a discounted toll, with a two-person (HOV 2) occupancy requirement for half-price tolls at the Dumbarton and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. BATA and MTC staff propose to establish a uniform three-person occupancy requirement for half-price tolls during weekday commute periods at all seven bridges. Carpool vehicles at all state-owned bridges must use a dedicated carpool lane and pay their tolls with a FasTrak Flex toll tag set to the ‘3’ position to receive the 50 percent discount available weekdays from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Source: BATA

The proposed carpool policy changes also would allow vehicles with two occupants and a switchable FasTrak Flex toll tag set to the ‘2’ position to use the carpool lanes on the approaches to the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. These two-occupant vehicles would not receive the 50 percent carpool discount but would be able to use the carpool lanes to save time traveling through the toll plazas. Use of the carpool lanes on approaches to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge still would require a minimum of three occupants.

The new carpool policy proposals are designed to improve safety on the toll bridge approaches by minimizing ‘weaving’ between lanes and to increase person-throughput by prioritizing access for buses and carpools. The policy change also would optimize lane configurations as now-obsolete toll booths are removed as part of the coming transition to open-road tolling.  

BATA, which is directed by the same policy board as MTC, administers toll revenues from the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges. Toll revenues from the Golden Gate Bridge are administered by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which joined with BATA to operate a single regional FasTrak customer service center in San Francisco. MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

In response to a post of the link to this press release on X/Twitter on Wednesday, Nov. 30, State Senator Steve Glazer, who represents most of Contra Costa County, protested the proposed toll hikes writing, “Why was this need not identified and incorporated during the last toll increase in 2018? You don’t buy a boat and a new car when you don’t have the $ to fix the roof! A Thanksgiving/holiday season decision is a hide the ball strategy. Not good.”

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Dear Editor: 

It typically takes over a month for the Contra Costa Superior Court to process filings in limited civil cases. In fact, more like 6 weeks.

This compares badly with other superior courts throughout the state.

In San Diego Superior, for example, I’ve had papers processed within hours. In Marin County Superior Court, I’ve had papers processed within 1 or 2 days.

This is a real problem because justice delayed is justice denied.

This is a ridiculously long time when it only takes a few minutes to do the processing.

Yes, I understand that they have a lot of filings to process…but with a lot of filing don’t they also have a lot of taxpayer funding commensurate with the size of the population of the county?

So why is Contra Costa so much slower than other counties?

Sincerely,

Edward Teyssier, esq.

National City

John Muir home in Martinez (Source: National Park Service) and El Campanil Theatre in Antioch. (Source: El Campanil Theatre)

Property owners can apply for the credit to rehabilitate and maintain their historical buildings and qualified residences

SACRAMENTO — California State Parks’ Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) announced today it will begin accepting applications for the State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program at 8 a.m. on Jan. 6, 2025. California property owners can apply for the credit to rehabilitate and maintain their historical buildings and qualified residences, retaining Californians’ link to the past while keeping historic buildings and homes relevant in the present and beyond.

The tax credit program provides a 20% credit for qualified rehabilitation expenditures (or 25% credit if the structure meets specified criteria) for rehabilitation of a certified historic structure or a qualified residence, as provided, within the state to be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, in conjunction with OHP. A total of $50 million is available for allocation.

In preparation for this program, OHP is holding two virtual informational sessions on eligibility qualifications, completing the application and documentation requirements, with time allotted for questions and answers. The sessions will be held:

• Tuesday, Nov. 26, noon-1 p.m. (register here)
• Tuesday, Dec. 3, 5-6 p.m. (register here)

Application instructions, forms, frequently asked questions and program regulations can be found on the OHP’s State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit site. Potential applicants are recommended to read the program information in advance of the informational sessions. For information about the tax credit program, please contact Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Jody L. Brown at Jody.L.Brown@parks.ca.gov.

The OHP administers federal and state mandated historic preservation programs to further the identification, evaluation, registration and protection of California’s irreplaceable resources, and promotes the care, maintenance, relevance and reuse of California’s historic properties.

The California Department of Parks and Recreation, popularly known as State Parks, and the programs supported by its Office of Historic Preservation and divisions of Boating and Waterways and Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Learn more at parks.ca.gov.

Fired for not taking COVID-19 vaccine, one employee from San Pablo

San Francisco, CA. –  A federal jury on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, delivered a stunning blow to Bay Area officials who denied every religious accommodation requested by workers to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The eight-person jury deliberated for two days before unanimously awarding six former employees of San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) more than $1 million each, for a total of about $7.8 million. The employees have been represented by Pacific Justice Institute since 2022.

On Friday, Oct. 18, the jury first determined that BART failed to prove an undue hardship in denying any accommodations to the employees. Yesterday, the jury further concluded that all of the employees had met their burden of showing a genuine conflict between their faith and the vaccine requirement, which was implemented in late 2021. The jury then accepted the numbers calculated by the plaintiffs’ economic expert for lost wages and added $1 million to each of those figures.

Brad Dacus, president of PJI, commented, “These verdicts are seismic—a 7.8 San Francisco legal earthquake. This amazing outcome represents so much hard work by our team, perseverance by these clients, and fairness from our judicial system.”

Kevin Snider, PJI’s Chief Counsel who served as lead trial counsel, commented, “The rail employees chose to lose their livelihood rather than deny their faith. That in itself shows the sincerity and depth of their convictions. After nearly three years of struggle, these essential workers feel they were heard and understood by the jury and are overjoyed and relieved by the verdict.”

During the trial, jurors heard compelling testimony from dedicated employees. One of the plaintiffs had worked for more than 30 years for BART, with a stretch of 10 years perfect attendance, before being unceremoniously dismissed. Another had been out on workers comp for months, with no scheduled return date, when she was fired. BART had also argued that several of the employees’ conflicts with taking the vaccine were more secular than religious. The jury disagreed.

PJI’s trial attorneys in this case consisted of Kevin T. Snider, Matthew B. McReynolds, and Milton E. Matchak. PJI was joined at trial by co-counsel Jessica R. Barsotti. Nationwide, PJI continues to represent hundreds of dedicated employees who lost their jobs after they sought and were denied religious accommodations to the COVID-19 vaccines. This week’s verdicts are expected to impact many of those pending cases.

The BART employees’ case number is 3:22-cv-06119-WHA.

California Family Council Comments on Court Victory

In addition, the California Family Council wrote the following on their website (republished with permission):

Victory for Conscience: Fired BART Employees Secure Million-Dollar Settlement Over Vaccine Mandate

In a case that sends a powerful message on the importance of religious liberty, a San Francisco jury awarded more than $7 million to former Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) employees who were terminated for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds. Represented by the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), these employees sacrificed their careers rather than compromise their deeply held convictions—a stand that has now been vindicated in court, both legally and morally.

A Stand for Faith Over Career

This case, centered on BART’s refusal to accommodate employees’ sincere religious objections, highlighted the tensions between public health policies and individual rights to religious freedom. For these former BART workers, faith was not just a private belief but a guiding principle that defined how they lived and worked. In the face of mounting pressures, they made a difficult choice: to lose their jobs rather than violate their consciences. According to Kevin Snider, PJI’s Chief Counsel and lead trial attorney on the case, “The rail employees chose to lose their livelihood rather than deny their faith. That in itself shows the sincerity and depth of their convictions. After nearly three years of struggle, these essential workers feel they were heard and understood by the jury and are overjoyed and relieved by the verdict.”

This lawsuit is part of a broader trend in the courts, where cases involving COVID-19 mandates and religious objections are increasingly ruling in favor of those who held firm to their faith. The jury’s decision represents a milestone in affirming that religious accommodations cannot be set aside, even amid unprecedented health crises. As Reuters noted, similar cases across the country are starting to see victories for individuals who stood by their beliefs rather than comply with mandates they found objectionable on religious grounds.

Pacific Justice Institute Defends Religious Rights in Court

Brad Dacus, President of PJI, emphasized the wider impact of this ruling, saying, “This case sets a legal precedent ensuring that all government agencies honor religious exemptions.” His statement underscores that this case has implications far beyond California and BART; it signals a renewed commitment to protecting religious rights across all sectors, reminding government agencies and private employers alike that religious liberty is a constitutional right, not an optional privilege.

Greg Burt, Vice President of the California Family Council, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Employers have an obligation to respect their employees’ religious beliefs by providing reasonable accommodations whenever possible. Religious freedom is foundational, and this decision underscores the importance of honoring that freedom in all facets of public life.” Burt’s comments resonate in a climate where religious rights are often viewed as secondary to policy mandates, reinforcing the idea that true religious freedom requires active respect from employers and institutions.

Integrity and Conviction in the Face of Institutional Pressure

The jury’s award of over $7 million was not merely a financial victory but a resounding affirmation of the workers’ commitment to their principles. It serves as a powerful testament to the fact that religious liberty extends into the workplace and that individuals should not be coerced into choices that violate their faith. The workers’ triumph speaks to the courage it takes to defend one’s beliefs against institutional pressures. The defendants’ win also addresses a broader legal and societal question: How do we, as a nation, protect the conscience rights of individuals amid public mandates? By securing this verdict, the former BART employees underscore the critical importance of faith-based resilience in a culture that increasingly prioritizes compliance over conviction.

This case does more than validate the BART employees’ religious rights—it represents an undercurrent of resistance where faith and courage fuel social change. Their unwavering stance mirrors that of others in history who’ve faced institutional pressures for their beliefs, reminding us that when one group stands firm, they often pave the way for countless others to reclaim their rights. With this landmark decision, these workers have become symbols of integrity and resilience, showing us all that the call to live authentically—faith and all—can transform society in profound ways.

An effort to contact one of the six plaintiffs who lives in San Pablo was unsuccessful prior to publication time. Please check back later for any udpates to this report.

By Christeen Tilenius

According to “Mental Health America” in 2024, one in four adults with mental distress couldn’t get help because they couldn’t afford it. In hopes of helping people in Antioch to be able to afford help with their mental health if they want it, I am sharing this information with you.

I sadly had a friend who could not afford to get the help they needed with their anxiety and self-medicated themselves with alcohol to numb it. They died young after being run over by a car while walking in the middle of a busy road at night while drunk. I always wondered if they wouldn’t have turned to alcohol, and died young if they had been able to get the help they needed with their anxiety.

We often write-off our anxiety as stress and call it “normal”, as if there is no way to escape our discomfort due to the day and age we live in. There is a difference between stress and anxiety just as there is a difference between getting sad and having depression. Most importantly, we can help ourselves to start to feel better regardless of what we call our emotional discomfort.

It is obvious that we are injured when we have a broken leg and can just barely limp along with a cast on crutches. It is easy for all people to see when someone has a broken leg, but sometimes only we know if we are hurting emotionally. When we have a broken dream, promise, relationship or heart, regrets that won’t leave us alone or failures that continue to haunt us, we can feel just as hurt or worse than if we had a broken leg.

An analysis appearing in 2011 in the journal Psychiatric Times reports that up until that year over 20 studies had examined brain changes after therapy for depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, and trauma disorders like PTSD; all found that therapy changes the brain as much as psychiatric medication. Please note that I am not in any way telling people who need medication to not take it.

There are local mental health therapists, who take various types of health insurance, provide free services and sliding scale services to help people to cope regardless of their income levels. If time is a stressor, you may be able to find a therapist who can help you with regular phone calls or telehealth meetings. California State Licensed therapists go through 8+ years of college education in order to practice in the state of California, often a testament to their desire to help you feel better. In closing, please remember that all people experience challenges at points in their lives and there is no shame in asking for help.

Here is the contact information for some of the free, low-cost, sliding scale therapy services and crisis hotlines available to Antioch, California residents:

1) Mental Health Services for Adults & Caregivers

www.cchealth.org/get-care/mental-health

Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) – Behavioral Health Services (BHS)

Call the 24/7 ACCESS Line at 1-888-678-7277

2) Brighter Beginnings Family Health Clinic Antioch Behavioral Therapy

www.brighter-beginnings.org

3505 Lone Tree Way, Antioch, CA 94509, (925) 303-4780

3) Lifelong East Oakland Health Center

https://lifelongmedical.org/

10700 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94605, (510) 981-4100

4) Mobile Therapy by God’s Love Outreach Ministries (GLOM)

www.godsloveoutreach.com, (925) 999-4119

5) YWCA Contra Costa/Sacramento

www.ywcaccc.org

1320 Arnold Drive, Suite 170, Martinez, CA 94553, 925-372-4213 ext. 123

6) Community Clinic Psychotherapy Services

https://tpi-berkeley.org/

2232 Carleton Street Berkeley, California, 94704, (510) 548-2250

7) Center for Psychotherapy

cfp@centerforpsych.org

509 W 10th Street, Antioch, CA 94509, (925) 777-9540

8) Community Health for Asian Americans

https://chaaweb.org/

3727 Sunset Lane, Antioch, CA 94509, (925) 778-1667

9) The Crisis Center’s Crisis Lines

Provide crisis and suicide intervention, emotional support, counseling and resource information for Contra Costa County. This program provides 24/7 Support via Call or Text. If you are in a crisis and need help immediately, please call 211 or 800-833-2900 or text ‘‘HOPE” to 20121 now. Doing so will quickly put you in touch with one of the program’s call specialists.

10) National Domestic Violence Hotline

www.thehotline.org

1 (800) 799-7233 or text START to 88788

NOTE: In an emergency dial 911

See Super Heroes with Magical Super Powers beginning at 6:00 PM

Join us on Saturday, December 7th for the 22nd Annual Discovery Bay Parade of Lights!

This year’s decorating theme is inspired by the event date of Pearl Harbor Day, and by the amazing heroes we have in our community, the iconic toys and characters that delight us, and of course the Super Hero with Magical Super Powers who IS the ‘reason for the season’.

The Parade-of-Lights theme is ALWAYS about delighting children, creating memories of this community that they will treasure, and of an age-friendly community in which everyone is served.

The Parade-of-Lights is presented by local nonprofit, ROAR California, and their mission is to encourage and facilitate age-friendly communities, and supported by generous community sponsors.

Street Route: From Marina Road to Discovery Bay Blvd. (and the site of Discovery Bay’s Community Tree!)

Personalized learning public school serving Contra Costa County students approved by New Jerusalem Elementary School District

Tracy, CA – On November 12, 2024, the board of trustees for New Jerusalem Elementary School District unanimously approved the seven-year renewal of Valley View Charter Prep, A Pacific Charter Institute School. The seven-year renewal is considered high track according to the California legislature under AB 1505 using the California Dashboard results for the prior two years. Valley View Charter Prep achieved high track status through focused instruction, clear goals, and a cadence of high expectations. This renewal is a testament to the success that Valley View has consistently demonstrated in providing high-quality education to its students though its personalized education approach.

About Valley View Charter Prep

Valley View Charter Prep began operation as a tuition-free public charter school established by Pacific Charter Institute and New Jerusalem Elementary School District in 2014 serving students in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. VVCP serves over 600 students using personalized learning plans, ongoing assessments, and tailored instruction support.

About Pacific Charter Institute

Founded in 2005 with the mission of developing self-motivated, responsible citizens and lifelong learners. Over the last 20 years Pacific Charter Institute has expanded to six charter schools serving over 3,600 students serving 16 counties in Northern California. Pacific Charter Institute focuses on personalized learning ensuring each student has the resources, guidance, and support to become responsible, compassionate, and innovative leaders who are well-prepared to make meaningful contributions to society.

Source: Kaiser Permanente

High rating reflects the expert medicine, seamless care, and outstanding service provided to Kaiser’s 1.4 million Medicare Advantage members

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

OAKLAND, CA— Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare health plan in California is rated among the best in the state for providing high-quality, seamless care, and outstanding service to its 1.4 million Medicare Advantage members.

This year, the Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plan in California received 4.5 out of 5 stars, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2025 Star Ratings. In addition, the Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plan in California is tied for the highest star rating in the state.

“These ratings demonstrate our commitment to providing high-quality care and exceptional service to all of our Northern California members, including our Medicare Advantage members,” said Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, president of Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region. “Kaiser Permanente is routinely recognized as being among the nation’s best for improving the health and well-being of our members and patients.”

The Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plan in California has been highly rated – with mostly 4.5 and 5 star ratings – for the past 15 years.

“Our clinicians work together across all specialties to ensure personalized, high-quality care for our patients,” said Maria Ansari, MD, FACC, CEO and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group. “The CMS Star Ratings, along with our nation-leading NCQA ratings, demonstrate the commitment of our physicians and care teams to provide all of our patients with the exceptional and compassionate care they need to live long, healthy lives.”

Ratings reflect high-quality care and service

Every year, CMS publishes Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D) ratings. The ratings offer consumers a way to compare the quality of Medicare plans.

To develop the ratings, CMS considers many areas of care and service. For example, it looks at how well health plans keep members healthy and manage their chronic conditions. CMS also considers patient experiences, customer service, patient access, and pharmacy services.

Kaiser Permanente provides care to more than 1.9 million Medicare members in 8 states and the District of Columbia.

Northern and Southern California are rated together as one contract with CMS. Kaiser Permanente’s Dual Eligible-Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) H-contract (H8794) began in California on January 1, 2024, and is too new to be measured for the 2025 Star Ratings. It will be eligible beginning with the 2026 Star Ratings if the contract has sufficient enrollees and measures rated.

Ongoing recognition for Kaiser Permanente’s health plans

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) also recently ranked Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s health plans as the highest rated in California – and among the highest in the nation – for providing expert, coordinated care, and exceptional service.

Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare and commercial health plans in Northern California each received 4.5 out of 5 stars, according to NCQA’s 2024 Health Plan Ratings. This was the ninth ratings period that Kaiser Permanente Northern California was the highest-rated plan in the region and among the highest in the country. Nationally, only 8% of the health plans are rated 4.5 stars or higher.

NCQA also ranked Kaiser Permanente Northern California health plans as best in the state for overall treatment, prevention, equity, and patient experience.

Enrolling in a Kaiser Permanente Medicare Health Plan

Medicare’s annual enrollment period for all 2025 Medicare health plans begins on October 15 and runs through December 7, 2024.

Medicare beneficiaries can learn more about the CMS’ star ratings and Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare health plans by visiting kp.org/medicarestars.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.