Politics & Government

Young Man a Challenger in Peninsula Health Care District Race

"Affordable, accessible and quality health care for everyone," he says.

Jacob Angel, a 20-year-old San Mateo resident, announced on March 20 that he is running for a seat on the Peninsula Health Care District Board of Directors in November’s election.

Two of five seats on the board are up for election this fall, and incumbents Dr. Daniel Ullyot and Dr. Ricardo Navarro have yet to announce their bid for reelection.

Angel’s grandmother, who was diagnosed with dementia about four years ago, led him to seek alternate avenues of funding for her care and subsequently sparked his interest in running for the health district. His motivation for running is to access the district’s cash reserves and create more programs, specifically for seniors.

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“With its large reserve and lack of spending, I knew something was wrong. The district has been taking the tax payers money since the early 40’s and while they did their  job then, they are not doing now,” he said in a statement. “There are people out there who have been paying year after year to support a system that does not give anything back to them. And I think its time we gave back.”

He proposes using the $46 million reserve to fund programs to benefit the communities, as Medicare and other federal programs will likely be slashed in the coming years. He also wants to use the district’s coffers for financial aide for students pursuing careers in the medical field. 

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“Decent health care is the stepping-stone to a better quality of life,” Angel said in a statement.

Angel will kick-off his campaign on March 31 at 5:30 p.m. at , located at 223 East 4th Ave. in San Mateo. For more information about Jacob Angel, his campaign or upcoming events, visit www.votejacobangel.com.

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