Capitola's Assemblyman Stone to talk Massive California Poverty

With California's poverty rate the worst in the entire country, Assemblyman Mark Stone and Senator Leland Yee are set to convene to attempt to curb the problem.

Stone's district includes all of Santa Cruz County (except Watsonville) and much of Monterey County.

A new tool developed by the U.S. Census Bureau shows a much higher poverty rate than was previously thought to exist.

"Nearly one-quarter of the state lives in poverty — higher than rates in the Deep South and New York — under the federal Supplemental Poverty Measure," Stone's office said in a prepared statement. 

Stone and Yee (whose district includes much of San Mateo County as well as San Francisco), will meet Tuesday, March 12 "to hear from a panel of research experts about the factors that contribute to the state’s high poverty rate," Stone's office said.

“This is a critical tool for California as we start to climb out of this devastating recession,” said Stone. “The Supplemental Poverty Measure can help guide meaningful conversations about how to reduce poverty in this state.”

According to the most recent census data, Capitola's poverty rate is far below the California mark, down at 10.4 percent with Soquel even lower at 7.4 percent and Aptos slightly higher at 12.7 percent.

Elsewhere in Santa Cruz County, Watsonville is at 20.4 percent, Santa Cruz at 20 percent and Scotts Valley at just 3.5 percent.