Patty Berg presents legislative report to supes
by Nathan Rushton, 10/11/2006
Assemblymember Patty Berg sat in with the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors during its regular meeting Tuesday to provide the board with a year-end wrap following the end the current legislative session in Sacramento.
Berg, who is focusing on her campaign for re-election, began her report with a mention of the state’s budget, which she said was most notable because it was passed on time.
“That is, as you know, an unusual occurrence,” Berg said. “Considering the distress suffered by local services when the budget is not passed on time, I was more than pleased that we were able to make that happen.
Berg summarized to the supervisors that the state’s budget, which provides for a $2 billion reserve, repays debts and makes responsible investments in education, higher education, health and human services, natural resources and transportation.
For local government, Berg said the budget restored $1.3 billion to cities, counties and special districts, as well as provided $238 million for police departments, sheriffs, district attorneys and juvenile crime recidivism programs.
Berg said one of the most important legislative bills that was passed this year was her Disaster Relief Bill AB1798, which provides property tax relief to residents whose homes were made uninhabitable by the New Year’s storms.
In addition, the bill aids the six counties in the district from losses for properties that fell off the tax rolls.
Although she did author many successful bills, Berg said she was heartbroken, but wasn’t giving up on her AB 651 Compassionate Choices Act, which would amend laws to allow the terminally ill to obtain life-ending medication.
The bill failed to receive enough votes to get it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I believe powerfully in this bill,” Berg said. “I know people want to have this choice at the end of their lives.”
Berg wrapped up her report with a discussion of her Master Plan on Aging, which she told the supervisors is designed to help prepare the state for the dramatic increase in the senior population as the baby boomers retire.
“No generation has ever seen a demographic shift such as this, and we can either get ready or get swamped,” Berg said.
If re-elected, Berg said she would have an aggressive agenda for the next legislative session and will chair the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, which directs the spending plans for Medi-Cal, aging, mental health and other state-provided health services.
Berg’s report and announcement of her new committee appointment was well received by several board members.
In other business, the board unanimously approved to give the go-ahead to the county’s Health and Human Services Department to initiate a pilot program to provide transportation assistance to the area’s indigent to help them get back home.
The program, which helps adults and their families relocate to a destination to reconnect with family or a place with new employment opportunities, will be funded through the existing Social Services Branch General Relief Program.
Some of the people who might benefit from the program are women fleeing from domestic violence situations and at-risk and the impoverished elderly.
In a report to the board by Social Services Administrative Analyst Carole Elking, potential recipients of the assistance, who would be referred by a host of community agencies, could receive bus tickets, or gas allowances if eligible.
For their meal allowances, adults would receive $20 per day for food and children eight years and younger would get $10 per day during their travel.
Health and Human Services Director Phillip R. Crandall said he has been in contact with officials in San Francisco County, which has a similar program in place, to coordinate services and to share information on Humboldt County’s fledgling program.
First District Supervisor Jimmy Smith called the program well thought out, detailed and an “excellent piece of work.”
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