There’s good and bad news this month. I’ll start with the good.

I’m pleased that we have an on time budget this year that includes major progress toward paying down our debt, increases funding for education, transportation, and social programs such as welfare, foster care, and CalWorks. It was a bipartisan effort with just a few sticking points but for the most part I think we’re headed in the right direction.

I have often said balancing the budget is difficult. Fortunately, it was less difficult this time due to the unexpected increase in tax revenue. This gave us room to negotiate for things like cost of living adjustments (COLA) for the poor and elderly. Finding unexpected money is always a good thing, but you can’t depend on it. So we will proceed with caution and make every attempt to keep things on track for next year’s budget.

Now for the unhappy news: As you are probably aware, AB 651, my Compassionate Choices bill failed to receive the majority of votes in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was a long and hard-fought battle, and we did everything we could to ensure Californians would have the same end-of-life decisions as people in Oregon. Sadly, we were unable to put it on the governor’s desk this year.

AB 651 would have given terminally ill Californians with less than six months to live the option of hastening their death. Our safeguards were stronger than those in Oregon’s landmark Death With Dignity Act. It saddens me greatly that we were not able to deliver this choice, which is supported by 70 percent of Californians. We will be thinking long and hard about our next steps. I believe Californians will one day have the full range of choices at end of life.

In the meantime, my deepest and heartfelt thanks go out to all of you who have written, phoned and found some way to express your support. It means so much to me, and often was the very thing that gave me the strength to fight on.

Thank you,

Patty Berg
Assemblywoman, 1st District

Reorganizing Aging Services off the table…for now.

AB 2014, my bill to reorganize and streamline the many services the State provides for aging and disabled adults, has been temporarily taken off the table. I introduced this bill last February. It passed through two Assembly policy committees, and the Appropriations committee. It was approved on the Assembly floor on a 77-2 vote. It then went over to Senate Human Services where we made the decision to pull it so we can take more time working with stakeholders and be as sure as possible that everyone who would be affected by this bill is comfortable with its provisions. My staff and I are continuing to meet with interested groups and are considering having some of those meetings in the district.

As you probably are aware, this is a huge bill that attempts to take on a mammoth task. This takes time and a lot of coming together of minds so that it works for everyone. I will definitely be bringing AB 2014 back in January so, as they say, stay tuned.

Homeowner Assistance Program Forms Are Now Available at the Eureka District Office

The State's 2006 Homeowner and Renter Assistance Program forms are available in my Eureka District Office.

The Homeowner and Renter Assistance Program provides a once-a-year payment from the state to qualified homeowners and renters. To qualify, you must have been blind, disabled, or at least 62 years old on December 31, 2005. You must also have a household income of $40,811 or less, and be a U.S. citizen, designated alien, or qualified alien.

If you are a homeowner, you can receive a payment of up to $472.60, if you lived in the home for all of 2005. Renters can receive up to $347.50, if you pay $50 or more in rent per month for the year.

For free help with completing the claim forms or to receive the 2006 claim booklet in the mail, contact Mia Anastasio in the Eureka District Office at mia.anastasio@asm.ca.gov or call her at (707) 445-7014. You can also call your local Senior Center.

A Claim form is also available online at: www.ftb.ca.gov.

Processing Claims may take up to 15 weeks.

It's That Time of Year Again…

June 12th was the official beginning of fire season in all six counties of the 1st Assembly District. I recently visited two of our air attack bases in the district – one in Sonoma County and one in Mendocino County. Both air bases are staffed with firefighters 24/7. They’re stocked with up to date and exceptionally well maintained aircraft and other heavy equipment. The men and women who staff these air attack bases are on the front lines of some of the most dangerous and fast moving fires in our state and put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe. This year promises to be a difficult one – believe it or not – due to high rain fall earlier this year. Grass and brush has grown taller and thicker and is drying out fast.

To help prevent fires and protect your home and family, you must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around your house.

For more information on creating a fire-safe home visit the CDF website at www.fire.ca.gov