• Noreen's View: Competing Bond Ideas to Build a Better California
• Your Legislator at Work
• Budget Breakdown: How Congress is Dumping Huge Costs onto California
• An Eye On the Governor
• Amgen Cyclists Race Through Santa Rosa
• Napa Valley College Goes Solar
• Assessing Eligibility for Federal Flood Assistance
• Observing Child Passenger Safety Week
• Solano County a Top Community for Young People
• Noreen Joins Local Leaders to Discuss Vallejo's Growth

NOREEN'S VIEW: COMPETING BOND IDEAS TO BUILD A BETTER CALIFORNIA

In recent days, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez has released the details of a bond proposal to rebuild California.  This alternative to the Governor’s plan addresses many of the same issues.  But there are some substantial differences with great implications for the future of our state.

Both plans call for significant investments in our highways, schools, levees, and air quality.  We have agreement on this.  However, the similarities stop here.

The most obvious difference is the amount of new debt associated with each plan.  The Governor has proposed a $68 billion bond for California.  That translates to nearly $1,900 per Californian.  The Speaker’s $30 billion plan translates to just over $800 in new debt per Californian.

The other obvious difference is that the Governor’s plan takes five election cycles and the Speaker’s two.  What does this mean?  Any bond issued by the state must be approved by the voters.  Therefore, with each election cycle being 2 years and this year being an election year, the Governor’s plan will take 8 years to authorize and the Speaker’s just two.

But these differences just scratch the surface.  There are significant differences in how the two plans direct bond financing.  The Governor wants to invest in courts, jails, and ports.  On the other hand, the Speaker wants to invest in seismically retrofitting non-profit hospitals serving the poor and build affordable housing.

As a co-author of the California Clean Water, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act of 2006 which would place a $3.9 billion bond before the voters, I am especially happy to see the Speaker’s plan include bond funding for investments in our environment.  Existing bond funds for these goals will likely run out this year but we still need to preserve our natural heritage for future generations.

Another critical difference between these two plans is that the Speaker’s proposal focuses on improving education in California.  I agree with that.  When we step into a school, we should feel like we’re stepping into the future.  We shouldn’t feel nostalgic by stepping into aging facilities with old textbooks.  It is critical to put California’s kids first in any strategic plan for the future of our state.

Clearly, there remains a lot of work to do to reach an agreement with the Governor and other legislators on the direction that this state bond will take us as a state.  There is universal consensus that a bond can help California plant the seeds of a better future.  But we cannot overburden ourselves with debt in the process. 

We must focus on what we can afford.  There are significant dollar differences between these bond plans.  We need to focus on them because paying back any new public debt created through a bond takes money out of our General Fund, which we use to fund education, health services, and public safety.  We cannot take on new debt that jeopardizes these and other important ongoing state needs.

As infrastructure bond negotiations progress, I will keep you informed through this newsletter.  I look forward to hearing from you so that I can better represent your priorities.

YOUR LEGISLATOR AT WORK

February 24th was the final day for legislators to introduce new bills for the year.  Over a thousand new bills have been introduced, all of which will be receiving public hearings in the next few months.  So, I encourage you to contact me on legislation in which you are interested. 

As your representative, I introduced 14 bills this year addressing housing, privacy, public safety, flood control, and education.  As chair of the Assembly Human Services Committee, I am also carrying five bills that will improve the delivery of services to the most vulnerable Californians, especially foster youth.

You can find all bills pending in the legislature online at www.leginfo.ca.gov.  By typing my name into this legislative search engine, you can see all of the bills that I have introduced.

I am excited about all of my bills and would like to highlight three of them here.

AB 2108 requires children to ride in booster seats until age 8 and children 12 years and younger to ride in the back seat of the car.  It also clarifies existing law that states that infants must ride facing backward until they are 1 year old and weigh at least 20 lbs.  Sponsored by the California Coalition for Children’s Safety and Health, Safe Kids California, and Safety Belt Safe U.S.A, this bill will reduce child injury through automobile accidents up to 60 percent.

AB 2172 ensures that the City of St. Helena can receive co-financing for its flood control project through any funds provided through a state flood control bond.  Currently, the city’s flood protection plan is pending approval for federal funds.  The city is concerned that it may not collect state co-financing if the voters approve a flood bond prior to its flood plan receiving this federal certification.  This bill will assure that if the city’s plan is federally approved, it will also be eligible for state funds.  The bill is sponsored by the City of St. Helena.

AB 2460 specifies that the text of a ballot initiative submitted to the Attorney General must match the text circulated for voter signatures.  Last year, the proponents of Proposition 77 solicited voter signatures for their initiative petition using a text that was different than that submitted to the Attorney General to launch the petition drive.  This led to legal challenges.  AB 2460 will prevent any future confusion.  This bill is sponsored by Secretary of State Bruce McPherson.

Over the coming months, I will provide detailed information in this newsletter about my bills as they move through the legislature’s review process.  There will also be more information available on my website in the coming days.  For updates, please visit it often at http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a07/.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN: HOW CONGRESS IS DUMPING HUGE COSTS ONTO CALIFORNIA

On February 1, Congress passed the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.  The budget cuts and policy changes in this federal legislation are setting California up to fail and make us pay a heavy price for providing effective services for poor working families and children.

As Chair of the Assembly Committee on Human Services, and prior to the passage of this federal legislation, I took a leading role to raise awareness about its negative impact while working to minimize its potential harm.  I convened a hearing of my committee to air the consequences of this legislation.

We found that this legislation would cost California $3.1 billion over the next five years.  We also heard testimony that this legislation would threaten services to vulnerable Californians.  More specifically, 60,000 additional parents receiving welfare assistance must be placed into full-time, federally-prescribed "work activities" this year.  Otherwise, we face $185 million in federal penalties.  The net costs to the state of meeting the federal mandate, mostly in added child care costs, are estimated to be $2 billion over five years, and $400 million in 2007 alone.

Furthermore, this federal legislation denies funding to thousands of foster children living with low-income relatives, resulting in a loss of an estimated $90 million in federal foster care funds over five years.  These children, most of whom are cared for by their grandparents, could be forced to turn to welfare.  If relatives cannot support them on those meager payments, the children may wind up in more expensive group foster homes or other institutional care.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez and I, along with over 40 other member of the Assembly, submitted a bipartisan letter highlighting these facts and urging California’s members of Congress to vote against the bill.  Had California’s Republicans in the House of Representatives voted with the interests of their state in mind, this legislation would not have passed. 

The House narrowly passed this legislation with a vote of 216-214.  In so doing, it concurred with the Senate which passed this legislation last December with a vote of 51-50, with Vice President Cheney casting the tie-breaking vote.  None of California’s Democrats in Congress supported it.

Currently, the Governor's 2006-07 budget does not consider the costs and lost funding caused by this Congressional action.  I will update you in this newsletter on the impact on our budget as budget negotiations proceed.

AN EYE ON THE GOVERNOR

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger convened his administration's second annual summit on identity theft on February 23.  1,000 representatives of law enforcement, the financial services industry, consumer groups and state and local government attended to participate in education and training forums to fight this crime.

On February 22, the Governor joined U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and other government representatives to tour key flood control sites in the Sacramento area and push for federal funding for California’s flood control needs.

On February 9, Governor Schwarzenegger signed legislation by Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata that would continue providing vulnerable Californians with access to prescription drugs.  Senate Bill 1233 extends the emergency program established in January through AB 132 to ensure the nearly one million Californians dually eligible for Medi-Cal and Medicare have access to life-saving medications.

For further information about the Governor, please visit www.governor.ca.gov.

AMGEN CYCLISTS RACE THROUGH SANTA ROSA

The Amgen Tour of California raced through Santa Rosa on February 20, 2006.  Over 30,000 people flooded the streets to catch a glimpse of hometown hero Levi Leipheimer and other cyclists as they completed the first of the seven stage race.

Sixteen teams comprising 128 riders from more than 25 countries will cycle 600 miles in the largest bike race ever to come to the United States.  On a stage that saw Leipheimer’s team set the tempo for most of its 81.5 miles, Juan Jose Haedo of Argentina won with a significant gap over second place Olaf Pollack and third-place Australian Stuart O’Grady.  However, Levi maintained his yellow jersey.

I was excited to present the 2^nd place trophy to Olaf Pollack from Germany.  For further information about the Amgen Tour, please visit http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

NAPA VALLEY COLLEGE GOES SOLAR

As a strong supporter of alternative energy, I have to give three cheers to Napa Valley College for unveiling a groundbreaking solar power project on February 22.  Dubbed the Power Light Power Tracker, it was made possible as part of an ambitious project supported by the community to improve the campus.

Napa Valley College’s electricity load – all from clean, renewable solar power.

This project is enabling the college to produce efficient power in a sustainable way from the sun.  It also enables the college to give power back to energy grid.  Solar power and energy efficiency combine to produce power more efficiently and Napa Valley College is able to offset peak power usage and shore up energy supplies statewide.

ASSESSING ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL FLOOD ASSISTANCE

On February 3, Schwarzenegger and California’s representatives in Washington succeeded in convincing President Bush to declare that Napa, Solano, and Sonoma Counties are eligible for federal disaster assistance due to the damages sustained from winter floods.  Assistance includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and businesses recover from their losses.

A local flood assistance center has been set up at Napa County’s Health & Human Services campus on 2261 Elm Street to help residents affected by recent flooding.  All services are available in Spanish and English and appointments are taken on a drop-in basis.  The Center is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

If you are an individual or business that has been affected by the New Year’s flooding, assistance may be available.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Small Business Administration offer multiple programs that may be able to restore your personal property, home or business to pre-flood conditions.  To apply for assistance, affected residents and business owners can apply online at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.  All applicants must register with FEMA before any assistance is provided.  If you are unsure whether you qualify for any assistance programs, please contact FEMA to determine eligibility.

OBSERVING CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY WEEK

February 12-18 was National Child Passenger Safety Week.  This observance is important for the simple fact that automobile collisions are a leading cause of death or injury for young children.

Every year hundreds of children die in automobile accidents. California law says that any child who is under the age of 6 and weighs 60 pounds or less must be secured by a child restraint system.  But, it is not enough to simply have a child safety seat.  Selecting the right safety seat and installing it properly will significantly reduce your child’s risk of injury or death.

If you should have any questions about child safety selection or installation please contact my office at (707) 546-4500 to receive an informational brochure.  You can also visit Safe Kids Sonoma County at their website http://www.sonoma-county.org/health/prev/safe_kids.htm.

To honor Child Passenger Safety Week, I introduced AB 2108 to enhance child passenger safety standards in California.  The bill will require children to ride in booster seats until age 8 and children 12 years and younger to ride in the back seat of the car.  This approach is consistent with recommendations from U.S. Transportation Chief Norman Mineta, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Using a booster seat reduces child injury by nearly 60%.  Placing children in the back seat of a car reduces injury by 40 percent.

AB 2108 is sponsored by the California Coalition for Children’s Safety and Health, Safe Kids California, and SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.

SOLANO COUNTY A TOP COMMUNITY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

It’s great when success receives recognition. Solano County was recently named a winner in the first-ever national competition to identify 100 Best Communities for Young People.  Winning communities range from small towns to urban neighborhoods across America.

The 100 Best winners were chosen by a distinguished selection panel of civic, business and nonprofit leaders.  The panel’s decisions were based upon each community’s efforts to provide five essential items critical to the well-being of young people: caring adults who are actively involved in their lives; safe places in which to learn and grow; a healthy start toward adulthood; an effective education that builds marketable skills; and opportunities to help others.

Other communities in California making the cut include: the cities of Chino, Long Beach, Irvine, Sacramento, and San Jose as well as San Mateo County.

For further information, please visit http://www.americaspromise.org.

NOREEN JOINS LOCAL LEADERS TO DISCUSS VALLEJO'S GROWTH

On Thursday, February 16^th, I spoke at Growth Cities - Vallejo, a forum highlighting the importance of Vallejo’s downtown revitalization and the redevelopment of Mare Island.

Sponsored by the East Bay business Times and the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce, the forum gathered about 200 business leaders and local officials at the World Classics Car Museum in downtown Vallejo.

Joining me as speakers were Kurt Johansen, Executive Vice President of Triad Communities, Inc. the lead developer for Vallejo’s $125 million downtown redevelopment project; Darryl Halls, Executive Director of the Solano County Transportation Authority; and Deborah Romer, Senior Vice President and Area Manager for Kaiser Permanente.

Overall, panelists discussed the economic strategy and potential for the city as well as detailed some problems that the city will need to address in the coming years. 

For my part, I applauded the city’s commitment to revitalizing Vallejo’s downtown waterfront and Mare Island, noting how the state and local budgets shape the progress of the city’s overall quality of life.  Increased transportation and education funding will be the key factors to improving the city’s outlook overall.