Arambula Focus - May 2006

Here’s a look at my event calendar for the month of May. For more information on any of these events, please contact my district office in Fresno.

May 6 — In partnership with Sequoia Health Clinic, I’m hosting a free breast cancer screening as part of Women's Health Month. That same day, I am also speaking to students at Sunnyside High School about how best to express their opinions in the national immigration debate.

May 11 — I'll be attending a breakfast at the Great Valley Center's Annual Conference in Sacramento dealing with a variety of public policy issues in the Valley.

May 14 — I plan to attend the 8th Annual Rebozo Festival at Arte Americas, in celebration of Mothers Day.

May 17 — My staff will participate in a Lane Elementary School block party in Southeast Fresno, offering information to constituents on the services that my office and I can provide.

May 18 — My wife and I are co-sponsoring a reception at Arte Americas to support the publication of Mujeres de Conciencia/Women of Conscience, a book by Victoria Alvarado profiling 75 influential Latinas from throughout California.

May 19 — I'll be attending the 2006 Central California Mayors Conference in Stockton.

May 21 — I plan to be at the Parlier Roundup, enjoying the music, food, and atmosphere with constituents.

STATE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AWARDS "LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR"

On April 24th - 26th in Palm Springs, the California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) held their 26th Annual Conference. As Chair of the Assembly Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy Committee, I was honored to speak to the group as part of the conference. However, I was very surprised when CALED announced that they had named me their “Outstanding Legislator of the Year.”

This award is a tremendous honor; it comes from a group that the Jobs Committee and I have been working with closely in recent months, as we examine the effectiveness of the state’s enterprise zone program. CALED is made up of economic development officials from throughout the state who are on the “front lines” in efforts to attract and retain businesses in California. Their experience in policy areas important to my committee has made them a valuable source of expertise.

“Assemblymember Arambula is the best economic development chair we have ever had in the Legislature, from a policy standpoint,” said Wayne Schell, the President and CEO of CALED.

I look forward to continuing to work with CALED to address our state’s economic development needs.

Our public schools have long been held accountable for responsible fiscal management and for compliance with state and federal laws.

FCMAT — the Fiscal Crisis Management Team — is a state-supported fiscal strike team that helps financially troubled California school districts balance their financial responsibilities by providing fiscal advice, management assistance, training and other related school business services. FCMAT has been applauded by policy makers, public officials and educators alike for its no-nonsense approach toward fiscal mismanagement.

What is lacking, however, is something similar for school districts that, over a long period of time, have done poorly academically and need outside assistance. An office of academic accountability should be as important a priority as an office of fiscal responsibility.

Assembly Bill 2656, which I have authored, would establish an Academic Crisis and Management Assistance Team (ACMAT) — persons having extensive experience in school district management and operations, budgeting, personnel administration, and the design and operation of instructional programs to provide intensive assistance to chronically low-performing school districts. The ACMAT project lead assigned to make an initial assessment would gather together a team of local experts based on the unique needs of each district.

AB 2656 would give the State Superintendent, as well as County Superintendents, the authority to request an ACMAT Team to review the academic or management condition of low-performing school districts under his or her jurisdiction, and request ACMAT to provide intensive academic and management assistance to those districts.

To date, state involvement has focused on individual under-performing schools, and largely ignored the role of local school districts in supporting school reform. The state has been slow, even reluctant, to intervene in districts on the brink of academic bankruptcy, despite years of dismal academic results.

My legislation is a common-sense measure that provides a positive approach to chronically low-performing school districts that need guidance, help implementing educational reforms, and specialized resources, but at present don’t have anywhere to turn for help to improve academic achievement.

On Monday, April 24, 2006, the Assembly Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy Committee – which I chair – heard a bipartisan bill on international trade, which passed out of the Committee almost unanimously. Before the hearing, it had come to my attention that there were five disparate bills on international trade. I decided it would be best to combine portions of each bill to craft the best possible policy for California.

We came up with a policy that will bring California back to the forefront on international trade issues. In 2003, the state agency in charge of international trade was dissolved. Since then, California has not had a strategy to address international trade and investment.

International trade and investment supports one in every seven California jobs and it is critical for the state to have a unified strategy to promote California exports. The bipartisan bill, AB 2601, will create a comprehensive international trade policy, outlining the official state strategy on this important economic matter.

For more information, call the Assembly Jobs Committee office at (916) 319-2090.

High school graduates looking at their options may be unaware of the multitude of career-technical pathways open to them. And those who leave high school without a diploma need to know that they have in no way reached a dead end. Two new EdSource publications (available for free in English and Spanish at www.edsource.org) speak directly to these students, offering guidance in Q&A format.

"Don't give up," urges this 2-page Q&A, directed to students who are done with high school but didn't graduate. The questions it answers include: How can I still get a diploma? Is there a way to get a diploma without taking the exit exam? Do I need a diploma to go to college? Web addresses for numerous resources are included.

As a final note, I want to thank my staff for the hard work they have done during the month of April to serve my constituents. To find out more about any of the events below, visit my website’s press releases page or call my district office in Fresno.

On April 8th, my office hosted a “Spring Eggstravaganza” and Easter Egg Hunt at Fresno’s Hinton Center. Dozens of children enjoyed an egg relay, egg toss, musical chairs, Easter egg hunts, and a bounce house.

On April 18th and 19th, my staff joined the state Department of Housing and Community Development at a registration site where almost 90 mobile home owners received information on properly maintaining the title to their homes. We were there with information on the other services that my office can provide.

On April 24th, I welcomed Anna Levin-Ware to the State Capitol. Mrs. Levin-Ware, a Holocaust survivor, was being honored as part of California Holocaust Memorial Week. As part of a book project, students from Fresno interviewed Mrs. Levin-Ware about her experiences and her life.

On April 28th, I worked with the Fresno County Workforce Investment Board to hold a job fair in Kerman. Companies in the fields of health care, manufacturing, logistics and distribution, construction and other trades were on hand. Prospective employees were able to apply on-site for jobs available.

On April 29th, I hosted the 2006 West Fresno Neighborhood Beautification Day. City staff and over 100 volunteers made a visible difference in the area near King Elementary School by picking up debris, sweeping alleyways, planting trees, painting out graffiti, and removing old tires.