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Assemblymember Capitol Office: District Office: |
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September is Hispanic Heritage Month, and the 2006 Latino Heritage Awards is an important part of the celebration. Submitting a nomination is a wonderful way to honor someone you admire for making the 31st Assembly District a great place to live and work. Nominations are being accepted for awards in nine categories:
Non-Profit Employee
Public Safety
Small Business Owner
Medical
Legal/Justice
Education
Community Volunteer
Youth (under 18)
Special Tribute (several of the above, or perhaps none of the above)
You can submit nominations easily by visiting my website and clicking "Submit a nomination". You can also view a printable nomination form and awards ceremony invitation or call my office for more information. There is no limit on the number of nominations you can make, but all nominations must be received by Friday, September 8.
A ceremony to honor the Latino Heritage Award winners will be held Thursday, September 14, at downtown Fresno’s Arte Américas Museum. Admission is free and refreshments will be served. If you nominate someone for one of the awards, please make sure to invite them to this very special event, where the winners will be announced and all nominees will be recognized. To RSVP, please call my office at (559) 445-5532 by Monday, September 11.
Although we are still in the final days of the 2006 Legislative Session as of this writing, the following bills have moved through the complete legislative process and have reached the Governor’s office for signature.
AB 2167, Graduation Rates: Adopts the National Governors Association formula for determining graduation rates in California. This formula specifies how graduation rates are calculated, for compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The current formula dramatically underestimates the actual number of dropouts. Because of misleading and inaccurate reporting of dropout rates, the public remains largely unaware of this crisis.
AB 2295, Local Road Projects: Ensures that critical local road rehabilitation projects can receive state transportation funding by clarifying the eligibility of these projects for funding through the State Transportation Improvement Project process.
AB 2327, Farm Labor Pay Stubs: Requires farm labor contractors, as defined in current law, to include the name and address of the legal entity that secured the contractor’s services on an employee’s detachable paycheck stub. Amendments were taken in the Senate to codify that this bill does not expand liability for farmers.
AB 2330, Small Business Costs Study: Requires the Small Business Advocate's Office to commission a study on the costs of state regulations on small businesses, similar to the study conducted by the federal Small Business Administration on the impact of regulatory costs on small firms. The Office must recommend how to reduce the cost of existing and future regulations on businesses. Convenes a small business advisory committee to provide advice based on the study and recommendations.
AB 2595, Logistics Worker Training: Requires the Labor Secretary and the California Workforce Investment Board to establish a logistics worker training initiative to assist California workers in becoming competitive in the global manufacturing value chain.
AB 3058, Small Business Disaster Preparedness: Reduces economic losses attributable to disasters by providing technical assistance to small businesses on disaster preparedness. Specifically, the bill (1) enhances the duties of the Office of the Small Business Advocate (OSBA) to include advocacy on disaster preparedness and recovery, including the provision of technical assistance; (2) requires the SBA, in cooperation with the Office of Emergency Services (OES), to develop a handbook for small businesses on emergency preparedness, responding in an emergency, and recovery strategies; and, (3) requires the OSBA, with the assistance of OES, to hold at least three meetings, in different locations in California, to share best practices on disaster preparedness for small businesses.
I look forward to spending time at home in the district after a very hectic month of August in Sacramento. I plan to stay and work in the district most of the time from now until we begin a new legislative session in December. Here are a few of the events that are on my calendar for the coming month. For more information on any of them, please contact my district office in Fresno.
Sept. 6 - I'll be attending “Worlds Apart, Futures Together,” an all-day summit hosted by Fresno Works for Better Health at the Fresno Convention Center. The summit will explore ways to enhance shared prosperity in our community, with presentations by several nationally recognized speakers. The summit will also serve as the mid-year meeting for the Regional Jobs Initiative. You can register for the summit online or by calling (559) 441-9441.
Sept. 6 - I'll be discussing California politics and governance in the afternoon with the board of directors of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in Sacramento.
Sept. 7 - I plan to drop by a heat illness seminar being offered in Fresno by Mark Aniello of Environmental Compliance and Remediation, Inc.
Sept. 8 - I will salute Judge Oliver Wanger on his transition to senior judge status at a dinner in his honor in Fresno.
Sept. 10 - I'll make some welcoming remarks at the University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources "Latino Health Awareness Month" celebration at Fiesta Foods in Fresno. Although Latinos make up a growing part of the state’s population, they suffer disproportionately from preventable health problems. Services to low-income families will be available at this event.
Sept. 13 - I will address a lunchtime meeting of the San Joaquin Agricultural Law Review.
Sept. 14 - I hope you'll join me to honor the winners of the 2006 Latino Heritage Awards at Arte Américas in Fresno. The deadline to make a nomination is approaching fast. See the full story above.
Sept. 15 - I will address fair and affordable housing needs at the Central California Fair & Affordable Housing Conference & Expo in Fresno. The conference will feature a variety of educational sessions and speakers on September 14 and 15.
Sept. 15 - Schedule permitting, I hope to attend the 30th Anniversary Dinner of the Center for Independent Living in Fresno (see details below), the Tulare Kings Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Mexican Independence Day celebration in Dinuba, and the Scottish Society’s Sixth Annual Celtic Concert in Fresno.
Sept. 16 - LIGA International, "The Flying Doctors of Mercy," have asked me to be the master of ceremonies at their 11th Annual Fiesta de Liga. Liga is a small but wonderful group of volunteer pilots, interpreters, and medical personnel who fly to a Mexican village one weekend a month to provide medical treatment for over 350 patients.
Sept. 18 - Assemblyman Mike Villines and I will speak in Downtown Fresno to the Fresno Rotary about representing the Valley in Sacramento.
Sept. 19 - I'll speak at lunch to the Human Resource Association of Central California in Fresno.
Sept. 20 - I will attend the Central San Joaquin Valley Nursing Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon in Fresno.
Sept. 22 - The Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce will host an "Eggs and Issues" breakfast where I'll discuss Sacramento issues of local concern.
Sept. 27 - Fresno County Women Lawyers will unveil their "Women's Hall of Fame" celebrating the contributions of important women in County history.
Sept. 28 - The Council of Fresno County Governments has asked me to address a morning forum on transportation infrastructure.
Sept. 28 - Schedule permitting, I look forward to attending a Little Hoover Commission meeting in Sacramento on the state's Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs.
Sept. 29 - I look forward to participating in a panel discussion at the annual convention of the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Sacramento.
Sept. 30 - Schedule permitting, I hope to attend the California Apartment Association's 2006 Mark of Distinction Awards and the Catholic Charities Harvest of Hope dinner, both in Fresno.
On July 26 the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development & the Economy, which I chair, held a hearing in Fresno on the needs of microenterprise in California. A microenterprise has five or fewer employees; microenterprises make up fully 88% of all businesses in the state. Their important role in our economy and society is well documented.
As follow-up from the hearing, a summary white paper with policy recommendations to support microbusiness in California — all of which I endorse — can now be found on the Jobs Committee website. You can also call the Jobs Committee for more information at (916) 319-2090.
Earlier this year, I introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution 136, declaring June 20, 2006, California Nectarine Day. This resolution recognizes the economic, historical, and nutritional importance of nectarines to the State of California. I am pleased to report that the Legislature recently approved this measure.
Nectarines were introduced to California by Gold Rush settlers, and have since evolved into a major segment of California’s agricultural economy. California is currently the largest producer of nectarines in the United States. Many Central Valley families produce high quality nectarines that reach the tables of all Californians, the nation, and the world. With the passage of ACR 136, I am proud to recognize their contributions to California's agricultural economy.
I am also pleased to report the passage of Assembly Joint Resolution 32, which I authored to call on the President and Congress to increase Cal Vet Home Loans to California veterans.
Home ownership has always been a big part of the "American Dream." The Cal Vet Home Loan Program, with funding from the federal government, has helped more than 413,000 California veterans realize their dreams of homeownership.
Veterans put their lives on the line to protect our nation, and it is appropriate to recognize their sacrifice by helping more veterans become homeowners. I hope that with the passage of AJR 32, the federal government will recognize the importance of the Cal Vet program and allow more veterans to access these loans for decades to come.
Views of the mountains, blue sky, and increasing numbers of days with healthy air quality — can this be the San Joaquin Valley? Cleaning up the air during a time of rapid economic growth by reducing emissions from a multitude of sources is no easy task. Learn how it is done, and the challenges the future holds, in the new Certificate Award Program in Air Quality Management offered by the Division of Continuing and Global Education at Fresno State University. Developed in partnership with the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District, the Air Quality Management program will:
- Describe the science behind air pollution;
- Introduce you to the social, health and economic implications of air pollution;
- Show you how professionals with training in diverse backgrounds develop plans for cleaning the air and then implement and enforce those plans.
This program is designed for:
- Current employees of businesses and agencies that deal with air quality issues on a regular basis;
- Prospective employees seeking air quality work with public agencies;
- Local elected and appointed officials (Council members, Planning Commissioners, special district Board members)
- Community members and environmental groups;
- University students who wish to supplement their undergraduate studies in environmental science, environmental health, geography, or related fields.
During the certificate award program, topics to be covered include:
- Air quality management process;
- Permitting, compliance and regulatory issues;
- Design and evaluation of air pollution control equipment;
- Risk assessment and modeling;
- Regional decisions affecting air quality (land use, transportation, job creation);
- Health, social, political and economic implications of air quality;
- Future challenges in air quality management in the San Joaquin Valley.
The certificate award program is scheduled to meet every other Friday, beginning September 22, 2006 through December 15, 2006 from 8:00 am – 12 noon. Classes will be held at the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District offices in Fresno with remote learning available from Modesto and Bakersfield. Fee is $395 per person and includes materials and supplies for all courses and a field trip scheduled on November 17.
For more information or to add your name to our mailing list for a program brochure outlining cost, location, registration information and course outlines, please contact Lynne Ashbeck, Extension Programs Director, at (559) 278-0408 or via email at lashbeck@csufresno.edu.
Each year, the Innovations in American Government Awards Program at Harvard offers $100,000 grants to creative and effective government initiatives. By highlighting exemplary models of government’s innovative performance, the Program serves as a catalyst for continued progress in addressing the nation’s most pressing public concerns. In particular, applications for the 2007 Annie E. Casey Innovations Award in Children and Family System Reform are being accepted until September 12, 2006. All levels of government are welcome to apply for these prestigious grant awards. I encourage local agencies in the Valley to help ensure that an appropriate share of these funds comes to our area by applying for these grant awards.
I am pleased to be co-sponsoring the 30-year anniversary dinner for Fresno’s Center for Independent Living on Friday, September 15, 2006, at Piccadilly Inn University in Fresno. Doors open at 5:30 pm. Olegario Cantos, the Associate Director on Disabilities of the White House Domestic Policy Council, will give the keynote address. Mr. Cantos, who is blind, is the federal government’s highest-placed official with a disability and is a celebrated speaker on physical disability issues.
If you’d like to attend the dinner, please send a check for $25/person to the Center for Independent Living, 3475 W. Shaw Ave., Suite 101, Fresno, CA 93711. For more information, call Olivia at CIL-F at (559) 276-6777. This event is sponsored by The California Endowment, Fresno-Madera Area Agency on Aging, Children’s Hospital of Central California, and San Joaquin Valley Rehabilitation.
The Hispanic Link Journalism Foundation and the Scripps Howard Foundation have announced an opening for a journalism fellowship in Washington, D.C., in the upcoming spring semester.
One person will be selected for the fellowship, which will run 14 weeks from January 8 to April 13. The fellowships provide a stipend of $2,500, plus housing, for an undergraduate college student. Applicants will be judged on their English-language writing skills, journalistic potential and commitment to work in print journalism.
The selected fellows will be placed with the Washington, D.C.-based Hispanic Link News Service, which covers national affairs with an emphasis on their impact on 40 million U.S. Hispanics. The news service publishes Hispanic Link Weekly Report, a national newsweekly, and syndicates opinion, news analysis and feature columns to English and Spanish language media.
To apply, send a letter of interest, résumé, and clips to Editor@HispanicLink.org. For more information, call Alex Meneses Miyashita or Charlie Ericksen at (202) 234-0280.
Email: assemblymember.arambula@assembly.ca.gov
Web Site: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/arambula
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