CALIFORNIA RECOVERY TASK FORCE UPDATE: HIGH-SPEED RAIL
The State of California is ushering the United States’ transportation system into the 21st Century. In 2008, voters approved Proposition 1A, a $10 billion bond measure to seed the development of a high-speed train network in California. On January 27, 2010, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary LaHood notified Governor Schwarzenegger that California will receive $2.25 billion in federal funds for our high-speed rail project. California received more money than any other state due in part to our diligent planning over the past 10 years.
California’s high-speed rail system will run from Anaheim through the Central Valley to San Francisco, then ultimately down to San Diego and up to Sacramento as well. Altogether, the planned high-speed rail system will stretch 800 miles. The train will go up to 220 miles an hour and will get you from Los Angeles to San Francisco in under 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Not only will high-speed rail be instrumental in changing how people travel in California, but it will also have a beneficial impact on the environment. Californians will save 12 billion pounds of greenhouse gases every year by getting cars off the road and planes out of the air. Also, the train is going to run on renewable energy, so it won’t be emitting any greenhouse gases.
High-speed rail will also have a huge impact on job creation in California. The $2.3 billion in federal funds alone will create 90,000 jobs for California and the entire project will create 600,000 jobs over the life of construction. Click here to watch Governor Schwarzenegger celebrate California’s receipt of the largest high-speed rail Recovery Act award in the nation.
Click Here to Learn More About California’s High-Speed Rail Efforts.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: JOBS INITIATIVE
On February 24th, the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee heard but failed to act on SBx6 4 by Senator Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield) and Senator Ron Calderon (D-Montebello), which would have extended and expanded the homebuyer tax credit for Californians by $200 million. This measure had bipartisan co-authors, support from industry and labor, and would create much needed construction jobs and get people buying homes and investing in California communities again.
The Senate Environmental Quality Committee also heard but failed to act on SBx8 42 by Senator Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) and Senator Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto) which would have created jobs in the hard hit construction industry by protecting a select number of construction projects from frivolous lawsuits brought under the California Environmental Quality Act, without sacrificing environmental protections.
While the Senate Energy Committee approved SBx8 22 by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) and Senator Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) last week, it languishes without action in the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee. This bill would exempt from sales and use tax equipment used in the manufacture of clean tech and green tech products, creating jobs through new and expanded manufacturing in the state. Click here to read the Governor’s statement on legislative Democrats stalling job creation proposals.
In order for our state to fully recover, we must foster an economy that keeps Californians employed and provides flexibility to employers adapting to a new economic climate. Watch Governor Schwarzenegger highlight the California Jobs Initiative at the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce Luncheon by clicking here.
APPOINTMENTS UPDATE: RE-NOMINATION OF SENATOR ABEL MALDONADO FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Governor Schwarzenegger applauds the California State Senate in acting decisively and in a bipartisan manner by confirming Senator Abel Maldonado to the post of Lieutenant Governor. Unfortunately, the ensuing display of extreme partisanship by Democrats in the Assembly only hurt Californians by diverting our focus and attention away from creating jobs and getting our economy back on track and onto the partisan politics so familiar to Sacramento. The public good is not served by continued paralysis and protracted litigation because the Assembly Democrats cannot produce a simple majority to make a decision.
In an effort to avoid wasting time and energy on litigation that should be spent passing a jobs package that will get Californians back to work, Governor Schwarzenegger withdrew and resubmitted the nomination of Abel Maldonado for Lieutenant Governor back to the legislature and asked the Assembly to take the vote again until a majority decision is reached one way or another. Click here to read Governor Schwarzenegger’s statement on the re-nomination of Senator Abel Maldonado to be the next Lieutenant Governor of California.
2010 CENSUS
Conducted every 10 years, the census defines who we are as a state. It guides critical government funding decisions for state, local and tribal communities. Census data also help determine state representation and guide local decision-makers on where to build new roads, hospitals, childcare and senior citizen centers, schools and more. The Census also provides insight into population changes, government funding and more. Every year, the federal government allocates more than $400 billion to state, local and tribal governments based on census data. Census data affect us all, which means achieving a complete and accurate count is essential.
In the coming weeks, we will continue to share information with you about upcoming census events, including those in our community. Job recruitment is underway for census workers through April 2010. Listed below are a few key dates for the 2010 Census:
February – March 2010: Critical outreach period.
March 15- 17 2010: 2010 Census forms delivered to all households nationwide.
March 20, 2010: Statewide Be California Be Counted Day.
March – July 2010: Complete Count Committee activities take place.
April 1, 2010: Census Day. Forms should be mailed in and responses should include everyone living at that address on that day including children.
May – July 2010: Census workers visit households that did not mail back forms to take a count in person.
Dec. 31, 2010: Census Bureau presents the 2010 apportionment counts to the president of the United States
Help achieve a complete and accurate count of our growing and changing population in 2010. Watch for additional details in the coming months or visit the California Complete Count Web site to learn more.
Your communities are depending on you.
Be Californian. Be Counted!
SAVE THE DATE: A FREE DAY AT THE MUSEUM IN HONOR OF WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
On Thursday, March 4th, California First Lady Maria Shriver and The Women’s Conference are partnering with The California Museum in Sacramento to celebrate National Women’s History Month with an extraordinary all-day free event – Day at The Museum.
The California Museum will be open to all Californians for a free day of education, inspiration and empowerment featuring special guests Dr. Sally Ride, Erin Brockovich, Iron Chef Cat Cora and many other remarkable women. It’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The event will begin early with an Old Fashioned Meet-and-Greet over coffee, as attendees will have the opportunity to meet California’s women elected officials, including Speaker Karen Bass, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris among many others, from 7:30-9:00 a.m.
The California Museum’s Minerva Award Exhibit and Minerva Arts Project will then come to life, as the public will be able to meet and hear from a number of recipients of The Minerva Awards, which are given every October at The Women’s Conference. Many of these inspiring women are pioneers and trailblazers in various professions who are serving on the front-lines of humanity with programs created to combat poverty, addiction, homelessness and other social ills and challenges. The California Museum will unveil The Minerva Arts Project with an exhibit of over 20 Minerva quilts made by young women in juvenile detention centers, some of whom will be represented at the opening.
Throughout the day, The California Museum will be filled with inspiring California women speaking about their lives and work – authors signing books, chefs demonstrating their skills, filmmakers showing their works, musicians performing and artists exhibiting their masterpieces.
In the afternoon, the First Lady will hold a dessert reception, including special guest General Mary Kight, to announce a partnership with Talbots to support our women in uniform by distributing gift cards for professional attire as these soldiers return from service overseas and embark on civilian life.
At around 5:30 p.m., the First Lady will be moderating a Once in a Lifetime Conversation titled “I Did It My Way.” Among those participating will be trailblazers Dr. Sally Ride and Erin Brockovich. Night at the Museum reception will follow the conversation with music, chips and salsa for all to enjoy!
All these activities will revolve around the many exhibits on display at The California Museum, which include California’s Remarkable Women, The California Hall of Fame, Native California Baskets, Uprooted-Japanese American internment during World War II, Africa American Treasures and California Canines.
Program updates and exciting announcements will be posted to The California Museum’s Web site.
Dispatches From The Front 