Sacramento and DC
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Jeff
Jan 27, 2008, 7:15:36 PM1/27/08
to trinitydistrict2
Hello everyone!
Just an update on my trip to Sacramento this last week and some other
interesting topics.
While in Sacramento, I had the opportunity to spend some time with
Senator Boxer's aide Stacey Smith who informed me that the Capital
Improvement funding that I had been working on with the Senator's
office had been approved in the omnibus bill that was signed by the
President recently to the tune of $ 76,000. That funding will assist
Trinity Hospital in acquiring some much needed updates to equipment
and facilities and will hopefully supplement current projects. We
also discussed biomass generation facilities, the national economic
stimulus package and the Secure Rural Roads and Schools funding.
That evening I attended the Regional Council of Rural Counties dinner
and was able to connect with former Transportation Secretary Sunne
Wright McPeak who is now heading up the Governor's Broadband
Taskforce. Aside from being a force of nature in her own right, Sunne
informed me that the California Public Utilities Commission has
allocated $ 100 million towards broadband expansion in rural
California and our Redwood Coast Connect project is on the top of
their list. There will be meetings coming up this spring to discuss
implementation but if all goes how I think it will I believe that we
will be seeing some serious investment in Trinity County's broadband
infrastructure sometime in 2009. Imagine how high I jumped........
The following day I met with Senator Sam Annestad, Patty Berg's Chief
of Staff Will Shuck and local government committee chair Senator
Gloria Negrete Mcleod in separate meetings to discuss the potential
carving out of counties who cannot bear the load of carrying the
state's cash flow crisis. Currently the state is proposing to delay
reimbursements to counties to solve the cash flow situation at the
state level. Many counties, like Trinity, are just making their way
back from financial hardship and in some cases cannot legally extend
any additional debt for any reason. We hope that our message got
through and that there will be an exception made for the handful of
counties that are in a similar position.
This week I will be heading back to DC to make a final push for the
Secure Rural Schools and Roads funding. At the request of our
statewide county association, CSAC, I will be one of two county
supervisors representing California in discussion with Senator Dianne
Feinstein and others. One of the current proposals on the table is to
connect a one year extension to the economic stimulus package that is
being discussed as a response to the worsening nationwide economic
downturn. Although I believe this is an extremely appropriate place
for this funding, it is likely that the President will veto this
action if additional measures are attached. We shall see. The
decision window is also closing quickly due to this current election
year and the challenges that come with it.
It has always been my view that a comprehensive and permanent solution
needs to be found to compensate rural counties for the creation of the
national forest lands that took place in the early 1900's, under
President Teddy Roosevelt. We are making some progress towards that
solution (i.e.Weaverville Community Forest), independent of federal
legislative action, but it is slow progress and will only be a part of
the comprehensive solution that is needed.
A number of the folks on this list have been suggesting that the
county (and/or other entities) within Trinity County start looking at
hybrid and electric vehicle options. Just a note to all that
I have been informally moving that concept ahead with the county and
our community partner the Trinity Public Utilities District and will
update the mailing list here as we make any progress towards that
end.
Please connect with me at your convenience - je...@weavervilleinfo.com
Again I appreciate your continued communication and input. The
successes above are a marker of your hard work and continued support
for your community.
Best Regards,
Jeff Morris
Trinity County Supervisor - District 2
je...@weavervilleinfo.com
www.trinitydistrict2.com
Just an update on my trip to Sacramento this last week and some other
interesting topics.
While in Sacramento, I had the opportunity to spend some time with
Senator Boxer's aide Stacey Smith who informed me that the Capital
Improvement funding that I had been working on with the Senator's
office had been approved in the omnibus bill that was signed by the
President recently to the tune of $ 76,000. That funding will assist
Trinity Hospital in acquiring some much needed updates to equipment
and facilities and will hopefully supplement current projects. We
also discussed biomass generation facilities, the national economic
stimulus package and the Secure Rural Roads and Schools funding.
That evening I attended the Regional Council of Rural Counties dinner
and was able to connect with former Transportation Secretary Sunne
Wright McPeak who is now heading up the Governor's Broadband
Taskforce. Aside from being a force of nature in her own right, Sunne
informed me that the California Public Utilities Commission has
allocated $ 100 million towards broadband expansion in rural
California and our Redwood Coast Connect project is on the top of
their list. There will be meetings coming up this spring to discuss
implementation but if all goes how I think it will I believe that we
will be seeing some serious investment in Trinity County's broadband
infrastructure sometime in 2009. Imagine how high I jumped........
The following day I met with Senator Sam Annestad, Patty Berg's Chief
of Staff Will Shuck and local government committee chair Senator
Gloria Negrete Mcleod in separate meetings to discuss the potential
carving out of counties who cannot bear the load of carrying the
state's cash flow crisis. Currently the state is proposing to delay
reimbursements to counties to solve the cash flow situation at the
state level. Many counties, like Trinity, are just making their way
back from financial hardship and in some cases cannot legally extend
any additional debt for any reason. We hope that our message got
through and that there will be an exception made for the handful of
counties that are in a similar position.
This week I will be heading back to DC to make a final push for the
Secure Rural Schools and Roads funding. At the request of our
statewide county association, CSAC, I will be one of two county
supervisors representing California in discussion with Senator Dianne
Feinstein and others. One of the current proposals on the table is to
connect a one year extension to the economic stimulus package that is
being discussed as a response to the worsening nationwide economic
downturn. Although I believe this is an extremely appropriate place
for this funding, it is likely that the President will veto this
action if additional measures are attached. We shall see. The
decision window is also closing quickly due to this current election
year and the challenges that come with it.
It has always been my view that a comprehensive and permanent solution
needs to be found to compensate rural counties for the creation of the
national forest lands that took place in the early 1900's, under
President Teddy Roosevelt. We are making some progress towards that
solution (i.e.Weaverville Community Forest), independent of federal
legislative action, but it is slow progress and will only be a part of
the comprehensive solution that is needed.
A number of the folks on this list have been suggesting that the
county (and/or other entities) within Trinity County start looking at
hybrid and electric vehicle options. Just a note to all that
I have been informally moving that concept ahead with the county and
our community partner the Trinity Public Utilities District and will
update the mailing list here as we make any progress towards that
end.
Please connect with me at your convenience - je...@weavervilleinfo.com
Again I appreciate your continued communication and input. The
successes above are a marker of your hard work and continued support
for your community.
Best Regards,
Jeff Morris
Trinity County Supervisor - District 2
je...@weavervilleinfo.com
www.trinitydistrict2.com
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