Friends,
It is my pleasure to update you on the work I have been
doing to make Alameda County an even better place to call home.
In this edition you can read about "redevelopment"
in San Lorenzo and the town hall meetings I led in Oakland and Alameda to highlight
how state budget cuts will affect our most vulnerable citizens. You
will also find information about the work I am doing to protect women and children in San Leandro, the Supreme Court’s decision to
uphold health care reform, the recently-approved county budget, my "Adopt-A-School” initiative and more.
It is an honor to serve you. Please do not hesitate
to contact me with
any comments, questions or concerns that you may have regarding District 3 or
Alameda County.
Sincerely,
Wilma Chan
Supervisor, Third District
Protecting Women and Children from Harm
On Tuesday, July 17, I had the privilege of presenting a $50,000 check to Building Futures for Women & Children, the San Leandro-based non-profit committed to protecting women and children from homelessness and domestic violence. These funds, which come directly from my office budget, will help Building Futures meet a 33% increase in demand for their services, while helping to fill a shortfall left behind by a 15% annual loss in individual contributions since the start of the recession.
For residents of Alameda County who are homeless, are being abused, or know someone who is being abused, I urge you to contact Building Futures at 1-866-A-WAY-OUT. The phone line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and all conversations are kept anonymous and confidential.
"Redevelopment" Funding Saved Despite State
Cuts
Earlier this summer, I secured a major commitment from the
Board of Supervisors and County Administrator to continue vital development
projects in San Lorenzo and other unincorporated areas of Alameda
County. As much as $18 million per year for the next five years will
be available for important projects such as the San Lorenzo Library expansion
which were previously paid for out of redevelopment funds.
The state legislature and Governor Brown eliminated
redevelopment agencies in order to balance the state budget. This left many community-approved projects on
the shelf. The action that I initiated
in the approved County budget will restore $18 million per year for
economic development projects previously approved by the Board of
Supervisors. The funds will come from a
portion of the County’s share of money that will be returned from the dissolved
redevelopment agencies countywide.
Setting this money aside for its intended purposes is
important to our community and will ensure that major investments in the
unincorporated areas can continue in the years ahead.
|
Celebrating the Supreme Court's Decision Upholding the Affordable Care Act
The United States Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the majority of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a significant victory for the people of Alameda County.
This decision means that an estimated 56,200 Alameda County residents will newly qualify for Medi-Cal and another 107,000 Alameda residents will qualify for subsidized insurance through the State’s Health Benefits Exchange. It also ensures that important consumer protections remain, such as not allowing insurance companies to deny insurance based on pre-existing conditions and allowing children to stay on their parent’s health insurance until age 26.
I held a series of hearings on how health reform will affect the county and will continue to do so for the remainder of the year. For more information on these hearings click here.
|
Improving Safety in San Lorenzo
On May 19, nearly 250 people attended the San Lorenzo Community Safety Fair, co-hosted by Supervisor Chan and the San Lorenzo Village Homes Association. During the event, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department and McGruff the Crime Dog provided crime prevention tips and free fingerprinting for minors. The Alameda County Fire Department offered fire safety tips to keep kids and their families safe.
Other organizations like the Red Cross, PG&E and FEMA had disaster preparedness information available. Safe Routes to School supplied safety tips and information on the health benefits of walking and biking to and from school.
“Furthering Youth Inspiration”, or FYI, also made critical information available to parents and kids about youth violence and gang prevention. Click here for pictures.
|
A Day of Service in Alameda Schools
Thanks to a hardworking group of over 120
parent and community volunteers, Henry Haight Elementary School in
Alameda has a beautiful new school garden and outdoor learning
center! The garden and learning center help kids discover the
importance of fresh food so they can make healthier food choices.
This project was a part of my “ Adopt-A-School” initiative,
which promotes volunteerism and community support for local schools.
During the course of the day, volunteers planted trees and bushes, built
planter beds, created and installed garden art and constructed a new garden
shed. Click
here for pictures.
Eucalyptus tree branches recently cut from San Leandro Creek
were converted into a ring of outdoor seating for the kids. I was
surprised and honored when the area was officially designated the “Wilma
Chan Outdoor Learning Circle.”
I
strongly believe in supporting local youth by bringing the community together
to support area schools and am working to make this the first of many such
events in District 3.
|
Fighting Against Cuts to Early Education
When Governor Jerry Brown threatened to cut funding for child care and preschool services, I called an emergency press conference with early education advocates in Oakland to protest those cuts and protect our kids.
Oakland Unified School Board Director Dave Kakishiba, Superintendent Tony Smith, and childcare and early education advocates joined me at Yuk Yau Child Development Center in Oakland's Chinatown to raise awareness about the proposed devastating budget cuts to children, families and local providers in Alameda County. Click here for pictures.
Although the Governor revised his initial proposal, the final passage of the budget resulted in a funding reduction of nearly $9 million for Alameda County’s early care and education programs and the loss of 943 early learning and preschool slots.
Our kids deserve to have the support they need to succeed in life. I will continue to stand up for our community’s most vulnerable kids and fight for their futures in the years ahead.
|
The Human Impact of the State Budget
Families in Alameda County need and deserve to know how budget cuts made in Sacramento will affect them here at home. That is why I developed the “ Human Impact Budget", a new effort in Alameda County supported by the Board of Supervisors.
The “ Human Impact Budget” educates local residents about state budget cuts and their impact on people, families and communities. This spring, I led town hall meetings in Oakland and Alameda to discuss how state budget cuts will affect critical programs for our children, people with disabilities, families and seniors.
These meetings helped raise awareness of how state budget decisions affect County residents and were an important step in the fight against budget cuts that threaten our community. Click here for photos of the Oakland town hall, and here for photos of the Alameda town hall.
I encourage you to read the 2012 Alameda County Human Impacts Report to learn more about how state cuts might affect you and your community. You can also click on the following links to view the presentations made at the town hall meetings.
"Paws and Think": Rally to Protect Animal Shelters
Community organizations, concerned citizens, animal advocates, business representatives and canine companions joined me and Supervisor Miley in early March to rally against the Governor’s proposal to eliminate key provisions of the Hayden Law.
The Hayden Law protects California’s lost and stray animals. Among the 50 protections slated for repeal included:
- Reducing shelter hold times down to 72 hours before euthanizing animals regardless of shelter operation hours;
- Eliminating the requirement to shelter other domesti-cated pets such as rabbits, birds, snakes and turtles;
- Eliminating the requirement for necessary and prompt veterinary care for shelter animals.
Pet advocates and their four-legged friends were invited into Board Chambers following the rally. They shared moving testimony (supported by the occasional “woof!”) about how animals, shelters and owners would suffer if humane treatment provisions were stripped from the law.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution urging the Governor and State Legislature to not balance the budget on the lives of California’s lost and stray animals. In addition, over 700 signatures were collected in support of Alameda County’s commitment to protecting the local safety net for pets and their owners.
Our efforts made the Legislature “paws and think.” In the end, they passed a budget bill preserving the Hayden Law and ensuring a future for countless lost pets and other animals.
|
In the News...
$50,000 contribution to Building Futures for Women &
Children will help provide shelter and protection for women and children
suffering domestic abuse and with nowhere left to turn. – San Leandro
Patch (July 19, 2012)
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling ensures that tens of
thousands of Alameda County residents will gain access to health care, and will
provide vital protections to those who already have health insurance.
– Castro Valley Patch (July 3, 2012)
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors has unanimously
approved a $2.6 billion budget that closes an $88.1 million gap. "The
world has changed for people living in the county," said Supervisor Chan.
– Inside Bay Area | The Oakland Tribune (June 22, 2012)
Supervisor Wilma Chan authored this opinion in light of news
about worrisome rates of youth obesity in many Alameda County
communities. In it, she notes that Alameda County became the first
county in America to take on the U.S. Health and Human Services Agency’s
challenge to enroll all eligible children in publicly-funded health programs,
like Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. – San Leandro Patch (June 19,
2012)
Supervisor Chan joined early education officials to rally
against proposed cuts that could mean the loss of a third of child care slots
for low-income children and an increase in the county's waiting list for child
care assistance. – Castro Valley Patch (May 15, 2012)
|