Jun

30

Amtrak Funding Restored

Filed Under United States | Leave a Comment

The SF Gate reports that “House rejects cuts in Amtrak funding, some warned trims might lead to shutdown.” The United States House of Representatives approved an amendment to more than double the proposed $550 million dollar funding Amtrak would have received.

I believe that Amtrak does more good than harm. Furthermore, I am quite pleased with the decision because I am understand more and more, with each train ride, how vital mass transit. Amtrak provides more than transportation for people to go from coast to coast.

It offers a service that no automobile could provide, a relaxing, scenic view of America and its incredible landscape. I cannot describe the feeling when I see the sun rise over the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range into the San Joaquin Valley.

And that is something I wouldn’t be able to experience without Amtrak.

Jun

29

Antonio Villaraigosa: The First Symbol of a New Era

Filed Under California | 1 Comment

Antonio Villaraigosa, the about-to-be mayor of Los Angeles, is the first symbol of a new era in American Politics. Villaraigosa is the first Latino Mayor of Los Angeles since 1872.

As reported in the Public Policy Institute of California’s California 2025 report, “in 2025, 30% of Californians will be foreign born. Almost half will be Latino.” With a sizable portion of California Latino, Villaraigosa is paving the way for the future Latino leaders in the State of California and the United States.

In the Los Angeles Times’ “He’s gotten our attention” article, the author notes, “Still, nothing will stand in the way of the optimism generated by the dawning of a new political era.”

I agree and I am optimistic about the future. Antonio carries the hopes, aspirations and dreams of a lot of people. Wishing him the best of luck, I’ll be sure to keep watch on what he is able and not able to accomplish and learn from him.

Jun

27

Californians Disapprove of State Government

Filed Under California | Leave a Comment

The Associated Press reported that “Lately, however, the partisan chill [in California] has begun to thaw as recent polls have shown both sides are losing ground, with a dramatic drop in the governor’s job-approval ratings and the Legislature more unpopular than ever.”

The Field Poll reported that about 37% and 24% approve of the job the governor and legislature is doing, respectively. The calling for a special election, coupled with the lack of compromise on a budget, has lead people to disapprove of their government and it is quite disheartening.

However, all is not lost because if a problem exists, then so does a solution. In this case, the government has found a short-term solution of returning to the negotiating table. A long-term solution would be to promote a culture of punctuality and posting a sign at the Capitol that declares: “Not meeting a constitutional deadline is not ok.”

Jun

26

California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley Created!

Filed Under Central Valley | 1 Comment

On Friday, June 24th, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger established the California Partnership for San Joaquin Valley through Executive Order S-5-05.

I believe the Public Policy Institute of California’s reports on the San Joaquin Valley and the future of California contributed to the creation of this Partnership because its a significant step towards thinking and operating regionally.

The Partnership has been assigned the following duties:

  • Identify projects and programs that will best utilize public dollars and most quickly improve the economic vitality of the Valley, especially those that leverage federal, state, local and private sector resources in a coordinated effort to address critical needs in the Valley.
  • Work with members of the state’s Congressional delegation and federal officials, including the federal Task Force for the Economic Recovery of the San Joaquin Valley, to gain federal support for projects identified by the Partnership as critical to the region.
  • Partner with the University of California, California State University, community colleges, and the state’s other research and educational institutions, as well as private foundations, to provide guidance, advice and encouragement in support of studies of particular interest and importance to the Valley.
  • Review state policies and regulations to ensure they are fair and appropriate for the state’s diverse geographic regions, including the San Joaquin Valley, and determine whether alternative approaches can accomplish goals in less costly ways.
  • Recommend to the Governor changes that would improve the economic well-being of the Valley and the quality of life of its residents.
    Develop by October 31, 2006, a San Joaquin Valley Strategic Action Proposal that provides recommendations to improve the economic conditions of the San Joaquin Valley. The proposal shall be in the form of a report to the Governor, to the Board of Supervisors of the counties identified in section 1, and to the City Council of each city within those counties. The Partnership shall also send progress reports after each meeting. The reports shall focus on recommended strategies at each level of state government for sustainable economic growth that will create jobs and improve environmental quality in the region, while empowering local communities and encouraging entrepreneurialism.

    • Overall, the message Executive Order S-5-05 sends is great! The ability for the San Joaquin Valley to “think regionally” is essential to its future vitality and the Partnership brings people from across the Valley to do just that. I continue to look forward to the future of the San Joaquin Valley and seeing how I and UC Merced can contribute.

    Jun

    22

    To Bellflower High School’s Class of 2005

    Filed Under Personal | Leave a Comment

    Bellflower High School’s Class of 2005 is graduating tomorrow.

    Congratulations! Even though we didn’t graduate together, we are still Bellflower Buccaneers!

    Your life is about to get even better. Best of luck! Go Bucs! ;-)

    Best regards,

    Josh Franco
    Bellflower High School Class of 2003

    Jun

    21

    RIF: The Public Participation Handbook

    Filed Under Human Development | Leave a Comment

    Remember RIF or Reading is Fundamental? During primary school, I remember I would have the opportunity to select a new book from hundreds of choices. I would get so excited coming home with a new book. I believe the RIF program, along with the support of parents purchasing me a book at the local market each month or so, helped me to develop strong reading skills that have propelled me to succeed. Therefore, I hope to promote the RIF program through frequent posts about the books I’m reading.

    I am currently reading The Public Participation Handbook: Making Better Decisions Through Citizen Involvement by James L. Creighton. The book consists of the following eighteen chapters, that are categorized into 6 sections.

    So far, I have read the first 7 chapters over the past three days and hope to complete the book before the end of the week.

    1. Defining What Public Participation Is (and Is Not).
    2. The Rationale for Public Participation.
    3. Decision Analysis.
    4. Process Planning.
    5. Implementation Planning.
    6. Techniques for Getting Information to the Public.
    7. Techniques for Getting Information from the Public.
    8. Designing Public Meetings.
    9. Developing Interactive Meetings.
    10. Facilitating Public Meetings.
    11. Determining Meeting Logistics.
    12. Working with Advisory Groups.
    13. Conducting Interviews.
    14. Working with the Media.
    15. Analyzing Public Comment.
    16. Evaluating Public Participation.
    17. Using Public Participation Consultants.
    18. Public Participation Cases.

    Jun

    20

    Merced and Back

    Filed Under Central Valley | Leave a Comment

    This past weekend I traveled up to Merced for the UC Merced Student Government Institute (SGI).

    I intended to leave from Los Angeles Union Station at 1:25am on an Amtrak bus to Bakersfield, but due to a lack of a reservation, I had to wait for the next bus at 4:10am. Now, waiting in at the train station for an extra three hours is not so bad, but after hanging out at the beach from 5:00pm to 10:30pm, an extra three hours is too much. Moreover, I didn’t have batteries for my CD player, so I opted to read in the silence of the station.

    I got to the Merced Train Station at 10:30am and took a taxi from the station to the Tri-College Center, located next to Merced College. Ernie, the taxi cab driver, was a rather interesting fellow and we spoke at length about Merced and his life.

    The SGI meeting went well. It started at 11:00am and ended at 1:00pm. There was a lot of people, questions being asked, and thinking about the future.

    After the meeting, I rushed back to the train station, but the train had just left. So, I got to wait another three hours at a train station, this time in Merced. The good thing about Merced’s station was that the seats weren’t divided with monstrous arm rest like those at Union Station, so I could lie down and get some rest.

    The Amtrak came in at 4:03pm on the dot. Aching for food, I ordered the Honey Mustard Chicken meal and it was delicious! The train arrived in Bakersfield around 7:10pm. The sun was beginning to set.

    I got on the bus and took a seat. On the drive down to Los Angeles, due to a “major accident” on the 5, the bus driver decided to take a detour through Lancaster. The bus was rather cold, but the near full moon was comforting.

    I arrived at Los Angeles Union Station around 10:10pm and the adventure concluded.

    Jun

    17

    Democracy’s Test: Downing Street

    Filed Under United States | Leave a Comment

    On Thursday, June 16th in a Capitol basement room, Democrats of House Judiciary Committee spoke with four panelists in an unofficial Congressional hearing on the Downing Street Memorandum.

    The British Downing Street Memorandum, dated Tuesday, July 23 2002, is generating tremendous interest and is helping mobilize the anti-war movement because it “pre-dates” all previous information regarding the rationale for going to war with Iraq.

    The circumstances are much more complex than I can phantom at the moment; however, I believe much hinges on the authenticity of the memo, but, on face, it does appears to be a legitimate document.

    Moreover, I believe the Downing Street Memorandum poses a significant question, a test, to the American public and U.S. Congressional Leadership: Did the President lead the nation into an unjust war?

    Visit the following links for more information:

  • AfterDowningStreet.org
  • DowningStreetMemo.com

    • Jun

    16

    An Extensive Social Network is Good for Your Health

    Filed Under Human Development | Leave a Comment

    Humans are social creatures. Now, at times, we can exhibit anti-social behavior like not talking with friends or avoiding social gatherings. However, in the long run, a person’s social network is essential to their well-being. Moreover, the more extensive the network, the longer a person will live claims a report published in the July 2005 edition of the
    Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

    This report has prompted me to answer the following questions with the hope that I can help others.

    “What is a social network?”

    A social network is all the people you know: your immediate and extended family, friends and co-workers. In fact, each person on the planet is a de facto member of your social network because we are all, in some way, connected.

    “How do I build, sustain and expand my social network?”

    1) Shatter the barriers: Desire to interact with others and don’t be afraid of people. In other words, embrace others’ differences: racial, linguistic, socioeconomic, ethnic, religious, etc.

    2) Discover commonalities: likes, dislikes, geographical location, educational institution, field of interest, etc.

    3) Communicate: Not just about what is on the next exam, but life in general and specifics, such as current endeavors and future goals.

    4) Build a bridge: develop a friendship that will last a lifetime

    5) Determine what medium is best for communicating with each person: mail, telephone, email, homing pigeon, etc.

    6) Cross the bridge on a regular basis: let people know you are thinking about them

    7) Don’t ever burn the bridge: Disrespect, lack of mutual understanding, inability to compromise and the use of expletives burn.

    Jun

    16

    Budget Deadline Not Met

    Filed Under California | Leave a Comment

    The California State Legislature failed to approve a budget before the constitutional deadline of June 15th. On a party-line vote, the budget bill was defeated 45 to 32 in the Assembly and 25 to 13 in the Senate.

    According a Los Angeles Times article, GOP Legislators Block State Budget, “Republicans in the Legislature spoiled an effort by Democrats to meet Wednesday’s constitutional deadline for passing a state budget, calling the plan too expensive — although it differed little from the one proposed by the Republican governor a month ago.”

    Moreover, the San Francisco Gate reported “Like so many times before, the Legislature missed its constitutional deadline Tuesday to pass a state budget, with Republicans voting down a spending plan that they said would increase future deficits.”

    The last budget to be passed on time was in 1986, almost two decades ago. No longer punctual with the budget, the public’s confidence in the California State Government continues to decrease. It is troubling to read and see that legislators are not more willing to communicate and compromise.

    I understand that the Capitol is a battlefield for limited resources, but restoring the public’s confidence in government is essential for its continued function and support. Therefore, the government, and in particular legislators, must make it a point to pass a budget before June 15th.

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