Monterey County

							MONTEREY COUNTY
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
JANE PARKER, SUPERVISOR – FOURTH DISTRICT

2616 First Avenue, Marina, California 93933
Jane.Parker@co.monterey.ca.us, ph: (831) 755-5044, fax: (831)384-1839, web:www.janeparker.org

November 16, 2009

Chair Lou Calcagno and the Board of Supervisors
Monterey County
168 W Alisal Street
Salinas CA 93901

RE: 2010 Legislative Platform

Dear Chair Calcagno and the Board of Supervisors,

Thank you for this opportunity to share my ideas for suggested changes to the 2010
Legislative Platform. Working in partnership with the State and Federal legislators who
control an ever increasing amount of our local revenue, and dictate often-unfunded
mandates is especially important this coming year with the governance and economic
challenges we all face.

I am making these recommendations with the understanding that the requisite
department heads and intergovernmental staff will have an opportunity to review and
edit each recommendation as appropriate, while maintaining the intent of the
recommendation.

2010 LEGISLATIVE PRINCIPLES - PAGE 9
I am very pleased to see the addition of "Collaboration, Regional Efforts, Interagency
Cooperation."

I respectfully request the following be added to the introduction of the Legislative
Principles:
During this time of resource scarcity and increased need for services, it is more
important than ever to support strong and effective partnerships among agencies with
shared missions.

I respectfully request the addition of the following as a Legislative Principle:
Support, defend, or oppose legislation that impacts the County's ability to: enhance the
well-being, quality of life, health, safety, and education of Monterey County residents;
support job training and public or private efforts to stabilize and enhance jobs and
economic growth; and improve the environment.

Change the 'State Government Reform, Realignment of State/Local Government'
principle to: Support those reform efforts that restore stability of State government with
the understanding that local governments will continue to suffer if the State Government
does not function effectively. Support reform efforts that enable to State to generate
revenue, change the 2/3 requirement to adopt a budget, extend the length of time
legislators are able to serve, and reform the initiative process. Support efforts to restore
local governments' local authority and control over revenues, governance and service
delivery as well as protect local governments against state mandates that micromanage
local affairs.

Change the 'Preserve Health Care Safety Net' principle to: Support funding and
efforts to expand and coordinate the health care safety-net system in Monterey County.
Oppose any further cuts. Encourage and support the State’s efforts to negotiate
renewed waivers with the federal government that enhance matches or provide
additional Medicaid funding to counties. Support reform efforts to fully fund
comprehensive health care programs, providers, and facilities for every resident.

Change the 'Preserve Social Services' principle to: Support efforts to restore funding
and clarify state-county responsibilities for county-provided social services. Encourage
and support the State’s efforts to secure funding and federal waivers where it results in
more resources for Counties and community-based social service providers.

Change the ' Economic Development, the Environment, Transportation &
Infrastructure: Economic Development' principle to: Support funding and efforts to
develop regional county-wide economic development plans that will attract living-wage
jobs which are compatible with the environmental resources of the region; balance
environmental and economic considerations in furtherance of jobs in the emerging
“green” technologies; restore or enhance funding from state and federal sources for
transportation and infrastructure projects; remove legislative and economic barriers to
converting our energy infrastructure from fossil fuel to clean and efficient alternative
energy.

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
I respectfully request the addition of the following as Legislative Priorities:
   i.  Support programs, including Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), that increase
       the percentage of women that breastfeed their infants and increase the duration
       and exclusivity rates of breastfeeding, including community programs that
       provide prenatal breastfeeding education to expecting parents and caregivers.

  ii.   Support legislation to restore funding for the Williamson Act, aka The California
        Land Conservation Act of 1965.

 iii.   Support efforts to reduce recidivism rates by restoring rehabilitative programming
        at State Prisons. Expand funding for community re-entry programs and facilities.

 iv.    Support programs to increase the supply of affordable rental housing.

 v.     Add the Community Alliance for Safety and Peace (CASP) to the Gang Violence
        Priority.



November 16, 2009 – Supervisor Parker Recommendations RE: 2010 Legislative Platform   Page 2 of 5
 vi.    Change the “Juvenile Detention Facilities” priority to: Support legislation that
        provides funding for adequate facilities to accommodate serious youth offenders
        and for ongoing operations, including mental health and other restorative and
        rehabilitative programs.

LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM
I was pleased to see the inclusion of platform priorities submitted by the Commission on
the Status of Women and would like to explore strategies to include other County
Boards, Commissions, and Councils in the development of the platform in future years.

Recognizing that this document communicates important areas of focus for the County,
I would like to solicit additional input from the Health Department, especially in critical
areas of health disparities, obesity, chronic disease, health prevention and promotion,
childrens health, and pre and peri-natal health. A review of the Health Department's
recent community needs assessments and health profiles would identify some very
important priorities for the County that should be included in this Platform.

I respectfully request the addition of the following to the Legislative Platform:
    a) Support funding for public health nurses in safety-net clinics, schools, and other
       community venues.

    b) Support funding for mental health professionals in safety-net clinics, schools, and
       other community venues.

    c) Support legislation that expands the Women, Infants, and Children program,
       including additional support for breastfeeding mothers.

    d) Support legislation that protects the public health by allowing workers who are
       sick, or are needed to care for a sick family member, to stay home without
       penalty.

    e) Oppose legislation that would eliminate First 5 Monterey County and/or
       compromise local control over Proposition 10 money. Support legislation that
       promotes and improves the early development of children from the prenatal
       stage to five years of age to establish a strong foundation for success in school
       and throughout their lives.

    f) Support legislation that will provide a more focused approach to the issues of
       homelessness and provide a system of care that is inclusive, well planned,
       coordinated and evaluated and is accessible to all who are homeless or at-risk of
       becoming homeless.

    g) Support legislation that includes strategies that would allow savings realized by
       the implementation of restorative justice principles in the criminal justice system
       to fund comprehensive re-entry programming. (per the recommendation by the
       Community Restorative Justice Commission in their 2009 Annual Report)

November 16, 2009 – Supervisor Parker Recommendations RE: 2010 Legislative Platform   Page 3 of 5
    h) Support legislation that prioritizes the early release of State and County inmates
       who have participated in a meaningful and therapeutic restorative re-entry
       programs. Such a policy would provide an incentive for inmates to participate in a
       restorative process to successfully re-connect them with the community they will
       soon re-enter and subsequently reduce recidivism rates. Support additional
       funding and other resources to support successful providers of reentry services
       so that they are prepared to assist the men and women who will be returning to
       Monterey County. (per the recommendation by the Community Restorative
       Justice Commission in their 2009 Annual Report)

    i) Support legislation that provides alternatives to incarceration in cases where
       restorative justice programs may offer a more effective resolution. Support the
       development of performance outcomes, based on best practices that can be
       tracked for measures of success and improvement, with future funding directed
       towards the most successful and cost effective strategies. (per the
       recommendation by the Community Restorative Justice Commission in their
       2009 Annual Report)

    j) Support comprehensive evidence-based family and life skills education and
       financial literacy at all grade levels. (expanded #141)

    k) Support legislation that will restore adequate funding to successful K-12
       programs including Regional Occupational Programs and Adult School programs
       that build employment, parenting, communication, and critical life skills.

    l) Encourage incentives for joint use agreements, especially to promote schools as
       centers of community activities.

    m) Support legislation that facilitates the conversion of our transportation system
       from a fossil fuel based system to an alternative energy, primarily electric,
       system.

    n) Support legislation that would impose a fee on vehicle registration to fund
       regional public transit.

    o) Support efforts to increase high school graduation rates.

    p) Support efforts to provide educational and economic opportunities by improving
       the literacy skills of all residents of Monterey County, especially young adults and
       parents of young children.

    q) Support legislation that provides all employees with paid family leave to provide
       workforce stability, combat poverty, give children a healthy start, and lower the
       wage gap between women and men by providing structural support to balance
       work and family.



November 16, 2009 – Supervisor Parker Recommendations RE: 2010 Legislative Platform   Page 4 of 5
    r) Support efforts that help make America more family-friendly, including paid family
       leave, flexible work arrangements, quality affordable childcare, and equal pay.

    s) Support water conservation and efficient use of existing water sources, including
       rain water catchment and use of grey water for commercial and residential toilets.

    t) Support enhancements to current positive net metering laws that requires electric
       companies to financially reimburse property owners for excess energy
       transmitted from a private solar or wind system to the grid, calculating total usage
       over a period of six months to one year.

    u) Support AB 283 to further enhance the recyclability and reusability of packaging
       materials.

    v) Change Platform #140 to: Support legislation that mandates and funds schools
       to require physical education at all grade levels.

    w) Change Platform #52 to: Support the Governor's Broadband Report
       recommendations to provide universal access to high-speed broadband
       infrastructure for all Californians and increase the use and adoption of broadband
       and computer technology by supporting county organizations such as the Central
       Coast Broadband Consortium.

    x) Platform #180 is generally duplicated by and could be replaced with #213.

I thought you might also appreciate the attached Wordle. It provides an interesting
visual representation of the words and ideas presented in our Platform, with more
frequently used terms appearing larger and bolder.

Thank you again for this opportunity to share my thoughts about the 2010 Legislative
Platform. I look forward to discussing this Platform and my recommendations at the
December 1st Board of Supervisors meeting.

Sincerely,




Jane Parker
Supervisor, Fourth District


Attached: Wordle of 2010 Legislative Platform




November 16, 2009 – Supervisor Parker Recommendations RE: 2010 Legislative Platform   Page 5 of 5