Governor signs high-speed rail legislation as advocated by Partnership
On Aug. 26, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed AB 3034, a bill to improve the high-speed rail project by modifying the bond that will be on the November ballot. Introduced by Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani (D-Tracy), the legislation specifically identifies the Altamont Corridor connecting the San Joaquin Valley to the Bay Area as a high-speed segment eligible for funding under the proposed $9 billion bond, and makes a number of cost accountability and transparency improvements.
“We are thrilled that the modified measure on the ballot, now Proposition 1A, will be one that delivers the most benefit to the citizens of the San Joaquin Valley,” said California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley (Partnership) board member Peter Weber, convener of the Air Quality Work Group.
“We are thankful to our Valley delegation for their efforts in promoting common-sense amendments and working in a bipartisan manner to improve this bill for the benefit of state.”
On Aug. 4, a coalition of organizations from the East Bay, Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley traveled to Sacramento to meet with key senators and senate staff for discussions on AB 3034. The group included representatives from the Partnership, the Councils of Government in the San Joaquin Valley, the Altamont Commuter Express (ACE), and Capitol Corridor.
The coalition was interested in high-speed rail routing and alignment issues pertaining to connections between the Bay Area, Sacramento and the San Joaquin Valley. It also sought to ensure that proper accountability provisions were included in the bond measure.
AB 3034 successfully passed the Senate on Aug. 7. The Assembly followed by accepting the amendments on Aug. 9. The bill will now appear on the November ballot in its amended version as Proposition 1A.
Partnership officials have noted that high-speed rail will reduce highway congestion, reduce the costs of highway expansion and maintenance, decrease use of energy and eliminate billions of pounds of CO2 emissions.
Partnership board to hold quarterly meeteing at UC Merced
The California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley Board of Directors will hold its quarterly meeting in the California Room at UC Merced, on Friday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The board will discuss and determine the next steps needed to address the three priority issues it has identified for the Valley: air quality; water supply, quality, and reliability; and transportation
The board also will hear an in-depth report from the Land Use, Agriculture and Housing Work Group as well as an update on the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Process. The Partnership’s Advanced Communications Services Work Group and workforce development of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Work Group will provide an in-depth report on its activities.
The board also will receive a report on the status of planning for the Partnership’s Annual Summit, which is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 11, in Stockton.
The meeting agenda and other information will be available soon on the Partnership Web site at www.sjvpartnership.org.
The final 2008 quarterly Partnership Board meeting will be in Stockton on Dec. 12.
Higher education leaders: Education key to economy, health, quality of life
The San Joaquin Valley’s colleges and universities are a key component of efforts to improve the region’s economy and quality of life, according to leaders of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC).
In a July column in The Fresno Bee, CVHEC Executive Director Cheri Cruz wrote that economic growth and an educated workforce are both tied directly to the work of our state’s three systems of higher education – the California community colleges, the California State University system, and the University of California system.
Cruz is the higher education consultant to the Partnership’s Higher Education and Workforce Development Work Group.
“The [systems] not only expand opportunity for the students they enroll, the three systems contribute to the economy, health and quality of life for every Californian,” Cruz wrote. “Perhaps nowhere is sustaining this positive impact more crucial than in the Valley.
“Thanks in large part to regional collaboration through the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, we are making real progress on many of the critical issues facing the Valley – economic diversification, improved health care, higher college-going rates, better work force preparation. But investment in our colleges and universities must continue, or that progress will simply falter.”
Cruz wrote that industries which drive the Valley's economic opportunities and hopes rely on the region's colleges for research to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation and to train workers from managers to technicians across a range of businesses
“We all rely on the nurses, teachers, engineers and firefighters who are educated in our colleges and universities. And all Valley residents rely on higher education to pursue new solutions to such collective challenges as air quality, water development and food safety, to name a few,” Cruz wrote.
CVHEC is a nonprofit, incorporated partnership of 23 accredited community colleges, public and private colleges and universities. Serving a 10-county region from Stockton to Bakersfield, CVHEC was established in 2000 by the presidents and chancellors of the region's colleges and universities.
Meth advisory council to hear about local efforts responding to impact of substance abuse
The Methamphetamine Recovery Project Advisory Council will take another step toward developing a continuum of care report at its quarterly meeting on Friday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The meeting will be in Visalia at the Central Valley Regional Center, 5441 W. Cypress Ave.
A review will be done of the preliminary results of community engagement meetings held throughout the San Joaquin Valley in the past several months as well as discussion of possible recommendations about ways in which state and federal legislators can assist the Valley in addressing methamphetamine and other substance abuse issues..
Advance registration is necessary for the meeting. To register or receive more information, please contact Juanita Fiorello, jfiorello@csufresno.edu, 559.294-9772.
The Advisory Council is a critical element in meeting the Health and Human Services Work Group’s goal of developing a comprehensive methamphetamine education, treatment and law enforcement program as outlined in the Partnership’s Strategic Action Proposal. The Advisory Council is addressing the methamphetamine issue across a continuum of care that includes education, prevention, treatment, and long-term recovery.
Groundbreaking exemplary practices educational conference set for Valley
The Partnership’s PreK-12 Education Work Group and the Central Valley Educational Leadership Institute will present a conference to connect the San Joaquin Valley’s educational, business and community leaders with practitioners who are improving student achievement in the region.
The conference, “Exemplary Practices in Education: Achievement Gains in our San Joaquin Valley,” will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009, on the California State University, Fresno, campus. It is the first in a series of regional gatherings to address Valley priorities and build upon successful efforts for cultivating change.
The conference will focus on San Joaquin Valley priorities such as English language learners, developing a college-going culture, career education for Valley workforce needs, and pre-kindergarten.
Breakout sessions will highlight Valley schools, districts, and programs that are making a difference in those priority areas.
Information flyer will be available at the Pre-K Education Work Group page on the Partnership’s Web site.
For more information, contact Dr. Marcy Masumoto, mmasumoto@csufresno.edu, 559.304.2190; Dr. Ginny Boris, vboris@csufresno.edu, 559.905.9497.
Air Quality Work Group consultants to present at Energy, Clean Air Expo
Representatives of The Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno, the consultants to the Partnership’s Air Quality Work Group, will present a breakout session on federal, state and local incentive programs available to businesses and consumers at the Energy & Clean Air Business Exposition in Fresno on Sept. 25.
The expo will be at the Fresno Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 1, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
According to event organizers, the Expo will demonstrate how businesses can incorporate energy-efficient methods and clean air values into everyday operations. San Joaquin Valley business leaders are in the unique position to lead by example and demonstrate that environmental consciousness and business prosperity can go hand-in-hand.
The Expo is sponsored by Fresno Business Council, PG&E, Regional Jobs Initiative, and Valley CAN (Clean Air Now).
Additional information on the Expo is available on the Valley Can Web site.
|