“We have a gun violence epidemic in America and I want to do all that I can as City Attorney in Los Angeles to help change that fact,” said City Attorney Carmen Trutanich. “If you choose to own a gun, we want to make sure that you store it safely, keep it locked up and away from children, and if you sell it or it’s stolen that the sale or theft be reported.”

The gun-buyer letter program began with a federal Project Safe Neighborhoods grant, and will continue with local resources. The City Attorney’s Office goal is to make sure that gun buyers and owners know that they must store their guns safely, keep them locked up and away from children, and if the gun is to be sold or if it is stolen, the sale or theft must be reported.

George Thomas

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In addition to a call for a reauthorization of the federal assault weapons ban, the City Attorney also urged the closing of the gun show loophole, reinstatement of effective background checks and waiting periods, and the ensuring of greater resources to mental health and school safety.

The City Attorney has a long history of supporting firearm regulations, including a letter in 2011 to U.S. Representative Carolyn McCarthy affirming his strong support of an amendment to the Brady Handung Violence prevention act in order to prohibit large magazine clips of more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

George Thomas

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Clean Car Incentive Supporters

“This shift requires us to think beyond petroleum and transition towards cleaner cars. By signing these bills, the governor can reward green car choices and solidify California’s place as the clean technology capital of the world.” Transportation is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and smog. With 5.8 million cars and 7.3 million total vehicles overall registered in Los Angeles County, clean air remains Southern California’s most basic environmental challenge. To jumpstart emissions reductions, Blumenfield’s legislation provides new consumer incentives to purchase clean cars, such as plug-in hybrids and compressed natural gas cars, and zero emission vehicles such as electric and hydrogen cars.

Gathering a consortium of green technology companies called CALSTART, environmentalists, clean air advocates and California-based clean car companies joined Blumenfield in urging the governor’s support for the following bills. • AB 2405 allows single-occupant, clean and zero emission vehicles with a Clean Air Vehicle Sticker free access to carpool lanes that are converted to toll roads. Toll road projects are currently underway in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego regions. These conversions undermine the sticker program, which helped hybrid vehicles become established. A list of vehicles eligible for the sticker program is available online at www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm. • AB 2502 allows car dealers to include the cost of accelerated electric vehicle charging stations – including installation at the consumer’s home – within electric vehicle purchase financing. Current law does not allow for this practice, which amounts to a barrier for some consumers since this equipment can fully recharge an electric vehicle overnight and typically costs a few thousand dollars. • AB 2853 requires the state to develop a plan for equipping state-owned parking lots and park- andride lots with electric vehicle chargers and alternative fuel infrastructure.

To help accomplish that, the bill allows state parking lots to contract with private vendors to provide charging stations. It also requires the creation of other incentives, such as preferential and discounted parking, for clean and zero emission vehicles at state-owned parking locations. “To meet our emission targets, we need to see the clean fuel vehicle market grow quickly,” said Jamie Hall, Policy Director at CALSTART. “Assemblyman Blumenfield’s trio of bills will help build market demand and increase the value of owning cleaner cars into the future.” Our region has the worst air quality in the nation,” said Matt Miyasato, Assistant Deputy Executive Officer, South Coast Air Quality Management District. “We’ve made a lot of progress but won’t put this problem behind us until a lot more of us drive cleaner, greener cars.” Clean cars produce 34% less greenhouse gas emissions and 75% less smog. California is working to have zero-emission or plug-in hybrid cars account for 15% of new vehicles sold each year by 2025. If achieved, it is expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. “For more than 100 years, we have concentrated our efforts on developing internal combustion engine vehicles and an infrastructure to power them,” said K. Forrest Beanum, Senior Vice President of Government Relations and External Affairs at CODA Automotive. “The package of bills under consideration will create powerful, cost-effective incentives that drive demand for clean vehicles, and in turn, drive private investment and economic vitality throughout the state. We are pleased to operate in a state where our leaders recognize transformational opportunities and take decisive action.” “California is home to many established green technology firms in automotive, computer, telecommunications and solar industries,” said David Mazaika, Executive Director at Quantum Technologies.

“California has led the country in clean vehicles, including electric and hybrid vehicles, due to California’s unique combination of highly innovative people, strong private and government support, and a dedication to improving our environment.” California is the nation’s largest market for cars, home to 22.2 million cars and 31.8 million total vehicles overall. According to the California New Car Dealers Association, car sales are up in California by 27.4% from last year. The top-selling car is a hybrid, the Toyota Prius. “California must reduce tailpipe pollution and its origins in our dependence on fossil fuels,” said Jim Stewart, PhD, Co-chair of Sierra Club California’s Energy-Climate Committee. “We have seen much progress and the result has been cleaner air. But there is more to be done to green transportation choices, and the proposed incentives for alternatively fueled vehicles will help.” Further information about each bill is available at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov.

George Thomas

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1. His party is trying to
take the vote away from

Mitt Romney

the poor and other citizens.
2. His foreign policy experience
is non-existent.
2. He has no clue on how
to handle international affairs
and diplomacy.
3. I’m afraid that he would
use force inappropriately,
if at all.
4. His party has earned
the title of “the no party”
in Washington.
5. Romney’s former party
leader was responsible for the worse economic
downturn since the great depression.
6. His party started and coined the terms “war on
women” and “class warfare”.
7. Romney has no political position, he keeps flip
flopping his positions.
8. Romney’s adviser was right to compare Romney
to an etch-a-sketch.
9. Romney is owned in fee simple by big business.
10. Mitt has the backing of Newt Gingrich, an immoral
drug addict
11. He’s out of touch with the people and thinks
we’re stupid
12. He’s a timid, vacillating leader who won’t bring
about change except for his own profit.
13. He looted companies and fired many people as head of Bain Capital
14. He profits off the poor
15. His immigration reform plan is an “Obama level fantasy”
16. He’s not a conservative; he’s a revisionist.
17. Romney had nothing to do with bin Laden’s death
18. His party keeps accusing Democrats of lying while they are doing the lying.
19. Romney keeps avoiding the questions on policy.
20. All Romney can do is criticize Obama; he has no policies, foreign or domestic of his
own. (Agree? Disagree? Email me: ileemon@socal.rr.com)

Iving Lemon

Contributing Columnist

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They believe that if we spend trillions more on tax cuts for the wealthy, it’ll somehow create jobs – even if we have to pay for it by gutting education and training and by raising middle-class taxes. I think they’re wrong. We already tried it that way for most of the last decade, and it didn’t work. We’re still paying for trillions of dollars in tax cuts that benefitted the wealthiest Americans more than anyone else; tax cuts that didn’t lead to the rise in wages and middle class jobs that we were promised; and that helped take us from record surpluses to record deficits. The last thing we need right now is more top-down economics. What we need are policies that will grow and strengthen the middle class; that will help create jobs, make education and training more affordable, and encourage businesses to start up and stay right here in the United States. Soon, we’ll face a choice between these two different approaches. On January 1st, taxes are set to go up for tens of millions of Americans.

I think that would be a huge financial hit for middle-class families. That’s why I’ve cut middle-class taxes every year that I’ve been President – by $3,600 for the typical family. And that’s why, this week, I called on Congress to immediately stop the January 1st tax hike from hitting any American on the first $250,000 of their income. Under my plan, 98% of American families won’t see their income taxes go up at all. But the other 2% of Americans will have to pay a little more in taxes on anything they make over $250,000. In other words, the wealthiest few Americans will go back to the income tax rates they were paying under Bill Clinton. And if you remember, that was when our economy created nearly 23 million new jobs, the biggest budget surplus in history, and millionaires were doing pretty well. The folks in Congress and on the campaign trail who oppose this plan warn that it would somehow hurt small businesses and job creators. Well, they’re completely ignoring the facts.

Under my plan, 97% of small business owners would avoid getting hit with any income tax hike whatsoever. In fact, I’ve cut taxes for small businesses eighteen times since I’ve been President. And just this week, I ordered a series of new steps to help our small businesses grow and hire. The only place we disagree is whether we keep giving tax cuts to the wealthiest 2% of Americans. Republicans in Washington want more of those tax cuts. With the deficit we have, I don’t think we can afford them. But even if we disagree on the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, we all agree that no American should pay more taxes on the first $250,000 of their income. So let’s at least agree to do what we all agree on. That’s what compromise is all about. Let’s not hold the vast majority of Americans and our entire economy hostage while we debate the merits of another tax cut for the wealthy. Let’s skip the unnecessary drama, the needless delays and all the partisan posturing and let’s just do the right thing for the people who sent us here to serve. And I’m going to keep fighting to make sure we rebuild an economy that rewards work, grows the middle class, and gives new opportunity to those trying to earn their way into the middle class. Thanks, and have a great weekend.”

Joanne Lewis

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Only part of my job is working on legislation in the House of Representatives, and in the Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees. An equally important part of my job is my work here in the San Fernando Valley, communicating with Valley residents and helping to resolve problems that people are having with federal agencies. We have helped thousands of San Fernando Valley residents resolve problems regarding immigration and citizenship, applying for visas, the Internal Revenue Service, and Medicare and Social Security. All services provided by my office are free of charge. Whether you are seeking assistance with a federal agency or looking for assistance in arranging tours of the U.S. Capitol and other Washington attractions, I hope you will not hesitate to contact me at (818) 501-9200. My website, b r a d s h e rma n . house.gov also provides helpful information. Over the years, I have held over 160 Town Hall Meetings in the San Fernando Valley.

Congressman Sherman

These Town Hall Meetings are a great chance for me to listen to your comments and respond to questions. Town Hall meetings are critical to the public policy process, providing an opportunity for me to hear about the most pressing concerns in our community and to elaborate on the work that my colleagues and I are tackling in Congress. Our next Town Hall meeting will take place on Sunday, August 5th, at SOCES on 18605 Erwin Street, Tarzana, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. (Although SOCES stands for Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, the campus is located in Tarzana).. There I will discuss the economy, taxes, housing, the national debt, education, Social Security and Medicare as well as other issues facing Congress. Most of the meeting will be devoted to listening and responding to questions from Valley residents. My district office staff will be on hand to help constituents resolve any problems they may have with federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The event, refreshments and parking are free. We are also having a Town Hall meeting on Sunday August 26. See my website for more information.

My office has also helped many residents receive assistance with mortgage foreclosure and refinancing. In addition to my Town Hall meeting, I will address housing issues on Saturday, August 4, at a seminar on refinancing, home purchasing and foreclosure avoidance at the Sherman Oaks/East Valley Adult Center located at 5060 Van Nuys Boulevard from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The seminar is open to all Valley residents. If you want to be notified of both the in-person Town Halls and telephone town halls we hold in the future, you should sign up to receive e-mails from my office. You can do this by visiting my website: BradSherman. house.gov. If you go to the website and “sign up” to receive emails, I promise to keep you fully informed. You can also follow my activities on Twitter at Twitter. com/BradSherman or on Facebook www.facebook. com/pages/Congressman-Brad-Sherman/63158229861 (“Congressman Brad Sherman”). Again, please call my office if I can be of assistance at (818) 501-9200.

George Thomas

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Congressman Brad Sherman

“Today Chief Justice Roberts provided a well-reasoned legal analysis based on precedent.

In doing so, he helped bolster confidence in the United States Supreme Court, while dispelling the view that all controversial cases are decided on party lines.

In his opinion, he noted that every reasonable construction of a statute must be considered, in order to save a statute from unconstitutionality. He then showed that for over 100 years the Supreme Court has looked at the substance of an enactment to determine whether it is a tax, rather than whether Congress chose to label the enactment a tax.

He then demonstrated that taxes designed to influence behavior are hardly new, and that some of the very first taxes enacted by the Federal Government were designed to deter the purchase of imported manufactured goods in order to foster the growth of domestic industry. In fact almost every tax influences behavior, and often influencing behavior is the primary intent. For example, cigarette taxes are designed to reduce smoking as much as they are to provide revenue.

Roberts then pointed out that the payment due from those who do not purchase health insurance is not a punishment to be imposed on “outlaws.” Rather it is estimated that 4 million people every year will choose to pay the IRS rather than buy insurance and that those people are acting reasonably and lawfully—they are not wrongdoers being punished.

Finally Roberts pointed out that Congress’ power to regulate commerce is more restricted than its power to impose taxes, but even its power to impose taxes is not unlimited. Here the tax must be paid by those not buying insurance is not so punitive that Congress has effectively used the tax power to compel. Rather Congress has imposed a system in which it is estimated that 4 million people will decide to pay the tax.

Today I am proud to be a member of the Harvard Law School class of 1979, the class that included Chief Justice Roberts.”

Joanne Lewis

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Our opinion polling has found that small businesses support the law, believe healthcare reform is needed to fix the economy and they support key provisions, particularly the healthcare exchanges and tax credits. Many components of the law, including rate review and the Medical Loss Ratio provision, have already resulted in lower premium costs for small employers. It also help ends “job lock,” where a prospective entrepreneur who has a preexisting medical condition cannot leave their job, launch a new company or help grow the economy because they are locked in their job for health benefits. And in 2014 the law calls for health insurance exchanges to be set up in every state, which will do even more to curb costs and boost choice. State lawmakers who have blocked implementation must now step up to the plate and work with local small businesses to establish these new competitive marketplaces.

The political circus that has surrounded this law for the past two years hasn’t done anything to help small business owners struggling with high costs. Today’s ruling lets us get back to what’s important: implementing the law and getting small business owners the financial relief they’ve been waiting for.

Small Business Majority is a national small business advocacy organization, founded and run by small business owners, to support America’s 28 million small businesses. The organization conducts extensive opinion and economic research and work with a rapidly growing network of small business owners across the country to ensure their voices are an integral part of the public policy debate.  It also hosts the Health Coverage Guide, an independent, unbiased source of information for small businesses about health coverage options. For more information, visit smallbusinessmajority.org.

Joanne Lewis

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“For the last two years, Los Angeles has been preparing to transition to health care under the Affordable Care Act.  With the Supreme Court decision behind us, we can now turn out attention to full implementation of the law in 2014.”

Joanne Lewis

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As a result of today’s decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), over 80% of the 2.2 million people who are currently uninsured in Los Angeles County stand to gain access to affordable insurance coverage.

Over half of these individuals are eligible to receive coverage through Medi-Cal in 2014.  This coverage will be contingent on the State of California’s participation in the Medicaid expansion component of the legislation.   In anticipation of this expansion of Medicaid, the Department of Health Services (DHS) has already enrolled over 200,000 low-income County residents into Healthy Way L.A., the County’s coverage program known as the “Bridge to Reform.”  While the ultimate decision on California’s participation is yet to be determined, the Supreme Court’s decision preserves a path for enrollment into Medi-Cal on January 1, 2014 for these individuals, as well as for three-quarters of a million other low-income Los Angeles County residents.

In addition to those who will be newly eligible for Medi-Cal, three-quarters of a million additional County residents will be able to purchase affordable health insurance through the state’s health insurance exchange, take control of their health, and reduce pressure on our strained County-run health care system.  With a sustained commitment to serve as the safety net for low-income Los Angeles County residents, over the coming 18 months DHS will continue to transform our clinics and hospitals into a system of choice for these newly insured.

Beyond the impact of the ACA’s coverage components, DHS will continue to contend with the effects of other aspects of the legislation.  Notably, this will include efforts to advocate for fair allocation of the Disproportionate Share Hospital funding cuts which were included in the legislation.  These funds are an important revenue stream for Los Angeles County in that they provide a mechanism to reimburse hospitals for provision of uncompensated care.  On this issue, DHS will advocate for a fair level and allocation of DSH funding.  Finally, in recognition of ongoing fiscal challenges at the federal level, DHS will closely monitor the political environment and advocate for fiscal policies that safeguard DHS’ ongoing ability to serve as a safety net provider in Los Angeles County.

Over the coming weeks to months, DHS will continue to assess the full impact of the Supreme Court’s decision and take the steps necessary to secure a robust health care safety net for Los Angeles County residents.

Joanne Lewis

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