WRITE TO STATE PARKS SYSTEM TODAY!

As most of you are aware by now, on Friday July 25th members and friends of the Fort MacArthur Museum Association are traveling to Santa Barbara to appear before a hearing of the California State Historic Resources Commission in support of our application to turn the Recreation & Parks half of the former Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur into a California State Historic District.

This is for the most part an “all or nothing” attempt by the association to protect the most imminently threatened portion of the old fort. At the conclusion of this meeting, the State of California will be deciding the historic value of the property. If we are successful, this will become one of our best weapons in the fight to drive off developers such as the Angels
Gate Cultural Center.

There’s allot riding on the success of this operation and we have formidable opponents working against us. 15th District Councilwoman Janice Hahn has already submitted a letter to the state requesting that they decline our request; and she will likely have a representative in the chamber to speak against it. I can assure you that AGCC will also be sending representatives to ask the committee to decline our request. continue reading

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CONATY RECOMMENDS SUPPORT FOR ACR 151

Pete Conaty recommends that you support recently introduced ACR 151 by Assemblymember Paul Cook and others. ACR 151 establishes a “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Days” to recognize the vital contributions and sacrifices of all members of the United States Armed Forces who served in the Vietnam War. ACR 151 is pasted below.

This year will be the 20th Anniversary of the dedication of the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Capitol Park. This 20th Anniversary event will commence on December 10th, 2008 with the reading of the names of 5,822 Californians who gave their lives in defense of our country and shall end on December 13th, 2008 with a parade and ceremony at the memorial. The California Council, Vietnam Veterans of America and the California Department of Veterans Affairs are jointly sponsoring and conducting the ceremonies from December 10th to December 13th, 2008.

The establishment of the “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Days” will encourage all Californians to take part in the ceremonies commemorating the 20th Anniversary so that they may have the opportunity to remember and honor the service, efforts, and sacrifices of Vietnam Veterans, and pay homage to those Veterans who are still alive.

If you would like to support this resolution, please contact Pete Conaty and Associates at 916-492-0550.

Dana Nichol
Pete Conaty and Associates
Governmental Relations
1107 9th Street, # 530
Sacramento, CA 95814
ph 916-492-0550
fx 916-492-8957 continue reading

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CONGRESSWOMAN DORIS MATSUI ANNOUNCES NEW VA CENTER
Wed., July 9, 2008

Washington , D.C. - Today, Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-05) announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs will open a new Vet Center in Sacramento County by the Fall of 2009. The new Vet Center was made possible by the $15 million funding increase for Vet Centers provided last year by the Democratic Congress. The additional resources will address the growing need for readjustment services to existing and new combat veterans. It will also assist families of those killed while on active duty and veterans experiencing military related sexual trauma.

“Over the last year and a half, we have made landmark investments in veterans’ services and funding. Now, as we prepare to welcome home the veterans currently serving our country, the new Vet Center will make sure that they have the tools and assistance they need to successfully reintegrate into our community,” said Rep. Matsui.

Combat veterans will receive readjustment counseling and other assistance in 39 additional sites across the country, including the new one in Sacramento County which will be open by the Fall of 2009.

The existing 232 Vet Centers, including one on Howe Avenue, conduct community outreach to offer counseling on employment, family issues and education to combat veterans and family members, as well as bereavement counseling for families of service members killed on active duty and counseling for veterans who were sexually harassed on active duty. continue reading

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Medicare/TRICARE Vote on Wednesday by our United States Senators.

Background:
The Senate is set to take action on a bill that would prevent the fees that doctors receive for Medicare patients from being cut by over 10%. Unless the Senate acts tomorrow to confirm the House of Representatives prior action, these fees will be cut and according to the American Medical Association many doctors have said that they will stop seeing Medicare patients.

This is important because TRICARE payments are tied to these Medicare rates and many doctors could choose to stop seeing TRICARE patients too.

Action is needed even in this late time frame:
Contact ( and it’s too late for anything but fonecalls) our Senators Boxer & Feinstein and urge them to prevent the 10.6% cut to doctors fees for Medicare and TRICARE. Time is of essence, since the vote could come tomorrow, July 9th. We need to call their offices in the next 12 hours.

But you know what? Why in the devil don’t we know our two California Senators intentions on this matter preliminary to this stage of events? I believe it’s downright derogatory to us their constituents not to be provided well in advance whether or not they support this crucial legislation. Hopefully, they have done so and I’m just not aware of it and if that’s the case then of course this comment would have been entirely different.

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VETERANS SERVICES CENTER SEEKS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS

Just a few hours of your time can provide valuable assistance to our Veterans and their families.

The Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB) Volunteer Corps is seeking members in the community to support the new Veterans Services Center at JFTB in Los Alamitos.

The Veterans Services Center provides a centralized point of assistance to military Veterans and their families. The Center helps in every aspect of wellness, including mental health, financial, housing, education, employment, family assistance, and benefits.

The Center’s newly organized JFTB Volunteer Corps will assist Veterans and their families in the Center with information and referral resources.

For more information or to be part of the Center’s Volunteer Corps, please contact JFTB Public Affairs, (562) 795-2017.

Submitted By: LTC Tom Lasser

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ANG UNIT READY TO FIGHT WILDFIRES AND SAVE LIVES

7/2/2008 - MATHER AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. — Crews from the California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing were certified to perform water bucket operations here Wednesday, becoming the only rescue unit in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard qualified to fight fires.

The certification is timely as it coincides with an early start to the fire season in Northern California, which is where the 129th RQW is based.

The aircrews and Pave Hawks have been on temporary duty here in support of Operation Lightning Strike - the California National Guard’s firefighting support mission. While the equipment modifications and required training were being accomplished, the unit has maintained a continuous alert posture for search and rescue and high risk medical evacuations.

The 129th Rescue Wing is the lead wing for HH-60G Pave Hawk water bucket certification efforts, according to Lt. Col. Steve Butow, 129th Operations Group Director. The training, equipment modifications, and certification process will lay the groundwork for other combat search and rescue wings to obtain water bucket certification. continue reading

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Date: Fri, 04 Jul 2008
Received From: ALFRED L LEIDY
Subject: Fw: July 4th posting on Sacramento MOAA website

This Original message
From: “Herbert P. Holeman, Ph.D.”
Sent: Wednesday, July 2, 2008 11:44:35 AM
Subject: July 4th posting on Sacramento MOAA website

The Fourth of July is a special day for us. Illustrated on our website,
with this link
http://www.sacmoaa.org/

, are two examples worth viewing – The actions of baseball player, Rick Monday, at Dodger Stadium and that of 18,000 soldiers in a photo taken a long time ago.

Take a look!

Herb Holeman

MOAA Webmaster

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CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD TUITION BENEFITS STUDY

Due to federal requirements and our need to be ready for state emergencies, a strain is placed on our service members, their Families, and their employers.

In a December 2007 study conducted by the Military Department, 74% of the over 2,600 CNG members surveyed indicated that they would incur an additional service obligation to receive a state education benefit.

California is the only state that does not provide an educational benefit to members of its National Guard.

An education benefit will serve as an incentive and reward to our National Guard members and their Families for their service to the state by allowing them to achieve the goal of higher education without undue cost to the Family.

California has the smallest National Guard, as measured per capita of all of the states or territories. continue reading

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