Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Assemblymember Toni Atkins ~ Majority Floor Leader ~ Representing the 78th District ~ November 2013 Newsletter Friends,


Assemblymember Toni Atkins ~ Majority Floor Leader ~ Representing the 78th District ~ November 2013 Newsletter
Friends,
My November E-News has a particular focus on veterans because of the upcoming Veterans Day holiday. There is also useful information about applying to and paying for college and resources for free and low-cost assistance with legal matters. Please also enjoy the photos of the many opportunities I have had to attend events within the 78th District now that I am home while the Legislature is on break until January 6. There is also information about a valuable forum I am hosting on the new health care coverage options for small businesses. Please click below for links to all of this news.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Warmly,
Toni Atkins
Majority Leader
78th Assembly District
~~~
November News 2013
IN THIS ISSUE:
~~~
A NOTE FROM TONI
Dear Friends,
This month, we honor those who served our nation in uniform on Veterans Day. Those who serve in uniform to defend our freedoms and our way of life deserve the honor and appreciation of every American. I look forward to being in the stands for San Diego's Veterans Day parade on November 11. But, beyond the parades and accolades, veterans also deserve our support in making a successful transition back to civilian life.
Women have served in our nation's military since the Revolutionary War and have had official recognition since 1901. Today, their numbers are rapidly increasing. California has the nation's second largest population of women veterans and San Diego has the second largest veteran population in our state.
I was honored recently to welcome participants in the California Women Veterans Leadership Conference to San Diego. California has the nation's second largest population of women veterans.
Women veterans are significantly more likely to be unemployed than their male counterparts or women non-vets. In part, this is due to the disproportionately high levels of mental health problems experienced by women vets, including the results of military sexual trauma (MTS), PTSD, alcohol and drug abuse, and relationship difficulties, as well as high rates of other service-related disabilities. The combination of these factors has led to women veterans being the fastest growing segment of our nation's homeless population, according to the federal government. Women veterans are also more likely to be single parents.
As a member of both the Women's Legislative Caucus and the Assembly Veterans Committee, I participated in a joint hearing late last month which focused entirely on MST. MST includes a range of negative experiences from sexual harassment to sexual assault and rape. Approximately one in five women and one in one hundred men in the Armed Services report experiencing MST to the Veterans Health Administration. A recent survey of California women veterans found an even higher percentage of MST, with 55.8% experiencing sexual harassment and 33.3% experiencing sexual assault.
No servicemember should be victimized or attacked by those with whom they serve. The Veterans Committee, the Women's Caucus, and the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) will continue working on eliminating this problem. CalVet and the California Research Bureau are creating a matrix of the sometimes overlapping jurisdictions responsible for MST so that we can streamline our services and make them easier for veterans to access. Additionally, the California National Guard is now tracking MST statistics separately from the federal Department of Defense and is expected to release these statistics in the next several weeks. This will enable policy-makers to better target resources designed to reduce MST.
In the meantime, there are resources available for survivors of MST. These include the San Diego County Veterans Services Officer, 858-694-3222; the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office, 1-800-827-1000; and the Center for Community Solutions, 858-272-5777. If you experienced MST and want to pursue criminal actions, regardless of veteran or active duty status, contact the local police.
Every veteran deserves our support this Veterans Day and every day. I am committed to making sure each of them receives the respect, gratitude, and services they are entitled to expect from us.
Warmly,
TONI
~~~
COLLEGE APPLICATIONS ARE DUE THIS MONTH
College is almost universally recognized as the ticket to a better life. A college degree means greater opportunity and choices. The knowledge and skills you gain can be used for the rest of your life. And education pays! Males between 24 and 34 years old can earn 54% more with a college degree than they can with only a high school diploma. Females in the same age group can earn 88% more. And a college degree helps you understand and adapt to the fast changing world around us.
Getting into college can seem like a daunting process. Following is information to help you navigate it all.
Applications are due at the end of November for students who hope to attend either the University of California – UCSD in our area – or the California State University -- locally SDSU or Cal State San Marcos -- next Fall. The websites linked below contain all of the information you need for filling out and submitting those applications. Along with the application form, students must also arrange to have their Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or ACT scores sent to the school admissions office. Information on how to do that is also included on these sites below. If your student is not quite ready to apply this month, these sites will also tell you about upcoming opportunities to apply.
Many families believe that they cannot afford a college education, so they don't even bother to have their child apply. However, the State of California is committed to assisting every qualified California student finance his or her education. The Cal Grant and Middle Class Scholarship Programs are designed to help students meet the costs of attending one of California's public universities. These financial aid programs have a March deadline, but it is best to apply right after the first of the year in order to ensure proper processing of your application.
The State of California is committed to assisting every qualified California student finance his or her education.
Cal Grants offer lower and middle class students up to $12,192 per year for a UC campus, $5,472 for a CSU, and $9,223 per year for a private college or university. There are also Cal Grants that pay for vocational or career/technical school expenses.
For those students who don't qualify for Cal Grants but are still priced out of public higher education by ever increasing fees and tuition, a new program called the Middle Class Scholarship Act that was passed by the Legislature in 2013 will assist. UC and CSU students with family incomes of $150,000 or less and at least a C average are eligible if their income exceeds the Cal Grant threshold. These scholarships will reduce the cost of attending a public university by as much as 40% when the program is fully in place in 2017.
More information about Cal Grants and Middle Class Scholarships is available at: www.asmdc.org/issues/fundingcollege.
It is never too early to begin to plan for your child's college education, even if she or he is still in elementary or middle school. The following resources can assist your family with that planning and help guarantee your child a brighter future: http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/issues/studentcenter/
~~~
FREE HELP WITH THE LAW AVAILABLE AT PUBLIC LAW LIBRARIES
One of the most valuable resources in our community is the system of County Law Libraries, which are funded by a portion of court filing fees. These libraries offer lawyer referral and court services information; computers for legal research; free access to legal databases; and fax machines, printers, and photocopiers. Knowledgeable staff are available to help in person, by phone, or via email.
While librarians cannot offer legal advice, they can assist with business or legal information about topics such as landlord/tenant disputes, creditor's lawsuits, termination of probation, divorce, child custody and support, starting a business, and how to buy a house. The librarians will assist you in locating legal materials in the library and instruct you on how to use the library's resources.
There are four libraries in our county. The most convenient for residents of the 78th Assembly District are the downtown branch at 1105 Front Street; the Vista branch in the North County Regional Center at 325 S. Melrose Dr. #300 in Vista; and the Chula Vista branch at 500 Third Avenue #150, inside the South Bay Courthouse. There is also a law library in El Cajon at 250 East Main Street. More information is available at www.sandiegolawlibrary.org or by calling 619-531-3900.
The Downtown Law Library also offers free legal clinics where you can have a brief consultation about your legal matter with a supervised law student or an attorney. These clinics are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and space is limited, so it is best to arrive early. This month, the Library hosts the following clinics:
Landlord/Tenant Free Legal Clinic
Tuesday, November 5th
2-4 pm
1105 Front St.
San Diego, CA 92101
Civil Law Clinic by the University Of San Diego
Thursday, November 21st
Noon – 2:30 pm
Topics include housing, finance, collections, consumer, etc.
No Family Law or Criminal Law matters will be addressed.
~~~
FREE OR LOW COST LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS
When you have a legal problem but are on a budget, it is difficult to know how to get proper legal representation. The following legal groups provide these services at no or low cost to you. Contact them directly for details about the services they offer.
Lawyer Referral and Information Service: Counselors will help you determine if your problem is legal in nature and what type of attorney you may need. They maintain a list of qualified attorneys to which clients may be referred for a free 30-minute consultation during which to discuss your options and what fees may be involved.
San Diego County Bar Association
(800) 464-1529
(619) 231-8585
North County Bar Association
(760) 758-4755
Elder Law & Advocacy: Offer civil legal services in subject areas concerning seniors, Medicare and Medicaid advocacy, and referrals to community senior service providers and many other services. The majority of services are free to seniors 60 and over. More information is available at www.seniorlaw-sd.org or by calling (858) 565-1392.
Modest Means Panel: This group is designed to assist clients who are having a Family Law dispute and are able to pay some amount for legal services, but who have limited financial resources. Clients must meet specific income and asset guidelines and are matched with attorneys who can assist them at a substantially reduced rate. Call for more information. (800) 464-1529 or (619) 231-8585.
Legal Aid Society of San Diego: Available for low income individuals with legal problems such as consumer, family disputes, welfare and health benefits, immigration, landlord/tenant disputes, disability support and family benefits payments. Information at www.lassd.org or by calling (877) 534-2524 or in North County (760) 722-1935.
Lifeline Community Services: A non-profit human services organization that offers a wide range of services to people in North County, including mediation, fair housing services, and a legal advice clinic. Oceanside (760) 757-0118 or Vista ((760) 726-4900.
San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program: A private, non-profit organizations offering free civil legal services for domestic violence prevention, guardianship, family law, AIDS law, immigration, children and youth law, class action and impact cases, elder law, and services to the homeless and non-profit organizations. Their website is www.sdvlp.org and their phone is (619) 235-5656 or (619) 235-5668. Phone on Monday or Tuesday between 9 and 11 am.
Small Claims Advisor: Run by the court system, free in-person assistance is available at the following locations – Kearny Mesa: (858) 634-1919 (info) and (858) 634-1777 (advisor); North County: (760) 201-8600.
~~~
JOIN ME IN HONORING SAN DIEGO'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY
November 11, 2013
11 am to 1:30 pm
Arrive early to get good seating, starts promptly at 11 am.
Harbor Drive from Grape Street to West Harbor Drive
Over 4,000 parade participants will march the route including active military, veterans organizations, marching bands, civic groups, dignitaries, floats and lots of veterans. See the parade, march in the parade, volunteer to help work the parade.
~~~
FORUM ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins Invites Small Business Owners to a Free Forum on the Affordable Care Act and Covered California (The California Health Benefit Exchange).
Presenters include representatives from COVERED CALIFORNIA and the Small Business Majority.
What do the new changes in the healthcare law mean for your business? Get answers to your insurance questions.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
7 am (Sign in)
7:30 am- 9 am (Program with Audience Q&A)
Joyce Beers Community Center
3900 Vermont St.
San Diego, CA 92103
(Near Hillcrest Trader Joe's)
Presenters include representatives from
~~~
AROUND THE DISTRICT
Apprentices at the Sheetmetal Workers Union Training Program showed me how to make a business card holder. This 5-year long state certified program trains young people in sketching, drafting, welding, reading specifications and plans and working on HVAC systems. Graduates have an extremely high success rate securing good paying jobs.
The Veterans Museum and Memorial Center was the location of a recent conference hosted by the Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet.) It is an opportunity for veterans and organizations who serve them to interact with CalVet leadership on state services for vets. I was honored to welcome them and to showcase the Veterans Museum, which is located on Park Blvd at the old Naval Hospital site.
I recently spoke with the Board of Directors of the California Attractions and Parks Association at their conference held at Legoland. CAPA represents amusement parks and other family attractions, from the large entities such as Sea World and the San Diego Zoo to small, more local, visitor destinations. The amusement park industry is an important economic engine for our state, supporting 125,000 jobs and bringing in $12 billion annually.
The legislative break from September until January gives me an opportunity to meet with the many important community groups in the 78th AD. Here, I was able to speak with the members of the Kensington/Talmadge (KenTal) Planning Group.
I was thrilled to attend the grand opening of the new San Diego Central Library in downtown and have an opportunity to spend time with three of its champions – Senator Christine Kehoe, who helped secure funding for the library; Rob Quigley, architect for this beautiful building; and Jim Dawe, long time advocate for a new central library and enthusiastic supporter of libraries throughout San Diego.
Team Toni had a great time staffing a water station for September's AIDSWalk, San Diego's largest one-day fundraiser for programs providing services for those living with HIV and AIDS.
~~~~~~~
Capitol Office:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849 
Sacramento, CA 94249-0078 
Tel: (916) 319-2078
Fax: (916) 319-2178
District Office:
1350 Front Street
San Diego, CA 92101
Tel: (619) 645-3090
Fax: (619) 645-3094
~~~~~~~
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)