Archives

Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) was awarded an $8.2 million Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to hire 36 additional firefighters.

Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles) issued the following statement of support for President Obama’s Clean Power Plan (CPP). The CPP would place the first ever limits on carbon pollution from our nation’s power sector; the reductions from the CPP are also critical to meeting the U.S. emission reduction target of 26-28% by 2025, which is the foundation of the U.S. contribution to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations that are being held in Paris in December.

Yesterday afternoon, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-31) joined Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) in introducing H.R. 3337, the National Infrastructure Development Bank Act as a cosponsor. Rep. Aguilar listed a National Infrastructure Bank as a top priority in his Jobs Plan that was released earlier this year. The bank will facilitate funding for a number of critical transportation projects throughout California and the country—improving the roads, bridges and rails that millions of Americans rely on every day.

Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) issued the following statement in response to Senator Diane Feinstein’s (D-CA) introduction the California Emergency Drought Relief Act

Three defendants have been charged for underpaying employees on public works projects. No Sung Pak, 74, Hollywood, and Michael John Ferrin, 40, San Pedro, and Scott Sung Yang, 44, Los Angeles, are each charged with five felony counts of taking and receiving a portion of a worker’s wage on public works and one felony count of recording a false forged instrument.

Two men were convicted today of robbery in concert after breaking into two homes in Orange for the benefit of a criminal street gang. Andre Ricardo Pierson, 25, Inglewood, and Dwight Ladale Stephen, 26, Los Angeles, were found guilty by a jury of seven felony counts of first degree robbery of a dwelling in concert, one felony count of possession of a firearm by a felon with sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity and vicarious use of a firearm by a gang member. Pierson’s prior prison conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon in 2010, and Stephen’s prior conviction for unlawfully carrying a concealed firearm in 2008 were also found to be true

The Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) Report comes just weeks after Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-21) offered an amendment to the FY 2016 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill which instructed the BoR to complete and submit feasibility studies for two dam creation proposals and three dam expansion projects, of which, included the Shasta Dam expansion.

Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) issued the following statement in response to Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer introducing new legislation to address California’s drought problem. “I am very concerned about some provisions included in the bill that are similar to the House Republican water legislation that I strongly opposed. Responsible solutions that address short and long-term water shortages in the West should reflect input from all affected districts and their representatives without prioritizing certain economies or geographic regions at the expense of others

San Jose Downtown Association will expand its Street Life Project—which focuses on bringing more vibrancy to the city’s downtown core, with special events, outdoor activities, creative installations and other initiatives—as a way to engage residents in community life and create incentives for talented people to live and stay in the city. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is providing $625,000 in new funding to support the expansion over the next five years

The California Housing Finance Agency announced today that it had completely eliminated its reliance on the U.S. Treasury’s Temporary Credit Liquidity Program (TCLP), which had been introduced in 2009 to help housing finance agencies across the nation weather the housing crisis

Congressman Xavier Becerra (CA-34), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, spoke on the House Floor in opposition to H.R. 3009 — a counterproductive anti-immigrant bill that would deny funding to local law enforcement, following the tragic death of Kathryn Steinle in San Francisco.

Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) has signed on as an original co-sponsor of the Equality Act, comprehensive legislation to ban discrimination against LGBT individuals in public accommodations, housing, employment, and other core areas of daily life

The City of Oakland is violating constitutional protections for property rights and free speech — and unjustly raising costs for home buyers and businesses — by forcing builders of homes and commercial projects to fund art works that have no reasonable connection to any public needs created by their building projects

Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) led his California and Oregon House Democrat colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer opposing H.R. 2898, the Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015. The signatories include 19 California representatives – half of the California House Democratic Delegation – and three Oregon representatives, all who voted against H.R. 2898 last week

Rep. Paul Cook (R- Apple Valley) voted for HR 3009, the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act. This bill cuts off specific federal grants for sanctuary cities, states, and localities that defy federal immigration law. Under current law, states and localities must not “prohibit or in any way restrict” their local government officials or employees from sending to or receiving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) information regarding citizenship or immigration status of any individual.

As part of her work to ensure that foster youth are successful as they move into adulthood and to combat some of the startling statistics about former foster youth, Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) today joined the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth co-chairs Reps. Tom Marino (R-PA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Jim Langevin (D-RI), Diane Black (R-TN) and Trent Franks (R-AZ) to introduce H.R. 3160, the "Foster Youth Independence Act of 2015." This legislation will enable foster youth to continue to receive much-needed resources as they transition into adulthood and independence

Mayor Edwin M. Lee today issued the following statement on the Board of Supervisors’ final unanimous approval of the $310 million affordable housing bond measure for the November 2015 ballot. “Today this Board approved the largest affordable housing bond in the history of San Francisco – a $310 million housing bond that will not raise property taxes.

 Following through on his call for bold, forward-thinking solutions to address California’s historic drought crisis, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) announced that he and Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) have introduced bipartisan legislation to establish a smart water management pilot program meant to spur innovative projects. Rep. McNerney announced the Smart Energy and Water Efficiency Act at a roundtable discussion yesterday, in Stockton, CA, with technology innovators and representatives from the renewable energy, agriculture, business, and water recycling sector

For the tenth year running, schools from the Alliance to Save Energy’s (Alliance) PowerSave Campus Program are being honored with 2015 Best Practice Awards for their energy efficiency work by the California Higher Education Sustainability Conference (CHESC).

Mayor Edwin M. Lee today announced that San Francisco will leapfrog its efforts to protect the climate from harmful effects of diesel emissions by phasing out the use of petroleum diesel in the municipal fleet and replacing it with renewable diesel by the end of this year.