January 2010 Archives

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) hosted a telephone town hall yesterday evening, fielding questions from a number of the thousands of constituents who participated from the comfort of their own homes.

A “Telephone Town Hall” operates like a large-scale conference call where constituents can hear from Congressman Sherman and ask him questions about major federal issues, including terrorism, health care, and the condition of the economy. Roughly 5,000 Valley residents participated in the 90 minute forum for varying periods of time.

“Thanks to the new technology, thousands more of my constituents are able to engage their congressman than would otherwise attend a town hall meeting. We had a good discussion about a variety of issues that are important to the daily lives of Valley residents – issues that the federal government is seeking to address,” said Congressman Brad Sherman. “Obviously, many people are concerned about the future of the economy.”

During Congressman Sherman’s Telephone Town Hall, Sherman elicited the input of his constituents by asking a series of survey questions about pressing issues. The results of survey questions follow:

In regard to foreign trade, I have been drafting legislation to revoke China’s Most Favored Nation status. When I discussed this legislation with President Obama, he said that he thought it would be too disruptive. What do you believe?

Introduce the legislation. - 62%

Do not introduce the legislation. - 17%

Undecided - 22%

Which statement best fits your view on Health Insurance Reform?

I support President Obama’s plan with a public option - 34%

We should adopt a “Single Payer” system and eliminate private health insurance companies - 23%

I support the Republican alternative - 20%

I do not support major changes in the law - 23%

Which statement best fits your views on the Middle East conflict?

We should strongly support Israel. - 47%

We should support Palestinians at least as much as we support Israel. - 29%

We should just stay out of the conflict. - 24%

In fighting the War on Terrorism, the federal government has taken steps to prevent another major terrorist attack on American soil that have curtailed civil liberties. Do you believe that?

The measures taken by the government have generally been necessary and appropriate to protect Americans from terrorism? - 37%

The measures have protected the United States, but more must be done to ensure that the government does not impede the rights of Americans? - 31%

The war on terrorism has greatly reduced American civil liberties and have not had a significant impact on the safety of Americans? - 32%

Which statement best fits your view of the legislative program of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)?

Strongly Agree - 6%

Moderately Agree - 21%

Neutral/Not Enough Information - 16%

Disagree - 57%

Which statement best fits your view of the legislative program of The Sierra Club?

Strongly Agree - 35%

Moderately Agree - 21%

Neutral/Not Enough Information - 20%

Disagree - 24%

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) issued the following statement concerning the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Committee, which overturned the long-standing ban on corporate contributions to federal election campaigns.

“It is clear that all elements of The Establishment are under attack from populism. The results in Massachusetts were not so much the victory of any political party, but another wave of populism rising against what voters perceived as the entrenched establishment.”

“Yesterday, the Supreme Court majority discarded their judicial robes and donned their political pinstripes to give the establishment the power to fight back --They effectively armed the Death Star so that the Empire can strike back.”

“I am not saying that five members of the Supreme Court self-consciously and conspiratorially decided to shred campaign finance reform laws in order to protect the establishment from the growing wave of populism. But they were willing to become judicial activists and overrule 100 years of Supreme Court precedents, in order to give corporate America the propaganda tools necessary to put out the fire of populism.”

Washington, D.C. - Yesterday, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) welcomed "Wounded Warrior" Daisy Fuentes on her first visit to Washington, DC and to his employ. Today, Fuentes returned to California to serve in Sherman’s San Fernando Valley office as part of the congressionally-funded Wounded Warrior Project.

Fuentes became a "Wounded Warrior" after developing a serious eye condition as a result of her deployment to Iraq. Without corrective surgery Fuentes risks losing her eye sight entirely.

The Wounded Warrior Project, seeks to honor and empower wounded warriors by raising awareness and enlisting the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women. The Wounded Warrior Project helps severely injured service members aid and assist each other, and provides unique, direct programs and services to meet these injured service members’ needs.

Fuentes achieved the rank of Corporal during her enlistment in the United States Marine Corps from March of 2005 through July of 2009. Fuentes worked as a Field Wireman in Ramadi, Iraq, operating and repairing digital and analog communication systems, and as an Administrative Clerk with technical supervisory duties, training, evaluating, and counseling personnel, along with other administrative duties. A native of El Salvador and current resident of Burbank, Fuentes is fluent in Spanish. She has one daughter, 18 month old Natalia, and will be helping Congressman Sherman’s constituents to cut through the red tape of federal bureaucracy.

"My staff and I welcome Daisy to our office with wide open arms and enormous gratitude for her service to our country," said Sherman. "I am pleased that I can do a small part to return an injured service member to civilian life and that Daisy is continuing to serve our country by helping people in the San Fernando Valley. I expect that Daisy’s administrative expertise and military experience will be particularly useful to the veterans who contact my office."

"I am excited by this opportunity and I appreciate what the Wounded Warrior Project is doing for people like me," said Fuentes. "I am excited by the challenge, and I am eager to help others during these challenging times, especially fellow veterans."

Fuentes is a recipient of the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, and a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. Prior to joining the United States Marine Corps, Fuentes attended Palomar College in San Marcos, California.

The 2009 Appropriations Supplemental, which Congress passed on Thursday, May 14, 2009, addressed serious concerns over funding for healthcare for our service members and veterans. The legislation included $488 million for wounded warrior complexes to help soldiers wounded in combat recover and remain on active duty or transition to civilian life and support families through this process. The funds will allow for the construction of seven new complexes, bringing the total around the country to 16.

Today, there are about 2.3 million men and women serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, active and reserve. Since 2003, more than 5,000 of them have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and over 35,000 have been wounded. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_armed_forces#cite_note-11; http://www.defense.gov/NEWS/casualty.pdf]

A picture of Congressman Sherman and Daisy Fuentes in the Congressman’s Washington DC office can be found by clicking here.

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) highlighted the availability of employment opportunities with the United States Census Bureau and the importance of the constitutionally-required decennial tally and demographic study to the Valley.

Right now, to conduct the 2010 census, the U.S. Census Bureau is hiring over 3,000 people to work in four San Fernando Valley offices: Canoga Park, Panorama City, and Burbank. Each of these offices will hire 1,000.

Additional offices are located in Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks. To find other offices in the region, visit the Census Bureau’s interactive map:
http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/how-to-apply/local-office-map.php

The Regional Census Center, which is the operational main office for the Local Census Offices, is located in Northridge. The Regional Census Center will also be filling a number of administrative positions.

“These are tough times for the Valley and the nation. The unemployment rate in Los Angeles County is estimated at 12.4 percent. For the unemployed, I certainly think that these census jobs are worth considering,” said Congressman Brad Sherman. “Finding qualified Valley residents will help the U.S. Census Bureau do a thorough job of reporting on the diversity of our community.”

The census is hiring now. These are temporary positions that will continue through the end of September 2010. Entry-level, census takers in these offices will earn $17.00 per hour. Supervisorial positions are also available. Generally, workers will be asked to work in their own communities. A valid driver’s license is required. However, aside from a background check, there is no special experience or educational attainment required, although an employment test is required for all Local Census Office Positions.

Census forms will be delivered or mailed to households in March 2010; households should complete and mail back their forms upon receipt. Census workers will visit households that do not return forms to take a count in person. Information shared with the U.S. Census Bureau is completely confidential.

The information collected for the census helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services, like bridges, tunnels, hospitals, schools, fire stations, and senior centers.

Applicants should call 866-861-2010 to schedule the next available exam in their area. For additional information on qualifications please visit: http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/.

I am pleased to report a major victory for consumers.  Last month, with my strong support, the House passed the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act with a strong bipartisan majority.

This legislation will end the unfair and deceptive practices of the credit card industry and protect consumers from the abusive tactics that have driven and continue to drive so many Americans deeper and deeper into debt.

The Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights will ban most retroactive interest rate hikes on existing balances (except when payments are more than 60 days late), double-cycle billing, and due date gimmicks.  The bill protects cardholders against arbitrary interest rate increases, empowers them to set limits on their credit that the credit card companies cannot exceed without the customer’s consent, and requires the card companies to allocate payments to pay-off first the debt that bears the highest interest rate.  It prohibits charging fees just to pay a bill by phone, or charging over-the-limit fees unless a consumer opts-in in advance.  It also prohibits issuing credit cards to minors, unless the minor has the ability to pay, or has parental consent.

With the passage of this legislation, the people of the San Fernando Valley will no longer face arbitrary interest rate hikes at any time and for any reason, or unfair, incomprehensible credit card agreements that can be revised at will.   The legislation also gives Americans the information and protections they need to make better decisions about their financial lives.

I am particularly pleased that this bill includes language that I have long pushed for, requiring the credit card companies to tell customers how long it will take them to pay off their credit card balance, and how much interest they will pay, if they make only the minimum monthly payment on their credit card balance.  This language will also tell customers how much they would need to pay each month in order to pay off their credit card balance in three years.  Seeing this information will help consumers to see the benefits of paying off credit card debt as quickly as they can and to understand the enormous costs of just making the minimum payment.

Congressman Brad Sherman, a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, represents portions of the San Fernando Valley

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) released the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest San Fernando Valley Census Report. At his request, the Census Bureau updated the report using detailed data from the 2008 American Community Survey (ACS). The first-ever Valley Census Report was released in December 2006, also at Sherman’s request.

The Valley Census Report offers an annual demographic snapshot of the San Fernando Valley to help community organizations, businesses, and government leaders make better-informed decisions affecting the Valley’s future and help our region compete for its fair share of funding for transportation improvements, housing, and social service programs.
"The Valley Census Report reveals that, compared to the average American, Valley residents continue to make more money, spend more of it on housing, and endure longer commutes to work," said Congressman Sherman. "The Valley has a rich cultural diversity and a highly educated workforce, but these tough economic times are presenting enormous challenges for many Valley families," added Sherman.

The more than 1.75 million people who live in the Valley exceed the populations of all but the four largest cities in the United States – New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston. The Valley’s population has increased 3.5% since the 2000 Census.

The Valley Census Report shows that Valley residents spend, on average, nearly a half-hour (29.4 minutes) commuting to work, which is 8% longer than the average Californian and 13% longer than the average American. In 2007, Congressman Sherman highlighted figures from the earlier Valley Census Report to convince officials in Sacramento to direct funding to Valley transportation projects, such as carpool lanes on the 5 and 405 Freeways.

Valley residents, on average, are more educated than other parts of the City and County with 118,575 people with graduate or professional degrees and another 239,705 with bachelor’s degrees. Since 2000, the Valley has had a 16.6% increase (59,689) in those with bachelor’s or advanced degrees.
In 2008, the median home value as self-reported on the American Community Survey form by respondents in the Valley ($560,500) was higher than Los Angeles County or California, and was nearly triple the U.S. median home value ($197,600). Of course, home prices have dropped substantially since 2008, both nationwide and in the Valley.

Also in 2008, over 50% of Valley homeowners (119,700) were spending 35% or more of their income on housing. Overall, the median monthly mortgage and homeowner’s costs had increased nearly 10% ($2,381 to $2,630) since 2000.

The report also shows that poverty remains a significant economic barrier for many Valley families (10.5% or over 55,680 households with incomes below $15,000), justifying the Valley’s requests for housing funds, as well as economic development and social service programs, including federal Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Although the poverty rate has decreased from 2000 to 2008 in the San Fernando Valley and the entire City of Los Angeles, we could expect figures to increase given the impact of this year’s economy.

"The 2008 ACS release gives us our first detailed data on Valley economic conditions following the onset of our current recession and a view of the impact of over $4.00 gas prices in 2008," explained Dr. William W. Roberts, Director of the San Fernando Valley Economic Research Center at California State University, Northridge. According to Dr. Roberts, Valley residents showed an increase between 2007 and 2008 in the use of carpools and public transportation by almost 17 percent each. "With the onset of our housing crisis there was a slight decline in owner occupied housing and a corresponding increase in renter occupied housing. Evidence appears of a slight shift in Valley employment away from production towards service and sales occupations," added Dr. Roberts. "Valley diversity remains strong and is a powerful force in maintaining stable Valley economic conditions."

Robert L. Scott, Director of the Mulholland Institute (a division of The Valley Economic Alliance) said that the "availability of San Fernando Valley Census data has helped in the process of forming a San Fernando Valley Council of Governments and will continue to provide supportive data to help our cities manage regional planning issues." "This data is crucial to our civic and government leaders in charting the course ahead," added Scott.

"As the economic development and business assistance program serving the San Fernando Valley, having access to Census data for this region is absolutely critical to the work we do" said Bruce Ackerman, President and CEO of The Valley Economic Alliance. "It allows us to tell the story about what is happening to our businesses, and to anticipate the types of services and programs they may need based on economic trends and patterns. We are truly indebted to Congressman Sherman for his efforts to help us secure this valuable information." 

Snapshot of the San Fernando Valley
With Comparison to the City of Los Angeles as a Whole