Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I was unfortunately delayed by a meeting and was unable to cast a vote on rollcall 111 on the evening of March 19, 2012. I would have voted ``aye'' on H.R. 3992--``To allow otherwise eligible Israeli nationals to receive E 2 nonimmigrant visas if similarly situated United States nationals are eligible for similar nonimmigrant status in Israel.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise again this morning to highlight the epidemic of rape and sexual assault in the military. I'm here to decry a code of dishonor that protects rapists and punishes victims. I'm here to call out an entrenched chain of command that squashes reports of sexual assault because they bring unwanted attention to the unit.

I stand here today, as I have 15 previous times, to tell the story of a U.S. servicemember who was raped by a fellow servicemember and then robbed of justice by an unfair system that puts too much power in the hands of a single commander.

The current system of injustice is shamefully unfair. The story I'm about to tell is of Airman First Class Jessica Nicole Hinves of the United States Air Force, whose attempt for justice was snatched away by a single commander who was only on the job for 4 days and reversed a decision to move forward with a court-martial.

The Department of Defense estimates that more than 19,000 servicemembers were raped or sexually assaulted in 2010, yet only 13 percent of them actually reported the rape; and of those 13 percent, only 8 percent of the perpetrators were prosecuted and an even smaller number were convicted.

Airman First Class Jessica Nicole Hinves, a former member of the Air Force, was raped in 2009 by a coworker who broke into her room through the bathroom at approximately 3:00 a.m. She sought medical care and bravely reported the rape. Friends of the rapist began harassing her, but Airman Hinves was not intimidated. She rightly pursued the matter through the military's justice system, and the rapist was scheduled to stand trial in his court-martial.

But the airman who raped Airman Hinves was never prosecuted. His new commander intervened and halted the court-martial. The new commander had only been on the job for 4 days and had no legal training, but still he dismissed the prosecution and the man who raped Airman Hinves never was brought to justice. Only 4 days on the job, and the new commander intervened in the judicial proceedings.

So what happened next? Well, the rapist was given the award for Airman of the Quarter, and Airman Hinves, who was then transferred to another base, now suffers from severe panic attacks and anxiety.

Who can blame a victim for not wanting to report a rape or other humiliating assault? The current process for adjudicating sexual assault and rape in the military is shockingly unjust and is more likely to punish a victim than a perpetrator.

Airman Hinves was the victim of a violent crime. In response, she did everything right. But one commander's decision stood in the way of a fair proceeding against the perpetrator.

In the current military chain of command, commanders can issue virtually any punishment or, in this case, the rapist was not punished at all because the command has complete authority and discretion over how a degrading and violent assault under their command is handled.

Command discretion empowers the commander to decide if a case goes forward to court-martial. The same commander is empowered to determine which JAG officer will serve as prosecutor, which will serve as defense counsel, who oversees the investigation, and even serve as convening authority and, in nonjudicial cases, determine disciplinary action. All these functions are given to the discretion of one person. Simply put, command discretion sets up a dynamic fraught with conflict of interest and potential abuse of power.

This chain of command must be disrupted. We can no longer accept that victims of rape and abuse are beholden to the judgment of a single superior. Instead, victims should have the benefit of impartiality by objective experts, which is what my bill, H.R. 3435, the STOP Act does.

The STOP Act would take the prosecution, reporting, oversight, investigation, and victim care of sexual assaults out of the hands of the normal chain of command and place the jurisdiction in the hands of an impartial office staffed by experts, both military and civilian, but retain it in the military.

Now you've heard the story of Airman Hinves. I will continue to tell stories like hers until this broken system is fixed. I promise to continue to speak out for those who have been victims of sexual assault or rape in the military.

I urge you to write me at [email protected].

Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to say to Rush Limbaugh, ``Shame on you.''

Shame on you for being the hatemonger that you are. Shame on you for being misogynistic. Shame on you for calling the women of this country sluts and prostitutes, because that's what he did.

Ninety-eight percent of the women in this country, at some time in their lives, use birth control. And yet he went on the air recently and called Sandra Fluke a slut and a prostitute because she was trying to access birth control pills as a third-year law student at Georgetown.

So I say to the women in this country, Do something about this. I say to the women of this country, Ask Century 21, Quicken Loans, Legal Zoom, and Sleep Number to stop supporting the hatemongering of Rush Limbaugh, and if they do not do that, then I ask them to boycott those companies.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 1837, the so-called San Joaquin River Reliability Act. This bill should be called the San Joaquin River Runs Dry Act. It will literally divert water from fishing and farming communities in California and send it right into the open arms of agribusiness.

The author and backers of this bill don't want a sustainable water policy for California. Instead, they want to overturn a century of California law that protects healthy waterways for fish, crops, and drinking supplies.

This bill should be called the GRAB Act, Give Rights to Agribusiness. It represents an unprecedented intrusion on States' water rights by the Federal Government. This goes beyond California and would affect water policy across the Western States.

Taking water away from farmers and fishermen struggling to make ends meet is bad for our economy and bad for our country. I urge my colleagues to protect States' rights, to support farming and fishing families, and vote against this extreme overreach of a bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor San Mateo City Councilmember John Lee as he ends his 12 years of service to the people of San Mateo. John was first elected to the city council in 1999 and was re-elected by substantial margins in both 2003 and 2007. He is a 28-year resident of San Mateo and has been actively involved in public affairs on the San Francisco Peninsula for many decades.

John Lee served the residents of San Mateo County as a Board Member and Chair of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority. The authority makes tough choices about how to spend taxpayer money on public road and transit improvements. In his role on the authority, John voted on public improvements that speed the travel of millions of county and regional residents, annually. It takes a savvy board member to rank projects according to their merit and to resist the temptation to simply cast a vote to please a special interest. John had no trouble saying ``yes'' to the public's interest in all the votes that he cast.

Over several decades, John has been vigorous in community affairs as an active member of at least two Chambers of Commerce: Redwood City and San Mateo. Quite unusually for a person who also had a growing business, John Lee found time to serve as President of both Chambers of Commerce during his service on their boards. In his community service and private sector public policy positions, John worked on legislative affairs and membership development, and he could always be relied upon to work well with my office and those of any elected official.

John is a 31-year member of the San Mateo Rotary Club and has been a board member of Jobs for Youth and the American Heart Association. He has been a passionate advocate for housing the less fortunate in San Mateo County, and in his job as councilmember he has served as the city's liaison to Housing Our People Effectively (HOPE). He can be counted on to attend any groundbreaking for affordable housing, and has spoken forcefully about the need to house teachers, firefighters, clerks, and others who need affordable shelter, during his public and private sector service.

As a past board member of the San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA), John helped this public policy group nurture San Mateo County's entrepreneurial culture. He also was a cofounder of Telogy, a high technology company. Telogy eventually employed 450 persons with John serving as Senior Vice President of Operations prior to his retirement.

There are many characteristics of John Lee that mark him as a man of quite greatness, but I must close my remarks by noting John's devotion to this Nation through his 22 years in the United States Marine Corps. John served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. He rarely raises his distinguished service to this Nation, but you can learn all that you need to learn about his devotion to America by watching him while he says the pledge of allegiance and listens to the Star Spangled Banner. A handful of people feel these moments so deeply that their eyes tear up. John is one of these amazing few.

With honor, in dignity, and at many times with valor, John Lee has served his fellow citizens over decades that spanned two centuries. Like other Americans who are local heroes, John Lee will be remembered as a strong, articulate man who exemplifies this Nation's quiet courage and great resourcefulness in the face of all challenges. I salute him upon his latest retirement, this time from the City Council of the City of San Mateo, California.

Mr. Speaker, let us always remember John Lee. America has been built by him, and by other men and women like him, who preserve this nation's liberty through their daily examples of duty to God, country and community. We are all greatly blessed by the contributions of retiring city councilmember John Lee, an American in heart and soul.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Sister William Eileen Dunn, a dear friend who

is leaving Seton Medical Center after 30 years of compassionate care and service. Her dedication to the Daly City community and to the health and betterment of the sick and less fortunate has been deeply inspirational. It is impossible to not feel blessed by her presence and her healing touch.

Sister William Eileen was born in San Francisco as one of two twin sisters to the late William and Eileen Dunn. She attended St. John's Ursuline grade and high school and then earned her R.N. diploma from Mary's Help School of Nursing in San Francisco. The school was sponsored and operated by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. She then entered the Daughters of Charity religious community and earned her BSN from Marillace College in St. Louis, Missouri.

Her assignments from the Daughters of Charity took Sister Eileen across the country. In 1964, she started out as a staff nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital in Alton, Illinois and continued on to Hotel Dieu Hospital in El Paso, Texas as the supervisor of OB/GYN and emergency services. In 1968 she came back to California and worked as supervisor of emergency services at Mary's Help Hospital--today's Seton Medical Center--in Daly City. In 1978 she transferred to O'Connor Hospital in Campbell as patient advocate, then as administrative coordinator of the chemical abuse unit, emergency and outpatient/OR services, and subsequently as director of the pastoral care department.

In 1984, Sister William Eileen moved south to Los Angeles and became the patient advocate at St. Vincent's Medical Center. Three years later she returned to the Bay Area as the administrator of Laboure Residence in Los Altos Hills and in 1992, she became chair of the board of directors at O'Connor Hospital. Simultaneously, she managed the St.Vincent de Paul free dining room in Oakland from 1992 2002.

In 2002, Sister William Eileen returned to Seton Medical Center and the following year started serving as Vice-President of Mission Integration, a position she held until today. She will now move on to Villa Sienna in Mountain View and serve as the mission leader at this Daughters of Charity assisted living facility.

This year she celebrates 50 years as a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Last year she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daly City/Colma Chamber of Commerce. In 2008, she received the Daly City Mayor's Citizen of the Year Award.

It may come as a surprise that Sister William Eileen--or Sister Miscellaneous as she calls herself--is an avid sports fan. She barely misses a game on TV. Every year she kicks off the annual Seton golf tournament and is known to have promised divine intervention--for a certain fee.

About four years ago, Sister William Eileen and Kathy King, executive director of Seton, got wind that Jerry Rice would be playing a golf tournament at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay. They may have had some heavenly help and found out exactly when Jerry Rice was playing. Both of them literally ran up a hill, chasing him and asking to have their picture taken with him. It's a true story! Sister has the photo to prove it.

Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to honor the selfless service of Sister William Eileen Dunn, a guardian angel for every person she befriends, and wish her the best for her new assignment at Villa Sienna.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend San Carlos City Council Member Brad Lewis who is leaving the council after filling the remaining time in the term of the late and much-beloved Mayor Omar Ahmad. Councilman Lewis is an idealist, an artist and a pragmatist all rolled into one.

Mr. Lewis is an idealistic community leader. For example, he served for five years on the Parks and Recreation Commission wrestling with exploding participation in youth sports activities. The city has little ability to find new fields or play space, but Mr. Lewis worked diplomatically with residents to ensure that children had a chance to participate in sports despite the constraints.

In part due to his skills as a Commissioner, he was elected to serve four years on the San

Carlos City Council from 2005 through 2009. In 2006 his colleagues elected him as Vice Mayor, and in 2007 they elected him Mayor. It was in these positions that he showed his skills as a pragmatist.

For example, during his first term on the city council San Carlos took a major step forward in meeting regional medical needs with the approval of a new hospital. When the economy nosedived in the wake of the global credit crunch of 2008, Mr. Lewis and his colleagues on the council took prudent, painful and necessary steps to balance the city's budget. He also participated in many other decisions leading to economic development within the city, resulting in projects that will bear fruit in the years ahead.

In 2011, San Carlos' Mayor passed away unexpectedly and the city council reached out to a seasoned resident--Brad Lewis--to fill the remaining months of Mayor Ahmad's term. There is no question that the council chose wisely because it took no time at all for Brad Lewis to learn the status of current issues and to adapt to council business. He is to be highly commended for serving these past few months in this challenging, basically volunteer position.

Mr. Lewis is an artist at heart and as a professional. While Mayor in 2007, he found time to win an Oscar for producing the Pixar film Ratatouille. He co-directed the 2011 Pixar hit Cars 2 and has to his credit two Emmys and two Clio Awards. This is a man of unusual talents, and obviously one who cuts ribbons opening new businesses in town all the while cutting a swath through Hollywood.

In fact, Mr. Lewis' career has spanned decades in the television and animation business, having worked for Pacific Data Images, PDI, for over 13 years as vice president of productions, Pixar Animation Studios starting in November 2001, and Digital Domain's Tradition Studios division in Florida as of July 2011 where he is serving as director for a project set to release in 2014.

As Mr. Lewis said in an interview just a few weeks ago, he moved to San Carlos because a close friend lived in the city and because as a father he wanted to reduce a lot of the unknowns related to raising a child. He has two children, Jackson, age 22, and Ella, age 8\1/2\. His wife, Regina, has been an enormous source of support to him during his public service.

Mr. Speaker, San Carlos is a wonderful place to raise children, and Mr. Lewis has directly contributed to that family spirit through his leadership. He is now leaving the council and, at least for a time, leaving San Carlos as he makes his way in this next phase of his career. We have no doubt that he will return, however, to full-time residence and to the city that he has helped to shape for the betterment of all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the Service League of San Mateo County which for a half-century has provided services and created hope for thousands of county jail inmates and their families. The compassionate volunteers and staff work tirelessly to make certain inmates and former inmates have access to programs, services and support networks they need to re-enter the community as contributing citizens and responsible family members.

Every day the Service League helps individuals who have lost their way get a step closer to productive lives and benefits our entire community by reducing criminal activity and recidivism. I am privileged to be a member of the Advisory Board of this great organization.

Under the outstanding leadership of executive director Mike Nevin, the Service League continues to offer a broad range of programs covering humanitarian, educational, substance abuse, recovery, spiritual and personal growth services. While some of the needs of inmates may seem obvious, such as contact with attorneys, probation officers and employers, the Service League also the less obvious needs. The ``Jury Trial Clothes'' program, for example, levels the playing field for inmates who are unable to afford clothing suitable for court appearances, jail procedures, or facility programs. The Service League solicits donations and dresses inmates for trial. ``Inmate Orientations'' are held twice weekly to provide information to newly- jailed individuals about the correctional process and facility programs, such as AA, NA, and church services. ``Outreach to Families'' of inmates provides friendly support, referral, advocacy and emergency assistance. The County Office of Education offers GED tutoring and testing at some facilities and the Service League supports this effort by training volunteers to tutor inmates one on one.

The Service League also operates six Hope Houses, two residential homes for women, two transitional homes for women and two transitional homes for men. Those facilities truly live up to their name! Karen Francone-Hart, director of the Service League, started the first six- bed Hope House in 1990. Thinking back to that time, Karen reflects that ``each day, each step reminded me of nurturing a new infant.''

Hope Houses provide a 180-day residential treatment program for women who are involved in the criminal justice program. These women are prepared to become responsible, productive and independent members of the community while living in a safe, nurturing and clean environment. After completing the 180-day treatment program, the women are allowed to move into a transitional living program--Hope House II--as long as they stay employed or are attending school. The success of this program speaks for itself: 85% of the women who complete the program are reunited with their children, 70% remain clean, sober and crime free and 60% become gainfully employed.

Diane Joiner is one of the women who found her path through Hope House. While she was in jail, she participated in the ``Hope Inside'' program, a group led by the Hope House staff. When she was released, she sought residential treatment at a Hope House. She graduated from the 180 day program and is now happily employed by Goodwill Industries where she received a promotion shortly after being hired. Diane was given a second chance, regained her life and is now a proud, productive member of our community.

Mr. Speaker, the volunteers and staff of the Service League of San Mateo County recognize the humanity in every single member of our society. I ask this body to rise with me to honor their passion to build a better tomorrow for all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Foster City Councilmember Rick Wykoff for his decades of public service on the occasion of his retirement on December 5, 2011. He served on the City Council for the last ten years and was city manager from 1977 1994.

I have known Rick for over 30 years and have witnessed his dedication to, and passion for, our community. He thrived in the many positions he has held over the years throughout California.

Foster City is extraordinarily fortunate that Rick offered his experience as city manager, his wisdom and talent to the city council for

the last decade. On his watch, the council oversaw multiple public and private development projects, among them the building of City Hall, the Teen Centre Vibe, the North Peninsula Jewish Community Center, the redevelopment of Miramar and Marlin Cove and the redevelopment of the Gilead Science Campus, the Pilgrim/Triton and Chess/Hatch projects. Everyone in Foster City has benefitted from Rick's outstanding work.

Rick was born in Sacramento. He earned his Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Public Administration from San Diego State University and the University of Southern California respectively.

Before attending college, Rick worked as a beach life guard for the United States Coast Guard from 1960 64. While attending San Diego State University, he became an administrative intern in Oceanside in San Diego County in February 1968. That was clearly where he caught the public service bug. The same year Rick became the administrative assistant to the city manager of Yorba Linda in Orange County where he stayed for two years. From 1970 73, he was assistant manager and administrative assistant in Buena Park, Orange County, until he became the manager for this city of 62,000 residents.

In 1977 Rick moved north to the San Francisco Peninsula to assume his position as city manager of Foster City. He successfully dealt with past political and administrative turmoil and put in place a professional team that managed the needs of the city. Rick also served as manager of the Estero Municipal Improvement District and as executive director to the Redevelopment Agency.

From 1994 95, he served as interim public works director of South San Francisco where he oversaw a freeway interchange and railroad grade separation. He returned to the department in 1997 as a special Projects coordinator. The same year he became interim director of Community Redevelopment in Morgan Hill and acting public works director in Daly City. During his time in Daly City, Mother Nature presented Rick with a special challenge: an ``El Nino'' that year with heavy rains, wind and mudslides made his work overseeing streets and storm drains no picnic, but of course he saw the city through this most difficult of times.

From 1999 2000, Rick served as interim public works director in San Bruno. He was deeply involved in the negotiations regarding the BART station and the extension of underground lines through the city.

Rick has also served on the boards of directors of numerous organizations including the Industrial Emergency Council, the ABAG Plan Corp., the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency and the San Mateo County Advance Life Support Joint Powers Authority. Additionally he has 30 years of experience as a volunteer fire fighter.

Rick married his wife Judie 48 years ago and they raised two children, Carey and Dennis.

Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to honor the work of Rick Wykoff, my friend and an extraordinary public servant who has improved the lives of tens of thousands of Californians.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Bruce Hamilton who is retiring as Executive Director of HIP Housing after eight years of outstanding leadership.

I share many things with Bruce: a deep friendship, a birthday and a passion for his organization that has enabled thousands of San Mateo County residents to live independently and self-sufficiently in safe, low-cost homes.

Attending a HIP Housing graduation officiated by Bruce Hamilton is a bit like attending a revivalist meeting. Men, women and children traipse to the microphone for over an hour and tell stories of how HIP Housing and their own will power set them on the straight and narrow. A man just down on his luck found a home in which he can be both an aide and a friend to the homeowner. Rent? Sure, it's important to the homeowner, but in the world of Bruce and HIP Housing, what matters most is that yet another man became a success. A young mother with an abusive husband found a safe haven for herself and her three children. Another woman explained how she came to HIP and developed her life and parenting skills, earned her GED and landed a job. Bruce beamed like a proud dad. We often proclaim that we should ``Make it in America''. Well, Bruce Hamilton and HIP Housing make human dignity by the boatload in America, every day and all year long. Now that's a product worth making.

Before Bruce joined HIP Housing, he held an impressive variety of positions all over the country. He was the Executive Director of the Alliance on Aging in Monterey, California, Administrator at the Unitarian Church in Palo Alto, California; Executive Director of the State Bar of Arizona/Arizona Bar Foundation in

Phoenix, Arizona, Director of the-State Bar of California in San Francisco, California, County Supervisor in Lancaster County, Nebraska, Partner in the Law Offices of Hamilton, German & Robinson in Lincoln, Nebraska, Assistant Director of the American Bar Association in Chicago, Illinois and Public Defender at the Legal Aid Agency in Washington, DC.

Bruce's career is a clear testament to his passion for public service, justice and our democracy and so are his commitments in his spare time. He has volunteered for a long list of organizations including the Peace Corp in Ethiopia, the Housing Leadership Council, Thrive, HEART, Meals on Wheels, Community Health Care Corporation, Work Force Investment Board and United Way in Monterey County.

Bruce was born in 1942 in Lincoln, Nebraska. He received his BS in Secondary Education and his J.D. Degree from the University of Nebraska.

He is the proud father of his son Alfred and grandfather of Ashley and Lindsey.

Mr. Speaker, Bruce Hamilton personifies the old adage, ``Walk a mile in my shoes.'' Bruce has walked many miles in the shoes of many of his clients over the years of his service to our community, and it is due to his capacity to empathize that he is being honored upon his retirement. His is a life's work well done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Arthur Gensler who today is receiving the 2011 Silver Spur Award from San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR). This award recognizes a lifetime of civic achievement of a San Franciscan.

San Francisco is not alone in benefitting from Mr. Gensler's vision, creativity and leadership; his impact is global. In 1965 he founded Gensler, a San Francisco based architecture and design firm, that has grown from a three-person office to a 3000-person firm with over 30 offices worldwide. Mr. Gensler transformed interior design into a recognized profession and his firm serves as a model for design professions in the 21st century.

Gensler designed the stunning new Terminal 2 at SFO, located in my district, and Terminal B at Norman Mineta International Airport in San Jose. Other notable projects include the Toys R Us store at Times Square in New York, the Avenue of the Stars CAA building in Los Angeles, Jet Blue Terminal 5 at JFK, Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, the first LEED certified car dealership in McKinney, Texas and Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China which is currently under construction. Among the many Awards Gensler received are the American Institute of Architects' IDP Outstanding Firm Award, Contract Magazine's Legend Award, Interior Design Hall of Fame, U.S. Green Building Council Leadership Award, the Lifetime Achievement award from Ernst & Young LLP, and AIA's Architecture Firm Award, the highest honor that AIA can bestow on an architecture firm for consistently producing distinguished architecture.

Mr. Gensler is a graduate of Cornell University, which named him ``Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year'' in 1995. Today he serves on the Advisory Council of Cornell's College of Architecture, Art and Planning. Mr. Gensler has also been a Visiting Professor at Arizona State University, Cornell, and the University of California at Berkeley, where he is on the Advisory Board of the Haas School of Business. He is a Trustee of the National Building Museum, Washington, DC, and the Buck Institute for Aging, Novato, California. Mr. Gensler is a Fellow of both the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) and the International Interior Design Association (FIIDA), which honored him with its Star Award. He is also a professional member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and a co-founder of the AIA's National Interior Architecture Committee.

Mr. Gensler and his wife of over six decades, Drue Gensler, live in Mill Valley. They

are the proud parents of four sons and ten grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to acknowledge the craft, talent and lasting impressions of Art Gensler.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Dale Minami who today is receiving the 2011 Silver Spur Award from San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR). This award recognizes a lifetime of civic achievement of a San Franciscan.

Mr. Minami is one of the country's preeminent attorneys recognized for his civil rights leadership. He is best known for heading the legal team in Korematsu v. United States, the legendary Supreme Court case that overturned the wrongful criminal conviction of Fred Korematsu who refused internment during World War II.

Mr. Minami is a personal injury attorney with Minami Tamaki LLP and has made significant contributions to the advancement of the rights of Asian-Americans. Minami is a co-founder of the Asian Law Caucus, the Asian-American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, the Asian Pacific Bar of California and the Coalition of Asian-Pacific Americans.

Other landmark decisions he was involved in include United Filipinos for Affirmative Action v. California Blue Shield, the first class action employment lawsuit brought by Asian-Pacific Americans on behalf of Asian-Pacific Americans; Spokane JACL v. Washington State University which established an Asian American Studies program at the Washington State University; and Nakanishi v. UCLA, a claim for unfair denial of tenure which resulted in the granting of tenure after multiple hearings and widespread publicity over discrimination in academia.

Mr. Minami has been involved in the judicial appointment process and in public policy. He was a member of the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission and chaired the California Attorney General's Asian Pacific Advisory Committee. He served as a commissioner on the California State Bar Association's Commission on Judicial Nominees' Evaluation and Senator Barbara Boxer's Judicial Screening Committee. President Clinton appointed him chair of the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund in 1996. Mr. Minami specializes in personal injury and entertainment law and has represented well known clients such as Kristi Yamaguchi, Philip Kan Gotanda and Steven Okazaki. He is counsel to the Asian American Journalists Association and has also represented many of San Francisco's best known faces on television, including Sydnie Kohara, Lawrence Karnow, Vic Lee, Heather Ishimaru and David Louie.

He received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Southern California in 1968 and his J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law at UC Berkeley in 1971. He was admitted to the California Bar in 1972. In 1982, he was admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Among his many awards and recognitions, Mr. Minami received the American Bar Association's 2003 Thurgood Marshall Award, the 2003 ACLU Civil Liberties Award, and the State Bar President's Pro Bono Service Award. A dormitory at UC Santa Cruz was named Queen Liliuokalani-Minami Dormitory. Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to acknowledge Dale Minami's extraordinary work and lasting contributions to justice and equality in the Asian American community and our community at large.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Sergeant Elmer ``Bob'' Eastman for his 29 years of service with the South San Francisco Police Department. He will be missed by his fellow officers who praise him as a go-getter, team player, leader, master detective and trainer.

Sergeant Eastman started at the South San Francisco Police Department as an officer in May 1982 and was promoted to sergeant in February 1998. He served as a special agent with the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force and was a founding member of the San Mateo County's North- Central Regional SWAT Team.

He remembers 1998 as one of the best times in his life. He weighed 219 pounds. To get on the SWAT team he had to lose 50 60 pounds--and he did by running with a buddy every single day.

Sergeant Eastman's perseverance is matched by his optimism and sense of humor. He came close to being killed in the line of duty twice, once in a shootout on El Camino Real, the other time when a suspect in a drug case tried to run him over with a car, or as he puts it, ``Bob's on the hood.''

From 1992 95, he worked as an undercover agent in San Mateo County. He says he bought any drug imaginable and looked like Charles Manson. His wife was not fond of that look. In fact she banished him to the back of the church in those days.

Sergeant Eastman volunteered for 16 years as the original drill instructor for the county's Peninsula Explorer Academy and he was the president of the South San Francisco Police Activity League from 1987 to 1989.

He was born in New Jersey in 1958, but spent his childhood in Sydney, Australia. He attended Ku-Ring-Gai High School before transferring to Menlo-Atherton High School when his family moved to the Bay Area in 1974.

Before he started his career in law enforcement, Sergeant Eastman served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army National Guard.

Sergeant Eastman and his wife Kerry will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary next year. They have two children, David and Janelle. In his retirement he will no doubt enjoy more time with his family and friends and find ways to keep his quick wit and creativity engaged.

He applies the same optimism he has applied to his work to his life. Faced with serious health challenges, Sergeant Eastman says life is wonderful and he is going to live every day to the fullest.

Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to honor Sergeant Elmer ``Bob'' Eastman for his decades of dedication to public service and for keeping the residents of South San Francisco safe.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Brisbane City Councilmember Steven W. Waldo for his 18 years of service to the people of Brisbane. During his four terms as the Mayor and five terms as the Mayor Pro Tem, Steve used a keen and analytical mind on every issue that he confronted. He has the rare skill of bringing discussions to a vote.

I met Steve in 1989 when he first ran for City Council and have witnessed his years of tireless dedication to our community and to public affairs on the San Francisco Peninsula. He personifies the can- do attitude of the residents of Brisbane who love their small town.

Steve has been a driving force in maintaining Brisbane's character and the quality of life for all residents. He has worked hard to balance Brisbane's thriving economy with the preservation of the town's natural beauty.

Steve deeply appreciates the pristine open space on San Bruno Mountain. One of his long-lasting accomplishments was the preservation of over 3000 acres of open space to protect the endangered Calippe Silverspot and Mission Blue butterflies. The City Council revised the design for 37 single-family homes on the Northeast Ridge after weeks of public input and discussions with the council and the planning department. It was the first time a community in the United States had developed a habitat conservation plan, HCP, and it served as a model for an amendment to the Endangered Species Act.

In the early 1990s the town was proposing to build a city hall in the center of town. Steve advocated successfully to create a community park instead. Today that park is a popular location for picnics and concerts that are bringing the community together.

Around the same time a proposal for a casino on Sierra Point didn't sit well with Steve. He campaigned against it and the proposal was soundly defeated.

Steve is also an enthusiastic and tenacious advocate for education. He has fought for the local schools and worked closely with the school district to ensure that future generations had access to quality education.

Steve, a native of Palo Alto, graduated cum laude from Harvard College in 1970 and earned a law degree from Hastings College of Law in 1974. He worked for 24 years at the law firm of Severson & Werson in San Francisco and for 10 years as chief legal officer of CPP, Inc., a publishing company in Mountain View.

Steve and his wife of 30 years, Patricia Franklin Waldo, have three daughters, Amanda, Rebecca and Hilary, and one son, Lloyd Stevens Waldo.

Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to rise with me to honor the life and work of Steve Waldo who has made the city of Brisbane a better place for residents and visitors alike.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Rex Eugene Geitner who has been selected as the 2011 Farmer of the Year by the San Mateo County Farm Bureau. Rex has cultivated land from the Midwest to California where he has grown some of the best wines in the world.

Rex was born on August 6, 1950, in Davenport, Iowa, while his mother was visiting her sister. He then grew up in the family's hometown of Peoria and several other rural communities in Illinois. The family owned and operated a small farm near Elmwood which is where Rex developed his love for the land.

In 1966, the family moved to Orange, California, where Rex entered his junior year at Orange High School. He took classes in agriculture, became active in the Future Farmers of America, and raised steers until graduation.

In 1972, Rex moved to Napa where the region was just starting to transform itself into one of the most respected and famous wine areas. Rex began his career by cleaning hillside land that was then planted with Cabernet Sauvignon. Sterling Vineyards acquired the land and kept him as their vineyard manager. From those humble beginnings, Rex evolved to be one of Napa's most experienced and sought after viticulturalists and hillside developers. During his ascent, he worked for well-known vineyards such as Stag's Leap, Domaine Chandon, Spring Mountain Vineyards and many others. Rex also took several courses about viticulture and enology at UC Davis.

In the 1990s, Rex started a business that designed and developed environmentally responsible hillside vineyards. One of his clients, T.J. Rodgers, eventually hired him full-time. According to Dr. Rodgers, his company had to court Rex for five years until he decided that he ``was ready to focus on making the world's best Pinot Noir.''

Rex and his wife of 37 years, Amy, raised their children, Alison and Michael, in Napa. After living in the wine country for 27 years, Amy and Rex headed for the coast and now live in El Granada. However, Rex did not leave the wine business behind; he is now developing the winery and vineyards for Clos de la Tech. He also has served as the board president of the San Mateo County Farm Bureau since 2009.

Mr. Speaker, the San Mateo County Farm Bureau is right to honor Rex Geitner as Farmer of the Year. His lifelong dedication to environmentally responsible farming and viticulture have both benefitted and delighted Californians and wine connoisseurs all over the world.