Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chief Michael Donovan's forty-two years of service in California Law Enforcement.

Chief Donovan was born in Oceanside, California in 1961 and has dedicated his life to public service. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources Management and his Master's Degree in Business Administration in 1989, both from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. His commitment to public service and law enforcement has made all the communities he has served, including our community of Napa, California, a safer and better place to live.

Over the course of his career, Chief Donovan has served in many different law enforcement capacities. He was a police officer at the Sierra Madre Police Department, an Investigator at the Baldwin Park Police Department and the Assistant Chief Investigator, and later Chief Investigator, at the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. Since 2011, Chief Donovan has served as the Chief Investigator at the Napa County District Attorney's Office. Chief Donovan is active in the law enforcement community. He currently sits on the California District Attorney Investigators' Association Board of Directors as the Treasurer and Chair of the Training Committee. He also serves on the California District Attorneys' Association Legislative Committee. Additionally, Chief Donovan is an active member in the local Napa Rotary Club and volunteers at many Rotary Club sponsored events.

Chief Donovan has remained dedicated and motivated throughout his long career in law enforcement and public service. He is always willing to take on difficult projects and help others in the office. He draws on his depth of knowledge and experience in his profession to help others in his field. Mr. Speaker, it is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Chris Coursey for his four

years of service on the Santa Rosa City Council as Council Member and Mayor.

The son of a military officer, Mr. Coursey grew up in many states across the United States. After he graduated from the University of Northern Colorado, Mr. Coursey moved to Santa Rosa, California. Prior to his service on the Santa Rosa City Council, Mr. Coursey had been a writer at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat for many years and was a spokesman for the SMART commuter rail system.

Mr. Coursey was elected to the Santa Rosa City Council in 2014 and served as Vice Mayor in 2015. He has served as Mayor since 2016. During his tenure as Mayor, Mr. Coursey oversaw the annexation of Roseland and the reunification of Old Courthouse Square. Mr. Coursey led our community in the immediate aftermath of the October 2017 wildfires that devastated Santa Rosa. He dedicated many long days to the rebuilding process. He also saw the city begin to address the needs of the homeless and housing crises.

Additionally, Mr. Coursey has held many committee positions during his term on the Santa Rosa City Council. He has served on Ad Hoc Rent Subcommittee, the Economic Development Subcommittee, the Violence Prevention Partnership Policy Subcommittee, the Long Term Financial Policy Subcommittee and the Courthouse Square Advisory Committee.

Mr. Speaker, Chris Coursey is an admirable leader who is dedicated to serving our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him here today.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.

You know, here we go again. We started this session with a terrible tax bill that was written in the dark of night, not one single hearing, not one single expert witness, an unpaid-for $2.3 trillion tax cut. We find out after it is passed that it is fraught with problems.

Now we are going to end the session with another tax bill, not quite as fiscally irresponsible as the first, but $100 billion unpaid for-- again, no hearings, no expert witnesses.

Why in the world do you think this one is not going to be fraught with problems? This is the height of irresponsibility and just one more example of the Republicans' borrow-and-spend philosophy and practice.

Once again, I am sure we are going to hear from our friends on the other side that now that we have done this, now that we have charged all this money to future generations, we are going to have to come back and put on our fiscally responsible hat and cut Medicare and cut Social Security.

This is shameful, and it is irresponsible.

If that is not bad enough, now, in this bill, you are going to try to provide false hope to people who were victimized from natural disasters all across the country, from hurricanes, tornados, fires. You know this bill is not going anyplace. The Senate is not going to take up this bill. So you are providing false hope to folks who really need our help right now.

Mr. Speaker, revictimizing people who were terribly hurt during these disasters, it is shameful; it is irresponsible; and I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize BMC Racing for their success in the 2018 Tour de France.

BMC Racing is headquartered in Santa Rosa, California, in my district. Headed by former American cyclist Jim Ochowicz, who serves as President and team manager, the team sent six cyclists to the Tour this year, including Tejay van Garderen of Tacoma, Washington.

At the 2018 Tour de France, BMC proved its abilities once again at the highest levels of competition in the cycling world. The team finished eighth overall in the 2018 Tour de France, emerged victorious in the Stage 3 Team Time Trial, and earned seven yellow jerseys--along with five stage victories. Individual team members also did well: Greg Van Avermaat stood in first place for eight consecutive stages, while Damiano Caruso finished in 20th place overall.

The BMC organization regularly trains in Santa Rosa and the wine country area. They are also active in the community. Their ``Cycle with Champions'' ride is done in conjunction with Team Swift, a local youth cycling organization, and many organization officials have ties to the Santa Rosa region. BMC has a history of producing champion cyclists, and once again displayed their resilience and dedication in 2018. At the finish line, Damiano Caruso summed up the overall morale of the team, saying, ``At the end of three weeks, I can say that my experience was positive.''

Mr. Speaker, BMC Racing has deep roots in the Santa Rosa community, and continues to inspire generations of young cyclists. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor the cyclists and owners on their accomplishment in this year's Tour de France.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Fire Division Chief Richard Hanna, on his retirement after forty-five years of service as a Volunteer Firefighter for Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority.

Mr. Hanna was born in 1933 in New York City to Irish immigrant parents and earned his Bachelor's degree on an ROTC scholarship. He served as a United States Marine Fighter Pilot for seven years before becoming a commercial airline pilot for United Airlines for over thirty years.

After he moved to the Diamond A area of the Sonoma Valley with his wife and five children, Mr. Hanna became a Volunteer Firefighter. He was instrumental in establishing a Fire Station in Diamond A--he agreed to become a Volunteer Firefighter at the age of forty if the Valley of the Moon Fire District built a fire station in Diamond A. As a Volunteer Firefighter, Mr. Hanna participated in weekly drills and put his training into practice as emergencies arose. After several years he was promoted to Captain. Mr. Hanna was heavily involved with training and training development for Valley of the Moon Fire District and all of Sonoma Valley. He was then promoted to the rank of Division Chief. When Valley of the Moon Fire District and the City of Sonoma Fire Department merged to form the Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority, Mr. Hanna was crucial to the successful transition and stayed on as Division Chief.

Additionally, Mr. Hanna trained for and volunteered as a CalFire Volunteer in Prevention and staffed local lookout towers. He is also active with the local Amateur Radio Operator Club, which is used when disasters arise. Mr. Hanna is knowledgeable about his work and willing to share his knowledge with trainees and other people in the Sonoma Valley.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Hanna is a committed Firefighter who is dedicated to serving our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Fire Division Chief Richard Hanna here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Councilwoman and Former Mayor Debbie Long on her retirement after serving on the Pinole City Council for the past ten years.

Ms. Long has been a resident of Pinole for more than thirty years. Prior to her time on the City Council, Ms. Long demonstrated her commitment to public service. She was on the City of Pinole Design Review Board from 1994 to 1996, was a Pinole Planning Commissioner from 1996 to 2007 and served on the Pinole Assisted Living Board for many years.

Ms. Long was first elected to the Pinole City Council in 2008. During her tenure she has served as mayor three times--from 2009 to 2010, from 2012 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2017. While on the Pinole City Council, Ms. Long helped accomplish numerous significant development projects for our community, including the Gateway Shopping Center, the Kaiser Medical Center, and the Pinole Valley Skate Park. She has also been heavily involved with the construction of the Pinole Wastewater Pollution Control Plant Upgrade project. Additionally, Ms. Long worked on the 2010 City of Pinole General Plan Update when she was on the Planning Commission and on the City Council.

Ms. Long is known among her colleagues for being hard-working and well prepared. She makes sure she has done her homework and closely reviews all staff reports.

Mr. Speaker, Ms. Long has been an admirable public servant throughout her time on the City Council. It is therefore fitting and

proper that we honor Councilwoman and Former Mayor Debbie Long here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Kaaren Ann Stasko on her retirement after twenty years of service as an Office Technician for the Fire Marshal's Office of CalFire.

Ms. Stasko was born in Oakland, California on March 21, 1942. As a child, she attended schools in Crockett, California. Ms. Stasko was the first in her family to graduate from college. She took classes part- time while working full-time to earn an Associate's Degree at the age of fifty-seven.

Ms. Stasko has been a dedicated volunteer in our community since she was a child. In her youth, she was an active Camp Fire Girl, as well as a Counselor in Training Camp Gold Hollow. When her children were in high

school, she supported the Napa High School Band and Choir as a bingo runner and a shuttle driver at Sonoma Raceway, and continues to do so.

Ms. Stasko is deeply involved with CalFire and its community. In addition to working as an Office Technician for the past twenty years, she has volunteered with CalFire in many capacities. She is the Chair of the Napa County Firefighter's Dinner, a member of the Administrative Fire Services Section of CalChiefs, and a Napa County CalFire Volunteer in Prevention. Ms. Stasko was also a frequent volunteer at the California State Fair at Camp Smokey, worked the fireworks on the Fourth of July and volunteered at the CalFire Crab Feed.

Among her friends, family and coworkers, Ms. Stasko is known for going the extra mile. She is dedicated and hardworking and always willing to help those in need. When two members of the fire department were diagnosed with cancer, Ms. Stasko frequently took them to lunch and supported and encouraged them and their families through the difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, Ms. Stasko is an admirable member of our community and spends much of her time volunteering to help those around her. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Ms. Kaaren Ann Stasko here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Councilman and Former Mayor Timothy Banuelos for nine years of service on the Pinole City Council.

Mr. Banuelos is a long-time resident of Pinole. He worked in the architecture profession for thirty years prior to his appointment to the City Council. In 1997, he became a California Licensed Architect. Mr. Banuelos has been an active volunteer in our community. He is a former member of the West County Community High School Board of Directors, sat on the City of Pinole Design Review Board in 2006 and was a City of Pinole Planning Commissioner from 2005 to 2009, serving as Chairman in 2007.

Mr. Banuelos was appointed to the Pinole City Council in 2009 and re- elected in 2010 and 2014. He served as Mayor from 2013 to 2014 and again from 2017 to 2018. Mr. Banuelos oversaw the completion of many community development projects during his tenure on the City Council. The projects included the Gateway Shopping Center, Kaiser Medical Center, and the Pinole Valley Skate Park. Mr. Banuelos has also been deeply involved with the Pinole Community Playhouse renovation and Wastewater Pollution Control Plant Upgrade. He also contributed his architectural design expertise to the Welcome to Pinole Improvement project. While on the Planning Commission and City Council Mr. Banuelos worked on the 2010 Pinole General Plan Update.

Mr. Banuelos is known for being level-headed and objective, and willing to listen to both sides of an issue. He is a diligent problem solver and works hard to preserve Pinole's small-town atmosphere.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Banuelos has served our community admirably. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Councilman and Former Mayor Timothy Banuelos here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Councilwoman Maureen Toms for her three years of service on the Pinole City Council.

A Pinole native, Ms. Toms was exposed to public service at a young age. Her father served on the Pinole City Council and was the Mayor from 1964 to 1965. Prior to her appointment to the City Council, Ms. Toms was a Planning Commissioner for the City of Pinole and the Land Use Planner for Contra Costa County. She also served on the Amber Swartz Park Development Committee from 1994 to 2006. Throughout her tenure, Ms. Toms was instrumental in securing grants for the park.

Upon her appointment to the Pinole City Council in 2015, Ms. Toms became involved with numerous different development projects for the city. She was active in the Gateway Shopping Center project, the Sprouts project, and the Landscape Improvement Project. She has also worked on the Pinole Wastewater Pollution Control Plant Upgrade project. Additionally, Ms. Toms was heavily involved with the Planning Commission on Pinole's 2010 General Plan Update.

Among her colleagues, Ms. Toms is known for being hard-working and for her commitment to community service. In addition to her work on the City Council, Ms. Toms has served on the Down Syndrome League Board of Directors and has volunteered as a Special Olympics Coach. She has received numerous awards for her service to Contra County and the City of Pinole, including the Contra Costa Woman of the Year award.

Mr. Speaker, Ms. Toms is an admirable leader who is dedicated to serving our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Councilwoman Maureen Toms here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Community Resources for Children (CRC) for providing excellent early learning and care resources for families and children across Napa County, California for forty years.

Founded in 1978, Community Resources for Children strives to advocate and educate the public on the importance of early education and child care. It has provided nearly 45,000 referrals for child care and over $44 million dollars to local child care providers that care for children of low income and student or working parents. For the past forty years, CRC has offered families quality early education materials for free and created early learning activities for families, child care providers, caregivers, educators and other community members.

Community Resources for Children provides professional development and one on one coaching to more than 140 local child care providers that service more than 1,700 children per year. Its programs work to increase the quality and amount of available child care in Napa County and have strengthened the local economy while putting families on the pathway to success.

Community Resources for Children also aims to empower parents by ensuring they have the necessary resources to make child care and early education decisions. Through all of its programs and assistance CRC hopes to help parents succeed as their child's first teacher.

Mr. Speaker, Community Resources for Children is an admirable organization dedicated to the care and education of future generations in our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Community Resources for Children here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember Alaina Housley, a wonderful young woman from my district who was murdered in the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks.

Alaina was a bright, dedicated, and inspiring student who was so excited to have voted for the first time this year. She was in her freshman year at Pepperdine and had so much of her life ahead of her. She was deeply loved by family and friends, and her death is a huge loss for our entire community.

Over the last week, vigils and marches have been held in her honor in her hometown of Napa. She will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I have committed to her parents that I will do everything I can to address violence in our communities. We will honor her senseless death with action.

May she rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Public Affairs Director Carl Campbell, on his retirement after twenty years of service for Kaiser-Permanente in the Marin-Sonoma Service area.

Mr. Campbell was born in Melbourne, Florida. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Speech Arts and Radio and Television from San Diego State University. In 1998, Mr. Campbell joined Kaiser-Permanente Santa Rosa. He worked in multiple capacities in Public Affairs until 2004, when he became the Public Affairs Director for the Marin-Sonoma Service Area Administrative Team. Mr. Campbell has served as the Public Affairs Director for fourteen years. In this role, he has overseen the creation and implementation of numerous programs, including Public Affairs, Communications, Community Benefit, Community and Government Relations, Media Relations, Situation/Crisis Management, and Membership Growth and Retention.

Mr. Campbell has been vital in promoting Kaiser Permanente and their reputation reflects his effort. With his intellect and expertise, Mr. Campbell has leveraged strategic

partnerships to better serve Kaiser Permanente members and our communities. Kaiser Permanente Marin-Sonoma has greatly expanded under Mr. Campbell's leadership. Over 100 employees serve on more than 150 boards and committees as part of the effort to support our communities. Additionally, Marin's membership has grown thirty-one percent and Sonoma's membership has grown forty-six percent.

Mr. Campbell has been active in other local organizations and has won awards for his dedication. He has served as Board Chair and on the Executive Committee, Governance Committee, Advocacy Council and BEST: Building Economic Success Together Board of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Campbell was awarded the Leadership Excellence in the Field of Health Care Award by the SRMCC in 2009 and was the Spirit of Sonoma Award recipient in 2012.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Campbell is an admirable leader who is dedicated to serving our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Tamie Frasier's retirement after twenty-four years in public service, ten of which she served as the Napa County Treasurer-Tax Collector.

Ms. Frasier is a fourth generation Napan, who is dedicated to our community. She has shown her commitment to Napa County throughout her twenty-four years working for the County, first as the Treasury Supervisor and then as the Assistant Treasurer-Tax Collector. In 2008, she became the Treasurer-Tax Collector. Throughout her tenure at the County, Ms. Frasier has worked to deliver the highest level of customer service for her fellow Napans. She has skillfully managed Napa County's funds, particularly during the Great Recession.

Ms. Frasier is always the first person to roll up her sleeves and help however she can, whether the person in need is a colleague or a taxpayer. She leads by example and never fails to pass up an opportunity to set an example of what professionalism and compassion in County Administration can, and should, be. Ms. Frasier has inspired her coworkers to provide a high level of service to their fellow residents of Napa County.

After working for Napa County for twenty-four years, Ms. Frasier has an impressive breadth and depth of knowledge. She has taken it upon herself to share her insight by sitting on various panels whenever the opportunity arises. Ms. Frasier is also active in local and state-wide organizations. She is a past President and current Board Member of Soroptimist International of Napa and the Bay Area Chair for the California Association of County Treasurers and Tax Collectors. She is a member of the California Associations of Country Treasurers and Tax Collectors and involved with the Government Investment Officers Association and California Municipal Treasurers Association.

Mr. Speaker, Ms. Tamie Frasier has had a long and rewarding career in public service and Napa County is better for it. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor her here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Chief Ken Arnold, on his retirement as the Chief of Police for Napa Valley College in Napa, California.

Chief Arnold was born in Orlando, Florida and raised in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. In 1983 he graduated from Napa Valley College with two Associate of Science degrees in Law Enforcement and Private Security. Chief Arnold also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Saint Mary's College of California in 1991. From 1979 to 1997 he served in the Army Reserve and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant First Class.

Chief Arnold has served Napa Valley College as Chief of Police since 1990. He also is the head of parking services and emergency management, among many other responsibilities that are essential to keeping the students and college safe. Chief Arnold is an adjunct professor at the Napa Valley College Criminal Justice Training Center. He teaches first aid for law enforcement, cultural awareness, emergency management and campus law enforcement, among other courses. In addition, Chief Arnold coordinates the Napa Valley College police academy and in-service training programs. Since 1989, he has also taught emergency preparedness and trained other instructors for the Napa County Community Emergency Response Team training program.

During the October 2017 wildfires, Chief Arnold displayed incredible leadership and greatly assisted our community. He set up a temporary shelter at Napa Valley College for fire evacuees when the fire first broke out and included a kennel for displaced animals. At the college, Chief Arnold led the coordination of emergency operations, community donations, distribution of food and clothing, staff shift management and volunteers.

Chief Arnold has held numerous leadership roles. He is the former president of the California College and University Police Chiefs Association and Napa and Solano County Training Managers Association and was Board Chairman of the Napa chapter of the American Red Cross. He has also served on the board of Saint John's Lutheran School.

Mr. Speaker, Chief Arnold is an admirable leader who is dedicated to serving and protecting our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Chief Ken Arnold here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ronald Wesley Eick, Jr. on being selected as the Napa County Teacher of the Year and nominated as Napa County's nominee for California State Teacher of the Year.

Mr. Eick was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois along with his two younger siblings. He earned his Associate of Applied Science in General Education from Moraine Valley Community College. Mr. Eick served in the United States Air Force and was stationed at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California. After being honorably discharged, he stayed in Northern California. He received his Associate of Applied Science in Electronics from the Community College of the Air Force and a Bachelor of the Arts in Mathematics and Education from Western Governors University. Mr. Eick also holds a Master's Degree in Educational Technology from Touro University.

Mr. Eick has been a mathematics teacher at American Canyon High School for the last nine years. Each day he strives to have every student in his classes understand the math he is teaching. He begins each day recognizing that students ``don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.'' Mr. Eick tries to show his students how much he cares about their understanding of math and their well-being, frequently acting as a mentor, advisor and role model. He strives to show his students how to have strong character and live generously.

Mr. Eick is also the founder and advisor for Mu Alpha Theta, mentor and trainer for New Teacher Induction, advisor for Gay-Straight Alliance, assistant coach for the Robotics Club, leader in Math 2 Professional Learning Community and a site team member for Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID).

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Eick is an experienced and passionate educator who supports his students both inside and outside the classroom. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him here today.