In this issue:

• Victories for San Diego State Students
• Legislative Update
• Recent District Events
• News Around the Block
• District Programs and Announcements
• Introducing Marty's One-Stop Online Job Resources Site
• Message from Marty
• District Office Here to Serve You!

Assemblymember Block Delivers Three Victories to San Diego Students

After a year of working together with students, parents and the community, Assemblymember Block was success in his efforts to address the flawed changes that were made in SDSU admissions policy causing 1,740 qualified local students to be rejected that planned on attending under guidelines they followed in high school. California State University officials recently announced a decision to offer admission to 852 local students who didn't pursue different plans.

This is victorious news for all 1,740 local students who played by the rules and worked hard in school to achieve their dreams of pursuing higher education.

Additionally, Assemblymember Block's bill AB 2402, signed by the Governor, requires any CSU campus, including SDSU, to follow specified public notice criteria prior to adopting a change in the admissions criteria that affects students in local service areas.

AB 2402 is the result of a community coming together to prevent repeat situations like we witnessed at SDSU last year. With this legislation, transparency in our public higher education systems is increased and good public notification is required when admissions policies are changed that would impact local students. This means students will be better informed of eligibility requirements when preparing their college applications, better suited to develop a plan to successfully achieve their academic goals, and will no longer be blindly disenfranchised by their local CSU university.

Finally, Governor Schwarzenegger has signed AB 184 to restore special education funding to cash-strapped school districts already facing budget uncertainties. San Diego Unified School District in particular benefited strongly from this bill. AB 184 is a life saver for some of our neediest students across the state and provides immediate assistance to school districts already struggling to make ends meet and maintain high quality instruction. Schools will no longer be punished by a terrible oversight and will be able to keep this funding that serves as a critical resource for developing special education programs in the classroom.

Legislative Update: Bills Signed Benefit Students, Unemployed Workers and Veterans

I would like to update you on some exciting news out of Sacramento! The period for the Governor to act on legislation recently ended and I am happy to announce I had 10 bills signed into law this year. This is a significant accomplishment representing some great local victories that will have a positive impact on residents in the 78th Assembly District!

The bills signed include legislation reforming the process out-of-work Californians must use when they are trying to boost skills to rejoin our workforce. Other bills signed provide funding for special education programs in schools; promote greater transparency in CSU campus local admissions decisions; ensure support for schools to provide after-school programs; make it easier for military and overseas voters to cast their ballots when they are out of the country; promote greater safety for pedicab passengers; and protect elders who become victims of financial abuse crimes.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this legislative session successful and productive!

List of Bills Signed by Governor Schwarzenegger:

• AB 2402: CSU Admissions Transparency
• AB 184: K-12 SDA Funding Fix
• AB 2058: Unemployment Benefits - Recognition Training
• AB 2294: Local Pedicab Regulation
• AB 2369: Military Voting by Fax
• AB 434: K-12 After-School Programs
• AB 1775: Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution (Joint Author)
• AB 2619 Elder Financial Abuse
• AB 2674 Solicitation of Murder
• AB 2314 Veteran's Property Tax
• AJR 12: Resolution to Close Federal Loopholes for Corporate Tax Sheltering

For more information on these bills, please click here.

RECENT DISTRICT EVENTS

E-Waste Recycle Drop-Off is a Success

Assemblymember Block organized a free electronic waste (e-waste) drop-off service at Southwestern College as part of his "Operation Clean and Green" program, in partnership with Recycle San Diego, Southwestern College, Sweetwater Union High School District, South Bay Family YMCA, and several media partners. In a span of just four hours, nearly eight tons of e-waste was collected for recycling and disposal.

"I want to make it as easy as possible for people to drop off their old electronics so the parts can be recycled and not end up in our landfills," Assemblymember Block said during the event. "Being green and doing what you can for the environment does not have to be complicated or expensive."

The event was designed to provide a free and convenient service for residents so that they could properly recycle and dispose of their e-waste. Residents helped reduce hazardous and toxic materials that could have ended up in our landfills and environment.

Assemblymember Block Sponsors Career Resources Fair

On Thursday, September 23, 2010, Assemblymember Marty Block co-sponsored the Career Resources Fair along with the U.S. Census Bureau and the San Diego Community College District at the Educational Culture Complex. During the fair, Assemblymember Block met with hundreds of residents from the 78th Assembly District to discuss their experiences and frustrations searching for jobs and careers in today's economy. The fair not only brought prospective employers and employees together, but also provided attendees with information about further job skills training opportunities to make those seeking new careers better prepared to compete in emerging job sectors. His remarks at the fair outlined his online one-stop job resource center and his bill, AB 2058, was signed by the Governor and will help laid-off workers access training programs and promote longer periods of employment stability.

Operation KidPrint at the "Wild West" BonitaFest

For a second year in a row, Assemblymember Marty Block participated in the Bonita Business and Professional Association's BonitaFest. This year, the "Wild West" festival brought together families, highlighted community organization and promoted local businesses. Assemblymember Block was pleased to once again offer Kid Print, a free fingerprinting service for families wanting to take a step towards protecting their children.

Assemblymember Block Cleans Up Community Canyon

As a part of the larger California Coastal Clean Up Day on September 25th, Assemblymember Block sponsored one of the county's clean up sites located in the 78th District. The City of Lemon Grove, I Love a Clean San Diego, San Diego Coastkeeper, and local Girl Scouts did a remarkable job to help remove tires, garbage, waste and debris from the Chollas Creek watershed.

FilAmFest 2010 and "Operation KidPrint" Partner at Street Fair

Assemblymember Block joined 13,000 residents at the "FilAmFest 2010" in Paradise Hills for a festive celebration of Filipino American arts, culture, cuisine and entertainment. His "Operation KidPrint" assisted parents with a child safety service that provided them with a document of their child's fingerprints and other vital identification information. If the unthinkable happens and a child goes missing, Operation KidPrint records can be a useful tool to help law enforcement bring the child home.

"It's a pleasure to participate in the richness and diversity of our community and, at the same time, provide an important child-safety service for our residents," commented Assemblymember Block from his KidPrint booth.

Assemblymembers Marty Block and Nathan Fletcher on stage with Dr. Ofelia Dirige, president and fiscal agent Kalusugan Community Services Director; Dennis-Michael Broussard, festival chair; Luisito J.R. Melchor, festival director

Assemblymember Block Co-Hosts Home Foreclosure Prevention Clinic

Assemblymember Block teamed up with the Housing Opportunities Collaborative to continue his series of free home foreclosure prevention clinics at the Bonita Library. This month's event assisted nearly 100 residents faced with challenges in affording their mortgage payments.

This one-stop shop of free counseling resources pooled attorneys, real estate and mortgage industry professionals, housing counseling agencies, fair housing agencies, and other public agencies to help provide legal assistance, credit counseling, consumer protection assistance and review mortgage/lending/escrow documents for residents.

"It's our duty to provide our hard-working men, women and their families a vehicle, like this Home Clinic, to help them find resolution and relief with their home mortgage challenges," said Assemblymember Block as he addressed the audience. If you know someone struggling to prevent home foreclosure, please call 1-888-995-HOPE.

Hosting the Los Toros Youth Football and Cheer BBQ in Spring Valley

On Sunday, October 17, Assemblymember Marty Block attended the Spring Valley Tailgate and BBQ Festival to support the Los Toros Youth Football and Cheer teams. Those attending enjoyed live music and local vendors from Cali Comfort Restaurant, and Assemblymember Block offered his Kid Print service so parents could obtain a free set of their child's fingerprints to retain at home. A BBQ cook-off was the highlight for some, with numerous teams entering their homemade chicken, tri-tip and ribs for judging. In spite of the damp weather, the festival was a resounding success. Assemblymember Block looks forward to many more Spring Valley Tailgate and BBQ Festivals in the future.

NEWS AROUND THE BLOCK

Assemblymember Block Returns to South Metro Career Center to Discuss His Unemployment Benefits Protection Bill

Assemblymember Block recently held a roundtable discussion with unemployed workers at the South Metro Career Center to highlight AB 2058, legislation he authored that helps unemployed workers get retrained without losing their unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. Those in attendance included several unemployed workers who had lost their UI when they signed up for job skills training.

It was at this facility last year that Assemblymember Block encountered two constituents who shared their terrible experience trying to rejoin the workforce. Both were forced to quit training programs in order to retain UI assistance. When looking statewide, Assemblymember Block discovered this was not uncommon and not limited to San Diego, and he wrote AB 2058 to solve the problem. The Governor signed AB 2058 into law recently and it will become effective in 2011. Until then, Assemblymember Block continues to offer his district office as a resource to those being denied benefits from the California Employment Development Department.

Assemblymember Block Celebrates the Spirit of '45 with Local Veterans

Assemblymember Marty Block, along with Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox and Chula Vista Veterans Home Administrator Neal Asper, recently commemorated the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II. It was an opportunity to honor the legacy of our WWII generation and celebrate with entertainment, exhibits, and a lunch for our veterans. The event inspired a renewed commitment to service and national unity by reminding Americans of how people from all backgrounds came together with a shared sense of community during one of the most difficult times in our nation's history.

Mayor Sanders Visits the Capitol

Assemblymember Block was recently joined by his colleagues in the Assembly to welcome San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders to the Capitol. Mayor Sanders participated in the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce's annual leadership trip to Sacramento. During this trip, Assemblymember Block conferred with business leaders about long-term solutions to our region's job growth, water reliability, higher education needs, and public-private partnership opportunities.

South County EDC Panel Addresses Business and Community Leaders

The South County Economic Development Council hosted its 20th Annual Economic Summit last month at the San Diego Convention Center. Assemblymember Block was one of several local elected officials who addressed the nearly 200 business and community leaders on economic opportunities and job creation for the region. He described his successes this year in improving the economic position for our region including his AB 2058. This will help thousands of unemployed Californians upgrade their job skills by preventing individuals from being cut off from their unemployment insurance benefits because they enrolled in training programs to boost their employability.

Campaign for College Opportunity Recognizes Assemblymember Block

Last month, Assemblymember Block was honored by the Campaign for College Opportunity for his outstanding commitment to higher education in California. Also recognized for helping local students succeed academically was the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID).

Assemblymember Block, in turn, recognized this year's "Save Me a Spot in College" scholarship winners and drew attention to the 1MM media campaign to ensure the next governor of California prioritizes and plans for higher education access.

DISTRICT PROGRAMS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Young Audiences of San Diego Program to Highlight New Children's Program

Young Audiences of San Diego (YASD), a nonprofit arts education organization located in the 78th Assembly District, presents arts assemblies, classroom workshops, field trips and teacher professional development workshops in schools throughout San Diego County. YASD partners with the Salvation Army Kroc Center to provide free programs for families with performances and hands-on activities. At YASD functions, each family often goes home with a brand new book to encourage home literacy.

Come see their FREE upcoming program this week on Thursday, October 28 from 6:30 -8:00 p.m. called "Exploring The Whys" at the Kroc Center Multi-Purpose Room, 6605 University Avenue, San Diego. In partnership with KPBS, their new science-based children's program, "The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That" will be discussed.

Additional family nights coming up include a free performance of "The Firebird" by San Diego Ballet in November in the Joan Kroc Theater are scheduled. For more information, contact Sherrie Brown at (619) 282-7599.

Assemblymember Block Introduces One-Stop Job Resource Center Website

Assemblymember Marty Block launched an online Job Resource Center to address the current challenges job seekers are facing in today's job market. The online Job Resource Center serves as a "one-stop shop" providing support and resources to individuals searching for a job or career in and around the 78th Assembly District. The Job Resource Center is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and provides information and useful tips individuals can utilize for job interviews and resumes. The website includes updates on legislation Assemblymember Block authored to address California's unemployment as well as a growing database of businesses and organizations currently hiring. The website was originally designed for individuals living in the 78th Assembly District, but it is available for everyone to use by visiting Assemblymember Block's website at http://asmdc.org/members/a78/ and clicking on the "Need a Job" button on the right side of the page.

MESSAGE FROM MARTY

Dear Friends:

As we wrap up the month of October, I can finally report the passage of a state budget for 2010-11. The Legislature passed, and the Governor signed, a budget that closes our $19.3 billion budget deficit. As California begins to emerge from the global recession, the budget provides the beginning of a way forward, to protect the public structures of education, public safety, infrastructure and vital services.

As Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, I am proud that this budget stays true to our commitment to investing in public colleges and universities, without imposing any broad-based tax increases on hard working families.

It is particularly gratifying to see UC and CSU systems funded at levels above the 2009-2010 budget. This means campuses will be able to restore courses that were previously reduced and hire new faculty to ensure students are getting the classes they need to graduate.

While this budget reflects some extremely difficult and challenging choices given our limited fiscal resources, as your Assemblymember, I supported preserving funding for schools by not voting to suspend Proposition 98. It is important to guarantee a minimum funding level to provide resources to teach our children. I also stood against additional cuts to critical programs like In-Home Supportive Services.

In the face of painful cuts, we were able to agree on a budget that protects families and moves our state toward fiscal stability. Now with a budget in place, people can go back to work, small businesses and companies are able to do business with the state, students have the resources they need to attend college, and the most vulnerable Californians will receive the assistance they rely on in their daily lives.

The Legislature will reconvene in December. Until then, I look forward to spending some quality time in the district meeting with constituents and continuing our work on issues that are important to people in the 78th Assembly District.

My District Office is Here to Serve You!

As I conclude this e-newsletter, please know what a pleasure it has been to serve you over the past two years. My district office is always open to help you with any problems you are having with a state agency, to answer a question you may have about legislation, or other information about state services. If you would like to make an appointment to meet with me or my staff, or would like someone to come visit your group, please call us at (619) 462-7878. You can visit my website here for more information.