Gov. Schwarzenegger Proclaims State of Emergency in Humboldt County Due to Earthquake

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today proclaimed a state of emergency in Humboldt County due to a 6.5 earthquake which occurred on Saturday, January 9, 2010 and impacted the northern coast of California, disrupted utilities and caused damage to at least 175 structures.
The text of the proclamation is below:

A PROCLAMATION
OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY
WHEREAS January 9, 2010, an approximately 6.5-magnitude earthquake impacted the northern coast of California; and
WHEREAS aftershocks are continuing to impact the region; and
WHEREAS the earthquake disrupted utilities and caused damage to at least 175 structures; and
WHEREAS damages caused by the earthquake are expected to exceed $28 million; and

WHEREAS on January 12, 2010, Humboldt County declared a local emergency and requested that I declare a state of emergency; and
WHEREAS the circumstances of this earthquake, by the reason of its magnitude, are beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat; and
WHEREAS under the provisions of section 8558(b) of the California Government Code, I find that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist due to the earthquake on the northern coast.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the state Constitution and statutes, including the California Emergency Services Act, and in particular, section 8625 of the California Government Code, HEREBY PROCLAIM A STATE OF EMERGENCY to exist within Humboldt County.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that all agencies of the state government utilize and employ state personnel, equipment and facilities for the performance of any and all activities consistent with the direction of my California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) and the State Emergency Plan, and that Cal EMA provide local government assistance under the authority of the California Disaster Assistance Act.
I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this proclamation be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this proclamation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 12th Day of January 2010.

Turning Conventional Wisdom On Its Head: Americans Across the Political Spectrum Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Even in a Down Economy

Washington, DC - Despite conventional wisdom in Washington that the economic downturn and high unemployment make now a bad time for Congress to debate comprehensive immigration reform, a series of polls conducted in November 2008, May 2009, and December 2009 show that the American people want Congress to tackle the issue in 2010, and are strongly in favor of a comprehensive proposal that requires undocumented immigrants to register with the government, pay taxes, and meet other criteria on their way to becoming U.S. citizens. 
The poll results were discussed on Monday, January 11, during a telephonic briefing with Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice, and Pete Brodnitz, a principal at Benenson Strategy Group, a strategic research and consulting firm that conducted the May and December surveys.
BSG conducted a poll of 1000 likely voters from May 9-12, 2009 and another poll of 800 likely voters from December 19-21, 2009, asking the same questions about voters’ attitudes toward the economy, immigration reform, and Congress.  The results from this time series show that support for reform has remained constant in the face of harsh economic conditions; voters believe that the current immigration system is broken and needs fixing; and voters prefer a solution that would require undocumented immigrants to become legal and make them pay taxes over a proposal to deport them because they are “taking jobs.”
Among the findings:

-Voters continue to want Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation: 64% percent in May and 66% in December.
-Support for reform cuts across party lines: 69% of Democrats, 67% of Independents, and 62% of Republicans support “comprehensive immigration reform,” before hearing details of the proposal.
- When given details, support for comprehensive reform climbs.  Requiring undocumented immigrants to register with the government and meet certain conditions, including working, paying taxes and learning English in order to apply for citizenship, was supported by 93% of voters in May and 87% in December. 
- More than 2/3 of voters say we would be better off if undocumented immigrants became legal taxpayers, while less than a third say we would be better off if they left the country because they are “taking jobs”: 71% to 26% in May and 67% to 28% in December.
“Voters support reform that requires illegal immigrants to become legal, and meet conditions like passing a background check, studying English and paying taxes," said Brodnitz.  “Most Americans believe that comprehensive immigration reform will be fair to taxpayers.”
Said Sharry:  “Clearly the American people recognize that the problems in the immigration system can no longer be ignored and that fixing the broken immigration system is consistent with fixing the economy.  They understand what is at stake and want their elected officials to act soon.  That support for comprehensive immigration reform crosses party lines suggests that the issue is ripe for a bipartisan breakthrough in Washington, DC.”
The poll results and other surveys are available at: http://americasvoiceonline.org/pages/polling.

NCLR CALLS FOR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS IN RESPONSE TO EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI

Washington, DC-NCLR (National Council of La Raza) urges President Obama to grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians. The January 12 earthquake, reaching a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale, has devastated an already struggling nation. Haiti applied for TPS status after crippling hurricanes and storms in 2008 and was denied despite unlivable conditions.
The Department of Homeland Security has already temporarily suspended deportations to Haiti. The next step to address this catastrophe would be to extend TPS. As the U.S. continues to carry on important and necessary relief efforts after this latest disaster, moving forward with the long-delayed TPS designation would truly demonstrate our country's humanitarian tradition.
"Helping our neighbors is a value that has defined our nation," said NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía. "Our country's emergency response efforts are needed and appreciated, and they should be coupled with TPS designation. The extent of this earthquake calls for a bold federal response."
NCLR is working with civil rights and advocacy organizations to urge the president to extend TPS to Haitians.
For more information, visit www.nclr.org | http://www.facebook.com/nationalcounciloflaraza | http://www.myspace.com/nclr2008 | http://twitter.com/nclr.

OAS Begins Channeling Aid to Haiti
The Organization of American States (OAS) began to channel aid to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti through the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), an OAS affiliate.
The OAS is pleased to note that several Member States have already expressed their full solidarity and commitment to the people of Haiti and have begun to provide disaster assistance and humanitarian relief. The OAS is currently coordinating with other institutions of the inter-American system to deliver prompt and effective assistance.
The OAS is calling for donations of support to the Caribbean country to be made through PADF, an organization with more than 25 years of experience in Haiti. Donations may be made through the special website: www.panamericanrelief.org.
PADF has more than 150 staff members in all of Haiti that work on numerous projects related to, among other things, community development, disaster mitigation and protecting human rights. It has also participated in providing immediate and critical aid on various occasions when other natural disasters have affected the country. For more information, please visit the OAS Website and the PADF Website.