Replenish The American People
By Hilbert Morales
El Observador

My observation is that our civic leaders at all levels are taking for granted that the American people are willing to be governed by elected officials who continue to ignore those economic realities which impact us all. Another observation is that those who communicate with me are reaching the end of their patience. My conclusion at this time is that enough is enough. It is time to begin to deal with our reality at all levels. Let's begin with corporations who receive entitlements known as subsidies. I recommend that all subsidies to any corporations be reviewed to determine the subsidy support level being provided. In certain cases, 'sunset schedules' could be established. I am aware that our domestic pharmaceutical firms enjoy a national monopoly, which results in higher retail purchase prices from domestic locations, while the very same prescription drug may be obtained beyond our national borders at lower prices. That is simply not fair to the American consumer nor does it permit competitive market pricing. Next, let's perform a comprehensive survey of all subsidies to American agribusinesses. A recent documentary established that in the Gulf States it may be more 'profitable' for a landowner to not let a sharecropper cultivate a crop (in this case, rice) because the current land bank pays that landowner adequately for letting that land remain fallow. This is absurd because a sharecropper who wanted to grow rice was denied a livelihood (gainful employment).
The current health insurance industry needs to be reviewed comprehensively. The first step is to invoke a required federal monitoring effort and policy to establish what is really happening. A recent 39 percent health insurance rate hike by one vendor was simply a red flag that might indicate unlawful profiteering. The private health insurance industry sector is interested in only one thing: maximizing profits realized. There seems to be no real motivation to develop insurance products, which enable insuring those 47 million Americans who currently have no health insurance. The Obama Administration has rightly pointed out that if current health insurance costs continue to rise, the entire American economy will not be able to absorb those rate increases and remain globally competitive. Maybe our federal government should really address the need to establish a universal health care system such as that of Canada.
The current focus by the Obama Administration on the formulation of a comprehensive health insurance policy is being viewed as an attack on the current status quo. Our elected officials in Congress have permitted lobbyists to influence their rhetoric as well as their vote. It seems to me that certain elected officials in both the Senate and the House of Representatives need to be declared to have a conflict of interest because they have accepted too much health insurance special interest funding support. One way to neutralize the influence of lobbyists is to establish new voting standards for Senators and Representative in Congress which prohibit these elected officials to vote on a policy where special interest money, however supplied, has created an unreasonable conflict of interest, which does not allow for that elected official to continue to deal effectively and objectively with the common weal. The supply of money by corporate sources is diverting representative governance systems towards being a special interest tool, which disregards the people being governed.
The private health care insurance sector would do itself and our nation a great service if it would focus on the creation of a universal health care service product that took care of all residents and still allowed for a reasonable return on investment. When the private sector leaders do not do that, then it is appropriate for our federal government to take care of the people's needs in a business like manner.

Elected officials are the representatives of the people who permit them to be governed as established by our American Constitution. This leads me to that recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which removed all restrictions to the ability of corporations to influence with their resources (money) any and all policy development and the election of the people's representatives. The Supreme Court justices neglected to consider that a corporation is not a human resident citizen who can vote. It is a legal organization established to conduct business, which maximizes employment and profits. It cannot register to vote, therefore its influence on public policy which impacts all residents must be subject to governance by reasonable application of laws and regulations.
The financial industry, as a consequence of not being comprehensively monitored and regulated effectively, created those 'derivatives', which were overvalued. These derivatives almost created a global financial system collapse. Today, it is the ordinary American citizen who is suffering and abandoning mortgages because of no commerce sustaining 95 percent employment levels. The level of faith, trust, and confidence in our social, political, and economic systems has been severely damaged by the greed and avarice displayed by corporate leaders who have forgotten to keep Americans gainfully employed. The American Consumer economy has been severely damaged. Our government and our corporations need to collaborate and address those activities, which replenish the American people through establishing an active economy, which is stable, globally competitive, and permits advancement through meritorious services provided. There is an extreme need to replenish the American people.�

Review of 2009 Activities

David Cortese,
Supervisor, District 3, County of Santa Clara 

On reflection, my first year 2009 in office as the District Three representative on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors caused me to reaffirm my goal to continue my active involvement in the community to make sure the community is kept fully informed. Using my experience in private businesses to ensure the county’s operations are as efficient and effective as possible to ensure continuing provision of vital services to our residents. Representatopm of the County on regional governmental bodies ensures the allocation of its fair share of resources available at this time.
Here are just a few highlights of 2009’s activities:  Community meetings were held with the goal of bringing together neighborhood members with city, county and local agency representatives. One such meeting was held in Alviso which addressed security issues at the Alviso Marina County Park. Over 50 community members participated by expressing their concerns ranging from traffic at the schools to multiple issues with mail delivery.
Another community meeting was in the Alum Rock area of San Jose where residents also raised a variety of concerns from waiting 7 years for a handicapped parking spot to property owners concerns about local agencies taking over their properties for additional parkland. My office has been diligently following up on these concerns and brought many of them to a reasonably acceptable conclusion. Examples was the handicapped parking stall installed; code enforcement clean ups and addressing the traffic issues.
During last year’s budget process and throughout the year, the county has taken innovative approaches to increase revenues and reduce costs so that the county can continue to provide the maximum level of essential core services for residents. I have put forward a proposal to utilize vacant land owned by the county for renewable energy generation which would offset the electric services purchased by the county thereby making that utility money available for other programs. A special district was sponsored which would allow county residents to access low cost financing to install solar panels and tohave efficient energy retrofits on their homes.
As all vehicle owners know, there is a significant amount of cost associated with maintenance and use. Therefore, I have requested the Fleet Department to look into ways that we can utilize rental car companies to augment our fleet without having to have additional vehicles and their upkeep. And we have asked for the beginning of the  “greening” of the vehicle fleet with alternative fuel vehicles.
In addition, my proposals to the Metropolitan Transportation Committee provided an additional $5 million to the South Bay to help fund the future 101-Tully-Yerba Buena interchange. This is a much needed traffic relief project that will get a kick start from this additional funding. Many who travel this route will all appreciate the new improvements
While this has been a good start, I am determined to accomplish more during this next year. The Board of Supervisors will be beginning the budget process in the next few months.  My staff and I will be going over every expense item to ensure that not a single dollar is wasted. We are receptive to innovative concepts that will benefit our communities by reducing the costs to provide core services for county residents.
As always my office will be making a continuing effort to communications to you which inform you about available county services and the guidance for working together to benefit our communities. Please provide your suggestions by phone: (408) 299-5030 or email me at dave.cortese@bos.sccgov.org.