Alex Lane of TSPN-TV interviewed Congressman Dan Lungren following a speech in Plymouth yesterday. Watch the interview here.

It is estimated that 47 millions Americans don’t have health insurance. Lungren claims those numbers are inflated and that most of the 47 million don’t want health insurance. “When you really get down to the number that can’t get health care,” says Lungren, “it is about 9 million.”

Even if only 9 million Americans had no access to health care, don’t those 9 million deserve a solution to the crisis?

Congo Dan’s solution to the health care crisis is greater competition between insurance companies and opening up markets across state lines. This may give people more choices of insurance companies, but true competition that will drive down cost must include a public option. Otherwise, the existing practice of seeing which insurance company can reduce “medical losses” the most will continue. That is how insurance companies compete with one another. It isn’t about providing the best care, it is about providing the least so that profits rise the most. An insurance company does not make money by paying claims. Paying claims, providing health care is a “medical loss.”

A public option will force insurance companies to focus on paying for care to keep their policy holders paying premiums instead of moving to the new competition – the public option.

Congo Dan can’t even bring himself to say “public” option. “A government option leads inevitably to a government monopoly,” says Lungren. Overstated. There are too many people who are so adamantly opposed to a public option that private insurance isn’t likely to go away short of an absolute single-payer system. Thus, there will always be the competition that Congo Dan claims is the solution.

Watch the interview here.

Read the article about Lungren’s speech here.

Congo Dan will be holding a town hall in Jackson at City Hall on August 22 at 10:30 AM. Other town halls are scheduled for Citrus Heights (Aug. 18) and Rancho Cordova (Aug. 26). Town hall information is on his Website.

O.A.R.S. – Rafting for Conservation from Mikey Wier on Vimeo.

This summer, veteran rafting outfitter O.A.R.S. has donated six fully outfitted rafting trips over the course of two days down the Mokelumne River on the border between Calaveras and Amador counties in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. To date, the Angels Camp-based organization has helped raise nearly $10,000 to help fund the Foothill Conservancy and their efforts to support National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne River.

The Foothill Conservancy’s mission is to protect, restore, and sustain the natural and human environment in Amador and Calaveras counties for the benefit of current and future generations. Currently, the greatest threat to the area is an East Bay Municipal District (EBMUD) plan to expand Pardee Reservoir – which would inundate some of the river – destroying a popular whitewater run and flooding some of the best riparian habitat left on the lower reaches of the Mokelumne.

To prevent this from happening O.A.R.S. and the Foothill Conservancy hope that you will join the growing list of businesses, organizations, and individuals who support National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne River. Recently, the California Democratic Party voted to support the National Wild and Scenic designation.

Add your name to the support list today at foothillconservancy.org!

At the recently concluded California Democratic Party Executive Board meeting, party leaders voted to support National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne River and oppose the expansion of Pardee Reservoir. The CDP joins conservation advocates, businesses and thousands of Californians from all walks of life who want to preserve the scenic nature of the Mokelumne River. The Mokelumne flows from the high Sierra to the Delta and provides 90 percent of the water for the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s 1.3 million customers.

As described in the resolution adopted by the CDP Executive Board , the Mokelumne River is “a valuable part of California’s natural and human heritage, noted for its high water quality; important wildlife and fish habitat; unique and numerous American Indian sites dating back thousands of years; important historical sites from the Gold Rush, hard-rock mining, and early hydroelectric development eras; outstanding family, fishing, and whitewater boating recreational opportunities; and great scenic beauty.”

“While Sierra foothill Democrats brought this resolution to the party’s attention, it’s clearly an issue that concerns the whole state,” said Tillman Sherman, Chairman of the Calaveras County Democratic Central Committee. “Protecting the Mokelumne River is important not only for our local communities, but also for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the state’s threatened salmon and steelhead fisheries. And it can help move the East Bay to more sustainable, long term water supplies.”

The Democratic Party resolution supports National Wild and Scenic River designation from just below Salt Springs Dam on the North Fork Mokelumne to the backwaters of Pardee Reservoir, covering about 37 river miles. The designation, which requires an act of Congress, would protect the designated reaches from new dams, diversions and inundation by reservoir expansion. The latter is especially important because of the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s recent proposal to build a new, 400-foot dam on the Mokelumne, which would expand Pardee Reservoir and flood about three miles of the river, including the historic Middle Bar Bridge.

The resolution opposes that expansion and encourages EBMUD to employ less destructive means of meeting its future water supply needs.

“California’s majority party has officially recognized what we’ve long known: the Mokelumne River has nothing left to give,” remarked Chris Shutes, FERC Projects Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance. “Wild and scenic status should be implemented as soon as possible, and EBMUD should reconsider its water supply assumptions and options.”

In opposing the reservoir expansion, the CDP joins foothill local governments, conservation and recreation organizations, historical preservation groups, tribal members, and countless individuals who have strongly opposed the EBMUD plan.

“Protecting the Mokelumne River isn’t a partisan issue,” said Chris Wright, Foothill Conservancy executive director. “The river belongs to everyone, and it has broad support from people of all political persuasions. But we’re grateful to the Democrats for weighing in on this important issue, and we’re happy to add them to the growing Mokelumne supporter list.”

Will Represent Delta Concerns and Interests in Discussions

Assemblymember Alyson Huber has been appointed to the Select Committee on Regional Approaches to Addressing the State’s Water Crisis.

“There is no question our state is in a water crisis which must be addressed, but we must find fair and balanced solutions for each region of the state,” stated Assemblymember Huber. “I am particularly concerned about Delta residents having a voice in the water negotiations process and will be that voice on this committee. I will continue to fight for my local communities and ensure the interests of those that depend on the Delta will be heard.”

The Delta is critical asset to California, as it is the source of drinking water for 25 million Californians, helps fuel a $37 billion agricultural industry and serves as an important habitat to more than 750 known animal and plant species.

Assemblymember Huber grew up on the Delta. When she moved to Lodi as a child her home was in Tower Park Marina on Potato Slough. Having the Delta in her backyard as a child makes her especially protective of its future for generations to come.

Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed to eliminate the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Program, which provides cash assistance for eligible low-income families with children, while helping parents find jobs and overcome barriers to employment. Approximately four out of five CalWORKs recipients (78.5 percent) are children.

If CalWORKs were eliminated, more than 880 children and parents in Amador County would lose monthly cash grants, along with employment services and child care assistance, effective October 1, 2009. The county would lose $3,806,000 in federal and state funding in 2010-11.

The cuts are greater in Calaveras County where 1,490 children and parents would lose monthly cash grants, employment services and child care assistance. Calaveras County would lose $6,464,000 in federal and state funding in 2010-11.

Statewide approximately four out of five CalWORKs recipients (78.5 percent) are children. If CalWORKs were eliminated, more than 1.1 million children and approximately 310,000 parents across the state would be impacted. Eliminating CalWORKs would reduce General Fund spending by $2.4 billion in 2010-11 — the first full year that CalWORKs would be eliminated — but California also would lose $3.9 billion in federal funds, for a combined loss of state and federal funding of $6.3 billion.

See the breakdown for all counties in this report from the California Budget Project.

AB 580 by Assemblymember Alyson Huber passed the State Assembly yesterday is headed to the Senate.

AB 580 requires the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) regulations for onsite water treatment systems (OWTS) to include regulatory tiers based on the demonstrated risk posed to public health and the environment by the system. The vote was a unanimous 74 – 0.

Requiring regulatory tiers will put an end to the one-size-fits-all approach to septic regulations that are unnecessarily costly to homeowners in rural areas of the state. Rural and urban areas have different needs when it comes to sewage treatment, and regulations that are necessary in urban areas are not always effective, efficient, or necessary in rural areas, and often require homeowners to pay enormous and unnecessary costs.

AB 580 will allow regulations to be tailored to the individual needs of local areas “based on the demonstrated risk.”

“There is no question that the Governor and Legislature understand the gravity of the situation our state is facing. These are going to be tough choices and we must work together in order to find real solutions.

“I look forward to working with the Governor to quickly fix the problem, but don’t agree with his proposal to borrow money from local governments. I will continue to work towards solutions that minimize the pain in my district, to our schools and to working families.

“Budget negotiations are continuing to be done in a very public way and I am paying close attention to the comments and suggestions being offered by my constituents as we move forward.

“In addition, while it is easy to get distracted with short term fixes to the state’s problems, we cannot let this opportunity to produce long term reforms go wasted or we will only find ourselves back in this same dilemma years down the road.”

According to a recent report by the California Budget Project (CBP), 430 Amador County children would lose health coverage under Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposal to eliminate the state’s Healthy Families Program. The program provides health, dental, and vision services to children with family incomes too high to qualify for the Medi-Cal Program.

Statewide 942,000 California children who would otherwise have been covered as of June 30, 2010, would not be covered, according to the most recent state estimate available, which, according to the CBP, likely understates the number of children affected. Eliminating the program would reduce General Fund spending by about $300 million in 2009-10, but California also would lose approximately $560 million in federal matching funds.

Amador Co. would lose approximately $393,000 in state and federal funding in 2009-10.

In Calaveras Co. 730 children would lose health coverage under the Governor’s proposed elimination. Calaveras Co. would lose approximately $671,000 in state and federal funding.

The full CBP Fact Sheet is here.

This is a great post on the Mokelumne River by Katherine Evatt.

With a decent snowfall and early May rains, the Mokelumne River’s really flowing this spring. Salt Springs Dam may spill soon. If it doesn’t, that will only be because PG&E is releasing a huge amount of water into the river to keep the flow high and temperature cold (which has to do with foothill yellow-legged frogs, but I’ll spare you the details).

If you’ve never seen the North Fork running high, now’s a good time to do it. Ellis Road, Panther Creek and Tiger Creek Road are all open (see maps).

There’s more…

By Randy Bayne

One of the problems with bridging the $24 billion state budget gap is too small thinking. Voters are tired of solutions that don’t go far enough and are aimed at too small a revenue pool. More than anything, that is probably the message sent in Tuesday’s special election.

One proposed tax that won’t help, and will likely do more damage than good is the one proposed on wine. Let me first say that “sin” taxes don’t really make a lot of sense in my mind, unless it is hoped that the “sinning” will increase. Take smoking for instance. We tax the heck out of tobacco, yet we hope for diminishing purchase and use. If use actually does go down the revenue from the increased taxes will go down too. Of course, tobacco users will just be taxed more onerously. It’s a vicious cycle that solves nothing, but sure makes nonsmokers feel good.

So, increasing taxes on wine from the current 20 cents per gallon to $1.48, a more than seven-fold increase, while it may make some people – those who don’t drink wine – feel good, in the long run probably won’t really have any great impact on bridging any budget gap, but it will have an impact on driving down business and tourism in the state’s wine regions. The Amador County Board of Supervisors is right to oppose the move. It looks good on paper, but will have little, if any real impact, except to perhaps drive down wine sales.

Bridging the budget gap will take much bigger thinking. Unfortunately, Republicans oppose any tax, especially those that will cause some small sacrifice from their rich buddies. Oil severance comes to mind. California is the only state that doesn’t ask oil companies to pay for taking oil out of our ground. It’s time we did, but Republicans oppose this good idea. And how about the ultra rich? Higher tax rates should be restored so that those who are making the most money are paying their fair share and the poorest among us don’t feel like were supporting them. The rich don’t have to pay new taxes, just the old rates they used to.

Unfortunately, those most opposed to taxing wine are also opposed to any alternatives, like the ones mentioned above. Until Republican legislators are willing to meet halfway by raising some taxes while making some cuts the state of California will continue to be one of crisis budgeting. Democrats have done their part. They have already offered and made cuts that are horrific to most Californians. It is time for Republicans to do their part and consider meaningful tax increases that will raise real revenue. Targeting wine isn’t going to get us there, and in the end will probably do more harm than good.