Democratic Central Committee urges, "Adopt the President's Budget Proposal"

This budget will make significant investments in moving the Inland Empire towards a cleaner, greener, and healthier metropolis. It can lay down the foundation for a new green economy by renewable energy production with wind and solar energy.

A foundation for a well-educated work force which can compete for the jobs of the 21st Century, and a health care plan which will reduce runaway health care costs which cripple our economy.

Energy independence is the national security issue of our generation. We cannot afford to keep buying petroleum from countries which support global terrorist networks with funds earned by selling us oil.

The president's budget will make investments in renewable energy.The trucks moving containers through warehouses in Inland Empire cities like Ontario, San Bernardino, Redlands and Moreno Valley consume large amounts of imported petroleum. So do the millions of automobiles consuming imported gasoline on southern California freeways.

The budget provides investments in a smart grid system which will allow our new fleets of American made electric vehicles to run on electricity produced through rooftop solar panels on top of the acres of empty warehouses, wind farms in our deserts, and biomass conversion plants which will turn waste into energy.

The Inland Empire is blessed by abundant sunshine and wind, making it ideally suited to becoming a global leader in renewable energy production and research.

Change in our energy policy must be seen as a local issue because it is our local, poorer communities so common in the Inland Empire which are most affected by global warming, extreme weather and greenhouse gasses.

The national energy policy laid out in the budget will create local jobs by employing the local workforce in the manufacturing of solar panels, wind turbines, and weatherization of our buildings and houses.

We spend more on health care than any other nation and yet we are not receiving an appropriate value for our dollars spent. There are many ideas on how to provide health care coverage for all, but we need to stop arguing and really get something done.

We must show more compassion for all because what every man, woman, and child deserves is what a few of us already have.

With the aging baby boomer population, the President understands the current system of Medicare is not able to handle the sky-rocketing cost. Residents of the Inland Empire know it is one of the most under-served areas in California.

Statistics from the Tomas Rivera Institute of USC predict the IE will have he highest population growth rate in the state between 2002 and 2015 at 38.9%. So we cannot delay - action is imperative.

More blue-collar workers are migrating to the Inland Empire. Priorities in this budget will provide funds for facilities like the medical school at the University of California, Riverside, to serve this growing demand.

A good education for every child is necessary if our nation is to remain a global economic and cultural leader.

Parents are a child's first and most important teacher. Yet dropout and achievement data for IE school districts indicate there is a disconnect between the home and the school.

The president's budget priorities will assist and encourage parents, families, and communities to be actively involved and engaged in their public schools. It will require professional development programs for all educators to include the skills and knowledge required for effective parental and community communication and engagement strategies.

The president's plan will match up new degree programs in emerging technologies with jobs being created in the health information technology, renewable energy, and other growth areas.

It will create a pipeline to link graduates from community colleges and universities with employment opportunities. Programs like the new nanotechnology program at San Bernardino Valley College are examples of emerging technologies.

The problems facing the Inland Empire with double digit unemployment call for visionary solutions such as presented in President Obama's "Blueprint for America."

The President has already reached across the aisle in the spirit of bi-partisanship. We strongly urge our representatives in congress to vote for speedy passage of the President's budget proposal.

For more information, contact the following:
Shirley Harlan,
3939 Newmark Ave.,
San Bernardino, CA 92405,
(909) 882-4057

Daisy Broady,
1415 Brookside Ave,
Redlands, CA 92373,
(909) 997-4353

Pamela Arauz,
8439 Mulberry Ave,
Fontana, CA 92335,
(909) 854-8536