Weekly Update from Rep. Denham - October 26, 2012

Dear Friend,

Next week many of you will be participating in a variety of fun fall festivities surrounding the end of harvest and Halloween. During this time of the year, it’s so important to remember some basic safety tips to keep you and your families safe and healthy.  I wanted to share some practical tips from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding Halloween health and safety.  A few of the especially important tips to remember are: avoid being alone at night; fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers better see you; examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them; always walk and don’t run from house to house; use sidewalks and crosswalks wherever possible; enter homes only if you are with a trusted adult; never accept rides from strangers; and only stop at well-lit houses.  Please keep these tips in mind and I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!

Responding to the needlessly high gas prices in our state, I wrote an op-ed for the Turlock Journal with my colleague Rep. Kevin McCarthy from Bakersfield. The topic is one of our greatest priorities: lowering gas prices and putting our nation on a path to energy independence. In our state we have an array of laws, rules and regulations that put so many constraints on the market that we have ended up with a system that has very little flexibility or capacity to provide an essential product when even a relatively small mishap occurs. Nowhere in the country is it more evident than in California that our nation needs a comprehensive energy agenda to increase our domestic production, create needed jobs and build a free market system that provides reliable, cost-effective energy.

This week I sat down with the Central Valley Association of Realtors to discuss real estate problems in California. Housing issues remain problematic in the Central Valley, and I have cosponsored legislation that would maintain current rural housing designations for many regions in Central California that receive specialized attention and aid due to the distinct nature of the Valley.

I stopped by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VWF) Post 1051 in Ripon and had a great time visiting with the veterans in attendance. One of my proudest moments of the past Congress has been getting my Veterans Skills to Jobs Act signed into law. That is just one of the many initiatives I am working on in Congress to help our armed services and veterans.

To celebrate the start of Farm-City Days in Stanislaus County I attended the 50th Anniversary of the Good Egg Breakfast (GEB) in Stanislaus County in Modesto with hundreds of poultry farmers and California Assemblyman Bill Berryhill and California Senator Tom Berryhill. It is always a pleasure to have the opportunity to discuss ideas and concerns with the men and women who grow the food and fiber and work together for the betterment of the community. The first Good Egg Breakfast was held in April 1963 at the Sportsmen of Stanislaus Clubhouse.  Today, the event is billed as the world’s longest running egg promotion breakfast. Mr. Good Egg of 1970, Governor Ronald Reagan, is the most famous of past honorees.  The Breakfast also awards scholarship stipends to local Modesto Junior College students who epitomize a “Good Egg” – someone who gives back to the community. I wholeheartedly support this great effort to recognize significant achievement in the Valley as well as its role in promoting eggs, agriculture, and community service.

If your family, like mine, enjoys watching the inaugural festivities at the beginning of each Presidential term, imagine how exciting it would be to see members of our community among the talent in the inauguration parade.  This is your opportunity: the registration for the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Parade is now open, and you can find more information on how to submit applications here.

Be safe and have fun this Halloween. I look forward to another week meeting with constituents and businesses in the district talking about significant issues such as housing, job creation, and community service. Please continue to let me know your thoughts and concerns about issues facing our community, and also feel free to forward my weekly newsletter to your friends, family and neighbors.  You may also visit my website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Have a great weekend, and go Giants!

Sincerely,