During the Board of Equalization's February meeting, I joined a 3-2 vote to lower the state excise tax on gasoline by 2.2 cents per gallon effective July 1, 2016.
Our vote was simply a matter of fairness. Californians overpaid gas tax last year because of a bizarre formula known as the 'gas tax swap' passed by lawmakers in 2010. Lowering the rate is the right thing to do, and I'm sure Californians will welcome this reduction.
Unfortunately, even after the cut goes into effect, Californians will still pay some of the highest taxes in the nation. What we need now is for lawmakers to simplify our tax laws and look for ways to provide value for the money that Californians send to government.

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One of the most widely read books in Plumas and Sierra Counties, besides the phone book, is the annual County Fair Exhibit Guide. The guide lists the many different categories and classes one can enter their handiwork in competition. The very basic reason for the modern fair is a chance for a resident to show off what they have raised, made or grown. Better yet, to have their entry judged as better than their neighbor’s down the road. The motive to compete lives on.
 
The Family Project is back, giving the whole family the chance to work together to earn a ribbon. Everyone in a family will work on a display that tells a story about their family. Details are in the Home Arts section of the guide.
 
Residents will find the general rules governing their entries in the guide. They will also find a preliminary schedule of the fair, contact information and deadlines for entries, judging and picking up entries after the fair. Major sections include Home Arts, Floriculture, Art Barn and Livestock. Each section has many different Divisions, for example, the Art Barn has divisions for Amateur Photography and Professional Photography. Those Divisions are then broken down into Classes, like Sports, Children and even last year’s Fair. The Exhibit Guide covers how to prepare entries and when to bring them to the fairgrounds. Most entries cost only $2. Those who are judged as the best are awarded ribbons and sometimes, cash. All entry forms, except for livestock and floriculture are due July 15, 2016. The actual entries are dropped off in the days before the fair and those dates are listed in the guide.
 
The Plumas Sierra County Fair has followed many fairs that have published their exhibit guides on-line, saving thousands of dollars and many trees. The 2016 Plumas Sierra County Fair Exhibit Guide is now available on the fair website; www.plumas-sierracountyfair.net. Understanding that many Plumas and Sierra residents still have only dial-up for their internet service, the guide has been broken down into smaller sections for quicker download. Entry forms for still exhibits, livestock and horse show are all available on the website.
 
A limited number of guides have been printed and distributed to community libraries and branches of Plumas Bank. Copies are also available at the fair office and fair staff is happy to print out specific sections of the guide for anyone who requests it.
 
A good measure of support for a county fair is the number of exhibits entered. Now is a good time to show your support for the fair by planning to enter something this year. Fair staff is happy to assist anyone with filling out their entry forms by calling the fair office at 530-283-6272.
 
The Plumas Sierra County Fair will be held August 10-14, 2016 and the theme is Harvest of the Home.

                         


 
SACRAMENTO -- Assemblyman Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, today announced that the Legislature passed a health care financing plan that will allow six rural skilled nursing facilities in Assembly District 1 to keep their doors open.


“I am proud to support a plan that will save important health centers in our region,” Dahle said. “This plan will allow elderly residents and those needing specialized care to stay comfortably in the facilities they call home, rather than being relocated miles away.”


In 2011, the state budget cut Medi-Cal reimbursement rates. Eastern Plumas Health Care, in Plumas; Mayers Memorial Hospital in Fall River; Modoc Memorial Hospital in Alturas; Seneca Healthcare District in Chester; Surprise Valley Community Hospital in Cedarville; and Tahoe Forest Hospital in Truckee were faced with a 25 percent reimbursement rate reduction. This threatened the viability of both the skilled nursing facilities and the connected hospitals.


The agreement passed by the Legislature restores Medi-Cal reimbursement cuts made between 2011 and 2013, bringing back $12 million to rural hospitals in the 1st Assembly District and allowing rural skilled nursing facilities and hospitals throughout the state to keep their doors open.


“Without the skilled nursing facility at Mayers Memorial Hospital District, patients like Mary Bickel and Beulah Spalding who have deep family roots and have lived in the Fall River Valley for many years would have to move more than 100 miles away from their family and friends.” said Valerie L. Lakey, Director of Public Relations at Mayers Memorial Hospital District. “This agreement will ensure that we are able to continue caring for our residents like Mary and Beulah in their communities, close to their families.”


Statements from local health care facilities on the financing plan:


“Skilled Nursing Facilities like Mayers’ have been struggling for years to keep the lights on while absorbing retroactive budget cuts. MMHD is a small rural facility that has a service area of over 8000 square miles.  We are one of Northeastern Shasta County’s largest employers, with over 250 employees. We have 76 skilled nursing patients, including 22 in our Alzheimer’s unit, that reside in our skilled nursing facility. If we were not an option, these residents would be relocated over 100 miles away from family and friends. The viability of our entire facility would be in question without our skilled nursing facility.” Valerie Lakey, Director of Public Relations, Mayers Memorial Hospital District


“This clawback amount may seem insignificant to those accustomed to larger, city hospitals,” said Eastern Plumas Health Care’s CEO, Tom Hayes. "As a safety net hospital in a severely economically depressed rural area, however, it is our mission to be here when our community members need us. Yet, we are constantly struggling to remain afloat, and the amount of the clawback becomes a survival issue for this hospital. We are consistently cash strapped, and if we manage to pay the required amount each month, it means we don’t pay for essential infrastructure repairs and upgrades, among other things that a larger hospital, a larger community would take for granted." - Thomas P. Hayes, CEO, Eastern Plumas Health Care


"We have estimated that the financial impact of the clawback to Modoc Medical Center will be around $531,000.  As a small, rural facility this money represents a significant amount of resources that could be utilized to ensure the continued provision of healthcare in our small rural community.  We have neighboring facilities that struggle to survive financially.  For some facilities the clawback may represent a real threat to their survival and could create a huge gap in the network of providers that we all rely on to care for our most vulnerable populations in our state." - Kevin Kramer, CEO, Modoc Medical Center




“Eastern Plumas Health Care is one of two Skilled Nursing Facilities in Plumas county and the only one in Sierra County.  We provide access to residential care for the communities we serve, keeping those in need close to their families and support groups.  We cannot continue to fund the deficits that occur when rates are cut back to amounts below our cost to provide services.” - Jeri Nelson, CFO, Eastern Plumas Healthcare District




Assemblyman Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, represents the 1st Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes all or parts of Butte, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra and Siskiyou counties.

$4.4 Million Available for Ariz., Calif., Hawaii, Nev., and the Pacific Islands
 
SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the availability of $4.4 million in grant funding to establish clean diesel projects aimed at reducing emissions from the existing fleet of diesel engines in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands
Diesel-powered engines move approximately 90 percent of the nation’s freight tonnage, and today nearly all highway freight trucks, locomotives, and commercial marine vessels are powered by diesel engines.
EPA is soliciting proposals nationwide for projects that significantly reduce diesel emissions and exposure, especially from fleets operating at goods movements facilities in areas designated as having poor air quality.  Priority for funding will be given to projects that engage and benefit local communities and applicants that demonstrate their ability to promote and continue efforts to reduce emissions after the project has ended. 
Eligible applicants include regional, state, local or port authorities with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality.  Nonprofit organizations may apply if they provide pollution reduction or educational services to diesel fleet owners or have, as their principal purpose, the promotion of transportation or air quality. The applicants may apply until April 26, 2016. 
EPA anticipates releasing a separate Request for Proposals for Tribal applicants in March.
Since the first year of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program in 2008, EPA has awarded nearly 700 grants across the U.S. Many of these projects fund cleaner diesel engines that operate in economically disadvantaged communities whose residents suffer from higher-than-average instances of asthma, heart and lung disease. 
For more information and to access the Request for Proposals, visit http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-diesel-national-grants.
For more information on the West Coast Collaborative, visit: http://www.westcoastcollaborative.org/
For more information on the National Clean Diesel campaign, visit http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel.
  

  Each of the military services maintains a discharge review board with authority to change, correct or modify discharges or dismissals not issued by a sentence of a general court-martial. The board has no authority to address medical discharges.
  The veteran or, if the veteran is deceased or incompetent, the surviving spouse, next of kin or legal representative, may apply for a review of discharge by writing to the military department concerned, using DD Form 293, “Application for the Review of Discharge from the Armed Forces of the United States.” This form may be obtained from the Internet or from our office.
  However, if the discharge was more than 15 years ago, a veteran must petition the appropriate Service’s Board for Correction of Military Records using DD Form 149, “Application for Correction of Military Records Under the Provisions of Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 1552.” A discharge review is conducted by a review of an applicant’s record and, if requested, by a hearing before the board.
  Discharges awarded as a result of a continuous period of unauthorized absence in excess of 180 days make persons ineligible for VA benefits regardless of action taken by discharge review boards, unless VA determines there were compelling circumstances for the absence. Boards for the Correction of Military Records also may consider such cases.
 Veterans separated administratively under other than honorable conditions may request that their discharge be reviewed for possible recharacterization, provided they file their appeal within 15 years of the date of separation.
  Our office can provide forms and directions on how request a review.  Questions regarding the review of a discharge should be addressed to the appropriate discharge review board at the address listed on DD Form 293.
    The Plumas County Veterans Service Office can complete the DMV Veteran Status Verification Form for the new California Veteran Designation on your driver’s license (we will need to see your DD214 and a drivers license or other government issued ID).   We can also issue County Veteran I.D. cards to honorably discharged veterans.     There are many state and federal benefits and programs available to veterans and their dependents.  To find out if you are eligible for any of these benefits,   Please call  (283-6275/6271)to make a reservation or walkins are welcome Wednedays from 1:30PM-4:00PM. We can and will assist you in completing all required application forms.  You can get information on the Web from the Plumas County Veterans Service Office webpage at Plumas County Website (Veterans Services) for hours of operation etc.  ALL VA VAN RIDERS PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE VA VAN DEPARTS UPPER PARKING LOT COUNTY ANNEX BLDG AT 270 COUNTY HOSPITAL ROAD AT 0700 TUES AND THURS SHARP UNLESS SNOW IS IN THE FORECAST.
 
 
 
 

DAVIS, Calif., February 18, 2016 – Today, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director Janice Waddell encouraged Sierra County residents to learn more about USDA programs available to help purchase and repair homes in rural California. 
"Homeownership provides a foundation to help individuals and families build a stronger future.  Our programs not only help rural Californians purchase a home, but also make sure homes remain safe places to live," said Waddell. "I encourage anyone that has considered purchasing a home, or who is struggling to make important repairs, to contact my staff to learn more about how we may help."
USDA Rural Development offers mortgages through the Single Family Housing Direct Home Loan Program. Highlights of the program include no down payment, no mortgage insurance, and interest rates as low as one percent for eligible buyers. In Sierra County the maximum loan amount is $243,800, and a family of four can earn up to $56,250.  
Existing homeowners may be able to take advantage of USDA Rural Development’s Single Family Housing Repair Loan and Grant program. Loans up to $20,000 are available with one percent interest, and grants up to $7,500 may also be available for homeowners age 62 or older. The program can help with roofing, insulation, electrical systems, accessibility, and even re-drilling domestic wells that have gone dry. The program is restricted to very low-income homeowners; a family of four in Sierra C  ounty can earn up to $35,150.
Last year, USDA Rural Development helped 569 homebuyers in rural California purchase a home, and assisted 73 more homeowners with making health and safety repairs to their homes. 
Interested applicants should contact USDA Rural Development Specialist Robert Canepa at (530) 885-6505 extension 114 or Robert.Canepa@ca.usda.gov.  USDA Rural Development offers over 40 programs supporting housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure in rural America. 

SACRAMENTO — Assemblyman Brian Dahle has been named to the Assembly Public Health and Developmental Services Committee in the 2015-16 Second Extraordinary Session, replacing Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes.
The committee is negotiating reforms of California’s fees on Managed Care Organizations. Last year, federal regulators declared the state’s MCO fees ineligible for federal matching funds under the Medicaid program, creating a billion-dollar shortfall in the Medi-Cal system.


“I am fighting to keep rural hospitals open.  I am determined to protect California’s taxpayers and insurance ratepayers, and ensure people can get to a doctor when they need one.” Dahle said. “It doesn't do anyone any good to have insurance if you can't have access to a hospital and quality care.  I hope this special session of the Legislature will accomplish something to fix the healthcare system. I appreciate the Speaker and the Republican Leader for appointing me to this committee at this crucial time."

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Christopher Schendel (35) Loomis.  Possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle.  One year probation, one day jail, fine $1138.
 
Delores Paniqua-Hernandez (38) Turlock.  Take dear without tag, and failure to appear.  One year probation, one day in jail, and a fine of $1206.
 
Jeff Jones (60) Auburn.  Driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 or above.  Three years probation, two days jail, fine $2427, and attend alcohol school.
 
Christopher Ferrari (47) Sacramento.  Possession of deer parts illegally taken, and speeding.  Three years probation, fine $1319.
 
Michael White (20) Fallbrook.  Hunting deer in X Zone with D Zone tags.  One year probation and a fine of $1065.
 
Samatha Snider (49) Loyalton.  Driving under the influence of a drug.  Four years probation, two days jail, a fine of $2427, and attend drug classes.
 
Mellissa Kaput (52) Downieville.  Dog at large.  Three years probation, fine $685, and must pay restitution to victim of dog bite in the amount of $4720.
 
Kevin Pagel (34) Loyalton.  Reckless driving, alcohol related.  Eighteen months probation, one day jail, fine $1519 and attend alcohol school.
 
Michael Hayward (52) Felony grand theft from Sierra County (welfare fraud).  Sentencing is on March 9.
 
 
Vicki Johnson (50) El Dorado County.  After a contested preliminary hearing, she was ordered to stand trial on felony charges of driving under the influence with three or more prior convictions.

RICHVALE, CA —Today U.S. Representative Doug LaMalfa launched an online petition opposing the California Department of Transportation’s attempt to impose a mileage based tax on California motorists.  The federal government is closely watching the California study and legislation has been introduced in Congress to duplicate the tax-per-mile study in other states.  Stopping the tax in California will halt the push to make this a nationwide program.


Starting in July of 2016, the Department of Transportation will begin a pilot program named “California Road Charge" that will attach devices to 5,000 participant vehicles to measure the number of miles driven and collect payment for those miles. The ultimate goal is to expand the program further to all registered vehicles and will create a brand new bureaucracy rather than focus on better use of the fuel consumption tax method in place now.  The end goal of this program is more money and control for the government, less money in the hands of tax paying families.


“Having Sacramento liberals attach tracking devices to our cars is a gross invasion of personal privacy,” said LaMalfa. “North State residents often commute longer distances to attend work, school, doctor visits and pick up groceries.  This tax hits our community disproportionately hard. I am committed to putting a stop to this intrusion and my online petition is the first step to doing that. If California's road's and highways need more funds for repairs perhaps the government should put a stop to the $100 Billion High Speed Rail project.”


Individuals interested in signing the online petition can visit Congressman LaMalfa’s website at www.DougLaMalfa.com.