Dear Friend,

I recently spent a couple weeks traveling throughout the Central Coast, meeting with constituents to discuss the new health insurance reform law, the status of our economic recovery efforts, and the importance of getting an accurate Census count. I wanted to give you a short update on my travels.

First, health insurance reform is good news for ALL Central Coast residents.

I talked about the benefits of reform, both short and long term, at the Community Health Centers of the Central Coast in San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria Terrace, Friendship Manor in Isla Vista, and St. John’s Hospital in Oxnard.

The bottom line – if you have insurance, this legislation will provide you with strong new consumer protections against insurance company abuses, and give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing your coverage will be there when you need it most. If you don’t have insurance, you’ll soon have access.

As a public health nurse who has spent my life devoted to improving prevention and wellness in our communities, I’m especially proud that you will no longer have to pay out of pocket costs for preventive screenings. And there is good new for small businesses, seniors and young adults too.

In addition to health insurance reform, economic recovery was also at the center of many discussions. The Congressional Budget Office and leading economists have all confirmed that the Recovery Act is putting Americans back to work, saving or creating over two million jobs. During my time at home I had the opportunity to see the real-life benefits of some of this funding in action, touring some homes being weatherized in San Luis Obispo and Oxnard through Recovery Act funding.  These projects are putting people to work now and saving consumers money now and in the future by promoting energy efficiency. Down in Ventura, work has started on Rice Avenue Interchange thanks to Recovery Act money.

Small businesses are the engine of growth on the Central Coast. I stopped in at a couple, “The Closet” in Santa Barbara and “The Dapper Dog” in Oxnard, to see how they have benefitted from Women’s Economic Ventures’ support. WEV uses a variety of funding sources, including a little from the federal government, to provide small women-owned startups with the capital they need to grow and hire. It’s a great idea that is helping to build new women-owned businesses across the Central Coast.

The third big issue I highlighted was the critical need to get a complete count during this year’s Census. It is incredibly important that ALL Central Coast residents fill out their Census forms and mail them back - today! Census workers will soon begin to go door-to-door to those homes that have not returned their forms to get an accurate count of all Americans. Mailing your form costs the taxpayer a mere 42 cents...while an in person visit from a Census worker costs up to $57.

So send in your Census form – and make sure your neighbor does too – and save taxpayers dollars!

As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments. Please feel free to forward this to your family and friends, and I encourage you to visit my website and Facebook page to learn about the issues that matter most to you.