Don’t get scammed! Seniors, their families and caregivers are invited to attend a FREE Senior Scam Prevention Seminar that I am co-hosting with Assemblymember Mark Stone. Experts will provide information about ways to protect yourself and your loved ones against fraud and scams targeting seniors that are related to home repair, auto repair, telecommunications, identity theft and more. Come learn how to protect yourself from fraud. The seminar will take place at the Southside Senior Center, 5585 Cottle Road, on Friday July 19 from 1:00 – 3:00pm.
The County Board of Supervisors adopted a balanced $4.6 billion budget on June 21 for Fiscal Year 2014 that takes significant steps towards addressing long-term liabilities, while continuing to provide vital public safety and health services. The budget includes all services, operations, capital improvements as well as a 5% contingency reserve. A significant portion of our County’s budget is tied to providing mandated federal and state safety net services. My goal continues to be to provide these and other services as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. Some key highlights from the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget include:
• Increased services for sexually exploited children.
• Increased domestic violence prevention and support services.
• A new economic development initiative to stimulate job growth throughout the county.
• A more aggressive funding strategy for paying down the unfunded retiree health liability.
• Preparation for significant impacts from State Medi-Cal Expansion and the Affordable Care Act.
• Prevention measures to reduce traffic-related fatalities and injuries in neighborhoods.
I commend the many non-profit organizations, residents and county staff who were a part of this open and transparent budget process.
Happy 237th Birthday America! 4th of July celebrations in District 1 will be in full swing tomorrow: Los Gatos, San Jose, Morgan Hill and Gilroy each are hosting unique and fun festivities for the whole family. Please see my Upcoming Events section for details on these celebrations and more! And be sure to bring your camera to snap a photo for my Summer Photo Contest – entries due August 1st.
I had a great time last month with 94.5 KBAY radio host Sam Van Zandt as we discussed how the County meets the needs of our pet population in Santa Clara County. Joining me was Animal Care and Control Program Manager Albert Escobar who discussed services offered at our San Martin Animal Shelter. To hear the interview, please click here. Also, be sure to check out the article I wrote entitled, “Protecting our Pets in Santa Clara County” for Silicon Valley Local Magazine, that is now available online.
Our next generation of business leaders are today’s high school students. Last month, I participated in the National Federation of Independent Business’ Young Entrepreneur Awards program where scholarships were awarded to selected high school students. Since 2003, the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation has awarded over 2,300 scholarships to graduating high school seniors totaling more than $2.5 million. Congratulations to the 2 Santa Clara County high school students who were among just 6 winners from California!
As always, you can reach my office at (408) 299-5010, or you can email me at mike.wasserman@bos.sccgov.org with your comments and concerns.
