Hank Johnson E-newsletter (April 8, 2010)
Dear Friends, It’s been a refreshing but busy work period – and it was good to see everyone. Whether it was Stan Watson’s breakfast meeting at New Piney Grove Baptist Church in south DeKalb, Lynwood Park United Church of God in Christ in Brookhaven or the Embry Hills Branch Library opening near Chamblee, it was a pleasure to get a chance to visit with constituents and hear your concerns. And what I’m hearing more than anything is that people are concerned about the economy, jobs and what that might mean for them and their families. JOHNSON'S CAREER EXPO - It’s one of the reasons I’m holding a career expo on Friday, April 30 at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church at 182 Hunter Street in Norcross 30071. We’ll have federal and state agencies on hand and résumé and interviewing experts to help you prepare for your next job. Please bring your résumé and dress for success. Check my Web site for updates. FIRE GRANTS IN THE FOURTH – With all the budget trouble local and state governments are having, keeping up with public safety funding can be difficult. So I was thrilled to learn this week that DeKalb County Fire Rescue is receiving $158,000 in Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Fire Administration grants for operations and safety training. Congratulations DeKalb Fire Rescue! RECOVERY ACT HELPS US GO GREEN – More than 60 communities in Georgia – including three in the Fourth District – have earned $13.3 million in Recovery Act (ARRA) grants to conduct energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. It’s part of more than $180 million the state has received under ARRA to weatherize homes, make local state agencies and businesses more efficient and reduce consumption. Decatur, which will partner with Chamblee and Dunwoody, will receive $500,000 to install energy efficient lighting and HVAC upgrades. Rockdale County will receive $300,000 for training and education and Doraville will also receive $300,000 to retrofit buildings and conduct energy audits. SPEAKING OF GOING GREEN – I want to congratulate my offices for being honored at the upcoming Green Expo for our efforts to Green the Capitol and the District. Since 2009, we have been making an effort to reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink the way we use resources both in our Washington, D.C., and the District offices. Our office is one of 50 selected from more than 500 being honored for our good stewardship of the environment. For more, click here. FUNDS FOR PDK, LETTER TO THE FAA – I’m pleased to report that $650,000 from the Department of Transportation has been provided to DeKalb-Peachtree Airport so it can rehabilitate taxiways A and K. It’s part of more than $11 million Georgia is receiving for its commuter airports. I also want you to know that I have written Federal Aviation Administration’s J. Randolph Babbitt to express my concerns about the proposed modifications to Hartsfield-Jackson’s airspace that could adversely affect residents in and around PDK. HELP WITH HOUSING – It’s good to see that the DeKalb County Housing Authority received more than $42,000 under the Family Self-Sufficiency Program to help struggling families achieve economic independence. These kinds of programs are vital to help citizens get back on their feet during these difficult economic times. FIXING FLOODED ROADS, BRIDGES– I was relieved in late March to hear that the Federal Highway Administration is sending $15.3 million to Georgia to help rebuild our roads and bridges in the aftermath of the worst flooding in half a century last September. WHITE HOUSE GARDEN TOURS – This year they’re scheduled for April 17 and 18, and the usual rules apply for attending (tickets are distributed on the day of the tour – first come, first serve). For more information, click here. CARING FOR OUR ELDERS – Thanks to nearly a $1 million grant from the federal Department of Health and Human Services, older Georgians with chronic diseases can learn how to manage their conditions and take control of their health. The Communities Putting Prevention to Work Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will allow the Georgia Department of Human Services - Division of Aging Services, to provide self-management programs to older adults with chronic diseases build statewide delivery systems and develop the workforce that delivers these programs. For more, click here. CULTIVATING THE ARTS & HUMANITIES – I’m pleased to announce two awards – one from the National Endowment for the Arts – a $15,000 award for the Georgia Shakespeare Theater – and the other a $2,500 grant to the DeKalb Library Foundation for a President Lincoln traveling exhibit. EXTENDING SMALL BUSINESS LOANS– Congress passed and President Obama signed into law legislation extending through April the U.S. Small Business Administration’s ability to provide enhancements in its two largest small business loan programs. The enhancements, first made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, include a higher guarantee on some SBA-backed loans and fee relief. The SBA estimates the $40 million extension will support about $1.4 billion in small business lending. For more, click here. As always, I appreciate your thoughts, input and feedback. Thanks,
| April 8, 2010 Vol. 41
About This E-Newsletter
This is an informational e-mail sent to residents of Georgia's Fourth Congressional District. If you would prefer not to receive future mailings, please click the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page. My Staff Arthur D. Sidney, Chief of Staff District Washington, D.C. |
