Hank Johnson's E-Newsletter (May 14, 2010)
May 14, 2010
Dear Friends, Let us honor Rockdale Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Mahaffey, who was shot and killed in the line of duty on May 8 in Conyers. My thoughts and prayers are with his family: his wife Diana, two-year-old son Trenton, three-month-old daughter Anniston, brother Christopher, and his parents Terry and Cindy. It is our solemn duty now to protect them as Deputy Mahaffey so bravely protected us. Condolences to the Mahaffey family may be submitted online at www.scotward.com or on his Facebook Memorial page. NORCROSS CAREER EXPO – We had a very productive career expo at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Norcross on April 30. More than 500 people received vital information from our panelists and employers. There are telltale signs that the economy is turning around, but we still have work to do. TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE – Last week, I secured a coveted seat on the powerful Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This means jobs. This means serious federal investment in our transportation infrastructure, in roads, bridges and rail. Metro Atlanta needs a seat at this table. Now we have one. For more information, click here. CLEAN ENERGY AND JOBS – On May 7, Energy Secretary Steven Chu joined me at Georgia Tech to visit the labs that are spawning high-tech clean energy technologies that power companies like Suniva in Norcross, which produces cutting-edge solar panels and has been hiring thanks to Recovery Act grants. Suniva CEO John Baumstark, who joined me and Secretary Chu at Georgia Tech, gave me a tour of their Norcross facility in February. ENERGY GRANTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES – I’m pleased to announce that a local small business nGimat Co. is hiring thanks in part to a $99,000 Department of Energy innovation grant to research high-temperature superconductors. It’s these kinds of innovative companies that are the lifeblood of clean-energy technologies of the future. The small Chamblee-based business has 20 employees, but it’s hiring three more people this summer because of the grant. SMALL BUSINESS TAX CREDITS – As part of the landmark health care reform law, many small businesses and tax-exempt organizations that provide health insurance coverage to their employees now qualify for a special tax credit from the Internal Revenue Service. More information about the credit, including tax tips, guides and answers to frequently asked questions, is now available online. MARTA SAFETY GRANTS – MARTA will receive $4.3 million in transit safety grants from the Department of Homeland Security. This investment will be used to protect the rail system and the traveling public from acts of terrorism, major disasters and other emergencies. CONYERS-ROCKDALE LIBRARY DEDICATION – On Sunday, the Nancy Guinn Memorial Library will hold an Open House from 3 to 6 p.m. at 864 Green Street. Come see the beautiful expansion and renovations that have taken place at the library! For more information, click here. COLLEGE TUITION HIKES – I read with concern this week that tuition at many Atlanta-area colleges and universities could rise as much as 16 percent this fall. This is one of the reasons I supported President Obama’s Making College More Affordable initiative, which will invest $36 billion in the Pell grant program and provide need-based grants to low-and middle-income students and families. The bill ties the maximum Pell grant award to inflation to ensure that it maintains more of its value over time, and increases the maximum award to $5,500 next year. For more information, click here. EMERGENCY SHELTER GRANTS – DeKalb County will receive $9 million under the Community Development Block Grant, Emergency Shelter Grant and the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS to provide decent, affordable housing for low-income residents. For more information, visit the county Web site. ARTS COMPETITION, AN ARTISITC DISCOVERY – Congratulations to Ms. Sally Beck of Tucker High School, who won my 2010 Congressional Arts Competition at our awards ceremony May 8. Her “Post Earthquake: A Day in Haiti” drawing was outstanding. Her piece will hang in the Capitol tunnel for a year, and Ms. Beck earned a $1,500 a year scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design. All the students who entered did great work -- Congratulations! Click here for more. ACADEMY DAY – I was pleased to take part in this year’s Academy Day on May 8 at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta. It was a pleasure introducing the drill team, and seeing Congressman Gingrey and Senator Isakson. I look forward to having a broad group of high school seniors participate in the upcoming Academy nomination enrollment. HEALTH INSURANCE AND BREAST CANCER – I was happy to sign a letter with some of my House colleagues last month urging private health insurance company WellPoint to stop the systematic targeting and rescission of coverage of policyholders recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The next day, WellPoint did the right thing and moved to abide by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s rescission law early. Click here to read the letter. CULTIVATING THE ARTS & HUMANITIES – I’m pleased to announce that Oglethorpe University’s Museum of Art received a $2,000 grant for their project Art and Oglethorpe: Red Hills and Stone. For more, click here. MAY IS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH – Please take some time out to observe Older Americans Month in May by volunteering at a senior center, taking a senior citizen to lunch or dinner or just calling and making sure they’re OK. As a member of the House Seniors Taskforce, I take seniors’ issues seriously. To connect with seniors in your neighborhood, click here. As always, I appreciate your thoughts, input and feedback. I look forward to seeing you soon at various events around the district! Thanks,  | May 14, 2010 Vol. 45
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. |
