Dear Friends,
It’s been a busy August so far. There have been several notable federal investments in our schools and transportation projects I would like to share and important events coming up you might find useful.
FUNDS FOR ROCKDALE SCHOOLS: I’m pleased to announce I secured $700,000 for Rockdale County schools from the Department of Education. I requested the funding as part of the FY 2010 Labor, Health and Education appropriations bill. The Rockdale County School System will receive $400,000 for its Office of Teaching and Learning, which will go toward the system’s Early Learning Initiative and $300,000 will go toward the program AVID – Advancement via Individual Determination. For more on this program, click here.
TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS: I’m also excited to report that the funds we helped obtain – $1.7 million for the I-20 East Transit Corridor Project in south DeKalb and for the Atlanta BeltLine – are on the way. In addition to these investments, we’re helping bring $500,000 to replace the existing bridge that carries Jimmy Carter Boulevard over I-85 and reconstruction of the intersections with the existing I-85 on and off ramps. The new bridge will carry 11 lanes, four lanes wider than the existing seven lane bridge. For more, click here. To see it in the AJC, click here.
TRANSPORTATION CHAIRMAN VISITS ATLANTA: On Aug. 16, I was honored to host Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN) on a tour of the BeltLine, Perimeter Center, I-85 and Jimmy Carter Boulevard, Arabia Mountain and Clarkston. I was pleased he also took the time to meet with MARTA CEO Dr. Beverly Scott to discuss the I-20 East Corridor and DeKalb County officials in Decatur as well to discuss transportation issues.
 As one of the newest members of the Transportation Committee, it was good to have Chairman Oberstar here to see many of our projects firsthand. According to Jim, we’ve made great progress since the last time he visited 13 years ago. But now is the time to continue investing in transit, our roads and bridges, bike paths, light rail and high-speed rail to make our communities more connected and livable. For more on the visit, check out WSB-TV, DeKalb County TV and click here.
Above photo: Hank introduces House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN), left, to PATH Foundation co-founder Ed McBrayer at Arabia Mountain Heritage Area on Aug. 16.
RAY OF HOPE HEALTH FAIR: Please mark your calendars for the 10th annual Hope Clinic – Hope Through Health at Southwest DeKalb High School on Saturday, Aug. 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The free clinic, offered by Ray of Hope Christian Church, is for patients with little or no health insurance. Services include medical, dental, vision, hearing, pharmacy and food and clothing. For more, call 770-696-5100 or e-mail htchteam@gmail.com.
TASTE OF CHAMBLEE: Chamblee, known as the “City on the Right Track”, is holding its third annual Taste of Chamblee tomorrow – Saturday, August 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be arts and crafts, music, activities for children and of course plenty of food. For more, click here. For a map, click here.
MEDICARE, MEDICAID TURN 45: On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law. Since then, it’s helped protect millions of Americans who would otherwise not have access to quality, affordable health insurance. In Congress, we passed the Affordable Care Act that will add a decade of solvency to Medicare. Guaranteed Medicare benefits will not change, and participants will see greater savings, improved quality, and increased accountability in their health care coverage. For more, click here.
SOCIAL SECURITY AT 75: After 75 years, Social Security is still going strong. Despite all the talk you might hear about privatizing Social Security because it’s going broke, I’d like to draw your attention to the Social Security Board of Trustees annual report released Aug. 5. It projects that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act helps to improve the long-term financial condition of the Social Security Trust Fund, more than offsetting the negative effects of the recession. Overall, the Trustees project that the program will remain solvent for nearly another three decades – until 2037. For more, click here.
As always, thank you for your time and have a great weekend.
Thanks,
 | August 20, 2010 Vol. 54 
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My Staff Arthur D. Sidney, Chief of Staff
Kathy Register, District Director
District
Shy Armstrong
Peter Butts
Katie Dailey
Betty Dixon
Eric C. Hubbard
Ray Khalfani
Andy Phelan
Carole Mumford
Dori Scales
Paulette Suggs Washington, D.C.
Scott Goldstein
Jocelyn Griffin
Jonathan Ossoff
Mark Perkins
Ebony Simpson
Oliver Spurgeon, III
Elisabeth Stein
Sascha Thompson
Marybeth Williams |
As one of the newest members of the Transportation Committee, it was good to have Chairman Oberstar here to see many of our projects firsthand. According to Jim, we’ve made great progress since the last time he visited 13 years ago. But now is the time to continue investing in transit, our roads and bridges, bike paths, light rail and high-speed rail to make our communities more connected and livable. For more on the visit, check out 
