• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) unveiled a new legislative effort to rename a Central Coast post office in Goleta for Frederick Lopez, a retired brigadier general in the U.S. Marine Corps with a 30-year career of distinguished service, according to a Nov. 12 statement from Carbajal’s office. Carbajal—a veteran himself—joined Lopez, his family, and representatives from Central Coast veterans organizations at the Santa Barbara Veterans’ Memorial Building on Nov. 8 to announce the effort. “Gen. Lopez embodies the service that we honor with nationwide commemorations like Veterans Day,” Carbajal said in the statement. “He also deserves to have his three decades of service acknowledged by his own communities in a way that will inspire others. If putting his name on this federal building inspires one new person to learn more about him and be inspired to service themselves—that will be a validation of this effort. And I have no doubt that that will happen.” Lopez, a Santa Barbara County native, joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1967 following his graduation from Cal Poly. His service as a platoon commander during the Vietnam War earned him a Bronze Star and Combat Action Ribbon. Over his three decades as a Marine, Lopez also earned a Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and other decorations prior to his retirement in 1998.
• U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) and Gov. Gavin Newsom met with Biden-Harris administration officials to advocate for clean air and water safeguards, disaster relief funding, and public lands protections in the final two months of Biden’s presidency, according to a Nov. 13 statement from Padilla’s office. “In these next two months, the Biden administration must do all they can to ensure Californians and our environment are protected from future Trump administration actions as we rebound from the pandemic and strive to meet our essential conservation and emissions goals,” Padilla said in the statement. “I’m glad to partner with Gov. Newsom to push for these urgent requests and sustain California’s global environmental leadership.” California has several pending waiver requests that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must review and approve to protect California’s ambitious climate and emissions rules that create jobs and protect public health, as authorized by the Clean Air Act. Additionally, Newsom and Padilla have pressed for full reimbursements of the $5.2 billion that California state and local governments spent for emergency relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Padilla and Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-California) previously urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reverse a harmful change in guidance that would cost state and local governments an estimated $300 million. “Building on our strong partnership with the Biden-Harris administration, California is working closely with the White House to deliver the critical protections and resources our communities need,” Newsom said in the statement. “Together, we are committed to expanding access to health care, advancing cleaner air, and enhancing the quality of life for all Californians.”
• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that five communities hit the hardest by the devastating wildfires in 2018 will receive $40.7 million in new federal aid to support community development and help communities reach full economic recovery after a disaster, according to a Nov. 15 statement from Newsom’s office. The funding comes from the federal 2018 Community Development Block Grant—Disaster Recovery Workforce Development program. These awards will go to communities in Butte, Lake, Los Angeles, Shasta, and Ventura counties. The federal funding will go to programs that provide free job training and supportive services to low- to moderate-income individuals in the community, with the goal of improving job placement opportunities for residents. “Even after the housing and infrastructure are rebuilt, communities hurt by wildfire can continue to suffer from trauma and economic impacts for years to come,” Newsom said in the statement. “We are grateful to the Biden administration for its ongoing support to help Californians rebuild their lives and economies. We will keep advocating for our communities and their access to disaster relief and recovery.”
This article appears in Nov 21 – Dec 1, 2024.