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WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Cardoza announced nearly $25 million in federal member allocations for the Central Valley today.
The funds will be distributed to more than 16 public projects ranging from law enforcement to health care and agriculture.
“It is a painful fact that the Central Valley receives less money back on its tax dollar than almost any other region in the country,” said Congressman Cardoza. “I am pleased to have been able to secure these funds for our communities in the 18th District, especially when they are so desperately needed during this economic downturn.”
The funds include:
- $693,000 for CSU Agricultural Research Initiative, California
These funds support both immediate and ongoing applied agricultural and environmental research.
- $300,000 Merced County Methamphetamine Strategy, Merced County
The allocation enables the California Department of Justice Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement to equip, train, and pay overtime for teams within the CALMS program that target meth operations in Merced County.
- $500,000 Regional Operability for Public Safety Communications, Stanislaus County
Overall regional communications between public safety agencies in Stanislaus County are dangerously inadequate. These funds will enhance the existing interoperability of radio coverage. Equipment would include new towers, transmitters, antennae, voter/receivers and a security system at the primary transmission site.
- $500,000 Operation Peacekeepers, City of Stockton
These funds will pay for anti-gang efforts. The Peacekeeper Gang Outreach Program has been in existence since 1998 and is staffed by street-wise young men and women who have previously been in gangs themselves. The funding will be used for over-time of six city employees. In addition, funding will be used to cover the costs of books, GED testing, school tuition, tutoring, tattoo removal, and sports-related programs for at-risk youth to assist them with positive activities and keep them from any gang affiliation.
- $250,000 Police Methamphetamine Suppression, City of Stockton
In 2004 and 2005, Stockton had the highest rate of violent crime in all of California, and in 2006, the second highest rate. The funds will pay for a lead investigator to coordinate methamphetamine investigations, buy operations, and overtime for arrest missions and presentations to the Grand Jury and court.
- $7 million for San Joaquin River Salinity Management program – Westside drainage, Dos Palos area.
This allocation provides funding to reduce the discharge of saline agricultural drainage water into the San Joaquin River. This proposed project partially implements the source control component of the Westside Plan and augments existing drainage reuse activities.
- $454,000 Lower San Joaquin River Feasibility Investigation, San Joaquin County
The Lower San Joaquin River Feasibility Investigation aims to identify and describe flooding problems and formulate potential solutions. The plan is to focus on reducing flood risk to people, their property, and the state’s infrastructure along the Lower San Joaquin River and major creeks and streams in the Stockton area.
- $344,000 West Stanislaus County Orestimba Creek, Stanislaus County
Ongoing flooding of Orestimba Creek has damaged the lives and property of those on the west side of Stanislaus County. There have been some 13 floods in the past 50 years. These funds will be used for the implementation of the Orestimba Creek Flood Control Project by the Army Corps of Engineers.
- $5,022,000 San Joaquin River Stockton Channel Dredging, Stockton Port District
These funds will go toward operation and maintenance of the 35-foot-deep Stockton shipping channel, which extends from Suisun Bay to the turning basin at the Port of Stockton. These funds will provide annual maintenance and dredging that is necessary for the safe movement of deep-draft commercial vessels at California’s fourth busiest port.
- $7.5 million Valley Emissions Reductions, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
These funds will be used to help the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District achieve attainment of national standards by 2023. The allocation helps address the highest percentage of mobile emissions as well as the large sources of livestock and dairy operations emissions unique to the agriculture sector.
- $285,000 Promise Scholars Program, California State University, Stanislaus
Promise Scholars Program provides college-bound students from foster care backgrounds access to post-secondary education. These funds will be used for retention of support personnel, housing grants and specialized psychological evaluation services.
- $476,000 Give Every Child a Chance, San Joaquin County
Each year, the not-for-profit Give Every Child a Chance effort helps more than 2,000 children across San Joaquin County reach their full potential. The program uses a variety of free, volunteer-led tutoring, mentoring, and after-school programs. These funds will go to support the program’s efforts.
- $238,000 Expanding Digital Mobile Mammography in Northern California, St. Joseph’s Medical Center
St. Joseph’s Medical Center of Stockton will use these funds to expand its Digital Mobile Mammography Program, allowing more women to receive mammography screening. Due to the economic downturn, there is an increasing demand for these services as many women who have lost their health insurance turn to the program for assistance.
- $237,500 Rehabilitation of Merced Theatre, City of Merced
These funds will be used to complete the restoration of the Merced Theatre, a key historic building in downtown Merced. The Theatre will provide a 1,100-seat performing arts venue in downtown and is a cornerstone of redevelopment efforts in downtown Merced.
- $950,000 Los Banos bypass, MCAG
These funds will help fund right-of-way acquisition for a realigning of State Route 152 from its current location, through town, to a location north of the city. This will allow commuters to bypass the current bottleneck of traffic and the safety hazard it creates.
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