State Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg Announces Reappointment of Schipske to California Medical Board

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                                      CONTACT: Mark Hedlund

May 23, 2012                                                                                                                   (916) 651-4006

                      Steinberg Announces Rules Appointments

(Sacramento) – State Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg is announcing the following appointments made by the Senate Rules Committee:

Clark Parker, PhD, a Democrat from Beverly Hills, has been appointed as a public member to the South Coast Air Quality Management District Board. Parker is president of View Park Estates Development, Inc.  and a member of the American Builders Association. His term on the board ends January 15, 2016.

The purpose of the board is to maintain ambient air quality standards regarding air pollution and to implement and enforce a comprehensive basinwide air quality management plan.

Carl Cranor, PhD, a Democrat from Riverside, has been appointed as a member with specified expertise to the California Environmental Contaminant Biomonitoring Program Scientific Guidance Panel. Cranor is professor of philosophy and a faculty member of the Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program at the University of California, Riverside. His term on the panel ends January 1, 2014.

Julia B. Quint, PhD, a Democrat from Berkeley, has been reappointed as a member with specified expertise on the California Environmental Contaminant Biomonitoring Program Scientific Guidance Panel. Quint is retired from the state Department of Health Services as chief and research scientist supervisor II of the Occupational Health Branch. Her term on the panel ends January 1, 2015.

The purpose of the panel is to provide scientific peer review and make recommendations regarding the design and implementation of the California Environmental Contaminant Biomonitoring Program to the Department of Public Health Services and the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Evelyn (Gerrie) Schipske, a Democrat from Long Beach, has been reappointed as a public member to the Medical Board of California. Schipske is a City Councilwoman for Long Beach, a member of the State Bar of California and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, and a registered nurse practitioner. Her term on the board ends June 1, 2015.

The purpose of the board is to enforce disciplinary and criminal provisions of the Medical Practice Act; administer and hear disciplinary actions; carry out disciplinary actions made by a panel or an administrative law judge; suspend, revoke, or limit certificates after conclusion of disciplinary actions; review the quality of medical practice carried out by physician and surgeon certificate holders; approve undergraduate and graduate medical education programs; issue licenses and certificates; and administer the continuing medical education program.

Lois E. Starr, a Democrat from Hermosa Beach, has been appointed as a county representative to the Tax Credit Allocation Committee. Starr is housing development director for the Community Development Commission of Los Angeles County. This is a pleasure term.

The purpose of the authority is to administer the entitlement allocations process for qualified mortgage bonds under the federal Mortgage Subsidy Bond Tax Act of 1980, the mortgage credit certificates under the Tax Reform Act of 1984 and the federal low-income housing tax credits program under the Tax Reform Act of 1986.

                       

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Rounding Up Spare Change to Help the Libraries

City Council Meeting To Commemorate Completion of Library Round-Up Drive

LB Community Comes Together To Help Fifth District Public Libraries

(LONG BEACH, CA; May 22, 2012) – Today at 5 pm, at the City of Long Beach Council Chambers, Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske will present to City Council the results from this year’s “Library Round Up” Drive. The agenda will specifically highlight the participation of local businesses within the 5^th District that contributed to the fundraising event.

“We are happy to announce that this year's Library Round Up has netted a total of $1,056.77, “said Councilwoman Schipske. “Local businesses have generously participated in placing Library Round Up “spare change” boxes at the front of their establishments, so that their patrons can donate money for the replenishment of much needed books and materials for both the El Dorado and Ruth Bach Libraries.”

Joining Councilwoman Schipske at the City Council meeting will be Jo Rae Zuckerman, President of the Friends of the Long Beach Public Libraries, who will receive the money on behalf of both the Ruth Bach and El Dorado Libraries.

“The Friends of the Long Beach Public Libraries deeply appreciates Councilwoman Schipske's continued support for Libraries in Long Beach”, says Zuckerman. “Her 3^rd annual Library Round-Up offers opportunities for district residents to make monetary donations at local businesses, and provides Bach & El Dorado Neighborhood libraries with some out-of-budget funds. Both of the head librarians, Miss Jennie Vaughn and Nancy Paradise, look forward to the benefits of this discretionary money each year.”

Friends of the Long Beach Public Libraries is a non-profit organization designed to replenish vital reading materials, and support for summer reading programs for both children and adults. Established in 1962, the organization is responsible for giving the collected monetary donations to the librarians at both the El Dorado and Ruth Bach libraries. Prior funds collected have enabled the branches to replenish a western paperback collection.

Throughout the last two months, Fifth Council District businesses have joined efforts to invite their customers to donate spare change in “Library Round-Up Boxes”.

This year’s campaign has seen a commitment of 12 businesses including Bodell’s Shoes, Cirivello’s Sports Bar, Curves on East Wardlow Road, Farmer’s Insurance, Fast Frame, Go Dogs Go, Kidz Head 2 Toe Resale Boutique, Once Read Books, El Dorado Restaurant, Poochie’s Bath House, Postal Annex and Apostrophe Books. As well, Library Round-Up boxes were also located at three library branches in Long Beach - El Dorado, Ruth Bach and the Dana Neighborhood Library.

Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske, an advocate and tremendous supporter of public libraries, spearheaded the campaign back in 2007 to supplement the dwindling budget for books and materials for the El Dorado and Ruth Bach branches. As well, she continues to vote against budget cuts to the Public Library School system, and continues to come up with creative ways to involve the community to help in the preservation of the public library system.

Schipske Asks for Report on New Revenue for Fire Department -- Need to Restore Cuts

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Schipske to Ask For Report on Newest Revenue Source for Fire Department : AB 678 --

New law provides millions for public agencies 

that operate ground emergency medical services

Long Beach, CA – May 21, 2012 – Concerned that budget cuts to the Long Beach Fire Department have resulted in slower response times, Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske is asking for a report from the city manager on whether or not the City has applied for new funding that could be used to restore cuts made to the department.

“AB 678 was passed last year and provides cities that operate ground emergency medical services a process to access new federal funds and subsequently receive supplemental Medi-Cal payments,” says Schipske. “Long Beach Fire Department transports many Medi-Cal recipients and should be able to receive several million.”

Schipske notes that AB 678 was signed into law in October 2011 and that cities were advised by the League of California Cities “to act quickly in order to receive the supplemental reimbursement.” The reimbursement mechanism provided through the State Department of Health Care Services was established last October, with the first round of reimbursements to be made as early as January 2012.

“Fire response times have been reduced because equipment and firefighters were removed from several stations due to budget cuts,” adds Schipske. “I am placing an item on the council agenda to discuss this new source of revenue and to request that it be used to restore some of the cuts made, especially for paramedic services.”

AB 678 was authored by Assemblyman Richard Pan, a physician from Northern California, and sponsored by the California Professional Firefighters (CPF), who report that ambulance transports have increased 13 percent from 1997 to 2006, and ambulance transports of Medi-Cal beneficiaries have increased 19 percent from 2006 to 2009.  CPF also points out that Medicare rates were reduced 10 percent in 2010, representing a reduction of $35 million statewide and straining fire department budgets even more.  

Schipske also points out that a legislative report found that current Medi-Cal rates do not cover the operating cost of a typical ambulance transport.  These unreimbursed costs are subsequently absorbed into a fire department's general fund and paid for by the taxpayers. “The sooner the City of Long Beach applies for these funds, the sooner we can begin restoring cuts to our fire services.”

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Open House at 5th District Fire Stations -- A Hit

Thank you to all who came out on Saturday to kick off National EMS Week and to visit the three fire stations in the 5th Council District. It was fun and very interesting. Kids got the biggest kick out of the tour as they got to sit inside trucks and paramedic units. A big thanks to the Long Beach Firefighters Association which provided hot dogs and chips.

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