News Articles
December 9, 2011
North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson sees a national emergency unfolding on forested lands across the country.
”Our public and private lands across California, and throughout the country, are being held hostage by illegal drug growers,” Thompson said Wednesday, testifying before the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. “In short, our public lands have been taken away from us. That is wrong and must be stopped.”
”Our public and private lands across California, and throughout the country, are being held hostage by illegal drug growers,” Thompson said Wednesday, testifying before the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. “In short, our public lands have been taken away from us. That is wrong and must be stopped.”
November 21, 2011
Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, blamed Republican intransigence on taxes for the congressional supercommittee's failure to reach agreement on a deficit-reduction plan on Monday.
“They will not budge,” Woolsey said. “There's no way to come to a balanced agreement without revenues as a part of it.”
Woolsey and the North Coast's other congressman, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, said it was wrong to put the decision in the hands of a 12-member committee, with Thompson calling it “a fool's errand from the beginning.”
“They will not budge,” Woolsey said. “There's no way to come to a balanced agreement without revenues as a part of it.”
Woolsey and the North Coast's other congressman, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, said it was wrong to put the decision in the hands of a 12-member committee, with Thompson calling it “a fool's errand from the beginning.”
November 18, 2011
Rep. Mike Thompson is sponsoring legislation to rename the threatened post office at the Veterans Home of California at Yountville on behalf of a Medal of Honor winner who died at the home two years ago.
While fighting to persuade the U.S. Postal Service not to close the facility to save money, Thompson is pushing legislation to rename it the “Private First Class Alejandro R. Ruiz Post Office Building.”
This legislation passed in the House of Representatives on a voice vote Wednesday and must still be approved the Senate.
While fighting to persuade the U.S. Postal Service not to close the facility to save money, Thompson is pushing legislation to rename it the “Private First Class Alejandro R. Ruiz Post Office Building.”
This legislation passed in the House of Representatives on a voice vote Wednesday and must still be approved the Senate.
November 17, 2011
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, is inviting local schools and veterans to participate in the Library of Congress' Veterans History Project.
In 2000, Congress created the project to collect, preserve and make accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so future generation may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.
In 2000, Congress created the project to collect, preserve and make accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so future generation may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.
November 13, 2011
The nation's biggest-ever dam removal project - knocking down four aging structures along the Klamath River on the California-Oregon border - took years of dickering among farmers, tribes, environmentalists and policymakers. Now it faces another high hurdle: Washington politics.
A bill introduced last week opens the way for the $1 billion demolition of the four dams along the upper Klamath. Across the country, scores of smaller dams have come down to restore river flows, water quality and fish populations, but none approaches the scale or political temperature of this project.
A bill introduced last week opens the way for the $1 billion demolition of the four dams along the upper Klamath. Across the country, scores of smaller dams have come down to restore river flows, water quality and fish populations, but none approaches the scale or political temperature of this project.
November 11, 2011
With implementation legislation introduced -- a milestone in the path to the Klamath dam removal project -- advocates will now have to convince legislators to pass the bill before a March deadline.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Congressman Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, jointly introduced the Klamath Basin Economic Restoration Act in the Senate and House Thursday, asking Congress to approve spending $750 million to restore salmon habitat and guarantee water for Klamath basin farm irrigation.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Congressman Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, jointly introduced the Klamath Basin Economic Restoration Act in the Senate and House Thursday, asking Congress to approve spending $750 million to restore salmon habitat and guarantee water for Klamath basin farm irrigation.
October 26, 2011
Sonoma County will use $2 million in state grant funds to help speed up payments to contractors installing solar panels and other power and water saving upgrades for homeowners in the county's energy retrofit program.
County officials said they hope the streamlined payment schedule would make the retrofit program more popular among builders and lead to more inquiries and contracts for residential retrofit projects.
“This is another win for the county program,” said Efren Carrillo, chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
County officials said they hope the streamlined payment schedule would make the retrofit program more popular among builders and lead to more inquiries and contracts for residential retrofit projects.
“This is another win for the county program,” said Efren Carrillo, chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
October 21, 2011
Jay Ottolini was glad to hear U.S. troops were pulling out of Iraq.
The retired Santa Rosa truck driver, whose younger brother Mike was killed by a roadside bomb in 2004, said the U.S. never should have been there in the first place.
“It's been hard,” said Ottolini, who has a tattoo tribute to his brother on his left shoulder. “I hope they bring them all back.”
Military families and elected officials across the North Coast expressed relief at President Obama's announcement Friday that all troops would be withdrawn from Iraq by year's end.
The retired Santa Rosa truck driver, whose younger brother Mike was killed by a roadside bomb in 2004, said the U.S. never should have been there in the first place.
“It's been hard,” said Ottolini, who has a tattoo tribute to his brother on his left shoulder. “I hope they bring them all back.”
Military families and elected officials across the North Coast expressed relief at President Obama's announcement Friday that all troops would be withdrawn from Iraq by year's end.
October 12, 2011
In a rare display of frustration with the Obama administration, California House Democrats on Wednesday assailed the White House for not doing more to address the foreclosure crisis.
"They don't get it,"Rep. Dennis Cardoza of Atwater said at a Capitol Hill news conference. "The administration has simply not done a darn thing to help my constituents."
"Everything to date, as well intended as it may have been, has not provided the assistance that we need," added Rep. Mike Thompson of St. Helena.
"They don't get it,"Rep. Dennis Cardoza of Atwater said at a Capitol Hill news conference. "The administration has simply not done a darn thing to help my constituents."
"Everything to date, as well intended as it may have been, has not provided the assistance that we need," added Rep. Mike Thompson of St. Helena.
September 28, 2011
Napa-area postal workers hoping to help save their embattled profession â€" and possibly their jobs â€" took their cause to downtown Napa on Tuesday afternoon.
Holding “Save America's Postal Service” placards, more than 20 current and retired letter carriers lined Main Street outside Rep. Mike Thompson's office.
Amid the car honks of sympathizers, they collected signatures for a petition to support legislation they said would repair the U.S. Postal Service's ravaged finances and lessen the blow of threatened layoffs.
Holding “Save America's Postal Service” placards, more than 20 current and retired letter carriers lined Main Street outside Rep. Mike Thompson's office.
Amid the car honks of sympathizers, they collected signatures for a petition to support legislation they said would repair the U.S. Postal Service's ravaged finances and lessen the blow of threatened layoffs.