Silva Heading To Washington
Sonora, CA — Tuolumne County Superintendent of Schools Joe Silva will be in Washington, DC next week lobbying for the extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act.
Tuolumne County typically receives around $2 million a year from the package, which is set to expire this year. It primarily helps schools and county roads. Silva says a five year extension is currently included in President Obama’s budget for fiscal year 2012, but the allocation is considerably less than years past.
“The money starts at the 2011 level, and then there would be a ramp down of 25% for each of the next four years,” says Silva. “For us that’s unacceptable, and it would have a great impact on our county.”
Silva and others from across the region will be lobbying Democratic and Republican lawmakers next week about the importance of the Secure Rural Schools legislation. Silva notes that he has a meeting scheduled with Mother Lode Congressional leader Jeff Denham.
In January, Silva blogged about how the Secure Rural Schools legislation first got started. To view the entry, click here.
