Rep. David Dreier - Congressman
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This spring, I have spoken with thousands of you during our Telephone Town Hall meetings. The issues you raised ran the gamut from international policy to local concerns, like protecting the Angeles National Forest. The calls were a terrific give and take, and they reinforced what I have always strongly believed: Californians are passionate, involved, informed and optimistic. Along these lines, a few recent local stories perfectly capture the talent and promise of the Foothills, and I want to share them with you. As many of you know, I am fervent admirer and supporter of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The scientists and engineers at JPL are pushing the boundaries of our knowledge and exploring the edges of our solar system. JPL makes rocket science fascinating and exciting. In March, their hard work paid off with two pieces of great news. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in August 2005, was successfully guided into orbit around the planet. With a powerful camera that can take photos of objects the size of beach balls on the surface of Mars, the Orbiter will provide more information about the planet than we have ever had before. Also in March, the Cassini spacecraft discovered evidence of water on Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons, when it captured images of geyser-like eruptions. This is a remarkable discovery since neither the presence of water molecules so close to a planet’s surface nor volcanic activity was previously known to exist as far away as Saturn. |
Back here on earth, our economy continues full steam ahead. The California unemployment rate dropped to 4.9 percent in January, compared to 5.8 percent one year ago. The local job market is also very strong. On March 15, I sponsored a Foothills “Road to Employment” Job Fair, which connected 60 employers with more than 1,200 Californians looking for work. The demand for employees was so great, some businesses were hiring on the spot and more employers showed up than had registered for the event. This is clearly the sign of a healthy and growing economy. As I continue to tackle the tough issues in Washington – illegal immigration, health care, the Global War on Terror – the progress being made right in our backyard is proof that the California spirit is driving our state toward new discoveries and greater prosperity each and every day. |