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Hello friends:
Well, I can’t remember a
busier or more important and crucial time both on Capitol Hill and throughout
the nation.
Speaking with many of you on March 7 at the DeKalb County Delegation
breakfast at Piney Grove Church, it’s clear that families right here in the
4th are struggling in this recession.
I supported the economic recovery plan, which last week already began to help
Georgia
stem the tide by sending more than $143
million to the state for mass transit and fixed
guide way modernization projects.
If the state Department of Transportation selects these shovel-ready
projects, among other things, another $2.7 million of the funds could go
toward adding five-foot sidewalks along Covington
Highway from Mountain
Drive to West
Austin Road, and more than $20 million could be
sent to extend McGinnis Ferry
Road in Gwinnett
County.
The money is part of more than $1 billion slated for Georgia’s
infrastructure needs from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The Reinvestment Act could also send more than $100 million to Fourth
District schools, including more than $50 million for DeKalb, $40 million for
Gwinnett, $4.3 million for Rockdale and nearly $1 million for Decatur.
Some of this money can possibly go for the Title I school lunch program,
special education, school renovation and construction, technology and the
teacher incentive fund, just to name a few. There’s also money for college
financial aid and the college work/study programs.
To keep track of Recovery money flowing into our communities, visit my Web
site periodically for updates on my home page under “What’s New” , under the
“News” link or on the right navigation rail under Recovery.gov.
HOMEOWNER
AFFORDABILITY AND STABILITY PLAN – Thousands of my constituents in the Fourth District who make their monthly
payments and fulfill their obligations have seen their property values fall,
and are now unable to refinance at lower mortgage rates.
More than 35,000 in the Fourth have lost their jobs or had their hours cut
back and are now struggling to stay current on their mortgage payments – with
more than 1,200 homes a month in the Fourth in some stage of foreclosure.
The $275 billion Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan is part of the
President’s broad, comprehensive strategy to get the economy back on track.
The plan will help up to 7 to 9 million families restructure or refinance
their mortgages to avoid foreclosure.
In doing so, the plan not only helps responsible homeowners on the verge of
defaulting, but prevents neighborhoods and communities from being pulled over
the edge, too, as defaults and foreclosures contribute to falling home
values, failing local businesses and lost jobs.
Seventy-five billion dollars ($75 billion) in direct spending will be
used to keep people in their homes and the rest in additional financial
backing for the government-controlled mortgage giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac.
For more on this new plan, visit http://www.financialstability.gov.
Relief for
homeowners Through the Bankruptcy courts – I’m pleased to announce I voted for H.R.
1106 – Helping Families Save their Homes Act of 2009 – that would empower
judges to reduce the amount of principal owed, cut the interest rate or
extend the length of a loan for a homeowner struggling with their mortgage.
It’s already possible for millionaire investors
who own multiple homes to get this kind of relief in bankruptcy court. Why
shouldn’t someone who owns one home get this kind of help, too? It’s a
matter of fundamental fairness. I hope that the Senate will pass it by a
substantial margin. For more on this legislation, click
here.
TAX
assistance – It’s tax season once
again, and my District staff is prepared to help you navigate the sometimes
complicated and the often stressful Internal Revenue Service system.
We’ll gather at the Goodwill
Industries Career
Center on Columbia
Drive near the new Wal-Mart on Saturday, March 21
from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join us to learn about earned income tax credits,
501(c)3’s and other non-profit tax rules. We will have counselors from the
IRS on site to assist you with your Federal and State filing.
Be sure to bring your Social Security number, tax forms, W2’s and all other
relevant information. For more on this event, visit the home page of my Web
site.
ARTS
COMPETITON –I’m pleased to announce the 2009 edition of the Congressional Art
Competition for local high school students, the centerpiece program
showcasing young artistic talent in our community.
In addition to having his/her artwork at the Capitol, winners of the
competition will be eligible for college scholarships from the Art Institute
of Atlanta ($10,000, $5,000, and $2,500) and the Savannah College of Art and
Design ($1,500).
The awards ceremony will be held Saturday, April 18 at 4 p.m. at the Porter
Sanford Center
for the Performing Arts. For more information, call Eric Hubbard at
770-987-2291.
courts
and competition – Last but
not least, as Chair of the House Judiciary subcommittee on Courts and
Competition I convened a hearing Feb. 26 on Competition in the “Ticketing and
Promotion Industry” in relation to the proposed merger between Ticketmaster
and Live Nation.
Among other things, the hearing focused on the proposed merger between
Ticketmaster and Live Nation, which could combine
the nation’s biggest concert promoter with the largest seller of tickets for
live entertainment. The committee is evaluating whether this merger
will be good for the industry and consumers.
REMEMBER – Please do not simply hit “reply” if you want to
respond to this message. I value your input, but I won’t get the message.
Please use the link below to contact me.
Thank you, and see you soon!
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March
17, 2009
Vol. 22
JOIN
ME!
IRS Workshop and 501(c)3 information meeting
Saturday,
March 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Goodwill
Industries Career
Center located at 1296
Columbia Drive in Decatur,
30032. For more information, contact Shy Armstrong at 770-987-2291.
About
This E-Newsletter
This
is an informational e-mail sent to residents of the Georgia 4th Congressional
District. If you would prefer not to receive future mailings, please click the
Unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page.
This mailing was prepared and sent at taxpayer expense.
MY
STAFF
Daraka
Satcher, Chief of Staff
Kathy Register, District Director
District
Shy Armstrong
Peter Butts
Katie Dailey
Betty Dixon
Eric C. Hubbard
Andy Phelan
Carole Mumford
Dori Scales
Oliver Spurgeon, III
Washington, D.C.
Loretta Davis
Sean Foertsch
Scott Goldstein
Bethany Hamner
Jonathan Ossoff
Mark Perkins
Elisabeth Stein
Sascha Thompson
Todd Williamson
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