The Barrios Blog

Identity Theft 2007

On Tuesday, May 7, 2007 the Joint Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee passed a comprehensive identity theft protection bill. We applaud the leadership of House Chairman Michael Rodrigues and the members of the committee for moving forward a bill with numerous strong consumer protections. We also appreciate the great work of Representatives William Straus and Michael Costello on this legislation.

This bill will reduce identity theft by establishing the following provisions:

Breach Notification—requires commercial entities and government agencies to notify affected consumers if enough of their personal information to commit identity theft has been acquired by an unauthorized person or for an unauthorized purpose.
Credit Report Security Freeze—enables consumers to “lock” their credit report, preventing would be ID thieves from taking out credit in their name.
Disposal of Personal Information—sets minimum standard for disposing data that contains enough personal information about a consumer that it could be used to commit identity theft.
Police Reports—allows victims of ID theft to get a copy of their police report from any law enforcement office, even if crime did not occur in that jurisdiction (in a different city or state). Victims need a copy of their police report to clean up the financial mess resulting from identity theft and to qualify for a free security freeze.

While the bill includes strong language in some of these sections, is should be improved in the following ways to better protect consumers in Massachusetts from identity theft.

Eliminate the $10 fees per credit bureau to place and lift the security freeze.  Indiana recently passed a law making the freeze free, New Jersey has it free to place and only $5 to lift, and numerous states only charge $5 to both lift and place.

2 Make the lifting of the security freeze occur fast—within 15 minutes—so consumers with a security freeze can take advantage of credit offers. Several states including New Jersey, New York, Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota, West Virginia, New Mexico, Montana, Maryland, Indiana, Minnesota and Delaware already require this.

3 Tighten up the definition of the “security freeze” to include a consumer’s credit score, which can often be used to issue credit.

We urge you to support these improvements, which Rep. Straus and Rep. Costello will introduce. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments about the bill.

Sincerely,

Eric Bourassa
Consumer Advocate

Health Disparities

In Massachusetts, pervasive health care disparities lay bare a troubling reality—one that our society is often uncomfortable discussing:  By many common health measures, race still plays a dramatically powerful role in limiting one’s life opportunities.

African American women are four times more likely to die of cervical cancer and African Americans are twice as likely to die of diabetes than whites.  Asthma mortality rates are three times higher among African Americans and four times higher among Hispanics than among whites.  Infant mortality is double in African Americans than whites.  HIV/AIDS rates among African Americans is 13 times higher and among Hispanics 8 times higher than whites. 

Some point out that these rates are determined by environmental and economic reasons—and have nothing to do with the quality of care received by those patients.  These disparities are real and are part of the important conversation about environmental justice, an issue I care deeply about. [see link to my bill summary below]  But disparities within health care also lead to different health ‘results.’

Access to care is one the most obvious disparity.  Lack of insurance, limited insurance (high deductibles and co-pays) and coverage exclusions all result in diminished use of the health care system by minorities.  34% of Latinos in the US and 19% of African Americans lack health care—compared to 13% of non-Latino whites.  A greater proportion of minorities rely on Medicaid for their care because of their lower income levels.  Medicaid cost-containment efforts –prior authorization, generic substitution, co-payments and caps—have the unintended consequence of limiting care in some areas, particularly in the area of prescription drug use. 

These higher numbers of uninsured and underinsured minorities leads to the foreseeable outcome that treatment for chronic disease and more pernicious ailments will begin later, be more advanced and thus with less ability to protect quality of life. 

Research shows that health disparities also emerge from providers-based ‘blind spots’.  Underprescribing medication for chronic disease management, low levels of cultural literacy by doctors, and communication barriers all reduce a doctor’s ability to guarantee the same level of care of minority patients.  A conference I attended recently discussed the documented cases of underprescribing asthma medication to inner-city youth, the underprescription of anti-psychotics to African American youth, the underprescription of cardiovascular drugs to African Americans and Hispanics and most disturbing, the underprescription of drugs used for pain.  . 

Patient adherence to disease management regimens, too, are also critical to understanding the reasons for disparities.  Lower levels of health literacy and language barriers introduce barriers to health care access—like poorer adherence to prescribed treatment-- but these are just part of the problem.  Poor rapport with providers, too, contributes to poorer health performance. 

So what gives?  Well, at my level—that is to say, in the legislature, a number of us have asked ourselves what can be done to “mind the gap.”  In particular, what we can do to close this divide is front on my mind this week:  Legislation I have filed with Rep. Byron Rushing of Boston and with the real leadership of Camille Watson and everyone at Health Care for All.  [Download section_by_section_summary.pdf ] What’s it do?  Promotes increased access by employing proven methods to reduce disparities in care, like expanding the number of community health workers (‘promotores de salud’), improving reimbursement procedures for language interpreter services, and creating a disparities grant program for community health centers. 

Further, we try to promote health literacy and increase workforce diversity in the health care professions, as well as coordinate data collection more effectively to keep collecting important facts about our Massachusetts family.

We’re years away from ending the disparity gap.  But I believe we can follow the lead of other states and private players in this health care reform drama to improve everyone’s care. 

If you are interested, you can provide written testimony to the Committee on Public Health by mail at: Joint Committee on Public Health, State House Room 130, Boston, MA 02133.  You may also email testimony to Daniel Delaney at [email protected].  The public hearing will be on May 16th at 10:00am in State House room A-1

Letter from the Catholic Church

MASSACHUSETTS CATHOLIC CONFERENCE

WEST END PLACE

150 Staniford Street, Suite 5, Boston, MA  02114-2511
Phone (617) 367-6060
FAX (617) 367-2767

[email protected]

May 7, 2007
Hon. Jarrett Barrios
State House
Boston, MA  02133

Dear Senator Barrios:

We, the Roman Catholic Bishops in Massachusetts with nearly 3 million parishioners in communities all across the Commonwealth, urge you to vote at the Constitutional Convention, scheduled to be called to order on May 9th, to move the Marriage Amendment to the November 2008 state-wide ballot.

As Bishops, we reiterate our position that we do not seek the translation of our religious convictions into public policy.  Rather we speak based on universally accessible moral reasoning in order to promote the common good.  We believe that society has a moral responsibility to foster the good of families, since the good of the family is closely linked to the institution of marriage as it has been recognized from time immemorial.

The proponents of the Marriage Amendment have followed the process afforded them by the Massachusetts Constitution.  A record number of registered voters signed petitions asking to put the amendment on the 2008 ballot.  A recent Suffolk University poll concluded that nearly two-thirds of the Commonwealth’s registered voters want to exercise their constitutional right to vote on the Marriage Amendment.

We ask you to listen to the people.  We ask you not to deny the right of our citizens to vote in this democracy.  We ask you to let the people express their views on the future of marriage in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  Please vote to move the Marriage Amendment forward for the voter’s consideration at the 2008 ballot.


Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley
Archbishop
Archdiocese of Boston

Most Rev. George W. Coleman
Bishop
Diocese of Fall River

Most Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell
Bishop
Diocese of Springfield

Most Rev. Robert J. McManus
Bishop
Diocese of Worcester

My Response:

    This has been a difficult budget year and the decline in revenues have forced the legislature to make some difficult decisions.  Many services provided to poor and vulnerable communities are at risk of elimination.  Developmentally delayed adults--some served by Catholic providers--are in danger, as are those suffering with addictions and mental illness.  The poor are generally impacted, and the homeless in particular.  Reduction in support for housing and homeless programs have the very real likelihood of increasing the pain and reducing the life opportunities of the poor in our midst.  Immigrants of all backgrounds are facing a backlash based in ignorance and hate.

    In this context, I have waited anxiously to hear from the Catholic Church,  my church, on behalf of these effected individuals.  You have a strong and persuasive moral voice.  But it has been silent.  Rather than focusing on issues that have little impact on the citizens of our state, I encourage you to speak up for these issues--ones that actually impact the people we profess to care about in our church. 

Jarrett Barrios

Mexico Trip V

Today was by far the longest, most tiring, and most bizarre of days on this trip.  A shark-like feeding frenzy, a think tank full of young brilliant Mexican 'patriots', the best archeology museum I've ever visited, a law school lecture hall with no oxygen, and a TV variety show where I merengued with the star of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto and downed four shots of tequila. 

It all happened--really.

It began simply enough, a stimulating run through the pre-dawn town of Coatepec, its beautiful churches afire in oranges, cobalts and vermillions and the old ladies washing the stone sidewalks.  I got dressed and was taken quickly to a restaurant --La Pergola--which is the favorite political watering hole of the local 'diputados estatales' (the erstwhile state reps).  I walked in and was promptly mobbed by a group of reporters.  This particular group were the most forward I'd ever encountered...and they kept trying to get me to say bad things about Mexico and the US.  I was told by my US embassy contact that they are called 'tiburones' or sharks.  Appropriate--it was a gosh-darn feeding frenzy...at one point I was shoved against a table and knocked over a bunch of books.  After the impromptu press event, I breakfasted with a group of 10 or so diputados from the PRI and PRD (I guess the PAN reps didn't want any pan).  Stories about politics and the governor's use of line item veto to frustrate the legislature's intentions.  Sounds familiar (I tried to explain that our former governor was expert at this, too!).  My power point seemed to resonate...but most were interested in making cell phone calls.

After a quick escape, we made it to CETRADE, an inexplicable acronym for a non-governmental think tank which had about 120 people packed into a small open air lecture hall.  Lots of young people.  Lots of questions.  I got to do my George Bush-trying-to-speak-Spanish routine when describing why the US was in Iraq.  I also realized something quite important:  the ability to communicate how we do politics is inextricable from our politics.  This realization made me feel more honest, and less anxious about trying to appear fair and balanced when I am not.  My lecture that evening at the law school (250 attendees--must have been a slow night in Xalapa) began with an upfront explanation that the Republican who was supposed to have joined me on this mission bagged out at the last minute, so they were stuck with me. 
In truth, the power point does deal with both parties' messages and has pictures and examples from Bush and Clinton. 

In between, I was taken (not quite kidnapped, but close) to the Veracruz Meso-American Archeology Museum.  Did you know that the Olmecs--the first Meso-American civilization--were around 1600 years before Christ? They even had a glyph-based written language and they idolized the Jaguar (I am still a Bucs fan--to hell with Jacksonville!).  Most interesting was the obvious awareness that US nationals had contributed immensely to the discoveries about these civilizations--the primary grant for the museum coming from the Rockefeller Foundation, and the archeologists mostly coming from the US. 
The Olmecs and subsequent tribes had elegant sculptures and stellae, but the highlight was coming to realize --very different from the US--how the Mexican people spoke about their indiginous peoples.  Not as a 'they' or 'their' but as 'our' history and 'we' began here....that the native peoples are truly part of the nation's bloodline.

The lecture at the law school was long, and the students a little shocked (I was told later) about my informality.  I did wear a suit.  But I interacted with them and made jokes.  Oh yeah, Hillary again.  Why this obsession with Hillary? 

Finally, at 10pm at night, I showed up at the "El Molcajete" variety show with my retinue of Election Institute friends and the unflappable Miriam.  The word Molcajete is an indigenous word for mortar and pestle.  The host--a Lebanese-Mexican man--has quite an interesting format.  One well-known guest comes and cooks a favorite recipe.  Their is an orquestra which plays salsa and Mexican danzon and cumbia, and then a political guest.  The 'star' that night was the actress who was the female lead in Mel Gibson's Apocalypto-- the one who was pregnant and ended up in the hole with her young son.  A lovely young Veracruzana woman who chose a family torta recipe made of ham and potatoes.  So during the political segment, the host (a former Congressman, as it happens) quizzed me on immigration and gun laws.  Every time he agreed with me, he made me drink a tequila shot --live on the air! 
Three shots later, he broke for a commercial.  I came on for a second segment later in the one and one-half hour live show to talk again, this time about--you guessed it--Hillary Clinton.  I don't get it.  In between segment, there was an impromptu merengue moment where I was dragged on camera to dance with the young Apocalypto actress...Lord forgive me for not saying no.  It was, truly, an unforgettable evening.  After all that, I didn't even get to try her torta!

At the late hour the show was filmed (10:30pm -- 11:30 EST), I wasn't the most interactive guest, I suspect.  But I certainly was attentive.  The varied Caribbean flavors of the orquestra's selections, the colorful and savory smells from the 'kitchen' in the studio, the somewhat-offcolor antics of the host.  Wow.  But what I'll always remember were two very different feelings the show evoked in me. 

The first began with the 'oh-gosh-it's-like-I'm-in-college-again-and-have-to-do-the-tequila-shot.'  I was on camera, it was shot live and the whole feeling was festive.  I played along and it was all rather innocent, if somewhat excessive with the tequila.  But in that moment it finally drilled its way into this thick skull of mine that, through their lens, I am another American--and here, I was showing the viewers in the studio and at home that I could keep up with the host. 

This is perhaps more complicated than it might at first appear.  As a Latino in the US, my own identity as a Latino-American is the lens through which I inevitably 'see' these folks as somehow connected to my own story.  When the host teased me into drinking with the friendly appellation 'gringo', I got it.  That I was a person who carried all the baggage of my country--a war that didn't make sense, a gunman in Virginia who I had to explain and whether it would mean a backlash against Mexicans working in the US, the prospects of true immigration reform--the whole enchilada.  I was there, after all, to be the American.  What an unexpected gift of sight!

The other remarkable thing in the show happened just after.  Between shots where we were doing the interview, there was a pre-taped segment where the female host spent a morning with a couple of women 'de la limpieza', that is, hotel cleaning ladies.  The segment was humorous with the co-host trying to learn how to change sheets on a bed, and so forth.  But it also had a sting at the end:  This vibrant young female co-host had to struggle to keep up,clearly experiencing physical exertion, with these older women who were professionals. 

At the end of the segment, the host paused, praised the ingenuity of his co- host and then looked at the audience.  "Can you join me in applauding all the women who clean hotels here and everywhere, who so hard and never get thanked?"  The studio audience went crazy.  How many there had sisters or cousins or aunts or mothers who did just that work in the US?  I'll never know.  Somehow the heartfelt applause seemed connected less to specific connections to persons in these jobs, and more as a collective expression of understanding.  This experience of the immigrant in the US with all sorts of difficult, unpleasant, but necessary and unthanked jobs their brethren had over the border, was understood here as worthy of respect.  How remarkably decent of them.

Tomorrow we have a couple of radio shows and a breakfast before we head back to Mexico City.  goodnight!

Mexico Trip IV

The Partido Revolucionario Institucional, aka "The PRI", ruled as a one- party government (some might say democratic dictatorship) from the 1910s until the 1990s.  Since real democracy entered the Mexican political vocabulary about 10 years ago, the PRI has struggled to define itself.  Last year it suffered huge losses in the federal elections--going from about 200 seats in the 500 seat body to about 100.  I was invited to speak to their youth branch today--to talk about how to reach young voters.

Some were chuckling as I walked in.  "They call us the dinosaurs....but don't forget those quick little raptors were dinosaurs too!"  The presentation I gave was quick (less than 45 minutes of my talking) and seemed like it struck familiar themes with many in the room.  The questions were fascinating, too.  Hillary Clinton was once again the subject of conversation....interesting because PRI are moderate to conservative in their politics, but they see her as the inevitable Dem choice--and the best for the "world" or at least for Mexico's economy. 

There was also sincere interest in motivating young voters.  But how does a dinosaur persuade?  One of the not-so-young members of the party (a federal congressman with lots of years under his belt) observed, "Once there were homo sapiens...today they are homo videos."  I looked at him puzzled.  He
explained: "All they do is play video games!"  That viewpoint surely doesn't sound like it takes seriously the possibilities of the youth vote.

After this talk (which went for 2 1/2 hours!) Miriam Hamdan and I flew to Veracruz.  I happen to know from my 11 year old son that Veracruz is where Hernando Cortez landed...before he began to slaughter the indigenous people and eventually die of syphillis.  So I snapped some pictures of the famous port fort before meeting with the two directors of indigenous peoples programs for the state government at La Parroquia cafe. 

Lupita and Elisabeth were about to leave on a 'capacity building' trip with public health officials to the mountain villages.  They engaged me in conversation about Santa Anna, the leader of Mexico at the time of the "Mexican-Texas War"  in their words.  They spoke of the Alamo with very different emotions....I reminded them that if they had kept Texas, George Bush would be their president, not mine.  Levity never hurts at delicate moments.

We left the city of Veracruz for the capital city of Xalapa in the mountains.  (Prounounced like Ha-la-pa)  Someone from Xalapa is a Xalapeno, or Jalapeno--you got it, that's were the pepper comes from.  It's about 10pm now--time for dinner.  We are staying in a little colonial of Coatepec, recently designated by UNESCO as a 'Pueblo Magico'.  A busy day tomorrow....in a very different place than Mexico City.

Mexico Trip III

The sun is everywhere here in Mexico City.  Shining in the sky, a symbol of Aztec force found everywhere in a culture still aware --and proud--of its indigenous heritage.  But so much sun when you're wearing a spring suit made of a lightweight wool isn´t so comfortable.  Asi es la vida.

Sunny as ever, the irrepressible Miryam Hamdan, the US embassy´s cultural affairs representative, picked me up at 8:15 for a long drive to the southern side of the capital.  Mexico City feels like driving in LA -- endless highways and extraordinary traffic.  Finally, we arrived at Sol y Canto, a restaurant where we had a reserved room for our meeting with the public affairs section of the IFE, the Federal Elections Institute.

IFE was created in the 90s after a number of damaging cases of electoral fraud in presidential elections.  The commissioners must be unaffiliated with parties--unlike the closest equivalent in the US, the Federal Election Commission.  But their power is much greater, including the oversight of the disbursement of campaign funds to the parties is a system which is almost completely publicly funded, as well as levying fines for violations of campaign law. 

After a series of presentations on their various projects --including truly extraordinary curricula for civic education in grammar schools--I presented my Power Point.  As before in the National Assembly, the greatest interest seemed to be in the campaigns´ use of technology, and everyone´s fascination with Hillary Clinton.  She is adored everywhere I go--even by the members of the convervative political parties. 

In the afternoon, I was driven to the state-level election commission where I delivered the same presentation to about 30 people.  The interest in the youth vote remained strong here, too.  But I confess the thing that fascinated me there was a prototype touch-screen voting machine they showed me.  Developed by the state university UNAM, it is on line to be used in their 2009 elections.

It didn't take an expert to figure out how to use it--and when I asked the question about a paper trail being created, they all laughed at me.  ´Of course!  How could you have such a machine and not have a 'contraprueba', or proof of voting?'  I thought to myself 'just come to the US and some people will tell you with a straight face (Diebold sound familiar?) that you could do it.'  I guess these folks are particularly sensitive to the appearance of impropriety which is why they'd so quickly conclude such a machine would invite criticism--and that their purpose wasn't solely to administer elections but assure the public by their every action that the system was not subject to inappropriate tampering by a political party.  A thoroughly modern approach that we in the states could learn from!

Mexico Trip II

Though I arrived on Sunday night --leaving Boston just before the storm went from bad to worse--my first official activity was Monday morning.  Having never been the guest of the US State Department, I didn't know what to expect.  I did know that I was a little nervous, but not because I would be speaking to a bunch of legislators in their native language.  My presentation about the US electoral system and the major political parties' challenge of reaching out to young voters was completed at 10pm (thank you Karla and Brandon for the help!) the night before I left.  I was sure we'd find a typo or it would be boring, or something.  It's always something.

The group was diverse, about 8 state legislators from the Distrito Federal (Mexico City) and more staff.  Not too big as I would be trying out the Power Point on these 'guinea pigs'.  They represented the three major political parties -- The PRI (the centrist party that is the oldest in Mexico), the PAN (the conservative party of the current president, Calderon) and the PRD (the governing party in the city), and one smaller youth party.  After the Power Point, the most fascinating conversation ensued applying some of the observations made in the presentation.

On the 24th of April, their state assembly will be taking up a bill to liberalize their abortion law.  It has been the most controversial bill in a decade.  Three of the legislators who were supposed to be there were at the police station reporting death threats.  What I saw in all of these legislators eyes was what I distinctly remember from our gay marriage debates:  an understanding that everyone was, for once, actually paying attention. 

While the tradition of church and state here is long and complicated, the Catholic Church remains powerful.  But the left-leaning party in power, and the moderate parties are determined to decriminalize abortions.  And by all accounts the public supports this liberalization.  (Today, only abortions from a rape or for the mother's life are legal)  Already protests have begun and it is a big deal.

So in the privacy of the assembly's offices, we discussed tying issues to values in a political message.  What a great example for both sides to use in this exercise.  I certainly hope the rest of these conversations will be as interesting.

Mexico Trip

Back home in Massachusetts it’s school vacation week.  The legislature is out of session—and it’s cold.  Not me!  I am in Mexico for six days, thought not for a vacation.  At the invitation of the United States State Department, I am visiting a number of colleges and governmental institutions.  That’s right, you read correctly.  I know that I am the last person you’d expect good ole Condoleeza to be passing a Sunday afternoon with …but the reality is, I am working through the US embassy in Mexico City to make a series of speeches –in Spanish--on behalf of the United States government to Mexican college students and young political leaders. 

I will be in Mexico City and the state of Veracruz interacting with young leaders and debating political participation in the two countries.  This trip will be the first time since last October’s anti-gang conference (when I addressed Central American anti-violence advocates and police) in San Salvador that I will be “presenting” in Spanish.  Because I received very little formal education in Spanish growing up, I am always a little nervous about my level of sophistication.  Over the week, I’ll try to provide updates:  Mexico is at a fascinating juncture politically, with real political reform taking root, although corruption –both economic and electoral—still to be found.      

Pray for safe travels—and stay tuned!

MBTA Debt: Out of Control and Getting Worse

So all of you who testified at the various MBTA public meetings in opposition to the fare increase that took effect in January—the largest increase in its 100-year history—we need your help.  The MBTA remains in a serious fiscal state.  Since forward-funding legislation was passed in 1999, it has relied on the sales tax, town assessments, and fares for virtually all its revenues.   

At the heart of the MBTA’s  huge—and growing—problem is its massive $8 billion debt burden.  The authority devotes 27 percent, or $363 million, of their annual budget to debt service payments, which represent the authority’s largest single expense.  If this debt debacle goes unaddressed, over 30% of its expenses will go to debt service by 2010.

Download mbta_expenses.doc

The MBTA’s debt service by far the largest in the country; as disturbing as its size is its origin.  Much of this debt can be attributed to central artery tunnel transit commitments.  While other parts of the Central Artery Project were paid for up front, these Central Artery-related commitments were shifted with little debate to the MBTA as part of the 1999 legislation.  The Central Artery could not have been built without these transit expansion projects that allowed the Big Dig to comply with federal Clean Air Act requirements by offsetting increased pollution from traffic. Ordinarily, federal transportation money would have largely paid for those projects. But as Big Dig construction went billions over budget, it swallowed up these state and federal dollars. These transit expansions will greatly benefit the Commonwealth, but the cost should have been part of the Big Dig’s overall budget, not dumped on the T.

Our current revenue stream means that the increasing debt service can only be accommodated by raising fares.  Why?  The MBTA’s other funding sources have fallen short of the Legislature’s expectations. In 2000, the Legislature allocated to the MBTA 20 percent of the state’s 5 percent sales tax as a way to replace most annual allocations. Projections to the legislature were that the sales tax would grow by 5 percent each year as it had during the 1990s, providing the T with adequate revenue to meet operating expenses and pay down its debt. But revenues remained flat—or even fell.  In 2002 sales tax declined by 1.6%. By 2007, the T had been “shortchanged” by hundreds of millions of dollars. 

Download sales_tax_projected_vs. Reality.doc

So we need to act…but how?  Continued fare hikes are not the solution.  Further fare increases will continue to jeopardize T revenues:  Since 2000, T fares have doubled, resulting in flat to falling ridership numbers.  I have filed legislation with Alice Wolf, Carl Sciortino and MASSPIRG directing the Commonwealth to assume the portion of the MBTA that was connected to the Central Artery commitments.  It’s the only way to relieve the MBTA of debts it didn’t incur and can’t afford to pay. 

Things the Commonwealth can do to get illegal guns out of the hands of kids

Thank you to everyone who submitted comments. Look for the final version of the report to be released on Thursday, April 12.

Gentle readers,

It's been quite a week in Boston, and with all the recent shootings, many have asked about the work of the Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee--particularly in light of our hearing on youth gun violence last November.  Earlier this week, I described some of the ideas we have been thinking about, and today I am posting the report I have written, with staff, including all recommended legislative actions.  I am also attaching a re-drafted version of a gun trafficking bill I have filed with Senator Montigny, Representative Canessa and Representative St. Fleur. 

This is my current "best" thinking on the subject and I am sure that there is still much more to be done at the federal level, and local level.  But if you have ideas for state action, please give feedback which--if it seems consistent with these objectives-- I may be able to include in the final report. I will be accepting comments until the end of the day Monday, April 9.

Jarrett