Congresswoman Jackie Speier

September 13, 2012

Dear Neighbor,

I hope you had a good summer. I spent part of my time on job development, helping veterans and working with volunteers.

The Bay Area has some of the most innovative minds in America as reflected in the companies and products that are created here. But while you might instinctively think I’m referring to high-tech efforts, the district is also home to companies that make high quality products and support well paying jobs. This summer I visited one such company, Kelly-Moore Paints in San Carlos. The company has been making paint since 1946 and continues to grow. They employ 1,500 workers at one of the greenest and most technologically advanced plants imaginable. You can see more photos from my visit in this photo album.


Kelly-Moore recycles paint at their plant in San Carlos

Manufacturing jobs support middle-class families and are crucial to our economic recovery. In fact, the average total compensation for manufacturing jobs is about $77,000, including benefits, compared to an average of $56,000 for non-manufacturing jobs. Please visit the Building a New Manufacturing Economy page on my website to learn more.

My office continues to help veterans with their VA claims. While many cases have been resolved since Congresswoman Barbara Lee and I held our “Fix-It Meeting” in San Francisco in May, tens of thousands of vets continue to wait for unacceptably long periods. This backlog is an absolutely shameful injustice that must be eliminated and I am committed to doing everything I can to turn things around.

Here in my district office, we have had many successes in resolving VA claims. For example, Jake Ventrello, a 94 year-old World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge had been waiting for his case to be decided for a year and a half. His caretaker explained his circumstances at the Fix-It Meeting and four days later he received a call from the VA informing him that he would receive full benefits and substantial back pay. While Jake can now live without having to worry about getting by every day, he worries about the thousands of veterans who are still waiting for answers.

I launched Speier Corps to respond to the many requests I have received from people who want to give back to the community. At our first group job in August, we cleaned up a playground in the Coyote Point Recreation Area. Watch this video to see what the volunteers accomplished:

In addition to helping the community, volunteering is also a great way to network and to find a job. Job seekers are urged to participate in the 9th Job Hunters Boot Camp set for Tuesday, October 16th, 2012 at the San Mateo County Fair Grounds. This important event helps job seekers enter or reenter the job market through employer connections, resume and interview skills workshops and presentations from powerful job coaches. Since we held the first JHBC in January 2010, over 4,000 people have taken advantage of the resources and tools we offer at this free event. If you are interested in participating, please don’t delay. Register here and please call my district office at (650) 342-0300 if you have any questions.

Finally, on October 26, 2012, we will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Seniors On The Move, one of the largest and most exciting conferences held annually for our senior residents of the 12th District. This year’s highlights will include guest appearances by KGO Radio talk show host Ronn Owens and Captain Sully Sullenberger who famously landed an American Airlines plane with 155 passengers on the Hudson River after it was disabled by a flock of geese. If you are interested in participating, please call my office 650-342-0300 to receive a registration card.

I enjoyed seeing many of you over the summer and look forward to connecting this fall at Job Hunters Boot Camp and Seniors On The Move!

All the best,

jackie