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From: Teresa Hackler <teresah@svi.org>
Date: Fri, 23 May 97 15:17:05 PDT
Subject: HELP! Budget Battle Threatens PC Day 2
To: pcday@svi.org (PC Day at Smart Valley, Inc.)

***STATE BUDGET BATTLE THREATENS PC DAY 2:

PC DAY TEACHERS, MENTORS AND FRIENDS OF THE PROJECT:

Smart Valley needs your help to ensure that there is a PC Day 2.

Early this week, the State Assembly blocked $6 million in funding for =

the Computer Refurbishing Fund.  Last year, Smart Valley was able to =

access this fund for PC Day 1 to purchase parts that we were unable to =

get donated, such as CD ROM drives, sound cards and monitors. =


Smart Valley and its partner organizations are planning a much larger =

PC Day 2 this fall.  To keep the computer costs to the schools at an =

absolute minimum, we are relying on Computer Refurbishment Fund.  =

Without the fund, schools will have to pay approximately $500 per PC =

Day 2 computer, rather than the $50 cost estimated if the State funds =

were available. =


PC Day is only one of many technology resources for California schools
which is threatened by this budget cut.  The Computer Recycling Center, =

Detwiler Foundation and other refurbishment centers statewide will be =

crippled without State assistance.

Would you please take a few minutes to contact by phone, email or mail =

key state legislators (listed below) to let them know of your positive =

experiences with PC Day (and/or the other programs listed above if =

applicable).  If you agree, let them know that these are the best =

leveraged funds for getting technology into scools.  No other program =

leverages State dollars with more corporate donations: PC-Day delivered =

$4 in computer value to schools for each $1 contributed by the State. =


PC Day teachers, mentors and friends of the project:  Please contact as =

many of the elected officials on this list AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, and =

encourage others to do so as well.  Continue to send messages of support =

through the month of June.  The budget is supposed to be passed by July =

1.  As the beneficiary of this State grant, your opinions are of utmost =

importance to our elected  officials. Also,  PC Day Mentors, we need you =

to contact legislators as well to share your support for the PC Day =

project as a way to allow more teachers to use state of the art =

technology in their curriculum. =


Enclosed is a sample letter covering the key issues.  Please feel free =

to use it as your starting point, but please personalize the letter to =

fit your situation.  I don=92t expect that all points raised in this =

letter will be relevant to everyone.

If you wish to create your own letter, please keep in mind the following =

key messages:

+ The computers are top quality (mostly brand new).
+ The warranty gives us confidence in being able to maintain the =

    machines.
+ The donations provide more equipment than a school could otherwise =

    afford.
+ The California Computer Refurbishing Fund provides far more computers =

    per invested tax dollar than our district could otherwise buy.
=B7 Receiving these donated computers allows us to invest our technology =

    funds in other parts of our technology program, such as software, =

    networks, and distance learning.  =


Thank you for your help,
Teresa Hackler
PC Day Project Director

-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
 =

SAMPLE LETTER
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=


Dear Legislator:  =


I am writing to express my extreme disappointment with the Assembly =

budget writers who eliminated $6M from the proposed budget slated for =

the Goals 2000 California Computer Refurbishment Fund.  Last year, I =

received [X] 133MHz Pentium computers for my classroom through the =

Smart Valley SmartSchools PC Day project which was funded in part by =

the Computer Refurbishment Fund.  I hope that the same opportunities =

made available to me will continue to be made available to the rest of =

the teachers throughout California.

Thanks to private and public partnership sponsored by Smart Valley, =

3000 state of the art multimedia computers were built and distributed =

to hundreds of California classrooms.  Approximately 75% of the hardware =

and software components were donated by dozens of California companies. =

The computers were built through the Department of Corrections Computers =

for Schools Program (CSP).  However, there were several parts that were =

not donated and had to be purchased, which would have made the cost =

prohibitive to public schools. Thanks to the California Computer =

refurbishment Fund, there was money to purchase the remaining parts.

I am a [X] teacher at [School] in [District].  Last fall I submitted a =

proposal to the Smart Valley SmartSchools PC Day project and was awarded =

computers based on the merit of my classroom curriculum proposal. Let me =

tell you about the amazing changes I have seen in my classroom in just =

the past six months since receiving one computer for every 5 students in =

my classroom, plus one for my own planning!  [Give a brief description.]

Having these powerful computers in my classroom has had a tremendous =

impact on the way my  students are learning [_____________________].  =

Without the state grant used to help build my PC Day computers, each =

computer would have cost $500.  Given our school district=92s budget =

constraints, our school district would not have been able to afford =

more than a few of the machines for the entire district.  Instead, I =

have [X] in my classroom and many of my colleagues also have computers, =

which allows us to collaborate on curriculum projects and provide =

technical and emotional support to each other. Receiving these donated =

computers allows us to invest our technology funds in other parts of =

our technology program like software, networks and distance learning.

I urge you to support the Goals 2000 California Computer Refurbishment
Fund.  This isn't a partisan issue, but rather an economic one. 4:1 =

leverage of State dollars with donated computers and parts is a deal =

too good for California schools to pass up. Please let me know where =

you stand on this issue of great importance to me.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Address
Email, Phone

-------------------------------------------------------------------------=

LEGISLATIVE CONTACT LIST
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=


EVERYONE PLEASE CONTACT THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE. The 4 people =

listed below, in addition to the Governor are the ones
**currently** debating this issue. Governor Wilson is =

a huge supporter of the program, so if you contact him, =

share your success stories and thank him for his role in =

creating the fund. If you have time, please contact your =

local representatives listed below by county.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Speaker of the House (MOST IMPORTANT PERSON TO CONTACT)
Assemblyman Cruz M. Bustamante - D 31st Assembly District
2550 Mariposa, Suite 5006, Fresno, CA 93721
(209) 445-5532
Email:  cruz.bustamante@assembly.ca.gov

President ProTerm, Senate
Senator Bill Lockyer
22634 Second St., Suite 104, Hayward 94541
Email: Senator.Lockyer@sen.ca.gov

Assemblyman Antonio Villaraigosa D - (Majority Floor Leader)
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0001
Phone: (916) 445-0703
Email: Antonio.Villaraigosa@assembly.ca.gov

Assemblyman Curt Pringle R - (Republican Leader)
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0001
(916) 445-8377  =

Curt.Pringle@assembly.ca.gov

--------------------------------------------------------------
Other important People to Contact on the Budget and Education Cmtes.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Budget Conference Committee =

Chair Mike Thompson =96 D- Napa (Senate) =

1040 Main St., Suite 101, Napa  94559
Ph:(707) 224-1990.  =

Email: Senator.Thompson@sen.ca.gov

Other members on Budget Committee that are local legislators. '
Their contact information listed below)
Jim Cunneen
Fred Keeley
John Vasconcellos

---------------------------------------------------------------
Assembly Education Committee
Chair:  Assemblywoman Kerry Mazzoni - D   6th Assembly District
Marin City Civic Center =

3501 Civic Center Drive, room 315, San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 479-4920 =

Email: Kerry.Mazzoni@assembly.ca.gov

Vice Chair Rod Pacheco-R 64th District
6840 Indiana Ave., #150, Riverside, CA 92506
(909) 369-6644
Email: repweb@assembly.ca.gov

---------------------------------------------------------------
Senate Education Committee =

Chair Leroy Greene (D) =96 Sacramento
PO Box 254646
Sacramento, CA 95825
(916) 445-7807
Senator.Greene@sen.ca.gov

Vice Chair Bruce McPherson (R) =96 Santa Cruz  =

701 Ocean St., Room 318A                                               =

Santa Cruz, Ca 95060
(916) 445-5843
Senator.McPherson@sen.ca.gov

-------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU LIVE/WORK IN SAN MATEO COUNTY CONTACT:
-------------------------------------------------------------
Senator Quentin Kopp  (Indep)     =

363 El Camino Real, Suite 205, So. San Francisco, CA 94080 =

(415)  952-5666   =

senator.kopp@sen.ca.gov

Lou Papan  (Dem), 19th  Assembly District
660 El Camino Real, Suite 214, Millbrae, CA 94030
(415) 866-3940 =

email: a19@assembly.ca.gov

--------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU LIVE/WORK IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES:
--------------------------------------------------------------
(Senate - Contact your representative)

State Senator Byron Sher            =

260 Main Street, 			5589 Winfield Blvd., Suite 102
Redwood City, CA 94063 			San Jose, CA 95123
(415) 364-2080        			(408) 226-2992
Email: senator.sher@sen.ca.gov =


State Senator John Vasconcellos (Joint Senate-Assembly Budget Cmte)
100 Paseo de San Antonio, Suite 209, San Jose, CA 95113 =

(408)  286-8318
email: senator.vasconcellos@sen.ca.gov


(Assembly - Contact your representative)

Ted Lempert  (Dem) (Assembly Education Cmte), 21st  Assembly District =

4149-B El Camino Way, Palo Alto, CA 94306-4010
(415) 856-2187 =

email: a21@assembly.ca.gov

Elaine Alquist  (Dem) (Assembly Education Cmte), 22nd  Assembly
District                      =


275 Saratoga Av. , Suite 205, Santa Clara, CA 95056
408 296-3052
email: Assemblywoman.Alquist@assembly.ca.gov

Mike Honda  (Dem)  (Assembly Education Cmte), 23rd  Assembly District
100 Paseo De Antonio, Suite 300, San Jose, CA 95113
408 269-6500   =

no email address

Jim Cunneen  (Rep)   (Joint Senate -Assembly Budget Cmte), =

  24th  Assembly District
901 Campisi Way, Suite 300, Campbell,, CA 95008
(408) 369-8170         =

email: jim.cunneen@assembly.ca.gov

-----------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU LIVE/WORK IN MONTEREY CONTACT: =

-----------------------------------------------------------------

State Senator Bruce McPherson    (Educ. Cmte)  =

701 Ocean St. , Room 318A, Santa Cruz, Ca 95060 =

(916)  445-5843
Senator.McPherson@sen.ca.gov

Assemblyman Peter Frusetta  (Rep), 28th  Assembly District
321 First Street , Suite A, Hollister, CA 93230
(408)  636-4890
peter.frusetta@assembly.ca.gov

-----------------------------------------------------------------
IF YOU LIVE/WORK IN SANTA CRUZ CONTACT:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bruce McPherson  (Educ. Cmte)     =

701 Ocean St. , Room 318A, Santa Cruz, Ca 95060 =

(916)  445-5843    =

Senator.McPherson@sen.ca.gov

Fred Keeley  (Dem)   (Budget Cmte), 27th  Assembly District
701 Ocean St., Suite 318B, Santa Cruz, CA 90560
(408) 425-1503
email: a27@assembly.ca.gov


--------------------------------------------------------
Teresa Hackler * Project Director * Smart Valley, Inc.
2520 Mission College Blvd., Suite 202, Santa Clara, CA 95054
Phone: (408) 562-7785  Fax: (408) 562-7677
E-mail: teresah@svi.org
Date: 5/23/97
Time: 3:17:05 PM
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