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Vol.2 Issue 4 March 2008
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In This Issue...
  • Nakanishi Supports Homeschooling Families
  • Nakanishi Bills Introduced this year
  • Nakanishi Co-authors ACR 115
  • Highway 12 Update
  • Top 10 New Taxes
  • Tips for Avoiding Forclosure
  • Explore the Beauty of California's 10th District
Nakanishi Newsletter

Welcome to the "Nakanishi Newsletter," an electronic newsletter designed to keep you informed on what is happening in your State Capitol. Through this newsletter, I hope to keep in touch with you on a regular basis and provide an opportunity for your feedback. With your input on these issues, I will be better informed in order to more effectively serve you. I look forward to communicating with you, and remind you that my office is always available.

Nakanishi Supports Homeschooling Families

   In his continued efforts of supporting homeschoolers, and drive to solve California's budget crisis, Assemblyman Alan Nakanishi  has introduced AB 2605, which would give parents a $500 tax credit if they educate their children at home or send them to private school.
"A lot of the bills we're bringing out may not pass committee, but we're making a statement," said Nakanishi.

    The problem with the current situation is that parents who do not educate their children in public schools, including parents who home school, overall pay twice to educate their children: out of pocket and in taxpayer dollars to the per-pupil costs of funding public schools that they choose not to utilize. Currently, the state spends approximately $11,626 per pupil per year. It is estimated that between 60,000 and 200,000 students are educated outside public education realms, which may include those in charter schools, private schools, and homeschool programs. Therefore, parents who do not utilize public education for their child save taxpayers an estimated $700 million-$2.3 billion per year, or between $9 billion and $30 billion over the entire course of their child's K-12 education period.

   AB 2605 would provide tax credits for parents of $500 per child currently enrolled in a non-public or home school program. To put this in perspective, this is an estimated 4.3% tax credit of what they spend per year if they were given the allotted state per pupil funding of $11,626 per year allotted in the Governor's 2008-2009 budget. Some parents who educate their students in private schools may spend even more, making the $500 per child tax credit a very modest sum. Overall, AB 2605 relieves a portion of the burden parents such as these endure to provide a quality education for their students by providing more equity to parents educating their students.  

Nakanishi Bills Introduced this year

1. AB 2164 - County law libraries.
2. AB 2214 - Pupils: notices sent to parents.
3. AB 2335 - Building permits.
4. AB 2336 - Contractors: arbitration procedures.
5. AB 2398 - Cosmetic surgery.
6. AB 2442 - Medicine: peer review proceedings.

7. AB 2443 - Medical Board of California

8. AB 2444 - Medical Board of California:
9. AB 2445 - Medical Board of California:   

10.AB 2542 - Patient safety.
11 AB 2605 - Income taxes: credit: private school and home
12.AB 2739 - Pupils: interdistrict transfers.
13.AB 2830 - Wind energy.
14.AB 2886 - Hospitals: sepsis reduction pilot program.

 
Nakanishi Co-authors ACR 115

   On Feb. 28, a California appeals court ruled that California parents may not homeschool their children unless those parents are credentialed teachers.

   In response to this Assemblyman Nakanishi is co-authoring ACR 115, which would acknowledge the long and rich history of private home schooling in California and call upon the California Supreme Court to reverse the opinion of the California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District in Los Angeles in the case of In re Rachel L. that home schooling without a teaching credential is not legal.

 Highway 12 Update

   With over a year of time and effort spent working with Caltrans and San Joaquin Council of Governments, Assemblyman Nakanishi is pleased to inform his district about the installation of a signal light at the intersection of Highway 12 and Davis Road. This particular project should be completed by the end of March.

   This stretch of highway has caused a lot of  heartache for the residents of Lodi and surrounding communities. Though this is not the solution for Highway 12, it will definitely make a difference while local officials work on getting future funding to insure  safety on Highway 12.

   The safety of Highway 12 and its drivers continues to be a priority for Asssemblyman Nakanishi.

Top 10 New Taxes

Last week, Democrat leaders declared they would hold up passage of the state budget later this year if it did not include at least $5 billion in higher taxes.  They have proposed numerous new and higher taxes totaling at least $25 billion that would significantly impact the everyday lives of Californians.

10.  The iTunes Tax
Assembly Bill 1956 (Calderon) would require state tax officials to begin imposing sales taxes on music, movies and software purchases made online, such as on iTunes.  Democrats have also talked about taxing all items purchased on the Internet ($500 million tax increase).

9.   The Plastic Bag Tax
Assembly Bill 2829 (Davis) would impose a new plastic bag tax, at a still-unspecified level, on the plastic bags used by grocery stores and other retailers to package purchases.

8.   Making It Easier for Politicians to Raise Taxes
Senate Constitutional Amendment 18 (Torlakson) would make it easier for local politicians to raise taxes, by allowing educational finance districts to impose special taxes by a majority vote.

7.   Increasing the Car Tax
Assembly Bill 2388 (Feuer) would raise the car tax based on the weight of the vehicle and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions it emits, to a still-unspecified level. 

Assembly Bill 2522 (Arambula) would authorize San JoaquinValley air quality officials to impose a new $30 car tax on local drivers, without a vote of the people. 

Assembly Bill 2638 (Coto) would impose a new sales tax on the sale of cars in California that get less than 15 miles per gallon.

Senate Bill 1731 (Yee) would authorize San Francisco Bay Area transportation officials to impose a higher car tax on local drivers, without a vote of the people.

Democrats have also proposed restoring the higher car tax imposed by former Governor Gray Davis and repealed by Governor Schwarzenegger upon taking office, a $6 billion tax increase.

6.   Increasing the Gas Tax

Assembly Bill 9xxx (Núñez) would impose a costly new ''oil severance'' tax on the cost of oil production in California.  This will cause gas prices to soar new heights in California as this new tax will be passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices at the pump.

Assembly Bill 2744 (Huffman) would authorize San Francisco Bay Area transportation officials to impose a new gas tax, of as much as 10 cents per gallon, to pay for new government spending. 

Assembly Bill 2558 (Feuer) would authorize Los Angeles transportation officials to impose one of two different taxes, subject to a majority vote, to address climate change – an increased gas tax as high as 3 percent, or an increased car tax as high as $80.

5.      Raising Income Taxes
Assembly Bill 2372 (Coto) would impose a new 1 percent tax on Californians earning more than $1 million per year, raising the state's highest income tax rate to 11.3 percent. 

Assembly Bill 2897 (Hancock) would impose a new 10 percent tax rate for individuals earning more than $136,115 every year ($272,230 for joint filers) and a new 11 percent tax rate for individuals earning more than $272,230 per year ($544,460 for joint filers). 

4.      Closing So-Called ''Tax Loopholes''
Democrats and others have pushed closing ''tax loopholes,'' which is an effort to raise taxes on working Californians.  These so-called loopholes include taking away the senior citizen tax credit (a $255 million tax increase) and reducing the child dependent tax credit ($2.4 billion) – which will hurt middle-class families.

3.      New Health Taxes
Democrats have proposed the largest tax increase on businesses in state history, an $8 billion jobs tax, to pay for government-run health care.  In addition, Assembly Bill 2967 (Fuentes) would impose a new .06 percent tax on the gross operating costs of every California hospital, to pay for new government health care programs. 

2.      Creating a New Tax on CaliforniaBusinesses
Speaker Núñez has talked about creating a new split-roll property tax on California businesses, which would be a $3 to $7 billion tax increase on businesses.  This would lead to higher prices for consumers and the threat of job losses.

1.      Taking Away the Home Mortgage Interest Deduction
Democrats have proposed eliminating the state home mortgage interest deduction, also known as the homeowner's tax, which provides significant tax savings for working families and helps many Californians afford the expensive costs of home ownership.  This would be a $5.3 billion tax hike.

Tips for Avoiding Forclosure

Are you having trouble keeping up with your mortgage payments? Have you received a notice from your lender asking you to contact them?

If you are unable to make your mortgage payment:

1. Don't ignore the problem.
The further behind you become, the harder it will be to reinstate your loan and the more likely that you will lose your house.
2. Contact your lender as soon as you realize that you have a problem.
Lenders do not want your house. They have options to help borrowers through difficult financial times.  

3. Open and respond to all mail from your lender.
The first notices you receive will offer good information about foreclosure prevention options that can help you weather financial problems.  Later mail may include important notice of pending legal action.  Your failure to open the mail will not be an excuse in foreclosure court.

4. Know your mortgage rights.
Find your loan documents and read them so you know what your lender may do if you can't make your payments.  Learn about the foreclosure laws and timeframes in your state (as every state is different) by contacting the State Government Housing Office.  

5. Understand foreclosure prevention options.
Valuable information about foreclosure prevention (also called loss mitigation) options can be found on the internet at www.fha.gov/foreclosure/index.cfm.

6. Contact a HUD-approved housing counselor.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds free or very low cost housing counseling nationwide.  Housing counselors can help you understand the law and your options, organize your finances and represent you in negotiations with your lender if you need this assistance. Find a HUD-approved housing counselor near you or call (800) 569-4287 or TTY (800) 877-8339.

7. Prioritize your spending.
After healthcare, keeping your house should be your first priority.  Review your finances and see where you can cut spending in order to make your mortgage payment.  Look for optional expenses-cable TV, memberships, entertainment-that you can eliminate. Delay payments on credit cards and other "unsecured" debt until you have paid your mortgage.

8. Use your assets.  
Do you have assets-a second car, jewelry, a whole life insurance policy-that you can sell for cash to help reinstate your loan? Can anyone in your household get an extra job to bring in additional income?  Even if these efforts don't significantly increase your available cash or your income, they demonstrate to your lender that you are willing to make sacrifices to keep your home.  

9. Avoid foreclosure prevention companies.
You don't need to pay fees for foreclosure prevention help-use that money to pay the mortgage instead. Many for-profit companies will contact you promising to negotiate with your lender.  While these may be legitimate businesses, they will charge you a hefty fee (often two or three month's mortgage payment) for information and services your lender or a HUD approved housing counselor will provide free if you contact them.

10. Don't lose your house to foreclosure recovery scams!
If any firm claims they can stop your foreclosure immediately if you sign a document appointing them to act on your behalf, you may well be signing over the title to your property and becoming a renter in your own home!  Never sign a legal document without reading and understanding all the terms and getting professional advice from an attorney, a trusted real estate professional, or a HUD approved housing counselor.

Explore the Beauty of California's 10th District

Are you looking for something fun and exciting to do in your community?  Click on a link to find out whats going on in your area.

Amador County - http://www.amadorcountychamber.com/

El Dorado Hills - http://www.visit-eldorado.com/

Lodi - http://www.visitlodi.com/

Sacramento - http://www.discovergold.org/

Stockton - http://www.visitstockton.org/

Nakanishi Newsletter
Archive Issues:
Volume 2 Issue 6
Volume 2 Issue 5
Volume 2 Issue 3
Volume 2 Issue 1

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State Capitol, Room 5175
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0010
Phone: (916) 319-2010
Fax: (916) 319-2110

Lodi District Office
218 W. Pine Street
Lodi CA, 95240
Phone: (209) 333-5330
Fax: (209) 333-5333

Published by Assemblyman Nakanishi © 2008 ARC Disclaimer