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8A Page 4 Consultants for the Governor are currently reviewing this legislation. The League asks city officials to send a letter requesting a VETO on AB 983 as soon as possible to ensure that cities' opposition to the bill is taken into consideration. Take Action A sample letter is available for your city to fax to the Governor's office and other key contacts at www.cacities.org/billsearch. Plug in AB 983 to the bilt search function to access the sample letter of opposition, along with faxing instructions. Governor launches Program to Assist Communities Hard Hit by Foreclosure Crisis First-time home buyers in communities hard hit by the foreclosure crisis were given some help this week when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the new Community Stabilization Home Loan Program on July 21. The program offers below-market interest rate loans to first-time home owners to purchase foreclosed homes in ZIP codes with some of California's highest foreclosure rates. These communities include areas of Riverside, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Merced, Los Angeles, Contra Costa and Alameda counties. The California Housing Finance Agency (CaIFHA) will run the program and estimates that it will help 800 to 1,000 first-time home buyers in the effected areas. There is $200 million in loans available through the program. Homes must be priced at or under CaIFHA's sale price restrictions. Applying home buyers must meet income requirements. Several lenders have also agreed to participate in the program. They will be offering a sales price at least 12 percent lower than the estimated price on bank-owned properties. The Governor's press release announcing the Community Stabilization Home Loan Program is available on his Web site (httD:/Iaov.ca.Qov/index.oho?/oress-release/10245/) Disaster Response Funding Considered as Part of Budget Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed Emergency Response Initiative is still being considered for the FY 2008-09 budget. As proposed in the Governor's May Revise, insurance providers will be required to collect a surcharge on commercial and residential fire and multi-peril insurance policies issued in Califomia beginning January 1, 2009. These funds will be used to provide first responders with new equipment and technology, improve overall emergency preparedness and response, and help save lives and property. The Office of Emergency Services (OES) will administer the funding for emergency response activities of OES, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and the Military Department. The amount of the surcharge doubled when the initiative was brought before the Budget Conference Committee. The surcharge will be 2.8 percent of the premium in high-hazard zones, and 1.4 percent in low-hazard zones (as determined by OES). Details on how the additional funds would be appropriated have not been released. However, the Governor's original proposal - with half the revenue that is now proposed - would: Fund full peak-season staffing of 336 fire engines with 1,100 seasonal firefighters in the FY 2008- 09 budget year; . Ensure that OES continues to have the ability to respond to disasters and utilize its Warning Center to notify emergency first responders; . Increase the number of fire engines that OES will provide on loan to local firefighters by 131 to bring the total available to 250 over five years; . Add new, more efficient helicopters including 11 all-weather, 24-hour-capable helicopters and remodel six of nine helitack bases; . Strengthen the California National Guard's response by providing the Guard with two fuff. time helicopter crews, two firefighting systems for the C-130 cargo aircraft, and three helicopter firefighting systems: and . Allow CAL FIRE to track and coordinate equipment use in real time with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. 4