McNerney Honors Nobel Prize Winners
Congressman Jerry McNerney’s resolution honoring the five 2006 Nobel Prize science award winners, all Americans, was adopted May 1 by the U.S. House of Representatives.
“One of the great issues we face as a nation is the need to remain competitive on the world stage,” said McNerney, D-Pleasanton, in a written statement. “Innovative discoveries achieved through scientific research are what fuel our nation’s economy and, regrettably, there is evidence this country is falling behind.”
Roger D. Kornberg, Andrew Fire, Craig Mello, John C. Mather, and George F. Smoot received the prestigious award for their work in chemistry, medicine or physics. The Bay Area produced three winners: Fire and Kornberg are based at Stanford University and Smoot is based at UC Berkeley.
It is the first American sweep of the Nobel Prize science awards in more than 25 years. McNerney hopes the positive attention will inspire today’s students to engage in scientific pursuits.
McNerney introduced his recognition bill on April 19. It’s his second bill since taking office in January. His first, the Healthy Communities Water Supply Act of 2007, passed by a margin of 368-59.
Elder Abuse Reports Up 25 Percent
County supervisors and other leaders in the area of senior services are urging the legislature to provide a $20 million increase in this year’s state budget to help counties respond to increasing reports of elder abuse.
Elder and dependent-adult abuse has increased in Santa Clara County by 25 percent per year from 2003 to 2006. At the same time, projections show a $65-million gap between the cost of operating the statewide Adult Protective Services Program and its current funding.
California is home to the largest senior population in the United States, numbering 3.7 million. The number of seniors ages 60 years and over is expected to double by 2020, fueling an increase in elder abuse cases, including financial, physical and emotional mistreatment of seniors.
“Due to the demographics of the aging population, the impact on service demands, and the increased number of reports, Adult Protective Services is struggling to provide an immediate response to all seniors who are victimized,” said Betty Malks, director of the Santa Clara County Department of Aging and Adult Services, in a written statement. “Funding has not kept up and our ability to serve everyone has decreased and seniors are suffering as a result.
