Jessica Hallmark, a star caseworker in my Farmington Hills’ district office who attends night school at Wayne State Law, received another nice thank you note from a constituent for providing assistance to a family adopting a child. My office and staff take very seriously our responsibility to provide excellent constituent services to the people of the 9th District. If you or a member of your family has an issue or concern with the federal government, please do not hesitate to call us at (248) 851-1366.

Below is the thank you letter  from the Bellisario family to Jessica:

Jessica,

We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the hard work you did for our adoption. We truly believe if it wasn’t for your persistence and caring, we would not have our daughter home. She is truly a little blessing. She is 5 and half and is the size of a three year old. She has already gained four pounds in the three weeks we’ve had her in our home. She has started school and is doing remarkably well. Our older daughters love their little sister and are very proud to show her off to anyone who will give them a moment of time. You have helped make our family complete. Thank you again for going above and beyond the call of duty. You have helped save a precious child’s life. We are forever grateful.

Sincerely,

Ronald, Stephanie, Francesca, Sophia, and Gianna BellisarioÂ

I believe the SCHIP program should be reauthorized, and I support efforts to improve Michigan’s Medicaid reimbursement rates. But I couldn’t support the Democratic majority’s bill. This legislation would make it possible for illegal immigrants to receive taxpayer-funded health care benefits. It would greatly expand entitlement spending and require a huge tax increase  to pay for it. In fact, the Democrat’s bill would depend on 22 million new smokers in America paying higher cigarette taxes to fund this massive expansion in entitlement spending.

I don’t think any bill that depends on more Americans smoking is a good idea.

Instead of heading down the path of higher taxes and more government spending, I support extending SCHIP for the next 18 months. I have co-sponsored legislation that would ensure that no state in America, including Michigan, would have to change the benefits it is currently providing to needy children. This compromise will protect the health care needs of low-income children and provide the breathing space needed for SCHIP reauthorization to be included in comprehensive health care reform after the next presidential election when the atmosphere in Washington will hopefully be less partisan.

Today, the House of Representatives passed very important legislation to strengthen the sanctions against Iran. As President Ahmadinejad spreads his message of hate at the United Nations and Columbia University, the House took a big step today in ensuring that America’s message is heard loud and clear: Iran must halt its nuclear ambitions and recognize Israel. Even when speaking at Columbia University, which has a study program abroad in Israel, the dictator of Iran refused to recognize the state of Israel. Ahmadinejad has stated several times that he wants to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. It’s time for the international community to take this dictator’s words at face value. He’s not joking around about his disdain for the people of Israel. This type of hatred and Iran’s continued underground activity in Iraq causes much harm to the already fragile state of affairs in the Middle East. I am proud to have been a cosponsor of H.R. 1400, the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act of 2007, and am pleased that the House passed this bill by a strong bipartisan margin. We need to tighten economic sanctions on Iran and do everything we can to prevent this menace state from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Last week, I had the good fortune of hosting the Honorable Bernard Jenkin in Oakland County. Mr. Jenkin is a member of Parliament from Great Britain and serves on the Defense Committee in his country. Mr. Jenkin is an expert on international affairs and European security issues. He has traveled extensively to Iraq. Bernard was in America, participating in a State Department program that pairs members of the British government with their counterparts in Congress. Bernard spent time with me in Washington and came back to Oakland County. Together, we toured GM’s Proving Grounds and Chrysler’s HQ. We talked about the challenges facing both of our nations and how it’s important for the United States and England to work together in the international arena. America has no stronger friend or ally than the United Kingdom.

I was honored by Mr. Jenkin’s visit to my congressional district. I learned a lot from him. I hope he learned from us as well. Bernard recently placed an insightful opinion column in the International Herald Tribune on the way his country is viewing the conflict in Iraq. It’s worth a read.

I also would encourage you to check out Bernard’s Web site for more information on the way Parliament works in England. His Web site is www.bernardjenkinmp.com.

PS - We love the Beatles in Detroit. But Bernard was a big hit in Motown as well.

The president of Iran is a jihadist who is hellbent on developing nuclear weapons and wiping Israel from the face of the earth. This dictator is attempting to establish a hegemonic presence in the Middle East. His ambitions to become a nuclear power and his support of terrorist organizations that want to destroy America and our allies throughout the world must be confronted. He is not welcome at Ground Zero. The fact that he would even inquire about a potential visit is a slap in the face of the American families who lost loved ones on 9/11. We need to stand strong against the threat of terrorism and send a message to Ahmadinejad that we are not going to allow him to run amok in the Middle East.

Automation Alley, the preeminent economic development organization in Southeastern Michigan, named Arvin Meritor leader Chip McClure as this year’s Legend CEO. Click here for the Crain’s Detroit Business article on Chip’s leadership.  I have worked closely with Mr. McClure and his excellent team of professionals at Arvin Meritor over the years. Arvin Meritor is a world class automotive company that is utilizing its strengths in engineering and R&D to diversify into new fields. Arvin Meritor is developing exciting new technology to improve the safety of commercial trucks and to prevent roll over accidents from occuring on our highways. An often overlooked highway safety problem, commercial trucks can cause devastating damage when they rollover on our roads.

Under Chip McClure’s leadership, Arvin Meritor is also promoting a culture of health and wellness in the workplace as a means to control rising costs, improve employee health and productivity, and remain competitive in the global economy.

Hats off to Chip McClure … Automation Alley got it right. He is a Legend CEO.

I recently had the good fortune of stopping by Lawrence Tech University to learn more about the exciting work the Civil Engineering Department is doing in the field of materials science and carbon fiber technology. I am also interested in a project the engineering students are working on to develop a zero energy, solar home for a national competition in Washington, DC on October 18. I am trying to secure an earmark for the Troy Chamber of Commerce to purchase this home so it can be used to raise awareness of alternative energy and how we can all take steps to cut our consumption of C02 and protect the environment. I am confident and hopeful this funding will end up in the final budget that is signed into law this fall.

I am proud that Lawrence Tech University is in Oakland County. This is a world class institution of higher learning.

Click here to view the photos from my recent visit to LTU.

Jessica Hallmark, a caseworker in my Farmington Hills’ office who is attending night school at Wayne State law, received the following thank you note for her efforts on behalf of one of my constituents in Waterford. One of the most important things my office does is tend to the requests of constituents who have problems with the federal bureaucracy. If you or someone you know has a problem with the federal government, give my staff a call at (248) 851-1366 to see if we can help.

Dear Representative Knollenberg,

I would like to formally thank you and your staff, especially Jessica Hallmark, for spending their time and effort to obtain my Wage and Tax Statement for the year 2006 from the United States Navy. I was able to complete my taxes upon receiving my W-2 from the United States Navy.

I would like to say I was impressed at the speed and tenacity of your staff in attempting to answer my request. I had dropped off my request of having your office act as my liaison with the United States Navy to retrieve my W2, since I was unable to procure the document through the official channels. In less than an hour, Jessica Hallmark had called me explaining that she was already in contact with the Navy. This speed and dedication give me renewed hope in the bureaucratic institutions that exist today.

Once again, thank you for your staff’s time and effort to satisfy my request.

Sincerely,

Jason Cabra
Waterford

The Oakland County Wellness Coalition is doing great work in Southeast Michigan to raise awareness about the positive benefits of wellness programs in the workpace. This dynamic coalition, which is being spearheaded by Michele Hodges, the president of the Troy Chamber of Commerce, is bringing business and health care professionals together to promote wellness and preventive medicine. Studies show that every dollar invested in a workplace wellness program saves employers three dollars in health care costs.

Wellness works!

I am glad that the Oakland County Wellness Coalition is working hard to promote this concept. We need to build a culture of wellness in Michigan and across America that empowers people to combat chronic illnesses through positive lifestyle changes. An ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure.

In FY 2005-2006, I secured $3.5 million for the development of two hybrid bus prototypes by Altair Engineering, a world-class engineering firm in Troy. These buses have many new and improved features, including better fuel efficiency and easier access for disabled riders. SMART and DDOT will receive the prototype buses to test in regional and urban transit systems.

I am proud to support this innovative research and development of advanced transit bus technology. Altair Engineering is a great company that is working closely with organizations like Automation Alley on new technologies to improve our transit systems in America.

Altair also was recently recognized as one of the coolest places to work in Southeast Michigan by Crain’s Detroit Business. Congratulations to the good people at Altair. I am proud to have been able to use my position on the House Appropriations Committee to assist them in their innovative work.