Barry Nestande

Barry Nestande has been active in politics in Riverside County for many years.
Recent Posts
- AG to CalPERS: Divest from Iran Now
- NTLC's Lew Uhler Urges Rejection Of Maldonado As Lt. Governor
- CRA Statement on Maldonado Confirmation Vote
- Slate mailer racks up $84,000 fines
- Projections Moving Faster than the Trains
- Statewide proposition lineup
- Sunday San Diego: Napping in AD 77, Waking in AD 78, CalPERS says Pound Sand on Divestments, and More
- Carly Fiorina On President Reagan's Birthday
- CRP Chairman Nehring's Statement In Response To SacBee Story
- CTA Wants To Divert The "Payoff Benefits" That Got BigBiz Onboard With Higher Taxes, And Divert Them To Thier Own Purposes
Commentary Library
Authors
FR BlogScan
The Lite Guv Intrigue Continues (Source: KQED's Capitol Notes)
February 8 Open Thread (Source: Calitics)
As Some Hesitate, Laird Says He Can Win Maldonado's Seat (Source: Calitics)
The Lite Guv Intrigue Continues (Source: KQED's Capitol Notes)
Recount of Mission Viejo recall announced (Source: OC Register Total Buzz)
If GOP Doesn't Want Maldo as LG, Have a Primary (Source: Dem Majority Report)
Local activist behind impeach Obama site (Source: OC Register Total Buzz)
AG to CalPERS: Divest from Iran Now [By Barry Jantz - San Diego County - Flash Report] (Source: FlashReport)
Go To BlogScan PageFR BlogScan
The Lite Guv Intrigue Continues (Source: KQED's Capitol Notes)
February 8 Open Thread (Source: Calitics)
As Some Hesitate, Laird Says He Can Win Maldonado's Seat (Source: Calitics)
The Lite Guv Intrigue Continues (Source: KQED's Capitol Notes)
Recount of Mission Viejo recall announced (Source: OC Register Total Buzz)
If GOP Doesn't Want Maldo as LG, Have a Primary (Source: Dem Majority Report)
Local activist behind impeach Obama site (Source: OC Register Total Buzz)
AG to CalPERS: Divest from Iran Now [By Barry Jantz - San Diego County - Flash Report] (Source: FlashReport)
Go To BlogScan PagePosts by Month
2010
February ( 45 )January ( 138 )2009
December ( 91 )November ( 104 )October ( 142 )September ( 136 )August ( 115 )July ( 123 )June ( 138 )May ( 132 )April ( 100 )March ( 122 )February ( 214 )January ( 133 )2008
December ( 95 )November ( 119 )October ( 134 )September ( 129 )August ( 176 )July ( 131 )June ( 124 )May ( 165 )April ( 125 )March ( 133 )February ( 200 )January ( 202 )2007
December ( 118 )November ( 126 )October ( 140 )September ( 139 )August ( 166 )July ( 198 )June ( 162 )May ( 136 )April ( 151 )March ( 170 )February ( 184 )January ( 176 )2006
December ( 138 )November ( 222 )October ( 202 )September ( 178 )August ( 179 )July ( 159 )June ( 192 )May ( 247 )April ( 179 )March ( 236 )February ( 219 )January ( 228 )2005
December ( 154 )November ( 161 )October ( 124 )Tips and Leads
Recent Comments
Robert Bosich on NTLC's Lew Uhler Urges Rejection Of Maldonado As Lt. Governor
Robert Bosich on CRA Statement on Maldonado Confirmation Vote
JIm Lacy on Statewide proposition lineup
Tom Kaptain on Statewide proposition lineup
Larry Urdahl on Money "Trail" in Open Joel Anderson AD 77 Seat
Matt Munson on Statewide proposition lineup
JIm Lacy on Ballot Designation Junkies Get Excited
Cliff Unruh on Rest In Peace Ethie Radanovich
Chris Lauer on Chief of Staff for Senate Republicans Off To PG&E
JIm Lacy on Ballot Designation Junkies Get Excited
Ken Hunter on An Open Letter to Senate Republicans
Howard Epstein on Today's Commentary: South Lake Tahoe Transit Chief Embroiled In Controversy
Sean Loranger on Sheriff's union biggest loser in Mission Viejo recall election
Allan Bartlett on An Open Letter to Senate Republicans
Bob Evans on Today's Commentary: For Conservatives, Voting No On Confirming Maldonado Should Be An Easy Vote
FlashReport Weblog on California Politics
Despite Defeat, RJ's Law Receives National Attention
by Barry Nestande - Riverside County (bio) (email)(print)
At the start of the school year, my boss, Assemblyman Benoit, announced a new contest for high-schoolers in Riverside County, called "There Ought To Be A Law." This was a simple idea to promote civic involvement among our students, and it turned out to surpass all of my expectations! First, we were greatly impressed by the more than 200 submissions we received, a commendable effort by young people to be engaged in our State government.(Caption: Assemblyman John J. Benoit, with RJ's Law co-author Assemblyman Bill Emmerson, walking out of the Assembly Chambers with RJ Feild)
But one essay clearly rose to the top, and that was the submission from RJ Feild, a Riverside high school sophomore who articulated a bold new law and explained his very inspirational story.Feild has persisted in school and even serves as a student delegate to his school district despite being afflicted by spastic triplegic cerebral palsy, a condition of being born at two pounds, two ounces with traces of heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, alcohol, and cocaine in his body. Feild, whose pregnant mother consumed illegal drugs while on state assistance, proposed ''RJ's Law'' to break the destructive cycle of supporting drug addicts with public assistance monies.
RJ's Law (Assembly Bill 2389) would have applied the same standard for drug screening that employees undergo in order to obtain employment, a precursor to paying taxes, to welfare recipients. AB 2389 would have instituted random drug testing analysis to be performed on welfare recipients. If an individual failed a drug test, he or she would be given the option of successfully completing a one year drug treatment program or being removed from the state welfare rolls.
RJ did a lot of work to promote his idea, including traveling to Sacramento twice to formally introduce the bill and on Tuesday to testify in a public hearing before the Assembly Human Services Committee. RJ is a hero, and he showed great courage through this process, in the face of liberal and bureaucratic opposition, and under a national spotlight to explain his struggles and his hopes that no child should ever have to needlessly suffer what he had to.
On Tuesday, the Assembly Human Services Committee dealt a huge setback to reforming our broken system of dependency by voting on a party-line vote of 2-4 against RJ's proposal. I am outraged by Assembly Democrats' reckless vote against RJ's Law, especially as they voted the same day to pass a measure giving food stamps to convicted drug criminals. In the midst of a $16 billion deficit, RJ's Law would have dispensed hard-earned tax dollars wisely, money that was earned by employees who had to undergo even-stricter drug testing.
Nevertheless, I am proud of RJ for telling his story to a national audience, and I'm pleased to share with you a sample of the news coverage:
View - Desert Sun: Panel rejects drug testing for welfare recipients
View - Press Enterprise: Riverside teen's drug-testing idea meets opposition in Assembly
View - ABC News: Drug testing for pregnant welfare women?
View - CBS News: The Cost Of Addiction: R.J's Story
View - CBS News: A New Chapter In R.J.'s Story
View - Sacramento Bee: His idea Welfare drug tests
View - FOX News: California Considers Welfare Drug-Screening Law Proposed By Disabled Teen











































Comments
There are no comments.
Post a Comment
Not Registered Yet? Click Here
Forgot your Password? Click Here
Want to update your settings? Click Here
You must have a MyFlashReport Account to Comment.