“San Francisco’s clean taxi program has exceeded all expectations,” said Mayor Lee. “San Francisco taxicabs are the cleanest in the U.S. and a model to other taxi fleets around the world. The vision and leadership of Mayor Newsom and the Taxi Commission on this ground-breaking program set us on this path, and the taxi companies and taxicab drivers have embraced this program to make San Francisco a model for the rest of the world.”

“When I announced this goal, many people didn’t think it could be done,” said Lieutenant Governor Newsom. “The clean taxi program has shown that aggressive action is possible at the local level to make major reductions in carbon emissions, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and accelerate a new green economy. Now we are here today recognizing San Francisco as the ‘Greenest Taxi City in America.’”

The 2008 Green Taxi Ordinance specified a reduction of average per-vehicle GHG emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels. The San Francisco taxi fleet was comprised of 821 eligible vehicles in 1990 and has grown to 1,432 today. Meanwhile overall emissions from the taxi fleet have been reduced by 10 percent. Thus, San Francisco has almost doubled the size of its taxi fleet while achieving a 10 percent total reduction in GHG emissions. Phasing in hybrid electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) taxis into the taxi fleet has resulted in 35,139 metric tons of GHG emissions savings the equivalent of taking 6,890 passenger cars off the road every year and saved taxi drivers an estimated $11 million in fuel costs annually.

“The collaboration between the SFMTA, the Department of the Environment, our funding partners and the taxi industry is an important part of creating a comprehensive transportation system that is environmentally sustainable and supports our Transit First policy,” said SFMTA Director of Transportation Edward D. Reiskin. “We will continue to work with the taxi industry to improve taxi service while advancing our environmental goals.”

“Cutting global carbon dioxide emissions is the most crucial issue of our time, and the San Francisco taxi experience has shown that taking aggressive, collaborative action at the local level can be both profitable and effective,” said taxi driver and former Taxi Commission President Paul Gillespie. “I know the San Francisco taxi industry will continue to play the role of pioneering, early adopters of the cleanest vehicle technology available.”

Today 92 percent of the taxi fleet is comprised of hybrid or CNG vehicles. There are 1,318 alternative fuel vehicles out of a total of 1,432 eligible vehicles. CNG vehicles account for 89 of those and the hybrids account for 1,229. San Francisco currently has 1,521 taxis in service. Of these, 89 are ramp taxi vehicles that are not subject to clean air vehicle requirements due to the lack of good alternative fuel wheelchair accessible vans available on the market.

The number of alternative fuel vehicles continues to rise because the hybrid and CNG vehicles, while contributing to cleaner air for San Francisco, are also very popular with taxi drivers. Although the fee charged to a taxi driver to take out an alternative fuel vehicle is a bit higher, filling up a hybrid vehicle costs about half what it costs to fill up gasoline-fueled vehicle. The hybrid vehicles provide an additional economic benefit to taxi companies in that they require less time and money for brake repairs.

The SFMTA, in coordination with the Department of the Environment, encouraged companies and drivers to purchase alternative fuel vehicles by providing a Clean Air Taxi Grant incentive. Grants of $2,000 provided by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and the San Francisco Transportation County Authority (SFCTA) were issued to purchasers on a first come-first served basis. A total of $518,670 in grant funds was dispersed to help purchase 251 hybrid vehicles.

The Green Taxi Ordinance was passed in 2008 and originally published as Police Code Section 1135.3. The SFMTA re-enacted the requirement as Transportation Code, Division II, Sections 1106(m) (emissions reductions) and 1114(e)(9)(A) (annual reporting requirement).

"No matter how the world concludes this year, whether from Galactic Alignment, the Mayan Calendar, Nostradamus, or some cataclysmic combination, we will all be there for you with special reduced rates on the services you will need to get your business started again," states John Scott G from G-Man Marketing.

In a promotional event called "Lower the BOOM on Prices," G-Man Marketing and their clients "will lower pricing by 12% starting 02.12.12," G says. "While many marketing companies raised their pricing this year by 15% or more, we took the opposite approach. We chose 02.12.12 to start the promo, as it's one digit lower than 12.12.12, which is our way of being optimistic."

G continues, "Additionally, a second part of the promotion will run from the 'end of the world' all the way through to the end of the year." Among the offers that will apply from December 21 to 31, 2012, are the following: G-Man Marketing will provide public relations services for free. Send2Press.com (a service of Neotrope(R)) will disseminate the media announcements for free. Country artist Sandra Piller will sell her album at half price. Country songwriter Jane Bach will co-write a song for free. Matt Forger will mix and master a song for one-third off.

Sheena Metal, host on LATalkRadio, will create a radio commercial for your product. In addition, her Carnyville live music event will let your band play two sets for free, "even if all your fans have expired," notes Ms. Metal.

Goodnight Kiss Music is offering half off music consultations. Robin Hood Music offers free song downloads. Phil Hatten Design will create a logo for free. FookMovie will create a free music video. And a spokesperson for Golosio, the music publishing firm, says "We will pitch your song to whatever film and TV projects are still available, although they probably will just be basic cable."

Some restrictions apply for the second part of the promotion only: "First, the world must actually come to an end on or about December 21," G said. "Second, you'll have to figure out how to get in touch with us during the ten days in question because we've had no assurances from the phone companies that they'll be doing anything at that time except figuring out how to charge you for unused minutes."

For more information about all the firms and individuals in this story, please contact John Scott G of G-Man Marketing (www.gmanmarketing.com). "Please remember," G states, "the world may end but good hype is forever." G-Man Marketing, 818-223-8486.

Copyright © 2012 CaliforniaNewswire® and Neotrope®. California Newswire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network and a U.S. reg. TM of Neotrope.

It offers stacked towers to suit large-scale commercial production needs which can be downsized for residential use and Community Supported Agriculture.

"Southern Californians are more focused on the benefits of locally-grown food and the holistic health and well-being that come from eating un-processed raw food," said Tim Carpenter, founder of Verti-Gro, Inc. "With ample sun and temperate conditions, these systems present an immediate and affordable opportunity for families and communities to eat healthy."

Verti-Gro(R) hydroponic systems employ insulated stacked pots with an automated drip system that circulates nutrients through the plants. The company offers a simple economical and pesticide-free system, and supports it with a wealth of information and training for entry level home gardeners and large scale commercial farms.

"Verti-Gro's system reduces energy and water use by more than 85 percent and saves space," said Erik Cutter, Managing Director of EnviroIngenuity. "It also virtually eliminates greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the need to transport produce across long distances, and it doesn't use soil which is becoming a very limited resource."

EnviroIngenuity recently launched is vertical farming division to bring hydroponic vertical farming processes to Southern California to enable individuals and communities to grow their own food within urban areas. Through this new partnership, the company will develop job training programs for youth.

"Our curriculum and products will allow youth to develop valuable life-skills, grow their own food and ultimately start their own business in urban agriculture," said Cutter. "This is one very healthy job opportunity that cannot be outsourced."

About Verti-Gro(R):

For 20 years, Verti-Gro, Inc., has developed tools and methods for vertical growing and vertical gardening to efficiently utilize space and energy. These methods use hydroponics which allows gardeners to grow produce without soil. Verti-Gro is based in Summerfield, FL on a 12-acre farm with a learning center. Verti-Gro(R) products are sold worldwide.

Tim Carpenter, the founder of Verti-Gro, Inc., has been involved in hydroponic research, development and production for more than 40 years. An internationally recognized consultant, he has traveled the world as an educator in the greenhouse industry using vertical plant production technologies. Carpenter specializes in hydroponic production of fruits, vegetables, greens, large-scale commercial and vertical home growing systems. Carpenter has partnered with EPCOT and NASA to develop hydroponic projects including the garden display, Living With the Land. More information: www.VertiGro.com .

About EnviroIngenuity:

EnviroIngenuity was founded in 2009 by Erik Cutter. The company is comprised of forward-thinking professionals whose goal is to take advantage of the growing demand for more efficient, cost effective sustainable energy solutions, employing solar PV, hi-efficiency LED lighting, green building and vertical food production technologies. EnviroIngenuity's mission is "advancingreenergy" and reducing waste, thus better utilizing limited natural resources. As businesses invest in a lower carbon future, the EnviroIngenuity team is focused on helping organizations move forward to deploy sustainable energy solutions using disruptive technologies. More information: www.EnviroIngenuity.com .

Copyright © 2012 CaliforniaNewswire® and Neotrope®. California Newswire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network and a U.S. reg. TM of Neotrope.

“Whether people are biking to work, to school or just to have fun, these latest bicycle counts demonstrate that San Francisco is a national leader in bicycle ridership,” said Mayor Lee. “We are using innovative strategies such as bike sharing and installing sharrows, dedicated bike lanes and bike boxes, to make sure that our road network is safe and convenient.”

“The SFMTA is committed to growing bicycle ridership and improving the safety of bicycling in San Francisco. The annual count provides a critical analysis of how we are doing,” said SFMTA Director of Transportation Edward D. Reiskin. “The SFMTA is proud to work with our local, state and federal partners to implement innovative and sustainable solutions that improve bicycling in San Francisco.”

Since 2006 when 4,862 bicycle riders were counted, San Francisco’s bike counts have increased an impressive 71 percent to 8,314 riders, and have increased 7 percent since 2010. Bike trips accounted for 3.5 percent of all trips in the City compared to two percent in 2000.

“These counts back up what is apparent on our streets everyday — that San Franciscans love bicycling, and that bicycling has never been more popular,” said San Francisco Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Leah Shahum. “We look forward to continuing to work with city leaders, neighbors and local businesses to help even more people bicycle by connecting the city with safe and inviting crosstown bikeways, helping the city reach its goal of 20 percent of trips by bicycle by 2020.”

The SFMTA’s automated and manual counts reached the same conclusion as the national American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau; that there is a steady and measurable increase in bicycle trips in San Francisco.

The 2011 Bicycle Count Report relied on a new methodology and more comprehensive approach which included American Community Survey findings, manual intersection counts, loop-detector automated corridor counts and Metropolitan Transportation Commission manual counts. The purpose of changing the methodology was to bring San Francisco’s data in line with national reporting standards.

Since 2006, the SFMTA Sustainable Streets staff has been conducting annual citywide manual bike counts that are used to track bicycling at key intersections and corridors throughout the city, as well as to determine helmet use and if riders are using bicycling facilities.

“I celebrate the decision by the Ninth Circuit Court today. This is a great day for marriage equality and a great day for California families. The Court affirmed today that there is nothing in the Constitution that allows discrimination and we are on our way to protecting the fundamental rights of everyone in our State.

And, we will continue the fight until everyone is treated equally.

San Francisco stands ready to begin marrying same sex couples, and we remain as deeply committed to the fight for marriage equality today as we did nearly eight years ago when then Mayor Gavin Newsom started one of the most important civil rights issues of our generation to ensure equality for all.

I would also like to acknowledge the tireless work of our City Attorney Dennis Herrera and his team in defense of marriage equality and the California Constitution these last eight years. Together, we will take this fight all the way to the nation’s highest court, if necessary.”

“In tough economic times we need to make sure hardworking Angelenos are getting all the help they need,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “We want to ensure that all qualifying low and moderate-income households reap the benefits of the Earned Income Tax Credit and gain access to free tax assistance.”

The EITC is a vastly underutilized benefit. The IRS estimates that 21% of all eligible families who qualify for EITC do not file a federal tax return to claim the credit. That means residents are leaving behind at least $300 million in EITC in Los Angeles County each year.

Led by United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the EITC partnership contributes to a national effort to increase public awareness about the tax credit and other services provided by participating organizations.

“The EITC program is one of the largest programs in the country that can make an impact on poverty. Costs for basic needs like housing and food are on the rise, and the credit can help Los Angeles County residents,” said Elise Buik, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles. “We hope to help even more qualified people obtain credits this year.”

FamilySource Centers, the City’s anti-poverty system, provide a comprehensive array of social services to city residents that need them the most. Each center offers a variety of educational, family, child and youth services including counseling, cultural, recreational and after school activities onsite or nearby through referrals.

During tax season, each of the 21 FamilySource centers throughout the City are designated Volunteer Income Tax Assistance—or VITA—sites. Supported by the EITC partnership, VITA sites provide families with free tax assistance and help them apply for tax credits. These sites also offer asset-building programs that include financial education and resources to help families open low-cost bank accounts.

Juan Diego, a hardworking single parent, joined Villaraigosa today to explain how FamilySource and VITA sites helped his family. Diego began going to the Central City Neighborhood Partners FamilySource Center in 2010 with his children for tutoring classes and to take ESL and computer classes. Because of the VITA site at his FamilySource Center, Diego walked out with $4,584 of in tax credits last year that he didn’t know he could receive.

“I began going to the FamilySource Center to learn English and take my children to tutoring, but the Center also informed me about the EITC,” said Diego. “With EITC money, I was able to pay debts I had after my wife passed away and buy needed clothing for my children.”

Last year, the partnership aided 39,573 people like Diego throughout the Greater LA claim over $43.8 million in total tax refunds. Individuals and families also saved approximately $6 million in tax preparation fees by having volunteers file their taxes for them.

For 2012 (the 2011 tax year), the EITC can translate to a refund of up to $5,751 for low and moderate-income families with three or more children – a figure equal to nearly two months of income for many hardworking but needy households.

EITC provides the following benefits for qualified working families:
Families with two parents and three or more qualifying children who earn less than $49,078 ($43,998 for families with a single parent) are eligible for up to $5,751
Families with two parents and two qualifying children who earn less than $46,044 (or $40,964 for families with a single parent) are eligible for up to $5,112
Families with two parents and one qualifying child who earn less than $41,132 (or $36,052 for families with a single parent) are eligible for up to $3,094
Couples with no qualifying children who earn less than $18,740 (or $13,660 for a single person) are eligible for up to $464

To qualify for EITC services and tax credits, claimants must be qualified working U.S. citizens and legal residents with Social Security number who have lived in the US for more than half the year.

For more information and to find one of over 100 free tax preparation sites, individuals and working families can call 2-1-1 or visit the EITC Partnership’s web site at www.FreeTaxHelpLA.com

About the EITC Campaign Partnership

The EITC Campaign Partnership is a broad-based coalition of government agencies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations and financial institutions who have come together to improve the economic status of L.A.’s working families by increasing the number of EITC filings and providing VITA sites.

Partners include:
United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Center for Asset Building Opportunities
Internal Revenue Service
Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS)
Los Angeles Community Development Department
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
California State Controller’s Office
Bank of America
Citibank
Neighborhood Legal Services
KoreanYouth & Community Center (KYCC)
Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF)
Meet Each Need with Dignity (MEND)
PACE Business Development Center
Chinatown Service Center
Magnolia Place (Children’s Bureau)
Saint Helen’s Church
Children’s Defense Fund-California
Employment Development Department
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
AARP.

With this announcement, TeamF1 builds on its success in deploying advanced security and connectivity software for SMB, SOHO and residential devices on earlier generations of Cavium's OCTEON(R) and ECONA(R) families. By providing this support very early in the processor's lifecycle, network equipment providers using TeamF1 software will benefit from the seamless migration and scaling up of solutions optimized for existing OCTEON families.

As a Cavium PACE (Partnership to Accelerate Customer End-solutions) member, TeamF1 develops and markets highly integrated, hardware-accelerated embedded networking and security software solutions targeted towards manufacturers of SMB security gateways, service provider home & business gateways, and network storage devices. TeamF1's turnkey software solutions are pre-optimized for Cavium silicon and help bring OEM products to market speedily and cost-effectively without sacrificing performance and quality.

"We expect Cavium's OCTEON III processors to be an excellent fit for our high-end networking OEMs. Comprehensive support for this advanced family of processors is a key initiative for our development team," said Mukesh Lulla, president of TeamF1. "We are confident that our ongoing strategic efforts with Cavium will provide our mutual customers with the high-quality solutions that they have come to expect of both companies, while reducing integration risk and development costs."

"TeamF1 and Cavium have a long history of combining best of breed software and hardware to maximize performance and speed time to deployment," said Steve Klinger, director of product management at Cavium. "By working closely with TeamF1 from planning to delivery, Cavium enables its customers to rapidly take to production advanced applications integrated and optimized for our latest high-performance OCTEON III processors."

The recently announced Cavium OCTEON III family delivers breakthrough performance and application-aware features for OEMs and ODMs in SMB, enterprise, access and service provider segments which require support for converged data, voice and video. Cavium OCTEON III processors are optimized for use in cloud computing, high-end core and edge routers, metro Ethernet, enterprise switches, 3G/4G/LTE base-stations, enterprise security gateways and appliances, storage networking and mobile core infrastructure equipment.

The OCTEON III family integrates 1 to 48 MIPS64 cores, at up to 2.5GHz, providing up to 120GHz of industry-leading 64 bit compute power per chip. Multiple chips can be combined into a single logical high-performance processor using Cavium's innovative new chip interconnect architecture. All OCTEON III processors also incorporate new dedicated hardware engines to speed search, protocol parsing and traffic management as well as enhanced cryptography, compression and deep packet inspection engines. For more information about OCTEON III please visit: www.cavium.com/OCTEON-III_CN7XXX.html .

About TeamF1:

TeamF1, Inc., a privately held corporation headquartered in Fremont, California, is a leader in high performance embedded networking and security software. TeamF1's products enable secure networking of telecom/datacom and industrial equipment. For more information visit the company's website at www.TeamF1.com .

Copyright © 2012 CaliforniaNewswire® and Neotrope®. California Newswire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network and a U.S. reg. TM of Neotrope.

"Every year that I attend the awards dinner, I am so honored and proud of the people I call my clients, colleagues and friends," said Donny Disbro, Chief Executive Officer of PCM. "The winners and nominees exemplify the passion and dedication to service that has made our company and industry what it is today."

This year's PCM winners are:

* Jerry Storage, Vice President of PCM and General Manager of Laguna Woods Village, received the Manager of the Year Award (large-scale management category) for his success on meeting the needs of the client, open communication, and for keeping abreast of industry developments;
* Judie Zoerhof, Manager of Rossmoor Towers in Laguna Woods, received Manager of the Year honors (high-rise category) for initiating and overseeing a marketing strategy that resulted in sales inventory at Towers decreasing by half in 2010, and leases increasing by 35 percent over the same time period;
* Wendy Bucknum, Governmental and Public Affairs Manager, received the Committee of the Year Award as a part of the CAI Public Relations Committee. In 2011, the Committee created YouTube videos and created press releases for events and accomplishments, successfully increasing awareness about the chapter.

Additionally, several board members from PCM-managed communities as well as PCM team members received nominations for their service and dedication to the community association industry.

Board Members Catherine Brians and Roger Turner of Laguna Woods Village's United Mutual were nominated for the Community Association Board Member of the Year in the Rookie Category, which is presented to a newer board member who demonstrated a high level of commitment and participation in their community.

The following were nominated for the Community Association Board Member of the Year in the Veteran Category which is presented to long-term members of their association board of directors:
* Ross Chun, President of the Aliso Viejo Community Association;
* Jeanne Kerr, Chair of the Landscape and Chair of the Rules and Regulations Ad-Hoc committees at Huntington Landmark;
* Jack Walley, Board Member at La Mirada Landmark.

Community Association Board Member of the Year nominees in the Hall of Fame Category:
* Wendy Fox, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Woodbury East Community Association;
* Ruth May, Member of the Board of Directors for the Golden Rain Foundation of Laguna Woods;
* Joyce Saltzgiver, Member of the Board of Directors for the Casta del Sol Homeowners Association.

Community Manager Tawni Carpenter was nominated for the Community Manager of the Year in the Portfolio Category.

Debbie Alvarez, General Manager of Talega Galleries, was nominated for the Community Manager of the Year in the Large Scale Category.

About Professional Community Management of California:

Professional Community Management of California, Inc. (PCM), an Associa company, specializes in the management of Common Interest Developments of homeowner associations for family oriented master-planned developments, resort-style master-planned communities, active-adult master-planned communities, condominium associations and boutique communities throughout Southern California and Southern Nevada.

With headquarters in Lake Forest, Calif., PCM and its companies employ a staff of more than 1,500 people. PCM has offices in serving all of Southern California and Southern Nevada and is recognized by the Multi Housing Council as one of the county's largest managers of common interest developments. Management services by PCM are backed by state-of-the art Internet technology and comprehensive financial and management systems. For additional information, please contact PCM at 800.369.7260 or at www.pcminternet.com .

Copyright © 2012 CaliforniaNewswire® and Neotrope®. California Newswire is a publication of the Neotrope News Network and a U.S. reg. TM of Neotrope.

PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
From his humble Midwestern origins, through a successful career in Hollywood, and on to the highest offices in his state and country, Ronald Reagan lived the California dream.

On this 101st anniversary of his birth, we remember not only his most celebrated achievements–his successful diplomacy with Mikhail Gorbachev and the economic recovery that occurred under his presidency. We also remember the turbulent years of his governorship, during which he proved his ability to manage the affairs of the state, and earlier, the talent and the skill he brought to his work in one of our state’s most renowned and beloved industries.

Above all, we remember the man: his irresistible optimism, faith, and good humor. As a way to honor his memory, I recommend that Californians give as generously as they can to the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute.

NOW THEREFORE I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim February 6th, 2012 as “Ronald Reagan Day.”

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 6th day of February 2012.

EDMUND G. BROWN JR.
Governor of California

ATTEST:

DEBRA BOWEN
Secretary of State.

In memorial, Governor Brown ordered that flags be flown at half-staff over the State Capitol today. Sgt. Stacey’s family will receive a letter of condolence from the Governor.

Sgt. William C. Stacey, 23, of Redding, CA, died January 31 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, CA. Stacey was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.