[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 193 (Thursday, December 6, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1607]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING SUPERVISOR SIMON SALINAS

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. JIMMY PANETTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 6, 2018

  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize retiring Monterey 
County Supervisor Simon Salinas for his distinguished career serving 
the people of the central coast of California. His dedication to 
education has bettered many young lives, and his commitment to public 
service has immeasurably improved the lives of his constituents.
  Supervisor Salinas began his career as a sixth-grade teacher and 
later became a professor at Hartnell College. During this time, he 
developed a passion for educating Monterey County's youth and expanding 
opportunity for young learners. Supervisor Salinas' first foray into 
politics came with his involvement in local activism organizing for 
proportional representation of California's Latino community in local 
governing bodies. Until this effort, local governing bodies in Monterey 
County used ``at large'' elections, where elected officials were chosen 
by the total population that the governing body represented, rather 
than by individual districts that more accurately represented the 
diverse communities within an area. In the City of Salinas, despite its 
large Mexican-American population, a Latino candidate had never been 
elected to the City Council. Supervisor Salinas became a leader in this 
movement, eventually running for an open seat on the Salinas City 
Council. In 1989, Supervisor Salinas became the first Mexican-American 
ever elected to the Salinas City Council.
  In 1993, Supervisor Salinas was elected to represent District One on 
the Monterey County Board of Supervisors and served as the body's 
chair, the first Mexican-American to serve on the Board in 100 years. 
In 2000, he was elected as the representative for California's 28th 
Assembly District. During his tenure as Assemblymember, Supervisor 
Salinas worked on many important issues such as healthcare, 
agriculture, and affordable housing. His signature achievement during 
his time in the state legislature came during his service as Chair of 
the Assembly of Local Government Committee. During this time, 
Supervisor Salinas introduced and successfully passed AB 1234, a bill 
requiring local elected officials to attend mandatory ethics training 
and abide by strict requirements for expense reimbursement policies, 
thus creating a comprehensive policy to protect taxpayer funds from 
local corruption. Monterey County welcomed Supervisor Salinas back to 
the Board of Supervisors in 2007, where he was elected to represent 
District Three. Recently, he has expanded affordable housing, 
healthcare, and economic opportunity to the residents of the Salinas 
Valley.
  I am immensely grateful for Supervisor Simon Salinas's distinguished 
service to the people of the central coast of California. Mr. Speaker, 
I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating Supervisor Simon 
Salinas on his distinguished career in public service, and in wishing 
him a long and happy retirement.

                          ____________________