SHERIFF TO TESTIFY ON JAILS

Baca To Push For Funding

WASHINGTON - Congress is poised to shortchange California and other
states that jail high numbers of criminal illegal immigrants, as Los
Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca prepares to testify before a federal
panel on the need for adequate funding.

Legislation headed for the U.S. Senate includes $415 million
nationwide for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, which
states depend on to repay some of the incarceration costs. California
spends more than $600 million annually on what it views as a federal
responsibility.

"This is an issue of fairness, responsibility and public safety,"
said Rep. David Dreier, R-Glendora, who, along with other members of
the Southern California delegation, has pushed for increased funding
even as the Bush administration annually tries to slash it.

Local officials say Los Angeles County spends about $90 million more
per year than it receives from Washington. That shortfall is among
the points Baca plans to address Wednesday before a congressional
panel on illegal immigration convening in San Diego.

According to Dreier, California has received $1 billion over the past
six years from the program. Los Angeles County has received $118
million while San Bernardino County has received $3 million.

The House passed 393-23 the spending bill for SCAAP and $59.8 billion
worth of other programs in the Commerce and Justice departments. The
entire Southern California congressional delegation voted in favor of
it. NASA, which is funded through the same bill, came out with $16.7
billion, a $462 million increase over last year.

That includes $700 million for Mars missions, and $98.5 million for
the Space Interferometry Mission at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
There also is $10 million for another JPL program, the Terrestrial
Planet Finder.

Dreier, who secured the funding for the La Ca ada Flintridge-based
Advertisementlaboratory, called it a "shining example of hard work,
dedicated research and true discovery."

The measure also includes funding to expand a San Fernando Valley
substance abuse treatment program, though the exact amount has not
yet been set.

Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, said he and other lawmakers have
asked for $1.5million for the Phoenix Academy in Lake View Terrace,
the only local facility that provides long-term residential treatment
for teens fighting substance-abuse problems. The money will be used
to increase the number of beds at the facility. Congress put Phoenix
Academy on a list of programs that will get a slice of a
$115.2million grant program, and are expected to determine the exact
amount later in the year.

Also receiving money through that grant are: the Los Angeles city and
county Community Law Enforcement and Recovery anti-gang program; the
Los Angeles County community policing program; and the Domestic Abuse
Response Team of Los Angeles. Also slated to receive
as-yet-to-be-determined funding: South Los Angeles for a program
addressing at-risk kids; Friends of Child Advocates of Los Angeles
County; Regional Fingerprint Identification programs in San
Bernardino and Riverside counties; the East Valley Justice
Communications Center in Redlands; a crime analysis system for the
city of Redlands; and an unspecified law enforcement initiative in
Ventura County.