United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison will be in Laredo on Saturday, November 17, 2007. The Laredo Chamber of Commerce extends an invitation for you to join us. 

The Senator will be at the Western Hemispheric Trade Center, located on the campus of Texas A&M International University, at 12:45 PM on Saturday, November 17, 2007.  We will be joined by students enrolled in the GEAR-UP program and the Senator's remarks will be centered on making sure our students are pursuing opportunities in higher education.

What Is GearUp?
GearUP is a national initiative aimed at encouraging high school students to pursue post-secondary education.

"Creating a Vision" is a local program directed by the Office of Special Programs at Texas A&M International University. Our Program works with a cohort of 7th graders until these students reach the 12th grade. This program focuses on early intervention and college prep.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2008

 

$40.2 billion for the federal highway program, the exact amount required by the 2005 highway and transit reauthorization law, SAFETEA-LU, that President Bush signed into law just over two years ago.

$9.65 billion for the federal transit program, which is a $640 million increase above the FY 2007 level, but slightly less than the amount guaranteed by SAFETEA-LU. 

$1 billion to repair deficient bridges in response to the August 1 Minneapolis bridge collapse.

$3.5 billion for airport capital improvements-the same amount as FY 2007.

The Senate approved H.R. 3074 by a comfortable margin 88-7; while the House also approved the bill, it was not by a veto-proof margin, 268-153. President Bush has indicated that he will veto this critical bill as it exceeds his budget request for FY 2008.

H.R. 3074 provides the necessary funding for our national transportation infrastructure system - funding which is needed to create economic growth, ensure international competitiveness, and improve quality of life.

The House and Senate are expected to consider the conference report for H.R. 3074 this week. Both the House and the Senate need to pass the conference report by a veto proof margin.

You can contact your members of Congress by using the links list posted on the upper left side of this E-Wire.

A DIGITAL DIRECTIVE

What's all this talk about digital television, high definition television, transition dates and new TV sets?

Those are questions many of us are asking ourselves these days. Now that Congress has set a February 17, 2009, date for the completion of the " DTV transition," what do we need to do?

Viewers who currently get their signals "over the air," using a rooftop antenna or rabbit ears, will have to make some adjustments. Either they will have to obtain a converter box to change the digital signal to analog, or they will have to buy a digital television set.

If you are a cable or satellite customer, you may need a set-top box to receive DTV signals and convert them into the format of your current analog television, even after the DTV transition is complete. A DTV set-top box also may receive multicast channels and high definition programming and display them in analog picture quality. Check with your cable or satellite provider to determine if and when you will need a set-top box.

Beginning in 2008, U.S. households may be able to obtain up to two coupons worth $40 each toward the purchase of converter boxes. The program will be run by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which will issue rules regarding the coupons in the future.

You might be wondering why the country is "going digital." There are two important reasons. The sound and picture quality of digital television is much better. It is equivalent to CD quality sound and video. The second reason is that digital technology is a much more efficient use of the electromagnetic spectrum than analog technology. Spectrum freed up by the transition will be transferred to public safety uses and will provide spectrum for advanced wireless applications.

Those who do opt to go digital will have a transformed television viewing experience. Images and sound are captured using digital technology, delivering a movie-quality experience, multicasting and interactive capabilities. That means better quality, more choices, and more control over your television. There are many quality levels of digital television programming.

To answer these and many other questions and to help us navigate the digital transition, the government has an excellent, user-friendly Web site at www.dtv.gov.

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