Tick, tick, tick with Cox

Alicia Robinson

If you’ve been craving face time with Newport Beach Rep. Chris Cox,

turn on your TV this Sunday. Cox will appear on CBS’s “60 Minutes” to

discuss his legislation that would divvy up federal funding for

emergency responders according to an area’s risk for terrorist

attack, instead of a formula devised by politicians.

Under the current formula, 40% of the funding is split equally

between the 50 states, and the other 60% is given out based on state

populations. When Cox brought the bill forward in 2004, he said

California in 2003 received the least funding per capita of any

state.

The bill also would cut bureaucratic red tape to get local public

safety agencies their funding faster.

The “60 Minutes” segment was scheduled to air last weekend, but

was preempted by coverage of the death of Pope John Paul II. The show

is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday.

PAYING HIS RESPECTS

Cox left Washington, D.C., Wednesday to attend the pope’s funeral

in Rome.

Cox, a Roman Catholic, was invited by House Speaker Dennis Hastert

to join a Congressional delegation to honor the Catholic Church’s

leader.

Cox’s last diplomatic trip to the Vatican was in 2001, when he and

Hastert presented the Pope with the Congressional Gold Medal for his

work to defeat Soviet Communism and to promote world peace.

“Pope John Paul II was a leader in fostering peaceful relations

among people of all faiths,” Cox said in a statement.

PUT ‘EM UP

Now is the time to nominate your favorite community volunteer for

Newport Beach Parks and Recreation Commission’s annual community

service award. The award recognizes volunteers who give their time,

money or labor to city programs.

Nominations will be accepted through April 31. To qualify, people

must have been active volunteers in city programs for at least a

year.

For more information, call awards committee chairman Bill Garrett

at (714) 891-8804. Nominations can be e-mailed to

[email protected] -beach.ca.us or sent by mail to the Community

Service Awards Committee, 3300 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach, CA

92663.

BACK TO THE

DRAWING BOARD

Costa Mesa Republican Assemblyman Van Tran’s attempt to fight

taxes hit a roadblock this week when the Assembly Revenue and

Taxation Committee spiked his resolution urging Congress to

permanently abolish the “death tax,” something Rep. Cox has been

trying to do for 12 years.

“The death tax is clearly unfair to families and small

businesses,” Tran said in a statement Monday. “These families aren’t

rich; usually they’re just struggling to get by. Such a huge penalty

from the government usually tests their abilities to cope beyond

their limits.”