Hello Governor !
Office of the Governor
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
So nice to be writing to you again!
I see that you have been in Fresno several times in the last month. Well, election year is here and every vote counts. I notice that you haven’t stopped in at The Poverello House to have any lunch with the folks too poor to buy their own meals. The families, the indigent, the broken tired huddled masses yearning to be free who are not allowed to vote because they are homeless.
We read about you in the Fresno Bee, you know, and we are proud of the work you are doing for Fresno. Even if we can’t vote, we cheer you on. “Yaay, yaaay, Governor Schwarzenegger!” You should hear us yell when we hear your name.
And okay to all that.Your staff has asked me to mail you a letter. And in cooperating with your hard working associates, I am here to serve the Governor’s office in any way I can, so here is the letter they have asked that I send to you.
Please, make yourself at home and relax. A comfortable sense of leisure is essential.
Several weeks ago I went into WorkForce Connection in Fresno to see about receiving assistance in getting some schooling to become a Truck Driver. A friend of mine had gone through WorkForce Connection, gotten assistance, and had gone on to become a truck driver after he got money to go to school from WorkForce Connection. He had great experiences, and he suggested that I might benefit from WorkForce Connection’s services. I was reluctant, Governor, I have to tell you the truth. But I went anyway. Pride comes before the fall, and I swallowed my pride and went into the Fresno offices of WorkForce Connection. I told the man that I was homeless. He told me straight off that there was nothing that he or WorkForce Connection could do for me. I was surprised and asked him if that was the policy. He said that he would check. He referred me to his supervisor. I introduced myself to his supervisor and told her that my name is Father Luke Miljevich, I am homeless, and I would like to do whatever is necessary to begin the process to apply for assistance in going to school to become a truck driver. Governor Schwarzenegger? May I call you Governor Schwarzenegger? According to statistics, Truck Driving is the number one job in Fresno. Number one. Numero Uno. The biggest needed job in Fresno. The woman suggested that I go get sober in a local facility and try back in six months. Well, Governor. I was rather embarrassed for her because I do not drink or do drugs or smoke cigarettes or even drink coffee. But I did as she suggested and went to the local facility and asked them if I could get into their program. They laughed and patted me on the back. Oh Father Luke, they said. You can’t get into our program if you do not have a drug problem. So, I went back to WorkForce Connection and told the supervisor that I couldn’t get into the program. It was at that point that the supervisor told me that I could not get any help what-so-ever from WorkForce Connection. I asked her if there were any alternatives. She got up from her desk, folded her arms and said that was the final word. I asked to speak with Her supervisor. I was sure that something must be available for me, a homeless man, struggling to succeed and better himself. Her supervisor arrived. I asked the new supervisor if she would put into writing that I was not entitled to help as a homeless man. She asked me to repeat that.I did. She talked with the other woman. She came back to me. She told me to come back tomorrow and she would see to it that the staff knew to get the ball rolling for me. Since that time, I have been given tests and helped in a lot of different ways, Governor Schwarzenegger. I have been given approximately one hundred and twenty dollars for glasses. I have become a bit nearsighted in my old age and I now have glasses to be able to see! Unfortunately I have also been beaten as I slept.
About a month ago, a gang of about six or eight big guys ran at me while I slept on an overpass. One broke a bottle over my head and the rest of the gang beat me with sticks. I still have a few bumps on my “noggin” (that’s slang for my head). I sure could have used your help then. I’ll bet that no gang would go up against Governor Schwarzenegger. No sir! Gangs are pretty bad in Fresno.
But I’m not a crybaby so okay to all that.
Anyway, the WorkForce Connection hasn’t done anything about helping me to get into school yet. They say they may, but it’s hard to tell. They tell me you vetoed a bill which would have allowed them several million dollars to help people.
Anyway, this is the letter you have asked for from me via your staff. Again, I realize that this is an election year, and you are busy. So, it’s okay if you do not get back to me personally. Being homeless I cannot vote and you have responsibilities to your voters. I sure want to thank you for the opportunity to be able to write to you.
If you are ever in the neighborhood, I know about a thousand people who would be delighted to see you and have lunch with you. Check out the Poverello House in Fresno. They serve 1,200 meals each day to those, much like myself, who cannot buy or prepare their own meals. I do hope we shall all see you in at least one more action adventure movie before everything is all said and done.
May I add that I send my very best to your lovely wife. You are a lucky guy to have a good woman like that behind you.
With fondness to you,
Father Luke
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Okay,
Father Luke
