November 20, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E2293 

given to commendable companies, and one 

award is given to one outstanding non-profit 

organization. Over the years, corporations 

within the development, arts, public utilities, 

communications, and healthcare industries, 

among others, have been recognized for playing a leading role in Delaware’s economic 

well-being. In November of 1998, the very first 

luncheon was held to present these distinguished awards in the Gold Ballroom at the 

Hotel DuPont, the very same location where 

many of the 40 winning companies, state and 

local officials, Chamber members, and other 

notable members of the community will gather 

to celebrate this milestone. In fact, I was 

among the guests present at the first Superstars in Business Awards luncheon, and a 

decade later I am pleased to join in saluting 

what has become a distinguished tradition. 

In recognizing this program, it is only fitting 

to also recognize the program’s entrepreneurial namesake, the late Marvin S. Gilman. 

Mr. Gilman served as president of Gilman Development Co. in Wilmington for more than 

forty years, during which time he earned the 

reputation of a model small business owner 

and leader in the community. He used his position in the housing industry to further the 

cause of desegregation, sponsoring the Sutton 

Place high-rise facility project in Baltimore— 

one of the first major real estate projects to 

welcome tenants of all races—and serving on 

the National Committee Against Discrimination 

in Housing. Recognized for their service to the 

community, Mr. Gilman and his wife, Muriel, 

were the first couple to receive the Delaware 

State Chamber of Commerce’s Josiah Marvel 

Cup Award. 

Once again, I recognize the Delaware State 

Chamber of Commerce’s Marvin S. Gilman 

Superstars in Business Awards for ten years 

of honoring exceptional small businesses and 

organizations. It is this commitment to fostering economic and community excellence 

that keeps Delaware one of the best environments to conduct business in the United 

States. 

f 

EMERGENCY ECONOMIC 

STABILIZATION ACT OF 2008 

SPEECH OF

HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN OF MARYLAND

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I reluctantly supported this economic rescue plan on 

Monday, and I will do so again today. Not because I like it. I don’t. Not because it is popular. It isn’t. And certainly not because I think 

responsible taxpayers have any obligation to 

bail out Wall Street. They don’t. Instead, I will 

support this plan because I believe that acting 

decisively now will almost certainly mean less 

cost to taxpayers and less pain on Main Street 

than allowing this credit crisis to get worse. 

In what history will record as the final verdict 

on 8 years of the Bush administration’s failed 

economic policies, allowing this credit crisis to 

spread to Main Street would dry up existing 

lines of credit, cause more small businesses 

to fail, put more people out of work, place 

more retirees’ pensions at risk, and accelerate 

the current downturn in our fragile economy. 

We simply cannot allow that to happen. 

Let’s be clear: This legislation is a far cry 

from the original, three-page, blank check proposal Secretary Paulson submitted to Congress. Whereas the Paulson proposal had no 

oversight, no limits on executive compensation 

or golden parachutes, no help for homeowners, no upside for taxpayers, and no requirement that the President submit a plan to 

Congress to recoup the full amount of the taxpayers’ money from participating institutions 

should any amount of the initial outlay not be 

recovered after 5 years’ time, this legislation 

contains all of those protections. 

Additionally, as a result of the Senate’s action last night, the bill we are considering 

today also includes a 1-year patch for the 

AMT to ensure 25 million additional Americans 

are not snared by this tax; $18 billion in renewable energy incentives (paid for by eliminating subsidies to the oil and gas industries) 

to accelerate our transition to a 21st century 

green economy; and mental health parity legislation that will end the shameful history of insurance discrimination suffered by those 

whose conditions affect the brain, rather than 

the rest of the body. This revised package 

also contains bipartisan legislation I introduced 

to end the ISO AMT crisis affecting tens of 

thousands of law-abiding Americans by providing permanent relief from that universally 

condemned corner of our code. And it further 

protects our citizens’ savings by temporarily 

increasing the cap on FDIC-insured accounts 

to $250,000. 

Like any legislation of this magnitude, there 

are provisions I do not support, other provisions I thought should be included, and still 

others I would have changed. For example, 

the renewable energy title includes several incentives that in my view fall outside the definition of ‘‘renewable,’’ and the tax title contains 

a number of narrowly drawn provisions that 

detract from the larger purpose of this legislation. Additionally, the final bill failed to include 

a measure I support to allow bankruptcy 

judges to modify mortgages on primary residences the same way they are currently able 

to modify mortgages on second homes and investment properties. Furthermore, the Senate 

package was not fully paid for and for that 

reason will unnecessarily add to our national 

debt. And finally, I personally would have preferred that that this rescue plan include some 

immediate regulatory reforms, recognizing that 

more comprehensive reform will follow congressional hearings that begin next week. 

Nevertheless, our citizens can be assured that 

Congress is determined to get to the bottom of 

what caused this mess and act promptly to 

make sure this kind of crisis never happens 

again. 

f 

IN HONOR OF RAFAEL ‘‘FEYNNER’’ 

ARIAS GODINEZ 

HON. SAM FARR OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 

recognize the career of a special friend, 

Rafael ‘‘Feynner’’ Arias Godinez, on this occasion of his 20th anniversary as a steward of 

the UC Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve in Big 

Sur, California. The Big Creek Reserve is operated by the University of California’s Santa 

Cruz campus. The land was part of the Circle 

M Ranch until the ranch was broken up and 

sold; private owners, including my father, the 

late Senator Fred Farr, later granted the land 

to the university’s Natural Reserve System. 

Feynner Arias came to the United States 

from his native Costa Rica. He was born near 

the town of Parrita, Costa Rica. His family was 

very poor by American standards. Feynner’s 

life in the jungles of Costa Rica is full of stories that books and movies are made from; 

learning to hunt and fish from his grandmother, his abuela, Elijia; battling school bullies who abandoned him in a well; overcoming 

deadly snake bites in the jungle; learning to 

survive with just a machete and his wits; and, 

as a sawmill child laborer having to remove 

saw dust from a fast moving sawmill blade. 

Through hard work and out of necessity, he 

developed a jungle reputation as a person 

who could track down anything; he could hunt 

and capture it for food or money to support his 

mother and seven siblings. 

Feynner’s vast knowledge of the land and 

animals drew wildlife scientists from around 

the world to hire him as a guide; his work 

helped to establish the Corcovado National 

Park in Costa Rica. Feynner often traded his 

guiding services for food. One of his clients 

was a woman PhD candidate at UC Berkeley. 

Together they lived in the rain forest studying 

ants. After she returned to California he received a letter asking him to come for a visit. 

He traded the gold that he had panned for in 

Panama for an airline ticket to the U.S., going 

from the rain forest of Cost Rica to the San 

Francisco Bay area. Soon married, he landed 

a job at the Big Creek Reserve. By a stroke 

of luck, the resident reserve manager at Big 

Creek had, many years prior, benefited from 

Feynner’s guide services in Costa Rica and 

was well familiar with Feynner’s wilderness experience and helped to guide Feynner through 

the bureaucracy of the university’s hiring practices. 

Today, the entire Big Sur coast and the UC 

Natural Reserve System have come to love 

and respect Feynner’s knowledge of natural 

flora and fauna and the coast range. His stories of sleeping near the mountain lions, killing 

a wild boar with a small knife, rescuing lost 

and injured hikers, and leading fire crews to 

the best areas to fight raging fires are well 

known on the coast. Whether working with 

world-renowned academics or nondegreed 

people like himself, he is sought after like a 

celebrity. He is known locally as the person 

who can fix anything, build anything, or find 

anything. He is able to grow Costa Rican 

bushes in his home, spot wildlife and whales 

that others can’t find, and to understand the 

natural world around him in ways that the 

more formally educated often can’t. His understanding and appreciation of the world around 

him and us is unsurpassed. 

Feynner is now celebrating 20 years with 

the Big Creek Reserve. Those who know and 

love him celebrate this uncommon immigrant 

who has captured their hearts and minds. We 

congratulate and celebrate his service to the 

people of California and especially to his 

friends and neighbors in Big Sur. 

Madam Speaker, Speaker, I for one, will always treasure the Farr family good fortune to 

have known, laughed and learned from Rafael 

Arias. Gracias Amigo por todo! 


smartinez on PROD1PC64 with REMARKS