Roberts and Trounstine: Poizner Blasts Whitman on eBay Management -- Steve Poizner lashed out Thursday at Meg Whitman, his chief rival for conservative support in the battle for the Republican nomination for governor, charging that the former eBay CEO has a “disastrous record of fiscal mismanagement” in business. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/16/09

Bobby Shriver: '2010 is not the year for me' -- Bobby Shriver, a Santa Monica City Council member whose political pedigree includes being the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and brother-in-law of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has decided against running for California attorney general in 2010. Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/16/09

One teachers union prefers courts over ballot -- The California Teachers Association has pumped $5 million so far into a campaign to pass Propositions 1A and 1B, with the carrot of $9.3 billion in total additional education revenues starting in 2011-12 under 1B. But the California Federation of Teachers believes there's a different way to get that money: litigation. Kevin Yamamura SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/16/09

Controller: State agencies not collecting enough fines -- California misses out on millions of dollars in revenue each year because state agencies are not doing enough to collect fines and penalties from individuals and businesses, the state controller said today. Matthew Yi Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/16/09

Google growth slows in first quarter -- Google Inc. eked out a higher profit in the first quarter as the Internet search leader trimmed its work force and winnowed other expenses to overcome the slowest revenue growth since since the company went public nearly five years ago. AP -- 4/16/09

California competitive for speed train funding -- President Obama said this morning that he wants to help put the nation back on track by building a collection of high-speed rail systems like the 700-mile network being planned in California. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/16/09

Democrats huddle for budget strategy sessions -- Democrats in both houses of the Legislature met in off-campus meetings away from the Capitol today to talk budget strategy both for the upcoming May 19 ballot and beyond. Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/16/09

Boxer says no to offshore drilling in California -- Sen. Barbara Boxer drew cheers Thursday as she opened a public hearing on the contentious issue of oil drilling off California with a declaration to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar that the state opposes such a move. JASON DEAREN AP -- 4/16/09

Falling home prices start to slow -- Bay Area home prices are still falling, but the pace slowed significantly in March, raising hopes of an approaching bottom, according to a real estate report. James Temple in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/16/09

Rise in Sacramento home sales continues -- Sacramento-area home buyers closed escrow on 3,419 new and existing houses in March, the 12th straight month of gains in year-over-year sales. Jim Wasserman in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/16/09

Memory lane with Pelosi: Jerry Brown's key role in her political career -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, addressing the Commonwealth Club of California Wednesday, had some tales to tell about life as a powerful woman in politics -- among them the very key role that California's current State Attorney General Jerry Brown played in her decision to seriously immerse herself in politics. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/16/09

Glendale Galleria mall owner General Growth files record bankruptcy -- General Growth Properties Inc., owner of some of the nation's most prominent malls, including the Glendale Galleria, filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors Thursday, marking the biggest real estate bankruptcy in U.S. history. Sandra M. Jones in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/16/09

Politicians’ fund-raising pegged at $14,354 per hour since 2000 -- When California voters approved Proposition 34 in 2000, they thought they were limiting the influence of money in state politics. It hasn’t worked out that way. John Howard in Capitol Weekly -- 4/16/09

Skelton: There's nothing sneaky about Proposition 1A -- A crazy myth has been spreading about the core measure on the May 19 state ballot, Proposition 1A. The myth is that Prop. 1A is a sneaky trick to raise taxes. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/16/09

Prop. 1A tied to Prop. 1B to fund schools -- Proposition 1B will let voters decide on May 19 whether $9.3 billion cut from school funding this year and last should be repaid to schools and community colleges. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/16/09

Poizner appeals to Contra Costa taxpayers group -- Predictably, this fiscally conservative audience of about 150 people loved Poizner’s largely anti-tax stump speech. Lisa Vorderbrueggen Political Blotter weblog -- 4/16/09

Special election continues to confound -- This week, SEIU’s state council has opened a campaign account to oppose Proposition 1A, the measure backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that would keep taxes on the books for three extra years in exchange for limiting state spending in future years. But the union has not ruled out the possibility that they could give money to support a $5 billion lottery measure on the same ballot also supported by Schwarzenegger. Anthony York in Capitol Weekly -- 4/16/09

Missing from propositions' TV spot: politicians -- The opening TV spot in the May 19 special election went up Wednesday, telling California voters just how important it is to support Propositions 1A and 1B. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/16/09

Roberts and Trounstine: We're Just Sayin': Who Does CTA Think They're Kidding? -- Just wonderin’ how stupid the California Teachers Association thinks we are, given their new "Yes on Propositions 1A and 1B" TV ad and the matching mailer that arrived on Wednesday. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 4/16/09

Capitol Weekly's Top 100 List, Part I -- Capitol Weekly spent weeks talking to top California political professionals to get a consensus on the top influence peddlers, power brokers and political players in California. The list is in Capitol Weekly -- 4/16/09

Sacramento flood agency considers huge salary hikes -- Despite the economic crisis that has spurred drastic cuts in state and local government spending, the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency plans to boost salaries for professional employees by up to 127 percent in the coming fiscal year. Charles Piller in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/16/09

Orange County may be among first to require DUI ignition locks -- Assembly passes a bill to require ignition interlock in some counties. SERENA MARIA DANIELS in the Orange County Register -- 4/16/09

Yahoo plans to eliminate up to 600 jobs -- In an effort to jump-start its business, Yahoo Inc. is planning to cut up to 600 jobs, a person familiar with the matter said. Verne Kopytoff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/16/09

Banks withholding foreclosed homes to prop sales, experts say -- Lenders for months have been holding back a high volume of homes in the foreclosure pipeline that could further depress home values if they are released at once into the market, industry experts say. LESLIE BERKMAN in the Riverside Press -- 4/16/09

Milk glut hurts California dairy finances -- Drink up – milk prices are expected to stay low through summer as the dairy business struggles with a glut. Jim Downing in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/16/09

Commercial real estate market softens -- Another wave of real estate defaults is rapidly gathering strength - this time in the office sector. James Temple in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/16/09

Empty spaces in the supply chain -- The recession leaves warehouses, rail cars and shipping containers sitting idle. But some analysts hope the worst is over. Ronald D. White in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/16/09

Can CalPERS aid private sector retirement? -- An estimated six million California workers in the private sector, most with low incomes, have little or nothing in the way of retirement plans beyond federal Social Security. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 4/16/09

UC pension fund lost third of its value in 2008 -- The University of California's huge and once very healthy retirement fund lost a third of its worth in 2008, shedding about $16 billion in value primarily because investments plummeted due to the recession. Jim Doyle in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/16/09

Republicans stage 'tea party' protests against Obama -- Thousands of demonstrators in Southern California and elsewhere in the nation demand lower taxes and less government spending. But some GOP pollsters warn that the tactic could backfire. Michael Finnegan and Janet Hook in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/16/09

Anti-tax rallies in San Francisco, Sacramento -- Anti-tax, anti-bailout "Tea Party" rallies held around the nation Wednesday - including a major one in Sacramento - brought a rare wave of conservative activists into the streets. And they weren't angry at just Democrats. Joe Garofoli, Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/16/09

Americans' Tax Burden Near Historic Low -- As thousands of anti-tax protesters rallied across the nation yesterday and the president promised tax cuts for most, new data showed that the federal income tax burden is already hovering near its lowest level in three decades for all but the wealthiest Americans. Lori Montgomery in the Washington Post -- 4/16/09

The counter-tax revolt -- On a day where anti-tax rallies carried the day, a handful of Assembly Democrats on Wednesday made a spirited, if mostly obscure, effort to swim against the tide by offering a "Tax Reality Check." Michael Smolens San Diego Union-Trib weblog -- 4/16/09

Layoffs would hit Villaraigosa's schools especially hard -- Campuses the mayor controls have long suffered from high turnover, and the cuts would boost instability. 'I came to do what I consider missionary work,' says a Watts principal who could get bumped. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/16/09

New coalition emerges in state water debate -- Dozens of public water agencies -- including some who were foes in California’s historic battles over water -- are coming together to push their common interests. In some cases, those include protecting traditional water rights and advocating for such hot-button projects as reservoirs, environmental safeguards, improved levees, even a canal along the edge of the Delta east of San Francisco, to name just a few. John Howard in Capitol Weekly -- 4/16/09

Layoffs, cuts force delays In Coastal Commission permits -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s move to slash more than $600,000 from the California Coastal Commission is causing it to delay permits by up to a year on certain projects and deny others outright because of time constraints and staff shortages. Olivia Damavandi in Capitol Weekly -- 4/16/09

L.A. to partner with 3 universities on clean technology -- A goal of the joint effort with Caltech, UCLA and USC is to better compete for federal money for such programs and a proposed state climate change center. Maeve Reston in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/16/09

$260 million pledged for water projects -- U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar came to California on Wednesday to announce $260 million in federal funding for water projects -- but little of that money will help the Valley, local officials said. E.J. Schultz in the Fresno Bee Matt Weiser in the Sacramento Bee Matthew Yi, Kelly Zito in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/16/09

Species protections debated amid water shortage -- Farmers face long odds in their drive to loosen strict environmental laws that have aggravated the Valley's water shortage. Michael Doyle in the Fresno Bee -- 4/16/09

U.S. court refuses to halt clean-truck program at L.A. and Long Beach ports -- The judge says that regulators presented 'weak' arguments that the program to replace polluting big rigs threatens to cause irreparable harm or to unreasonably increase shipping costs. Carol J. Williams in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/16/09

Environmental groups sue California over water bank -- A coalition of environmental groups on Tuesday sued the state for allegedly failing to study the environmental consequences of a new drought water bank that could end up tapping huge amounts of Sacramento Valley groundwater. Matt Weiser in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/16/09

Schwarzenegger says illegal immigrants aren't to blame for fiscal crisis -- In a forum at the L.A. Times, he expresses frustration at opinions of opponents seeking to derail the budget measures he supports on the May 19 ballot. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/16/09

Healthcare firm accused of punishing Spanish-speakers settles suit -- Skilled Healthcare Group is ordered to pay up to $450,000 after allegedly enforcing an English-only policy against Latinos at California and Texas facilities. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/16/09

Alcohol a growing problem in the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, report says -- Liquor-related arrests of department employees have nearly tripled since 2004, watchdos agency finds. Baca and unions are at odds on new policy barring drunk deputies from carrying guns. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/16/09

Carona shouldn't be free pending appeal, prosecutors say -- Besides wanting a judge to sentence former Sheriff Mike Carona to nine years in prison, federal prosecutors also want the ex-lawman to be locked up during any appeal of his conviction. RACHANEE SRISAVASDI in the Orange County Register -- 4/16/09

Additional murder charges imminent in journalist Chauncey Bailey's killing -- Murder charges against former Your Black Muslim Bakery leader Yusuf Bey IV and another man in the August 2007 killing of journalist Chauncey Bailey are imminent, law enforcement and other sources said Wednesday night. Thomas Peele, Bob Butler and Mary Fricker in the Contra Costa Times -- 4/16/09

Editor's accused killer to testify against bakery leader -- The man accused of fatally shooting Oakland journalist Chauncey Bailey has entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors and is expected to testify before a grand jury next week that he was ordered to carry out the killing by the leader of Your Black Muslim Bakery, sources told The Chronicle Wednesday. Jaxon Van Derbeken in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/16/09

Left out: A legal loophole keeps Oakland police widows from pensions -- Tamara Faulkner-Carges remembers what her late husband, Michael Faulkner, said when the two were teenagers: "He told me, 'I'm going to be an Oakland police officer because if anything happens to me, they'll always take care of you.' " Kelly Rayburn in the Oakland Tribune -- 4/16/09