 |
 |
 |
|||
 |
|
 |
|||
Lawmakers talking water (yet again) -- Water -- the issue that never gets solved but never goes away -- is back on the front burner at the Capitol this week. Legislative leaders and Gov. Schwarzenegger are making yet another attempt to strike a deal on new projects to move and store water. EJ Schultz Fresno Bee News Blog -- 10/7/09 Valley water transfer bill introduced -- Four California Democrats -- two from the House and two from the Senate -- introduced a water transfer bill Wednesday that's cast as a way to help solve the San Joaquin Valley's water problems. Mike Doyle Fresno Bee News Blog -- 10/7/09 Couple battle to make insurers liable for coverage decisions -- "You guys killed my daughter," the diminutive San Fernando Valley real estate agent declared at the lobby security desk. "I want an apology." What she got was something quite different. Lisa Girion in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/09 Whitman was registered to vote in 1999, Santa Clara County says -- Republican candidate Meg Whitman was registered to vote in Santa Clara County for nine months in 1999, Santa Clara elections officials said today, admitting that they supplied inaccurate information to The Bee and other news organizations on the issue. Andrew McIntosh SacBee Capitol Alert -- 10/7/09 Proposed workers’ comp hike would ‘devastate’ small firms -- A proposed hike in California workers compensation insurance rates would have “a devastating effect on small businesses,” said state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner following his hearing Tuesday Oct. 6 on a requested 22.8% increase in the pricing benchmark. Jan Norman in the Orange County Register -- 10/7/09 Free flow of funds, flattery forecast for Obama in San Francisco -- Details are emerging about President Obama's Oct. 15 visit to San Francisco, and it's all about the bottom line: This is his can't-miss shot to boost the Democratic National Committee and Organizing for America bank accounts in a city that's a faithful Democratic ATM. Carla Marinucci, Heather Knight, John Coté in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/09 State political watchdog looks into Anderson finances -- California's political watchdog agency has opened an investigation into an unusual pattern of financial transactions by the campaign of Assemblyman Joel Anderson. John Marelius in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 10/7/09 The Capitol Weekly List -- Gov. Schwarzenegger has made implicit threats to veto a majority of the approximately 700 bills that are currently on his desk unless a comprehensive water deal can be reached. So, who’s got the most to lose? The list is in Capitol Weekly -- 10/7/09 EdSource report lays out California's school conflicts with feds -- While a flap over using student test scores to evaluate teachers' performance has gotten most of the ink, it's just one of several significant changes in education policy that California would have to make to qualify for a new surge of federal aid, EdSource, a Mountain View-based education think tank, says in a new study. Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 10/7/09 Giuliani endorses Whitman in governor's race -- Former New York City mayor and one-time GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is endorsing Meg Whitman's bid for the gubernatorial nomination in California. AP Jack Chang SacBee Capitol Alert Joe Garofoli Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 10/7/09 Feinstein pushes to ban prisoner cell phone use -- California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein wants to pass a new law to ban the use of cell phones by inmates in federal prisons. Rob Hotakainen in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/7/09 An Initiative War is Looming -- Powerful interests are making last minute decisions on which initiatives to put forward to achieve their goals. At the same time they are practicing a bit of brinkmanship, determining which measures their opponents truly back, while deciding which ones their side will file if opponents put up an initiative they abhor. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds weblog -- 10/7/09 California home prices forecast to rise 3.3% -- California home prices hit bottom early in 2009, and now are projected to continue rising right through 2010, the chief economist for the California Association of Realtors said. Jeff Collins in the Orange County Register -- 10/7/09
Lawmakers slam governor over veto threat -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature could be headed for a high-stakes game of chicken as the deadline approaches at midnight Sunday for the governor to sign or veto more than 700 bills that are on his desk. Wyatt Buchanan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/09 Governor in showdown with lawmakers -- Schwarzenegger warns of mass vetoes if legislators don't approve upgrade to state's water system. Eric Bailey and Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/09 Big 5 meeting dissolves in rancor -- A private meeting of legislative leaders and Gov. Schwarzenegger ended abruptly Tuesday amid bad blood between Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, and his GOP counterpart, Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth of Murrieta. Anthony York in Capitol Weekly -- 10/7/09 Drought of goodwill during final bill-signing week -- Egos are clashing in the Capitol during this final week of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's bill-signing period. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/7/09 Walters: Tough budget year soon may be seen as 'good old days' -- Golfers call it a "mulligan" or even more colloquially, a "mullie," but the rest of us would say it's a "do-over" when things don't go as well as hoped and we make a new stab at getting it right. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/7/09 Whitman pushes back on voting record -- Two weeks after news of her thin voting record nearly paralyzed her campaign for governor, Meg Whitman is now pushing back with new claims that she voted. Steven Harmon and Denis Theriault in the Contra Costa Times -- 10/7/09 Whitman camp seeks to verify voting history -- After publicly apologizing for what she called her "atrocious" voting record, GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is now going on the offensive, saying she recalls voting "on numerous occasions" in the past. Andrew McIntosh in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/7/09 Meg Whitman's voting history -- The item is in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/7/09 GOP governor candidate says schools must live with cuts -- In this installment, GOP gubernatorial candidate and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman talks about how we may need to live with the scaled-down education funding for now. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 10/7/09 Bill Clinton stumps for Garamendi -- Former President Bill Clinton touted health care reform, climate change legislation and 10th Congressional District Democratic candidate and California Lt. Gov. John Garamendi in a hastily organized campaign stop late Tuesday afternoon. Lisa Vorderbrueggen in the Contra Costa Times -- 10/7/09 California’s Zigzag on Welfare Rules Worries Experts -- As he pressed state lawmakers over the summer to close a record budget deficit, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger lathered scorn on the state’s welfare-to-work program. ERIK ECKHOLM in the New York Times -- 10/7/09 Dems exaggerate Arnold's love for health care plan -- Shame on the Democratic National Committee. (And we say that with our Bill Clinton shame-on-you-wagging finger on.) They were touting a Washington Post story and a NYTimes one Tuesday saying that Guv Schwarzenegger was one of a growing number of GOP leaders saying Congress should do something about health care. Joe Garofoli Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 10/7/09 Herdt: Measure that could stir the political pot -- It says here that the most interesting political issue in California next June might not be the Republican and Democratic nominations for governor, but possibly a ballot proposition with the following title: “Changes California Law to Legalize Marijuana and Allow It to Be Regulated and Taxed.” Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star -- 10/7/09 CalBuzz: South Smacks LA Blog’s Dis; H-Carly Blows Off Coast -- Garry denounces LA Blog rumor: Our eyebrows caught fire when we read an item about SF Mayor Gavin Newsom and former President Bill Clinton, posted by Michael Higby on the LA blog “Mayor Sam’s Sister City,” Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 10/7/09
Hotel defaults, foreclosures rise in California -- More California hotels are being pushed into foreclosure as tourists and businesses alike scale back their travel plans and owners are unable to pay their mortgages. E. Scott Reckard and Hugo Martín in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/09 Support Builds for Tax Credit to Encourage Hiring -- The idea of a tax credit for companies that create new jobs, something the federal government has not tried since the 1970s, is gaining support among economists and Washington officials grappling with the highest unemployment in a generation. CATHERINE RAMPELL in the New York Times -- 10/7/09 NFL stadium still on track -- Developer Ed Roski Jr. said he doubted a loss of $1 billion in personal wealth over the past year would hurt his plan to bring pro football back to the Southland, even though a sports consultant said it could spell trouble for the billionaire's proposed stadium. James Wagner in the San Bernardino Sun -- 10/7/09 Developers to test Chargers' interest in move to L.A. -- The developers who want to bring professional football back to the Los Angeles area said Tuesday that they'll approach the San Diego Chargers and five other teams in February about moving as early as next season. Matthew T. Hall in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 10/7/09 Joblessness hits white-collar workers hard -- A new analysis shows that nearly half of the 5.4 million Americans who have been out of work longer than six months held white-collar or professional jobs that are rarely subject to long spells of unemployment. Tom Abate in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/09 Abuses found in reverse-mortgage marketing -- Reverse mortgages, which let seniors cash out home equity, have the potential to spawn another subprime-style financial crisis, according to a report released Tuesday. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 10/7/09 Cache Creek resort expansion canceled -- The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation made the announcement Tuesday, citing economic reasons for its decision. Hudson Sangree in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/7/09 On-location ad filming in L.A. sees an uptick -- Commercial shoots on the city's streets climb for a third straight week as companies become more willing to spend. Richard Verrier in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/09
UC leaders propose state-federal 'hybrid" -- UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau has proposed that top public research schools become state-federal "hybrids" that receive basic operating funds from the U.S. government. Matt Krupnick in the Contra Costa Times -- 10/7/09 Due to state cuts, Covina school for disabled loses 80 percent of students -- Due to cuts in the state's budget, the Covina Development Center has only six of its former 30 students. In recent days, the center has been forced to lay off eight teachers and cut the remaining staff's hours by 20 percent. Maritza Velazquez in the San Gabriel Tribune -- 10/7/09 UC Merced sees enrollment growth -- There are 3,414 students on campus this year, up from 2,718 last fall and slightly more than the 3,200-student estimate officials used for planning. Danielle E. Gaines in the Fresno Bee -- 10/7/09
Pacific earthquake might have weakened San Andreas -- The magnitude 9.0 earthquake that occurred off Sumatra, Indonesia in 2004, killing about 230,000 people, might have weakened California’s San Andreas fault, scientists from Rice University say in a new paper published in the journal Nature. Gary Robbins in the Orange County Register -- 10/7/09 Bay Area resident Jon Jarvis takes the helm as national parks director -- In 1976, when Jon Jarvis was just out of college, he took a temporary job with the National Park Service handing out maps about America's bicentennial celebration to tourists on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury -- 10/7/09 Crew knows where the ocean trash goes -- The ocean-research vessel Algalita and crew returned Tuesday to Southern California, carrying more dismal evidence about ocean pollution. Joe Segura in the Torrance Daily Breeze -- 10/7/09
Mom: Health insurance denied over condition she doesn't have -- Like a lot of self-employed people, Valerie Scaglione and her husband, Michael, who run two businesses from their home outside Auburn, find themselves in a significant health insurance crunch. Anita Creamer in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/7/09 Bill to monitor ER overcrowding goes to Schwarzenegger -- With more people using emergency rooms as their primary source for medical care, ER physicians are urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign a bill aimed at easing overcrowding in the place of last resort for the uninsured and medically indigent. Bobby Caina Calvan in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/7/09 Patient sues Anthem Blue Cross over liver transplant -- Fearing for his life, Ephram Nehme paid for his own surgery in Indiana, where wait times for organ transplants are far shorter than in California. Anthem says it did nothing wrong. Lisa Girion in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/09 Hospitals want to pay new fees but may not get the chance -- Levies would make medical centers eligible for $2 billion in federal funds as Medi-Cal subsidies. Anti-tax groups' opposition to the bill, which is on the governor's desk, centers on the 'fee' label. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/09 Reform Gets Conditional GOP Support -- Seeking to provide fresh evidence of bipartisan support for health-care reform, the White House is orchestrating a series of endorsements from GOP heavyweights around the country. Michael D. Shear and Ceci Connolly in the Washington Post -- 10/7/09 Reedley hospital to file for bankruptcy -- The Sierra Kings District Hospital board of directors voted Tuesday afternoon to file for bankruptcy protection, a move the interim chief executive says will give the hospital time to dig itself out of a financial hole. Barbara Anderson and Robert Rodriguez in the Fresno Bee -- 10/7/09
U.S. plans to overhaul how immigrants are detained -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano proposes, among other reform ideas, holding nonviolent immigrants in minimum-security facilities. Anna Gorman in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/09
Ex-manager of Disneyland union gets 5 months in prison -- A former manager of a union that represented about 300 Disneyland stage production workers was sentenced today to five months in prison for stealing approximately $67,000 in union funds. RACHANEE SRISAVASDI in the Orange County Register -- 10/7/09 Steve Lopez gives up on Manny, and his World Series tickets -- Times columnist Steve Lopez is fed up with Manny Ramirez. He's so disgusted with the Dodgers slugger that he's decided to give up his own World Series tickets. Martin Beck in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/09 Deputy L.A. mayor tapped to lead DWP -- S. David Freeman, the mayor's environment czar, would earn $6,250 a week at the utility even as it pays former general manager H. David Nahai $6,282 a week in a controversial contracting agreement. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times -- 10/7/09 Some Sacramento County judges prefer to give up pay to local group, not state -- Instead of giving their money to the Administrative Office of the Courts, the judges have established a fund to pay for services for children, elderly people and others within the local court system, and they are soliciting other judges to pitch in a portion of their paychecks as well. Cynthia Hubert in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/7/09
Obama's approval rating slips to 60 percent in California -- That's according to the latest Field Poll, which found that 60 percent of the state's voters gave favorable ratings to the president. In March, 65 percent of Californians approved of his job performance. Rob Hotakainen in the Sacramento Bee -- 10/7/09 |
