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UC students protest budget cuts, fee hikes -- University of California students from around the state traveled to Sacramento on Monday to protest steep fee hikes and cuts to higher education funding. ROBIN HINDERY AP -- 3/1/10 CalBuzz: Poizner Going on Air with Hit on “Liberal” Whitman -- Calbuzz has learned that Steve Poizner is set to launch his TV air campaign for the Republican nomination for governor Tuesday with two spots, including one that tags rival Meg Whitman as a “liberal.” Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz Capitol Weekly's Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times Joe Garofoli Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 3/1/10 Jerry Brown will declare candidacy Tuesday -- Attorney General Jerry Brown will declare his Democratic candidacy for governor Tuesday online, ending months of speculation about his intentions in which Brown insisted he had not yet decided whether to run. Jack Chang SacBee Capitol Alert Michael Rothfeld in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/1/10 Fox: A One-Term Pledge for Jerry Brown? -- One of the more bizarre conspiracy theories I heard recently was that Attorney General Jerry Brown persuaded San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom to drop out of the governor’s race by offering to support him later for the Lieutenant Governor’s office. In turn, Brown would declare he would serve only one-term paving the road for Newsom to move up. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds weblog -- 3/1/10 Wildermuth: Money Key to Whitman’s Early Attack -- If people are wondering why Meg Whitman, leading the GOP race for governor by 30 or 40 percentage points in the polls, would bother slamming Steve Poizner with a batch of attack ads, there’s a simple answer: Why not? John Wildermuth Fox & Hounds weblog -- 3/1/10 California Forward could halt initiative campaign by week's end -- Officials from the reform group California Forward said today that unless deep-pocketed donors come through with pledges for big support, the campaign to qualify a package of their budget reform proposals for the November ballot could be put on ice. Steve Wiegand SacBee Capitol Alert -- 3/1/10 Latest dust-up shows Dems determined to make Whitman's taxes an issue -- The California Democratic Party, which has been pressuring billionaire GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman to release her taxes, set off new debate Monday with the release of public records on Whitman's history as an employer..that the Whitman campaign calls unethnical and irresponsible. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 3/1/10 Protesting UC students get face time with Gov. Schwarzenegger -- As five college students were arrested at the Capitol on Monday for protesting budget cuts to the University of California, three students got some face time with -- and a civics lesson from -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/1/10 Consumer group sues Anthem over policy changes -- A consumer watchdog group filed a lawsuit Monday against California's largest for-profit health insurer on behalf of policyholders, claiming they were pushed to take coverage with fewer benefits and higher deductibles. SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER AP -- 3/1/10 Student apologizes for noose in UC San Diego library -- The campus paper publishes an anonymous letter by a minority student who calls the incident 'a mindless act and stupid mistake.' Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/1/10 John Perez sworn in as Assembly speaker -- California's first openly gay Assembly speaker was sworn in to office in Sacramento early Monday afternoon. Democrat John A. Perez, a first-term legislator representing parts of downtown L.A. and East Los Angeles, will face as one of his first tasks the challenge of preserving social programs for his political base as the state struggles with a roughly $20-billion budget deficit. Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times CATHY BUSSEWITZ AP Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee John Myers Capitol Notes weblog Marisa Lagos Chronicle Politics Weblog BRIAN JOSEPH in the Orange County Register -- 3/1/10 New Assembly speaker says career similarities with cousin Villaraigosa end here -- As John Perez takes over as Assembly Speaker on Monday, he is following the same path taken by his cousin, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, from organized labor to the state Assembly and then to the leadership job. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/1/10 New speaker bans texting on floor; promises more open budget talks -- The Los Angeles Democrat will follow his swearing-in as the 68th Assembly Speaker today by announcing that: Two Republicans will be appointed committee chairs as a signal of bipartisanship. Jim Sanders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 3/1/10 Pete Stark's bizarre ethics interview -- Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) sounds like an ethics investigator’s worst nightmare. During an interview last summer with the outside Office of Congressional Ethics, Stark was belligerent. He insulted his interviewers. And he apparently was videotaping the interview. JAKE SHERMAN Politico -- 3/1/10 Wiggins outburst sparks new questions, concerns -- State Sen. Pat Wiggins' latest outburst at a Capitol hearing has heightened concern about her ability to carry out her duties and has led to increased calls for the Santa Rosa Democrat to resign. DEREK MOORE in the Santa Rosa Press -- 3/1/10 Guv race round-up: Whitman's taxes, Condi endorsement, Poizner files -- First, the California Democratic Party distributed a certificate of certified assessment issued by the state of Massachusetts showing it assessed Whitman $1648.58 for failing to pay taxes for her household staff in Brookline, Mass., from 1995 to 1999 or hadn't filed contribution reports for that period. Whitman moved to California in early 1998. Jack Chang SacBee Capitol Alert -- 3/1/10
Conventions tie state officials to drug makers, raise conflict concerns -- Three California officials who oversee billions of dollars in Medi-Cal prescription drug spending have failed to disclose free flights, hotel rooms and meals paid for by nonprofit groups funded by drug makers, records and interviews show. Christina Jewett California Watch -- 3/1/10 Calpers Confronts Cuts to Return Rate -- Calpers is considering reducing the projected rate of return used by the giant pension fund to make investment decisions. A cut could force cash-strapped governments in California to pay millions more each year to cover their employee pension obligations. GINA CHON in the Wall Street Journal -- 3/1/10 Schwarzenegger's no-tax-hike pledge turns on definition of a tax -- The Republican governor has pledged not to raise taxes in his final year in office, but whether that holds true depends on what your definition of a tax is. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/1/10 Bill to limit early release to state prisons -- A state Assemblyman has introduced legislation to ensure that a recently enacted law allowing the early release of nonviolent offenders would only apply to state prisons, not county jails. Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/1/10 Two sides battle to define Meg Whitman 'brand' -- Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman proudly argues she turned the online auction company into a household name - right up there with Coca-Cola and Nike - by successfully "branding" its image into the minds of millions of American consumers. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/1/10 With so many incarnations, Brown not easily pinned down -- If past is prologue, Jerry Brown would be a far different governor than he was in his first go-round. Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/1/10 Will it be Jerry and the "Art of War" v. Meg's mega-millions? -- Attention Mike Murphy, Henry Gomez, Jeff Randle and the roster of political strategists and advisers behind the "Meg Whitman for Governor" team. Democrat Jerry Brown has announced this week he's got his own strategist: the late, great Sun Tzu, the author of"The Art of War." Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 3/1/10 CalBuzz: 100 Days Out: Three Key Questions for Gov’s Race -- One hundred days before the June 8 primary election, the race for governor of California has taken shape, but the outcome won’t be clear without answers to three key questions. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 3/1/10 Full house expected for Perez ceremony -- In a ceremony being compared to an inauguration, Perez will outline his priorities - jobs, jobs, jobs and perhaps a bit on education and, oh yeah, that multibillion-dollar budget problem. Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 3/1/10 Tax fix for short sales goes to Assembly -- After Coletta Makiling lost her job last year, it was clear that she and her husband needed to also shed their monthly mortgage payment. Their lender agreed to allow a short sale of their Ventura condominium. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star -- 3/1/10 2 sides file pile of paperwork in Prop. 8 case -- Opposing sides in the legal battle over same-sex marriage in California have laid out their cases in writing to a federal judge, disputing the status of gays and lesbians in society, the nature of marriage, and the motives behind the ballot measure that defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/1/10 Skelton: Dream big and take baby steps -- A constitutional convention isn't going to happen, but real reform can -- eventually. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/1/10 Walters: Bill Bennett, a crusader, remembered -- There aren't many people around the Capitol these days who'd remember Bill Bennett, but in his day he was a one-man political SWAT team. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/1/10
California expected to add jobs faster than Arizona, Nevada -- The recession in hard-hit California isn't over yet, but 2010 labor market projections released last week forecast modest growth that could outpace neighboring Arizona and Nevada. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/1/10 Outlook for Valley banks brightens -- A year ago, the outlook seemed bleak for community banks, with dozens closing across the country -- including one in the central San Joaquin Valley. Now the picture has changed. Tim Sheehan in the Fresno Bee -- 3/1/10 Bid to Curb Mortgage Tax Break Falters -- The latest effort to scale back some tax deductions on mortgage interest, one of the nation's most-enduring tax breaks, is finding little support in Congress. JAMES R. HAGERTY in the Wall Street Journal -- 3/1/10 Congress late on aid for jobless -- Congress will pass legislation aimed at keeping certain jobless benefits, highway and transit money and other government programs funded, Sen. Jon Kyl, the Senate's No. 2 Republican, said Sunday. But several programs expired at midnight, and Congress has failed to extend them because of an objection by Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky. David Lightman in the Fresno Bee -- 3/1/10 Payday lenders giving advances on unemployment checks -- Critics say the high fees that come with the loans send the jobless into a cycle of debt. The industry sees it as a service for people in need. Robert Faturechi in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/1/10 Firms Gingerly Rescind Salary Cuts -- Slowly and tentatively, some companies are rescinding pay cuts made during the recession. PAUL GLADER in the Wall Street Journal -- 3/1/10 Villaraigosa considers a carbon surcharge for DWP customers -- The extra revenue would be used to move the utility from coal to wind, solar and geothermal sources of energy. The mayor wants 20% of the agency's power to come from renewables by December. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/1/10 Boeing seeks foreign buyers for C-17 planes, made in Long Beach -- The cargo plane's assembly plant is scheduled to close in two years. Boeing slows production to extend the life of the plant and work on sales. W.J. Hennigan in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/1/10
Fensterwald: LAO: raise community college fees -- The Legislative Analyst is proposing that the Legislature raise fees at community colleges by $14 per credit – more than 50 percent from the current $26 per credit (which, in turn was raised last year from $20). John Fensterwald educatedguess.org -- 3/1/10 Schools in state fired up over Day of Action -- March 4th has gone viral. The upcoming Day of Action to Defend Public Education - rallies, marches, teach-ins, even political theater - began as an idea on the UC Berkeley campus last fall and has caught fire up and down California, from elementary school to graduate school, and across two dozen states. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/1/10 Fensterwald: Diane Ravitch’s conversion -- From neocon Irving Kristol to anti-communist crusader Whittaker Chambers, there’s been a history of true believers turned full-throated denouncers. Now, education has a celebrated convert, Diane Ravitch. John Fensterwald educatedguess.org -- 3/1/10 Stanford survey finds iPhone habit-forming -- A survey of about 200 Stanford University undergraduates revealed that almost a third worry about becoming addicted to their iPhones, think they may be using them too much and dread becoming "one of those iPhone people." Pete Carey in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/1/10 A School Where You Shouldn't Raise Your Hand -- Muir's immediate goal was to get students more engaged in class, but the method has a broader aim -- to teach kids to think, read and write critically all their lives. EMILY ALPERT Voiceofsandiego.org -- 3/1/10 Stanford students use iPhones to navigate their way around campus -- Students can use iStanford to look up anyone in the campus directory and call or e-mail them with a tap on the phone; search for class schedules and e-mail professors; add and drop classes; find campus buildings without a paper map; and view game scores and schedules. Pete Carey in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/1/10 Stoker of UCSD ire can’t justify hurt caused -- That’s the way the editor of the Koala, the crude satire rag at the University of California San Diego, likes to roll. You want to talk to him, you’ve got to play a little “Animal House.” Michael Stetz in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 3/1/10
Power plants criticize proposal to block use of seawater for cooling machinery -- California water resources board plan, backed by environmentalists, would end practice of sucking in ocean water -- along with small animals, fish larvae and, occasionally, people -- to cool plants. Jill Leovy in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/1/10 A stink in Central California over converting cow manure to electricity -- Air-quality rules in the region leave dairy farmers facing costly changes to generators used to burn methane to produce power. Some have put their renewable-energy plans on hold. P.J. Huffstutter in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/1/10 Manure becomes pollutant as its volume grows unmanageable -- Nearly 40 years after the first Earth Day, this is irony: The United States has reduced the manmade pollutants that left its waterways dead, discolored and occasionally flammable. But now, it has managed to smother the same waters with the most natural stuff in the world. David A. Fahrenthold in the Washington Post -- 3/1/10 Redwood City Saltworks developer poised to become major Bay Area water baron -- Water for one of the biggest proposed developments in the Bay Area's history would be supplied by a developer who has amassed enough private water rights to become a major Bay Area water baron at a time of increasing supply uncertainty. Julia Scott in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/1/10
Broad health insurance costs likely coming later -- The Anthem Blue Cross policy increase for individual policy holders was a warning shot. Jim Steinberg in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 3/1/10 emocrats will have votes for health bill, Obama aide says -- Raising the prospect of a "simple up-or-down vote" on health-care reform, White House adviser Nancy-Ann DeParle said on Sunday she thinks Democrats will secure enough ayes on the measure and signaled that the administration could be moving toward trying to pass it along party lines. Anne E. Kornblut in the Washington Post -- 3/1/10
Obama in excellent health, doctor says, but he should quit smoking -- The president undergoes his first physical exam since entering office. He's declared 'fit for duty,' but there is some concern about his elevated cholesterol levels. Janet Hook in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/1/10
Gun rights activists take up arms at Baker Beach -- A roving band of men with guns spread across Baker Beach in San Francisco on Saturday. But most beachgoers didn't even notice, even with the weapons visibly holstered. Matthai Kuruvila in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/1/10 Gun owners gather at Walnut Creek restaurant -- Dozens of people turned out at a Walnut Creek pizzeria Sunday evening to eat, chat with friends and exercise their Second Amendment rights. Sophia Kazmi in the Oakland Tribune -- 3/1/10 Gun case presents quandary for Supreme Court justices -- As a member of the Junior ROTC, teenager Antonin Scalia toted his rifle on the subway ride back and forth to Queens. Robert Barnes in the Washington Post -- 3/1/10 Matier & Ross -- A new poll shows Santa Clara voters split right down the middle on whether to approve a $937 million 49ers stadium, suggesting the team has a much tougher sale on its hands than it may have thought. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/1/10 Misdials help 'crammers' ring up millions in phone bill scam -- The San Francisco brothers hired overseas telemarketers to offer directory assistance and other services to small businesses and ordinary Americans, according to a major case to be unveiled this week by the Federal Trade Commission. But their real goal was to sneak small, unauthorized fees onto thousands of monthly bills and hope the charges would go unnoticed, court documents state. David Cho in the Washington Post -- 3/1/10 It's a sad chapter for Los Angeles -- Library woes one indicator for city's mounting budget problems. Michael R. Blood AP -- 3/1/10 California lawmakers weigh forcing witnesses to report -- As many as 20 people stood by and watched for nearly two hours, Richmond police say, as others gang-raped a 16-year-old girl outside a high school homecoming dance in the tough San Francisco Bay area community last fall. DON THOMPSON AP -- 3/1/10
GOP moderates poised to gain ground in Congress -- With healthcare legislation mired in partisanship, "tea party" activists on the march and GOP leadership dominated by conservatives, Capitol Hill looks like a parched landscape for the withered moderate wing of the Republican Party. Janet Hook in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/1/10 |
