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Brown takes aim at GOP rival in Calif. gov race -- California needs an elder statesman who can broker deals to lead it out of its current fiscal morass, not an autocratic CEO who is used to giving orders, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown said Wednesday. JULIET WILLIAMS AP -- 3/3/10 Perez to seek putting majority budget vote measure on ballot -- Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez said today he is prepared to ask the Legislature to put California Forward's proposal to lower the vote requirement for passing a budget on the November ballot. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 3/3/10 Federal appeals court rules against Schwarzenegger on HHS cuts -- The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued four decisions Wednesday against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that continue to block past budget cuts to Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for hospitals and pharmacists and In-Home Supportive Services wages. Kevin Yamamura SacBee Capitol Alert -- 3/3/10 Pete Stark grabs House by the purse strings -- Rep. Pete Stark took the gavel of one of the House's most powerful committees today — at least temporarily. Josh Richman in the Contra Costa Times Larry Margasak AP -- 3/3/10 Preview of upcoming GOP Senate debate? DeVore ambushes Fiorina on radio -- Radio listeners received a preview of Friday’s GOP Senate debate Tuesday night when Orange County Assemblyman Chuck DeVore ambushed multimillionaire businesswoman Carly Fiorina on "The Rick Amato Show" on KCBQ in San Diego. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/3/10 Book: HP eyed Fiorina as dad ruled on case -- California Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina was negotiating for a lucrative job as CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co. a decade ago at the same time her father wrote a significant appeals court opinion that the high-tech industry had aggressively lobbied for, a new book reports. JOSH GERSTEIN Politico -- 3/3/10 Sen. Roy Ashburn arrested for DUI -- State Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, was arrested early Wednesday morning on suspicion of drunken driving. Ashburn was arrested just after 2 a.m. by California Highway Patrol officers, who saw Ashburn driving erratically near 15th and L Streets, the CHP said. The item is in Capitol Weekly Bill Lindelof in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/3/10 Fox: Is it 1978 Again? -- Does it feel like 1978 to you, too? Consider. In 1978, Jerry Brown was running for governor. In 2010, he’s running for governor again. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds weblog -- 3/3/10 Cruickshank: 61% of California Voters Want Taxes As Part of Budget Solution -- The way I read this says 61% of voters want taxes to be some element of the solution to the budget mess, and only 31% want cuts-only. Robert Cruickshank Cal Progress Report -- 3/3/10 Sheriff Lee Baca to 'lead from the front' and join command staff in filling gaps in patrol, jail duties -- With deep cuts expected to move hundreds of Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies from desk duties to street patrols, don't be surprised to see the most visible of their ranks cruising in a patrol car or walking the halls of the County Jail. Andrew Blankstein in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/3/10 L.A. mayor finalizes first list of city job cuts -- Pink slips will soon be on their way to Los Angeles city workers now that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and his general managers have finalized the first list of 542 positions slated for elimination. Maeve Reston in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/3/10 Democratic senators say stimulus is aiding clean-energy jobs overseas -- A group of Democratic senators called Wednesday for the government to halt a federal stimulus program aimed at building wind- and clean-energy projects, arguing that too much of the money spent so far has gone to create jobs overseas. Dan Eggen in the Washington Post -- 3/3/10 Karen Bass walks out of speaker's office with a new pair of Manolo Blahniks -- Assembly Speaker-emeritus Karen Bass of Los Angeles has a pair of $741 designer shoes, but she had to go through some pain to get them. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/3/10 Same-sex marriage becomes legal in D.C. -- At least 16 couples were waiting at a courthouse Wednesday for the city’s marriage bureau to open at 8:30 a.m. EST. Court officials have been told to expect up to 200 people. AP -- 3/3/10 Boxer, DiFi co-sponsor DADT repeal -- Both of California’s U.S. Senators are among the 14 original co-sponsors of a bill to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy barring military service by gays and lesbians who don’t agree to hide their sexual orientation. Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog -- 3/3/10 State's first lady pays a visit to female detainees -- Girls at Alameda County's Juvenile Justice Center got a special visitor today, as California's first lady paid a visit. Chris Metinko in the Oakland Tribune -- 3/3/10 California salamander protection could affect farming -- State wildlife officials today ruled that the California tiger salamander deserves protection as a threatened species, subjecting landowners to more scrutiny if they want to build or farm in the amphibian's habitat. Samantha Young AP -- 3/3/10 Suit challenges Emmerson residency -- A Corona councilman has filed a lawsuit challenging the Senate candidacy of Assemblyman Bill Emmerson, contending that Emmerson does not live in Riverside County's 37th Senate District. Jim Miller in the Riverside Press -- 3/3/10 'Sully' retires from US Airways -- Sullenberger, 59, arguably the Bay Area' s most famous commercial airline pilot, joined the airline in 1980, when it was known as PSA Airlines. Henry K. Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/3/10 Yuba college kills $30,000 raise for chancellor -- Officials with the Yuba Community College District say they plan to drop a controversial proposal to give Chancellor Nicki Harrington a $30,000 raise during a time of district-wide cuts and layoffs. Hudson Sangree in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/3/10 More swastikas found on UC Davis campus -- One was on the Centennial Walkway, on the south side of Memorial Union. Another was on the Social Science and Humanities building, and the third was on a UC Davis sign on A Street near Young Hall. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/3/10
California officials report more than $929,000 in gifts in 2009 -- Many of the gifts come from groups lobbying state government. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger collected $585,000, mostly to cover travel expenses. Watchdogs decry the appearance of influence. Patrick McGreevy and Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times Kevin Yamamura SacBee Capitol Alert -- 3/3/10 Appellate court backs Schwarzenegger on line-item vetoes -- The governor had used the power last summer to cut about $500 million from child welfare, state parks, AIDS treatment and other programs. Plaintiffs said he had overstepped his legal rights. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/3/10 California Assembly speaker: No more text messages from lobbyists -- When the Assembly's new speaker, John Perez, took the gavel this week, one of the promises during his inauguration speech drew a swell of mutters — especially from the back of the Assembly chambers, where lobbyists of all stripes are forced to sit. Denis C. Theriault in the Contra Costa Times Torey Van Oot in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/3/10 Herdt: Can the state adopt a budget in the daylight? -- Upon being sworn is as speaker of the California Assembly this week, John Pérez automatically received an invitation to join one of the most exclusive legislative bodies in America: the Big Five. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star -- 3/3/10 State analysts question huge high-speed rail funding request -- The California High-Speed Rail Authority's dream of spending nearly seven times more money — making it better-funded than the Department of Motor Vehicles — appears over after state analysts criticized the group's funding request and demanded it be held accountable for its plans. Mike Rosenberg in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/3/10 Jerry Brown says he offers 'insider's knowledge' and an 'outsider's mind' -- In announcing his candidacy for governor, the Democratic California attorney general tries to contrast his long experience in government against Republican rivals Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner. Michael Rothfeld in the Los Angeles Times Steven Harmon in the San Jose Mercury Jack Chang in the Sacramento Bee KATE PHILLIPS in the New York Times -- 3/3/10 Walters: Brown's back – with his baggage -- A few hours after California voters decisively rejected Jerry Brown's bid for the U.S. Senate in 1982, the two-term governor delivered a characteristically enigmatic response. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/3/10 Jerry Brown in 2005: CA gov has "very limited power,'' mostly "the power to pontificate" -- Jerry Brown's big announcement Tuesday that he is officially running for the 2010 Democratic nomination for governor brings to mind a rather interesting public lecture on the role of the state's top executive -- in which he admitted the job "doesn't have all that much power." Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 3/3/10 Can Jerry Brown shed 'Gov. Moonbeam' label? -- Democrat Jerry Brown, at 71 years old, is offering himself to California voters as the pragmatic, moderate and mature gubernatorial candidate with the experience to bring the state back from the brink of disaster. Carla Marinucci, Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/3/10 Matier & Ross: Pols likely to keep distance in Sacramento bids -- Within days, two other well-known Bay Area Democrats - Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris - will likely be running for state office along with Jerry Brown, but don't look for them to run as a team. The "Three Amigos" they are not - either personally or politically. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/3/10 CalBuzz: Brown: Insider’s Outsider … or Outsider’s Insider? -- Jerry Brown cast himself as the candidate with “insider’s knowledge but an outsider’s mind” in formally launching his campaign for governor Tuesday, seeking to balance and merge conflicting political messages of experience and change. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 3/3/10
Giant California pension funds may lower earnings expectations -- Bruised by heavy losses and wary of the economic road ahead, California's two big public pension funds are considering reducing their official forecasts of future investment results. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/3/10 Analyst urges 1,500 job cuts at Caltrans -- Caltrans should eliminate 1,500 full-time positions in its highway construction division because of inefficiencies and overstaffing, according to a report issued Tuesday by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/3/10 Furloughs causing banked vacation to skyrocket -- In our story Sunday about state workers taking home millions of dollars in unused leave, we touched a little on the potential impact of state employee furloughs, which some state departments worry will cause their leave liabilities to balloon in coming years. But really, we only scratched the surface. Chase Davis California Watch -- 3/3/10 Increasing numbers of Californians are suing lenders to avoid foreclosures -- Two weeks before their Sunnyvale home was to be auctioned off on the courthouse steps, Sonia Leverman and her sons seized on a desperate David-vs.-Goliath strategy: They sued their lender. Tracey Kaplan and Maria J. Ávila López in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/3/10 Over 50 and homeless: Recession's toll rises -- Danetta Betancourt is an unwilling part of a recent trend: seniors made homeless for the first time in their lives by bad luck, bad timing and the recession. Anita Creamer in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/3/10 Newsom plans to reduce work week for 15,000 San Francisco employees -- San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced plans to cut the workweek for 15,000 full-time city employees to 37.5 hours per week as a cost-cutting measure. The item is in the Oakland Tribune -- 3/3/10
Racist incidents, protests spread at UC campuses -- A firestorm over racially and ethnically charged incidents at several University of California campuses spread Tuesday as UC San Diego announced a KKK-style hood was found on campus and students in Los Angeles and Irvine demonstrated against intolerance. CHRISTINA HOAG AP -- 3/3/10 Klan-style hood found on statue at UCSD -- A crudely fashioned, KKK-style hood was found atop a Dr. Seuss statue at the University of California San Diego late Monday, the latest in a string of race-related incidents that have roiled the campus in recent days. Steve Schmidt in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 3/3/10 Fensterwald: Furious times at Central Falls -- Central Falls High School offers a cautionary tale for California as districts await notification of which 187 failing schools must be restructured. John Fensterwald educatedguess.org -- 3/3/10
Lawsuit says fish oil supplements contain PCB -- An environmental group filed a lawsuit in San Francisco on Tuesday alleging that 10 types of fish oil or shark oil supplements contain a toxic industrial compound, and that manufacturers and sellers need to warn consumers. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/3/10 NRC: San Onofre workers fear retaliation -- Management at the plant, owned by Southern California Edison, has created a “chilling effect” among a minority of workers, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in a letter to plant management Tuesday, although those employees are widespread among many worker groups. Pat Brennan in the Orange County Register -- 3/3/10
Stem cell agency facing new challenges --- Lured by the promise of human embryonic stem cells and the intransigence of the Bush administration, Californians voted to borrow $3 billion and give it away to scientists to come up with therapies for ailments ranging from Alzheimer’s to diabetes. David Jensen HealthyCal.org -- 3/3/10 Cost of food-borne illnesses is deemed much higher than earlier estimates -- A report sponsored by the Produce Safety Project at Georgetown University puts the health-related price tag at $152 billion a year. That's more than four times an earlier USDA estimate. Andrew Zajac and P.J. Huffstutter in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/3/10
New jail program targets illegal immigrants -- Sonoma County this week will become the first in the Bay Area in which anyone booked into the county jail automatically will have their immigration status checked. JULIE JOHNSONin the Santa Rosa Press -- 3/3/10 House plan touts E-Verify -- But political observers say the proposal isn't likely to go anywhere because of the partisan stalemate in Congress. And some Republicans in districts with a sizable number of Latino voters may shy away from the resolution. Stephen Wall in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 3/3/10
'Don't tell Michelle,' Obama says -- After his first presidential physical found an elevated cholesterol level, sweet tea and fried chicken are probably not what the doctor ordered. But that didn't stop President Obama from indulging in a lunch of Southern cuisine Tuesday in Savannah, Georgia, according to a pool report. Taylor Harris CNN -- 3/3/10
Anaheim councilwoman to challenge Sen. Correa -- Anaheim Councilwoman Lucille Kring, a Republican, has taken out papers to challenge Sen. Lou Correa, D-Anaheim. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 3/3/10 Lopez: Where captives put on a show -- Seeing dolphins and killer whales at SeaWorld and other venues isn't as satisfying as encountering them in their natural habitat. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/3/10 LAPD apologizes to Robert Kennedy's family -- The Los Angeles Police Department has apologized to the family of the late Robert F. Kennedy and removed items from a homicide exhibit in Las Vegas that included the dress shirt worn by the senator when he was assassinated in 1968, officials said Tuesday night. Andrew Blankstein in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/3/10 Toyota sued over August crash that killed CHP officer and three family members -- After that incident, the automaker recalled millions of cars to replace floor mats that it said could cause the accelerator to jam. Stuart Pfeifer in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/3/10 Judge says Cooley's retaliation against union members is 'striking and rampant' -- A preliminary injunction is issued ordering the L.A. County district attorney not to discipline or discriminate against prosecutors as part of an alleged anti-union campaign. Jack Leonard in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/3/10 L.A. County probation workers elude punishment for misdeeds -- Lack of staff to administer discipline is blamed in 170 cases, half of which involve youths. Most of the employees remain on the job; it's unclear if they will ever be punished. Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/3/10
‘Yes’ for Texas Governor Is ‘No’ to Washington -- Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison had all the advantages a year ago when she laid her plans to run for governor: a high popularity rating, a party shaken by President Obama’s victory, a big bankroll and, most important, the backing of influential Republicans, who felt the incumbent governor, Rick Perry, was too divisive and too conservative. JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr. and CLIFFORD KRAUSS in the New York Times -- 3/3/10 Days later, as a deal emerges, Bunning backs down -- For five days, retiring Sen. Jim Bunning held his fellow Republicans hostage. He stood his ground, angry and alone, a one-man blockade against unemployment benefits, Medicare payments to doctors, satellite TV to rural Americans and paychecks to highway workers. Ben Pershing in the Washington Post -- 3/3/10 |
