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Schwarzenegger: No fire sale of California buildings -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday promised there will be no fire sale of California state office buildings, responding for the first time to questions about whether his proposal will cost taxpayers more in the long run. JUDY LIN AP -- 4/21/10 48-day march against more California budget cuts ends -- Activists calling for greater investment in public services ranging from schools to in-home health care are ending a 48-day, 365-mile march with a rally Wednesday in front of the state Capitol. JUDY LIN AP -- 4/21/10 Arizona lawmaker lashes out at Cardinal Mahony over comments on illegal immigration bill -- Arizona state Sen. Russell Pearce, a Mesa Republican whose bill would require immigrants to carry proof of legal status, lashed out at Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony on Wednesday for his criticism of the proposed legislation, calling the Roman Catholic leader a "guy who’s been protecting child molesters and predators all of his life." Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/10 California GOP TV debate moved to primetime -- but 71 percent favor 3-way confab, Rassmussen poll shows -- A new Rasmussen poll shows that 71 percent of Californians want to see a 3-way debate between 2010 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown, and Republicans Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/21/10 T-Ridge: Not So Fast, Says Maldo -- But comments today from Maldo, as well as the positions of other prominent challengers for the job this fall, don't bode well for backers of a limited — but controversial — plan for new oil drilling off the Central Coast. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 4/21/10 Whitman's lead shrinking -- A news release from Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman's campaign this morning confirmed what news reports have been suggesting, that rival Steve Poizner is slashing her lead, which had been as high as about 50 percentage points. Jack Chang SacBee Capitol Alert Joe Garofoli Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/21/10 Maldonado: Pérez is a 'yes' vote on lite guv nomination -- Sen. Abel Maldonado needs to find 41 votes in the Assembly to win confirmation to the lieutenant governor post. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/21/10 Maldonado nomination moves to Assembly floor -- Abel Maldonado's nomination as lieutenant governor is headed to the Assembly floor for consideration Thursday. Maldonado faced questions from the Assembly Rules Committee on Wednesday, but the committee did not vote on whether he should be confirmed. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/10 Top Schwarzenegger advisor donates to Jerry Brown -- David Crane, a Democrat and senior adviser to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has donated $5,000 to Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown’s campaign for governor. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/10 Schwarzenegger makes ethics group’s worst governors list -- The nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington Wednesday morning released its report on "the nation's most incompetent and unethical governors." Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was ranked No. 11. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times Kevin Yamamura SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/21/10 Mitt Romney takes to life in new California home -- Romney not only sold his family home in Belmont, Mass., but he bought a house — for $12 million — in the northern San Diego community of La Jolla. He traded a snowy commute for early morning beach strolls amid the dog walkers. AP -- 4/21/10 Cruickshank: Prop 11 Citizens Redistricting Commission Showing Problems -- It was an ambitious idea that doesn't quite seem to be working out. Prop 11 was based on the concept that informed citizens, representing the state's diversity, would draw better maps for state legislative districts than the legislators themselves. Robert Cruickshank Cal Progress Report -- 4/21/10 Darrell Issa wants special prosecutor in Joe Sestak case -- The top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform committee wants the Justice department to name a special prosecutor to investigate whether the White House broke the law by allegedly offering Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) an administration job for dropping out of the Pennsylvania Senate primary. JAKE SHERMAN Politico -- 4/21/10 Issa raises suspicions over timing of Goldman Sachs lawsuit -- Inland Rep. Darrell Issa wants to know whether the timing of the federal government's lawsuit against Goldman Sachs — which came as the Obama Administration and congressional Democrats are pushing new financial regulations on Wall Street — is just a coincidence. Ben Goad in the Riverside Press -- 4/21/10 Oops! OCERS detects $228 million computer anomaly -- That means the system’s $3.1 billion unfunded liability — or the amount it has promised to pay retirees but doesn’t have — is bigger than they thought. $228 MILLION bigger. Jennifer Muir in the Orange County Register -- 4/21/10 Schwarzenegger appoints former lawmaker to $115K post -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Wednesday he appointed former Republican Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian as deputy secretary for legislation and special assistant to the Department of Food and Agriculture secretary, a $115,000-a-year post. Kevin Yamamura SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/21/10 Committee approves open-carry ban -- California lawmakers are pushing ahead with legislation to ban carrying unloaded firearms in public, even as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a complex case that could eventually override the rights of states to regulate guns. Michael Gardner in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 4/21/10 Lopez: Who's Who with whose funds? -- L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas spent $25,000 for a spot in "Who's Who in Black Los Angeles." The DWP also put down ratepayer funds to spotlight 10 of its top leaders in the book. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/10
Analysts: Carly Fiorina long on vision, fell short on execution at HP -- After she was fired in 2005, Carly Fiorina's stormy tenure as CEO of Hewlett-Packard was widely labeled a failure — marked by a plummeting stock price, a bruising battle with the firm's founding families over her corporate strategy, and mass layoffs at a company revered for its benevolent treatment of employees. Mike Zapler in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/21/10 Campbell launches TV ad attacking Boxer's 'arrogance' -- Get used to seeing a clip of Sen. Barbara Boxer asking a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers brigadier general to call her "senator" rather than "ma'am" during a 2009 hearing. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/10 Herdt: The shadow of Meg Whitman's money -- It is not an oxymoron to say that California Democrats assembled in Los Angeles last weekend were singularly focused on a billion things. Their attention, and their anxiety, was focused on Meg Whitman’s money — all 1.2 billion dollars of it. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star -- 4/21/10 Walters: Gubernatorial candidates spar early over debates -- It wouldn't be an authentic California campaign for governor without a debate about debates – one in which underdogs demand face-to-face televised confrontations with front-runners and the latter avoid them. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/10 Calbuzz Snubbed in GOP Debate; Payback Looms -- This just in: Calbuzz was not chosen to be on the panel of reporters in the Great Debate between Republican candidates for governor Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner. We’re shocked – shocked! - outraged and distraught. Cold revenge is on the menu. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 4/21/10 Assembly ready to consider Maldonado nomination -- The Assembly Rules Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday to consider Abel Maldonado's appointment as lieutenant governor. Confirmation could come before the full Assembly as early as Thursday. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/21/10 Whitman calls in GOP heavyweights for fundraising help -- It's going to be a busy week for Meg Whitman, who is hoping to cash in some old chits on the campaign trail. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will be on hand for four fundraisers for the Republican gubernatorial candidate this week, and others including former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) are also expected to lend a hand. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/10 Should Poizner merit a new look if the next polls show he’s cut deeply into Meg’s lead? -- So what happens if the next polls show Steve Poizner has cut Meg Whitman’s lead in half, as internal polling appear to be showing? Steven Harmon Political Blotter weblog -- 4/21/10 California bill would ban open guns in public -- Siding with law enforcement authorities, California lawmakers Tuesday advanced legislation that would make it illegal to openly carry a gun in public, even if it's unloaded. Samantha Young AP -- 4/21/10 California public employee unions won't face ballot fights -- Proponents have stopped pushing a measure to prohibit unions from deducting political money from public employee wages. Jack Chang in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/10 Facebook privacy issues may hurt Kelly's bid -- Attorney general hopeful Chris Kelly, until recently a Facebook executive, has an impressive resume and has already poured $4 million of his own money into a crowded primary race against several better-known Democrats. Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/21/10
A second CalPERS rate hike for employers -- As CalPERS phases in a big rate hike for employers to cover historic investment losses, a second increase is likely to be added because a new study found that workers are living longer, earning more pay and retiring earlier. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 4/21/10 University of Pacific forecasts a slow state recovery due to job losses -- How does a "slow five-year recovery" sound? That's what's in store for much of California, according to an economic forecast to be released today by the University of the Pacific. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/10 State can't tie revenue to casino expansion -- California can't demand that Indian tribes share gambling revenue to reduce the state's deficit as the price of expanding their casinos, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/10 Funds Turn Up Heat On Massey's CEO -- The funds, which include the California Public Employees' Retirement System and the California State Teachers' Retirement System, argue that the board failed to adequately police management's handling of safety issues and say Mr. Blankenship's dual position as chairman and top executive "has severely compromised" the board's oversight. JOANN S. LUBLIN And KRIS MAHER in the Wall Street Journal -- 4/21/10 Sacramento-area foreclosures decline -- Mortgage defaults have dropped for a year straight across the Sacramento region – and foreclosures are following suit. But it's hard to argue that the loan crisis is easing. Jim Wasserman in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/10 $830,000 in job funds to Oakland questioned -- Federal stimulus dollars intended for job creation in Oakland were spent instead on trips to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and a Concord water park, rent, church repairs, bus passes, salaries and car allowances, according to a state review released Tuesday. Wyatt Buchanan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/21/10 Miller's jobs bill estimated to save 6,200 East Bay government jobs -- Rep. George Miller's new jobs bill would pump $340 million into the East Bay to save or restore nearly 6,200 local government jobs, according to House Democratic estimates released Tuesday. Lisa Vorderbrueggen in the Contra Costa Times -- 4/21/10 Apple earnings jump 90% -- Ringing up huge iPhone sales, Apple Inc. posted a 90% jump in profit that blew past Wall Street's already lofty expectations and drove its stock to an all-time high. David Sarno in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/10
Fensterwald: Still no common-core appointments -- The decision of whether California should join other states in adopting common-core standards in math and English will have monumental impact on K-12 education. And yet neither the governor nor the Legislature has made any appointments to the 21-member commission that’s supposed to make the recommendation on common core to the State Board of Education by July 15. John Fensterwald educatedguess.org -- 4/21/10 Schwarzenegger backs bill that would change teachers' dismissal standards -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger threw his weight behind state legislation on Tuesday that proposes to give school administrators the ability to assign or fire teachers based on their effectiveness and to streamline the dismissal process. Jason Song in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/10 L.A. Unified OKs deal to shorten school year -- Administrators have overwhelmingly approved a deal that would shorten the school year this year and next, officials announced Tuesday. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/10
State withdraws plan to expand black-bear hunting -- Facing opposition from animal rights groups and Democratic lawmakers, California's Fish and Game director Tuesday indefinitely withdrew a proposal to let hunters increase the number of black bears they kill each year by 50 percent or more. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/21/10 Comment opens on relisting Sacramento splittail -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opened the comment period Tuesday on whether to list a fish known as the Sacramento splittail as an endangered species. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/21/10
California Watch: Hundreds of California doctors, universities receive Pfizer pay -- Several doctors affiliated with university medical centers in California received compensation from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. in the last six months of 2009 for research, consulting, speaking engagements and other expenses, according to a list disclosed by the company earlier this month. Erica Perez California Watch -- 4/21/10 California Watch: Why is state only collecting one-third of nursing home fines? -- California lawmakers have called for an audit exploring why state regulators are collecting only about one-third of the fines they have levied against nursing homes in recent years. Christina Jewett California Watch -- 4/21/10 Assembly panel OKs insurance 'exchanges' bill -- Taking a step that prepares the state to carry out the new federal health overhaul law, the Assembly Health Committee approved a bill Tuesday that would ultimately create a marketplace where Californians could go to buy health insurance. Victoria Colliver, Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle Susan Ferriss in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/10 Sacramento budget cuts could force 6,500 mentally ill from programs -- Some 6,500 severely mentally ill people would be forced out of their community treatment programs under a proposal to cut $17 million from Sacramento County's behavioral health budget. Cynthia Hubert in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/10 California nurse-staffing law saves lives, study says -- A new study on nurse staffing levels was hailed by the California Nurses Association on Tuesday as proof that the state's nursing-ratio law is saving lives. Bobby Caina Calvan in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/10 Three health insurers give many young adults a break -- UnitedHealthcare, WellPoint and Humana say people under 26 can remain on their parent’s policies until Sept. 23, when they are guaranteed coverage under the healthcare reforms. Duke Helfand in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/10
Hiltzik: Turning down the temperature on illegal immigration -- Legalizing most currently unauthorized workers would have no appreciable effect on the labor market, a report shows. That should help us focus on the important points of the debate. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/10 More Immigrants Have Doctorates -- Immigrants, who account for a disproportionate share of Americans without a high school diploma, also made up nearly one-third of Americans with doctoral degrees in 2009 — a sharp increase compared with five years earlier, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday. SAM ROBERTS in the New York Times -- 4/21/10 ICE attorney found guilty of taking bribes -- A federal jury on Tuesday convicted a Rancho Cucamonga man - a senior attorney with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - of taking bribes from immigrants seeking documentation to remain in the U.S. Joe Nelson in the San Bernardino Sun -- 4/21/10 Obama falters on immigration reform promises -- Advocates for illegal immigrants fear the White House is doing the bare minimum to appease Latino voters before the midterm elections as it focuses on other issues. Peter Nicholas in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/10
A Neighborhood Braces for an Influx of Parolees -- But recent state decisions to reduce prison overcrowding and save $100 million over the next year mean that some San Diego communities stand to see a new influx of prisoners returning home in the coming months. ADRIAN FLORIDO Voiceofsandiego.org -- 4/21/10 Suit alleges Cardinal Mahony conspired to hide priest’s sexual abuse of children -- The 25-year-old Mexican national also accuses a Mexican cardinal of involvement. The suit filed in L.A. cites a little-used law. Carol J. Williams in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/10 Bill to toughen sex-crime penalties moves ahead -- A bill aimed at protecting children from sexually violent predators cleared its first legislative hurdle Tuesday, winning approval by an Assembly committee with bipartisan support. Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/21/10 Lawmaker finds peace, welcome at West Sacramento motel -- The governor's suite at the Hyatt, it's not. But Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, says the simple room he rents month-by-month at the Welcome Grove Lodge in West Sacramento suits him just fine. Hudson Sangree in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/10 Budget cuts imperil oversight of Sacramento County sex offenders -- But the majority of the sex offenders – about 500 of them – go unsupervised, meaning probation officers do not visit them regularly. Chelsea Phua in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/10
Senators Seek Cash as They Mull Rules -- Lawmakers in both parties have been raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Wall Street in recent months, offering the industry access to members of Congress who are working on legislation that could alter the rules for American finance. BRODY MULLINS in the Wall Street Journal -- 4/21/10 Democrats Outpace G.O.P. in Recent Fund-Raising, but Republicans Claim Momentum -- Congressional Republicans are enthusiastic about their performance in the all-important midterm money chase. But the Democratic House and Senate campaign committees still managed to out-raise the Republican organizations last month and have more cash in the bank even though Republicans claim the momentum. CARL HULSE in the New York Times -- 4/21/10 Both national party committees spend big chunks on fancy meals, hotels, travel -- Both the national Democratic and Republican party committees spend about two-thirds of the money they take in on the care and comfort of committee staffs and on efforts to raise more funds, with lavish spending on limousines, expensive hotels, meals and tips, an analysis of the latest financial disclosure data shows. R. Jeffrey Smith in the Washington Post -- 4/21/10 |
