California Policy and Politics This Morning

Former Speaker Bass retains drivers at public expense -- Former Assembly Speaker Karen Bass continues to receive state-paid driving and protection services even though she no longer leads the house and has missed most of its sessions since March 1 while running for Congress in Los Angeles. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/24/10

California lieutenant governor's family business owes U.S. more than $100,000 in taxes -- The IRS files a lien against Abel Maldonado's Santa Barbara County farm. It is the ninth time since 1992 that tax collectors have filed liens against him to compel payments totaling more than $240,000. Jack Dolan and Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/24/10

Ad Watch: Meg Whitman ad mostly misleading -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is airing a new TV ad that attacks Democratic nominee Jerry Brown, claiming he has no plan for the state. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/24/10

Brown slides rightward on pension overhaul -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown, long a supporter of public employee retirement rights, is staking out territory in what is traditionally Republican ground: government pension reform. Jon Ortiz and David Siders in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/24/10

CalBuzz: Swap Meet: Drugs, Money & the Panty Mask Bandit -- Today Calbuzzard and Chief Editorial Pen Stabber Tom Meyer buzz kills the state Democratic party which, for reasons that remain hazy, made a hash of their chance last weekend to endorse the Prop. 19 initiative to legalize pot. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 7/24/10

Newsom Touts the Green Agenda -- San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, promised on Friday that his party’s green agenda will ultimately prove to be the key to job growth and economic recovery. His remarks echoed recent arguments made by Sen. Barbara Boxer and other Democratic candidates who have come under attack by Republican challengers. Gerry Shih and Jack Duane Bay Citizen -- 7/24/10

California Counties See Tax Shrinkage -- Assessed property values in California are likely to decline for the second year running, according to a Bond Buyer review of data from the state’s larger counties. Rich Saskal The Bond Buyer -- 7/24/10

Milken Institute: California losing its film industry jobs -- Film-making, California's most famous industry, has been shedding jobs in the state and is in danger of going the way of the once-powerful aerospace industry, the Milken Institute says in a study released Thursday. Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 7/24/10

Only 2 California House races IDd as competitive -- The anti-Congress fervor sweeping the nation may threaten Democrats' majority in the House and Speaker Nancy Pelosi's leadership position but it poses little threat to California's representatives, nearly all of whom appear poised to win re-election. James Kuo, Anne Marie Walker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/24/10

   Economy - Jobs

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig 'disappointed' by San Jose's move for a stadium ballot measure -- Major League Baseball officials on Friday blasted San Jose's plans to place an A's ballpark measure on the ballot, even as city leaders unveiled details of what voters would be asked in November. Tracy Seipel in the San Jose Mercury -- 7/24/10

Struggling California county hopeful about state loan -- The leaders of a rural Northern California county that has been considering bankruptcy said they are hopeful about their request to the state for two multimillion dollar loans after discussions Friday with top state finance officials. CATHY BUSSEWITZ AP -- 7/24/10

New-vehicle sales in California up sharply from early 2009 -- The Sacramento-based California New Car Dealers Association's quarterly report, released Friday, reported 323,762 new-vehicle registrations in the second quarter, up 26 percent from 257,031 in the year-ago period. Registrations include fleet transactions. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/24/10

3 widely different East Bay ZIPs in hottest 10 -- The Bay Area boasted six of the top 10 ZIP codes in the United States where homes sold above the asking price in the second quarter of 2010, and three of them were in vastly different East Bay neighborhoods - from stable central Berkeley to hardscrabble East Oakland, according to a report released Thursday. Robert Selna in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/24/10

   Education

Negative bond outlook doesn't mean much to Baldwin Park USD officials -- A financial firm that rates the strengths of bonds has placed the Baldwin Park Unified School District on a negative watch list. Thomas Himes in the San Gabriel Tribune -- 7/24/10

Sacramento special education school named in fraud lawsuit -- Universal Health Services, the owner of a Sacramento special education school, has been named in a fraud lawsuit under the California False Claims Act. Melody Gutierrez in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/24/10

Bay Area parents coalesce to work to reform education funding -- Urged on by the worsening state budget crisis, a group of parents from across the Bay Area have joined together to mobilize other parents to reform the way California funds education. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury -- 7/24/10

California school boards group exec retires amid credit-card, pay revelations -- It was a fall from grace for a man who has championed public schools across the state. Melody Gutierrez and Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/24/10

Schools paying millions too much for new roofs -- California public school districts are spending too much annually to replace or repair hundreds of school roofs by employing a practice that restricts cost-saving competitive bidding and makes taxpayers pay up to double what they otherwise would spend, an investigation has found. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/24/10

   Environment

Ban sought for pesticide used widely by California farms -- Two national groups sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week in an effort to ban the use of chlorpyrifos, a chemical sprayed on wine grapes, walnuts, almonds and scores of other crops. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/24/10

L.A. marks 20 years of riding the rails — the second time around -- Five light-rail train and subway lines have been built in two decades, and plans call for more growth. Abby Sewell in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/24/10

La Nina could revive California drought -- Don't let the running rivers and rising reservoirs fool you. The break in California's three-year drought might not last. Mark Grossi in the Fresno Bee -- 7/24/10

   Health Care

Lawmakers debate whether to extend, expand, end syringe sales -- Without action, such sales will become illegal at this year's end -- and public health authorities suggest that could be a deadly tragedy. Josh Richman in the Oakland Tribune -- 7/24/10

Whooping cough bill gains Assembly support -- Three years ago, Assembly Member Juan Arambula couldn't get a bill passed in the California Legislature allowing schools to require a whooping cough shot for incoming seventh-graders. But that was before an epidemic of the disease this year. Barbara Anderson in the Fresno Bee -- 7/24/10

   Immigration

Detained immigrants can now be located online -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement launches a search service for relatives and attorneys trying to find people in a nationwide maze of prisons and jails. Anna Gorman in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/24/10

   Also..

Bell council defiantly defends outgoing officials' high salaries -- Resignations of the city manager, assistant city manager and police chief are accepted. Financial details of the departures have not been released. Ruben Vives, Jeff Gottlieb and Corina Knoll in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/24/10

'Til death do them part? Not for California mayors to say -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made sure this week that California mayors do not have the power to wed – other couples. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/24/10

   Beltway

Tea Party Express spokesman resigns after racist blog post -- Mark Williams refuses to apologize for the publication even after being shunned by a portion of the larger conservative movement, which has been accused of tolerating racism. Michael A. Memoli and Kathleen Hennessey in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/24/10

enate Democrats regret supporting Roberts, Alito -- The Democrats’ criticism of Roberts and Alito comes as some centrist Republicans mull whether to break with their party and support Elena Kagan, President Obama’s nominee to the high court. J. Taylor Rushing The Hill -- 7/24/10

The Age of Rage -- Here’s the optimistic case: The embarrassment of the Shirley Sherrod story — with its toxic convergence of partisan combat and media recklessness — will be a tipping point. It will remind journalists and politicians alike that personal reputations and professional credibility are at stake, and a bit more restraint and responsibility are in order. Here’s the realistic case: Get ready for more of the same. JOHN F. HARRIS & JIM VANDEHEI Politico -- 7/24/10

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