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California awaits budget while its legislators rake in millions -- Lawmakers have taken in $6.9 million in campaign contributions — many from companies with business before the state — since the fiscal year began July 1. Meanwhile, the state's bills go unpaid. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 Audit says public funds paid off ex-Bell city manager's loans -- Draft report alleges that $95,000 in city money was put in Robert Rizzo's retirement accounts to repay loans he had made to himself. An expert says the allegations could amount to federal wire fraud. Ruben Vives and Jeff Gottlieb in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 Prison guards' union endorses Jerry Brown -- California Correctional Peace Officers Association President Mike Jimenez said in a news release that the union's decision was guided by a "tremendous need for reform and a pragmatic approach and understanding of the crisis that we see within the correctional system." Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 9/20/10 Unions target Fiorina, Whitman fundraisers -- Watch for snarled streets tonight in Piedmont and tomorrow in Burlingame as labor unions and others protest fundraising events for Republican U.S. Senate nominee Carly Fiorina and Republican gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman, respectively. Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog -- 9/20/10 Whitman pushes to suspend state law requiring companies to lower greenhouse gases -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman repeated her call to suspend AB32, the state law that requires companies to lower greenhouse gases, saying she wants to "figure out how to be smart and green." Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 9/20/10 Imperial County, Prop. 8 lawyers' briefs attack Judge Walker -- Imperial County, the lone California jurisdiction defending Proposition 8 on appeal, announced today that it has filed its opening brief arguing its right to defend the voter-enacted same-sex marriage ban. Susan Ferriss SacBee Capitol Alert -- 9/20/10 CD11: Joust begins over NRCC ad -- Democratic Rep. Jerry McNerney’s campaign has asked Comcast to pull the National Republican Congressional Committee’s new anti-McNerney television ad on the grounds that it is “false, misleading and knowingly misstates (McNerney’s) position on the issue of executive compensation.” Lisa Vorderbrueggen Political Blotter weblog -- 9/20/10 Fiorina affirms tax cuts for all, even the wealthy -- The federal government should extend tax cuts for everyone, including the wealthy, during "an economically devastating period," Republican U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina said Monday. JUDY LIN AP -- 9/20/10 Whitman, Brown have no specifics on budget impasse -- The two candidates seeking to replace Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger were quick to criticize him again Monday for failing to reach a deal with the Legislature on how to solve California's $19 billion budget shortfall. JULIET WILLIAMS AP -- 9/20/10 Clinton brushes off Brown jab, says Whitman has made him 'a household face again' -- Former President Bill Clinton said he understood the frustration that led Jerry Brown to make a joke about Clinton's dalliance with a White House intern and said that any lingering tension with Brown from their 1992 presidential primary has long been forgotten. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 Budget talks postponed as Schwarzenegger calls in sick -- A meeting of top lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger planned for Monday has been postponed, with the governor sick and staying in Los Angeles, according to his spokesman, Aaron McLear. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 Budget +82: The Week Ahead -- This may sound ludicrous to those outside the state Capitol, but there's a sense around here that lawmakers have finally gotten serious about agreeing to a new budget. Yep, that's only about 12 weeks after the fiscal year began. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 9/20/10 Meg Whitman, Jerry Brown talk jobs while raising cash -- On the gubernatorial campaign trail this week, Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown are both focusing on jobs and raising a little money of their own. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 Meg Whitman talks pensions, prisons, unions with Bee editorial board -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman told The Sacramento Bee editorial board this morning that, if elected, she'll negotiate with the three biggest public employee unions to create 401(k)-style retirement plans for new state workers. Jack Chang in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/20/10 Schrag: The Whitman Campaign: Do We Now Trust Women Too Much? -- Meg Whitman’s handlers probably didn’t expect the semi-tough questions she received in her appearance at the San Francisco headquarters of Yelp, conventionally described as a social networking and search website, a sort of on-line Zagat that reviews everything from beauticians to night life and financial services. Peter Schrag Cal Progress Report -- 9/20/10 Cruickshank: It's Only Class Warfare When We Fight Back -- Barbara Boxer's newest ad is a damning attack on Carly Fiorina's record of destroying jobs in order to make herself richer - including enjoying her million-dollar yacht. Robert Cruickshank (Calitics) Cal Progress Report -- 9/20/10 Fox: Local Government Scandals, High Salaries, Pensions and Prop 22 -- Timing is everything the old saying goes and that wisdom may apply directly to Proposition 22 on the November ballot. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds weblog -- 9/20/10 California writing new rules on greenhouse gas, sprawl -- Two years after approving a landmark anti-sprawl law to cut greenhouse gases, California is poised to adopt long-awaited rules targeting land-use and vehicle pollution in regions across the state. John Howard Capitol Weekly -- 9/20/10 Legislature to investigate local government pay -- Assemblywoman Alyson Huber (D-El Dorado Hills) called the hearing of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, which she chairs, and two other Assembly committees as she continues to push for government salaries to be posted on the Internet. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 Obama rejects criticism that he's been too hard on Wall Street -- The president acknowledges that measures taken to stabilize the economy haven't worked as fast as hoped but says he has 'absolutely not' vilified or enacted policies harmful to the business community. Michael A. Memoli in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10
Experts wonder if Jerry Brown's words make him a straight shooter or loose cannon -- Since the primary, the Democrat has compared Meg Whitman's campaign to a Nazi propagandist and referred to Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. Some strategists worry about long-term damage. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 Skelton: Less could be more for Jerry Brown -- If he pledged to serve only one term, he and the state of California could both be winners. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 Boxer, Fiorina fundraising reflects contrasting ideologies -- On issue after issue, the battle for the Senate seat in California between incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer and Republican Carly Fiorina is a study in contrasts. That is no less true when it comes to who is bankrolling their campaigns. Mike Zapler in the San Jose Mercury -- 9/20/10 Boxer unapologetic for reputation as a fighter -- This was to be the crowning year of California Sen. Barbara Boxer's career: More than three decades as a liberal environmental crusader had landed her at the helm of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, with lead jurisdiction over climate-change legislation. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/20/10 Valero key player in bid to suspend climate-change law -- Valero Energy Corp. CEO Bill Klesse once jokingly suggested oil industry executives should fight global warming by holding their breath. Now, his company has emerged as a major force behind the November ballot measure to suspend California's climate change law. Rick Daysog in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/20/10 Schwarzenegger considers bills to prevent Bell-type pay, pension excesses -- But city representatives and legal experts say some of the rules aimed at avoiding deals such as those given to Robert Rizzo could spark legal battles that would have to be decided in the courts. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 Cardoza, Costa face uncertain election climate -- San Joaquin Valley congressional Democrats confront a political head wind as they try to hold on to their House seats. Michael Doyle and John Ellis in the Fresno Bee -- 9/20/10 Diaz: On Redistricting Reform -- No one ever thought the politicians in power would give up easily on one of their most cherished tools for assuring re-election: The ability to hand-select the voters they represent. John Diaz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/20/10 Walters: Obamacare measures are up in the air in California -- Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to end his historic, seven-year governorship in a burst of political glory, but reality dictates otherwise: Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/20/10 In home stretch, Angelides brings meltdown probe to Sacramento -- So far this year, Phil Angelides has made Alan Greenspan squirm. He's rattled the head of Goldman Sachs and put the nation's chief money men, Ben Bernanke and Timothy Geithner, on the spot about the stock market crash. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/20/10 Sal Russo, the firepower behind the 'tea party' -- The seasoned strategist, who spent decades handling advertising for Republican politicians, is advancing the movement through Tea Party Express, which has raised $5 million. Some question his motives. Matea Gold in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 State online voter registration still years off -- California residents can go online to pay car fees, check out library books and enroll in college courses. Yet when it comes to one of the biggest parts of life in a democracy -- registering to vote -- the Internet remains a bit player. JIM MILLER in the Riverside Press -- 9/20/10 In One City, an Islamic Center Unifies -- Infuriated residents of this small southern California city made a national name for themselves when they ousted three municipal officials after revelations of six-figure salaries. Lesser known is that Bell's citizen revolution is being run from an Islamic community center. TAMMY AUDI in the Wall Street Journal -- 9/20/10 Jerry Brown's pay reviews can start in Bay Area -- In the wake of revelations that the little Los Angeles County town of Bell was paying its city manager nearly $800,000, state Attorney General Jerry Brown has announced plans to review all local government salaries of more than $300,000. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/20/10 Local rules hazy for pot measure -- Carry it, grow it, but don't expect to buy it. A Nov. 2 ballot measure could legalize marijuana in California, but even if it passes, Inland Empire residents likely won't to be able to buy a dime bag at their local 7-11. James Rufus Koren in the San Bernardino Sun -- 9/20/10 William Coblentz, California Power Broker, Dies at 88 -- William Coblentz, who helped shape California’s postwar history — battling Gov. Ronald Reagan as a liberal university regent, representing Patricia Hearst and the Jefferson Airplane as a lawyer, shepherding major building projects as a power broker — died on Sept. 13 in San Francisco. He was 88. DOUGLAS MARTIN - in the New York Times -- 9/20/10
CalBuzz: Brown Proposes Baseball Arbitration Budget Plan -- On a recent appearance on “Good Day L.A.,” the popular morning show on KTTV Fox 11, Jerry Brown endorsed the framework of the “Baseball Arbitration Budget Plan,” first proposed by political consultant Richie Ross on Calbuzz. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 9/20/10
Borenstein: Voters kept in the dark on school bonds -- Voters in East Bay school districts will be asked Nov. 2 to approve a collective $854 million of bonds to fund school construction. By the districts' estimates, which they're not sharing with voters, repayment with interest will increase property tax bills $3 billion. Daniel Borenstein in the Contra Costa Times -- 9/20/10
Investors seeing farmland as safer bet than stocks -- Wary of fluctuations on Wall Street, more wealthy Americans, private funds and foreigners are putting money into parcels of cornfields, fruit orchards and other U.S. agricultural products. P.J. Huffstutter in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 Many veterans with PTSD struggle to find supportive employment -- Experts say simple accommodations can greatly improve their success in the workplace, but many employers are still wary of hiring those with mental disabilities. Alexandra Zavis in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 Job Front: Times are tough for older workers -- Older workers are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. work force, according to the federal Administration on Aging, but they also face unprecedented challenges in today's job market. Darrell Smith in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/20/10
Thousands of state inmates shut out of the classroom -- Fewer than one in every ten California inmates are enrolled in an educational program, despite a pledge by state officials to enhance rehabilitation efforts in order to cut recidivism and relieve prison overcrowding. Michael Montgomery California Watch -- 9/20/10 Cal Poly Pomona wants to raze iconic but seismically unstable building -- Anyone who has visited Cal Poly Pomona in the last decade has probably seen the Classroom Laboratory Administration building. Its triangular "skyroom" atop the eight-story tower is visible from the freeway, a sort of visual representation of the university. Erica Perez California Watch -- 9/20/10 Teachers still spending their own money on classroom supplies -- Cutting coupons, looking for back-to-school deals and shopping at the Dollar Tree are just a few ways teachers are making the most out of their money. Canan Tasci in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 9/20/10 Bill seeks to add free water to school menus -- Despite a renewed focus on healthy eating, many districts, including L.A. Unified, don't always offer free water with meals. Mary MacVean in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 UC Davis Chancellor Katehi has come a long way -- Neil Armstrong's 1969 moon landing was a pivotal event for UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi. She was 15 at the time, growing up in a Greek port town where not a single woman had ever been to college. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/20/10 Sacramento County juvenile hall also runs a school -- Many of the delinquent juveniles come from an environment of drugs, alcohol, sex and gang violence. But for five hours a day inside the youth detention facility, they attend school to learn to read, write, add and subtract Chelsea Phua in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/20/10
Gas stations fuming about order to remove nozzle latches -- California gas station owners are fuming about new emission-trapping pump nozzles required by the state’s pollution regulator, the Air Resources Board, after more than a dozen customers were sprayed with gasoline. Susanne Rust California Watch -- 9/20/10 Judge invalidates regulation allowing more piers on Lake Tahoe -- Federal judge says the planning agency did not conduct an adequate environmental review of the effect of the rules, which permit building 128 private piers and nearly 1,900 moorings. Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/20/10 Delta: A lake in the making -- Common in lakes and reservoirs around the world, this kind of algae is less likely to be found in estuaries where rivers and ocean tides tangle in a restless ebb and flow. But the slime has spread in an increasingly stagnant Delta. Mike Taugher in the Oakland Tribune -- 9/20/10
Key provisions of national health care reform take effect this week -- Of this week's cluster of changes, the one which will touch most the most Americans enables adult children to stay on their parent's insurance policy until age 26. Jim Steinberg in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 9/20/10
'Cynical' policy tacitly encourages illegal immigration -- On Nov. 6, 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed the bill that was supposed to end illegal immigration. Instead, it became one of the biggest public policy failures since Prohibition. RONALD CAMPBELL in the Orange County Register -- 9/20/10
PG&E tells San Jose and other cities they have high-risk gas line segments -- As PG&E prepares to release its list of the 100 highest-risk natural gas pipelines as early as today, the utility informed San Jose on Sunday that two of those lines lie in the northern part of the Bay Area's largest city. Steve Johnson, Sandra Gonzales and Joshua Melvin in the San Jose Mercury -- 9/20/10 Google's official Beekeeper -- Bill Thomszewski -- keeps the company buzzing with excitement -- Dripping honey from his hands, from his white, sting-retardant bee suit and even from his face, he looked like a giant, slightly deranged Pooh Bear. Bruce Newman in the San Jose Mercury -- 9/20/10 Violence and Faith in East Oakland -- In the past three years, two bullets shattered the front window, a teenager was shot just outside and the downstairs neighbor was mugged. Before that, a woman’s lifeless body was unearthed from a dumpster less than a block away. Hilary Abramson HealthyCal.org -- 9/20/10
Colin Powell critical of President Obama -- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president in 2008 despite serving three Republican presidents, said Sunday that Obama needs to change his approach in the White House because voters are feeling overwhelmed by sweeping new laws that expand the scope of government. CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN Politico -- 9/20/10
Obama Aides Weigh Bid to Tie the G.O.P. to the Tea Party -- President Obama’s political advisers, looking for ways to help Democrats and alter the course of the midterm elections in the final weeks, are considering a range of ideas, including national advertisements, to cast the Republican Party as all but taken over by Tea Party extremists, people involved in the discussion said. JACKIE CALMES and MICHAEL D. SHEAR in the New York Times -- 9/20/10 More House Democrats stressing independence from Pelosi, Obama -- Little more than two years after she touted him for the vice presidential nomination, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cannot count on the support of Rep. Chet Edwards. Paul Kane and Karen Tumulty in the Washington Post -- 9/20/10 |
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