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Debt deal could devastate California budget -- California gets $79 billion a year from the federal government - nearly 40 percent of what it spends. The money goes to everything from highways to universities. So when the federal government sneezes, California catches a cold. Washington's frantic debt-ceiling negotiations are about to let loose a $1 trillion-plus sneeze. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/30/11 California labor unions fight initiative signature drives -- As solicitors for more than a dozen initiatives hit California's streets for petition signatures to get the issues on next year's ballot, labor unions targeted by potential measures are starting to fight back. Torey Van Oot in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/30/11 Lt. governor releases plan to revive Calif economy -- Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposal to jumpstart economic development and job growth in California, unveiled Friday, drew support from business and labor alike as it focused on "small wins" that he believes entrenched political factions can agree on. ADAM WEINTRAUB AP David Siders in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/30/11 Congress takes up Amazon sales tax issue -- Congress is wading into the roiling dispute between states and giant Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc. over collecting sales taxes on online purchases. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/30/11 Panel OKs remap; fight likely -- New California legislative and congressional districts were tentatively approved Friday by an independent state commission that already is bracing for a legal fight. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/30/11 State congressional leaders claim turf in proposed new districts -- Can you say mad scramble? The last "aye" had barely been uttered in Friday's votes by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission giving tentative approval to blueprints for new political districts when members of the state congressional delegation began declaring their intentions. Richard Simon and Jean Merl LA Times PolitiCal -- 7/30/11 State GOP leader takes wait-and-see attitude on redistricting -- On Friday, just hours after the commission gave tentative approval to new maps for California congressional, state Senate, Assembly and Board of Equalization districts, Del Beccaro said his group will take some time to look at them before deciding whether to go to court or start a referendum drive. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/30/11 Lewis, Baca could face off -- Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, whose residence would now be in Rep. Joe Baca's district, will have a decision to make - move into a new district similar to the area he currently represents, or face off against Baca, D-San Bernardino, in Baca's home district. Mediha Fejzagic DiMartino in the San Bernardino Sun -- 7/30/11 Preliminary maps point to close races in region -- Inland Southern California voters' mailboxes, TV sets and newspapers would get a lot more campaign-season action under preliminary political maps approved Friday by the state's independent redistricting panel. JIM MILLER in the Riverside Press -- 7/30/11 Jeff Gorell's district redrawn during deployment to Afghanistan -- When Republican Assemblyman Jeff Gorell returns home next spring from a yearlong military deployment to Afghanistan, he'll find that his district has been redrawn to contain more Democrats than Republicans. Jim Sanders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 7/30/11 State redistricting plan reinvents North Coast political lines -- The North Coast’s two congressional districts were dramatically altered in maps approved Friday by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, putting Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park and Cotati in an inland district that includes Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson’s hometown of St. Helena. GUY KOVNER in the Santa Rosa Press -- 7/30/11 Redistricting: The Line Dancing Ends -- There are two, and only two, options left at this point for the political districts in which Californians will reside for the next decade: the current maps from the state's citizens redistricting panel or as-yet-to-exist maps drawn by judges. John Myers Capitol Notes -- 7/30/11 California ends early presidential primaries -- Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Friday that moves next year's presidential party contests from February back to June, to coincide with state primaries on legislative races and ballot measures. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle Anthony York LA Times PolitiCal -- 7/30/11 Assemblyman Garrick pleads no contest to drunken driving -- Assemblyman Martin Garrick, R-Solana Beach, will lose his driver's license for four months and perform 48 hours of community service after pleading no contest Friday to drunken driving charges. Paresh Dave in the Sacramento Bee Patrick McGreevy LA Times PolitiCal -- 7/30/11 Taxpayers off the hook as Blakeslee buys state vehicle -- Republican state Sen. Sam Blakeslee announced Friday that he'll reach into his own pocket to buy the luxury vehicle originally purchased with public funds for his state job, including the commute between Sacramento and his San Luis Obispo district. Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/30/11 Jeffrey Barker leaving High-Speed Rail Authority -- Jeffrey Barker, executive officer for communications, policy and public outreach at the California High-Speed Rail Authority, is leaving the embattled agency. David Siders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 7/30/11
New Data Shows Sharp Slowdown in Growth Rate -- The economy slowed to a snail’s pace in the first half of 2011, underscoring a growing risk that the recovery itself may hang in the balance with budget and debt decisions in Washington. CATHERINE RAMPELL in the New York Times -- 7/30/11 Fight over binding arbitration in Palo Alto heats up -- Palo Alto firefighters are ramping up their fight against a ballot measure that would repeal the city's controversial binding arbitration policy. Diana Samuels in the San Jose Mercury -- 7/30/11 Apple has more cash than the U.S. Treasury -- As the government struggled to reach an agreement on raising the debt ceiling, the U.S. Treasury's cash balance fell to $74 billion this week. That's less than the $76 billion that Apple now has in cash. David Sarno in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/30/11
Amid cutbacks, school district leaders' benefits added -- In a summer in which the San Bernardino City Unified School District laid off teachers and negotiated pay cuts for other employees, the school board gave two veteran administrators thousands of dollars in new retirement benefits out of fear they would retire -- even though board members said the pair never announced plans to do so. BRIAN ROKOS in the Riverside Press -- 7/30/11 John Deasy gets good marks from mayor, others -- A former high school chemistry and biology teacher, Los Angeles Unified Superintendent John Deasy approaches his job as head of the nation's second largest school district like he would a science experiment -- methodically and with precision. Connie Llanos in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 7/30/11
Lopez: Cutting Medi-Cal backfires -- 35,000 seniors in California will soon have nowhere to spend their days. In terms both human and fiscal, it's bad news. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/30/11
Jerry Brown declares Detroit ‘finally’ on board on air standards -- Gov. Jerry Brown declared Friday that "the auto companies have finally come on board" in support of tough air pollution standards California has long pushed. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/30/11 EPA gas mileage ratings don't add up in real world -- The EPA's tests that measure a vehicle's fuel economy are outdated. They're conducted with professional drivers inside of laboratories using better-performing fuel and with air conditioning turned off for most of the ride. Jerry Hirsch in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/30/11 California sets goal for limiting drinking water pollutant -- It is the nation's first public health goal for hexavalent chromium, made infamous in 'Erin Brockovich.' The goal isn't an enforceable standard but will help develop one, an official says. Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/30/11
Stadium profit-sharing not feasible, L.A. council told -- Developer AEG can't afford to let the city have a portion of proceeds from the proposed football venue, analysts say. Three council skeptics say they're moving toward backing the financial plan. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/30/11 Oakland pushes ahead with new stadium plan for Raiders, solo or shared -- Oakland officials didn't let the NFL lockout stand in the way of their plans to transform the city's gray and sagging Coliseum into a new stadium and entertainment district that some supporters are calling Oakland Live. Angela Woodall in the Contra Costa Times -- 7/30/11 Former congresswoman wins battle with cancer -- Nine was the magic number. Nine was the number of laps around Duke University Hospital's surgical ward the doctor treating former East Bay Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher for cancer said she must walk in a single day if she wanted to go home. Lisa Vorderbrueggen in the Contra Costa Times -- 7/30/11
Obama’s Crucible Moment at Intersection of Politics and the Economy -- It was a day that brought fresh evidence of all the forces converging on President Obama in the latter half of his term: a weakened economy he cannot lift, a deeply divided Congress he cannot move and, as a result, a level of political risk he seems hard-pressed to control. JOHN HARWOOD in the New York Times -- 7/30/11 The President Calls In His Hashtag Team -- The White House is trying to drive home its central political message every way it can. After President Obama on Friday morning again called for legislators to reach for a compromise, he urged Americans to express their support on Twitter. MICHAEL D. SHEAR in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/30/11
Debt focus shifts to Senate -- The House passes Speaker Boehner's plan for raising the federal debt ceiling and the Senate quickly votes it down, starting on its own solution that might win bipartisan support. Lisa Mascaro, Kathleen Hennessey and Christi Parsons in the Los Angeles Times -- 7/30/11 |
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