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Obama State of the Union speech: 'No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts' -- President Barack Obama called economic fairness “the defining issue of our time” in his State of the Union address Tuesday, casting himself as a defender of middle-class Americans and setting the agenda for his reelection campaign. JENNIFER EPSTEIN Politico -- 1/24/12 Obama points to income inequality, calls for millionaires' tax in address -- President Obama opened his reelection year with a combative State of the Union speech, proposing to require millionaires to pay at least 30% of their income in taxes and to eliminate deductions that save companies money if they move jobs overseas. Christi Parsons and Kathleen Hennessey in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/12 Gov. Jerry Brown's tax proposal gains support among voters -- In a survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, 68 percent -- up from 60 percent six weeks ago -- of likely voters approve his plan to increase the sales tax by a half percent and raise income taxes on individuals with an annual income of $250,000 or more. Steven Harmon in the San Jose Mercury Michael Gardner UT Sandiego TOM VERDIN AP-- 1/24/12 Romney, sinking in polls, says 'banks aren't bad people' -- At one of only two events of his schedule, he traveled to a subdivision east of Fort Myers to blast the Democratic incumbent over one of the central economic issues in the 2012 election: the housing bust. Paul West in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/12 California lawmakers to sue John Chiang over their pay -- Democratic legislative leaders sued Controller John Chiang today for blocking their pay during last year's budget dispute, a decision that drew scorn from lawmakers last summer. Kevin Yamamura SacBee Capitol Alert Anthony York and Patrick McGreevy LA Times PolitiCal Marisa Lagos Chronicle Politics Don Thompson AP -- 1/24/12 Billions of dollars at stake in proposed ballot initiatives -- Big-dollar combatants lined up Tuesday to get on California’s high-stakes ballot, as initiatives to speed up business tax assessments, boost taxes on the wealthy to pay for university students’ education and put the brakes on the $100 billion high-speed rail program were cleared for circulation. The item is at Capitol Weekly -- 1/24/12 Audit accuses high-speed rail of risky financing, contract splitting -- In yet another blow to California's troubled high-speed rail project, California's state auditor said this morning that the project's financing is "increasingly risky" and its oversight inadequate. David Siders SacBee Capitol Alert Michael B. Marois and James Nash Bloomberg JULIET WILLIAMS AP -- 1/24/12 Turning from his taxes, Romney prebuts Obama's State of the Union -- Using a largely empty building-materials warehouse as a backdrop, Mitt Romney tried to shift attention away from his personal wealth and focus it instead on the man he'd like to face in the fall. Paul West in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/12 Romney tax returns: $21.7 M in income, 13.9 % rate in 2010 -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his wife Ann paid $3 million in federal taxes in 2010 on nearly $21.7 million of income derived from a vast array of investments, amounting to an effective tax rate of 13.9%, according returns released by his campaign Tuesday. Matea Gold and Tom Hamburger in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/12 Obama's State of the Union will include new push for tax reform -- President Obama will use his State of the Union address this evening to make a renewed case for an overhaul of the tax reform, one of a host of "common sense" ideas advisers say he'll offer to shore up the American economy and tackle the growing deficit. Michael A. Memoli in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/12 Obama to double down on green energy tonight despite Solyndra -- White House sources outlining President Obama’s State of the Union speech tonight said he will call for “a new era for American energy strategy, fueled by home-grown and alternative energy….” Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/24/12 Steve Jobs’ widow also a guest at SOTU --- It turns out Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger of San Francisco won’t be the only Bay Area guest of First Lady Michele Obama at tonight’s State of the Union address: Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ widow will be there, too, the White House announced this morning. Josh Richman Political Blotter Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/24/12 CMR: Quinn: Seniority's Not What It Used To Be -- There has been much hand wringing of late over the loss of California's clout in Congress due to the retirements of some senior members. Tony Quinn Capitol Morning Report -- 1/24/12 California Home Foreclosure Notices Decline 12% as Lenders Change Policies -- Foreclosure notices in California, the state with the highest number of distressed mortgages, fell in the fourth quarter as the housing market improved and loan servicers changed their policies, DataQuick said. John Gittelsohn Bloomberg -- 1/24/12 Whooping cough deaths in California vanish in 2011; cases plummet -- Nobody in California died from whooping cough in 2011 -- the first time in more than two decades that there were no deaths due to the disease, public health officials announced early Tuesday. Anna Gorman in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/12 Did local politics scuttle pesticide bill? -- It was inevitable that internal tension would surface this year between Assemblyman Das Williams of Santa Barbara, a close ally of former Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson, and Assemblywoman Fiona Ma of San Francisco, the newly wed wife of Oxnard Harbor District Commissioner Jason Hodge. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star -- 1/24/12
CalPERS earns 1.1% on investments in 2011 -- It falls short of the 7.75% average that actuaries say CalPERS needs to meet obligations. Calendar-year results are just indicators — the public pension fund's fiscal year ends in June. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/24/12 Walters: Jerry Brown's budget ups the stakes over California education -- The state budget contains hundreds of specific provisions but none is bigger, more complicated, more politicized, more emotional – or more important – than the 30 or so billion dollars that it spends on K-12 education. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/24/12 Occidental Gives $250,000 Boost to Brown Drive for Higher California Taxes -- California Governor Jerry Brown’s campaign to raise income and sales taxes to avoid deep cuts to schools collected $1.45 million from Occidental Petroleum Corp., American Indian gaming interests, hospitals and a building- trades union, reports show. James Nash Bloomberg -- 1/24/12 Nancy Pelosi lays plan to regain House speakership -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is predicting that Democrats will recapture the House in November, a move that could open the possibility of the San Francisco Democrat regaining the speakership and becoming the first politician to return to that office after a defeat since Texas Democrat Sam Rayburn in 1955. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/24/12 Hollywood money flows to California Congress members -- Hollywood is threatening politicians with one thing they hold very dear: campaign cash. Will Evans California Watch -- 1/24/12 Former CA Assembly Speaker’s got a brand new career…as TV political analyst -- Fabian Nunez, who as California Assembly Speaker became one of the state’s most prominent Latino lawmakers, is taking on a new media career — joining a team of 2012 election analysts with powerhouse Spanish-language Univision Communications. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics -- 1/24/12 California counties revamping bail policies -- Some California counties are changing long-held policies about who must remain in jail while awaiting trial, allowing judges to free criminal defendants based not on whether they can afford bail but whether they're a risk to public safety. Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/24/12 Mirkarimi Faces New Abuse Allegations -- San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi was hit with new allegations of domestic violence over the weekend. An ex-girlfriend filed a report with police claiming she suffered a minor injury during an argument with the former supervisor, a law enforcement source has confirmed. TREY BUNDY Bay Citizen Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/24/12 Doomed redevelopment agencies leave debt of $30 billion -- As the lights are fading to black for California’s 425 redevelopment agencies, their successors will inherit $29.8 billion in unpaid long-term debt, according to the latest figures from the state controller’s office. Teri Sforza in the Orange County Register -- 1/24/12
Occupy Oakland tab up to $3 million and counting -- The news spotlight has moved elsewhere, but Oakland continues to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars a month for the Occupy protests. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/24/12 Occupy SLO to mark 100th day at County Government Center -- Occupy San Luis Obispo, the local variant of the national Occupy Wall Street movement, will celebrate its 100th day Thursday at the County Government Center on Monterey Street in downtown San Luis Obispo. The item is in the SLO Tribune -- 1/24/12
UC picks Richmond for Lawrence Berkeley lab campus -- The lab's new campus will bring in more than 800 jobs, attract spin-off enterprises and generate millions of dollars in tax revenue that could transform the city of 100,000 residents. Carolyn Jones in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/24/12 Average Silicon Valley Tech Salary Passes $100,000 -- Average annual salaries for Silicon Valley technology workers surpassed the $100,000 mark last year, according to a new survey, pushed higher by the strength of the region's latest boom. PUI-WING TAM in the Wall Street Journal -- 1/24/12 Oakland proposes fewer layoffs over redevelopment -- City leaders are proposing to lay off the equivalent of 105 full-time employees and consolidate several departments to close a sudden $28 million deficit following the loss of redevelopment funding. Matthew Artz in the Oakland Tribune -- 1/24/12 Drive to block Santa Clara 49ers stadium clears first of three hurdles -- Opponents of the San Francisco 49ers move to Santa Clara have cleared the first of three high hurdles needed to overturn plans to build a stadium after election officials on Monday verified the group collected enough signatures to put the project back on the ballot. Mike Rosenberg in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/24/12 Waterfront stadium plan revives debate -- A proposal by U-T San Diego’s ownership and opinion arm that champions a football stadium, a sports arena and an expanded convention center along San Diego’s waterfront has revived a public debate over 96 acres of land long coveted by developers. Matthew T. Hall UT Sandiego -- 1/24/12 Union plans one-day strike -- Riverside County’s second-largest union is planning a one-day general strike next week to protest the pension and benefit changes imposed on employees last year. DUANE W. GANG in the Riverside Press -- 1/24/12 Unions losing influence? -- Labor unions, historically a powerful interest group at Sacramento City Hall, are suddenly at a crossroads. Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/24/12 U.S. Supreme Court lets worker protections stand -- The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal by supermarket owners on Monday challenging the authority of California cities, including several in the Bay Area, to protect workers from being fired immediately when their company changes owners. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/24/12 Initiative seeks to boost San Jose minimum wage to $10 -- San Jose State University students have parlayed a class assignment on social justice into a potential ballot measure that could affect tens of thousands of San Jose workers, by raising the minimum wage 25 percent to $10 an hour. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/24/12 State cuts 13 contract psychiatrists at Atascadero State Hospital -- The move is part of the department’s restructuring to cut 600 positions statewide, some of which are already vacant, affecting about 300 people, department Chief Deputy Director Kathy Gaither said. Tonya Strickland SLO Tribune -- 1/24/12 Los Angeles misses out on stimulus grants -- The city of Los Angeles lost out on more than $125 million in federal stimulus money because of a lack of oversight across the various departments pursuing the funds, City Controller Wendy Greuel said Monday. Stephen Ceasar in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/12
Fensterwald: Brown wants quicker results, fewer tests -- Gov. Jerry Brown picked up on a common complaint of teachers, superintendents, and parents in his State of the State address last week: Schools have closed for the summer by the time they get the scores of standardized tests that students took the previous spring. At that point, the results are a lot less useful. John Fensterwald educatedguess -- 1/24/12 Rumberger: America cannot afford the stiff price of a dropout nation -- Kenny Buchanan is 44 years old and dropped out of high school 26 years ago. He’s been paying the price ever since. He’s held eight jobs in the last five years and has never earned more than $40,000 in a year. Russell Rumberger TopEd -- 1/24/12 Analyst: Apple sold more than 350,000 e-textbooks in three days -- Apple's foray into the e-textbook business started off with a bang, according to a report Monday: The company sold more than 350,000 textbooks through its new version of iBooks in its first three days of availability, an analyst said. Jeremy C. Owens in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/24/12 Ex-Beverly Hills schools chief convicted -- Jeffrey Hubbard, now superintendent of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, is convicted on two felony charges of misappropriation of public funds. He said he will appeal. Lauren Williams in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/12 SRJC squeeze on classes delaying plans -- Delayed transfers are an increasingly common fear at SRJC where staff reductions and rising student demand have made getting some crucial classes as difficult as passing them. SAM SCOTT in the Santa Rosa Press -- 1/24/12
Officials oppose extended federal oversight of 2 mental hospitals -- In the wake of a scathing U.S. Justice Department report, California officials argue that new leaders have taken measures to improve patient care and safety at Napa State Hospital and Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk. Lee Romney in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/12 As CHW splits from Catholic Church, patients will notice little change -- Catholic Healthcare West, which operates six hospitals in the Sacramento region, is changing its name to Dignity Health and cutting its affiliation to the Catholic Church. Darrell Smith and Rick Daysog in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/24/12 New insurance provides concussion testing for student-athletes -- As awareness grows of the grave dangers of concussions, coaches and parents across the nation are searching for ways to better manage these brain injuries in young athletes. Grace Rubenstein in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/24/12 Resistant bacteria found in US pork products -- Researchers have found higher-than-expected levels of deadly bacteria in what is considered the largest sampling of raw retail meat products in the United States. Susanne Rust California Watch -- 1/24/12
Small non-profit works to reduce massive sewage spills into San Francisco Bay -- Every year, winter rains like the recent storms that have soaked the Bay Area help fill reservoirs and perk up lawns. But they also carry an ugly downside, causing aging sewage systems to back up, overflow and malfunction, endangering human health and polluting San Francisco Bay. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/24/12 California’s Rangeland Could Take a Hit from Climate Change -- California’s ranchers could face a tougher economic future under climate change. The grasslands they depend on to feed their cattle could shrink by almost 40% by the end of the century, according to a study from Duke University and the Environmental Defense Fund. Lauren Sommer KQED Climate Watch -- 1/24/12 State Joins Suit against San Diego Regional Transportation Plan -- Critics say long-term, San Diego’s plan will add greenhouse gas emissions, not reduce them. Katrina Schwartz KQED Climate Watch -- 1/24/12 The Latest Breakthrough in Biofuels: Seaweed? -- Researchers at Berkeley-based Bio Architecture Lab (BAL) have discovered a way to genetically manufacture a microbe that can break down the sugars in seaweed, so that it can be used as a fuel source. Katrina Schwartz KQED Climate Watch -- 1/24/12
Counterterror, emergency response centers not sharing information -- Dozens of high-tech command centers built or beefed up throughout the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to promote better information sharing and disaster preparation have struggled to do just that. G.W. Schulz California Watch -- 1/24/12 Boys and men of color the focus of meeting in Oakland -- Twenty-year-old Sean Shavers sat, composed, in front of an overflowing auditorium at the Elihu Harris State Building in Oakland last week. To his right sat several members of the California Assembly, and to his left noted local leaders. Heather Gilligan HealthyCal.org -- 1/24/12 Dennis McCarthy: It's been an honor, but it's time to say goodbye -- It's been 40 years since I took a vow of poverty and became a newspaperman. Dennis McCarthy in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 1/24/12
President Obama set to bait GOP -- “No drama-Obama” is walking into the lion’s den Tuesday — and he couldn’t be happier about it. President Obama will use this year’s State of the Union Address to draw a clear line between himself and congressional Republicans. Amie Parnes The Hill -- 1/24/12 What California wants from Obama's state of the union: Path to prosperity -- As the president prepares to take the podium at 6 p.m. PST for his final State of the Union before he asks the Union to re-elect him, most people say they want to hear him chart a path back to prosperity for all. Jobs. A chicken in every pot. Maybe even an Xbox on every plasma TV. At the least, a release from post-recession gloom. Josh Richman in the Contra Costa Times -- 1/24/12 Confident Obama Knows Wild Cards Can Loom Large -- As President Obama prepares to address the state of the union on Tuesday night, the state of his presidency has been improving lately — thanks to encouraging economic news as well as divisive infighting among Republicans. JACKIE CALMES in the New York Times -- 1/24/12
Romney, Gingrich get testy in Florida -- The latest Republican debate offers little new substance but gives the leading candidates an opportunity to sharpen their blows ahead of the state's presidential primary. Mark Z. Barabak and Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/12 Mitt Romney paid $3 million in federal taxes in 2010 -- Romney's tax returns show most of his income came from investments. He also gave nearly $3 million combined to charitable causes and the Mormon Church, helping reduce his effective tax rate to less than 14%. The item is in the Los Angeles Times BRODY MULLINS, PATRICK O'CONNOR and JOHN MCKINNON in the Wall Street Journal -- 1/24/12 ‘Super PAC’ for Gingrich to Get $5 Million Infusion -- A wealthy backer of Newt Gingrich will inject $5 million into a “super PAC” supporting his presidential bid, two people with knowledge of the contribution said on Monday, providing a major boost to Mr. Gingrich as he seeks to fend off aggressive attacks from Mitt Romney, his main Republican rival. NICHOLAS CONFESSORE in the New York Times -- 1/24/12 Saunders: Gingrich can't run entire campaign against media -- When Newt Gingrich called CNN anchor John King's decision "despicable" to begin last Thursday's GOP debate with a question about Gingrich's second wife, the Charleston audience responded with a standing ovation. Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/24/12 How much does Mormon faith hurt Romney? -- Polls show that some voters do not want a Mormon in the White House, but it’s unclear what effect Mitt Romney’s religion is having on the primary elections. DAVID OLSON in the Riverside Press -- 1/24/12 Congressional Republicans Fear Newt Gingrich as Standard-Bearer -- As Newt Gingrich surges again, Congressional Republicans remain fearful that the former Speaker would lose to President Barack Obama and sink the whole GOP ticket in the process if he were nominated. David M. Drucker Roll Call -- 1/24/12 Warren Buffett blames federal law for Mitt Romney's 15% tax rate -- Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said he doesn't blame Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for paying only about 15% of his income in taxes, saying it was misguided federal law that allowed very wealthy people who make a living "shoving around money" to pay a lower rate than average Americans. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/24/12 |
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