|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
State parks shakeup: Scandal sinks plans for local tax measure -- Local parks advocates reacted angrily Friday after State Parks Director Ruth Coleman resigned amid revelations that her agency had nearly $54 million in surplus money that could have been used to keep dozens of state parks off a closure list. DEREK MOORE & BRETT WILKISON in the Santa Rosa Press -- 7/20/12 California parks donors furious over hidden surplus -- John Laird, who leads the California Natural Resources Agency, expressed regret on Friday for a sweeping fund-raising effort to preserve state parks even though the department responsible for them had socked away $54 million in unreported revenue. Chris Megerian and Patrick McGreevy LA Times PolitiCal$ -- 7/20/12 Jerry Brown appoints interim parks chief in wake of scandal -- Gov. Jerry Brown has appointed Natural Resources Agency Undersecretary Janelle Beland acting interim director of the California Parks and Recreation Department, after officials learned the department sat on nearly $54 million in surplus money for as long as 12 years, even as state park closures were ordered. David Siders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 7/20/12 California parks director resigns amid scandal -- State Parks Director Ruth Coleman resigned this morning and her second in command has been fired after officials learned the department has been sitting on nearly $54 million in surplus money for as long as 12 years. Matt Weiser in the Sacramento Bee Judy Lin Associated Press Chris Megerian and Patrick McGreevy LA Times PolitiCal$ Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury -- 7/20/12 California job market outpaces U.S.; employers add 38,300 jobs in June -- With the swelling in payrolls, the unemployment rate dipped to 10.7% in June, according to data released by the state's Employment Development Department. Ricardo Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/12 The politics of California's uptick in jobs -- Politicians have a love-hate relationship with the economy, loving when economic trends play into their political narratives... but hate when those trends are used to characterize them as out of touch. John Myers News10 -- 7/20/12 California Dems want same-sex marriage in party platform -- Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, along with all the Bay Area’s House Dems have signed onto Freedom to Marry’s petition called the “Democrats: Say I Do” to include same-sex marriage rights in the Democratic Party Platform. The move was led by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena Carolyn Lochhead Chronicle Politics -- 7/20/12 Latino legislators back illegal immigrant's bid to practice law -- California’s Latino state legislators have stepped up to support an illegal immigrant and law school graduate seeking permission to practice law in the state. Patrick McGreevy LA Times PolitiCal$ -- 7/20/12 For Republicans, every day brings new reason to oppose tax hikes -- Republicans are seizing every chance they get to undercut Gov. Jerry Brown’s campaign for tax hikes. On Thursday, headlines that Capitol staffers got raises led to press releases excoriating Democrats for supporting Brown’s ballot measure, known as Proposition 30. Chris Megerian LA Times PolitiCal$ -- 7/20/12 Journalism’s Lost Decade -- When the Federal Reserve released a report last month about the plummeting net worth of Americans over the last decade, the thought occurred to us that if anyone were worse off than the nation as a whole it might be journalists. Susan Johnston and Peter Beller Ebyline Blog -- 7/20/12 Fox: “Ballot Mirroring” Poll Gives First Snapshot of All 11 State Measures -- Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy and the California Business Roundtable teamed with M4 Strategies, a public opinion and marketing research firm, to produce the first in a proposed bi-weekly series of polls on the state’s ballot measures. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 7/20/12 Wildermuth: Union Woes Can Be Good News for Brown -- Paying attention to July polls for November ballot propositions is a bit like betting on pre-season NFL games: just because you can doesn’t mean you should. John Wildermuth Fox & Hounds -- 7/20/12 Andy Pugno raising money for campaign he pledged not to run -- Pugno's name will appear on the November ballot for a 6th Assembly District seat, based in Placer County, but he has not yet announced whether he will honor a pledge made months ago to step aside if Assemblywoman Beth Gaines, a fellow Republican from Rocklin, beat him in the primary. Jim Sanders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 7/20/12 Colorado shooting suspect studied neuroscience at UC Riverside -- The man suspected of killing at least 12 and injuring dozens of others in the Aurora, Colo., movie theater shooting graduated from UC Riverside, the university confirmed to the Los Angeles Times. James Eagan Holmes, 24, grew up in San Diego and graduated from Westview High School in 2006. Phil Willon and Frank Shyong in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/12 Parents of alleged Colorado shooter: 'Hearts go out' to victims -- The parents of suspected Colorado shooter James Holmes remained in their San Diego home Friday but said their "hearts go out" to the shooting victims, a police spokeswoman told reporters. Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/12 The Delicate Art of Being a Politician When a Tragedy Occurs -- President Obama and Mitt Romney were both scheduled to talk about how terrible each other are this Friday, but then an actual terrible thing happened. They couldn't cancel their events completely after the Batman shooting in Aurora, Colorado, because they need to look like leaders. What to do? ELSPETH REEVE Atlantic Wire -- 7/20/12 Dianne Feinstein: Colorado shooting raises gun violence issue -- In all the reams of reaction over the cinema shootings in Aurora, Colo., California Sen. Dianne Feinstein was one of the few to introduce politics—albeit glancingly--into the national outpouring of sadness. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/12 Analysis: Obama, Romney wise to steer clear of gun-rights issue -- President Obama and rival Mitt Romney issued similar statements Friday expressing shock and offering their condolences after the shooting rampage in Aurora, Colo. Absent was any discussion of gun control or ways to end gun violence. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/12 Will Gun Control Always Be a Stale Debate? -- Hours after the tragic shooting deaths in Aurora, Colorado advocates on both sides of the gun control debate began reciting the same talking points they've reiterated for years. Is the U.S gun control debate forever destined to be a stale, frozen-in-time conversation? JOHN HUDSON Atlantic Wire -- 7/20/12 Pro-Gun Lobby in Safe Zone -- The National Rifle Association is still winning. Friday's shooting in Colorado is likely to fade into the current gun-policy no man’s land where there is much talk and little action. Fawn Johnson National Journal -- 7/20/12 It’s Not About Guns -- What happened in Colorado in the early hours of this morning was not a “tragedy” but a willful act of mass murder. Charles C. W. Cooke National Review -- 7/20/12 Where Obama and Romney stand on gun control -- In the wake of the tragic shooting in Colorado, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called on President Obama and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney to explain what they would do about gun violence. Rachel Weiner in the Washington Post -- 7/20/12 Why Mitt Romney Invests Overseas -- Romney is taking a beating from the Obama campaign for his holdings abroad. Alex Klein Daily Beast -- 7/20/12 George W. Bush skipping Republican National Convention -- Former President George W. Bush will not attend the Republican convention next month in Tampa, POLITICO has learned. JONATHAN MARTIN Politico -- 7/20/12
Top-paid California legislative employees get pay raises -- As California lawmakers slashed funding for social services and state workers this spring, some of the Legislature's top-paid staff saw the size of their own salaries grow. Torey Van Oot and Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/20/12 Raises for legislative staffers condemned by taxpayer activists -- The decision of state lawmakers to provide hundreds of their staffers with raises before cutting the pay for most other state workers drew a rebuke Thursday from taxpayer advocates who said it undermines Gov. Jerry Brown’s argument that an $8 billion tax increase is desperately needed. Patrick McGreevy LA Times PolitiCal$ -- 7/20/12 A good end to a rough year for California taxes -- California ended the last fiscal year on a high note, raking in 5.6% more tax revenue than expected in June. Chris Megerian LA Times PolitiCal$ -- 7/20/12 Walters: California politicians act as if they live in isolated bubbles -- Thirty-six years ago, during the early stages of a young Jerry Brown's first governorship, actor John Travolta starred in a made-for-TV movie called "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble." Existential coincidence? Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/20/12 Lawmakers call for answers on BioWatch security system -- Democratic and Republican leaders respond to a Los Angeles Times report on problems with the nation's system for detecting biological terrorism. David Willman in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/12 Battle over genetically engineered food heading to voters -- California could become the first state to require labels on genetically modified, or GMO, food products. Firms on both sides are gearing up for campaigns. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/12 Long Wait for the Arrival of Transit Upgrades -- The $4.7 billion approved by the California legislature for construction of the state's high-speed rail system included more than $900 million for Bay Area transit investments. But it will likely be years before the region's commuters and economy get much of a lift. MAX TAVES in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 7/20/12 Internal Probe Into OC Public Works Reveals Dysfunction -- A long awaited internal probe into Orange County’s Public Works Department reveals a dysfunctional organization plagued with meddling from county supervisors’ offices and CEO Tom Mauk on contracts for influential contractors as well as on property improvements for select constituents. NORBERTO SANTANA JR. VoiceofOC.org -- 7/20/12 Malibu Councilman Skylar Peak sent for psychiatric evaluation -- Deputies take Councilman Skylar Peak to a psychiatric hospital after security guards at a Malibu shopping center alleged he threatened them with a sharp object. Martha Groves in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/12 Attorney for Santa Ana councilman wants assault charges dismissed -- An attorney for Councilman Carlos Bustamante is asking an Orange County Superior Court judge to dismiss sexual assault and battery charges, saying the D.A. made 'inflammatory' statements to the media. Nicole Santa Cruz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/12 CalBuzz: Fearless Forecasters of All Stripes Agree It’s Obama -- Beyond Mitt Romney’s secret IRS returns, offshore accounts, tax-free dressage horse, serial lying and overall doofus-ness, here’s one more reason he’ll lose the presidential election to Barack Obama: The planet Mercury rules the 10th House of the King, and it’s in retrograde. You could look it up. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 7/20/12
San Bernardino working on short-term budget -- Having set a fiscal emergency and headed for a bankruptcy filing, San Bernardino must make painful cuts to survive the next month. IMRAN GHORI in the Riverside Press -- 7/20/12 San Bernardino may need at least one year to emerge from bankruptcy -- The next step in the city's move toward filing for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection will be to prepare a short-term budget that will almost certainly call for a round of layoffs. Andrew Edwards in the San Bernardino Sun -- 7/20/12 Affidavit details allegations of bid rigging at San Bernardino City Hall -- A criminal investigation into allegations of kickbacks and placing falsified bids on publicly funded construction projects at the city Parks and Recreation Department is under way. Joe Nelson in the San Bernardino Sun -- 7/20/12 New-vehicle indicator rises sharply in California -- New-vehicle registrations statewide rose 27.4 percent in this year's second quarter compared with the year-ago period, according to the latest report by the Sacramento-based California New Car Dealers Association. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/20/12 Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach building at furious pace -- The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports are building new piers, wharves and rail yards to compete for cargo business. The upgrades will cost about $6 billion. Ronald D. White in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/12 Opponents can't stomach Chick-fil-A's plans in Mountain View -- Chick-fil-A's plans to open a new location in Mountain View have left a bad taste in the mouths of some residents who hope the city council will send the fast-food chain packing, if not for its controversial stance on gay marriage then the impact of the restaurant on its surroundings. Jason Green in the San Jose Mercury -- 7/20/12 U.S. economic data add to signs of slowing recovery -- A raft of economic news Thursday sketched a picture of a weakening U.S. economy held back by sluggish home buying and factory production. Christopher S. Rugaber and Paul Wiseman Associated Press -- 7/20/12
Sacramento Sales tax increase plan -- The Sacramento City Council moved forward Thursday with placing a sales tax increase on the November ballot. Following an hourlong debate, a majority of council members said they support placing a half-percentage-point increase in the city sales tax before voters. Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/20/12
After-school programs in L.A. to get $1.7 million in grants --- The Ford Foundation and the California Community Foundation seek to extend learning time for needy Los Angeles students amid continuing budget cuts. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/12 State Board tells districts Transitional Kindergarten is a must -- Probably the strongest indication of how the State Board of Education would vote on waiver requests from nine school districts seeking to delay the start of Transitional Kindergarten came from the districts themselves; not a single representative showed up to even try to argue their case. Kathryn Baron EdSource -- 7/20/12 State to adopt Common Core view of Algebra I in 8th grade -- The State Board of Education left unresolved a contentious issue of how much algebra should be taught in eighth grade, and to which students, when it approved the state version of the Common Core math standards two years ago. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 7/20/12 Valley school districts using public transit to bus students -- As valley school districts turn to their transportation funding to help balance budgets, they’ve found themselves champions of another form of busing to get to and from school – the public transit systems. Minerva Perez HealthyCal.org -- 7/20/12
restaurant health care surcharges -- San Francisco’s civil grand jury on Thursday chastised many of the city’s restaurants for profiting from surcharges they add to customers’ bills under the name of paying for health care and recommended that the city ban the practice. Barbara Grady SF Public Press -- 7/20/12 excessive prescriptions in overdose deaths -- A Northern California doctor is being accused of gross negligence and prescribing excessive amounts of pain pills to six patients who died of overdoses under his care, according to the Medical Board of California. Christina Jewett California Watch -- 7/20/12
soot standards -- Clean-air advocates urged federal environmental officials Thursday to impose stricter limits on fine-particle pollution, a move industry representatives warned would increase business costs and hurt the economy. JIM MILLER in the Riverside Press Richard Chang in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/20/12 Hollywood residents sue city over tall buildings -- In a legal challenge likely to be debated among candidates in the 2013 mayor's race, a Hollywood group is suing the city over approvals of new zoning laws that allow taller buildings in the neighborhood. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 7/20/12 Carmageddon returns Sept. 29 and 30 to close 405 Freeway -- Carmageddon II, the sequel to last year's weekend-long shutdown of the San Diego (405) freeway, will take place Sept. 29-30, transportation officials announced Thursday. Dakota Smith in the Los Angeles Daily News Ari Bloomekatz in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/12
Undocumented immigrant's law license bid -- California Attorney General Kamala Harris on Wednesday sided with an undocumented immigrant's bid to become a lawyer, telling the state Supreme Court that the law school graduate has a legal right to get his license to practice. Howard Mintz in the Contra Costa Times -- 7/20/12 King to Napolitano: Change immigration policy or I'll see you in court -- Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) on Thursday asked Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to reverse the administration’s new immigration policy or threatened to file a lawsuit to overturn it in court. Jordy Yager The Hill -- 7/20/12
Occupy protesters leave City Hall park as LAPD closes area -- The protesters said they wanted to let people know the movement was still alive but did not want to confront Los Angeles Police Department officers who at 10:30 p.m. locked the entryway of the chain-link fence surrounding the park. Robert J. Lopez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 7/20/12
old school buses find 2nd life farther south -- Thousands of old American school buses cross the southern border each year and are converted into camionetas – or "chicken buses," as they’re called by foreigners, named for the tightly packed quarters and occasional feathered traveler. Kendall Taggart California Watch -- 7/20/12 Oakland church school solicitation -- BART leaders have decided to alter the transit agency's free speech-related policy after discovering that a private school and church in West Oakland used unaccompanied children, some as young as 7 years old, to solicit funds at stations after school and at night. SHOSHANA WALTER Bay Citizen -- 7/20/12 Wife says neighbor offered to line up political heavy hitters against Mirkarimi -- Eliana Lopez, the wife of embattled Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, testified Thursday that the neighbor who shot the now-notorious video of a tearful Lopez's bruised arm said "Screw him," when advising Lopez to make a domestic violence report against her husband and offered to line up political heavy hitters against him. Kristin J. Bender and Josh Richman in the Contra Costa Times John Coté and Rachel Gordon in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/20/12 restaurants vs. food trucks -- Sacramento could become the state's next battleground in the national food truck craze if the city can't find common ground for restaurateurs and mobile vendors at a key meeting tonight. Anne Gonzales in the Sacramento Bee -- 7/20/12 Capitol Weekly: Dear Big Daddy, I'm a freshman Assembly staffer and I'll be wrapping up my first legislative session. I keep hearing that August will be completely weird, but I want to know why everything is put off until the last minute. What's that about? -- Befuddled in Bridgeport in Capitol Weekly -- 7/20/12
Obama talks Medicare in Florida -- President Obama, campaigning in Florida on Thursday, ramped up his talk on healthcare and Medicare, seeking to convince voters — including the state’s senior citizens — that Mitt Romney’s ideas are “the wrong way to go.” Amie Parnes The Hill -- 7/20/12 Saunders: Barack Obama: Clueless on the economy -- "Why is the modern Republican Party so opposed to allowing the rich to pay just a little bit more in taxes to help solve the debt and deficit problem in this country that they would prefer no deal at all?" Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., asked at the Brookings Institution on Monday. Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 7/20/12
Pelosi: I'll release my tax returns when I run for president -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) pushed back hard Thursday against the notion that congressional leaders should release their tax returns, saying the standard applies only to presidential candidates. Mike Lillis The Hill -- 7/20/12 Congress’s debate on year-end ‘fiscal cliff’ sets stage for fall showdowns -- Five and half months before the deadline for potential disaster, Congress broke into heated debate this week over a January fiscal meltdown that could lead to nearly $600 billion worth of tax hikes and automatic federal spending cuts next year. Paul Kane in the Washington Post -- 7/20/12 |
Follow on Twitter
