California Policy & Politics This Morning

California water politics complicate Brown's decisions -- As California struggles to cope with its historic drought, Gov. Jerry Brown is facing increasing pressure to tackle longstanding problems in the state's water storage and delivery systems at a time when the politics of the issue have never been more tangled. Juliet Williams Associated Press -- 2/17/14

Obscure source of water dries up -- Surplus water from a little-known reservoir near Marysville has come to the rescue of fish, Central Valley farms and Southern California cities during dry spells for the past quarter century. Michael Gardner UT San Diego$  -- 2/17/14

Water meters gain grudging acceptance up north -- In previous droughts, many Southern Californians lived with shorter showers, reluctantly conceded to browner lawns and spent money on new household fixtures to save water. The all-knowing water meter — and its upward click to higher rates — was reporting every gallon to the bill collectors. Michael Gardner UT San Diego$  -- 2/17/14

GOP challengers see opportunity in water crisis  -- California's drought is providing an opportunity to the two Republicans vying to challenge Gov. Jerry Brown's expected re-election campaign this fall, highlighting what they say are government failures to prepare the state for a foreseeable crisis.  Juliet Williams Associated Press  -- 2/17/14

New water basin in Anaheim will add to supply -- The Orange County Water District can soon begin work on a new water basin that will drastically boost its recycling program – something expected to help with the state's drought. Sarah Tully in the Orange County Register$ -- 2/17/14

Flood irrigation still common, but drip method is gaining ground -- The sight is not uncommon in California: water moving slowly across farm fields, in broad sheets or through a grid of ditches, propelled only by the pull of gravity. Matt Weiser in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/17/14

Can anybody save California? -- The state's drought is the worst since 1580. And no, Barack Obama can't stop it. David Dayen Politico -- 2/17/14

Science Linking Drought to Global Warming Remains Matter of Dispute -- In delivering aid to drought-stricken California last week, President Obama and his aides cited the state as an example of what could be in store for much of the rest of the country as human-caused climate change intensifies. Justin Gillis in the New York Times$ -- 2/17/14

Skelton: There are far worse crimes than Wright's -- The state senator who was found guilty of misstating where he lives should be booted out but not locked up. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/14

Gov. Jerry Brown puts deep imprint on California judiciary -- As he prepares to fill a surprise opening on the California Supreme Court, Gov. Jerry Brown's track record of appointing judges strongly points toward a consistent theme -- scouring the legal ranks for candidates with some intellectual firepower who might add diversity to the nation's largest judiciary. Howard Mintz in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/17/14

Confidential documents cite interference in prison death review -- As California prison officials began looking into the September death of a breathing-impaired inmate who had been pepper-sprayed by a guard, they found themselves facing unusual interference and oversight from above, according to documents from an internal corrections investigation obtained by The Sacramento Bee. Sam Stanton and Denny Walsh in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/17/14

Walters: San Francisco seeks special treatment for embattled college -- For several years, those who run California’s 100-plus community colleges have complained that the commission that makes all-important accreditation evaluations has been excessively aggressive, even nit-picking. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 2/17/14

Bay Area Residents Resist Crude-by-Rail as Accidents Rise -- The city of Pittsburg, 20 miles east of Oakland, is considering approving a new oil terminal to supply crude to Bay Area refineries. The oil would come via ship, pipeline and railroad. Molly Samuel KQED -- 2/17/14

Borenstein: Fire district report lacks promised road map out of financial crisis -- With the East Bay's most populous fire district sliding toward bankruptcy, much hope had been pinned on an outside consultant's recommendations for structural change. Daniel Borenstein in the Contra Costa Times$  -- 2/17/14

Reporting From the Web’s Underbelly --In the last year, Eastern European cybercriminals have stolen Brian Krebs’s identity a half dozen times, brought down his website, included his name and some unpleasant epithets in their malware code, sent fecal matter and heroin to his doorstep, and called a SWAT team to his home just as his mother was arriving for dinner. Nicole Perlroth in the New York Times$  -- 2/17/14

Residents live in filth, fear in mismanaged Bay Area public housing -- Geneva Eaton has learned to deal with life in Hacienda: the stench of mold from the stairwell in front of her door, the winter she spent huddled at her stove for heat, the broken security gate that allows drug dealers and squatters to walk past the paid security guards and urinate on her doorstep. But the mice were too much. Amy Julia Harris Center for Investigative Reporting  -- 2/17/14

Calbuzz: Op-Ed: How a Prop. 13 Fairness Campaign Could Win -- As a political matter, Proposition 13 is sacred. It’s been described by lazy reporters as the “Third Rail of California Politics” so often that you probably want to hurl every time you hear the phrase. Chuck McFadden Special to Calbuzz  -- 2/17/14

Taxes/Fees

As retiree costs soar, reformers question independence of worker-dominated pension boards --A rift between Gov. Jerry Brown and the board overseeing the nation's largest public pension fund over rising liabilities tied to longer retiree life expectancies highlights a concern about how decisions are made at an agency with tremendous influence over state finances. Fenit Nirappil Associated Press  -- 2/17/14

Economy, Employers and Jobs

Ivanpah partners tout solar-thermal generating plant’s success -- Corporate executives and some government officials touted the world’s largest solar-thermal generating plant — which is visible from the 250 mile-high International Space Station — as a tribute to American ingenuity. Jim Steinberg in the San Bernardino Sun -- 2/17/14

State oversight slows down fast-growing zip lines -- McCann, 28, is one of thousands to check out the latest fast-growing adventure activity in Southern California. Located in forests, mountains and canyons, zip lines allow harnessed riders to glide through the air from point to point on high-wire runs. Suzanne Hurt in the Orange County Register$ -- 2/17/14

Should deputies be paid for putting on their pants? -- Most agree that taxpayers should pay police well for risking their lives in the line of duty. But should they be paid for the time they spend strapping on their gun belt and bulletproof vest? Or tying their boot laces? What if the department insists they dress in the stationhouse, instead of at home? Mike Reicher in the Orange County Register$ -- 2/17/14

Hiltzik: Concerns growing over how spread of online gambling will play out -- The most sinister video you're likely to find online just now comes from people who oppose online gambling. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/14

Firefighter's alcohol test blurs motorcycle hit-run case -- For months, there's been a mystery surrounding that case of the firefighter who plowed into a motorcyclist at a South of Market intersection: Sources say he tested as drunk, but prosecutors have never charged him. Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/17/14

Judge Unseals Trove of Records Alleging Improper Jailhouse Informant Scheme -- A huge cache of records alleging the Orange County district attorney’s office and law enforcement agencies utilized a long-running informant program to violate defendants’ rights was unsealed last week in Santa Ana Superior Court. Rex Dalton VoiceofOC.org -- 2/17/14

Education

Common Core Curriculum Now Has Critics on the Left -- The Common Core has been applauded by education leaders and promoted by the Obama administration as a way to replace a hodgepodge of state standards with one set of rigorous learning goals. Al Baker in the New York Times$ -- 2/17/14

Environment

Just what is floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? -- In the middle of the North Pacific, a vortex of trash swirls in the ocean, a repository for plastic bottles, bags and wrappers human beings thousands of miles away let drift into the ocean. It's called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Aaron Orlowski in the Orange County Register$ -- 2/17/14

Immigration/Border

Club offers solace to gun-loving liberals -- When Northern California liberals are said to be "up in arms," it usually means they're marching down San Francisco's Market Street or rallying at Berkeley's Sproul Plaza -- not toting guns and actively defending their right to do so. Josh Richman in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 2/17/14

Also...

Washington Post journalists win Polk awards -- The Post’s Barton Gellman, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, was joined by Glenn Greenwald, formerly of the Guardian US, and two other Guardian journalists in receiving the George Polk Award for national security reporting, Long Island University announced Sunday. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 2/17/14

Former Bell council members weigh deal for guilty pleas -- After prosecutor offers 4-year prison terms for guilty pleas, ex-Bell officials must agree on whether to accept or again stand trial. Jeff Gottlieb  in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/14

SDPD seeks audit on misconduct cases -- Hit with yet another sex crimes investigation into one of his officers, San Diego Police Chief Bill Lansdowne said Saturday he is seeking an outside auditor to take a hard look at how the department handles misconduct and how it can better weed out rogue cops. Kristina Davis UT San Diego$ -- 2/17/14

Mayor Eric Garcetti's priority list includes people mover, 2024 Games -- Building "a people mover" to serve Los Angeles International Airport, providing more incentives to help the local film industry thrive and bidding for the 2024 Olympics were among the priorities outlined by Mayor Eric Garcetti during a Sunday morning talk show. Samantha Schaefer in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/14

George Zimmerman says he's homeless and suffers from PTSD -- George Zimmerman, the 30-year-old Floridian acquitted last year of murdering Trayvon Martin, says he's homeless, jobless and struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. Paresh Dave in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 2/17/14

NBC's Secret Sochi Starbucks Assists Staff in Olympic Grind -- The Winter Olympics has seen its share of oddities, from an eye infection that felled Bob Costas to bobsledder Johnny Quinn breaking down doors. Now on the menu: a secret Starbucks at the NBC media grounds. Ann-Marie Alcantata Mashable -- 2/17/14

POTUS 44

5 Years After Stimulus, Obama Says It Worked -- White House points to job saved and economic growth fostered in forthcoming report. Michael Grunwald TIME -- 2/17/14

Obama tees off on Larry Ellison's private course -- President Barack Obama is teeing off on a private California golf course owned by supporter Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of the Oracle software company. Associated Press -- 2/17/14