California Policy and Politics This Morning

Nurses flex their political muscle in Sacramento and across California -- Rose Ann DeMoro is always ready for another fight. And why not? During the past decade, the leader of the California Nurses Association has won so many of her battles. Darrell Smith and Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/5/12

Morain: Rulings let big campaign donors throw their weight around -- Unless you're steeped in Idaho politics, you've probably never heard of Frank VanderSloot. But the wealthy Republican businessman and people like him around the country are wielding outsized influence on the 2012 presidential election. Dan Morain in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/5/12

Walters: Democrats may be Jerry Brown's big hurdle on budget -- Gov. Jerry Brown and his fellow Democrats in the Legislature settled on a hastily revised state budget last June – after Brown had vetoed legislators' first version – and pronounced it to be balanced and timely. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/5/12

High-speed rail's coming battle: Powerful land owners -- If you want to build a rail line between Anaheim and San Francisco, people are going to have to get out of the way. Literally. BRIAN JOSEPH in the Orange County Register -- 2/5/12

Lopez: High-speed rail ... or fail? -- A bullet train official tries to answer tough questions about soaring costs and judging the risks of new technology. Can it be built faster, better and cheaper? Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/5/12

Borenstein: With $2.4 billion Contra Costa retirement debt, no one should pop champagne corks -- Contra Costa County's finances resemble those of a family that ran up astronomical credit card debts by spending beyond its means. Daniel Borenstein in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/5/12

Lawmakers’ cars going, going ... gone! -- The Legislature has spent the last two months selling cars it had previously purchased for lawmakers, a move mandated by the California Citizens Compensation Commission's decision to cut the car perk legislators have enjoyed for decades. Torey Van Oot in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/5/12

See the sale prices for California legislators' state cars -- The state Legislature has taken a loss of more than $1 million on the sale of dozens of cars it had purchased for legislators over the years. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 2/5/12

Big cities cautious about privatizing parking after Chicago's effort -- Sacramento doesn't have many role models to follow as it tries to auction off its parking garages and meters to help finance a new sports arena. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/5/12

Vorderbrueggen: Reform plot worthy of a Hollywood script -- In his hourlong speech plugging his state budgeting overhaul initiative, the über-gregarious Hertzberg delivered a Hollywood-worthy tale about his first encounter with the "homeless billionaire" and the man who would later resuscitate the dying measure with cash. Lisa Vorderbrueggen in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/5/12

Willie Brown: 49ers' NFL loan moves team closer to Santa Clara -- The $200 million that the National Football League just handed to the 49ers for their new stadium is the end of any hope the team will stay in San Francisco. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/12

Mieulis, Yorks feud over value of 49ers -- Heirs of the late sportsman Franklin Mieuli say San Francisco 49ers owners John and Denise DeBartolo York and their son Jed are trying to cheat them out of millions of dollars. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/12

New help for our wounded warriors -- Should post-9/11 veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan receive more benefits and services than veterans of previous wars? Foon Rhee in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/5/12

   Occupy

Police hold smaller Occupy Oakland protest in check -- A week after a violent protest by Occupy demonstrators resulted in more than 400 arrests, calm reigned Saturday night as a small crowd of about 100 marchers was turned away from the Oakland Police Department, then paraded around downtown and North Oakland. Kevin Fagan, Vivian Ho, Will Kane, Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle Alan Lopez in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/5/12

   Taxes - Fees

Red-light cameras boost coffers, rile drivers -- California has the most expensive red-light camera tickets in the world - the fine is so steep that one camera in Oakland generates more than $3 million a year - and a Fremont man is launching a protest group to do something about that. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/5/12

   Education

Jerry Brown's call for fewer school tests conflicts with state's new education blueprint -- Want to make a public school teacher cringe? Say the words high-stakes testing. Tests, test and more tests. Teachers unions rail against them. Parents complain about the time their kids spend taking them. Academics disagree over their value. Diana Lambert in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/5/12

Hiltzik: Who really benefits from putting high-tech gadgets in classrooms? -- How much genuine value is there in fancy educational electronics? Don't let companies or politicians fool you. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/5/12

   Health Care

L.A. hospital accused of patient-dumping -- Public Counsel, a pro-bono law firm, filed a suit alleging elder abuse, false imprisonment and hospital negligence. The firm also turned the information over to the Los Angeles city attorney's office for review. Anna Gorman in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/5/12

   Environment

Sacrificing the desert to save the Earth -- Construction cranes rise like storks 40 stories above the Mojave Desert. In their midst, the "power tower" emerges, wrapped in scaffolding and looking like a multistage rocket. Julie Cart in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/5/12

Federal appellate court rejects Forest Service plan for Sierra -- A federal appellate court has struck down as unlawful a 2004 management plan for Sierra Nevada national forests formulated by George W. Bush's administration, saying it lacks a required analysis of how fish will fare under the plan. Denny Walsh in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/5/12

   Also..

California casino tribes kick out some members -- Two casino-owning tribes in California have thinned their membership ranks over the last several months, cutting off scores of people from a share of casino profits and other benefits of tribal membership. SUDHIN THANAWALA AP -- 2/5/12

   Beltway

Romney is on a roll after big win in Nevada -- Coasting to an easy victory over his GOP rivals in the Nevada caucuses, Mitt Romney keeps his focus on President Obama as the nominating contest moves to Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/4/12

Nevada caucuses 2012: Newt Gingrich presses forward -- Newt Gingrich may have wandered aimlessly in the desert for the last few days, but he’s determined to emerge from defeat in Nevada with a national game plan. GINGER GIBSON Politico -- 2/5/12