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California returns 656 parolees to active supervision -- California is changing how it applies a new law allowing some parolees to go unmonitored after their release from prison, and will return 656 of the parolees to active supervision after learning they are at high risk of committing new crimes, prison officials said Wednesday. DON THOMPSON AP -- 4/14/10 Top GOP stars stumping for Meg Whitman -- Republican heavyweights such as former presidential candidates Sen. John McCain and Mitt Romney and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush are scheduled to hit the campaign trail this month for GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, according to the Whitman campaign. Jack Chang SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/14/10 FPPC Chairman Ross Johnson announces resignation -- Fair Political Practices Commission Chairman Ross Johnson announced today that he will step down April 30. Johnson said in a statement that the decision to resign was "entirely personal and the result of recently discovered health issues." Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/14/10 Meg Whitman offers TV stations free footage -- Whitman's campaign has put television stations around the state on notice that it will be sending daily video images of the candidate on the campaign trail, just in case a station wants to put any of them on the air. Capitol Weekly's Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times Amy Chance SacBee Capitol Alert Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 4/14/10 CRP vice chair ‘birther’ quote draws attention -- California Republican Party Vice Chairman Tom Del Beccaro’s straddling of the birther question in today’s Los Angeles Times story generated this statement from the Democratic Party: Lisa Vorderbrueggen Political Blotter weblog -- 4/14/10 CA GOP vice chair and pundit Del Beccaro a "birther?" He says no way -- California Republican Party vice chair Tom Del Becarro, the outspoken conservative publisher of PoliticalVanguard.com, says that there is no way he's part of the "birther" movement -- and he charges the whole thing is being tossed around by Democrats to "create controversy" and shift focus from real election year issues. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/14/10 Army Birther under investigation -- Lt. Col. Terry Lakin, an Army doctor who’s refusing to serve his second tour of duty in Afghanistan until he sees President Barack Obama’s birth certificate, is under investigation by the Army. JEN DIMASCIO Politico -- 4/14/10 Tea Party shuns Obama birthplace lawyer -- Lawyer Orly Taitz has been told she won’t be allowed to speak at a Tea Party tax day rally in Pleasanton on Thursday because other candidates planning to be on the platform basically don’t want to be seen with her. Dena Bunis in the Orange County Register -- 4/14/10 Stanislaus president questions finding of Palin contract -- California State University, Stanislaus President Hamid Shirvani said today he's looking forward to an investigation into the discovery of a contract to bring Sarah Palin to campus. The item is in the Modesto Bee -- 4/14/10 State Sen. Roy Ashburn sentenced to two days in jail for DUI -- State Sen. Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield) was sentenced Wednesday to two days in jail and three years probation after pleading no contest to charges of driving under the influence of alcohol. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times Wyatt Buchanan Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/14/10 Legislature spends $529,000 on new cars -- Last year, when the state was gripped by a budget crisis, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered hundreds of state cars to be sold to save money. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 State saved $63 million on cars last year, administration says -- The state of California avoided spending more than $63 million last year by reducing purchases of new state vehicles and ordering most agencies to reduce their fleets by 15 percent, the Schwarzenegger administration said Wednesday. Susan Ferriss SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/14/10 AP Enterprise: California sell-off plan has high cost -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to sell two dozen state office buildings would cost California taxpayers billions of dollars in rent in the years ahead, far more than the state stands to make from the sale, according to financial documents analyzed by The Associated Press. JUDY LIN AP -- 4/14/10 UC freshman admission rate drops a bit; more than 10,000 wait-listed -- California’s high school seniors faced slightly tougher odds to gain admission to the University of California this year and more than 10,700 of them were offered a spot, sometimes several, on the university’s new and controversial waiting lists, according to statistics released Wednesday. Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 Boat full of suspected illegal immigrants stopped near San Onofre State Beach -- A small boat full of suspected illegal immigrants was intercepted off the northern San Diego County coast Wednesday morning, marking what authorities believe to be the latest sea smuggling attempt reaching far north of the U.S.-Mexico border. Richard Marosi in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 Democrats prepare to party in Los Angeles -- There will be a Saturday morning speech from Jerry Brown, back-room wheeling and dealing among the candidates for various statewide offices. But perhaps the most important question on the minds of convention-goers this weekend: "Where are the good parties going to be?" Capitol Weekly's Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 DeVore has raised $1.8 million for Senate bid -- Irvine Assemblyman Chuck DeVore may be lagging in the polls in his bid for the Republican Senate nomination but he’s in the hunt when it comes to raising money for the June 8 primary. Dena Bunis in the Orange County Register -- 4/14/10 Votes in Senate special didn't come cheap -- Between them, Emmerson and Bogh have 55,754 votes, according to unofficial results, or $33 a vote. About $1.32 million of the spending benefited Emmerson, who received 36,507 votes. Cost per vote: $36. Almost $566,335 of the spending benefited Bogh, who received 19,247 votes. Cost per vote: $29 Jim Miller in the Riverside Press -- 4/14/10 Tape, video may not be rolling at CSUS speech -- Sarah Palin could be keeping cameras and tape recorders at bay during her upcoming appearance at California State University, Stanislaus. Michael Doyle in the Modesto Bee -- 4/14/10 For Supreme Court vacancy, Zoe Lofgren? -- But in a letter to the President Wednesday, the Washington-based Computer & Communications Industry Association urged Obama to select a tech-savvy justice and argued, with total seriousness, that Lofgren would fit the bill. Mike Zapler in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/14/10
Boxer tops potential challengers in fundraising -- Democrat Barbara Boxer outdistanced her Republican challengers in raising money during the first quarter of the year, and her two leading GOP would-be opponents were nearly tied in income over the period, according to financial reports. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 Poizner tops Whitman in book sales -- Steve Poizner's campaign for governor is in an unusual spot: His memoir, No. 5 on the New York Times best-seller list, is doing better in the polls than his candidacy for the state's top office. Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/14/10 Activist who challenges Obama's citizenship is booted from Tax Day Tea Party -- After candidates complain to organizers, Orly Taitz's speaking engagement is withdrawn. Taitz has been a leading voice in the discredited 'birther' movement. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 Poizner & Whitman: Cut Taxes, Make Money -- If you were making a list of things that go together… peas and carrots, Batman and Robin, peanut butter and jelly… you’d be safe adding 'Republicans and tax cuts' to that list. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 4/14/10 Whitman's Wall Street ties raise recession questions -- With the San Francisco Chronicle, California Watch investigated Meg Whitman’s relationship with Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street investment bank that is also a major player in state public finance. Lance Williams California Watch -- 4/14/10 Whitman says job creation will take tax cuts -- Riverside and San Bernardino counties could benefit more than other parts of the state from tax cuts aimed at spurring job growth, Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman said Tuesday. DUG BEGLEY in the Riverside Press -- 4/14/10 California to investigate group behind Palin speech -- California Attorney General Jerry Brown said Tuesday his office had launched an investigation into the finances of a state university foundation and the alleged dumping of documents related to Sarah Palin's upcoming speech at the school. ROBIN HINDERY AP Lance Williams California Watch Carla Rivera in the Los Angeles Times Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee Patty Guerra in the Modesto Bee Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times Wyatt Buchanan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/14/10 CNN Poll: Who wins an Obama vs. Palin matchup? -- She may be the best known Republican politician considering a bid for the White House, but Sarah Palin comes in third in a hypothetical horserace for the next GOP presidential nomination, according to a new national poll. Paul Steinhauser CNN Politics -- 4/14/10 CalBuzz: Cal Forward Fee Proposal Meets Our Hawaiian Eye -- When last we checked on California Forward’s reform proposals we saw them drifting in some Legislative backwater. But friends tell us there may still be breath in some of the proposals and the one Calbuzz thinks is most likely to be a sleeper relates — you guessed it — to whether it takes a majority or two-thirds to approve of fees. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 4/14/10 Runoffs to be held June 8 for 2 California legislative seats -- Democrat Gatto will face GOP's Ramani in the 43rd Assembly District. GOP's Emmerson will face Democrat Blake and Monica of the American Independent Party in the 37th Senate District. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 Morain: Groups bankroll our ballot options -- Voters going to the polls Tuesday down in Riverside County had a clear choice: Elect the California Dental Association, or the California Correctional Peace Officers Association. Dan Morain in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/14/10 We still don't have a Lieutenant Governor -- For the millions of you waiting with bated breath for the resolution of the saga over the empty lieutenant governor's post, we have an update. Sort of. Wyatt Buchanan Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/14/10
Court ruling allows state furloughs to continue -- A state appeals court prolonged furloughs Tuesday for tens of thousands of state employees, requiring them to take three days off without pay each month and keeping the agencies that issue driver's licenses and jobless benefits closed most Fridays this spring. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/14/10 California state worker retirements spike -- The number of California state workers who took their first pension check in January jumped more than 30 percent over the same month in 2009, a strong indication that the state's budget and labor turmoil is pushing a growing number of longtime employees out the door. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/14/10 Workers sue CalPERS over gay spouse exclusion -- Three gay couples are suing California's giant public pension fund and the Internal Revenue Service to make long-term care insurance available to the same-sex spouses of state government workers. AP -- 4/14/10 Walters: Unions seeking more power over local governments -- Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's threat to shut down city government two days a week because of a looming shortage of cash fizzled when city officials suddenly discovered an additional $30 million in property taxes. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/14/10 California exports continue to increase -- California trade continued to claw its way back in February, fueled by improvements in the economies of the state's trading partners. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/14/10 CalPERS, CalSTRS plan to change realty investment policy -- Stung by controversy and heavy losses, California's two public pension funds are about to restrict themselves from investing in real estate deals that rely on driving tenants out of rent-controlled housing. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/14/10
3,880 Capo students take part in sickout -- An estimated 3,880 students across the Capistrano Unified School District, mostly at the elementary level, stayed home Tuesday as families staged a one-day “student strike” to protest a 10.1 percent pay cut imposed on teachers by the school board. SCOTT MARTINDALE in the Orange County Register -- 4/14/10 Fensterwald: Special ed option for laid off teachers -- A one-year-old nonprofit is serving as a matchmaker between an abundant supply of soon to be laid-off teachers and a critical shortage of special ed instructors. John Fensterwald educatedguess.org -- 4/14/10 Herdt: Charter schools: Are they always a salvation? -- It’s popular in political circles these days to speak of charter schools as the most important educational development since the advent of compulsory education. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star -- 4/14/10
The Price for Building a Home in This Town: $300,000 Water Meter -- But he cannot hook up to the water main that runs right past his property unless he has a water meter. And a water meter, in Bolinas, could cost more than $300,000. FRED A. BERNSTEIN in the New York Times -- 4/14/10 San Francisco passes landscaping law -- The continued quest by San Francisco officials to green the streets moved forward Tuesday with final passage of legislation that will require developers to use landscaping to beautify the city and keep excess rainwater out of the sewers. Rachel Gordon in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/14/10 Senators consider gasoline tax as part of climate bill -- Estimates put it in the range of 15 cents a gallon. Some oil companies are on board with the plan because it would cost them far less than other proposals to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Jim Tankersley in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 L.A.'s February water use drops to 31-year low -- Seasonal rain probably had something to do with decreased demand, but the DWP says restrictions that kicked in last June are becoming more of a habit too. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 Lawn-watering rules contributed to L.A. main breaks, experts find -- Extreme changes in water pressure combined with aging infrastructure to create spectacular blowouts. David Zahniser and Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10
Bigger is better for pot dispensaries, Oakland advocate says -- For Sacramento and other California cities wanting fewer medical pot clubs, Steve DeAngelo offers a potential model: the world's largest marijuana dispensary. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/14/10 Preliminary injunction bars Venice-area dispensary from selling medical marijuana -- The judge again sides with prosecutors' arguments that California law does not permit the sale of pot. His ruling says the Organica store was not operating as a true, nonprofit collective. John Hoeffel in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 Lopez: Taking a stairway to health -- Writer finds balm for his body and soul by climbing L.A. treasures. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles wins suit over surgery for disabled boy -- The child's father had sued for $19 million, saying he had not consented to the operation. Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 Area hospitals draw penalties from state -- Inland Empire hospitals accounted for six out of 10 administrative penalties announced Tuesday by the California Department of Public Health. Jim Steinberg in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 4/14/10 California fines Sutter Davis Hospital in patient's death -- A breakdown in hospital protocol led to the death of a Sutter Davis Hospital patient two years ago, according to the state Department of Public Health, which Tuesday fined the hospital $25,000 for the lapse. Bobby Caina Calvan in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/14/10 West Hollywood doctor accused of running 'pill mill' -- The psychiatrist sold prescriptions for medications to patients he did not examine and who had no need for the drugs, a federal complaint says. He and his office manager are arrested. Scott Glover in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10
ICE officers using program to control criminal immigrants -- The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and federal immigration authorities have another tool to keep dangerous criminal immigrants off the streets. Stephen Wall in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 4/14/10 Reid Hits Pause Button on Immigration -- Senator Harry Reid retreated today from having the Senate move quickly on immigration law changes, saying any overhaul would have to wait. CARL HULSE in the New York Times -- 4/14/10 Arizona Clears Strict Immigration Bill -- Arizona lawmakers on Tuesday passed one of the toughest pieces of immigration-enforcement legislation in the country, which would make it a violation of state law to be in the U.S. without proper documentation. MIRIAM JORDAN in the Wall Street Journal Nicholas Riccardi in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10
Obama casts wide net with list of possible Supreme Court nominees -- Advisors are calling for a nontraditional choice to replace Justice John Paul Stevens, someone who isn't a product of top-tier Ivy League schools or hasn't worked as a federal appeals judge. James Oliphant and Christi Parsons in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 Obama Puts His Own Mark on Foreign Policy Issues -- When he took office last year, President Obama told his foreign policy advisers that he had two baskets of issues to deal with. The first would be the legacy issues left from his predecessor, like Iraq, Afghanistan and America’s image in the world. The second would be his own agenda for the future. PETER BAKER in the New York Times -- 4/14/10
Oakland's Kaplan eyes run for mayor -- Oakland City Council member Rebecca Kaplan announced today that she is exploring a run for mayor. Matthai Kuruvila in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/14/10 Hiltzik: Can we trust telecom firms on net neutrality? -- Here's an entry in my bizspeak-to-English dictionary: When executives in certain industries talk about needing to be rid of regulation so they can foster "better customer service," they're really talking about safeguarding their income. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/14/10 Bay Area News Group wins prestigious national award -- At the association's annual dinner in Washington, D.C., on May 1, President Barack Obama will present the award to staff writers Suzanne Bohan and Sandy Kleffman for their four-part series, "Shortened Lives: Where You Live Matters." The item is in the Contra Costa Times -- 4/14/10 Nebraska Law Sets Limits on Abortion -- Proponents of the new law say they want to spare fetuses pain. Critics think the goal is to set up a challenge to Roe v. Wade. ROBBIE BROWN in the New York Times -- 4/14/10 |
